For your final project in this class, you will design, model, and render a USB flash drive. However, the design challenge will be to think beyond the typical keychain drive, and instead design a device that fits within and complements an existing identity or brand (your client, in this case). Your design should incoroporate some additional, unique, and perhaps surprising feature or functionality beyond simple data storage, in keeping with the client's identity.

As an example, suppose that your client is Alpine Electronics, which makes car audio components. You might design a USB keychain device that holds MP3s and connects to the car stereo to play music. The device's industrial design would be visually consistent with Alpine's in-dash stereo system styling. The device's USB port might plug directly into the Alpine stereo, or perhaps the keychain could communicate wirelessly with the stereo when it is in close proximity (ie attached to a key in the car's ignition).

I have posted some examples of the previous semesters' final project boards.

Your client

Choose a client that has a recognizable brand and/or identity which you can speak to in your design. You may choose a commercial company, a non-profit institution, a sports team, a school, or any other organization/institution that you think would lend itself to this project. Imagine your device as something that the client might give away to customers as a marketing tool.

Schedule 

It will be up to each student to schedule your own time and milestones for this project. I will provide a list of suggested steps, but will not necessarily be checking them off along the way. However, I strongly suggest following the schedule below to maximize your chances of success with this project.

Suggested schedule

The due date for this project, which will include a class presentation, is Saturday, May 17. This will constitute our final exam.

Student show & extra credit

I would like as many students as possible to submit their work for the annual student show next semester. In order to include your work in the show, you will need to get your presentation poster printed. Those students who have their project displayed in the student show will receive extra credit. Note that it is the individual student's responsibility to work with the student show organizers to ensure that their work is entered and displayed.

Deliverables

The required deliverables for this project are as follows:

• Design brief (no more than 1 page)
• SolidWorks assembly and included part files
  
• Presentation board design (PDF generated from Illustrator, InDesign, etc.)
• Extra credit: Printed & mounted presentation board for inclusion in next semester's student show
  

In addition, if submitted I will also take the following optional items into consideration for grading:

• Hand sketches/ideation (scan in as .jpg files)
• "Working" SWx files that demonstrate your ideation process
• Additional renderings not included on presentation board

Deliverables should be packaged on a CD-ROM to be submitted on the last day of class (5/17). Make sure that your assembly works as loaded from the CD-ROM!

Design Brief

The idea of a design brief should be nothing new for anyone in this class. All I want is a brief (1/2 to 1 page) summary that hits these points:

• Who is the client?
• What are the design drivers?
• What does the device do? How is it used?
  
• How does the design meet the needs of the client? Its users? 

Presentation Board

A well-designed presentation board will be an important part of this project. I suggest incorporating multiple renderings of your design together with text that explains how it works. You may also choose to use elements such as scanned hand sketches, illustrations, and orthographic views. I recommend a 36"x24" layout.

USB Plug Part

Since your design will include a Series A (full-size) USB plug, I will make this part available to download and include in your assembly. You'll probably want to chop off the plastic part using an extruded cut. If you're interested, you can have a look at the official documentation on the USB 2.0 specification. You may want to try modeling the connector yourself, although be sure to use the correct dimensions from the USB specification.

• USB Series A Plug (downloaded from 3DContentCentral)
• USB 2.0 Specification (Series A Plug is on page 89) This is just technical stuff for those who may be interested!

This is an extra credit project worth approximately the weight of one of your iLearn assignments. The challenge is to model and render Gerrit Thomas Rietveld's 1918 Red and Blue Chair, a classic icon of Bauhaus design.

This is a good practice project because it can be done entirely using extrudes with some cosmetic fillets--the beauty of the design is in how these simple elements come together. I am providing a simple reference orthographic to use as a guide. I recommend splitting it into separate files for the front and side views, and importing them into your part as two separate sketch pictures. Be sure to scale them appropriately (overall dimensions for the chair are given). I am not interested in precise measurements for each part; they should just line up with each other visually without any inappropriate gaps or overlaps.

