2. THE COVE
Acoustic Shroud System
April 2011, Sponsored by Teknion
The central-idea behind The Cove is to create a personal space in the open plan office. It defines a room within a room only for one
person. The acoustic panels provide a peaceful oasis for phone conversations and relaxation. The system also functions as a visual
screen to minimize interruption from the surrounding environments. It accomodates most sizes of lounge chairs up to 36 inches width.
The Cove is designed to ease the office worker's stress from the busy office environment.
3. THE COVE
Research
Teddy,project manager
How will office furniture motivate workers to be more
Office workers are highly encouraged to
share and discuss their ideas productive throughout the day?
because collaboration is the most
important work trend in today's workplaces. just 10 minutes...
The noise level and distraction due to en-
couraging informal encounters are becoming
serious issues in the open plan office. It may
create fatigue and mental exhaustion espe-
cially for the static workers who spend at
least 8 hours in the office.
The research from interviews and a site visit
found that most office workers wished if they
Thomas, Creative Director
could take a rest from all the noise and
stress at times during the day in an isolated
zone. Hallway, Wesley Clover, Ottawa Hallway, Wesley Clover, Ottawa
Efficient relaxation will motivate office
workers to be more productive and healthier The couches were placed in a quiet hallway for employee’s relaxation.
just 10 minutes... However, many people were reluctant to take their break in the area
throughout the day.
Ultimately, it may help an office to be a because they felt uncomfortable to see other people walking by espe-
pleasant and healthy workspace where people cially when they wanted to stay alone for a short break.
want to come back to work.
User Scenario
Interviews and user observations were per- Cynthia,Junior Designer
formed in Wesley Clover in Ottawa, Canada.
It was a good opportunity to see the real
office environment and to confirm that the
design opportunity of creating a personal
just 10 minutes...
space in the public area was demanding in the
current office environment.
Teddy,project manager
Cynthia,Junior Designer
1 2 3
Thomas, Creative Director It becomes a trend that office furniture is designed not only to
encourage collaborations but also to provide individual space in
ah..........
the office. Most of existing products are designed with the seating
that are attached to the dividers.
1. Vitra, Alcove Highback Sofa
2. Bene, Koja High
a typical busy open concept office 3. Buzzispace, Buzzibooth
4. THE COVE
User Testing
User Testing 1. User Testing 2.
Will this product be in demand for the next generation? What will be the ideal size and translucency of the shroud?
The goal of the first user testing was to find out the need of the prod- The test objective was to figure out the ideal size of the shroud that could
uct. The previous research on published material, interviews and an create atmosphere for effective relaxation in an isolated zone and to find out
office visit proved that people in the office wanted to have an isolated how the user would perceive the level of transmitted light through the canopy.
zone to take a break from all the noise and distraction at times during e 500, 600, 700 mm
the day. The initial idea of creating a personal space in the public a d
area was tested by 10 industrial design students. The testing model was b
b
prepared to create a small room about 24inches by 24 inches space in the
school corridor. The subjective feedbacks of the users were the most
400
a
valuable findings during the user testing.
600
c
Dimensions of the shroud to be tested To test how the user percieves the different depth of the canopy
Findings Steps of User Tesing 2 to find out the ideal size of the shroud
1. 7 out of 10 users preferred Findings
to have the canopy because it Overall, people felt comfort-
helped to stop eye contacts able when the side panels
with the people passing by. were closer to their body and
the canopy stayed high over
2. 8 out of 10 users preferred their head. It must be care-
to have the canopy because it ful to create a comfort zone
cut out the fluorescent light. without creating a feeling of
trapped inside of the panels.
3. 8 out 10 users were able to Interestingly, almost every
concentrate on their work such user had specific preferences
as reading inside the booth with the angle of the canopy.
while the outside was crowded. It was a useful finding to
consider the next user
Wooden armature The user is participating to test the level of
for the testing pieces the transmitted light through the canopy.
testing to have an adjustable
canopy.
5. THE COVE
User Testing
User Testing 3.
How the user will interact with the shroud system in the public area?
The central objective of the third user testing was to find out perception and emotion
of the product. The testing model was designed based on the dimension from the previous
user testing. The view from the inside of
C testing material
a. Without a canopy material b. The most sheer one
The view from the inside of
D testing material
6
5
Number of 4
Responses
3
2
1
0
a b c d
Type of the canopy
c. Semi translucent, loose & rich texture,
sage colour d. The most translucent one e most favorite choice
The User Testing was perfromed at the Pagebreak in the Carleton University Library.
4 different types of canopy materials were used to test how the
texture and the level of translusency of the canopy would affect
the emotions of the users.
The interesting finding was that the canopy material with aes-
thetic texture and colour was preferred the most. Most of users
answered that they enjoyed looking at an object with beautiful
pattern than a plain design.
Findings
This last user testing was helpful to observe how the users inter-
acted with the shroud system. The backgrounds of the users were
office workers, students who were studying business and some
engineers. It was intended to have users who were not related to
design field to observe spontaneous reactions. The observation
turned out to be the most useful resource to make decisions on the
Snapshots from observation during the open review of S.I.D at Carleton University design features such as having bulletin boards, head rest and
Reading Conversation cushions inside of the panels.
