!1

IGCSE Design and Technology LU Ziwei Candy Centre Number HK017 Candidate Number 0071

!2

Identification of design problem

school

school bag is too heavy

in summer, carrying theschoolbag is too hot

lockers are wet inhumid weather

there are so many stuff tocarry around, heavy. too crowded

when packing

doors of the lockers besideme always hit my head

Laptop is too heavy

often need to take stuff from high level,inconvenient to clean the chair after stepping on it.

hobbies

nothing to hold mybrushes for drying

inconvenient to findart materials in drawels

too many books

too noisy whenlistening to music

the sunlight is to strong in theday time in front of me

magazine rackshave limited space,not decorative

too many artequipments, hard to

find

too many shopping bags around that arenot in use. this is not green.

my hand hurts whenclosing the umbrellas

i get wet even when iwear rain coats

i often need to get freshwater for painting

it is difficult to cleanthe laptop bag

drawings get dirty when theyare in the same bag

ink stains pencil case.

kitchen

not hygiene to bring forks andspoon in a box to school

not hygiene to store chopsticksand spoon in a drawel

hard to find seasonings on theshelve since it's deep

cockroach

don't know how to storeopened cereal pakages

water from dishesdrop on the ground

dangerous to wash bowls usingboiled water before dinner

when the glass of water is full,it's easy to spill out.

insects get on fruits,snacks, bread, sweets etc

food that are processing/ havn'tfinish are not covered,not hygiene

there are too many spices, hard to control the amount

food/oil get on thefloor during cooking

hot oil gets on my hands/face during cooking

rubish mixedtogether,not able to

recycle

nowadays people often entertainthemselves while eating

we often need to add spices on thedinner table. it si inconvenient to

take spices from kitchen

it is dangerous for children to useknife, forks, chopsticks

it is hard to open cans and dirts getit when the can is opened

lids of cups and glasses falls easily

rubbish bins (withlids/with no) are not convenient

the water bottle is very hot when ipour boiled water inside

hot water splashes on my arm when ipour boiling water into a jar.

my hands burns when using a lighter

Bathroom

too many products, not hygieneto store them in a group

after cleansing and brushing, thewashbasin would always get wet and

make my clothes wet.

hair left on the groundafter hair drying

when drying hair, water droplets getsonto clothes and surroundings

carpets are not hygiene

need to close my eyeswhen washing hair

need to wait forhair conditioner

nothing to hold ipad when i want towatch movies during the shower

nowhere to storeswimming equipments

when washing my face, water drip on thefloor and make my clothes wet

Tangled hair blocks thepipe in bathroom

forget to takeoff jewelries

no where toplace my phone

makeup bag messy

brushing teeth, washing face and hairdrying make my clothes wet.

Living room

too many CDs, messy, hardto find the right one

too many umbrellas, hard to store

cold air seeks out from thegap of the window

too many framed photos

brother and sister are toonoisy when working

bags stack together

scattered dirty shoes

wet umbrellas dripping waterwhen entering the house

too hot to hold a chinese tea cupwhen there is tea inside

notice, letter,brochure

everywhere

humid air in hk prevent clothesfrom drying,clothes always hang

inside my house

guests need to have snacks and fruits, inconvenient to wash dishes and bring out the food.

cloth hanger changes theshape of clothes

Badroom

Table/desk

messy notebooks,homeworks,books,stationary

messy cards (IDs,octopus etc)

small

drawel

messy notebooks, wallets,photos, letters,

stationaries,snacks,headphones, sunscreen etc.

balcony

too many notes, binders,books, paintings

cockroachmessy closet

messy bookshelve

messy drawels with paints,toys, stationatires

no place to stickletters, notes

cannot reach my notes onthe balcony easily

notes are too heavyphone has great

radiation, but need it for alarm

it's scary to switch off the lightsthat are far away from bed

sunlight shine through thecurtain in the mornig

air conditioner isa little noisy

dont know where are the switches oflights are when the room is dark

hard to get up inthe morning

air conditioner located straightbehind my table,

uncomfortable when working

hard to pull outthe drawel

dirt/soil bring into the roomafter going to the garden

too many bags,thrown on the floor

suicases and hand held cars takes upa lot of space, inconvinient to carry around

potted plants arefull of insects

i wont put stuff in theiroriginal places which makes my room messy

wearing slippers is notcomfortable and it makes noise

the day light hurts my eyes when iam using my laptop, ipad

Identification of design problems

1

Most students in Hong Kong carry their school supplies to school using a backpack. Especially in the summer when the weather in Hong Kong is hot and stuffy, students sweat a lot and arrive school with their wet clothes. This does not only affects student’s appearance and their level of comfort, but also provides a suitable environment for bacterial breeding, which could lead to illnesses. Also, schools provide air conditioning for students, which can make them feel very cold too. It is necessary to find a solution to this problem.

2

iPads are widely used and people use them in every occasion in their daily life for entertainment, education, communication and work. For examples, during their working hours, when they’re cooking their dinner, before going to bed or even in the bath. Since iPads are not waterproofed, they can easily get wet in these situations, which makes it inconvenient for people to use them. It is also hard to hold them in place or make them stand up straight in wet areas and when people are busy doing something else. Phones are also necessary for communication and entertainment. A problem with phones is that people can’t answer emergency calls when they are taking a shower or cooking. This may aggravate the situation and can make people loose their opportunities or cause dangers. So it is important to find a solution for this problem.

!3

◀ Me carrying a schoolbag.

As you can see, my back is covered by the schoolbag.

The part of my shirt that was covered by the schoolbag is wet because of sweating. This makes me feel awkward in school and it is very uncomfortable. ▶

Design problems identified

◀ The iPad is on the edge

of the bathtub and with all the shampoos around, it gets wet easily.

▲ The kitchen is messy and dirty dur ing cooking. Heat can damage the iPad. Oil can spill out from the pot and the table would be wet since all the cooking ingredients are there.

3

Nowadays, people usually compile their papers into racks or binders according to their grouping but there has been a big problem of insects living inside papers or in racks. It can be very irritating and distracting when people trying to concentrate on their works and insects could carry deceases around which affects people’s life quality. People may also feel unsafe and not comfortable working in the room which makes them work less efficiently and produce low quality works. Especially when students put their notes in their bedrooms, insects can get onto their beds, and it’s horrible to imagine how students would react and how bad they would feel when they know that they are actually sleeping with insects. Rough sleeps can affect student’s mental conditions which directly affect the effort that students put into their studies. This is a serious problem in modern society and it is essential to solve this problem.

4

I have a large collection of brushes as I use them to paint and for makeup. But after cleansing them, there is no place to hang them up for drying. Neither of lying the brushes on a towel or put them vertically with their heads up or down are good ways of drying them because water would get inside the brush holder and loosen the hair of the brush. Also, water from brushes drops everywhere during drying which causes inconvenience and danger for users and creates bad working environment. This is really inconvenient especially for art students, artists and makeup artists since they use brushes very often, they must clean and dry them as quick as possible. It would be very helpful to have this problem solved.

!4

◀ Large number of notes

and books are categorized in several racks and binders. Racks are arranged into straight line.

This is an evident that shows that there has been an insect passing through my books. Here is a wing of a white ant. ▶

◀ Top view of the notes. As

you can see, there are gaps between papers and books where insects can get in.

◀ Brushes put vertically with

their heads up. This is one of the way that people usually used to dry their brushes. But this is not a good way.

Part of my col lection of painting brushes. ▼

I have a large collection of painting and makeup brushes in different sizes. Professional brushes are costly so taking good care is important. Artificial drying methods are not preferred when drying brushes. So after washing brushes, I would lie them on the ground/table or put them vertically in a cup with the brush heads up for drying. But neither of these ways are good for the brushes because water would get into the ferrule and loosen the bristles. Brushes would take longer to dry and may deform. These methods take a relatively large space. Water droplets from brushes causes inconvenience and danger at workplace, bathroom and balcony and creates bad working environment. Especially for art students and artists as they would need to use a number of brushes at one time and would often need to change brushes, they must clean and dry their brushes in a short amount of time for efficiency.

!5

Chosen design problem

◀ ▲ How I dry by brushes. These

three ways are not the best cause they can damage the brushes.

Justification and feasibility I chose this problem because I am an art student. Many of my friends, teachers and people around the world need to use brushes in their everyday life, so solving this problem means a lot. The problem originates from my daily life and there are very few products that I can find to solve it.

This is a challenging problem to solve since it is targeted to a specific market and it includes different brands of brushes in different sizes and weights. It requires a lots of thinking and research; imagination and creativity. By challenging myself to solve this problem, I can get to know how a product designer achieve the final product; to improve my observation and practical skills and how to use my time efficiently.

▲ My collection of brushes. (makeup and artistic.)

A collection is a group of things in one type collected by a person. A collection of painting brushes would include brushes in different sizes; designs; brands; purposes and weights.

Art students study art. They often need to experience different painting techniques and skills. They have relatively heavy workload, so their working environment is important. It affects their mood and efficiency.

Brush is an object with stiff hair, plastic or wire fixed in plastic or wooden handle. Brushes are categorized into different purposes: painting, makeup, hair etc.

There are artists in different industries, they create things with skills and imagination. Artists paint, draw or make sculptures. Makeup artists does make up for the others.

Inconvenience is a state or a problem which causes loss of comfort and delay. Inconvenience caused by drying brushes is presented in places like the work place, bathroom and balcony.

Eff iciency is using most out of resources available for example time and energy. People are producing in better quality and greater quantity when they are efficient.

!6

KEYWORDS: collection; brush; no artificial drying ; loosen hair; take longer to dry; deform; inconvenience; danger; work place; working environment; bathroom; balcony; art student; artist; efficiency

Inconvenience

delay

loss of comfort

problem

state

at a place

Analysis of design problem

Brush

painting, makeup, hair, tidying, cleaning

stiff hair, plastic or wire

plastic or woodenhandle/base

Collection

group

one type

collected by a person

in one place

a lot

range

Art student

learning art

experience

art work

workload

working environmentArtist

makeup

art

performence

film

imagination

skill

paints, draws,make sculptures

working environment

Efficiency

time and energy

safe time

greater quantity

better quality

use most out ofresources avaliable

Analysing design problem by defining keywords from the problem would help me to understand the problem better and write a good design brief.

!7

Design Brief

Task analysis

Potential customer profile

Then, I will do a potential customer profile to get to know the age, gender, location, interest etc. of my customers so that I can get some basic idea and requirements for what I am going to design

User profile

After that, there will be an user profile. This profile will set an example for me of one of my customer, so that I can get more detailed information about the style and colors that I may use.

Mood board

I am going to create mood boards to inspire myself interns of different styles, colors and mood. I can explain to myself the design concept.

Analysis and synthesis

This page analyze the requirements that I should meet, design problem and design brief as questions and answers. This page would help me design my product.

