This was a project for university, where the brief was to optimise an existing household item of technology for sustainability. My approach was based around the creation of a product with no end of life.
Product Teardown + Concept Development
We tore down an existing product to begin the project, and weighed all of the individual components, after which I created a lifecycle analysis using ecolizer. The next step was to consider potential improvements to the base concept. I came up with 4 overall concepts, and the one that I believed would be most effective, and received the best feedback was the idea to create a modular product. Within this idea, broken components could be easily switched out by the user, warranty repairs could be undertaken by individuals with no formal electronics training, using basic instructions, and upgrades could be made once technological advancements took place.
At this stage in the process, I was nearly ready to begin working with CAD to create a digital 3D model of the concept, but first I wanted to get a hands-on experience with the shape I had chosen, and began to consider how internal componentry could be reconfigured to allow for a modular design.
The prototype was made from a used can of spray paint, 2 toilet rolls, paper, and masking tape. I used the spray paint cap in conjunction with a black sharpie to create the split lines, where components would meet.
I learned through this prototype how the product would be held, and how to implement dual buttons to control fan speed and heat. I also found a comfortable angle for the handle to be tilted at.
Concept Development and Prototyping
CAD Model and Details
The final model consists of 3 internal components: the heating element, the fan assembly, and the electronics assembly, which includes the buttons, power delivery, and in this model, even a battery (as a conceptual statement of future upgrades). The wiring of the heating element and fan assembly are cleanly routed down to the electronics assembly, where they connect using contact pads. Each of these 3 components can be individually removed, each with only a few screws, meaning any of these can be individually replaced without having to remove the others. This also allows for easy upgrades.
Renders, Hero Shot, and Animation of Deconstruction
