I feel that the project was a success and overall I achieved the main goals I originally set out to do. From the beginning this project could have been a completely open brief which would allow me to do whatever I wanted (such as football, sports, technology, video games related). But I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone which would be a strong addition to my portfolio and would really showcase my abilities to a potential employer. Other students in my place could have chosen to do something which was visually impressive but I already have such projects in my portfolio. I have already done technical projects (such as the rave shoe), visual projects (such as CD art work) and multimedia projects (such as videos and websites). Therefore I really wanted to do something which would really branch out my portfolio and intentionally put me out of my comfort zone so that I would push my boundaries and need to adapt to unfamiliar situations. I want my EMP to pool together my skills in a meaningful and professional manner; meaning that I can include attractive graphics, use relevant technical skills and multimedia where appropriate.

Pros & Cons of a Live Brief

I intentionally chose a live brief, which set for me and had real world application (which would show to a potential employer my willingness to work to a set brief and not only briefs of my choosing). And of course with such briefs, commitments and motivation are big issues since baby travel products is not my idea of the most appealing subject. But, again, this is a common occurrence in the industry and I have to find something in the brief to latch on to (which in this case was the conceptual nature of the brief) and something to keep me motivated (which was the drive to meet the challenge in this case).

This project shows more about me and my character and abilities as a designer. It’s made me a stronger designer. I feel like after this project I can cope with any topic and set myself outside my comfort zone for anything that can come my way in the future.

Working alone (freelance) vs. Working together (design team)

Throughout this project I primarily worked alone but did do some teamwork in parts (such as over Easter when me and a fellow designer, who was also working on her final major project, set up a studio-type environment in our house to keep each other motivated, create a more professional work space, and five each other critical and constructive feedback). The feedback sessions and mutually helping each other really proved to me that I am a person who needs the human contact and support you get in a design team environment…rather than a freelancer who really has to draw upon their own strength and judgement 24-7. My way of working was like working as an outsourced designer for Samsonite. Being part of a design agency would be my preference over an in-house design team because of the variety of work you get in that situation. If I was to determine my part of a design team, I think I would be best suited to being the person who churns out ideas and then needs a bit of direction from the rest of the team to channel the ideas in the right direction.

Through this project I also learned new skills and improved existing ones (see more in a later section).

Technical Aspects (what worked and what didn’t)

Through this project I also really developed my technical skills by improving my knowledge f computer software (Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and WordPress, the online blogging software). I also learned a lot about vector graphics (how to make them, edit them, and their pros and cons). Vectors allowed me to produce designs that could be blown up to any size and format and are much more flexible then bitmap images and photographs. A few specific examples of some technical skills I developed are: correct use of layers and groups, appropriate export settings, and the use of anchor points and curve techniques

Working in Adobe Illustrator was frustrating at times, as the simplest change to a design was actually not all that simple. I have learned that I prefer the design process and tools of Photoshop as opposed to Illustrator. However I know that each software is specialist and there for a reason, so it was appropriate that I made the concept designs in Illustrator. But, I put the designs and text together in Photoshop, something I should have done in InDesign if I knew the software (as I mentioned before).

Reflecting on my Work Methods & Process

I achieved the main goals I set out in my learning agreement, and I feel this project showcases my ability to work to a real life brief. I learned a lot about product design, and improved my drawing and graphical skills. A particularly helpful resource was the “Drawing for Designers” book, supported by ‘The Little Book of Packaging Ideas” along with a lot of online research.

The “Drawing for Designers” book was particularly useful because it boosted my confidence, since it explained that not every design has to be an illustrator with amazing drawing skills. Drawing can simply be a means of idea development and representation. It doesn’t need to be a highly polished drawing, it can simply be a rough sketch that represents my idea which I can then take further and develop digitally (Illustrator/Photoshop). The book helped prop up an area of my personal development that has been lacking a bit till this point. But, thanks to undergoing this learning process, I can enter future projects on a better level and be able to represent my thought process thoroughly from beginning to end.

The reason behind this lack of initial idea development/sketching skills, I think, is because on the course there isn’t as much focus on the development aspects of projects (simple processes of just getting your ideas on paper and sharing ideas) as there is on the technical side (which is emphasised much more).

I also learned a lot more about my own design process do’s and don’ts. For example I am now aware that at times I spent many hours working on a single design, making changes and edits, simply to delete the whole thing without documenting it, or redo it completely and lose the original concept.

