Week 8— Time Capsule — Part 2
Time Capsule Prototype
Ideation & Brainstorming
Before sketching, I have thought of multiple ways to represent my time capsule in many different forms. I have taken these questions into consideration when choosing a design for the time capsule:
- Shape?
- Size?
- Weight?
- Usability?
- Digital?
- Will it fit actual size artifacts in the time capsule?
- Could it be other than a traditional box or capsule?
Sketch Time!
For my primary design of a time capsule, I had already decided to do the shoe box-like design as my rough prototype. I wanted to keep the design as simple as possible but include an encrypted-security system for accessing the time capsule. When entering the correct passcode, the box will “blink green” and will decompress and will detach the cover off of the box. If the passcode was entered incorrectly, the box will “blink red” and deny access to the user until proven the correct passcode as the screen will visually reset itself.
For more specific detailing of the time capsule, I would imagine the material of the box will be fully made out of platinum with a tempered glass surface for the screen. The buttons will have a mechanical switch-like build that provides haptic feedback when pressing the buttons. As for the light indicators, they both will contain LED lights that gives them a good source of lighting. The time capsule will also be powered by a lithium-ion battery that enable solar-powered charging for durability and longevity. As for size, the box will be scaled to fit the actual size artifacts that I have previously mentioned in the Part 1 article. The weight of the box will be surprising light as it should not retain any excess weight other than the artifacts themselves.
3D Model/Final Design of Time Capsule Prototype
To fully view the model, please refer to the embed link below!
Self-Reflection Time!
This portion of the project was very interesting as I spent some time thinking about what should the time capsule actually look like within my perspective. I thought of several ways that could represent my time capsule, but I ended up just sticking to the shoe box design for simplicity. As I was thinking of sketching the design, I also had thought about adding in a security functionality on the shoe box design to give it some character rather than just a typical storage box.
Instead of doing a physical prototype, I wanted to try to do a digital 3D modeling of my prototype. I have used Vectary as it was one of the few resources that I have found on Google that offered a free-trial to use their site. It was definitely an interesting approach as I have never made digital prototypes by using 3D modeling and I admit that it was quite challenging on using this tool. But, I have managed to develop a design and made the final prototype! I felt proud of managing to use a new digital tool for this project as it gave me more innovative options to design a product.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the scope of this project as I was able to personalize the design of the time capsule and how it ties in with my personal belongings and their values to them. It truly felt like I was developing the product for my own personal justifications!