You will find that the Offset option under the From section of the Extrude PropertyManager will come in very useful for this model. This basically allows you to do an extrusion from a profile starting at an offset from the profile's plane instead of right on it. This means that you can trace all the profiles on the Front and Right planes, and then extrude each part out starting at the appropriate offsets from those planes.

You can easily find additional reference images of this design with a search on "Reitveld chair" or "Red and Blue Chair".

Due uploaded to iLearn on or before our final class session on May 17. You can upload either just the model (.sldprt), or for more points, a finished rendering.

• Orthographic image
• eDrawings file
  

For this assignment, you will design and model a loudspeaker consisting of two or more drivers (woofers, midranges, tweeters, etc.) in a single enclosure. You will start by modeling the speaker enclosure as a single thin-walled part, and then use the Split and Save Bodies features to split it into discrete components for each wall and any other (optional) structural elements (internal ribs, etc.). You will then reconstitute these parts into an assembly and add/mate the drivers into predefined cutouts. This is an example of the top-down modeling process.

Note that the overall procedure for this project will be covered in detail in an in-class demo on 4/12. If you missed the demo, it will be important to get notes from one of your classmates. In addition, I've done a quick video tutorial for the enclosure process, although it only briefly covers the main points. Here is the collection of files generated by the in-class demo, which also includes an (optional) internal rib element.

Your speaker might fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Floor-standing home stereo speaker
• Shelf or stand mounted speaker
• Concert/monitor speaker
• Electric guitar amp/speaker
• Car subwoofer
  

Here are the steps you should follow for this project:

• Decide on what driver components you will use, and create models of them. It's not necessary to go into a lot of detail, but these models should roughtly reflect the appearance of the components and have accurate dimensions in terms of the cutout size and mounting depth. There are a number of good reseller websites out there from which you can get product information and photos; I often use Parts Express.
• I suggest referring to the sample driver models that we used for the in-class demo for tips on how to model your drivers. You don't need to go into as much detail as the sample midrange driver model (but it certainly wouldn't hurt if you want the practice).
• If you're having too much trouble modeling the speaker drivers, you may use the sample models.
• Model an enclosure in a new part document. I recommend sticking to mostly flat sides, as complex curvature may make your design hard to split up.
• Be sure to create cutouts that will accommodate your driver selections, both in terms of cutout size/diameter and mounting depth.
• You may also want to accommodate extra elements such as connection terminal plates, handles, bass ports, and grilles, although this is optional (see the Speaker Building section of Parts Express).
• Speaker enclosures benefit from as much rigidity as possible, and larger enclosures often use internal ribs and other support elements. This is optional, but recommended for practice (your split features will become more complex). If you include internal ribs, be sure they won't interfere with the speaker drivers when mounted. See the Rib tutorial for info on the Rib feature.
  
• Use the Split feature followed by Save Bodies to split your master enclosure part into separate part files and a unifying assembly, per the class demo and video tutorial.
• Once you have your enclosure assembly, add your driver part models and put them in place using mates.
• Create a rendering of your completed speaker!

Due: Apr 26 (SolidWorks parts + assembly, rendering)

The second stage of the light design project is to create one or more "glamour shot" renderings of your design. Use the rendering set/indirect illumination technique that we covered in class previously (see also the new video tutorials under the Rendering section). I recommend starting with some shots of your lamp illuminated from outside, and then perhaps try some shots with the lamp providing illumination as well. Upload a screen resolution copy of your best rendering to iLearn so that we can review them onscreen together in class.

I also recommend (but don't require) making a printout of your best rendering on 8.5x11 paper (preferably high quality inkjet) to post in the hallway outside our classroom. 

Finally, if you'd like your rendering to be considered for placement on the homepage, send me a 500x250 pixel view. 

Rendering (.jpg, .tif, or .png) due to iLearn: Sat, Apr 12 (10:10 am for a bonus to participation, midnight otherwise)