I have documented most of my design process but I know that there are some small changes here and there that may have been lost because I failed to document them right then and there. The defining reasoning behind my work process is my attention to detail and perfectionist approach. This is a mix of a very positive characteristic which can at times a hindrance. Because of the time I spent working with fellow creatives (especially in our makeshift living room studio), this issue was brought to my attention. It was also pointed out to me that I sometimes over-think or over-do some of my work which doesn’t help me make the best use of my time.

I spent too many very late nights and in some cases all-nighters because of over worrying and my belief that I was underachieving. When you work on a creative project this can happen some times and it even happens in the industry, that you need to work a few long nights to get the project done. But, I am aware that this is an area of my professional development I need to work on. Even though it shows my commitment and drive for the project) it is a) not healthy in large doses, and as I found out, it can be b) counterproductive!

I have to learn to draw the line in these matters. I need to give each area of my project the time it deserves but not overdo it otherwise I spend hours on a certain section that doesn’t need it and therefore neglect another section and all the while time is ticking away.

Design in Context

I learned the merit of taking inspiration from other designers, and seeing market potential within design. This is evident within the idea I chose because I started with a range of potential ideas, and chose an idea which was marketable and manufacturable; I had to look beyond the face value of the ideas, and consider all the aspects. My final product fits into the Samsonite niche of the luggage industry, and sits well between other Samsonite products which are essentially the contemporaries and competitors to my product to an extent (my product concept is allowed a level of special treatment because it doesn’t have any direct competitors from existing Samsonite products; the past winners and current entrants to the competition are more appropriate as my competitors and contemporaries).

I modelled my design on existing Samsonite products, as well as aspects of last year’s winners. My idea is arguably similar to some of last year’s winners, but that is because I drew upon the strengths from those designs and put them together with my ideas in a unique way which yielded a completely different product. I was inspired by the stroller-suitcase winner from last year, but my idea has a different focus. I did not approach this project by simply trying to do something similar to last year’s winner. The stroller-suitcase idea triggered my bed-suitcase idea. Mine is a much more flexible product which is primarily a full sized baby bed, with an additional stroller feature to it. I added the stroller feature only half way through the product development! Throughout the project I have been doing a little self-troubleshooting; stepping back to try objectively identify problems and then address them by developing appropriate solutions. Mobility was one of the issues that came up, and in order to solve this I incorporated the stroller-esque feature to my product (which is what makes it similar to last year’s winner). I think the eventual similarity is a good thing because in a way it sends little positive vibes because I know that my idea, due to its slight similarity to last years, would be what Samsonite are looking for. Furthermore Incorporating proven working solutions helps ground innovative ideas (such as mine) in the real world and turns them into real, practical ideas instead of crazy off-the-wall concepts.

Personal Issues (explained and overcome)

While doing this project I did have some personal problems that I believe had a knock on effect on the overall EMP unit. Over Christmas, right before this unit began, my long term relationship abruptly ended and at the same time both of my grandparents died. The combination of the two naturally had a big impact on me. Therefore the EMP became a more difficult experience than it is meant to be because I was not in a positive mindset and was battling against a storm of emotions. At the same time I had to try do my best for the project to make sure that I did not miss this opportunity for what I could produce and also what I could learn. Things got so low that I did in fact contemplate going on anti-depressants; and because of this I lost focus on the project. However I sought emotional support from family and friends and with their help I decided against the medical treatment.

This unfortunate set of scenarios (because they happened all at once within a short period of time), put together with the challenge of working on a live brief (for competition), as well as an advanced unit brief for the course, made the entire experience seem at times not only hard but unachievable.

Working on my own, because of all the external issues, became even more difficult so that is why I tried to create a studio environment so that I could have face to face contact with other people as much as possible. On top of all this, I was also mixing job searching into it all since I am graduating this year. The current economic downturn makes it even more crucial that I started looking for work as soon as possible. So even though this added a lot of stress and took time away from my project, it was something I had to do.

Considering everything that transpired, I think I coped as well as I could and still managed to achieve my goals of producing an interesting product idea, that displayed my skills and abilities. But it has allowed me to grow as a designer and most importantly as a person. I learned that no matter how hard it gets, it’s better to channel any anger or emotions into something positive, rather than into a spiral of depression.

I hope this is evident within my project and my work attitude, as I have a deep passion for design, creativity, user interaction and being innovating. These qualities will hopefully project me to my overall goal of being a creative designer and making a impact in the media industry.

Things that I would do differently if I did the project again…

- perhaps choose a topic which I had previous knowledge of, as this would had made the whole process from idea to design much easier since I would spend less time trying to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject!

- work within a team, made of people with skills that complemented each other so that the group as whole could address any issue and deal with every aspect of the brief (for example for this project a real product designer with knowledge of the appropriate materials and the skills to physically make a real mock-up would have been invaluable…but a real mock-up was not a requirement of the brief at all).

