Urban Commuter Light
The second project of my first year enlisted a simple brief of designing a bike light for a set customer profile of my choice. It should reflect the design language of chosen discipline of riding. The light was to be sold at a price point of £20-£30 and to be sold in mainstream bike retailers such as Evans Cycles and Wiggle.com. The Concept was to be visualised in CAD and then supported with prototyped ideas being built around existing LED Array and battery compartment.
Skills Used in the Project
Sketch Development, Market Research, Prototype Modelling, Solidworks CAD Modelling, PhotoView 360 Rendering.
To start the ideation process. A visit to a local mainstream cycle retail was conducted. This was to understand the market design language in terms of different riding disciplines as well the companies own design language. Since the project was very relaxed in terms of the brief. The form of the bike light could be explored with to differentiate it from other products. A market was also chosen with that of a Urban Cyclist/Commuter
As some insight into the design language of cycle lights had been gained and the product market specified. Different forms could now be explored in terms of how the light affixed itself to the bike as well as the addition of external components such as reflectors so that the cyclist could be clearly visible.
The next stage of the development process was translating a chosen design into solidworks and creating the different components which made up the assembly. The inclusion of a reflector at the front of the concept was paramount as road cycle accidents are a big concern in urban areas. The strap itself consisted of a silicone rubber wraparound hook which allows the light to stay uprighy whilst absorbing the vibration from the road.
The last process of the project was to show clearly the material finishes used and the exploded views to show all the of the parts and their correct positions. The renders also showed manufacturing details such as locating pins.
Summary of Key Skills Used in This Project:
Analysis of existing market and products, Identification of Market, Ideation of forms through sketching, Use of solidworks to visualise ideation, Use of PhotoView 360 to display final Concept.