6. THE COVE
Ideation and Form Development
The most challenging part was to
create welcoming environment for the
users as well as to be functional.
In addition, designing the product to
be part of a beautiful interior design
element was considered consistently in
the process of form development.
The following images show the
development of ideas from the early
phase using sketches and models.
7. THE COVE
Final Design
Aesthetic translucent canopy:
The height of the canopy is adjustable in re-
sponse to preference. When it is fully closed,
the semi translucent canopy shield screens the
view of the surroundings and softly diffuses
the florescent lighting.
Bulletin board inside of the acoustic panels: While
enjoying one's own time, a person can still check
out company news postings and post a message for
colleagues.
String Curtain :
Cushioning inside of the acoustic panels:
It filters the surroundings without
The cushion on the side panels and the headreast
on the back panel provide a comfortable zone to detracting from the elegant structure.
lean on for resting.
8. THE COVE
Product In Use
The Cove
The Cove is designed to accomodate most
sizes of office lounge chairs. The ideal
context would be casual spaces such as
the cafeteria and lounge area. It may be
placed as multiples or on its own.
The Cove will be a beautiful interior
design element in the office environment.
The Cove provides a quiet zone for activities such as phone conversation, reading a book or
conversation with a colleague in the office.
9. STUDIES ON LIGHT AND TEXTURE
EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTS
December 2010, In Collaboration with Eugene Pityk
With the University Centre Galleria at Carleton University as the site of study, the project was to study how light and texture could
create different atmosphere without an alteration of the existing interior structure.
10. STUDIES ON LIGHT AND TEXTURE
EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTS
Experiments of light and texture
Red Yellow Orange White Green Blue
10:30 am 11:30 am 1:30 pm 2:30 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:30 pm
Cardboard
Red
Concrete
Purple
Wood
Cork
Blue
Acrylic
Orange
Creased
translucent
paper
Left: The experiement was to determine how differnet lightings influenced the
Yellow coloured background and what kind of atmosphere was going to be created from
the mixture of the lighting and background.
Right: The purpose of this experiment was to study the reaction of
White natural light to different materials and textures. The conclusion was that
rough texture retained colour better than smooth surfaces which reflected
light.
12:30 pm 1:00 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:30 pm 6:00 pm
6:00 pm
Rough/Glossy Left: The experiment was focused on tex-
ture and gloss of the material.
The conclusion was that glossy materials,
especially with rough surfaces responded
more dramatically to natural light than
matte surfaces.
Smooth/ Matte
11. SMART D
Electric toothbrush to aid people
with spinal cord injury
December 2009
Smart-D was designed to enhance self-esteem and assist independent living
style for the people with spinal cord injury. The project was a comprehen-
sive industrial design project that started with intensive research and
ended with a final design proposal. An existing product was redesigned to
meet specific needs of people with spinal cord injury in the level of C-5
and 6 tetraplegia.
The designed components were the toothpaste dispenser, the electric
toothbrush and the charger. Each component was carefully designed to meet
the user’s specific needs. The form of the electric tooth brush was
achieved successfully to be hold easily without an assistvie holder. In
addition, the final design was able to propose the lightest weight (only
100g) by using 13g of micro motor. The design of the charger was consid-
ered deliberately for the both users who used an assistive holder and
non-users.
Touch Sensor
This groove helps to prevent a hand
Overmold touching the touch sensor accidentaly.
Charge Indicator
12. SMART D
Research, Ergonomic Testing and Preliminary Design
13 g of micro motor
found in the Collgate
Braun Professional Care 8900 DLX Oxyget Center, 360 degree electric
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se Rechargeable toothbrush
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se
The initial prototype on the user testing
Considering weight, appearance,
form were the major challenges to
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se
Dental Sigma 360 developed by Japan’s
Vivatec for people with disability Colgate 360 degree electric toothbrush, Battery operated
solve.
Mechanisms of existing products were studied to
Most people with spinal cord injury understand the operation of an electric tooth-
try hard to be independent in their brush. Understanding of the parts was necessary
to reach the right solution..
daily care as much as they can.
More than 41,000 Canadians live with spinal cord
injury and 1,200 new injuries occur each year.
Tetraplegia refers to the cervical (neck) injuries
in four limb paralysis. Injuries below C-5 tet-
raplegia can perform daily care such as oral,
facial hygiene and dressing themselves with the use
of assistive device and a little help from an as-
sistant. C-5 tetraplegia patients have no control
at the wrist of hand. C-6 tetraplegia patients have
a little bit of wrist control but no hand func-
Testing the initial prototype with the designed assistive holder
tions.
Depending on personal preference, a holder is used
Great opportunity was given to meet the actual
to grab a toothbrush. Most of people uses electric
users through Angela Clair who was a bilingual
toothbrushes however they still need an assistant
regional services coordinator at Ottawa Canadian
to turn the power, squeeze toothpaste onto the
Preliminary selected concept paraplegic association.
brush and place a holder to their hands.
