Project 2: Special Carriers

09/23/2020

This project is about designing special carriers and the user experience with the carrier from looks to function. I will be creating a carrier specifically for flowers.

When I think of flowers, I immediately think of something soft and delicate. I also think of what flowers are used for: gifts for someone special, decoration, gifts for the dearly departed. Flowers fulfill these purposes because of their innate elegance and unparalleled beauty.

When designing carriers, I must keep in mind not only how it appears, how it functions, but also how easy or convenient it is to use. Carriers must also provide protection to their contents, which is especially important with fragile flowers. Many issues arise when working with flowers. They are fragile, they need water, and they need to be tended frequently. As I continue to do more research on flowers and carriers, my ideas will continue to develop. For now, I want to focus on using my carrier to amplify or highlight the flower’s beauty while also providing protection and easy user experience. I also think I may have to develop different carriers for flowers meant for decoration and for gifts.

09/27/2020

Today I focused on producing some sketch models of some ideas I had in mind. Below are some images I used for inspiration. I noticed that they all used some sort of handle that tapers towards the bottom where the flowers are cut off. They have a handle at the tip of the bulge. Some keep the stems out while others keep them in; I don’t understand the motive behind that decision but I can guess it could be to keep the stems fresh.

After looking at what others have done before me, I decided to give it a try. I tried to mimic the first image above. I also did some sketches where I explored the purpose of a flower carrier. I also asked myself whether it would be possible to create something that would function both as a carrier and a vase.

I debated on whether or not I wanted to use a rounded carrier as opposed to a box-like feature. I also experimented with a feature that would act both as my handles but also as stands that would hold the carrier upright like a vase. I also experimented with a locking mechanism that would lock the support features in place; however, I ran into the issue with when the support features would change into handles. Because of the angle at which the carrier itself was shaped, keeping the handles parallel would let the flowers fall out. So for now, I put that idea on hold and decided to recreate one of my inspirations.

I also wanted to try and recreate one of the locking mechanisms I had done in class last week, and as I finished crafting the pieces and started putting them together, I stumbled upon different orientation I could put the locking mechanisms in to create a support structure.

They are still pretty unstable, but from here I was able to mount the large carrier body onto the two support structures. Immediately, they were crushed by the weight of the flowers, so I decided to reinforce it with some tape to see how it would look and behave under different circumstances.

After seeing what it could potentially be, I started on a host of new ideas. My priority with this carrier is keeping the flowers safe; the second most important thing on my list is amplifying the beauty of the flowers with the carrier itself. After stepping back and looking at the incomplete carrier, I realized I had too much going on to the point where it felt overworked and heavy. I had to somehow reduce the features and clean the entire structure up to keep the carrier from overpowering the flowers and weighing them down.

I have a bunch of new ideas now that I want to try out. I want to create a moving hinge handle that will be able to move from a handle to a supporting beam. I also want to try using a rectangular prism base instead of this rounded object to give the carrier a little more definition. I would like to flesh out the support beams I have now to a point where they can support the flowers without tape; maybe it will give me some more insight as to what works and what doesn’t. Right now my biggest problem is not being able to use all the features I want to. I have to prioritize which ones are necessary.

09/30/2020

I went back today and revisited some ideas I got from Tuesday’s class. I wanted to create some sort of rotation contraption that would lock in place. But first, I started with a stronger base than last time; I used a rectangular prism build that would tapper down towards the stem of the flowers, giving the design a sleeker and more elegant look.

I started with some sketches of what I thought would work regarding the rotator contraption. I started out with a separate piece that I could experiment on before actually placing it on the carrier itself; I want to carve into the carrier for my final version if I can find a better way to create this contraption. I first started off witch cutting out a hexagon from a piece of cardboard. A strip of cardboard would be suspended by the tension created by the hexagonal hole. However, immediately after testing it, it became clear to me that there was little to no structural integrity. I decided to cut small notches into the sides of the hexagon to be able to lock the strip in place.

I taped it to the side of my carrier because I didn’t want to cut into the carrier itself just yet. I also realized that the locking mechanism was being smashed and bent in ways it wasn’t supposed to be; I have to rethink that. In the meantime, I was able to get the vase to stand on its own for a quick second. It collapsed soon afterwards because the strip of cardboard was way too thin to support the carrier’s weight. I think the strip may have to be 2 or more sheets thick. I was able to get the basic idea of the rotation down. Another solution might be to cut with the grain instead of against it so that the grain of the cardboard runs perpendicular to the ground. This way, the handle provides some sort of resistance horizontally.

These images show how the rotation of the strip of cardboard can be shifted to create a handle or support beam. I need to cut a longer piece next time since it doesn’t elevate the carrier far enough off the ground. As a handle, it is way too close to the flowers for the user to have an enjoyable experience. Another thing is that the handle is quite difficult to move around and adjust. The lock works and provides some structure, but the way the material is used and manipulated is too flimsy. I want to continue to refine this idea because I think it has some potential.

