MILESTONE: End of Project
I have included a copy of our final design brief describing details regarding our final design and overall project. Through this semester I have learnt that the three sections of the project are completely dependant on each other, thus good communication between team members was crucial. By having regular team-meetings and updating and discussing any changes with each other was what made our journey so successful.
Since object, scenario and behaviour were merely three facets of the same product we found that being on the same level and having similar goals was very important through the development stages. In the future I believe that taking on all three roles at the same time would be easier as there is only one person making the decisions, however having three perspectives expressed simultaneously provided interesting knowledge that would of otherwise not have been discovered. Thus this collaboration was successful. We are all happy with the outcome and thought it was fun developing a functional product.
Since object, scenario and behaviour were merely three facets of the same product we found that being on the same level and having similar goals was very important through the development stages. In the future I believe that taking on all three roles at the same time would be easier as there is only one person making the decisions, however having three perspectives expressed simultaneously provided interesting knowledge that would of otherwise not have been discovered. Thus this collaboration was successful. We are all happy with the outcome and thought it was fun developing a functional product.
PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATION
Including Design Brief
Prepared for: SociAural Networking Agencies
By: JAR Design
Date: 7 November 2011
Document Version:
Stage One: Research and Innovation search [COMPLETED JULY 30 2011]
Stage Two: Concept Ideation [COMPLETED AUG 31 2011]
Stage Three: Final Concept [COMPLETED OCT 5 2011]
*Stage Four: Refinement and Design Detailing [COVERED IN THIS VERSION OF PDS]
Stage Five: Production Management [FUTURE - NOT COVERED AS PART OF THIS SCOPE]
CONTENTS | |
DESIGN BRIEF | |
Project Overview | |
Design Constraints | |
Design Process Stages Overview | |
PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS | |
Design Requirements | |
Market Profiling | |
Physical and Operational Characteristics | |
Performance Requirements | |
Safety | |
Accuracy and Reliability | |
Life in Service | |
Shelf Life | |
Operating Environment | |
Maintenance | |
Ergonomics | |
Size | |
Weight | |
Materials | |
Aesthetics and appearance | |
Production Characteristics | |
Miscellaneous | |
PROJECT OVERVIEW
JAR Design was engaged by SociAural Networking Agencies (SNA) on July 20th to develop an ‘I-sense-you’ concept. SNA required the creation of a product that allowed geographically distant users to gauge the presence of other users, and obtain a sense of connectedness. The elements of ‘designing for experience’ and ‘interaction design’ were to inform the direction of the project.
Particularly, the object was required to afford certain actions and needed to involve a consideration of designing for emotional engagement. This implied the careful selection of materials and integration of aesthetic cues. The object was required to ‘perform’ certain behaviours depending on the way in which the users interacted with it. For each user, a prescribed series of Inputs (Actions) and Outputs (State changes) was required that would consider the possible tangible (physical) behavioural elements of human-computer-interaction (HCI) and assist with providing a pleasurable, experience-centred design.
Additionally, JAR Design were directed to refine the context-of-use for the object that could influence decisions regarding behaviours and aesthetics, and that would ideally translate to marketing material.
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
The project precluded the use of traditional ‘screen’ interfaces and typical icon/text based Graphical User Interfaces. The interactions between the users and the object, and thus ultimately amongst the users and each other, needed, instead, to incorporate gestural elements and principles of intuitive interaction.
The ‘i-sense-you’ project also required a consideration of Universal Design principles that would prevent different-abled users from being unable to engage with the object. This precluded, for example, the use of small operational controls requiring fine dexterity that would provide a barrier for elderly users.
Target unit costs and unit volumes were not proscribed by SNA, however, considerations of design for manufacturing and material/resource optimisation and efficiency were required.
SociAural Networking Agencies (SNA) highlighted the understanding that environmental concerns could be mitigated through the longevity of the user’s relationship with the product, which would result from a careful consideration of emotional engagement through interaction design.
JAR would have 11 weeks to develop and present their outcome to SNA.
The JAR design process consists of a series of four steps and milestones. Each stage is discrete and involves a period of work followed by presentation of deliverables. This document presents the refinements involved with stage four.
STAGES OF DESIGN AND RELATED DELIVERABLES
One: Research and Innovation search [COMPLETED JULY 30 2011]
Discussion of initial requirements.
Deliverables:
Market research;
User Personas created to understand possible market infiltration;
Two: Concept Ideation [COMPLETED AUG 31 2011]
Range of concepts explored in detail
Deliverables:
Three concepts presented
Physical mock-up prototypes to indicate form / behavioural material considerations.