Research plan

This page is about how I am going to plan my time for the research. That would include what I am going to research, how am I going to research and how much time I have for each research topic.

Research

I am going to design and make a product that will solve the problems appealed to the vernal public when drying brushes. The product will store brushes for drying. The product will improve the efficiency and quality of drying brushes by preventing water from getting inside brush holders or spill out and the deformation of brush hair.

The product will be welcoming and safe to use every time. It will be practical and modern looking. Users will be able to clearly see items, place and obtain items easily. The product will be easy to clean and can be placed indoor or outdoor. It should be made out of materials that are resistant to humidity. It would be suitable for people ages 12 and above for both gender.

Preliminary specification

This page explains some specification of functions, materials, cost, target market, weight and size, safety, location and time scale before research.

Describe the type of person who could be your typical customers. A person who is searching for a better way to dry artistic or makeup brushes.

What is the age range of potential customers? People old enough to hold brushes and paint or do makeup; who have the consciousness of reorganizing; possibly ages 12 and above.

Are potential customers likely to be male or female or does gender matter? Gender does not matter since both gender use artistic and makeup brushes.

What is the geographical location of potential customers? Where are they likely to live? They are l ikely to have fixed residences in any geographical location where they store their appliances and work.

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t l i k e l y o c c u p a t i o n s o f p o t e n t i a l customers? The most likely occupations would be art student, artist and makeup artist.

What are the general likes/dislikes of potential customers? Customers favor design and user practicality. They dislike complexity and inconvenience.

What does a typical customer want from the product you design and manufacture? The customer wants my product to be practical, fresh and easy to use.

What makes your product more suitable to potential customers than that of your competitors? My product will be made to the customers specification.

What are the most common design requirements shared by your potential customers? T h e m o s t c o m m o n d e s i g n requirements are practicality, conveniency and simply designed appearance.

What factors are your potential customers likely to consider before purchasing your product? Customers will likely to consider the usability, size and design of my product.

What do your customers value from your company, product or services?

Customers value quality products.

How will potential customer find out about the product you are selling? Customers can find out information about my product by taking part of my design process or by word of mouth.

Does the cost of your product influence a customers decision to buy from you? Cost would always influence a customer’s decision but since my product does not require high t e c h n o l o g y a n d e x p e n s i v e m a t e r i a l , c o s t o f i t w i l l b e reasonable.

List all the ways in which contact can be made with your potential customers. Interviews, emails and telephone.

!8

Potential customer profile

!9

Age range

Ages 12+. There would be people in different age group that use brushes, but my product is aim to solve the problem for people who uses brushes intensely for art or makeup. Many teenagers nowadays does make up in a daily basis, so ages 12 above will be suitable. Art students, artists, people who do make up in their daily life or people who see art as their hobby… There are so many opportunities that this unit can be make use of.

Gender

Male and female. Gender is not a matter when it comes to using brushes because brushes have so many functions that people use them in different ways.

Occupation

Any. Occupations that would need to use the most brushes would be art students, artists, make up artists and beauty bloggers. But people does not only use brushes for their occupations. They may have interest related to calligraphy, painting, makeup, design etc. that they need to use brushes for.

Income

Middle class. I think people who can afford to buy good brushes in large quantity and appliances related to them would have the income level of middle class and above. The price of my product would be affordable by the general public.

Location

Fixed residence (public/ private). There is no specific location for the potential customers, as long as they have fixed place where they work and store their appliances, this product would be suitable for them.

Interests

Painting, calligraphy, makeup. Interests related to art, fashion, design would often needed brushes so people with these interests would be more likely to purchase my product.

Frequency

Often. Customers would often use the product because of their occupations and interest.

Likes

Convenience. Customers buy this product to seek for conveniency and efficiency. They want their brushes to fast and keeping the good quality. They want to keep things simple and straight forward.

Dislikes

Complexity, troublesome things. Water droplets causes inconvenience and danger. Quality of brushes become worst after drying. Customers want to prevent these complexities.

!10

User profile

I am interested in art, design and make up. I often do sketches and do make up on other people. I like to collect brushes from different brands and with interesting brush heads. I like experimenting different colour combinations and studying posters. I enjoy reading magazines/book, watching fashion shows and documentaries on design and geography.

A year 11 student in Hong Kong. I take art and DT (design and technology) in the IGCSE course.

I live in an apartment in Hong Kong. I often travel back to my hometown in mainland China during holidays.

I need a storage unit that can store my brushes when they are drying. I want the product to be practical, simple looking with minimalist design. I should be able to store and extract my brushes easily. I should be able to put the unit on my working table.

Name: LU Ziwei Candy Gender: Female Age: 16

I would like the unit to store 4+ brushes with different purposes and sizes. It should be able to store 15+ brushes in total at one time.

This unit would be used frequently as I need to use brushes to complete my homework and in my free time.

The school does not provide technology for industrial production methods so the quality of the unit may not achieve industrial standards. Time is also limited for the production of the unit, the quality of the product may be affected.

The cost of the unit would be hard to calculate as this project would be supervised by teachers. The cost of materials and production are provided by the school. Since this unit would not consist of high technology components, the cost of it would be reasonable for the public customers.

Design requirements

Location

Cost

Occupation

General interest

Desired product outcome

Frequency

Limitations

Colour

I like bright colour combinations that has Indian style or one that is minimalism.

!11

Mood board

!12

!13

Analysis and synthesis

Analysis Synthesis

What is my product? Brush hanger

What will be the overall size of my product?

Who will use my product? Brush users, e.g. art students

What are the functions of my product? Hold 16+ brushes, accessible, affordable, perfectly portable

What is my target market? Ages 12+ brush users

What materials are available? What materials will be most suitable? Acrylic will be most suitable

What color scheme will be most appropriate? Greys

What special features will be built into my designs? Foldable

Where can I collect my research materials to help me deign? School work shop, online research on existing models

What designs already exist? How can they be improved? Non of he existing models are easily portable

What is the best shape for the solution? Rounded shapes

What will be the cost of manufacturing? Less than HKD$30

How long will the product take me to manufacture in the school workshop?

Estimate 1 week, 7 hours in reality

What equipments and machinery will I need to manufacture the product in the workshop?

Laser cutter, band saw, bench driller, files, sandpapers, screwdriver

How will I ensure manufacturing is carried out safely? Manufacturing processes should be done under teacher's supervise

How will I ensure my product is safe to use? No sharp edges, no toxic meterial

Is my solution likely to solve the problem? Yes

What ergonomic factors need to be taken into accounts? How will ergonomics affect my design?

Length of arm, size of hands, height

How will I get feedbacks from my customers? Questionnaire, interview, ask them to write feedback

Analysis is list of questions that help me during my design process and synthesis is a list of answers to the analysis. The synthesis section will be completed when the entire design project is finished.

!14

Preliminary specification

Pre-specification

Function

Primary

Store brushes effiently during drying

Easy foreveryone to

use

Easily accessibleSecondary

Attractive

Weight & size

should be able to fit part of a working table

Not specified but not too heavy

Materials

Wood

Plywood

Maple

Medium densityfibre board

Pine

Teak

Aok

Block board

MetalStainless steel

Copper

Aluminium

Plastic

Forex ®

Polyethylene

Acrylic Polyvinyl Chloride

Cost

Affordable bygeneral public

No manufacturing cost

Extra material < $200

Target marketBoth gender

Ages 12+

People who oftenuses brushes

Time scale

Product completedwithin 3 monthes

Location

Working table

On the surface

On the side

Washroom

On top Balcony

On the floor

Appearance

Colour

Turquoise

limeOrange

Wooden White

Clear

Red

Yellow

Transparent

SilverGrey

Pink

Style Modern

Japanese

Industrial

Chinese

Zen

Minimalist

Finishing

Gloss

Textured

Matte

SafetyNo sharp edges

No harmful chemicals

Stable

ErgonomicsBug attack

Chemical attack

Medium tostrong lighting

Water

Bad venatation

Maintainence

Should be long lasting

!15

Research plan

Existing products

Materials

QuestionnaireMeasurements &

Ergonomics

ConstructionColours and style

• Learn from mistakes, take inspiration • Photographs (P+S) • Analysis (P+S): size, material, safety,

pract ical i ty , cost , color scheme, functions, aesthetic qualities

• Notes (P): where I found the design, the aspects I like about and aspects that could be improved and how, its suitable age range, its target market.

• Views (P): of a range of people

KEY: P = Primary research, S = Secondary research

• Get accurate measurements and dimensions

• Photographs (P): location, contents • Measurements (P): location, contents

(brushes) • Anthropometric data (P+S): average

hands and arms width, length of <Adults, teenagers, children> both gender, average height

• Ergonomics(P+S): relationship between people and the location.

• Collecting general likes, dislikes, number of contents, comments of existing products.

• Conduct a survey(P): via internet/practically

• Summarize(P): and analyze results, refer to the results when doing design ideas.

• Evaluate and decide materials for the product

• Rich picture(P): showing facts and issues relating to materials.

• Properties of materials(P): know the properties of materials that are required for my product.

• Diagram(P): “filing” a range of materials according to their testing properties.

• Testing (P): Grade each material according to its testing properties.

• Evaluate(P): evaluate on materials tested

• Investigate methods of joining materials together

• Included in design idea development section.

• Methods (P+S): practically showing cutting, forming, joining, forming methods that is suitable for each chosen material.

• Photographs (P)

• Discuss styles and colors that are suitable for my product

• Colour and mood (P+S): explain the relationship between color and mood.

• Styles(P+S): Showing popular styles that can be used on my product.

Design ideasSpecification

• Evaluate and summarize the research • Pre-specification (P) • Specification(P): target marker, functions,

materials, colours, dimension, cost, safety etc.

!16

Existing products

Dimension: Unknown Material: Thermal plastic (don’t know the specific name) Cost: HKD $36.35 ~ 38.68 Product analysis: These small storage units are made out of plastic. They are designed to hold brushes during drying. There is a hook on each unit for hanging. There are no sharp edges and they are half transparent. Each unit can only hold one brush. The larger unit is for brushes with barrel diameter from 0.5cm to 1.5cm where the smaller one is for brushes with barrel diameter from 0.5cm to 1cm. The pros of this unit are that they are simply designed and it solves the problem. It is safe to use and easy to clean. However, I think it is not efficient since it can only hold one brush at a time, users may have to purchase a lot of them in order to hang up all of their brushes. And this may take up quite some space.

Dimension: Unknown Material: Stainless steel Cost: HKD $209.20 Product analysis: This product has an unique appearance. It is designed to hold shaving brush but it can be used to hold other brushes. It is available in two sizes - tall and short which is convenient for customers. As it is make out of stainless steel, it will be durable easy to clean. The cons of this product are: it is relatively heavy compared to product make out of plastic. Each unit can only hold one unit, it is not efficient. Customers can not hang up the product when it is in used. This product is designed for only one brush size.

