Creativity and Design Blog Post #3

This week's in-class challenge started off with deconstructing a conference tote bag. The only goal was to make the bag unusable to carry things. This was definitely an unfamiliar project type as well as risky because we were not told what we would have to do with the materials after we destroyed the bag. Usually I try and build things, not tear them apart, so I was not really sure where to start. We were instructed to plan and sketch how we were going to destroy the bag. I chose a simple strategy, making three cuts diagonally across the bag. After making the three cuts, I realized that there were still pockets left in the bag that could potentially be used to carry things, so I used a seam-ripper to take out the threads binding the pieces together.

Surprise Switch

During the deconstruction process we all had the feeling that we would be using the materials later in the class, but we were not sure what we would be doing with them. After we had all thoroughly destroyed the bags, we were instructed to switch them with our neighbors. I ended up getting Marissa's bag to work with, and her tactic to destroying it was to rip it up and stick needles in it so that nobody would want to use it to carry anything.

Carry My Battery Pack Away

Weeks ago at the beginning of the course we were given an assignment to describe an object that we carry with us everyday that we have a hard time carrying. We were instructed to describe the object and provide details of its size, shape and weight. These descriptions resurfaced in this activity, and we were directed to use the materials we received from our classmates and create what was described in the directions that were randomly distributed. I received Christopher Plante's design:

Designing for Someone Else

It can be hard to design for someone else, especially if you are not sure about exactly what they want. Fortunately for me the person I was designing for was sitting right next to me, and he let me use the object that he needed carried away during the construction process. This plays in well with the theory from our module materials that design is human centered (TED Talk by Tim Brown Designer - Think Big). It was also beneficial that Christopher is a pretty easy-going person which cave me some creative freedom. Like Manu Prakash said, "Sometimes boxing yourself in allows you to work outside of the box". (This Simple Paper Centrifuge Could Revolutionize Global Health - WIRED)

My Process

I began this task by removing the pins and needles that Marissa had stuck in the materials she gave me. I thought this would make my work environment a little safer, but I did end up missing a few needles and had to find a band-aid (there was not too much blood loss).

I decided early on that since Chris needed his battery pack to be padded that I would make the most out of the materials she gave me by stitching them together and wrapping the material around the battery. This was a general trajectory, but I did not have any definite plans, and certainly no drawn plans to follow, so I was learning by making (TED Talk by Tim Brown Designer - Think Big) and adjusting my design as I encountered problems.

After stitching the pieces together, I trimmed the edges to that the strip was the same width as the battery pack. I also thought that since the material is thin plastic, that it needed some reinforcement. As I thought about ways to reinforce the materials I thought of rigid components to add to the fabric. But then it would make it hard to roll up, so I decided to reinforce the fabric with hot-glue in linear and geometric patterns. These rubbery strips also provide additional padding and shock absorption to the case.

Next, the challenge was to make the project waterproof. There was no way to do this with the materials I had at the desk, so I looked around the classroom to see what else was available. Fortunately I found a box of durable zip-lock bags. Once the battery was in one of those bags, it would be perfectly waterproof, then the rest of the material could still be wrapped around the battery in the bag.

After wrapping up the battery, I realized that I needed a way to keep the material securely around the fragile object. I considered using one of the leftover straps from the bag's original form and tying it in a bow around the wrapped battery, but I then decided that it was not necessary to add another loose part to the system. Then I remembered that I had seen some Velcro buttons in the supply bin on the table. I attached them to the end, and they worked perfectly. I also trimmed the end of the material to look almost like a clasp, so that there would not be loose flaps hanging about.

Finally, I thought that if Chris was going to be carrying this around everyday - there should be some personalization to his new battery case. So I cut out a "C" and "P" for his initials and hot-glued them on the outside of the case.

After handing the final project over to Chris, he seemed happy and amused with what I produced. He even intentionally dropped the packaging to see if it protected the battery. I was not quite as confident in the padding of the wrapper as he was, but it was nice to see he had confidence in my case for his battery. Upon reflection of my process and the readings and videos this week, I realize that I should involve the people around me for design ideas. I agree that by getting the process out of the hands of designers and into the hands of the community (TED Talk by Tim Brown Designer - Think Big) that the products will have a much greater impact.