FLOR

IDEATION

VACUUM FORMING

EXTRAS

what is flor?

FLOR is a tessellating organizer comprised of five, petal shaped pieces. It is designed to contain small devices and miscellaneous objects and can be arranged as a whole, or in separate pieces. It also includes a wireless phone charger.


what was my goal?

My goal was to create a beautiful form that I would use in my own home. I wanted the pieces to loosely tessellate in unique ways, to amplify the visual effect of something boring like and organizer.


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research


  • I needed to get a sense of what people are currently struggling with in terms of their organization

  • I interviewed several users about their current organization systems, and what they would like to be different.

the buck


In order to vacuum form my tessellation cells, I needed to create a pretty perfect buck out of XPS:


  • I started by making a quick EPS prototype to see the full form

  • I then used my Illustrator templates to cut with the band saw, and sanded from 80 grit up to 220 grit to make sure the surface was smooth for the vacuum forming

  • I made sure to include a 5 degree draft angle along all edges to ensure there was no undercutting

orthographics


  • My first step was to create orthographic drawings of my design in Illustrator

  • The drawings shown at right show the top, front, and left views of both the organizer and my initial mock-up for the charger (although the design changed slightly by the final product)

arduino module


I had access to an Arduino Nano module, and so I decided to use it paired with an LED strip.


  • I soldered it to a photo-sensor, so when the wooden charger is placed in its cell, the LEDs shine through from underneath one by one

  • This is a simple, but pleasant signifier that informs the user when the charger is in place, and adds to the impression that the phone battery is actively increasing

wireless charger


Since the organizer is meant to contain everyday objects, and there is no object used more days than a phone, I decided to design a wireless charger that would nest in one of the cells:


  • The charger is made from three pieces of maple, and has roughly the same shape as the flat part of each petal

  • It was made with a larger base piece, a thin middle piece (shown at right) with a hole cut out for the charging piece, and a thin veneer over the top to finish

forming


  • problem: I do not know how to use the vacuum former

  • solution: get help!

sketches


I wanted each cell to be, in and of itself, an interesting shape. I initially produced three sketches showing different views of potential solutions:


















I ended up using none of these for my final, and actually went with a design I drew on the back of a loose instruction page from my backpack. It has since been lost to time.


To better visualize my sketches, I created a few quick paper prototypes. They were meant to follow the IDEO principles of being efficient, effective, and disposable:


  • problem: my third sketch was one I wanted to prototype, however it was very difficult to create the exact shape I wanted out of paper, as it was too complex to be made simply

  • solution: I used leftover pieces of polystyrene foam, some quick Illustrator orthographic drawings, and a band saw to make an easy and more effective model

prototypes

prototypes

FINAL PRODUCT