Practical project step 7: The finished product
The Friendly Data Monitor was now ready for action! I checked everything was working, and posed it for a photo shoot…
Enhanced Design Tools
These blog posts relate to the Enhanced Design Tools course, part of Master of Design studies at Griffith University. The course is about contemporary design tools and prototyping, with an emphasis on practical experimentation. To see posts in order of study, please scroll to the bottom!
Practical project step 6 – Coding the Microbit
With the cabinet assembled and servo motors fitted, I could now wire up the breadboard to the motors and code the Microbit to make the dial pointers to move in response to real or simulated data.
Practical project step 5: Finishing the cabinet
The project was coming together now, with the cabinet assembled, wood stain applied, and the dial faces ready. However I wasn’t done with it yet. There were three more things to consider. Firstly, fitting all the electronic bits and pieces into the cabinet. Secondly, fitting the motors (driving the dial pointer needles) into the two …
Practical project step 4: Building the cabinet
The initial prototypes had now been done, and designs adjusted as needed, so it was time to get building! The first thing to build was the wooden cabinet. That was the central piece of the project, and I needed it built so I could mount the other parts onto or inside it to get the …
Practical project step 3 – Initial prototyping
The project included a few aspects that could prove tricky – a curved wooden box, moving parts, electronics, and repurposed materials. All of these required some degree of prototyping. I started by prototyping the physical box – the cabinet my data monitor would sit in – and looked at laser cutting techniques for creating it.
Practical project step 2 – design and preparation
After deciding to design and build an analogue version of a digital data dashboard, I wrote a project brief and did some initial research into dashboards, materials and Steampunk imagery (as described in my previous post about getting started). Now all I had to do was figure out how to build it!
Practical project step 1 – Getting started
This practical project requires us to develop a physical product that uses some of the enhanced design tools and technologies we have learnt about. The first step is to write the brief – define the objectives, the detailed requirements and the process to follow, and do any necessary research. I decided to work on something …
Data visualisation and artificial intelligence
In week 7 of our Enhanced Design Tools course, guest lecturer Dale Patterson gave a talk about data visualisation and artificial intelligence. This article is a summary of some of the concepts he discussed. Data is all around us, and there is huge potential for designers to help people make sense of this sea of …
More fun with the micro:bit
After learning the basics of wiring the ‘breadboard’ and programming the micro:bit we experimented with a few more features including using a potentiometer, accelerometer and setting up communication between devices.
Microcontrollers and design – what’s the connection?
How are microcontrollers being used, and do they impact what visual designers do? Microcontrollers are used in all sorts of electronic devices, home appliances, medical equipment, vehicles, phones and countless other physical products. These are not what you may first think of in terms of graphic design and visual communication. However, the user interface, accessibility …
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Embedded microcontrollers – the BBC Micro:bit
A microcontroller is a small, programmable computer on a single integrated circuit. They are called embedded microcontrollers because they are usually embedded into a device in order to run a program to do a specific task. “A microcontroller takes input from the device it is controlling and controls the device by sending signals to different …
Uses of 3D printing in graphic design and visual communication
3D printing involves making things – 3 dimensional objects – which is generally not what most people think graphic designers do. However, graphic designers have actually been designing 3D objects since the early days of visual communication – from books and brochures through to signs, packaging, merchandise, folders, cards and advertising hoardings. The question is, …
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Learning about 3D printing
In our second practical class for Enhanced Design Tools we had an introduction to 3D printing. It was fun to see some samples of 3D printed work, as well as learning how to use 3D software and see our designs turned into cute little 3D objects. Here’s a summary of the steps we followed.
How laser cutting is used in graphic design
Laser cutting and etching is being used in various ways in the field of graphic design, marketing and visual communication. The precision of laser cutting machines and the affordability of low-end models has enabled designers to achieve results that previously would have taken a lot more time and money, as well as opening up new …
Laser cutting experiments – a whale of a job!
In our first practical session for the Enhanced Design Tools course, we had an introduction to the Trotec laser cutting machine and software, which we then used to create a simple laser cut design out of cardboard. The brief was to create a prototype for a simple phone stand that could be created using laser …