Unfortunately I missed this week’s lesson and Shapeways guest lecture, but I truly enjoyed going over the assigned readings and seeing what my teammates came up with for our initial prototype sketches. While we’ve heard about various makers’ approaches towards prototyping over the course of this semester, I was surprised to hit so many mental roadblocks when thinking of the prototype for our own product, a solar powered food/beverage heater. I could think of the individual components that would be necessary for the product to function, and I could think of ways that existing models could be improved, but I had a hard time actually starting.

Much like the Edison Nation blog post described, I had stored all of these ideas in my mind but was having a hard time translating them into an actual prototype concept. I think the idea of starting off by drawing with pen and paper is great—my teammates sent me photos of the sketches they came up with, and while they were different from what I would’ve designed, it was cool to map out their thought processes through the drawings.

While sketching is a great first step, I’m eager to generate a physical prototype for user feedback. As David Kelley discussed in his videos, the process of “enlightened trial and error” seems to offer a lot of value. I think this is especially true given some of the technical ambiguity with our project—I’m not too familiar with the various requirements of optimizing solar power, and although I’ve been trying to research as much as possible, I often find myself feeling too intimidated to design a prototype. I think I will take David’s advice, however, and remind myself that early, unfinished prototypes can be the source of valuable user feedback, which in turn helps the project move along in the right direction. In other words, it doesn’t need to be a work of art in its first iteration, but it does need to materialize in some capacity.

This week, we finally got to put our wooden boxes together. These past three weeks have been a wonderful learning opportunity, and it felt good to come up with a finished product. I thought it would be a simple process- put the wooden pieces together, stick a light somewhere on the canvas, switch some button on, and see the pretty light glow on top of a perfectly constructed box. Little did I know, there’s a lot more to it than that.

We first received an introduction from Duncan on how circuits work—the basics of it made sense to me: connect the positive LED side to the positive battery side, and connect the negative LED side to the negative battery side. However, if the two wires touch at any point, it’ll cause the device to short circuit and the light won’t work. In order to make sure that we were connecting the right wires to the right sides, we sketched out where we wanted to sew the LED light and where we wanted to place the battery on our designs. I decided to place the light by the location of my hometown in California:

Once we identified the positioning, we used conductive thread to actually sew the various components onto the canvas. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this was a challenge. After 30 minutes of trying to tug the thread through the canvas and trying to tie knots to hold the finished stitches in place, I was finally ready to test out the light by inserting the battery. On my first attempt, I couldn’t get it to work and I was terrified that I had crossed the wires accidentally—it turns out that a part of the thread was touching the metal portion of the battery where it shouldn’t and that was causing it to malfunction. Once I moved the thread over, my LED lit up and the box was complete:

If there’s anything I’ve learned throughout these past few weeks, it’s that I should be patient with technology, and with myself. I came into this workshop with the expectation that the machines would take care of everything, but in reality, there is still a ton of trial and error that goes into making anything worthwhile.

Week two at the Fab Lab certainly did not disappoint—in order to complete our projects, we learned how to laser cut wooden boxes and add our own designs as decoration. I was a bit nervous about the workshop after last week’s challenging embroidery lesson, but it was surprisingly straightforward (mostly because Clinton was such a patient instructor.)

We used a combination of Adobe Illustrator and PE Design to come up with the specifications for our boxes, starting with the dimensions. We then had to remove the “teeth” of the cutouts, since we needed the top portion of the box to be completely flat—this proved to be somewhat tricky because the software can be a bit finicky (apparently there’s a difference between double and triple clicking) but with Clinton’s guidance, I was able to modify the box the way I wanted to. We outlined the things we wanted cut out in red, and then objects filled with black were meant to be shaded in on top of the wood as a design.

Finally, we added various silhouettes to the sides of our boxes as designs. I chose images of things that were significant to me, like my hometown of San Francisco, and the otter, my favorite animal. Here’s what the final version looked like:

We uploaded our designs to a flash drive, and Clinton fired up the machine—I was amazed to see how quickly it moved back and forth to replicate the designs originating from our computers. While I couldn’t stay to see my own finished product, I was able to watch another classmate’s design come to life:

I’m looking forward to putting together my box next week, along with the embroidered top. It’s been a wonderful learning experience and I feel like I’ve gained two new skills which could serve useful in a variety of ways. I’ll be sure to post photos of the end result once it’s done next week!

This week’s trip to the CU Fab Lab was highly anticipated–after hearing so much about it, I was eager to work on a hands on project and use the various tools that are available. We started off with a workshop on digital embroidery–I was so confident that I’d be good at it, but the overall experience was humbling, to say the least.

We got to learn more about the software SewArt, which allows users to upload photos of designs and then provides a preview of what the final sewn product will look like. It was difficult to find a logo that was simple enough for the software to pick up every detail on. I’d originally chosen an otter logo (since otters are my favorite animal) and it seemed quite simple given the fact that it had only two colors, which were highly contrasted.