Dimension: Unknown Material: Plastic Cost: HKD $154.63 Product analysis: This storage unit is made out of clear plastic. It holds brushes with their bristle-end-down and help them dry naturally while maintaining the original shape. It can hold 10 brushes at a time and there is a tray below to catch drips from brushes. It can be used to hold cosmetic brushes or even stationary supplies like pens and pencils. However, I think it is not easy to clean the tray because it is divided into few squares. Dirts may build up at the edges of the squares making it not hygiene. Also, the sizes of the holes are not even. There is not enough big holes to hold larger brushes. The design of this product is not interesting which makes it cannot attract consumers.

!17

Dimension: Unknown Material: Wood Cost: HKD $92.93 Product analysis: This product is designed to store shaving brush. It is handmade and its material is wood. There are four colors to choose from, these are four elegant colours. I think it suits most of its consumers. It has a brush opening of 30mm and its stand is short. I think it is only suitable for shaving brushes. But this is a good example that I can refer to when I am designing. This product is simply designed and the color scheme is in neutral.

Dimension: S (275 x 115 x 370), M (395 x 125 x 430), L (460 x 135 x 485) mm Material: Wood Cost: HKD $278.96 Product analysis: This product is a traditional Chinese brush rack. It allows users to store brushes safely by hanging them after cleaning. It has traditional Chinese pattern carved on it which makes it very elegant. The product has three sizes which has 4 and 7 pairs of hangers. The cons of this product is that it is only suitable for Chinese brushes or brushes with ribbon at the end. It cannot hold cosmetic brushes and most of the painting brushes. I can refer to its structure and its decoration elements.

‘The Benjabelle Brush Tree’ Dimension: 203.2 x 20.3 x 254 mm Material: Plastic, silicone Cost: HKD $270.90 Product analysis: This storage unit can hold 14 large brushes or up to 42 eye and lip brushes. This unit can not only hold cosmetic brushes but also painting brushes. It helps users to keep brushes with their bristle-end-down when drying brushes. This drying method can help to keep brushes new and in its original shape. This unit will help to save space because it does not require brushes to lay on a counter. Also it can be folded for storage. All materials used are guaranteed to be safe. I think this is a all rounded product but for improvement, I think it should not be in black because it is too dark to see the dirts.

!18

Dimension: S (260 x 60 x 80), L (400 x 60 x 80) mm Material: ABS plastic Cost: HKD $84.93 Product analysis: This appearance of this product is not as good compared to other existing products because there are too many details. This product does not has a range of colors for consumers to choose from but the two colors are in neutral shades which is a popular choice of color. The large size unit has 5 friction grips and 6 hooks. The smaller size unit has 3 friction grips and 4 hooks. Each hook can hold approximately 5 kg. This product is designed to hold many items such as tooth brush.

Dimension: 177.8 x 152.48 x 25.4 mm Material: Plastic Cost: HKD $77.43 Product analysis: This product is designed to be a painting brush holder. It is made out of plastic which is a durable material. This product can hold lot of brushes but not with their bristle down which is not good. The cons of this product are that it is hard to clean and it takes quite some space. This product is suitable for storing dried brushes.

Dimension: Unknown Material: Wood, acrylic Cost: HKD $164.17 Product analysis: This product is designed to hold brushes neatly and conveniently. It can hold 24 brushes at a time. This product will be durable because it is made out of wood and acrylic. But this product cannot hold brushes with their bristle down which is a huge disadvantage. This unit is going to take some space since users can not hang it up. The holes of the unit may not be suitable for large brushes.

!19

Dimension: 219.46 x 104.9 mm Material: Stainless steel Cost: HKD $54.18 Product analysis: I own this product. This product is designed to hold brushes during drying. Brushes are clipped inside the wire and water is collected at the bottom. Since it is made out of stainless steel, it can last for a long time. The product can hold brushes in a good quantity and in different sizes. I think the design of this product is interesting and the function os it is good. I think a disadvantage of this product is that if users hold all their brushes on the product , water may drop outside. Also, the product may not be able to balance because it is not heavy enough at the bottom.

Dimension: 203.2 x unknown x unknown mm Material: Plastic Cost: HKD $77.20 Product analysis: This is an interesting designed product. Users can put brushes in the line in its back and tail, in its eyes or even between fingers. The product is safe to use as there is no sharp edges. Users can wash this product in washing machine which is very convenient. The color of it is attractive but in my opinion it is too strong. I think there should be more colors to choose from. It is good to hold dry brushes because brush holder will be inside the product. I don’t think it is easy to clean because the gap is small which allows bacteria to grow.

Dimension: closed (235 x 13.8 mm), open (425 x 238 mm) Material: Unknown Cost: HKD $248.04 Product analysis: This product is designed to completely dry and shape brushes within 4 to 6 hours. It provides pressure to bristles to re-shape them. I think it is easy to use and very efficient but it is not suitable for painting brushes because they are not in the same sizes as cosmetic brushes. The black color makes the product look elegant and professional. It is portable which is a huge advantage. However, I don’t know if the product itself is cleanable and water will drip everywhere which is not convenient.

After researching on existing models, I found that they are either plastic, stainless steel or wood. I should thane this into consideration when I am choosing materials for my product. For dimensions: (200~300) x (100~200) x (20~40). I found that people put their brushes in a pot to store them every places that I have visited, so it is very difficult to take primary photos.

!20

Measurements

1800

These are the dimensions of my working table, washbasin and balcony. These measurements will be taken into account when determining the size of the product. The hight of the product will be decided by the sitting and standing height of human. There is no height limit for this product. The ideal width of it would be 150 ≤ x ≤ 300, its ideal length would be 250≤ x ≤ 600.

750

100750

1000

580

3500

900

Humidity, dust, chemical attack and bugs are the main factors that affect the environment. I should take these factors into consideration when I an choosing materials for my product. The material should be water and chemical resistant and with smooth surface to prevent dust and bugs.

Light: Natural light is not strong, artificial lighting is on medium level. As light does not affect the environment a lot, it will not affect the choosing of materials and colour. Ventilation: Ventilation is good as the room is located at high level. This can take away humidity and heat, it will not affect the choosing of materials. Humidity: The house is located at the south of China, close to the sea, humidity level is very high so it may affect some properties of material. Dust: A lot, so the product must be easy to clean. Chemical attack: They may be some chemical attack as the product may be placed in the washroom. Mainly soup and toothpaste that can affect the product. Bugs: Ants and bees from garden outside. Ants can damage wood, so I should avoid wood used in my product.

!21

Makeup brush Length: 160 Diameter: 14

Makeup brush Length: 155 Diameter:12

Makeup brush Length: 150 Diameter: 11.5

Makeup brush Length: 130 Diameter: 8.5

Makeup brush Length: 130 Diameter: 7

Makeup brush Length: 131 Diameter:5

Painting brush Length: 230 Diameter: 22

Painting brush Length: 246 Diameter: 13

Painting brush Length: 210 Diameter: 9

Painting brush Length: 203 Diameter:7.5

Painting brush Length: 230 Diameter: 7

Painting brush Length: 191 Diameter:4

Painting brush Length: 185 Diameter: 4.5

Painting brush Length: 187 Diameter: 3.5

Painting brush Length: 180 Diameter: 3

Painting brush Length: 172 Diameter: 3.5

Content

!22

Anthropometrics

Anthropometric and ergonomic data would enable an accurate planning of the size of product. It would make it more suitable for users. The diagrams shows anthropometric data of the men’s and woman’s hand. Thickness, width and length of fingers and arms would help to determine the size of handle or holes. Consumers’ hands should not only fit the part but also feel comfortable using it. Measurements will be referenced to when finalizing the product.

I intend to collect measurements based on the size of average teenager and adult because the product is targeted at this age group of people.

Measurements (mm)

A B C D E F

Person A 88 21 104 86 196 65

B 87 19 100 87 190 64

C 88 20 108 90 188 65

D 90 19 110 89 194 66

E 84 18 98 84 186 62

F 86 19 101 90 188 65

G 86 18 103 91 191 66

H 85 18 100 91 187 62

AVER. 87 19 103 89 190 64

SEC. AVER. 86 18 104 89 191 62

▲ A secondary photo showing anthropometric data of hand of man.

I research and collect these measurements because the height of the product will be determined according to these measurements. Users might use the product when they’re standing or sitting.

88

21

104

86

65

196

!23

▲ A secondary photo showing anthropometric data of hand of woman. This is where I take the secondary data.

Measurements (mm)

A B C D E F

Person A 66 20 88 76 151 47

B 71 21 91 78 177 48

C 73 15 92 79 176 50

D 68 19 91 75 168 52

E 68 14 92 76 171 51

F 67 13 89 75 166 48

G 69 15 90 77 175 50

H 67 14 88 74 176 46

AVER. 69 16 90 76 170 49

SEC. AVER. 69 15 91 76 175 51

66

20

88

76

151

47

◀ The data above is collected from female aging between 13 - 27. The average

that I got is quite similar to the average in the secondary source expect the hand length. I think it is because of that the data was collected from Americans.

▲ These are the photos showing how I get the data. I didn't use the T ruler beside to measure the hand but a separate ruler as T rulers are not accurate.

The data that I collected on this page enable me to design a product that suits most of female from teenager to adults. It takes me time to measure people’s hands. I found that my measurements might not be very accurate as my angle of vision at the ruler is different every time.

!24

▲ This is the secondary anthropometric data of man ages between 20-65 and weight 78.4 kg. The data is for 50 percentile man which means that 50% of man fits in these measurements.

Measurements (mm)

A B C

Person A 1840 930 732

B 1820 928 729

C 1790 919 726

D 1690 908 719

E 1780 915 724

F 1820 924 733

G 1850 931 736

H 1720 917 720

AVER. 1788 921 727

Sec. AVER. 1755 914 726

Standing

height

I collected the male’s data from my family and friends. I found that the average I got is bigger than the secondary average. I think I should take both into consideration as this product can be use by people from different areas. It is quite difficult for me to find a person that allow me to take the measurements as it takes time and requires the response from both sides.

!25

▲ This is the secondary anthropometric data of woman ages between 20-65 and weight 62.5 kg. The data is for 50 percentile woman which means that 50% of woman fits in these measurements.

Standing

height

After collecting these data, I get the average hand and body measurements of man and women. These data will be referred to when I am deciding the size of the product. I found that this is how I can make my product fit most of the users and make them feel comfortable.

Measurements (mm)

A B C

Person A 1580 854 665

B 1720 886 673

C 1620 867 664

D 1680 877 668

E 1660 874 662

F 1650 878 668

G 1590 862 671

H 1700 883 674

AVER. 1650 873 668

Sec. AVER. 1626 889 673

T h i s p h o t o s h o w s h o w I measure the sitting height. I made the person stand with one of their leg in 90 degrees.

