Part 1: Studies in Foam Core

 Part 2: Rapid Prototyping in Pink Foam

This project was a study of rapid prototyping. I created 15 iterations of a door knob using pink foam. With each iteration, I made one change to the door knob’s design. Whether that change was the size of the object, the shape of the grip, or the fillets on the edges, each iteration contributed to making the final product more effective, usable, and clean. Additionally, I created the wooden door seen above to help with testing interactions with each model. By iteration 15 (seen in the door), I had developed an object in which every aspect of its design was informed by testing different variations of those features.

 Part 3: Laser Cutting an Interactive Model

 Part 4: 3D Modeling with Electronic Components

The first part of this project was deciding on the form of the sending stone I wanted to develop (left). I was almost entirely sold on the design of the red gem I saw online, but I wanted to brainstorm different forms as well as plan how the hardware would fit into the 3D model.

This process was also an excellent example of arriving at technical limitations and adapting. Originally, I wanted to develop two sending stones that would light up when either user was talking. However, trying to get two Circuit Playground Expresses to communicate with each other through multiple layers of 3D model while the users stood feet apart just was not feasible in the time that I had. Therefore, I decided to pivot to developing one sending stone. If I was ever to revisit this project, I would work to make my original vision a reality.

The above pictures show the development of my sending stone. I started out with circular pieces of white foam core to test how each size would fit in my hand. Once I had picked a size I liked, I modeled the gem with pink foam to experiment with the number and depth of cuts. I then set out to model the stone in such a way that it would allow the hardware to fit comfortably within it. Next was the 3D modeling phase, which required multiple iterations of printing in order to get right. After my first print, the battery wouldn’t even fit in it’s slot. In order to guarantee that would not happen again on the second iteration, I added a hole for a wire to fit through as well.

The above videos show the assembly of my sending stone with the battery inserted (left) and a demo of the sending stone lighting up when I talked into it.

 Self Reflection

 This class was easily one of the most difficult I have ever taken in my five years at Georgia Tech. Physical prototyping is an incredibly demanding and time consuming pursuit, even more so when you are new to it. Those 15 pink foam doorknobs easily took me 20 hours to finish, and I can still feel how badly my feet hurt after a particularly long day in the design shop. This class gave me a serious appreciation for people who have refined their skills in this field enough to rapid prototype at a speed that is actually… rapid. I was properly reminded that the skills we UXers work so hard to develop aren’t going to come to us overnight. They take practice, dedication, and so much time.

I can also confidently say that this class pushed me out of my comfort zone in just about everything it taught me. My Bachelor’s degree is in programming and traditional design; I was going to be a front end designer/developer had I not gone to grad school. It’s safe to say I had next to no physical prototyping skills and could not fathom how it was done. But now I understand. I certainly achieved my goal of expanding my breadth of knowledge in the field of UX. And while this process reaffirmed for me that research is my one true passion, I can now advance forward as a professional with a greater understanding of how the design process work without fear of getting physical.