Challenge 2 – Final Presentation – SYLVIA'S DOCUMENTATION BLOG

Challenge 2: Design Sprint

Future Selves, Creating a New Product

Introduction:

For our final week of Challenge 2, we continued to consider disabilities as a driver for innovation through the development of a product that would aid a specific limitation. Meanwhile, we also focused on ways to reduce the restrictions and discomforts certain people may face in their everyday lives with the products they use. Moreover, as a conclusion to the work from the previous weeks of this challenge, we honed in on collaboratively building a final presentation to share our findings and creations with our peers.

Brainstorming:

Beginning ideas:

Tablet concept:

Pen concept:

Process:

Moving forth into building the final slides, we decided to separate the work into three main sections. First, Dome would be focusing on the background of the condition and relevant information, along with detailed context about our main person of interest. Then, because our idea had two main interactive components, Chynna and I divided the CAD modeling work between her developing the tablet while I worked on the pen elements. Finally, we would all work collaboratively to design the final slideshow presentation and product pitch.

Regarding my personal contributions, the majority of work I did centered around creating the CAD models of the digital pen on Fusion360, as well as adding my work to my respective slides and photoshopping imagery as needed. Concerning the CAD modeling for this assignment, there were many new tools and skills that I had to learn and practice. Because my only experience with the program consisted of what we practiced during class and my work on the last Challenge. Coming in, I had very limited abilities, especially because unlike these product models, my last assignment’s model consisted of predominantly geometric shapes. Nevertheless, by speaking with the professor and referencing the provided resources online, I was able to successfully realize two designs for our digital pen. As for producing contextual images and convincing renders of the product, I utilized a combination of Fusion360 and Procreate technology tools to combine the pen models with photographs.

In the end, despite some struggles our group felt that we produced a final creation which we could proudly present, in addition to learning a lot not only as a team but also individually.

CAD process:

Photoshop process:

Final Slides:

Feedback:

For our class presentation, we each took turns introducing our concept, with each member of the team presenting and explaining their topic slides of focus. After our presentation we received in-class feedback, with many great points about methods to make improvements. For example, one point that kept coming up was that some presentation slides seemed very wordy, and reducing some text could make the content more engaging and less overwhelming for the audience. Additionally, another aspect that was mentioned was how our presentation lacked aesthetic cohesion between certain areas. I’m grateful for the feedback and I believe making improvements to these details could help make our project stronger.

Reflection:

Reflecting on this Challenge, I’m extremely satisfied with the results we were able to build as a team, in addition to the personal growth I was able to develop throughout the process.

Although I believe this product is already at a point where anyone could use it, there are some modifications that could help make it more appealing and user friendly for a broader audience. For example, I think a big limitation is the size and how it may impact the user’s ability for comfortable transport. To address this, components such as the pen could be modified to develop a more compact or portable version for on the go use. Furthermore, another deterrence for buyers could be that the tablet and pen must be purchased in a set and are not compatible with other technology. If users prefer to use a specific brand of tablet or digital stylus, these factors could also discourage them. Therefore, making it possible to use either the tablet or pen tool independently of each other or as attachments would promote interest in the products.

All in all, through this Challenge I was able to gain a lot of valuable practice and knowledge that will be imperative for future projects. The learning, process, research, teamwork, and development created through this experience instilled me with skills and understanding that will guide me going forward.