Having other people around to bounce ideas off of of, bring a different point of view, or bring completely fresh ideas to the project would have been valuable (though I did try do this to an extent with our living room studio set up). I believe would had made the project work more smoothly and added a new dimension to the project. For example if I had worked with someone who had good web based skills, they could had made a promotional idea for the project. And a person with print based skills could have filled in for my lack of InDesign skills.

Before choosing to work alone on this project, I did ask fellow members of my course if anyone wanted to collaborate on a project, but unfortunately everyone already had their own mini group or had an idea that they wanted to tackle alone.

- try and arrange a meeting with Samsonite, the client, in some form. When I first approached the project and read the brief, I decided that bearing in mind the kind of brief and the manner it was laid out in, it would be un-professional to contact and ask questions about the project. However, I feel that the additional level of interaction could have helped me produce either a stronger idea or an idea that fitted better with the Samsonite brand and their interests. I learned from this experience and I have no doubt that if such a project or competition arises I will seek to contact the client where appropriate.

- make full 3D mock ups, this was not a requirement for this project but nonetheless it would be appropriate for a 3D project such as this. No matter how good the planning or concept designs may be, inevitably more issues and therefore more changes would arise if I was to try actually make a mock-up of my product.

- outsource more skills so that the project could also have additional aspects within the overall project…these could be models, physical concepts, photography, video, etc. This would ensure that every aspect of the project as done to a professional level. Also, by covering all these different mediums it would increase the projects appeal and open it up to a larger audience. For example if person enjoys a hands on experience they would appreciate a physical mock up more since they could actually interact with it and touch be able to touch the actual materials it would be made up of. A more visual person would to drawn to the graphics and illustrations, whereas a multi-media interested individual would prefer animations, videos and websites. By covering all the potential avenues of appeal to the audience the product will be communicated in the most appropriate and effective manner.

 - seek funding: The major problem faced with any product related design is funding. I personally did not require funding as the competition I was entering only wanted design sheets (better known as boards) that are created to show a concept ideas. I was only required to send in digital files (so there weren’t even printing costs to consider!).

 However if decided to take this project further funding would be required. I am aware that there are many types of funding available including private funding (own capital, private business or investor), bank funding (loans), design trusts and group (e.g. Arts Council England) who give out loans and grants. Depending on how much funding was required to take this product to a market level.

For example if I wanted to manufacture and market the product as a worldwide item, I would require a large investment and may need to give a percentage of it to a business or an investor, as security capital. Even-though I am a creative designer, I am interested in the business area of design which is good to at least be aware of, and if you have further understanding of it then that’s even better. This interest will help me produce more marketable products and give me the opportunity to potentially branch out into business sector of the creative industry.

Music and sound

This project did not require any music or sound, but I am aware that if did use either of them I would be required to seek permission from the copyright holder and undertake the professional practices needed with this form of copyright.

I am aware that if material is copyrighted it is not free to use. I would need to make a payment to either the PRS (Performing Rights Society) or MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) or in some cases both. These societies provide the services of paying and gaining permission on a range of sound and music related products. This service is the industry standard and is in common use within the creative industry.

Graphics

The graphics used within the design are original and were created by myself using computer software. The only out-sourced graphics were copyright free fonts and graphical brushes. I am aware that if I had used any additional graphics that were not mine I would need to declare this information and gain copyright from the owner and display the creators name within my design.

Logos

I have tried to source back all the logos used in my project and link them to their origin to avoid any potential copyright issues. Where I have used a company’s logo I have made reference to it and documented this via an image were possible. If a company were to be unhappy with my use of it’s branding, I would remove it to avoid offence and any potential legal action.

For this project I made the ‘DreamCase’ logo design and as this was original I did not need to worry about copyright issues, as I was the person who made it and thereby own the copyright.

I decided to use Samsonite logos and branding materials within the finial design, as the company would expect them to be used, as they were the client and competition organiser. Because Samsonite was holding the competition it meant that the use of logos and branding was required and copyright was not an issue. This is evident with the 2008 competition winner, who used the Samsonite logo and brand within their final design

Photos

I used many photos and images within my blog to help me document the progress and development of the project. All of these were referenced and sourced to their origin.

The only photos used within the design are the three baby photos that can be seen within the final design sheet I made. These were sourced from “Google” images and the links are listed below.

Originally I was going to use stock images to avoid any problems with copyright, but I could not find any suitable images on the website. I was only able to find the correct form of photos via “Google” images and thereby had to use these images. I am aware that there might be potential difficulties by using these images, if I were to use my final design as a commercial promotional product, I would seek permission from the image owner and pay a fee if required, or commission a photographer to take suitable images.

