DANNIELLE TARLINTON
QUT GIFT
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
To design a corporate gift for the Science & Engineering faculty at QUT.
4 WEEKS
THE PROBLEM
The Science and Engineering faculty approached the Industrial Design students at QUT to design corporate gifts. We could chose a field within the faculty to design the gift for. I chose Molecular Design and Synthesis.
From there, I explored the current research and innovations to design to use as inspiration for the corporate gift design. Different identifiers of the field were also explored to design a corporate gift to shed light onto the current research focuses of Molecular Design and Synthesis students and staff.
THE SOLUTION
The final design was chosen by representatives of the Science and Engineering Faculty. Three options were presented. From these options, Levitate was chosen. This design was trying to represent an atom and its energy as these form the molecules that are at the basis of Molecular Design and Synthesis.
The spinning top is based off a physics experiment that used magnets to create a levitational force. This is designed to be a fun experiment, similar to experimentation within the fields of science and engineering. The goal was to adjust the magnets and the position of the spinning top to get it to levitate. The fun and engaging design aimed to create a positive connection to QUT that people who received this corporate gift.
INITIAL CONCEPTS
Three concepts were presented to the Science and Engineering faculty (SEF) staff. These chose the levitating atom concept to be further developed. The first idea was a solar powered light that referenced the molecular design and synthesis’ exploration into solar energy capture. The second was a programable interactive cube. This design aimed to integrate OLED technology as this was another large area of innovation in this filed. The third was a floating atom. This design used electromagnets to levitate the atom design. This was a more generally inspired by molecules and the atoms that form the foundation for the field. The third concept was chosen.
PROTOTYPING
Initial prototypes were created for the base and the spinning top. The spinning tops were modelled out to Fimo clay and magnets. The based was made out of cardboard and glued together. It was spray painted blue to match with the QUT colours. Magnets were added into the spinning top and based to also try and get the magnetic levitation effect. This can be seen below.
CAD MODELLING
A CAD model of the base and the spinning top were created on Fushion360. Below are renders of the design.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
As the purpose of this project was to design for manufacture, technical drawings were produced from the CAD modelling
3D MODELLING
3D models were also printed to demonstrate the manufacturing potential of the product and present a full scale model with details.
BROCHURE
A brochure was designed and presented to the SEF staff. The brochure explained the details of the product, outlining parts, manufacturing and user instructions.
PRESENTATION POSTERS
A2 posters were printed to accompany an oral presentation to SEF staff. These posters showcased the design details and how it could create a positive experience through gift giving.
PROJECT REFLECTION
This project really pushed me. We had to work within a really short time frame of four weeks to research, design, present initial concepts, CAD model, and prototype. There was a really strong focus on designing for manufacture and keeping to a restricted cost. I really learned a lot about working quickly and prototyping to adjust the design.