The one on the right side shows how I measurement the arm length.

For standing height, I didn't measure by myself but by asking that person what her height is.

!26

Survey

≤ 10

11 - 20

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

> 60

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Number of brushes1. How many makeup and/ or painting brushes do you own? ≤ 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41- 50 51 - 60 > 60

2. How many makeup or painting brushes do you use at one time?

≤ 3 4 - 10 11 - 15 16 - 20 21 - 25 >25

≤ 3

4-10

11-15

16-20

21-25

> 25

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of brushes

3. How many makeup or painting brushes do you frequently use (at least once every week)?

0 1 - 3 4 - 10 11 - 15 16 - 20 > 20

0

1-3

4-10

11-15

16-20

> 20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Number of brushes

This survey is conducted to collect information and data from potential consumers to investigate on their wants of the product. These data would help in the development of the product. The survey is conducted online. There are 20 respondents in total.

Out of a sample of 20 respondents, 35% own less or equal to 10 make up and painting brushes and 20% own 21-30 and 41-50 brushes. Most respondents own 1-50 brushes which is a wide range , so my product will not designed to store one’s entire collection.

60% of the sample uses 4 to 10 brushes per time which means that they are likely to wash 4 to 10 brushes at a time. This data helps me to decide how many brushes should the product hold.

45% of respondents have only 1-3 brushes that they use at lease once a week. 40% have 4 to 10 brushes that they use frequently. This data would help me to indicate how many brushes should the product hold at minimum.

Location

!27

4. How many makeup and/ or painting brushes do you purchase in a year?

0 1- 5 6 - 10 11 - 15 16 - 20 > 20

0

1-5

6-10

11-15

16-20

> 20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Number of brushes

55%45%

Lying them on a flat surfacePut them vertically with their bristle heading downPut them vertically with their bristle heading up

5. How do you store your makeup and/ or painting brushes when they are drying?

Lying them on a flat surface Put them vertically with their bristle heading up Put them vertically with their bristle heading down

6. Do you think this storage method could be improved? How?

Yes, how: ___________________________________________________ No 40%

60%

Yes No

More than half of respondents (55%) but less than 6 brushes in a year which means that people’s collection is building up in a slow pace. There is no one of the entire sample who purchase more than 20 brushes a year.

There is fairly equal ratio of respondents who lay their brushes on a flat surface (45%) when they’re drying and put them vertically with their bristle heading up (45%). This evident proved that many people uses the wrong method of drying brushes and it is essential to design a product to solve this problem.

60% of the sample says that they think their storage method can be improved. 42% of them says that hanging the brushes is a better way of storing. Other respondents says that the storage unit that they own can have better sizing and choice of materials. Some says it would be great to increase the mobility of the product. As the result shows, 40% of respondents says that their storage method does not need to be improved which means that the product might not have a large market.

!28

7. What would be the ideal area for a brush storage unit? (length x width)(cm)

Maximum dimensions; not necessarily in squares. 10 x 10 ( ~ width of A5) 15 x 15 (~ length of A5) 21 x 21 ( ~ width of A4) 30 x 30 ( ~ length of A4)

Other: ____________________________________________________

10 x 10

15 x 15

21 x 21

30 x 30

Other

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Ideal area

8. What would be the ideal height for a brush storage unit? (cm)

8 - 10 11 - 15 16 - 20 > 20

Other: ___________________________________________________

8-10

11-15

16-20

> 20

Other

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Ideal area

9. Which factor would you consider the most when purchasing such products?

Function Form Cost

10%

25%

65%

Function Form Cost

There is little difference on the opinions on the size of the base of the product. Most of the sample (30%) think that 210 x 210 mm is the best, 25% prefer 100x100mm and 150x150mm. Fewer (20%) like the bigger base of 300x300mm.

30% of respondents think that the ideal height of the product should be bigger than 200mm, followed by 25% think that it should be 110-150 and 160-200mm. One respondent says that brushes are in different length so it is hard to get a size that can fit all brushes.

A great 65% agree that function of a product is what they consider the most when purchasing, followed by a 25% of form and 10% of cost. Which means that I should try to balance the function and the form of the product. I might also try to choose a cheep material to keep the pice down.

!29

10.Which items do you want the product to hold? Make up brushes Painting brushes Both

Other:____________________________________

19%

48%

33%

Make up brushes Painting brushes Both11.What colors would you like the product to be in?

Red Pink Purple Blue Turquoise Green Lime Yellow Orange Clear Wooden Black White Other: ____________________________________________

RedPink

PurpleBlue

TurquoiseGreen

LimeYellow

OrangeClear

WoodenBlackWhiteOther

0 1 2 3

Colour prefered

12.Which material are most suitable for your brush storage unit?

Plastic (acrylic, polyester resins etc.) Hard wood (teak, oak etc) Soft wood (plywood etc.) Manmade boards (chipboard, block board etc.) Metal (mild steel, stainless steel etc.) Glass Other: ____________________________________________________

Plastic

Hard wood

Soft wood

Manmade boards

Metal

Glass

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Ideal material

As my survey is targeted at people who do makeup and art in a daily basis, most (48%) of the respondents said that they want the product to hold painting brushes. Followed by 33% of make up brushes and only 19% think it should hold both. I think the result might be a little bit bias as a small number of male use make up brushes.

Wooden color got the most (15%) votes, it might because of that it is more elegant. The second most favorable colors are red, clear, turquoise and white. Plastic and natural woods gain almost all votes.

A great agreement of 70% think that plastic will be the most suitable material for the product as it is well know for water and rust resistance. Hard wood and metal comes in second but with a lot less votes.

!30

13. Which style do you prefer? Industrial Chinese Japanese Minimalist Southwestern Zen

IndustrialChinese

JapaneseMinimalist

SouthwesternZen

ModernOther

0 1 2 3 4

Style prefered

14. How much are you willing to pay for a practical brush storage unit that you like? (HKD)

< 70 70 ~ 150 151~200 201~250 251~350 > 351

< 70

70-150

151-200

201-250

251-350

> 351

0 1 2 3 4 5

Cost

Most (20%:20%) people fancy Japanese and modern style. Minimalist, modern and any styles would do come in second with 10% votes.

As it shows on the graph that as the price goes cheaper, the more responses. Most (25%) of people would like the product to be less than 70 HKD. $151->351 are acceptable.

Most respondents own 1-50 brushes which is a wide range, so my product would not be designed to store one’s whole collection. People use 1 to 10 brushes frequently, I need to take this in to consideration when I am deciding how many brushes my product can hold. Most respondent’s collection of brushes build up in a slow pace which means that I might not plan spare spaces for storing extra brushes. Many people agreed that hanging up brushes is a better way to try them, so I can take this idea when I am developing my product. I think my questions on sizes are not really good as respondents can’t really imagine what the size is, especially for the heights, I should have increase the range of choices, cause when I think back, 200mm might be too short. And I must find the size that most of brushes can fit. The preferred base size is within 210x210mm with the heights of >200mm. As what I had expected, people consider the practicality/function of a product more than its form and cost when purchasing because the aim of the product is to solve a problem. People can ‘sacrifice’ form and cost when the product really solve their problem. For the question of what the product should hold, I will take both options (makeup and painting brushes) into consideration as the user of this product wants it to hold both. For colours, most people preferred wood colour. I think I should have include more choices such as silver and brown because these are the colors of metals that are available. Plastic is the obvious choice for most of the respondents as it resist water, rusts and even chemicals. People like different styles as they might want the product to suit their home environment. Japanese and modern style are the most favourable, their similarities are that they are simple which can referred as minimalist. I can keep the price down by choosing a cheaper material and I agree that the product should be affordable by the general public.

!31

Here is a rich picture showing the key aspects of materials research including properties and facts of materials.

Materials

Materials

Woods

Natural

Hardwood

Expensive

Growth is slow

Oak

Ash

Softwood

Growth is quick

Grow in coldertemperature climates

relatively cheap touse commercially

PineCeder

Manmade

Plywood Chipboard

Made of woodchipping or dust

MetalsFerrous

Mild steel

Tough

High tensile strength

Ductile

Rusts easily Malleable

Stainless steel

Hard

Tough

Resistant to wearand corrosion

Cast iron

Hard skin

Strong but brittle

Rusts

Non-ferrous

CopperMalleable

Ductile

Resistant to corrosion

AluminiumLightSoft

DuctileGood conductor ofheat and eletricity

Plastics

Thermosetting

Polyster resin

Very tough

Melamine formaldehyde

Smooth surface

hygienic qualities

can be cast excellent insulator

Can be only be heatedand shaped once

ThermoAcrylicCommon in

school workshop

Range of colours

Can be translucent, trnasparent, opaque

Resistant to most acids andweather conditions

PVC

Tough

Can be weldedor bonded with an adhesive

Can be heatedand shaped many times

Polyethylene

Very common

Most of these three groups of materials are available at school. The properties that the product should have would be: it is safe to use, it should be water resistant, easy to clean, light weight and tough. To achieve these properties, the choice of material is limited. Detail evaluation will be in the later section. The materials I will research on are those that are available in school.

!32

Plastic Picture Use in my product

Polyester resins It becomes very strong when it’s layered. It can be easily moulded and shaped. It is light, tough and resistance to water. I think it is suitable for my product. But the only disadvantage is that it is thermosetting plastic because I can’t make changes after moulding for a time.

Acrylic It is thermo plastic, it is very common in school workshop. It has a range of colours, it can be translucent or transparent. It can resist most weather conditions which is good. But if it is being exposed to sunlight for too long, it starts soften and its colour will fade. I think it is most likely to use acrylic sheets for my product because it can be reformed and it is already available at school.

Polyethylene It is the most common plastic in everyday life. It resists water and chemical attack which is very suitable for washroom products. It can be made into grocery bags, shampoo bottles etc. I think there is endless possibility with this plastic but it is not available in sheet form at school workshop which is inconvenience for me to use it for the product.

Polyvinyl Chloride It is very tough. It resist water and electricity. It is available in tube form in school. It will be difficult to reform it. It does not have a range of colors which can make the product not attractive, it is heavy compared to other plastics. I think it is not suitable for my product.

Forex ® This is a new material available in school. But it is only white colour. It is lightweight, it can be used for direct digital painting. It can be used internally or externally. It doesn’t require polishing so I might try this out. The only disadvantage is that it is difficult to bend it.

Gasket It is flexible which might mean that it can be easily portable. But it’s in colour black which is not attractive and does not allow wide range of purposes. Spray paint or acrylic paint can be used to add different colours.

!33

Linoleum Lino is material I found in art room. It is more flexible than gasket. It can be cut by hand. Laser cutter should not be used to cut lino because the gas released is poisonous.