13. SMART D
Form Development
The goal was to design the form that have the generic appearance as other electric toothbrushes and to be hold
firmly by the user without an assistive holder as much as possible.
The body was designed to be thicker than the regular
electric toothbrushes. The cylindrical form had flat
surfaces in four sides to be hold firmly without an
assistive holder as much as possible. In addition, it
helped to indicate the product orientation when it
happened to roll on the flat surface accidently.
The detail of the indent was considered carefully to
prevent touching the power accidently and also to be
used with an assistive holder if needed. .
14. SMART D
Use Cycle,Technical Drawing and Suggestive Furthur Development
CNC Polyurethane Foam
An assistive holder can be developed further to integrate with the design of the electric toothbrush.
The preliminary prototype suggests having a small window in the front because the user may require
rotating the orientation of the toothbrush by sliding the surface to the side through the window.
DRAWING NUMBER : CU.101
A
SHEET 1 OF 1
11" x 17"
DIMENSIONS mm
UNTOLERANCED DIMENSIONS
SCALE 1:1 DO NOT SCALE
Revisions
Initials
2
Issue
Date
8. SPRING
7. CASING FOR MOTOR
3
6. ELECTRIC CONNECTOR
5. COILS
4. RECHARGEABLE BATTERY
3. MOTOR CASING
1
2. SHAFT
1. MICRO MOTOR
7
6
Description
Number
Quantity
Details
8
SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
COLONELBY DRIVE
OTTAWA CANADA K1S 5B6
DRAWN: C.KONG DATE: DEC09.09
4 CHECKED:K.MORGAN DATE:DEC09.09
CLIENT : BRIAN BURNS
PROJECT: TOOLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
DRAWING NUMBER: CU101
5 SECTION A - A
A suggestive way of holding the electric toothbrush A DRAWING: ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
15. CHICKADEE HOUSE
Modern Bird House
March 2010
The Chickadee House is
designed exclusively for the
black-capped chickadees.
They are the one of the most
popular North American
birds. Their name follows
their typical call, chkak-
a-dee-dee. They frequently
show up back yard feeders
and stay in one area through
the year.
Ideal bird house for
chickadees would be to
protect them from rain, wind
and predators as well as
create an appropriate space
for their nesting. The man-
made bird house should en-
courage their natural habit
of roosting. The birds like
to dig out their cavities in
such as rotten wood. Accord-
ing to Kluyver (1961), they
will virtually always dig
out a natural cavity rather
than take an empty hole such
as a nest box – unless the
box has been partly filled
with sawdust.
Based on the research, the
Chickadee House was built to
create natural environment
as much as possible for
black-capped chickadees. The
birdhouse had 1-1/8” diam-
eter hole to entice the
chickadees. The hole was
small enough for predators
to enter. The oil-finished
natural pine wood was a
beautiful addition to any
area. Stainless steel screws
and glass roof were
carefully selected to create
modern architecture.
16. CHICKADEE HOUSE
Use Cycle, Technical Drawing and Preliminary design sketches
The Chickadee house was designed for easy access of cleaning and monitoring breeding.
Moon was used as a metaphor for the
appearnce of the birdhouse. It was used to
convey a meaning of providing a peaceful
place for chickadee family.
The repetitive use of horizontal lines
helped to emphasize a feeling of calm and
the round edges of the transparent eaves
were designed to resemble the softness of
the moonlight.
17. THE SURFACE
SolidWorks Computre Application
December 2010, In collaboration with Khulood Alawadi
The project was to simulate the workflow of creating a plastic part for a
mass produced product. We participated in creating sketches, measurements,
digital geometry, rapid prototyping and reverse modelling. It was to reverse
design the top surface part of a computer mouse and it was 3D printed on the
Dimension machine. Emphasis was made on surfacing and enclosure details.
18. HI SOAPHIE
Mass Production Technology For Industrial Design
October 2008
Jigs, Fixtures and Fabricating
The objective was to understand fabricating by manufacturing a simple product which
could be used in the daily life. Matched wooden tool with a curvature was designed
to form a simple product like a soap dish in low volumes. Edge trimming was the in-
tegral part since excess material must be cut from the formed part. Bandsaw was used
to produce a quick rough cut and edge finishing techniques such as scraping, filling
and sanding was treated after.
Hi Soaphie has a simple and elegant curvilinear form. The line flows beautifully
from one angle to the other.
Medium: Blue Hard Pencil
19. GREEENSHELVE
Cardboard Book Storage
DECEMBER 2007
The most challenging
part of the project was
to design the cardboard
furniture without using
any adhesives out of one
sheet of 100 inches by
60 inches cardboard.
The actual model has
been used carrying over
90 pounds books for the
last four years.
The form was inspired
from the theme of
Bauhous. It influenced
me to study how the
basic geometric forms
could create interesting
composition.
20. RED BLOOMS
Acrylic Painting
July 2010
Red Bloom was painted to add vibrancy in the
living room space.
Studies on texture and colour
21. ANY QUESTIONS?
Contact
Email: clairekong03@gmail.com
Tel: 613-316-8353(Ottawa, Canada)
