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Mārtiņš Ēlerts – Thermal Imaging Helmet (live project)

Halo Thermal Imaging are a manufacturer who develop and manufacture highly specialist Thermal Imaging Solutions, selling their products internationally for fire fighting, search and rescue and surveillance operations. Their helmets are also used by F1 teams, NASA and on cruise ships.

Their products were selling well but the SoloTI and Solo helmets had not been refreshed cosmetically for a considerable length of time. They were concerned that competitor products , whilst having less functionality, did look more “cool”.

The company (Halo) is an SME and, although they are a highly specialised manufacturer they have no existing “in house” designers or specialist facilities/equipment to support design activity.

Brief: Cosmetic update of the Solo Fire Helmet
-The project involved:
– Concept Sketch Development
– CAD Visualisation
– Concept “Soft” Models

Design Strategy:
– Reduce unit production cost
– Increase unit value and price
– Improve manufacturing ease
– Cost effective “tailored” product variants
– Recognises variations in International Markets
-Functional improvements
-Potential for price premiums and added value

The new “face lifted” product concept designed by Mārtiņš exceeded their expectations with product variants to expand markets – Euro, Peak, Mohawk

The live project stimulated discussion on business development and how their technology might be applied to alternative uses and markets. The project also identified things that they had not considered such a new business/market opportunities, cost savings and value added.

Patrick Creedy – Hillhaulr.

The HILLHAULR is a multi-purpose hiking trailer and convertible shelter for wild camping and long-distance hikes.

Combining airless tyre technology, motor assist and built-in damping, the HILLHAULR provides comfort and utility in the toughest conditions.

Elektra – Ben Muir

Manual coffee preparation is still and always will be the best and most accurate way to brew fresh coffee. Despite it not being as quick and convenient as general coffee machines, Elektra makes you appreciate what truly goes into a cup of coffee, something modern day coffee makers are losing.

Elektra combines modern materials and design to completely capture every element of home brewing and by doing this, makes it a very attractive piece of design, By pushing the spectrum between convenience and overall experience the Electra coffee machine has truly found a balance, which no other product has truly achieved, making very desirable.

Overall, Elektra is a concept which is always striving to achieve more for the user and give them the brewing experience that will ignite all the senses and ultimately provide a home brewing experience the user will never forget.

Atom Orbit – Billy McFaull

An aesthetically pleasing record storage unit that is a centrepiece for any living space

Orbit bridges the gap between analogue and digital by having features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology.

Uses advanced technology to detects song through analysing sound against a music database. This can then produce information on artists, albums, and lyrics

Offers high quality audio with top of the range speakers with built-in pre amp.

Protective vinyl storage which can hold up to 100 records

Available in a range of colours with a colour palette inspired by original 1950’s products.

A.R.C. – Jack Murphy

A.R.C (Augmented Reality Component) product is a new approach to navigate through smoke and fire without being burdened down with the weight of a TIC within your hand.

A.R.C is augmented reality headset which utilises the same technology found within the HoloLens to be able to digitally map the environment ahead and then lay a virtual on top of that.

A.R.C’s can also switch to a thermal image view to allow the user to still be able to locate civilians low-er heat signatures within the burning blaze.

The helmet also provides additional features such as H.U.D information of current room temperature and oxygen supply, as well as location of other firefighters equipped with the helmet. A.R.C is designed to provided firefighters with quick easy information get them in and out the building as fast as possible.

Multi-functional Power Tool – Sam Simpson

The final design solution is a multi-functioning power tool that is capable of carrying out several construction tasks whilst also simplifying existing tasks. The product features an ergonomic handle that best suits the target market, a battery dock and holder for charging the product, an interchangeable router base for reduced friction whilst routing materials, an adjustable motor housing for transforming functionality, spirit level for checking to see if the material is level, Scroll wheel for changing the motors RPM settings from drill to router and a laser dot for aligning the drill press function.

Initial research identified problems relating to hand/wrist constraints. The final product focussed on adjustability to address these issues. The unique advantage of the final product is to enable accurate perpendicular drilling in confined spaces using the pillar drilling (laser guided) function.

Riva 50′ Torero – Mārtiņš Ēlerts

The aim of this project was to design a luxury 50 foot day cruiser motor boat, combining and balancing the design languages of two legendary Italian brands. Riva and Lamborghini are known and recognised around the world for producing beautiful, high quality products. With Riva being one of the oldest boatyards in the world, and Lamborghini one of the wildest exotic car manufacturers, combining these two seemingly different worlds in one product requires understanding the history and design philosophy of each brand.

Student Starpack 2018 – Gold Award Winner – Beth Sanderson

The brief
You are to design a pack that easily dispenses motor oil into a car filler hole without needing any extra utensils. The 5-litre bottle will need to allow control of oil flow but not add excessive costs. The design should consider ergonomics in use, anti-glugging for an even flow, space for adequate decoration and recovery of parts for recycling. Glugging is a problem. As liquid is poured from the pack it needs to be replaced by air. In a standard bottle, when the pressure inside is reduced it draws air back through the neck causing glugging. The new design needs to stop this happening. Your design solution should include features to ensure the pack is easy to handle and carry as well as be resealable and safe to store. The new pack should be made entirely of the common packaging plastics using standard manufacturing processes. You may choose any major brand of lubricating oil and use graphics/decoration within your design to add branding and visual appeal. Ensure there is enough space on the pack to allow for the mandatory legal information that is required.

Judges’ comments:
Really excellent concept that is well presented. A very impressive design.
Sponsor’s comments:
This was a brilliant well thought through design that meets very tough requirements of the brief. The approach and presentation were exemplary and the practicality of the design shone through. With minor developments it could be made tomorrow.

Exact – Lawrence Stratton

The Exact Coffee Brewing system

The Exact Coffee Brewing System is designed to perform to a high standard of consistency. To ensure optimum coffee brewing is achieved this design strives to satisfy all of the criteria needed to receive a ‘seal of approval’ from the European Coffee Brewing Centre (ECBC). Each aspect of brewing has been addressed with a specifically designed solution. Secondly, the contemporary design is a step away from the traditional aesthetic of a coffee brewer whilst remaining recognisable to the consumer.

Anticuus – Ralph Deloso

Andrew James Worldwide are a highly successful family-owned, fast-growing online retailer, founded in 2005 by cousins Andrew and James, hence the company name. Specialising in kitchen equipment and gadgets, they also supply a wide range of handy items and accessories for the home, garden, and even for pets. As of now, the company buys in their products from manufacturers with the addition of their logo printed on the casing.

Brief was to design the outer casing of a toaster that meets the needs of both the internals and aesthetic appeal for the required market. The solution should be able to stand out from competitors and at the same time emulate the brand identities of the company.

The Andrew James, Anticuus toaster is a classic yet ‘time-honoured’ product combining the ‘60’s retro’ aesthetic with modern materials and technology. This toaster comes in a range of styles that will suit any kitchen trend. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, it is a product that is straight to the point and simple to use. A product that makes you fully aware of what you’re doing and how long for.

Ralph was picked by the Design Council in their top five ‘ones to watch‘ at the New Designers Exhibition 2018 in London.

https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/our-top-picks-new-designers-2018