MIAD Industrial Design: Closet
Future Closet Foam Core Poster 20x30 IN December 2019 The Future Closet is an addition to one's normal closet, a sliding door capable of taking care of you and your clothing. This improvised mirror has the capability of giving you an easier and advanced experience when getting ready. Smart home appliances and holograms inspired the new smart mirror. |
Inspiration
Before we started this project, Murphy gave us some design thinking lessons to get us into the right mindset for our project. My understanding is that, there are no limits. His lessons taught me a new perspective on how to create something new. I knew that I wanted to go beyond the limits and create something of the future.
My client is one of my teachers, we have a good relationship. His problem is his closet. He believes that his closet isn't really doing it's job. He has asked me to come up with a way to take advantage of the space he has and to come up with a more functional way for his clothing and personal items to be stored. While researching I found an advertisement for a Smart refrigerator. Then I thought to myself, maybe I could make this closet, a smart closet. There are so many smart appliances out on the market, why not add a closet? Another one of my inspirations is a British Show called, 100% Hotter. In the show, they have a mirror that can display in front of the user what a piece of clothing would look like on them. I took that and wanted to apply it to my closet. |
Planning Sketches
I scheduled a meeting with my client to be able to see and hear his problem. While we talked he drew up some sketches of his situation. His visuals provided some insight of the dimensions and what was wrong.
His closet isn't the most efficient, I could tell by the way he described it he was frustrated. While he talked I wrote some notes to myself, like what would benefit him the most. He mentioned the door and the organization of his items often, those were the main problems. |
Process
- First I made sketches of my ideas, any idea. There's no wrong answers so I included every brainstorm I came up with.
- Around my drawings I added little notes to explain my visuals.
- I took quality pictures of every sketch and lowered the saturation on them so that they would blend with the white background.
- While adding the layers, I made sure to label them as to what the depicted.
- Once everything was in place I exported the image to a flash drive.
- Then I printed the image to the required size, I took the print and cut off the excess paper.
- Finally I mounted the print onto the foam board with spray glue, I added pressure to make sure the paper was attached to my board securely.
Experimentation
While creating my final image I edited many factors of my drawings. For example, the brightness and contrast. I wanted my pictures to look as if they had a transparent background. Then I arranged the images to my liking, I made more complete drawings bigger in comparison to the smaller filler sketches. I wanted to keep my focus on the mirror and the size comparison to a person if they were to be using it.
When adjusting, I added some faint color to my pictures just to see what it would look like. I decided not to follow through with it because, I felt like the black and white print looked much cleaner and professional. It was simply out of personal preference. |
Reflection
My closet design follows through and is a great solution to my client's problem. I had a lot of fun coming up with this design and I can't wait to start making the physical model.
While working on this project I felt as if I was actually making a product that I was trying to pitch. I took into consideration that my client might not be the only person that would use this. So I made sure to create something anyone could use. The only changes I would make to my presentation is the actual drawing aspect of it. I could have cleaned up my linework and made more sketches. I'll make sure to add all that to the second part of the project. |
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
My inspiration helped me come up with a rough final idea, I took what I liked and combined it with what I have to work with. It
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author educates the reader on how to design and plan what is considered a practical closet. How the design can make a difference, depending on how you take on the space available.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I found that my client just wants a functional closet, I empathize with him because I put myself in his perspective and understand his frustration. He is a friend that I want to help, I want to be able to fix his problem.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
To make an addition to the smart home appliances that anyone can easily use.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
That there is a lot that goes into closet design, it not about how much stuff you have, it is about how one takes advantage of the available space and makes the best out of it. You can design a system that fits your personal needs.
My inspiration helped me come up with a rough final idea, I took what I liked and combined it with what I have to work with. It
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author educates the reader on how to design and plan what is considered a practical closet. How the design can make a difference, depending on how you take on the space available.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I found that my client just wants a functional closet, I empathize with him because I put myself in his perspective and understand his frustration. He is a friend that I want to help, I want to be able to fix his problem.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
To make an addition to the smart home appliances that anyone can easily use.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
That there is a lot that goes into closet design, it not about how much stuff you have, it is about how one takes advantage of the available space and makes the best out of it. You can design a system that fits your personal needs.
Bibliography
100% Hotter. Naked Entertainment, 8 June 2016.
Hart, Sally. “How To Design A Practical Closet.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Nov. 2015, https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/11/03/how-to-design-a-practical-closet/#1914d6544674.
Reisinger, Don. “4 Smart Home Appliances To Upgrade The Kitchen, Laundry Room And More.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Aug. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-finds/2019/06/30/best-smart-appliances-for-your-home/#15568f6e78ca.
Hart, Sally. “How To Design A Practical Closet.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Nov. 2015, https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/11/03/how-to-design-a-practical-closet/#1914d6544674.
Reisinger, Don. “4 Smart Home Appliances To Upgrade The Kitchen, Laundry Room And More.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Aug. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-finds/2019/06/30/best-smart-appliances-for-your-home/#15568f6e78ca.