Download - blackwell long portfolio
my life has been a series of opportunities created by a world immersed in
aesthetics and functionality. how I choose to act
on these opportunities determines who I am and my stance on the world around me. I believe my choices have guided me down the path of design
and has given me the opportunity to explore my passions and turn them
into reality...
gleem
bollard
blu-gold
lanca
café sol
qua-gro
rapture
minki
czysty
fuerte
foundationprojects
mccord blackwell [email protected]
gleemgleem is a coffee table designed to use air to our advantage.
whyI wanted to give people a reason to gather like they do around camp fires, but indoors in the comfort of your own home. The living room has become more of the TV room, I wanted to take back the space from the television and give it back to the user.
we have suffered from a lack in communication ability. I wanted to make something that faced this issue head on.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
communication taking from the fire pit, I wanted to move the social aspect back to the people inside of the house. I took the body of a coffee table and morphed a piece of furniture and an appliance into one creating a source of conversation and interest.
for something as simple as a fire pit, it is an extremely powerful and an age old means of communication.
where as the television and couch arrangement have diminished interaction.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
cross sections create such an interesting form. I decided to use them as a guiding force for my coffee table.
looking to art performed by Mya Lin as well as topographical maps, for inspiration.
inspiration
my materials and fuel choice contributed a great deal to my choice in concept. I chose Corian as my main material. Corian is a Du Pont product that has characteristics that I was looking for.
Flanola is a type of Bioethenal that produces minute emissions as well is a bio fuel source that is renewable.
materials & tech
rotating the handle opens the burner cup and allows for ignition of the fuel
once light the flame can be adjusted by modulating the doors of the burner
snuffing the fire is as simple as closing the doors the entire way
the tablemy final concept was to move the fire place from the wall to the middle of the room. doing so by placing the fire within the coffee table itself.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
components list:1. burner 2. corian slats 3. brass sheeting4. cast brass members
bits & pieces
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3
2
mccord blackwell [email protected]
mccord blackwell [email protected]
bollardmaking the urban environment intriguing and interactive.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
metaphorman discovered the ability to create light early on. fire was the dawn of technology for man. has the discovery done more harm than good? that is the paradox that I wanted to bring to attention.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
inspiration
mccord blackwell [email protected]
with my inspiration clearly spelled out, I wanted to develop a piece that played with one of human kinds most dangerous traits, curiosity.
concept
the public security device called the bollard provided an ideal product to develop around.
having a light source encapsulated in a ply able material that could be played with and peeled away from the exposed edge would reveal the light source. this interaction and curiosity seems to be uncommon in the public place.
development
bollards are used to protect large buildings from vehicular traffic.
the bollard was ideal due to its already monolithic nature. the twist was to give the bollard more than one purpose.
the bollard
mccord blackwell [email protected]
the basicsthe bollard became not only a security device, but a social piece with a subtle statement.
providing people with a seat like area and something to play with the bollard has now become a thing of play and intrigue. stimulating the public in an area that you would not typically expect to have a interactive structure.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
mccord blackwell [email protected]
blu-goldrethinking the black box of disc players. taking a long time running form and turning on its head.
project briefthe objective was to take the mystery out of the products that we use on a daily basis. this day and age we seem to not have an understanding of how things work. as if when you use your ipod it magically takes your commands and turns them into sound. This mystery is due to the lack of understanding of what is inside of the things we use.
the design project is intended to not to just reveal the internals by enclosing them in clear plastic, but by studying and analyzing the components that make the product function. Take these components and showcase them, glorify them and make them the center of attention.
I took this challenge and ran with the idea that I want everything on the inside to be glorified and made to be the most important part of the device, second to its intended function.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
who am I designing for?Cassie and Kurtis have just finished moving into their new home and are having friends over all the time, their home has to be clean and inviting.
being playful with decor and limited on space, they are looking into alternatives to the plane black box
“When I buy electronics they look like the cardboard box they came in.”
