EFTA00282486.pdf

PSCE 3021: Pop-Up Design Spring 2017 Michael Verbos Assigned: 1/25/17 Reviewed: 2/22/17 Camping Trailer For our first assignment we will investigate towable recreational housing, otherwise known as trailers or caravans. These structures are always propelled by a vehicle(car, bicycle, et al.) and often expand during deployment. There are a diverse range of reasons why someone purchases a trailer. Successful design requires intimate knowledge of one or more of these reasons, and a thorough understanding of your user. User center design Quite often in design we enter the process of concept development by focusing on the individual that will end up using what we design, otherwise know as the 'user', or 'user group'. In product development, depending on the situation, your theoretical user could either be very specific, directed towards a small potential slice of the overall market, or more general. It will be entirely up to you who your user is,as well as how specifically you define your user. Regardless, you will need to determine how your user will transporting their caravan, in other words choose a vehicle. Incorporating/Choosing a mode of transportation There are only a couple of options here, either a car, truck, or bicycle. In any case, you should understand your user's method of transportation, how much weight it can tow, the form it has historically taken to remain aerodynamic and the general dimensions of your trailers competitors. Remember, as with most temporary environments, your design will spend a large portion of its life compressed and in transit. Understanding these factors will provide insight into the future form your own design may take, as well as provide a general framework to design from. When not in transit, and determined in conjunction with the identification/understanding of your user or user group, it is important to identify how your design will be used... Determine your trailer's function(s) All of your designs will focus on recreation', but it is important that you consider specifically, or generally, the range of activities and needs your user will desire from your caravan. It could be used for long term habitation, afternoon picnicking, or something inbetween. By clearly defining your user, your trailer's range of functions, as well as how it is transported, you should have a solid ground to start to design I will make exceptions for students who would like to design a non-recreational trailer, given they have a good alternative to center their trailers design around. EFTA00282486  from. The final aspect of this product I'd like you to consider at the beginning of the design process is form and aesthetic considerations. Aesthetics Your design's form and finish shouldn't be arrived at randomly and should relate directly to the product's functional and practical aspects. Consider what materials your caravan will be made from. How do you see it deploying? Will its shape be organic or geometric? What color(s) will it be? How will it integrate with the aesthetic quality of its transport vehicle? Are there example from art, design, architecture, fashion, nature, or other outside places you would like to use as inspiration? For next week: Write a brief narrative, one or two paragraphs, identifying your caravan's user, what mode of transportation they will use to travel with their trailer, and what functions/activities they will require from their caravan. Create a mood board, digitally or in an analog format, illustrating the form and feel of your product, in line with the aesthetic sensibilities of your user. Consider color, finish, material. Incorporate examples from design, architecture, art, science fiction, i.a Perform a basic market audit. Research and compile a list of your product's strongest competitors. For February 1st: - 3 to 5 concepts illustrated with through sketching. EFTA00282487