As for the carrier itself. I noticed that the flowers are sinking pretty deep into the carrier and too little of the flower is actually being seen. Since one of my main goals was the amplify and highlight the beauty of the flowers, I will cut some rectangular grates into my carrier to show more flower. I don’t want to cut too much to the point where the flower ends up being unprotected. Also, I have decided to create almost a mini version of the carrier inside the original carrier. This way it funnels the stems and provides some organization to the flowers inside the carrier.

10/05/2020

I started with a new model these couple of days since the rotating structure was too dysfunctional and complicated for the user experience to be enjoyable. I decided to take a more simplified approach to this carrier, keeping in mind the advantages of my other designs. I started from a new direction, looking at the function of a vase before looking at the function of the carrier. I kept the design very minimal with no protrusions; just a triangular prism with a handle. I also decided for the opening to peel back like leaves on a flower. This would amplify and emphasize the flower-ness of the carrier.

The petals or leaves peel back and attach themselves to the body of the carrier. They would fold upwards and form a bud that encloses and protects the flower in nature. The carrier also had a handle that was built the side; when closed completely, the carrier almost resembles a suitcase of sorts. An added benefit is that it can also carry objects other than flowers and keep those objects well protected.

The experience using the carrier is enjoyable and a pleasant surprise. When you peel down the sides of the carrier, its as if you are surprised or revealing a gift! I will have to do some refining in the next week because the reveal isn’t as smooth as I would like it to be. I would also like to improve the overall aesthetic of the carrier.

When it came to craftsmanship and building the carrier, I was able to construct most of it without tape. I used small locking mechanisms and almost puzzle piece-like techniques to keep the three larger pieces of cardboard together. I decided to use larger pieces that would fold to increase structural integrity—something that was lacking in my other designs. I used a small amount of tape to tape down the petals when peeled but also when budded together; I wanted to use some sort of pin that would pin the petals together and to the walls of the carrier, but it didn’t work since the petals were too thin. The third and smaller petal was executed quite poorly because I didn’t take into consideration the length of one of the sides. I had other minor errors I wanted to correct. The handle is too thin and feels like it will snap at any moment; this is because I didn’t account for how much space the handle would actually need to take up. I also need to pay more attention to the symmetry of the cardboard. If it doesn't line up, it won’t feel as satisfying to look at.

Speaking of aesthetics. I think I will have to modify this design further because it feels much too bulky to be a carrier for some flowers. It looks quite heavy and dense, opposite of what flowers are. It doesn’t compliment the flowers very well. Overall, it was a great success, and I can’t wait to explore further into what this design has to offer.

10/07/20

My takeaways from yesterday’s critique were to keep in mind not just the delivery and opening experience of the package but to keep in mind the assembly and construction of the package as well. With that in mind, I created a new design that almost fulfilled what I had in mind.

The first major change was using basically one piece of cardboard to create the vast majority of the carrier. I was able to use a series of folds to increase structural integrity and lessen the amount of work someone had to do to assemble the carrier.

I also had to address some issues with my previous design. Because my previous design was focused on being a vase more than a carrier, it made it especially difficult to remove flowers from the carrier. I decided to create a more open version that would be easily opened to access the stems of the flowers. I also addressed the issue of the form contrasting too much with the object. Because the carrier was so much larger and disproportionate to the flowers, it felt as if the carrier was asking a question that the flowers weren’t answering. There was some sort of disconnect between the two. With that in mind, I cut the amount of cardboard down to all that was necessary. It was much slimmer and more elegant look to it than its predecessor.

I also tried this new basket-like feature that enclosed the flowers themselves; it was meant to fold over and form a bud like the previous model. However, I couldn’t get the cuts at the right angle for the three leaves to fold over each other. The corrugation of the cardboard didn’t help either since it made the cardboard wrinkle and bend in different directions than intended. Because of this, I decided to create a basket. I really like how it turned out, but I prefer the previous model much more.

I also used a handle that would act as a buckle. It would keep the bottom together and two sides of the carrier together as well. I would like the two sides to be closer together because it feels slightly dangerous with the gap between the two sides. I think I can solve this by tightening the buckle.

There were a lot of problems with the experiment. The handle was located so far back that there was no balance when holding the carrier in the desired position. Additionally, when placed upright, it would fall because the bottom wasn’t nearly large enough to support the weight at the top. Also, the corrugation wasn’t oriented in the right way, allowing the carrier to fold forward due to weight. And the most obvious error is that I wasn’t able to create the bulb I intended to create in the beginning. I want to refine this design more because it shows a lot of promise! It is simple to put together and has a nice appearance, but there are definitely better ways to accomplish what I want to do.

10/11/20

With today's design, I drew from the peer review session we had last Thursday. The main criticism I received was that the carrier felt dangerous and unstable because of how open it was. It was able to to communicate the fact that it was a flower carrier at the expense of safety of the objects. Because I was totally focused trying to create something easy to assemble, I made a carrier that didn’t fulfill the other goals a carrier needs to achieve.

I continued to talk with my mentors Francis and Elysha outside of class and came to similar conclusions. There was too space inside the carrier that allowed the flowers to bump around, potentially causing preventable damage; I made it one of my goals to protect the inside as much as the outside. They also pointed out that the handle of my carrier also acted as the piece that would hold carrier together. Thus, if the handle broke the entire carrier would also fall apart. We continued to talk about learning how to manipulate the material and how the corrugation effects the bending of the cardboard. They stated that in order to resolve the top of my old carrier, I would need to better understand how to work with the cardboard.