“Why can’t it fit the room? I would rather not have to hide my electronics due to them being boring and black”
“We’re tired of the same old thing.”
mccord blackwell [email protected]
user surveyresponses and prioritiesafter taking a brief survey, results showed that concerns and issues stemmed from size and cost of most players that people owned.
keywords
quickdifferent
visiblesexy“ ”
smaller
not black!
accessible interesting
survey results show key areas of interest
sizecost ease of use
looksfunction
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4
5
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high
low
product matrixcost & aesthetic analysis
costexorbitant
cheep
appearanceartbrick
opportunity
when looking at the spectrum of current products it reveals that there is an opportunity available.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
initial concepts
clamp designthe clamp design was taken from the pannini grill for inspiration. I liked the idea of clamping around the disc. a spin on the record player.
with the metronome in mind for the movement of the disc versus the laser head itself. I liked the concept of moving the disc instead of the laser to read the content of the disc.
metronome design
looking at freeing up the clutter of the entertainment system, I was thinking that wall mounted would relieve space as well as freshen up the traditional form factor of the disc player.
wall mount design
starting with a sarcastic concept of a taco, I then realized that there might be some validity to the concept itself. holding the disc in a state of limbo creates a sense of tension.
disc holder design
narrowing down
metronome
the metronome design showed promise with its effect of showing progress with out the use of a screen
the clamp design was a new approach to loading the disc. Giving the user an alternative to the long time running reign of the disc tray
the wall mount design was appealing due to its effectiveness in being a piece of art when not in use and again being an alternative to the traditional
clampwall mount
art
design
mccord blackwell [email protected]
simple gestures are the modest commands the are required. right to advance, left to rewind and tap to stop
swipe
left tap right
key functions
positioning the wall mounted design allows for the player to be oriented to in any direction. the design was intended to compliment the TV not to distract from it.
ready position
insert disc
end of the show
beginning of movie
progress displayed
key functionstelling timethe entire system is automated from start to finish.
drop the disc in and away it goes.
the disc will scroll from left to right to indicate where you are at in the movie.
once over the disc will return to the middle and turn of automatically.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
1.375
2.350
5.063
1.114
3.375
9.094
orthos & partsmajor parts and components
drive motor
spin motor
laser body
mccord blackwell [email protected]
lancathe 21st century bike flag.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
who & why
with a baby on the way and an active lifestyle Roberto is struggling to find the time to maintain his current activities.
experience Description• Santa Clara County• range of activities associated with urban cycling• safe and secure riding experience that supports commuting andshort distance errands in urban areas.• other comparable regions• suburban or rural areas• support transportation of cargo• intermediate security needs• retailer - Specialized/Globe• user• sales force• service center• production
mission statement profile
motive
providing afet for riders in urban settings was a key motivating factor for me.
safety by visibility was a way to achieve a less hostile environment for bicycle riders
a way to increase visibility is by elevating the light to a more accurate eye level of drivers
safety visibility elevation
mccord blackwell [email protected]
the lightthe flag has two operating positions. when not in use the flag is collapsed and stows at a comfortable height that is equivelant to the radius of a typical bicycle wheel.
extend the pole and the flag then snaps in the upright positions. once fully extended the flag then illuminates and is ready to use.
it is that simple.
the way I discovered the function of the flag was to make multiple mock ups.
from that number of mock ups I was able to determine the best route to pursue.
getting there
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action
the light emitted was enough to remain visible from a far distance. combined with the extension and its exaggerated movement, the light even more noticeable in traffic.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
light
I wanted to keep the asthetics simple and sleek, in order to not take away from the overall feel of the bike. the flag should compliment the bike instead of detracting from it.
In order to keep it clean and complementary I decided to use mostly brushed aluminum and acrylic. the light is a low power electro luminecent rope inside the acrylic rod. electro luminescent wire is an unconcentrated light source, requiring only a small amount of energy and componentry. electro luminescents were idea becuase they fit into the small space and produced the right amount of light.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
mccord blackwell [email protected]
café solan accessible public area that can power all your gadgets.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
San Jose’s Green Vision Clean Energy Showcase was an opportunity to develop a public structure that utilizes the power of the sun.
sol
mccord blackwell [email protected]
a preliminary method to explore the possibilities of form. with a few ways to support the large solar awning I took a a couple of directions and pared them down to a semetrical design on a post. this umbrella design seemed to provide the most shade while minimising the actual foot print of the awning.
sketching
mccord blackwell [email protected]
inspiration
looking at Italian espresso bars and American diners I wanted to create a place for people to take a break. whether it be five minutes or fourty five minutes.
location
the Paseo de San Antonio provides an ideal location for my structure. major destinations near by provide ample foot traffic, not to mention the south facing sky is not prohibited by many tall buildings.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
there are three inovative technologies that I wanted to use in the structure.
Color Kinetics is a large scale LED company that has done many public instalations. this lighting provides a great source of interest and variability to the structure.
High Flex Solar is an inovative company that produces light weight, flexible solar panels. by removing the glass substrait and replacing it with flexible plastic. the weight is dramatically reduce, and making it a prime canditade for my solar structure.