Three: Final Concept [COMPLETED OCT 5 2011]
Final direction chosen for development
Deliverables:
Design brief
Sketches and preliminary CAD models of concept
Blogs of design development
Four: Design Refinement [COVERED IN THIS VERSION OF PDS]
Design detailing based on response to final concept and assessment against initial criteria
Deliverables:
Video presentation of prototype with simulated behavioural elements
Video demonstrating sequence of use and modes of operation
Oral explanation of design details
Refined capture of user needs
Product specifications list (included attached)
Bill of materials (BOM) - See attachment
Manufacturing and materials specifications
Technical drawings - See attachment
Presentation boards suitable for display explaining Design Details of Flock Radio – See attachment
Five: Production Management [Not covered as part of this scope]
Production of prototype and NCRs if necessary, followed by production phase of manufacturing. Deliverables as negotiated.
STAGE FOUR: REFINEMENT and DESIGN DETAILING
Design Requirements
Following the presentation of the stage three final concept and discussions with SociAural Networking Agencies, it was decided that the ‘FlockRadio’ concept be further developed for the ‘I-sense-you’ project.
Physical and Operational Characteristics
The following specification for physical and operational characteristics follows from the JAR design for manufacture processes. Any parameters deviating from these will be considered grounds for Non-Conformance with respect to suppliers and manufacturers.
Performance Requirements:
Battery: Each individual Flock Radio is expected to be in use several times per week, for an average listening duration of 2 – 4 hours. The battery unit is Li-Ion, chosen for its relative lightness over NiMh (important for a hand-held unit) and its lack of the memory-effects displayed by NiCad power systems. This is important as the portable element of the Flock Radio, when disconnected from its base, will be run down to random levels and at random intervals.
Durability: The physical, gestural elements involved in the interactions with the units, particularly with the ‘stun’ feature, mean that the interior components must be well-secured and contain shock absorbing features such as rubber stoppers in the screw bosses for the PCB. The silicon glue used for securing electrical components must last at least 10 years of shock. The ABS outer shell will provide high impact resistance and resist decolouration from oils resulting from frequent handling.
Wireless protocols: The security of transmissions is required in the network setup of the router. If using connection to there must be adequate burn-out protection offered by the USB fuse on the user’s computer. It is envisaged that a generic driver will be downloadable from an affiliated website that will require activation through the input of the specific serial numbers and RFID tags of each networked unit.
The Flock Radio network, which transmits data over the GooglePlus servers will require minimal bandwidth but backup servers must be in place in the eventuation of Google-server downtime.
Safety:
The high degree of portability of the Flock Radio, combined with the use of surfaces and technologies that aim to invite tangible interaction, necessitates consideration of the protection of children, animals and other non-owners who may come into contact with the device. Disassembly is achieved through a considered series of steps involving t-screws, and there are no small parts that can be easily dislodged.
Manufacturers will meet standards of SAA for all wiring and ISO certification if being exported beyond Australia. IP53 rating to be achieved for portable part and electronic safety requirements for computer unit.
Accuracy and Reliability:
The shuffle mechanism must reliable change radio stations to a random selection and should not fall into observable patterns of change. Additionally, the Internet protocols employed by the network tools must prevent access to private networks by outside agents yet be simple, serviceable and automatically securely updated.
Life in Service:
The FlockRadio is designed to become an emotionally charged product. That is, the constant association of the radio with the user’s mental state – and that of their friends – should imbue the radio with enough emotional significance that a long-term relationship with the product is created. This assists with meeting the environmental performance criteria of the project – with meaningful interactions, users can be encouraged to form longer-lasting patterns of use and consume less.
Accordingly, reparability of the Flock Radio units is important, and the eventual design for disassembly allows for this. There will be some owner operations necessary during the life of the product, particularly with respect to changing the battery. Small service centres should be able to perform operations on these units and it is for this reason that JAR design promote the easy accessibility of service and maintenance manuals and the use of standardised and off-the shelf components where possible.
Shelf Life:
A sale shelf life of two years enables the provision of a one- year warranty, so this needs to be realistically considered. It is expected that batteries charged upon leaving assembly will maintain charge for at least one year with increasingly diminishing returns after that. Users must therefore be directed to charge the batteries prior to first use.
Operating Environment:
The Flock Radio is designed to be used in the confines of a domestic wireless Internet connection. Thus, it can be expected that the unit will be mainly used in interior situations with the possibility of garden use. However, the portability of the unit demands ingress protection suited to humid situations found in kitchens and bathrooms. Temperature ranges will be consistent with normal human habitation and thus don’t require any special stipulations.
Maintenance:
Aside from elements already discussed above regarding software update and periodic battery replacement, the only maintenance required will be occasional wiping with a damp cloth to remove fingerprints and surface soiling.
Ergonomics:
Largely driven by the dimensions of the human hand, the ‘FlockRadio’ is designed to comfortably fit in hands smaller than the 90thpercentile male hand, and is able to be grasped by the limiting user’s grip. The ‘Like’ function of squeezing the wings will activate even if only one wing is pressed square-on, in situations where the user is unable to fully grasp the girth of the unit.