With all these things in mind, I started drafting a new, refined versions of my carrier. I came to a realization that I had being trying to force my flower carrier to also act like a vase because I wanted there to be minimal movement of the delicate flowers. However, I also realized I could achieve the same result without having to force my carrier into functioning as a vase.

I settled on a design that used 2 pieces. The first piece would be the outer carrier with a handle that was apart of it. I decided to reduce the number of pieces as much as possible while also improving the model’s elegance. The second piece is similar to the outer carrier, just smaller. The outer piece functions as a protective casing with a handle. The inside piece slides out to reveal the flowers while also preventing the flowers from bumping around too much.

To remove the flowers from the carrier, you pull on the tab and slide the inside piece out. The carrier lays on its side and the inside piece unravels to reveal the flowers. You can then pick the flowers up from the piece without having to tamper or move with the carrier.

Some issues arose when I was crafting this carrier. First off, the assembly process was much harder than I anticipated. This was because tabs that would hold the outside carrier together didn’t fit well into the slits I cut. I will have to resolve them somehow, either by using smaller tabs or change up the orientation. The second problem I faced was the handle; it was too short and too wide, making it ergonomically uncomfortable and slightly unbalanced. Because I am working with one piece of cardboard, I may have to cut down on the length of my carrier to make extra room for the handle. The third problem I encountered was how the inside carrier behaved. The current version would unravel, but it didn’t provide the greatest protection. I might want to create a sturdier version with interlocking parts to strengthen the inside. I am also thinking of extending the top part to better protect the petals.

10/13–10/19

For the past week, I have been working on refining and finalizing my carrier. However, even after the deadline, I’m still not satisfied with the design and overall turnout of my carrier. I had a meeting with Stacie and Steve on Thursday, and we covered some ideas and concerns I had with my carrier at the time. We talked about how some ways of addressing them and some standout issues with the carrier too.

I did some brainstorming and eventually came up with an idea that would address several issues with my previous carrier. The first issue was the fact that the inside piece felt unintentional, as if it was only there because I wanted a moving piece. Thus, I decided to remove it entirely, forcing me to find another method of keeping the flowers from bumping into each other too much. I settled for a very slim design that you can see below.

The slim design also addressed the second problem on my list. Steve mentioned that there is a specific way flowers make you feel when they are being carrier, especially in public. It’s supposed to be joyous and a celebration; my “rifle-strap” carrier did none of that. The slim design that holds the stems together also opts as a handle that I can use hold the flowers upright when gifting them to someone. But also, because it is uncomfortable for one to carry flowers upright for longer distances, I added a second handle at the top for such occurrences. Moreover, it also can function some protection for the petals with your hand also covering them.

The carrier can be easily disassembled to roll open and access the flowers inside. There are only two sets of tabs that need to be opened in order open the entire packaging. Additionally, I also addressed the third problem, protecting the petals. I extended the sides to create a casing around the petals to provide the petals with ample protection.

My attempts at satisfying those concerns were decently successful. With the amount of time I had left, I felt like I did the best I could trying to fine solutions that could fit the criteria I was looking for. With the creation of the new carrier came a new wave of new problems.

The first problem I encountered was the space inside the carrier. Because of how slim it is, larger bouquettes won’t be able to fit; petals will probably bruise, and the stems might force the tabs to pop out if they are too numerous. Also, a number of flowers seem to popping out from between the tab at the top and the set of tables at the bottom. Those flowers don’t have the best protection.

The design or layout of the carrier also has some issues. I cut it from one piece of cardboard, and I didn’t forsee that there would be copious amounts of stress placed on the transition area between the first and second tabbing system. This is partly due to the way the carrier is being folded in that area. Both parts of the carrier want to stay straight but in separate directions. My final problem arose when I was taking photos of the carrier; I asked my mother to hold it by her side so I could show her what kind of photos I wanted her to take. The carrier ended up touching the ground. I didn’t realize it until I had finished the carrier that it was too long for some people and would end up dragging along the group if carried at one’s side.

This project was very difficult for me considering that I’ve been navigating two-dimensional space for most of my life. Adding a third dimension made the task infinitely more complex but also so much more exciting. I was able to do a lot more than I expected with the cardboard. I also was able to brainstorm more creative approaches by seeing what others did with the limitations we had.

There are a lot of things I would do different if I had a second chance at this project. The first would be to take a more straight forward approach to creating my carrier. Instead of creating a mechanism or form and trying to force the flowers to somehow fit the form, I would focus on function and the criteria I needed to meet. After successfully meeting the desired criteria, I would then focus on mechanisms I could use to improve the design. The second thing I would do different would be to study the material and understand how to manipulate it more in-depth. I think it would’ve been a whole lot easier and less time consuming if I spent a little extra time experimenting with the material and understanding its limitations. This project gave me a lot insight into what I need to improve on and what I need to pay attention to in the future; it has helped me approach problems with a new perspective and mindset.