First
Prototype
WHAT WE ARE MAKING
WHY WE ARE MAKING IT
Students will start developing sketch models, made quickly, that illustrate a form or idea.
Develop hand crafting skills that we will use throughout the studio
STAGES OF PROTOTYPING
SKETCH MODELS
ITERATIVE PROTOTYPING
FULL-SCALE PROTOTYPING
1
2
3
ACTIVITY MATERIALS
Cardboard
Colored Acetate
Bristol Papers
Zip-ties
Straws
Metal Ruler
Pencil
Markers
Cutting Blade
Masking Tape
Hot Glue Gun
String
Brads
Popsicles and wooden skewers
+ MEDIUM
1st
2nd
Select your final idea from your sketches, don't worry about selecting your final design, while building you will keep on iterating and changing!
You will undertake a safety orientation, where you will learn to use the basic tools of prototyping such as gluing techniques and cutting tools
**Refer to the "Safety prototyping" Folder in the Toolbox
CARDBOARD CUTTING TIPS
Use the lines on the cutting mat and the ruler to cut straight and perpendicular lines
Carefully draw on the cardboard the lines you want to cut first, then use your blade to trace them
Many light passes with the cutting blade will result in a cleaner cut than one strong push through the cardboard
SCORING CARDBOARD FOR BENDING
STACKING CARDBOARD FOR VOLUME
CUT CURVES BY MAKING MANY SMALL SLICES
CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING
Bending
Scoring
Curving
Faceting
Layering
Hinging
CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY
Brads
Flanges
Brace
Skewer
Bend
Hinge
Slots
Butt Joint
CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: Mechanism
Scissor lift
Grabbing
Waving
Tentacle
Curving
Sprin
Pulley
Cam & Follower
3rd
Develop a blueprint of your design that communicates both form and function. Your drawing should include labeled parts, materials, dimensions, and annotations explaining how the design operates and how users interact with it.
Go over the presentation found in the TOOLBOX and start making! You will make a low-fidelity prototype of your chosen design. This prototype will allow you to test your idea on your site, and actually get user feedback, and see if it creates delight.
4th
5nd
Take good photos of your project
5th
Take clear photos and videos of your model against a white background, and submit them.
Make sure to capture close-up shots of any moving parts, and turn those into GIFs using this website: https://ezgif.com/maker
Below are some resources you can use to document your work, both for scanning drawings as well as photo/gif editing tools.
1) Scanner app (Genius Scan)
2) Gif maker (GIF Maker by Momento)
https://ezgif.com/maker https://gifmaker.me/
3) Photo editor / Camera app (VSCO or Adobe PS Express) VSCO Link Adobe PS Express Link https://www.photopea.com/
For photographing prototypes, we recommend everyone using a consistent white or black backdrop. Paper, sheets, walls/desks all work well for this.
DOCUMENTATION
CREATE A STATION
Ensure the entire background is white and that natural light is available. For photographing prototypes, we recommend using a consistent white or black backdrop—paper, sheets, walls, or desks all work well.
Different Angles
Try different angles, top, left, right, close ups... but also try different lighting setups, Camera Settings, and Composition
Clean Images
Make sure all background is white, no edges or other objects in the background
YES
NO
Clean Images
Make sure all background is white, no edges or other objects in the background
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
Now that you have built it out of cardboard, what would be the best materials and methods for the next prototype?
You have built and tested one possible shape of this enhancement. What other shapes could this concept take?
What do you need to learn to create the next, more developed prototype of this concept?
Prompt
In this session, you will continue to sketch and create quick "sketch models". A sketch model is a rough prototype made with readily available materials (paper, cardboard, tape, glue, etc.) that demonstrates the simplest version of your idea in physical form.