Metals Picture Use in my product

Mild steel It is tough but it rusts easily,it is available in school workshop. But the product must be water resistant and do not rust easily so it is not suitable for my product.

Stainless steel It resist rust and stains, it is tough. But if the product is made of stainless steel, it would be very heavy, so it is not the most suitable material for the product. It can be used to make parts of the product such as the handle.

Aluminium It is ductile, soft, malleable and light. As it is soft, it is not suitable for the product. The product would easily change shape if it is made of aluminum. But it would be fun if users can customize the product.

Copper It is ductile, resistant to rust and can be beaten into shape. It has reddish brown color which is elegant but it does not have a range of colors for consumers to choose from.

Wood Picture Use in my product

Beech It has heavy weight. it is hard and tough. But it can shrink and can not be subject to water. It is usually used for large furnitures. It can be bent. I think it would be too heavy to use for my product because I am aiming for a portable product.

Maple It is not as heavy as beech but it is not durable so it is unsuitable for outdoors which makes it not a good choice for my product as the location of the product include outdoors.

Ash It is heavy and hard. It is relatively expensive. I can work with it easily. But it has poor durability and unsuited to the outdoors. Ash has the same problem like maple. My product must be durable as it may be placed outdoor, there might also be bug attacks.

!34

Plywood It is strong. It will resist water after using certain finishes. It has good appearance. There are also plywood boards in different thickness available for laser cutting in school.

Block board It is built up with softwood strips bonded together with adhesive and covered with a sheet of plywood on either side. It is strong but it's hard to change its shape. It is not convenience for me to use it in the school workshop.

Chipboard It is not as strong as plywood but it is not expensive. It does not have good appearance, I don’t think it is suitable for the product.

Medium density fibre board It is relatively cheap. It can be worked, shaped and machined easily. I can apply paints to it. It is used in building and furniture trades. I think it is not suitable for the product though it could be in a range of colors because it does not look elegant.

Pine It is relatively cheap and it has pale color. It is easy to cut and shape. I think it’s a good choice of material. But it is not stain resistant naturally which is not convenience for users.

Oak It is very expansive and is used in making quality and expensive products. Steel fittings cannot be used on oak, only brass can. I think it is not suitable for this product because it is expensive and there is no options for colours.

Teak It contains oil which makes it resistant to decay. It is suitable for my product but the style of the product will be elegant which might not suit part of the target market. Also teak is expensive.

It would be very helpful for me to refer to this research when I am deciding what to use for my product. This research prevent me from choosing a material that is not available at school. After this research I think the most suitable material is acrylic and plywood.

!35

Colours and emotions

A colour wheel developed in 1878 by Ewald Hering, a German physiologist. It includes 4 primary colours.

Red

Purple

Blue

Turquoise

Green

Lime

Yellow

Orange

Harmonious colours

The four primary colours are red, blue, green and yellow. When these colours are mixed together, secondary colours are produced. There are harmonies between the colours that are adjacent to each other so a palette that is made out of yellow, lemon, marigold and terracotta will always be successful because these colours or ig inates f rom yel low and orange.

▲ This is an example that I took from “THE COLOUR SCHEME BIBLE”. Colours in this photo originates from red and blue on the colour

Complementary colours

Complementary colours are colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel, for example red and green. Often there will not be complementary colours in a scheme but using them c lever ly can have a dramatical effect. I like using complementary colours because they are uplifting and sharp.

▲ This photo shows a turquoise table with a orange-peach cloth behind. These accents helps help help to create moods.

Reference: THE COLOUR SCHEME BIBLE, author: ANNA STARMER, publisher: PAGE ONE

I introduce the color wheel and the two types of colors because they are the basics of color. Harmonious and complementary colors are the basic color groups and rules, with these information, I can match colors more easily.

!36

Pinks

Reds

Pinks are fun, feminine, cozy, young and blooming.

All shades of pinks go together. Pinks goes along with reds, v io lets and neutrals.

Reds are enthus iast ic, pas s ionate , bo ld and comforting

Al l shades of reds go together. Certain shades of red and pink match each other very well.

Here is a picture showing pinks in the nature. As the photo shows, dif ferent shades of pinks can go along with yellows, reds, browns, violets and greens.

This is a page I took from a magazine. Bright red goes well with turquoise, gold, yellows and blues. I refer to this picture because this is how designers match the colors and this combination is popular.

!37

Oranges

Yellows

Oranges a re l i ve ly , cheerful and warming.

Oranges look great with browns. They are the warmest in the ‘warm colour’ section.

Yellows represent hope. T h e y a r e a c t i v e a n d welcoming.

Yellows go well with greens and oranges.

Here are photos of a stone and an man. The color c o m b i n a t i o n o f b o t h subject is very similar which means it is classic. Oranges goes well with turquoise,as they are complementary colors. Cool grey, browns and greens are good choices too.

Blue is the complementary color of yellow. Blue and yellow is a classic combination a n d i s u s e d i n m a n y occasions. For examples, fashion design and interior des ign. Th is combinat ion creates fresh feeling.

!38

Greens

Blues

Greens are soothing, restful, youthful and balancing. They represent the nature.

G reens a re somet imes grouped into neutral colors. Certain shades of green can go with any other colors. Greens are often used to balance other colors.

Blues represents eternity. As they are connected to the sky and water, they are calming and clearing.

All blues go together, all levels of blue and green can go together.

Green represents the nature. Nature includes all colors. So green can go along with any other color. As an example, the watch beside has green belt, red needles. The pattern inside includes violets, pinks, blues and yellows. Overall, the watch looked elegant but fun.

As it shows beside, blues get along with greens, oranges and violets. These colors turn into life when combined.

!39

Violets

Greys

Violets are honorable, stimulating, attractive and sexy. Cool violets are spiritual.

Shades of violets can go together but sometimes, too overpowering. Violets looks great with greens, blue violets goes with cool blue and red violet goes with soft pinks.

Greys are simple, lonely and unpredictable.

Greys go well with neutral colors such as browns.

The photo beside shows a combination of colors with violet. Violet gets along with greens, blues, yellows and pinks. Violet and lime are complementary colors, so they a r e p u t t o g e t h e r , t h e environment becomes lively.

Greys are great with neutrals. The photo besides shows gold, pinks, reds, blues and browns. Another example is that many makeup palettes are made up of neutral shades. Greys are commonly used nowadays because they does not represent a specific character, they are suitable in many occasions.

I research these colors on the color wheel for their representation, characters and what colors matches them. Then I can refer to them when I am deciding what colors to use on my product. I found that most interior design use complementary colors , so I will take this into consideration.

!40

Styles

Natural elements and colors are inspired by Mexicans and Native American Indians. Colours of this style is reflecting the regions’ environment and surrounding. Many earthy tones like

brown, tan, turquoise, lemon yellow and white. Natural textiles l ike leather, materials from the nature such as wood are often used in this style. These materials give a natural flow. Painting that reflects natural environment is very suitable for this style. Tiles creating regular patterns and using animal skin is also a characteristic of southwestern style.

I research on styles because I want to create certain mood on the product. The research will help me when deciding the colors, patterns and shape of the product.

This style is used to decorate old buildings. It shows roughness by using textures from metals and wood. The use of color is natural and warm. Bricks, steel, concrete and wood are very suitable for this style. This style is about suggesting an industrial past so recycled materials can be used.

Southwestern Industrial

Metal and wood are being used in this product. Nails are added to create patterns. This gives a heavy metal feel. ▶

!41

Japanese

Japanese style is simple. Line and space are important elements of it. It uses natural colors and combines with nature. It uses wood and color elements to bounce natural light. It creates sense of clarity and freedom.

◀ This photo shows a piece of

Japanese furniture that is made of wood. Wood is very popular in Japanese style.

This is another photo showing that Japanese style uses sliding doors to opens up the space and let daylight come in. It makes the house combines with the outside environment. ▶

Modern

Shapes are very important elements in modern style. It uses geometric shapes including squares and rectangle. Modern style is very simple with unbroken lines and flat surfaces. Wood and plastic are being used in this style to create contrast between artificial and the nature. Metals such as

stainless steel are occasionally used for small parts of furnitures such as legs of chair. This style prefer smooth finish. This style is quite popular nowadays.

◀ This photo shows a piece of modern

style furniture. It has smooth lines and simple design. It uses wood and fabric which creates very smooth surface.

!42

Chinese Zen

I am quite familiar to Chinese interior design as there is Chinese element in my home. The colours that dominate are red, black and gold. There are often symbolic patterns like bamboos, clouds and dragons on furnitures. They often has glossy finishes which reflects light and brighten up the environment.

It is associated with minimalism as it contains simple shaped elements. It uses soft and natural colours such as brown, grey and green. These colours makes the user feel relaxed and free. It has natural textiles such as wool to create a quite

environment. Its furnitures are very simple with clear lines and shapes.

◀ This photo shows that Zen uses

natural tones and simple lines to make the environment feel warm and safe.

This is a photo of the “tea section” of my home. As you can see, the furnitures are in wood with brown and red glossy finishes. There are also carving on them. The drawing at the background shows that Chinese style like blossom flowers which represents wealth and happiness. ▶

The styles that I choose to research are popular style nowadays and the style that I like because there is no way for a designer to design a product that they don't like. I can refer to the colours, patterns and use of materials in each style when I am design my product and hope that it suits most people's living environment.

!43

Specification

The product should hold painting and make up brushes (>16) tidily when they are drying. User should be able to clearly see objects stored and access easily. The product should allow user to use in anytime and could be used by everyone in the target market.

Function

Location

The location of the product would be on working tables. It could be placed in bathrooms and on balcony.

Target market

This product is targeted to both gender ages 12 and above who uses brushes very often.

CostThere will be no manufacturing cost as equipment and common materials are available at school. Extra materials might be added (<HKD$100). Expensive materials would not be used as it should be affordable by the general public.

Weight & sizeThe size of the product should fit part of a average sized working table. The user prefers the product to be within 350 x 300mm. Potential customer prefers the maximum size of the product to be 210 x 210mm. Both dimensions would be taken into consideration. It should not be too heavy as part of the target market would then unable to hold/move it.

The material should be affordable and accessible. It should be water, chemical and bug resistant as the product would be place in washroom and balcony. It should not be heavy. There are suitable materials in metal, plastic and wood section. Stainless steel, copper, plywood, teak, pine, maple, MDF, forex and polyethylene.

Material

This includes the finish, colour and style of the product. For colours, I would consider colours to user’s and potential customers’ liking. The styles that they prefer are industrial, Japanese and modern. The finishing that I would use include textured and gloss, this is data collected from the survey.

Appearance

The product should be user friendly. Users should feel comfortable when using the product (holes and handle). The colour of the product should not fade easily due to the medium to strong lighting of the room. Water, chemical and bugs should not affect the quality of the product.