Baby 1

image source: http://asianconnection71.com/0419SuitcaseBaby1Sm.jpg

Baby 2

image source: http://asianconnection71.com/0421SuitcaseBabySm.jpg

Baby 3

image source: http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/%7Eeckdoug/pictures/2004%20Misc/suitcase.jpg

Ethnicity

I have made a conscientious effort to use imagery that reflected all sections of society where possible. An example that shows this is within the “final design page 1” where I used three baby photos of a differing ethnicity’s, rather than one of a single ethnicity. I did this to avoid any chance of offending any of the viewing audience.

I am aware that if the image only depicted one ethnic group such as white caucasian, it could send out the wrong message about the ‘Dreamcase’ concept, that it was a product that was made with one kind of ethnic group in mind.

Imagery

I am aware that baby related imagery is a topic of concern for a large section of the viewing audience. This is because of a possible improper use of images by some individuals or groups such as pedophiles, people who view or create indecent images of under age children.

I am aware of this concern and made sure that none of the imagery within my project could in anyway relate or promote such an indecent act. This is a topic of real concern as a standard image such as baby in a diaper, could be seen by some as a sexual or an indecent image. There are many reasons why this is the case, but a lot of concern is from those who fear that someone who has sexually indecent urges towards children may use or distribute such a an images for improper use.

That the innocent image of a baby in a diaper could be interpreted as sexual is a sad reflection on our society today. There have always been those in society with perverse sexual attitudes towards small children, but with the arrival of computers and the Internet it has become far easier for those people to distribute or receive such imagery.

I have made every effort to avoid offending any section of society and I have tried to use images that in no way could be misunderstood or taken out of context for improper usage.

Symbolism

Whilst designing for this project I tried to avoid using symbols that could depict messages incorrectly.

An example of this would be if I had used “Stars” within the design. Stars link into both of the topics, “Dreams” and “Sleep” and both could be associated with the “Dreamcase” concept. I am aware that the incorrect use could lead to problems within certain sections of the viewing audience

An example of this would be if the stars used in the design were laid out in a manner that could be linked to a well-known symbol such as ‘The Star of David’. This symbol is an iconic symbol within Jewish culture and religion. They may find it offensive for the symbol to be used within the concept and this could have a detrimental effect for the product sales to that community for the manufacturing company Samsonite.

I took care to avoid upsetting any potential customers by only using the official Samsonite logo as a major symbol in the project and was careful with any other images to make sure they would not offend.

Religion

The ethical issues were similar to the problems faced with symbolism. The connection of symbols and ethics to religion are strong. I did not use any unrelated symbols and was aware of this problem when developing and designing the project.

However there were indirect ethical issues relating to religion that I needed to be aware of when developing my design. The major issue was the relation of babies to the issue of pro-life and abortion. Some religions strongly believe in pro-life no matter what the circumstances of the parent and would like to impose this view on are society as a whole. Others believe that abortion is appropriate and acceptable in specific cases such as a very young parent or if the unborn baby has a known disability or deformity.

Though this topic is not necessarily a big ethical issue within in my project, I am aware that if I used young or single parents in a teenage 13-19 age group within the imagery, rather than more traditional married parents of the age group of 25+, there could potentially appear to be a link to pro life, especially with a young parent such as a 15 year old.

Bearing this in mind, I decided to use images and graphics of older parents, I felt it would not affect the end result of visually interacting with the audience. My aim was to avoid causing any offence to people linked to pro life groups and abortion.

I was aware of these formats, however the two days running up to the competition deadline my computer and software had problems and was acting erratically and repeatedly crashing. I kept on getting a error message saying that my disk was full, even though it was not. This added stress and pressure to the project. Concerning the problem I feel that I acted in the best possible manner, rather than getting upset and emotional, I tried to fix the problem. I even re-installed software and changed settings on the computer but still did not have any luck. All these technical issues ate up time and were a set back in terms of finishing the final design layouts. Therefore I was not able to upload my designs to the competition, which was a shame. However I still plan to send the designs to Samsonite at a later date, separate to the competition.

A day after the competition deadline, I kept on trying to fix the problems by searching on the internet, as well as speaking to other designers to solve this problem. Then I discovered that the problem was related to computer memory, a special type called virtual memory. Through my research I found out that Adobe Photoshop, the program I was using at the time, stores information/data relating to the design and because working to such a high resolution within Photoshop my computer used up all its virtual memory.

