Industrial Design Forum

Hi guys, figured I would start a thread of my own about my project - it was cool last year when you grads put up your own threads on your projects. I'll post shit regularly and hopefully put up some visuals for feed back when I get to that stage. Its still a bit disappointing to see that only about 5 or 6 people from our year have posted their projects, I'll try rustle them up.

Any way after presenting 'the case' for the chocolate gun I realized I really didn't want to spend a year designing something like that, I just couldn't get into it. So instead I have decided to design a public drinking fountain for New Zealand coastal walkways - like that of Napier, New Plymouth and Wellington (just ones I know of).

Hear is some of the new proposal I showed the tutors. It got the thumbs up. Tumeki!!


Research questions:
- Can the public drinking fountain gain a new image and get regular daily use from the general public?

- Could/would a public drinking fountain reduce the amount of bottled water purchased and in turn reduce waste plastic?

- Would people be willing to drink and fill their bottles up at a public drinking fountain?

- What is currently on the streets, in parks etc and how often do they get used? Are they easy to use and are they clean/look clean? Are they attractive? Would you or anyone want to drink from one?

- Could there be a drinking fountain that is easy to use for all ages/heights, people in wheelchairs and possibly even dogs? I.e. is there an ergonomically sound solution?

- What are the hygiene issues involved and what health standards have to met?

- How does a drinking fountain work – different pressures, angles of water projection, and drainage solutions?

- What has water meant to people in the past and what does it mean to people now?

- How has water been supplied to the general public, in what ways, and has there been any major innovations recently?

- How should a water fountain look? Should it be adaptable to any environment or should each one be different to fit its surroundings?

- What materials could be used? What are the state of the art materials and is it possible to make it with sustainable materials or with an industrial waste/bi product?

- What manufacturing processes could be employed to produce such a product?


Experience and performance issues:
- The drinking fountain should be pleasurable to use. It should be a peaceful experience and one that feels natural to the user.

- It should be at an accessible height for all and be used without putting any strain on the body. It should be as natural as possible – not awkward like the current fountains.

- The fountains control/use should be intuitive.

- The buttons and spout should be easy to use and comfortable.

- The fountain should be easy to maintain in terms of cleaning and replacing filters or parts.

- Drainage will have to be well resolved.

- The fountain will need to look clean and hygienic.

- High on the agenda will be the durability and security/sturdiness to withstand weather and vandalism.

- The water will have to be filtered or the fountain won’t get used – filters may be replaced by a council worker weekly or monthly.

- It should be easy and quick to fill up a drink bottle.

Could be interesting to think about how the water that drains away is used- Obviously there wouldn't be much, but perhaps it could be useful if there was a public toilet downhill of the fountain- eg. the runoff could be used to help fill the cisterns (think greywater).

What about rainwater collection? it would be great to avoid plumbing to a centralised water mains, for obvious reasons. I'm thinking of isolated walkways here. Could be good to have it mobile if needed, yet easily secured to a given location. Some sort of passive filtering, like using the suns heat to kill bacteria before cooling the water again? I've heard that in some refugee camps people are throwing clear plastic water bottles on hot iron roofs to do this.

Interesting topic idea, some really fascinating challenges.

Yo Jake, sweet project. This project is gonna give you a sweet model & a Furniture thing for your portfolio, which you wanted.

I think one of the directions of this project could be to encourage & increase water-bottle use is in public areas. Had you considered integrating this product so that it can be used at beaches also? Not just public walkways?

Also for Furniture 2 this year we are designing public furniture, hit us up for research stuff. We’ve done a bit.
CArrot

nope, sorry. still like the dirty big chocolate gun.

yea ya new proposal sounds alot more exiting jake. i think the reson piss all of us have posted on this puppy is coz piss all of us work at uni and when we do the labs have clases on in them.

VCD/interior(tutors) suck!

will have some better feed back next week when i get my internet working propa agen

Cheers guys. Thanks for the link martis that furniture is sweet. I can do way better than that drinking fountain though. Oh yea, Nick those are some real nice ideas - will definitely be considered. This fountain was a nice idea but got payed out by the ProductDesignForums. It has a lot of unresolved issues as well.

http://www.productdesignforums.com/Unive...t4078.html

Hey heres the concepts I came up with at the end of last semester and what I evaluated them on. This phase was rather rushed but I don't mind what I came up with - leaves plenty of room for development haha.

Take a look and tell me what you think - what you like and suggestions maybe?

Cheers

hey dude, i personally like connie 2. it may just be because it is a far more natural looking form than the others and a little less sci fi. the sound of water trickling is not often a bad thing, and over a "rocky" shape is sick. maybe the treatment of the initial catchment bowl needs some development, and the actual pipe the water comes out could easily have a quite contrasting aesthetic. and also be wary of silhouette associations with a lady's loin.

Yea cheers bro. Just wondering if its not too literal. Like I want to reference water but in a subtle way. I think I will have to mock them up in 3-D to get a better idea of how they look.