iDes - Sunprit Singh

Monday 17 September 2012

Design for product lifetime

Concepts:

A common factor that determines the life of a laptop are the internal components of the laptop. The laptop fan plays a major role in keeping the internals cool and many laptop users will use the laptop on a bed, in their lap or some other surface and eventually dust will build up in the fan. This prevents the fan from operating efficiently therefore causing strain on the internal components and reducing the life of those parts.

My concept includes a removable dust filter that could slide in and out easily and also be cleaned at home. I also wanted to include a universal charger that would fit all models from the same manufacturer to reduce packaging costs and to reduce waste.

This concept features a screen that can be removed after the laptop's life, before disposal. I found that at the end of a laptops life, the internal components and the durability of the laptop suffer the most and there is no need to have a new screen for every new laptop. This will allow the user to attach the screen to a new laptop base, and therefore reducing waste as LCD screens can contain harmful chemicals and metals. Laptop screen sizes are generally around the same size (13", 15", 17"). The concept would include a standard size as the sizes of laptops have generally remained the same. The screen wont be able to last forever since newer technology such as LED screens and higher quality screens are being used more and more. This design however will increase the life of the screen component and reduce waste.

Sunday 27 May 2012

Graffiti Bench

Rationale

I chose to design a piece of furniture that would encourage visitors to use and interact with it. The two biggest issues at my selected location (Basketball court in Kellyville area) was the amount of rubbish lying around along with the graffiti around the area. The site sees a lot of daily activity with a public school across the road, there are also no benches around and there is a fast food restaurant nearby. This results in quite a bit of rubbish and vandalism around the site. There is no official crime rate data for this site, since the latest data for this site is from 2010, while this place was built after that.

In my final design i wanted a place where people are encouraged to graffiti in a controlled area, i included a space on the design that includes a sheet of recycled LDPE that is replaced every time the bins are emptied. This encourages graffiti on the bench rather than on random places around the court. The beams on the bench are made of HDPE and the rest is a stainless steel frame. HDPE is a strong and durable plastic appropriate for long-term use. Stainless steel was used since it does not corrode and is rust proof, it is also very durable. There are three individual bins for different types of waste located on the back; there are also lids on each to keep the smell to a minimum. The entire bench is also bolted down into the ground to prevent possible theft.

My design solution provides a controlled environment where vandals can graffiti; the design also acts as a bench and rubbish bin for the everyday users to increase social activity and to encourage the public to use the bins.

Sunprit Singh

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