To solve this problem I had to create space on my hard drive by moving a lot of content onto an external hard drive. But, because of the odd crash-recurring nature of the problem, I think there may be more to this then a simple case of creating some space on my hard drive. Since the deadline was so close, I simply couldn’t afford to get my laptop professionally serviced or spend too much time solving this problem because obviously that could be time I needed on the actual project!

image source (website that help me fix my export problem): http://www.easyelements.com/scratch-disk-is-full.html

In hindsight, and from advice of fellow designers, I am aware that I should have used InDesign for the final concept sheets in order to achieve appropriate industry standards. Unfortunately print based aspects of design, such as the InDesign/Quark software, have not been taught on my course and therefore this skill was not available to me for this project when I needed it. Nonetheless, it is an area of concern I have identified through this project and will remedy as soon possible. Print based software such as InDesign has been a requirement for many of the jobs I have come across in the industry; which has encouraged me even more to learn the software (even if it is after the project, and on my own time).

From some of the ‘outsourcing‘ type help, I have actually made a conscious effort to learn InDesign thanks to a fellow designer/illustrator who helped me through parts of this project and offered a trade-off (she can teach me InDesign while I teach her illustrator, both of us playing to our skills. Even in the industry, members of design teams reinforce each other in this way; each member of the team pulls their own weight, brings their own specialist skills to make a strong, well-rounded group as a whole.

In addition to the support document I decided that within my finished design I would have text to explain the displayed images. This again was difficult for me due to my dyslexia and I was helped to make sure that the grammar was correct and to a good standard. Getting the design proof read and checked, I hope has increased my chances of getting my concept idea across. I feel that the images I created do the job, but the additional text helps guide the reader through.

After searching on the Internet, I came across an instruction guide that was produced by Samsonite to explain how to make and use one of their products a “Baby Carrier”

image source: http://www.baby-travel.com/new08/SAM030_Rival_Baby_Carrier_Instructions.pdf

The guide was well laid out into sections and had a mixture of both images and text. The images used were simple, but visually interesting. I can tell from my past graphical experiences and knowledge gained during my course, that the images used in the baby carrier guide are in ‘vector format‘ and were created using Adobe’s illustrator software.

Having seen this example, I decided that I was going to use the same design style and layout sourced from the researched instruction guide. Before starting with my final layout designs I did a basic layout drawing to begin to see how it could potentially look, before going ahead with final design.

image source (basic layout – drawings): original drawing from sketchbook. 

When making the final designs I found it hard to keep the balance between it looking attractive to the eye and keeping it detailed enough to be understood. Because of my indecision and repeatedly changing the layout I lost time and gave myself additional stress that could have been otherwise avoided. I have learned from this experience and will try in the future to a get the final end vision and stick to it, unless advised to do otherwise by a client or from their feedback.

image source (me designing layout): original source created by myself

I spent time looking into how companies that sell baby products use brand names to fit in with their product. I am aware that good branding allows the product to become more market friendly, as well as making it more appealing to its potential buying audience. Below are examples of baby related logo’s, I found when researching.

image source (ask baby): http://www.askbaby.com/images/askbaby_title.gif

image source (baby city): http://www.babycity.co.uk/images/companylogo.gif

image source (baby world): http://www.babyworld.co.uk/images/skins/babyworld/bw-logo.gif

The majority of the logos that I had found from my research used the following techniques. The colours were either pastel, to reflex calm, or vibrant to show youth. Both styles work and represent babies well.

Other design techniques include the use of fonts either a bubbly text is used giving a childlike quality, or a more contemporary style font. This again depends on what emphasis the company want to project to their viewing audience. The contemporary styled fonts were used more often for upmarket website selling “high end” baby products. In addition to the colours and fonts most designs had a cute element within the design and some included a star, a baby, smiley face etc. The use of such icons are a fantastic way of breaking up the font and colours with logo design, giving it a commercial feel, rather than looking just like a text.

After looking into baby related logo designs I learned what kind of logo fits into the baby genre. I was able to begin to produce my own design I need to create one that fitted into the overall project as well as looking professional and interesting to the eye. The images below show all of the logo that I had created for this project.

image source: original graphics made by myself

you can download all 23 logo idea at this link: http://rapidshare.com/files/232141355/dreamcase-logos.pdf.html

I decided to go ahead with ‘design 15’, as I feel it best represents the products concept without making it look cheap or un-professional. I chose this design because it is simple and easy to read, as well as looking professional. I also like the cute cloud within the design.  The purpose of the cloud was to link the product purpose of helping babies to sleep as well giving a level of childlike quality to the overall logo design.

image source: original graphics made by myself

However I felt it would be a useful section of research and would show Samsonite the competition organisers that I had designed the concept with potential materials for manufacture in mind.