Ergonomics

Safety

The product should be stable, there should not be harmful chemicals and sharp edges.

Time scaleThe product should be completed in 3 months.

Maintenance The product should be long lasting, at least 5 years and above. It could be repaired to extend its life span.

!44

Preliminary ideas

!45

!46

Generation of design ideas

Pros Cons

Stable Wood not resistant to water

Natural design Heavy

Suitable for both gender

!47

Pros Cons

Relatively cheap Not attractive

Easy production Not portable

Simple design, easy to use

!48

Pros Cons

Stylish Heavy

Beautiful wood work Not portable

Interesting combination of materials

Takes up a lots of space

Complex production process

!49

Pros Cons

Brushes of different sizes can be inserted

Hard to find large spring or make spring

Can hold water dripping down

May not hold 16+ brushes

Elegant

!50

Pros Cons

Interesting design Difficult to make

Patterned holes Heavy

More of an artwork Takes large space

Affected by water

Not practical and portable

!51

Pros Cons

Can be hanged Hard to cleam

Water dripped can be collected

Not enough space between brushes

Can be stored easily Size of holes are hard to be precise

!52

Pros Cons

Stream-lined design Takes to much space

Design does not suit young consumers

May not be stable

Able to hold many brushes

Hard to laminate perfect curves

Size of brushes are limited

!53

Pros Cons

Simple design, expensive looking

Holes need to be driller in order to place it on wall

Fixed against walls, save space

Not portable

Water drops are collected

Hard to find suitable material for bands

Quality of product can be affected by humidity and water.

!54

Pros Cons

Can be hanged Not foldable, not convenient for storage

Small size Sizes of brushes are limited

Can store up to 21 brushes in 3 sizes

May not suit mature consumers

Not affected by water or chemicals

!55

Pros Cons

Modern, minimalist Takes too much space

Waste water can be collected

Not portable, difficult for storage

Materials for bands are hard to find.

!56

Pros Cons

Simple design Can’t hang many brushes

Takes small space Water cannot be collected

Bending of stainless steel is difficult

Not practical, not portable

!57

Pros Cons

Modern design, can decorate the environment

Large, not portable

Difficult to clean

Production is difficult and time-consuming

!58

Pros Cons

Additional function of a lamp

Large, not portable

Design is Difficult to clean

There is no suitable machinery for its production

!59

Pros Cons

Inspirational design

May not be stable

Decorative Complex production process

May not be practical

Not easy to clean

No suitable machinery for slip casting.

!60

Pros Cons

Can be hanged Bending of aluminium needs a mould

Simply designed, suitable for both gender and all ages

Aluminium changes shape easily

Small in size, practical and easily portable

Laser cutter cannot be used to cut aluminium which means less precise dimensions.

Space for development

!61

Evaluation of design ideas

List of specification /

Ideas

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Function 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 4

Appearance 3 2 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 2 3 3 3 2 4

Cost 4 4 3 3 2 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 4

Weight & Size 2 3 2 4 1 3 2 3 4 2 4 2 2 1 4

Material 4 3 2 3 1 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 4

Location 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3

Ergonomics 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 4

Safety 4 3 4 4 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 4

Target Market 4 3 3 4 3 4 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 2 5

Time sclae 3 4 2 3 1 3 2 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 4

Maintenance 4 3 3 2 3 3 2 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 4

Total: 55 36 35 32 36 23 38 27 42 43 29 35 27 27 22 44

This rating allows me to find out the designs that satisfied the most functions and specifications. It makes sure that best designs are chosen for further development and modelling.

(1:  L 5: J)

Chosen Design Idea 1

This design is unique as it’s designed to be placed against the wall. This function helps users to save space. It is simply designed with curves which make it suitable for most interior/outdoor designs. Rubber bands of different sizes and colours can be modified according to the user’s preferences and needs and they can be arranged into patterns to add decorative elements to the product and the environment it’s in. These rubber bands helps to force water out of the brush hence improving efficiency. There is a good selection of materials to be used such as acrylic sheet, wood panel, stainless steel sheet, etc. The curve at the bottom helps to collect water drops and prevent them from wetting the floor.

The disadvantages of this product would be its location. As it can be only placed on a wall, users cannot move it for convenience. This design is relatively mature so young consumers in my target market might not prefer it. The weight and size of it is comparatively heavy and large which can cause danger.

Chosen Design Idea 2

Inspiration of this design came from octopus. I think the design is creative and suitable for most age groups. This product will be hanged which saves space and enables the user to reach for contents easily. When wind blows, the product spins around and improve efficiency of drying brushes. This product satisfies the user’s need of holding 16+ brushes and it’s easy to use. A range of materials can be used to make this product like acrylic and stainless steel which means that the product can be in a wide range of colours. Patterns can be engraved on the product and it can be made in a relatively short time.

As this product can only be hanged, it’s more suitable to be placed in the washroom or on balcony. Water drops c a n w e t t h e f l o o r a n d c a u s e s inconvenience. If the product is made with acrylic, colour will be faded because of the strong l ight and chemical attacks at the location. Not every brush can be inserted so it’s not for everyone. The product need to be costume made.

Chosen Design Idea 3

This design is suitable for users in different ages as it is not in a particular style. It is designed with simple curves and rounds. This product comes with a hook which means that users can hang the product like hanging clothes. Users can insert different hooks according to their needs and preferences. It holds 20 brushes of different sizes in total. Gasket, aluminium, stainless steel and acrylic can be used. By using gasket, the product can change its shape when brushes are inserted. Aluminium is light and easy to deform which means that users can adjust the angles of curves. This product is budget friendly and relatively easy to make.

Location of this product will be limited as it must be hanged and users can’t place it on the table for convenience. The appearance can be more creative and it should have more welcoming colours. The sizes of holes will be fixed which means that not every brush can fit in and hence not suitable for every user. So the choice of material is very important for this product.

!62

!63

Proposed solution

Size and weight There is no strict size limit as long as it fits the dimension of the environment. Since the product is designed to hold makeup and painting brushes which are small items, its size will be in a reasonable range. Weight will be determined by the material and size of product. It should be considerably light for the convenience of my potential users.

Materials and maintenance Materials such as acrylic, plywood and stainless steel are available in school workshop and are the top rated materials in research stage. They are relatively cheaper and light in weight. Product is likely to be made of these materials.

Appearance This design emphasises curves. Material used in model - acrylic and stainless steel gives the product a taste of modern style. Elements of wood can be added to create contrast. Development shall not add complex ion and t ry to fo l low minimalism style.

Safety and ergonomics This product can be placed on table stably. There are no sharp edges and corners to ensure safety. No toxic material is used. Hook is attached to the main body using expose resin. For more security, nails can be used to attach hook. Diameter of the hook should allow insertion of at least two fingers, length of hook should allow easy hanging process.

Equipment, cost and target market A laser cutter is available for precise cutting. Oven is also available to melt acrylic piece for moulding. Plier is used to bend hook. Expensive material should be avoided as this product can get dirty easily, second to keep the cost low and affordable for my target market.

Function This product is able to hold 16+ brushes which satisfied user’s need. Its weak point is portability, this shall be improved in development. Items can be easily seen and accessed.

Location Product can be stored indoor or outdoor. It can only be hanged but not placed on desk when items are inserted. This function shall be improved in development.

Time scale After making the model, I predict that the production of this product is likely to be f inished within one day. Production of product shall not be prolonged after development.

!64

Development of proposed solution Materials

Laser cutter is used to cut out 3 pieces of 1mm plywood.

Pieces of plywood are placed in bo i led water fo r so f ten ing fo r lamination.

PVA glue is applied between wood pieces then workpiece is placed in the middle on the mould. Weight is then added on a CD cover covering the workpiece.

PVA glue is applied between wood pieces then workpiece is placed in the middle on the mould. Weight is then added on a CD cover covering the workpiece.

Shape of product is traced on a piece of aluminium using pencil.

A pair of universal snip is used to cutout the shape of product.

This is workpiece before bending.

Ball-peen hammer is used to bend aluminium sheet into 3D.

Plywood Plywood has nice grain texture, it gives the product an organic feel instead of artificial. The outcome is strong after laminating. Lamination process is relatively easy. Production time takes around 2 days. Wood is relatively less suitable for my product as it needs to be resistant to water and chemical attack. I tried bending 3mm plywood, I found it breaks easily.

Aluminium Aluminium is light, easy to bend and has nice finish. I found that cutting aluminium is really hard work, it is not easy to cut curves with universal snips. Laser cutter cannot be used which is a huge disadvantage because measurements will not be precise. Also, the finish product will change shape easily.

!65

Laser cutter is used to shape of product on linoleum.

This is the cut out workpiece.

Nylon string is added using a needle. Nylon string is very strong but it does not has good appearance.

Brushes are inserted to tryout the practicality. The size of holes are suitable. This is a photo of the product hanging on a tab.

Linoleum Linoleum is soft, it can change shape according to the weight of brushes. User can slip this into their sketchbook. It is 3mm thin which makes it more portable. But If it is cut using laser, the gas it release is actually poisonous which is really bad. Colour of linoleum cannot be changed other than using spray paint.

The development on materials are all based on a same design. This allows easier comparison between different materials. I found that aluminium is the worse compared with the other two materials as its shape can be changed easily and holes are very difficult to make especially sizes need to be accurate. Stainless steel would be a slightly better choice as it is water and chemical resistant and its finish should look better. But metals cannot be cut using laser cutter slows down the manufacture efficiency and outcome quality. Stainless steel is also heavy which can be inconvenience and dangerous. Plywood is a better choice than aluminium. It gives a nice finish and it is strong. Disadvantages are: 1. Manufacturing process is more complex. A mould in a dome shape is needed for lamination. I made the mould myself by adding paper clay on a ceramic plate. 2. Product needs varnishing. After lamination is done, I must polish and apply wood finishes to make the workpiece water resistant. Wood is generally not a good choice when the product has direct connection with water. Linoleum is the best out of three as it is the easiest for storage and has the highest probability. But its colour cannot be changed which is a huge disadvantage, appearance of this product is one of the priority. Laser cutting is not suitable for linoleum. It is also hard to attach hook or string to the product. In conclusion, I think acrylic is the best material for fixed design as it has a variety of colours, it can be cut by laser cutter and it is strong. I used acrylic to make my model, and I found it easy to work with.

Acrylic I made my model with acrylic, it can be bend easily. Picture on the right side is when I inserted some painting brushes. There are many colour to choose from.

!66

Wood finishes

Wood clear finish (water-based) Wood clear finish is relatively easy to use and quick drying. It gives a slight stain, its finish is smooth. It does not has glossy finish which I dislike. It does not give a good protection to wood. If a high level of gloss is needed, user must apply more diluted layers. Brush or cloth can be used to apply product.