However, when the software revealed the print preview, the poor otter’s face was somehow mutilated by its own whiskers—it seems as though there were too many fine details, so I opted for a simpler design instead. I ended up choosing the California state outline and then overlaid some California golden poppies to add some color and complexity.

After settling on the design, the next step was to thread the actual machine—sadly, this part has yet to be automated. It took a couple tries and some help from my peers, but I finally mastered the art, and was able to hit “go.” Within minutes, the California state outline was finished and it was time to switch the thread color for the flowers.

A quick video of the machine working its magic: IMG_2439

What I learned in the process, however, is that there is a difference between embroidery thread and sewing thread, which happens to be much thicker. Blissfully ignorant of that difference, I happily watched my design come to life until I heard a terrible noise come from the machine. The sewing thread was too thick and was causing the machine to jam. On top of that, I had forgotten to “remove the overlay” from my design on the California state outline, so the embroidery on that portion was really thick as well, and made it difficult for the machine to move across it.

Since I was running short on time, I decided to call it a day and settled for this final product.

Although there were a few hiccups, I’m happy with how it turned out. I now know that like everything else we’ve learned about design so far, working with digital embroidery machines is an iterative process, prone to mistakes and unexpected challenges. That being said, I’m looking forward to the laser cutting workshop next week—hopefully, I’m better at it than I was at embroidery!

Our class was lucky to have two guest speakers this week—Alan Amling from UPS spoke about how the company is leveraging 3D printing technology in new ways in order to grow its business and cater to the growing demand from its clients, and Dot Silverman spoke about biohacking, and its various applications from education, to industry.

It was really interesting to learn about how UPS has integrated additive manufacturing into its offerings to clients, and has consistently been able to stay ahead of the curve. Their services now enable anyone from a large manufacturer to a solo entrepreneur to order prints and access technology that they might not be able to invest in themselves.

In addition to speaking about how the technology has impacted UPS, Alan shared insights about other companies that now rely on digital making to customize for or deliver additional value to their customers. One example I thought was quite interesting was that of Nike, which is using 3D printing to create customized shoe soles based off of a scan of one’s foot. After doing additional research, I learned that several other footwear companies are using the same approach. This Fortune article talks about how New Balance, Adidas, and Nike are all investing in on-demand manufacturing processes for the long term.

I also really enjoyed hearing from Dot, because I thought her background was quite unique. She studied physics during her undergraduate years and has worked at several research labs, but is currently pursuing a graduate degree in education. Many of the projects she highlighted within the biohacking realm had to do with making science education more accessible for all, and it was really inspiring because she seemed to perfectly exemplify someone with a maker mindset. I was particularly impressed by the Foldscope, which is essentially a microscope that can provide up to 2000x magnification, and costs less than $1 to make. It was invented by two Stanford graduate students, and has now fostered a global learning community across 135 countries. I found the Microcosmos page of their website to be quite touching– it features stories from various users who have documented their learning processes while using the Foldscope.

In summary, I’d say that this week’s learnings offered a lot of practical insight as to how the maker community is so deeply rooted in making learning via technology far more accessible. While one might expect this from academia/educators, the same holds true for large corporations like UPS, who are actually able to drive profitability by adhering to the same principle.

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to engage my inner child and toy with playdough and pipe cleaners! This week’s workshop with Design for America gave us a chance to channel our creativity into solving problems and truly practice “design thinking,” as Tim Brown from IDEO conceptualized.

The theme for the workshop’s design activity was centered around the blind population in Austin, who were facing various challenges adapting to the rapidly urbanized environment. My group chose to focus on Jess, a college student at UT Austin who was excelling academically, but felt isolated from the campus social scene due to her blindness. We wanted to find a way to ensure that Jess felt safe and comfortable getting to and from football games on her own. We brainstormed all sorts of design ideas—from the most outlandish to the most obvious—and came up with an initial prototype for a smart walking stick that had GPS and paired with Bluetooth earphones. The walking stick could send GPS data to smartphones as well, in case Jess’s friends wanted to locate her, or in case Jess lost her walking stick somewhere.

While I enjoyed playing with the various art supplies and brainstorming, I think what really resonated with me was the process of empathizing. Quite often, problem solving is exclusively viewed as a highly analytical activity, and of course, that aspect is equally important. However, design thinking really emphasizes the importance of being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and I think that’s a skill that’s often overlooked or taken for granted in many fields. Speaking from my own experience of interning at a large bank last summer, I feel as though “having empathy” is often synonymous with showing weakness or lacking objectivity in parts of corporate America. However, when properly leveraged, I think it can provide keen insights about any user/client and can drive tremendous amounts of change in the positive direction.

We had the opportunity to present our prototypes and receive feedback, which is an incredibly important part of the design process. It was helpful to hear critique of our design, because it forced us to consider things we hadn’t thought about, like how the GPS feature in the walking stick might be redundant assuming Jess’s smartphone already has GPS. Nonetheless, I was proud of the amount of ideating we were able to do within an hour (early in the morning, that too.)