I spent time trying to find a research source that would help me understand what kind of materials I could use for each section of the design. I found this difficult, as I was not quite sure where to look and what look for. However after much searching I came across a website called ‘Global Sources’. http://www.globalsources.com

This website displayed all kinds of materials and the suppliers that could supply them. This type of website could be used by manufacturing companies to buy materials to make their products.

With this in mind I used this website to help me work out what kind of materials each section would require i.e.

The bed side structure could be made of Aluminium or Titanium.

Web source: http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Canopy-tent/p/sm/1001485788.htm

The protective cover for the baby bed could be made of PVC.

Web source: http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Wheel-cover/p/sm/1006962362.htm

More of the potential material I have decided on for each section can be seen on final design sheet 2.

After leaps and bounds in the development and design of the project (as a whole and the individual parts) I was ready to begin making more finalised versions of my designs. This section of the project was very time consuming, and very difficult for me; because I had to create each drawing from scratch. Since I was working with flat vector images in Illustrator I not simply make something that I could rotate to get a different angle. Each different angle, each separate element had to be made from scratch…they were all unique images (for a select few which had major similarities I was able to copy and paste and make the necessary adjustments, but on the whole this was NOT the case). 

I think I ended up making over 50 separate illustrations to show every perspective and function, which really pushed my abilities as a designer and tested my software skills. I hope this is conveyed appropriately in the following screen-shots and examples; all the effort I put into making the suitcase from all possible perspectives (side, profile, head on, birds eye view, close ups, interior view). This is fully evident in the final design.

If you have never worked in Illustrator before, or never worked with vector graphics,  you may not realise that the medium is not as user friendly compared to other forms of graphic design. This is because, though it provides flexibility, with that comes a need for tedious precision which makes the simplest changes take forever.  

The examples presented here are only a select few, the most important and relevant ones, which best illustrate the changes and developments I did to my design. The images below are screenshots I took to show the visual style I was using for my final graphics (which I intentionally based on the style in Samsonite product manuals). 

image source (close-up suitcase vector): original graphics made by myself.

These examples show the level of detail I was trying to put into my designs to achieve correct perspective and realistic representation. Creating a realistic suitcase was one thing, because I was able to use photos and real models for this. But then, adding my additional baby bed features meant I essentially had to work from my imagination and my sketches to try show what these ideas would look like in reality. As I stated before, drawing is not my area of expertise, so creating realistic 2D representations (even with the help of Illustrator) was honestly a challenge. Perspective and continuity were the main things I struggled with in my designs. I was able to eventually achieve an accurate level of perspective thanks to using reference images (a good practice any illustrator would recommend) and also using the inbuilt features of the software (such as grids and guidelines). I resolved the continuity issues thanks to feedback from fellow designers. I was aware that both these areas were problematic for me, and therefore decided to outsource help in a professional manner.  

image source (suitcase vector): original graphics made by myself.

Below are some of my working design sheets, showing my work in progress. For the final three A3 design concepts I had an excess of images actually, and needed to select only the ones I absolutely needed because of the limited space. This forced me to work within the constraints of communicating my idea fully in a limited series of steps. The final images had to flow from one to the other, and show only what was relevant and necessary. 

In the screenshots below you can probably pick out a lot of images which were an important part of my concept development, but did not make it onto my final design sheets. This is a shame because some of them were very visually impressive or perhaps they were images I had put a great deal of time and effort into. 

i

image source (design vectors): original graphics made by myself.

image source (cover system): original graphics made by myself.

The design below shows how I finally resolved the placement of the roof cover system when it is not in use. Once again I had to find the most appropriate storage solution for the roof cover within the suitcase. For this I used the side panel storage system as a base and tried to apply a similar principle to the roof cover storage.  The most effective solution (in terms of space and ease of use) I found to this was to have the roof cover material slide along the back and then across the bottom of the suitcase for storage. This would be in the lining of the suitcase, just like the side panels are. 

The direction arrows indicate the movement of the roof cover to take it out and assemble it with the side panels. I marked all the final designs with such directional arrows to reinforce to the user the correct way to use the product. 

image source (cover inside suitcase): original graphics made by myself.

image source (suitcase and wheel): original graphics made by myself.

image source (detailed shoes): original graphics made by myself.

image source (baby): original graphics made by myself.

