Through a one semester course (2.009), my team of 13 other mechanical engineering students and I developed a working line-following laser cutter to eliminate the software barriers that often stand in between crafters and digital fabrication. Users can hand draw their shapes, set their materials, and Contour cuts their creations effortlessly.
Generating Concepts
The first half of this product design course was entirely centered on generating and selecting ideas. Each member individually came up with 10 ideas, then through a rigorous down-selection process consisting of Pugh-charts and many sticky notes, ideas were narrowed down to a select few that would be prototyped and tested.
I approached this part of the process by considering daily occurrences that related to sustainability, health, and sparking joy. Through various trips to parks, libraries, and post offices, I observed the people around me and made note of the inconveniences they encountered. From these observations I generated as many ideas as I could, then created detailed drawings of my favorites to resolve some more important details.
CONTOUR CUTTER
narrowing down a specific user persona
Our final idea was to create a laser cutter that was easy for crafters to pick up and start using. We defined our primary user as a hobbyist who loves making small gifts and decorations at home. She is great at drawing, but her fabrication is limited by her lack of cutting skills and small work space.
Our user is intrigued by digital fabrication, but neither has the technical knowledge to use it, nor the time to learn.
designing an intuitive experience
With this user in mind, we wanted Contour to be easy to use right out of the box. Other laser cutters require users to install software on their computers and learn to use digital drawing tools. To simplify the lasercutting process, we removed the requirement of uploading a digital drawing to the machine.
Instead, we wanted the users to have a more tangible experience by being able to draw their own designs straight on their materials. Once placed in the machine, the drawings can be scanned and cut out with the push of a button.
abstracting complex systems into accessible interfaces
First and foremost our product needed to feel accessible. Laser cutters are complicated technical devices that are perceived as esoteric by the general public. Our designs were inspired by kitchen appliances and typewriters, both intricate mechanical products that are welcome in the home.
We agreed that the user interface needed to be entirely tactile, eliminating the confusion that is introduced by screens and hidden menus. We broke down the controls to only the most necessary and represented them with simple buttons.
prototyping form and interaction
The full team was split into sub-teams to focus on different aspects of our alpha and beta prototypes. My work largely focused on the overall user experience and how to integrate that with the hard technology without letting the device appear intimidating.
The team took our interactive looks-like models to test with real people. From these interviews we were able to better discern which features were absolutely necessary and which would contribute to confusion, as well as how best to represent that to new users.
building the alpha prototype
The fully functioning alpha prototype was built in only a few weeks. It consisted of the gantry, laser, vision system, metal frame, and buttons. At this point in the process I was primarily working on integrating these components into one enclosed system in a way that still accessibly presented the device to a user. Specifically, I worked on the metal frame (designing, CADing, and painting) and the buttons (designing, fabricating, integrating with electronics.)
updating the UI and form
While the alpha prototype was intended to communicate with users, it was mostly an engineering prototype. Using this prototype we tested the system with new users and took their feedback into account when redesigning the form and UI panel.
In the final panel we made all of the buttons the same size and represented their functions with symbols instead of words. Each button glowed to represent the next step for the user to do once each stage had concluded. The buttons are presented on a panel that is a different color from the rest of the machine to better stand out and draw the user's attention.
building the beta prototype
In the last few weeks of the course the team came together to develop the final prototype. This prototype used the same gantry and vision system as had been developed in the previous technical model, but now fit into a significantly smaller, friendlier plastic frame. At this stage I was working with my peers on the frame (drawing, CADing, developing thermoforming molds, painting.) I owned the button part of this project, developing them almost entirely on my own. I designed the symbols, created the SVG files, 3D printed and cut the caps, painted, assembled, and wired the lights.
final presentation
To conclude this whirlwind of a class, my team presented Contour to our classmates, professors, and industry professionals. The presentation included a live demonstration, product description, and business plan. You can view the full presentation down below.
I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity to have worked on such an amazing project at the end of my undergraduate time with my peers :)