Wax polish white

It gives wood a clean finish. The colour of wood before and after does not varies. The disadvantages are: it only gives short-term protection and it is only suitable for indoor uses. Wood need to be sanded before application using cloth or steel wool.

Quick drying MDF Clear Sealer

I found this give a better protection for wood than wood clear finish. This product gives wood a rich and smooth sealer. It can be applied using brushes. One con about it is that it does not give a glossy finish for wood.

!67

Wood stain

This wood stain is thin and allows wood grains to show through by applying one layer. It’s colour is high quality, it gives working piece an expensive finish. User need to wear gloves and use cloth to apply the product. Different numbers of layer can be applied to give different levels of opacity.

Wood colouring paste

This wood colouring is thick and it can get messy when applying. Gloves should be worn. It gives a relative high coverage. It dries in short time. Other finishes can be applied on top of this layer. There are few colour choices at school workshop and the available ones are not very natural.

Acrylic paint

Acrylic paint is available in art rooms in a wide range of colours. Acrylic is quick drying on wood and it gives a full coverage. It is also water resistant after dried. Brushes are used to apply acrylic paint. Application is easy but its disadvantages are: it does not give a glossy finish, it covers up the wood grains and the final outcome can look cheap.

!68

Base & hole

1 I changed the shape of chosen idea and the way its holes are arranged. I was inspired by patterns on milk cows. Sizes of holes are arranged according to the cow’s pattern. It holds more items than before. I think this idea is more fun but more difficult to hang or stand. I think this design is more suitable for young consumers.

Use laser cutter for difficult curves and details. It also gives nice finishing as acrylic is often scratched when cutting by hand.

Design is creative but more complex. Not easy to design hooks. Product can break easily.

2 I develop this based on southwestern style. I added triangle to create patterns. I think this design is more attractive than the original but as its design is more complex, it might not suit every potential consumer. This design can be hanged or put on table. Material would be acrylic because it has a wide range of colours and I can choose transparency.

Jo in par t s o f acry l ic together using acrylic solvent. Drying is quick and outcome is relatively strong. It does leave little marks

Colourful and attractive. It is practical but less portable. Assemble would be relatively easy.

3 I tried to simplify the chosen design and decided to take one part of it out. I added 2 more holes, one for brush and one for fixate. I think by cutting 4-5 pieces of this design would have the same practicality as the original but it saves more space. It also becomes more portable. Patterns can be engraved onto acrylic pieces but it might not suit everyone. The above pattern is one that I think is suitable for bother gender.

This is a drawing that shows how this design will hold brushes.

Design is more simply, easily portable but hard to hang or make it stand.

!69

4 This design was inspired by crocodiles as their scales at the back are interesting. This design can be hold between poles, e.g poles that you hang you towel on. Its four “legs” will grab the poles and user can insert brushes from the top. Its tail is bent so that user can hang it when not using. This design is a little childish but I think many consumers will think that it’s cute.

Strip bender to bend the “tail”. Below a picture showing how it can be fixed.

This design takes concerns of storage when not in use and fixation on items that average people have. But the size of this design is closely related to measurements of local environment which means that multiple sizes are needed for the use of dif ferent consumers.

5 The big difference of this design compared to the original is shape of holes changed. There is no specific hole but two holes with range of widths which can fit brushes with different sizes. Below are two models that I made. I found that this design of holes is not working, if only a few brushes are inserted, brushes will fall out.

Flat and half-rounded files can be used to remove waste mater ia l s f rom holes.

Good investigation on holes. Models proved that this design does not work.

6 I learn this design from flower petals. This was before I made the models with large holes. This design has a similar aim as number 3, to minimise s i ze of product and maximise practicality and portability. I believe this design is better than number 5 as its holes are narrower. This can be cut using laser cutter or by hand using a coping saw.

Us ing coping saw to remove waste in the m i d d l e o f m a t e r i a l . Coping saw is useful for details and curves.

Improved version of 5 and a combination of number 5 and 3. It has ice appearance, but not really suitable for male users.

!70

Hook & stand

1 I was inspired by paper clips, so I modified its shape and made it into this design. It this is made of acrylic then manufacture would be easy, but if it's stainless steel, then it would be hard for me to bend. This hook can be used when there is something on the product to hold onto.

Like it's shown in this drawing, there must be something for the hook to hold onto or else, the hook need to be stuck on the product which is less stable than holding on to it.

This design is simple and easy to make using acrylic. But it limits the design of product.

2 This is a one-piece acrylic hook cut by laser cutter. There needs to be a hole on the product that is large enough for this hook to insert in. Design of this hook is simple and manufacture is easy too but holes seem too big on the product. I tried cutting paper holes and found that holes need to be quite big, around 40mm diameter.

As shown in this diagram, there needs to be a hole on product to allow this hook to work.

It is difficult to calculate size of hole that us needed to be on the product. Large holes affect appearance of product.

3 I learned the design from soft drink’s opening. I think it is nice to have something like this that is bright in colour on the product. Acrylic is good choice of material. This allows the product to hand but not stand.

This hook can be attached to the product by mixing 1:1 ratio of epoxy resin. This glue is fast drying and can glue almost everything together.

Easy to make and attach. Sharp colours s t i m u l a t e s u s e r s . A l lows product to hang.

!71

4 This stand is made out of two pieces of bended acrylic. The top bits can be folded on the product to make the stand attach to the product without any adhesive. This stand can turn into a hanger when you put it upside down.

This design is simple and easy to use. It is s u i t a b l e f o r m o s t potential users.

Bending acrylic piece at 90 degrees. After strip heating the piece of acrylic, press it firmly to a 90 degree angle and wipe with water to press into water tub.

5 Nylon string is very strong so I think of using it to hang up the product. One of the models I made on the next page used nylon string.

Strong, less attractive. Easy to work with.

Drawing of how can nylon strong be used in a product.

6 This design is made of plywood. Wood gives it an elegant finish. This stand can be folded to save space. User can also hang this, it has the same principle as number 4.

Elegant looking, can be folded to save space, portable, light weight. It cannot stay in90 degrees when hanging.

Hinges are used to allow movements of wood pieces. Screwdriver is used to screw in nails into wood.

!72

Combinations of ideas

1 C o m b i n a t i o n o f updated base and hook number 2. Hook is not very stable, one reason is because of acrylic solvent is strong e n o u g h , s e c o n d reason is the slot is too shallow. Improvements are: Try other adhesive o t h e r t h a n a c r y l i c so lvent and epoxy resin. Second cut a deeper slot.

2 C o m b i n a t i o n o f updated base and s t a n d 4 . T h i s combination is quite stable, Hanging also worked well. One con is the top part is long than the base which does not look good.

3 C o m b i n a t i o n o f updated base and stand 7. After making this model, I found that the base is not big enough and the slot is not deep enough. Base is made of linoleum, spry painted it silver.

4 Combination of base 3 and hook 5. I thought of making the design spinning or opening like a chines fan. Then I tied nylon string on top.

5 Combination of base 3 and stand 6. This design folds into a similar size like combo 4. I think this design look elegant . One con is that wood is not water resistant, thick sealer need to be applied.

By combining ideas, I can find the best idea available after development and this helps me to choose my final solution for the problem.

!73

Final design

!74

!75

!76

!77

Production schedule

Part Procedure Day

1 2 3 4 5

Base Marking on wood

Cut wood base parts

Varnish base parts

Wood finish

Top Solidwork drawing

Laser cut acrylic parts 3mm

Laser cut wood parts 3mm

Base & Top Join acrylic parts with small wood parts

Attach finished acrylic parts with top wood piece

Join base wood parts

By making a production schedule, I can plan my manufacture process and time beforehand.

!78

Flow chart

StartMark wood pieces

using try squareCut wood parts with band saw

Varnish wood parts with sand belt and

sand paper

All edges smooth? All marks erased? All

straight lines?

Finish wood pieces with clear wood finish

Laser cut drawings on Solidwork

Printing ratio 1:1? All parts are included?

All hairlines? Laser cutting speed correct?

No

Laser cut acrylic parts 3mm

Laser cut wood parts 3mm

All dimensions correct? Enough quantity?

No

No

Insert wood parts in acrylic and glue with PVA

Stable?

No

Drill joined top parts using bench driller with drill bit 2mm

Screw in 2mm nail to join square base and top part

Two parts firmly attached?

No Drill deeperScrew harder

Mark centre of screws for attaching hinges

using bradawl

Screw in hinges using 2mm nails to join base and top part

FinishThis flowchart helps me to plan my manufacture process in detail and gives me a guide to refer to when making the product.

!79

Production plan

1. Mark out base parts on wood using try square.

2. Cut plywood using band saw.

3. Use flat file to remove waste.

4 . U s e s a n d p a p e r (220&320 grit) to polish plywood for finishing.

5. Use wood clear finish on wood for protection.

6. Laser cut acrylic and wood parts.

7. PVA glue to glue two pieces of wood together.

8. Join base with top using nail and screwdriver.

9. Fix hinges on base parts u s i n g n a i l s a n d screwdriver.

Production plan gives me an image of what is going to happen and reminds me of what I didn’t plan in previous slides. This page also act as a guide for me.

!80

Manufacturing processes

1. Using pencil and try square to mark out base parts on 6mm plywood.

2. Using band saw to cut out 4 base parts.

3. Belt sander is used to smoothen edges. This allows more efficient varnishing.

4. Flat file is used to further remove wastes.

5. Sand surfaces and edges of workpieces with 220 grit sandpaper.

6. Finer sandpaper of 320 grit is used to further smoothen workpieces to create a better base for wood clear finish.

7. Wood clear finish is diluted with adequate amount of water. Cloth is used to apply finish by pushing along the grains. Then workpieces are left to dry overnight before application of the opposite sides.

8. While base parts are drying, 3 dimensional parts are drawn using Solidwork, Then they are exported to pdf files and cut by laser cutter. 7 items are cut in total.

x5 Clear acrylic 3mm

x2 plywood 3mm

9. Laser cutting acrylic and plywood parts.

10. PVA glue is used to join plywood pieces.

11. A 2mm hole is drilled through using bench driller with 2mm drill bit.

12. Holes are punched with a bradawl so that nails can screw through easily.

13. 2 x 6 mm nails are used to attach hinges to the base. This makes the hinges very stable.

14. Finished product.

!81

Production timetable

Procedure Hour

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5

Cut wood base parts Estimate

Reality

Varnish & finishing base parts

Solidwork drawing

Laser cut

Joining top parts

Joining base

Assemble top and base

Time Differnce

This production timetable reveals the reality of my manufacture time. There is a one and a half hour difference in time comparing my estimate finish time and what in reality. This is due to number of reasons: 1. Marking and cutting wood is long than what I expected. 2. Finishing of wood takes a long time to dry. 3. Since there were many students using the laser cutter, it takes longer for me to finish cutting. This page helps me to reflect what problems I experienced and what can I do to avoid them next time.