• I changed the product name from TravBed to DreamCase based on feedback from fellow designers who felt the name needed to be more appropriate to the intended audience. TravBed sounded too corporate and dull, it did not reflect the baby/parent users of this product. The name should have connotations of comfort, cuteness, function and should ideally also link back to the fact that it is a suitcase. Choosing the right name for a product is crucial because it can make or break it when released on the market. The ‘dream’ part of the name links to the bed function of the product (which then have connotations of dreaming). The ‘case’ part of the name, links to the core element behind the design which is a suitcase. 
• One further addition I made to my product design, was to include a safety belt for securing the baby in place during travel (when the stroller function of the baby bed suitcase would be in use). 

image source (early graphic ideas): original graphics made by myself

image source (early graphic ideas): original graphics made by myself

image source (early graphic ideas): original graphics made by myself

3-step instead of 1-step bed structure

Up to this point I really tried to work with a bed structure that could be assembled in one step (which made it easy for the user and also easier to manufacture), but I still found it a bit difficult to make this idea work the way it should. This was a case where on paper, it seemed like a great concept, but trying to put it into practice was another story. So, for the sake of time, and so that I wouldn’t be stranded on this one issue, I decided to veer off from the one-shape system and break it down into parts.

I retained the armadillo shape and divided it into three parts, three easy steps to assemble it. The first two steps, which can actually be grouped into one step, are to pull up the side panels which are embedded length wise in the lining of the suitcase. Then, from the back of the suitcase, you would pull the cover of the bed structure up and over. The side panels would provide support for the cover by holding it up. The cover would lock into the side panels so that it wouldn’t slide around or come undone.

Something that inspired me to break up the single shape into three parts was actually a common household item, the collapsible laundry basket pictured below. The way the walls folded out to prop up the basket made me think of how my two side panels could pop up to support the cover overarching the suitcase. 

image source (laundry basket): original image made by myself via digital camera.  

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook 

The sketch above shows exactly how the side panels would work…further development on their exact use is detailed in the next section. 

Side panel development

Because I was now dealing with a structure in three parts, I tried to find the most effective way for this to work. I thought that it would be best if I found a way to completely collapse the two side panels (as shown in the images below). So, I came up with a hinge locking system, similar to that which you get in tents, gazebos and fishing rod systems. With this system, the skeleton of the side panels would compress into a single line and would take up minimal space in the suitcase. This way you would not have the panels creating a second wall for the suitcase, they could easily sit towards the top where the user could easily access them.

image source: http://www.ntaco.com/files/images/galleries/Website%20100_1126.jpg

image source: http://www.great-lakes.org/graphics-2/Shakespeare/rev-03-26-07/Alpha-RD-Combo.jpg

However I found this system too complicated to develop to a manufacturable status because I simply did not have the in-depth knowledge of materials and options offered by this method. This idea could potentially work but I would really need to get the input of someone with an expertise in this area and I did not have the time to do this. Furthermore, this system made assembling these two side panels even harder, it would turn a simple two step phase into something that would require a manual (so that the user could understand all the hinge position, where the curves should be, where they should lock, how they should be released, and how it all should be handled so it doesn’t simply snap).

image source (vector graphic): original graphics made by myself

Push-pull system 

This system was created based on user feedback from the previous collapsible system (which was far too complicated). So for this step I reverted to my initial idea behind the 3-step system which had two solid wall panels (non-collapsible) which essentially formed a second wall of the suitcase (they would be in the lining, they would not be visible if you opened the suitcase). The push-pull system was a method I came up with for gaining access to the panels. You did not need an extensive manual, all you needed to know was to push the visible top edges of the panels, which would simply make them pop up and allow the user to pull them up into their designated locking position. This system would work on the same principle as in-flight armrest screen.

One issue with this system was that it ran a risk of having the side panels pop out accidentally if something triggered the pop up system while the suitcase was being transported. This could potentially lead to the panels snapping off, getting damaged, hindering transport of this suitcase as well as other luggage around it. The solution I came up with was to simply use a button to release the panels, instead of pressing the panels themselves. The image below illustrates this idea…in the bottom left hand corner is a close up image of an individual button which sits safely in a small submerged compartment (this small submerged area dramatically limits the likeliness of something accidentally pressing the button)…the top right hand corner of the image shows an overall perspective of where the buttons would be located (one in each corner of the suitcase). 

Roof Cover

The next component to put into place, was the roof system which works on the same principle as tent roofs; to put up a tent you first put together the metal frame, which creates the skeleton if you like, and after that you put the material over it and secure it in place. The bed structure cover system works the same way. You pull the cloth cover out from the back of the suitcase. Along the edge of the panels would be little grooves into which you would slot the roof cover as it was being pulled over and eventually locked into position. The side panels would provide support for the cover by holding it up. The cover needs to come out of the back so that a little window is created by all three of the components (sides and top) put together. Through this window the parent would be able to monitor the baby. For security reasons, I should also consider putting some kind of mesh/mosquito netting type material over the window; to make sure the baby can’t get out, but also so that it doesn’t impair the air flow or visibility. 