Lirtracon has developed a type of concrete that is imbeded with glass or plastic rods. these rods allow light transmission in a single axis. I decided to use this material to give the large structure a lighter and more open feeling.
materials
in san jose
I wanted to have the majority of assembly done in factory. in doing so on sight construction will be reduced to a minimum for time and cost reasons.
18ft
18ft 22ft
the details
mccord blackwell [email protected]
a simple sub structure provides rigidity for the flexible solar array.
the table top houses the outlets for charging.
the steel I-beams and concrete uprights house the wiring as well as provide the majority of the strength
the concrete base is the foot of the unit, housing the batteries and major components.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
qua-grothe perfect house plant, takes care of itself.
qua-gro is a digital device that constantly monitors the status of any plant.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
problem
possibilty
the house plant is something that adds to the home. color, cleanliness & purity to the home.
they simply demand a lot of attention. similar to a pet, just less guilt if it dies from neglect.
the solution is to create a system that helps those who are trying to add a fresh feeling to their busy life.
how?
by providing the plant owner with the plants specific vitals. indicating necessity of care, particular to specific plant types needs; such as water and sunlight.
doing so by means of their existing home network. periodically checking the information and relaying it to your computer.
demanding less time from them and their busy schedule. providing time to appreciate the beauty of plant life, with out the worry of neglect.
potential
mccord blackwell [email protected]
people lead busy lives, business travel, long work days and social obligations are just a few of the reasons why people neglect their house plants.
qua-gro is aimed towards the user who is home enough to want to keep it fresh, yet are gone more than 60 hours a week.
having a home that is current and are accented by a wide variety of plants, from the exotic to the perennial.
different plants have different needs and qua-gro takes the guess work out of the up keep.
ideal user
8.875”
4.75”6.125”
0.565”
1.125”
2.750”
the monitor
mccord blackwell [email protected]
how to use it
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insert the device in the soil the plant is in. Making sure it is in the desired area.
allow a minimum of 24 hours for monitor to assess the conditions of the plant in its environment.
the device is designed to grow with the plant, there for the unit is modular and can be extended to keep sensors level with the foliage
once the monitor has completed one full cycle it will relay the plants vitals and information to the program loaded on your device of choice.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
rapture
mccord blackwell [email protected]
the project was a way for us as designers to get a hands on experience with a new media as well at try our hand at designing one of the oldest tools to man... a fork.
the fork has been dated back to 400 A.D. and has been in use ever since. Its design has been ever changing yet its function has been the same since the day it was created.
our task was to make one of our own in our own image. given three items as a source of inspiration we then progressed from gestures on a page to an actual form, all the way to casting and silver plating our forks.
project brief
influencethere were three items that were a source of inspiration and influence. the three items were: a song, a word and an image.
Agile: -Quick and well-coordinated in movement-Active; lively
Quermos Paz by Gotan Project
Pebble Circle by Andy Goldsworthy
mccord blackwell [email protected]
gesture
refining the influential expressions in these gesture drawings. the refinements are used as the guidelines for the fork design.
processtaking gestural drawings and keeping the original inspiration in mind I made mock ups and sketches to come to my final decision
the casting process includes:
-first, a mold of the final design was cast out of plaster, in order to create a wax model.
-second, the wax model is then invested in ceramic coating.
-thirdly, the molten bronze is poured into the ceramic investment.
-finally, bronze is devested and finished and polished, ready for silver plating.
casting
mccord blackwell [email protected]
final product
final product:the final polished bronze fork was then silver plated to create an impressive luster.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
minki
mccord blackwell [email protected]
samsonite competitionsamsonite competition requirements were to develop a product that would aid parents with small children in travel
travel is a vague term: home to grocery store, road trip for the holidays, International travel
leaving a large amount of opportunity to explore
visiting retail stores and public locations was a way to observe and document user behaviors as well as current market products. this data proved to be a useful resource to reference when coming up with concepts
current market & products
samsonite brand
samsonite has many existing lines. taking design queues from their existing products was another resource that provided guidance and direction.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
design opportunity the simpler the concept tends to be the more difficult to develope it. a blanket did not break the mold, in that sense.
backed by the research, I discovered that swaddling a child in public is no easy task.
having a familiar item from home to comfort a child in public seemed to be a great opportunity to create a useful, unique product.
the problem lies in the gap between home & travel.
a blanket is a kids best friend. their home blanket is to big to bring in the car let alone the store. a travel blanket is not the same as their blanket that they know. Why not give them both.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
final modelthe model was comprised of multiple fabrics with different tactile and visual patterns in order to stimulate the child’s brain growth.
