Design a manufacturable product for the outdoor activities market from a proof of principal model
The Market
A key to making this product commercially viable is picking an appropriate target market. The Scandinavian sailing market seemed the perfect opportunity for a product such as this as trips could last for several days and require having minimal equipment. 8.69% of the land is covered by water and 57% of the land is covered by forest, it is therefore unsurprising that sailing and hiking are some of the most common recreational activities there.
'Allemansratten'
~'every mans right'
This word is common in Sweden and means people have rights to all public land. This reflects the Swedish attitude to nature suggesting its open to everyone and gives people the right to travel anywhere for recreation or exercise.
Design Inspiration
Texture
With the strong influences form untreated woods and natural stone, this can create interesting textures. From the grains and knots in wood, to the layers and rippling of natural stone.
Nature
Considering there is such an abundance of open space, water and forest and Scandinavia, its not surprising that nature is a big inspiration for this style. This love os nature is reflected through the use of untreated wood and natural stone texture. The blues and greens of the colour scheme are also reflective of the open water and forests throughout the country. Eco-friendliness is a big focus in a typical Scandinavian home mean design focuses on sustainability, minimalism and environmental influences.
Patriotic
Scandinavians are very patriotic so often designs have an element of representing the country of design, whether thats in the logo or through colours representing the flags of Norway or Sweden.
Concepts
Scandinavian Design
Form
The “less is more” philosophy leads to smooth symmetrical forms. With a traditionally handcrafted nature, design developed radiused corners and flowinig edges. These simple forms mean that the quality of matierlas and finish is important to show a quality product. Compact, multi-functional design is a key part of scandinavian design as houses were traditionally small so it was a necessity for all items to be logically designed.
Timber
A lot of Scandinavian products use timber, often in light colours. This is particularly used in interior design with a lot of white colours, this helps the grain and texture of the timber stand out. This is also due to the abundance of softwood available in this countries, particularly Norway Spruce and Scots Pine. “Wood is treated with care and never camouflaged with stains or paint”, Nicola Croughan, interior desiner.
Colour
The colours used in this style of design is soft tones of blues and greens. This compliments the soft forms used and is reflective of the nature of the environment where a lot of inspiration from this style comes from. To carry through the softness, matte textures can be used rather than high gloss which gives a much harder appearance.
Development
Hinge
The hinge was one of the first and most challenging parts to develop. A hinge was a key aspect of the design as its the easiest mechanism to open with one hand however this is hard to implement on a cylindrical surface. The lid was edited with a straight indent in the back to prevent interference between the body and lid.
Button
The button was added to keep the lid securely closed. An upward opening mechanism will make it easiest to open the product with one hand. A flexible living hinge in the button will push together when the button is pushed up to release the lid and open the product.
Veneer
The veneer was added to the outer surface of the product with contrasting white cap and base. The ratio of 2:1 of veneer with the white back ground makes a nice balance of contrasts.
Power
The product has an 18V battery in the base which is plugged in to recharge. An LED ring around the front button gives the user instant feedback on when the product is low on battery and if it is charging properly when plugged in.
Venting
Calculations were important to ensure that the venting area was sufficient to allow enough air in for the fan to cool the Peltier module which is used to draw heat from the can. A 3D model was printed of the product and different venting patterns were applied round the surface to see how they would look.
Interference testing
It is important that the height of the can does not get in the way of the opening mechanism of the lid. To evaluate this I inserted the can into the test assembly of the lid mechanism and moved it through different positions to ensure there was no interference. All 4 test assemblies were evaluated and there was no interference between the can and the inside of the lid.
As the design is cylindrical it took a lot of development to work out how a hinge mechanism could work. By creating a dip in the lid, it allows to the lid to hinge backward. The design was tested in Solidworks to ensure there was no interference between the main body and the lid. It took 4 iterations to eliminate the interference and ensure the lid could open far enough to allow the can to be removed.
Final Design