!82

Final product

Folding Folded

Front view Side view

Top view

!83

Evaluation Testing

Brushes are inserted in the product to test if the product work. As you can see from the picture above, the product is able to hold the brushes i n s e r t e d . T h e p r o d u c t i s balanced and able to stand still. If brushes are all on one side, then the product will fall.

Product is hanged between two poles. It holds all brushes expect one makeup brush fell out. The product does not move. The part that holds all acrylic parts bends downward a little because of the weight but this does not affect its function.

These two pictures show some problems when inserting brushes. The product is not able to hold 4 items (picture below) that were required in content. All these brushes are makeup brushes. Some are too big and some are too small for the holes. All paint brushes are inserted.

Testing helps me to find out wether my product is working or not and also find out problems of the product.

Working table

!84

This is a picture of the product on table. It stands well, I found some longer brushes touching the table because the product is not high enough.

As the above picture shows, the product takes a relative small part of the table.

This picture shows the product hanging on hanger in washroom. T h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f acrylic pieces is not even because the pole blocks their way. So the hanging part is slanted. If the product is hanged before insert ing the b r u s h e s , t h e n t h e product should be able to hang in balance.

These two photos shows the product on washbasin. I didn't find any specific problem.Washroom

!85

Specification

Function Item should be able to hold 16+ brushes when drying and allow easy access to objects stored.

This product can hold 20 brushes in total with diameters of 14mm, 11mm, 7mm and 5mm but is can’t hold four of the required items because of the size of holes are suitable. The product can be hanged when brushes are drying and it can stand on table when brushes are dried for convenience of user. If there is no where to hang, for example, on my balcony, user can just insert brushes with bristles facing downwards. The product is foldable which makes it space-friendly and more portable. The design is suitable and affordable by potential consumers. But it may be only good for holding shorter brushes as its height is short. The product is originally designed to store both makeup and painting brushes, but I find it can hold most paintbrushes not makeup brushes.

Appearance

With textured/gloss finish in minimalist/modern/Japanese style.

The form of the product is relatively more complex than my other design but each part of the product is simply designed. The design is a combination of curves and straight lines. Plain colours of greenish transparent and pale wood colour are used to make product look simple and suitable for users of both genders. Gold colour of hinges stimulates the design and gold matches the green and wood colour. The folded form of product looks cute in my opinion like a little robot.

This updated specification helps me to evaluate what I did well and what to improve. It also helps me to learn about what to consider in future projects.

!86

Cost

Expensive materials should not be used in this product to make it affordable for general public.

Expensive materials are not used in this product. Plywood is very affordable compared to other wood. Acrylic is also largely available in school workshop. The cost of the product will not exceed HKD$30 as all equipments and materials are available at school, not extra materials are added. The cost will mainly be the use of laser cutter. I think this makes the product vey affordable for consumers in different age groups.

Weight and size

Size of product should not exceed 350 x 300mm. It should not be heavy for the convenience of consumers.

The actual size of folded form of product is 104 x 50 x 38mm. This is much smaller than the size limit. The opened form of the product is 172 x 172 x 135mm. This is also within the size limit. But height of this product is not enough for storing all items, the height need to be estimated 180mm. Weight of this product is light for most users as minimised quantity of materials is used.

Maintenance

Should be long-lasting, could be repaired to extend life span.

Maintenance is not strength of product as wood is used in this product and this product has direct contact with water. Layers of sealers can be applied to give more protection. If hinges are broken or loosen, screwdriver can be used to tighten nails. If top part of the product is broken, PVA glue can be used to repair. Repair work is easy in my opinion. If hinges are corroded, then new hinges need to be used to recover.

!87

Material

Affordable and accessible. They should be water and chemical resistant. They should be easy to work with.

Materials used are acrylic and plywood. Acrylic is a type of thermo plastic which means that it is easy for me to cut and form it. It has a range of colours which gives me more freedom to choose the colour I want. But its colour tend to fade as time passes and it can be easy scratched. Oil paint and acrylic paint is hard to wash off if on acrylic. Plywood is very accessible at school workshop, it can be cut by hand or using laser cutter. It is relatively cheap and it has light wooden colour to give the product a natural look. Acrylic or nylon should replace the use of plywood because they are water resistant.

Manufacture

The final product should be completed within 3 months. Product should be constantly checked during manufacturing to control quality.

The final product is completed within one day which is in the time limit. Manufacture of wood pieces was not checked in detail which lead to a medium quality outcome now. I didn't wait for the sealer to dry completely and I only used one layer. Danish oil should be used instead of wood clear finish as it gives a nice stain and glow to the product. CAD drawing of acrylic parts was finished in a short time, and I changed the dimensions twice to get the perfect one. All manufacturing processes follows my production plan. Using laser cutter is longer than I expected. Scratches are made on acrylic because I remove the paper too early, unwanted holes are made because I put hinges on the wrong side, so wood filler is used to cover up. Nail joining top parts is slanted but does not affect the function and appearance of product.

!88

Ergonomics

Users should feel comfortable using hooks and holes. Water, chemical and bugs should not affect the quality of the product.

The main aspect of ergonomics in my product is the hook. As my final design has no hook, then the focus would be on the thickness and length of product. These two sizes of the product serves well with small hands and even easier for large hands. From the data I’ve collected, all users should be able to hang or put the product on table. Beside are the measurements of my hand and me holding the product.

Safety

Product should be stable, there should be no harmful chemical and sharp edges.

The product is not very stable because of the thickness of base, angles of hinges and weight of brushes Thicker wood pieces should be used. Although linoleum is a good material to use, but as it releases toxic gases during laser cutting, I avoided using it. There are no sharp edges on my product, all are sanded and polished. Cautions should be taken when hanging the product as some brushes might fall out, user need to make sure brushes are inserted firmly.

!89

Problems and improvements

1 First problem is that the product is that the stand is too short. I didn't consider the length of brushes when I was deciding the dimension. To improve, I must increase the length of the wood piece from 96.5mm to 170mm. This is the estimate size because design and length of each brush is different, actual size can o n l y b e d e c i d e d a f t e r experimentations.

2 Second problem is about the size of holds or the holding method. Firstly, sizes of holes are decided according to the research on content. The reason why brushes don’t fit in is I didn't consider the diameter of ends of brushes. I only measured the diameter of the brush where I want it to fit. A way to solve the problem is change size of holes. Or use another method like the bottom right picture above. One brush can fit in when the product is standing, but it falls out when the product is hanging. This is also a problem with fixed size holes.

3 This picture shows what happens when the right side is to heavy. The top part starts to bend. Because of the folding function, I can’t set that angle to 90°. This makes the product less convenience and harder to balance. As you can see from the picture, I am pressing on to the base because if I let go, the whole thing will all. To improve, I can tighten the part holding acrylic pieces, so that they are not easily moveable. Other than this, I can make the base thicker to improve its stability. I can also buy hinges with spring so that it is foldable and also stay in 90°.

It is important to see the pros and cons of a product and learn from mistakes. This also trains my ability to solve problems.

!90

4 There are 4 parts that are used to hold the acrylic pieces together. 3 wood parts and one nail. Wood parts are stuck together using PVA glue which is quite unstable. It loosens when the weight of brushes increase. To improve, I can use other adhesive like epoxy resin. Or I can use other material instead of wood such as stainless steel and acrylic. Glues of these materials should be stronger.

5 After sanding and using one layer of wood clear finish, I still find that the pieces of plywood are rough, and this makes the product look cheap. More expensive wood (e.g. ash) with nice grains can be used instead of plywood to give a better finish. Other than wood clear finish, I can use wood stain then quick drying MDF clear sealer to give it an expensive look. Shellac oil varnish and danish oil can also be considered as they are thicker and they make wood water resistant.

6 I figure out that one of the causes of imbalance of product when holding items is the base is not easy enough. 6mm plywood is too light for the items it’s holding. I can use thicker wood pieces or one that is more dense to make the product more stable. As one of the location of the product is washroom, I still think wood is not the best choice even if I add layers of sealer. I can change wood to acrylic, stainless steel or nylon. These materials are very strong and resistant to water and more chemical attacks, they are more suited to the product’s function.

!91

User and observers

Observers

University student (studying multi-medium art), female This product is quite attractive to me by its original shape and its portability. As for me, this product has several advantages. First of all, the shape of this product is very humanised, which means it’s easy to use. What’s more, the design of the product’s structure can save a lot of space. As we all known, products portability and practicality is very important. That’s the advantage of the product which I appreciate. At last, the cost of the product is very affordable. It’s crucial for us to maintain our creativities, so just keep going!

IGCSE Art student, female I think this idea is very creative because I had never think, or seen anything like a foldable brush rack before. I like this idea because therefore I can bring the rack to wherever I am going to. Holes of different sizes are made on the pieces of petal-shaped plastic, so brush of different sizes can be put on the rack. This design is very close to life and meticulous. However, I also think that Candy still have space to improve her work. She can either use plastic or wood for her entire work piece, and maybe she can paint on the wood to make her work more attractive to her consumers. I think she can also change the shape of her supportive pieces, maybe make more branches to support her rack.

Interested in drawing, male I think this product is pretty useful because not only does it able to fit all sorts of pen/brushes, but it can be also make into a smaller size to be stored to save space. Candy also showed great consideration in this product. Hong Kong is very humid, by using plastic, mold won’t be a problem at all. Hong Kong is also very small, and making the rack in this way is space-friendly. Generally speaking, the design is good looking which in my opinion suits an “artist room” really well.

User

I am the producer and also the user of this product. By designing and making the product, I learnt a lot about the relationship between a designer and his/her consumer. I learnt that being a designer most in think in consumer’s perspective and must design product for the best convenience of users. Designer and user are in complementary relationship, there is no way to separate them. Learnt that design is not about design, it is more about trail and error, experimenting and imagining the possible solutions. Its process is so difficult but yet interesting, when I found a best solution, there is no word to describe the excitement I feel.

Product does not end the process of design, it’s a cycle that a product brings you back to redesigning and improving. After I finished making my final product, I came up with different ideas again that are better. However, I am still happy with my current solution. It is portable which means that I can bring it from and to mainland China during holidays, I saved space by making a hanger for brushes rather than spreading brushes all over the place. I also feel proud to use a product that I designed and made. Although it does not hold all items that I required, but I am still satisfied with the result.

Product’s design is simple in my opinion, mechanism worked well. Colours are plain and yet full of character. It is also interesting to hear comments like: “I didn’t know you would come up with a design like this.” “This looks like the fan in Doraemon!” “ This design suits your style.”

I think design is not only designing, it is a combination of processes: searching, investigating, considering, improving etc. The world is actually designed by ourselves.

Getting feedbacks from potential consumers is interesting, it helps me find out what I am good at and which area to improve on. The comments also encourage me to continue designing.