Size:
Maximum dimensions are 200mm max height, 120mm max width (diameter).
Weight:
It is expected that the final assembled weight of the portable unit will be 280g. The base ‘nest’ component will be approximately 110g.
Materials:
External:
ABS body and internal chassis
Silicon wings ads
Optically translucent acrylic eyes
Internal components: Head
Infrared movement sensor behind eyes
2x red LED’s in eyes to demonstrate low battery
A rotary switch in the neck to enable the unit to be turned on /off by turning head
A dial/ sensor that can detect how high the head has been pulled up and thus the volume
Internal components: Body
Speaker behind central grille
Array of 5 RGB LED’s around the speaker grill
Number dependent on optical clarity of speaker grill surrounding
[Poor diffusion will result in undesirable hotspots of light and uneven patches of darkness]
2 x force sense resistors (pressure sensors) under the wings to register touch.
Accelerometer integrated into PCB to enable shuffle detection
Internal components: Body cont’d
PCB to drive unit (computer processor/chip and the board with wiring etc
A wireless communication chip between the body and the base; Bluetooth or existing Wi-Fi with an Ethernet connection to the base
Earphone connection in tail
Battery to store power that's been generated via the inductive coil system
Copper coils section of induction charger
RFID chip to allow unit identification by base unit.
Wires / cable between head and body
Plastic chassis for internal components that attaches to screw bosses.
Internal components: Base
Exterior half of inductive coil
PCB with USB connector and power supply regulator
Cable management
Power supply
LED power indicator.
Base RFID reader
Homing device
Software:
The main features of the setup interface are
1) Add new bird [when connected physically to a user on the network]
2) Add an additional radio station to the selections
3) Connect to an existing network
Aesthetics, appearance and finish
The Flock Radio is designed to invite touch and afford certain obvious physical interactions. The silicone covering of the wings appears flexible and should retain impressions from touch for some minutes. Perceived full reversion to original state is expected after several seconds, with this time being extended after 3-5 years of product use. The ABS material should retain lustre for the life of the product .
Colour palette is minimal with room for some personalisation by interchangeable speaker grilles. It is expected that new colours will be released annually to assist with marketing.
Personalisation:
Providing a selection of speaker covers for the front surface allows for personalisation and also facilitates company or promotional branding.
Production Characteristics
Quantity:
Projected annual production volume of 50 000
Target product cost:
The estimated $60-70. This is a realistic price promoting a competitive advantage against existing products such as basic portable radios and add-ons for laptops. Packaging is estimated at $2 - $3
END
UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ALL VALUES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Market profiling
Understanding of the multiple ways in which a user can engage with and experience meaningful outcomes from the interaction with Flock Radio is vital. Alignment of the ‘Flock Radio’ with the user needs identified also promotes market acceptance.
For the Flock Radio, our research has indicated that the Primary Users are those who desire fulfilment of a particular set of needs: that is, the user group is defined by their needs rather than a particular age group or socio-economic bracket. The needs of this group include, at a base level, the desire to share listening experiences and create new memories with others. This is in contrast to many existing ‘social networking’ structures that do not provide real-time communication or meaningful interactions; additionally, this type of project seeks to attract those who desire tangible, real-world interactions rather than virtual or screen-mediated experiences. Secondly, the ‘Flock Radio’ suits those who have a need to socialise in a way that does not distract them from their everyday activities, but instead augments their daily life. This is important for allowing real-time interaction and feelings of connectedness at a non-obtrusive level; the third main need identified. The ability for a user to communicate their emotional state to a known network of friends and associates (being able to ‘sense-you’) was also found to be important, and this could be refined by those in a long-distance relationship to include being able to sense the presence of a loved-one across a distance.
These needs are particular to those who would consider an ‘I-sense-you’ solution, yet do not restrict the user group beyond a general representation of the population. The universality of music, the wide variety of musical genres and styles, and the ability of music to tap into a broad sweep of emotional states also broadens the target market. The high level of possibility for personalisation enabled by selecting one’s own internet radio stations ensures that all people who desire the fulfilment of these needs can find meaningful interactions with the ‘Flock Radio’ network.
However, JAR Design have also identified a Secondary User Group that includes, but is not limited to, shift –workers and those who require connection outside of the ‘normal’ hours of human interaction. This may be with others whom they may not know, in which case the knowledge that someone – anyone – is listening to the radio at the same time as them provides the sense of connectedness with others.
These User Profiles, whilst broad, provide a key to understanding effective use of marketing and product placement strategies. Timing and placement of messages regarding the launch of the ‘Flock Radio’ system should consider ways in which these needs can be most keenly identified and exploited.