featuresfunction needed to require minimal time & effort. zippers, buttons & thread were not optimal for these requirements.
snaps were a feasible option, but posed a choking hazard. I decided that hidden magnets were the ideal solution.
tactile section
visual section
swaddling section
mccord blackwell [email protected]
czystya computer case
mccord blackwell [email protected]
Carl Scottretired 3 Star Chefcurrent Residence: New York, New Yorka taste for fine wine and food.a sense of style that is elegant yet durable.married with no kids allowing for a more “delicate” home.living “comfortably” in a townhouse looking over lower Manhattan
persona & environment
thermaltake LANBOX lite computer casecase type: gaming cubedimension (H*W*D) 11.8 x 9.1 x 16.9 inmotherboard support micro ATXmini ITX form factor
case dimensions
trying to place a computer case in the kitchen is difficult, one needs the unit to stand out from the other counter top appliances in order to avoid the accidental stuffing of bread in it. yet not wanting to stand out so much that it is an eye sore of the visually busy environment.
for the low volume case a cast aluminum body was desired due to its irregularities creating a inviting feeling.
low volume
mccord blackwell [email protected]
high volumein order to produce a cost effective high volume case, the major part of the case is comprised of bent sheet metal. stainless steel was chosen in order to produce a more desirable finish. the rib is a cast sheet of ABS plastic, in order to emit light and keep its finish.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
fuertestudent desk chair
mccord blackwell [email protected]
intended userages: 6-8education level: elementaryenvironment: developing countries / underprivileged towns
6 year old dimensions
8 year old dimensions
44 lbsoverall height: 45”seatedhip width: 8.5”bottom of foot to elbow: 18”back to calf: 12”foot to under thigh: 11”
56 lbsoverall height: 50”seatedhip width: 9.5”bottom of foot to elbow: 20”back to calf: 14”foot to under thigh: 12.25”
fuerte is a high volume solution to the lack of educational tools in third world conditions. using simple and low cost materials and a simple form allows for a product that could be distributed at relatively low expense.
the seat is meant to be used in two ways, communal and individual. they are able to be arranged in a circular pattern for listening purposes. light weight enough to move easily and be sat on backwards and used as an individual desk chair combination.
discovery
Criteria Sheetmetal Composite Rotational Molded
comfort low moderate to high; process allows for curved surfaces
moderate to high; process allows for curved surfaces
part cost moderate; extensive sec. ops.
high; slow production rate, extensive sec. ops.
low; due to minimal sec. ops.
tooling cost medium medium low to mediumaesthetics low high; sleek surfaces & form moderate; bulbous form, vivid
colorsdurability very high moderate to high high; wear & UV toughweight ≈65 lbs + ≈30 lbs ≈30 lbsassembly none none noneshipping size large large largesustainability high low
mccord blackwell [email protected]
manufacturing
bill of material
Part #: Part Name: Manufacturing Process: Material: Notes:
1 Main structure Rotational Molding Polyethylene (PE) .24 in. Nominal Thickness
rotational molded chair
utilizing rotational molding, reduced overall cost by limiting tooling cost. as well as keeping part cost down by minimizing secondary operations.
using 50% post consumer HDPE also drove down the cost of parts.
shipping
shipping was considered in the cost per unit of the chair. stacking and nesting was considered when designing the product to achieve maximum space saving.
a shipping containers volume is 2,700 cubic/ft. and shipping air is a cost considered, so getting these chairs to stack tight allowed for the minimization of wasted space per container.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
foundationstucango
rectangled glassyseatedcurvzbox
mccord blackwell [email protected]
tucangothe mp3 player was a means to showcase our ability in digital rendering. using the programs at hand we were to design and create a digital rendering as realistic as possible.
rectangledthe rectalinear was a way to get a grasp on how masses must compliment one another by allowing us to use only the simplest of forms.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
seated
the chair was a challenge to create a flat pack chair with out any fasteners or glue of any sort. the chair needed not only to stand but also support the weight of an average user
glassyglassy is a study of how two forms must be complimentary by shape and proportion. subtlety was a key yet elusive objective.
mccord blackwell [email protected]
curvzthe project was to create a form using only four cuts and a block of wood. the idea was to get a grasp on how curves interact with one another in three dimensional space.
the wood of choice was Tasmanian zebra wood.
boxbox was a practice of both symmetry and thermo forming. giving us an opportunity to design a cargo box that would compliment the car of our choice.
thank youfor taking the time to look through
my portfolio.
hopefully in doing so you now have a better understanding of not only my designs, but who I am and my
view of the world around us.