The students from DFA did a great job of relaying the importance of empathizing, failing, collaborating, and communicating—they were also quick to stress that the exercise we did in class was incomplete without real user feedback, which is the most important part of the design process. I felt really inspired after the workshop, and found some other resources on design thinking:

1. I’m always on the lookout for applications to the financial services industry, and I thought this article on how design thinking is impacting banking was really interesting: https://thefinancialbrand.com/70152/design-thinking-banking-financial-innovation/ 

2. Here is Elise Roy, a disability rights lawyer who happens to be deaf, herself—in her TED talk, she talks about how designing for disabilities often creates better outcomes for everyone.

This week, we learned how to use Fusion 360, a CAD design software created by Autodesk. Dan Banach from the Education group at Autodesk was really helpful in showing us the ropes and walking us through two designs using the tool. We had the chance to build a custom Illini ice scraper, as well as a really handy iPhone charging tool—I was able to build upon my knowledge of Fusion 360 shortcuts and I also got a sense of how to go about designing from scratch, which is what I really wanted to learn. One of the coolest features of the software is its ability to conduct stress testing—while I didn’t get the chance to actually implement this tool, I’m sure that it will be useful in the future.

With this newfound confidence, I attempted to recreate one of the design ideas I had seen on Thingiverse. I made a simple heart cookie cutter- even though it wasn’t that complex, it still gave me an opportunity to apply the skills I learned during the workshop. I started with the line and arc tools to create the basic heart shape, and then used the extrude and shell tools to create the hollowed out cookie cutter form.

After doing more research on Fusion 360, I read about how other people used the software to bring their ideas to life. One of the most interesting articles I found was on Fusion 360’s own blog, and it profiled Calvin Lee, who designs kid’s plush toy pillows for Brookstone. He talked about how the software made it simple to sketch soft forms in 3D, and how he planned to use it to design Brookstone’s signature massage chairs as well. The versatility of the software not only allows designers to sketch the electronic or mechanical components with ease, but also enables them to create more ergonomic shapes.

I’d like to experiment with different applications of Fusion 360 further in my semester project, if possible. I’m still getting a hang of the software, but I look forward to discovering more of its infinite capabilities and learning as I go!

This week’s reading, combined with the guest lecture from John Hornick, really opened my eyes to the ways in which digital making has evolved, not only on a technical level, but also on a broader, cultural level. As one of the articles illustrated, the so called “Maker Mindset” is essentially that of a growth mindset—students must display curiosity and embrace failure, while facing challenge with a positive attitude.  I’d argue that this attitude is necessary to succeed at anything, but it seems to hold especially true in a community where ideas are quite literally coming to life, and where people can interact and share their ideas with so much more ease.

I think rapid globalization only makes the case for this exchange of ideas stronger. Neil Gershenfeld’s article How to Make Almost Anything talks about the first fabrication lab (“fab lab”) which was launched in the South End of Boston in order to promote education and excitement about technology in urban communities. The concept quickly caught on and was soon replicated in other countries, where students who might not have access to a full college education are now getting the opportunity to put their skills and creativity to good use. I did some additional research, and thought this article about a fab lab in Western Africa was quite interesting: https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/africa/3d-printer-electronic-waste/index.html)

Along with this cultural shift towards collaboration to solve problems, I think digital making is transforming the way in which we view the world. John Hornick explained how many of the things people are making today have a unique appearance, and often look like things created by mother nature. They are lighter, more efficient, and force us to rethink the norms of our physical world. I think it will be interesting to see how the field of design changes as a result, given that everyone will have the capability to be their own designer. Personally, I look forward to learning more about design principles and stretching my mind when it comes to what I can create, because I often feel limited or somewhat narrow-minded when it comes to making things.

When browsing Thingiverse, I came across a few prints that I thought would be quite useful:

1. Page holder reading tool https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:144660

I thought this idea of a “book ring” was pretty handy—I often have a hard time keeping books open with one hand, so having one of these would allow me to read more comfortably. I would modify it to fit my thumb properly, and I think it would be beneficial to add a grooved portion that hands under the bottom of the book, so that the rest of one’s fingers aren’t under too much pressure.

2. Self-watering planter https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:903411 

I’ve been on the hunt for a good self-watering pot for a while, since all of the house plants in my apartment sadly died over winter break. This is a basic model, but I would tweak it to make it a little more colorful, and maybe add something with which I can mount it to a wall.

3. Cookie cutter https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:572208 

I’m an avid baker and I thought these holiday-themed cookie cutters were really cute. I often wish I could customize my own cookie cutters, so if I had the chance, it would be cool to create a cookie cutter that resembled my house—it could also make a great holiday gift for families.

4. Earphone holder https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:416992

I thought this idea was really creative and definitely useful- my earphones get tangled all of the time, so it would be nice to have a tool to organize them. I wouldn’t make any modifications to this design—I thought it was quite functional as is.