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook

Cross Section of the Baby Bed Suitcase

Below is a complex technical illustration of absolutely all the layers in the suitcase (minus the side panels and roof cover). I was struggling to visualise how all the components of the suitcase would work together and interact with each other in the overall design. Up to this point I had been working on the individual bits and pieces. I felt I needed to understand the exact relation of one part to another; in order to be able to reproduce a realistic digital rendering on Illustrator, for my final piece.  

So, for this step of the project, I called in some extra help from a fellow designer/illustrator who was able to realise my concept on paper in a very comprehensive manner. The illustration below is the result. 

Protective Cover further development 

Rather then having the rolled up cover sitting on the side of the bedding, I thought that I could create a cleaner design by putting the rolled up cover into the side of the bedding. It would disappear in the same way a seat belt retracts into it’s holder when not in use. Otherwise the principle of the cover remains the same as before. You pull it out of its hidden compartment with the help of a protruding tab, and then simply pull it across the bed and click it into place on the other side in the corresponding tab slot. 

image source: original sketch provided by Ladislava Fricova (mentioned earlier in blog)

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook

Handle & Wheel System

Since the baby bed suitcase also has to function as an ordinary suitcase, it was necessary to have a standard handle to help push and pull the suitcase around. I realised that when the suitcase is converted into its baby bed form, the handle became useless. On top of this, at this stage I realised that I had been working with a static product design, which was only natural since it’s main purpose was in fact to be a bed. However, I realised that a static baby bed suitcase wasn’t going to be of much use to the user. Imagine what the user would have to go through, in a hectic travel situation, if they had to set up the baby bed feature and then take it apart again just to be able to move the suitcase. This lack of mobility and flexibility really ruined practicality of the item, and killed its market potential because the cons of the product (at this stage) would have outweighed the pros. 

To resolve this issue I came up with a two fold solution, which all revolved around the need to add a stroller feature to the baby bed suitcase. So, because of the handle issue I identified earlier, I addressed that next.  I wanted to alter the handle system slightly so that you could use it to push the baby bed (see the sketch below for a visual representation of this). 

I needed to work out a system for making the angle of the handle flexible and alterable (so that it could be pulled upwards towards the user when the suitcase was in baby bed mode). I based my handle alterations on the way a gear box in a car would work. I decided that when you initially pull out the handle, you could change the angle of the handle while having it in a designated ‘position 1′ (when the handle is at the first stage of being pulled out). Once you adjust it to your desired angle you pull the handle out the rest of the way, thereby locking it into place. This system prevents the handle from moving around or changing angle while you are pushing the baby bed suitcase with it. 

image source: original sketch scanned from sketchbook 

Obviously the second issue I had to address was where to add wheels so that the suitcase in its baby bed form could be completely mobile (and could be pushed around thanks to the altered handle, the same as a proper stroller would). The sketch above incorporate the first idea I came up with for how to do this. The set of wheel on the left side of the suitcase could somehow be shifted (again employing a gear box type system similar to the altered handle). Then, I would add a second pair of wheels on the right side of the suitcase. This pair would be hidden in a small compartment in that corner of the suitcase and would pop out using the same technology of a Heeley Shoe (see more information about this in “Idea 4 – Baby Transformer (3-1)” blog post). 

But, there were a few problems with this idea even though it seemed fine on paper. First off, the first set of wheels, which could be repositioned to work when the suitcase is standing up as well as lying down, became hard to back up with sound technical reasoning. How exactly would these wheels lock into place? What would allow you to move them? This set of wheels was only one part of the problem. The main issue was actually with the second set of wheels which were supposed to be hidden away in a little compartment. The problem with this was that once again, the wheels could pop out easily by accidental contact. 

By talking to one of my housemates, who wasn’t very involved in this project to this point, an unexpected solution arose. My housemate pointed out how many suitcases have a single large pair of wheels on the back, which allow the suitcase to stand up and also be pulled around.  A different housemate of mine actually chimed in at this point and brought out a suitcase that actually had this exact feature. (shown in the image below)

image source (suitcase wheel): original image made by myself via digital camera.

 So, I made a new sketch (shown below) which incorporates this new idea….the dotted lines show how the large back wheel will be able to run on the ground in both a vertical and horizontal position. In this sketch I still have the Heeley shoe type wheels, but I got rid of this idea and just put a set of small standard wheels in their place (the same small standard wheels which would be on the other end as well). This is the final wheel set up I went with a applied to my final designs. 

image source (wheels): original sketch scanned from sketchbook