We're finally ready to get started actually building some stuff and trying
out some of these concepts that we've developed and selected.
And, I can't possibly cover specific prototyping techniques for all possible
domains. Those of you doing fashion apparel are
going to use sewing machines. Those of you working on software or going
to write code. Those of you designing websites might use PowerPoint to, to
create prototypes. But, I do want to say a few words about prototyping for products.
First thing I want to say is, be very careful, alright?
Even hand tools can be quite dangerous. I don't want anyone cutting themselves or
losing a finger, or poking out an eye, so be super careful.
So, make sure that you are wearing protective eye wear, then you're keep your
hands away from sharp objects, and then, you know what you're doing with tool that
you're using to make a prototype. The second thing that I want to say is
that while some of you are highly skilled at making things, and while skill is
certainly valuable and useful in product design, don't be afraid to, to dive in
and, and build prototypes even if you don't have relevant skill or expertise in
making things. It isn't that hard.
Your goal here is to learn and there's no reason not to just dive in and, and try to
build some things. I'm going to try to apply the discipline
here in showing you some prototypes of only using hand tools.
And so the tools that I'm going to use are, I've got a hammer,
I've got a, a metal clipper, a shear. I've got a box cutter or utility knife.
I have a little file, I have a screwdriver.
I have, what in the US is called a coping saw,
But it's a saw for cutting wood. And, those are the tools that I'm going to
try to, to use in, in creating these prototypes.
I guess I've got some sandpaper here, as well.
And, you don't need much more than that to make simple prototypes of most physical
goods. Let me also say that in terms of
materials, you want to make resourceful use of found objects, of things that you
have lying around or things that, that you can easily get for not much money.
So, for instance, I'm very interested in the, the notion of,
of a punching action for an ice cream scoop. And, I've got to thinking about
that and started to think about how I might prototype something like that and I
came up with the idea of using a tomato paste can as the, as the cylinder for, for
doing that punch in. I thought well maybe I can cut out a shape
out of that can. So, that is a very inexpensive product.
I even reused, I even saved the tomato paste to use in cooking.
So, for almost nothing, I've got a nice cylinder here that I can use in a
prototype. My older son is a baseball player.
We have a lot of broken baseball bats in our house so I took some baseball bats
because I thought these might make nice handles for an ice cream scoop, so I took
those objects. I had some sheet metal lying around.
Again, if you didn't have any pieces of metal, you could use a can to cut some,
cut some steel or aluminum out of, out of a can.
And then, I just have just some pieces of wood lying around that I figured I could
reuse or recycle in order to make some of the handles,
And so forth. So, found objects, simple hand tools, can get you quite a ways.
I guess the other thing to say about, about resourceful use of existing objects
is, It, it's, it's going to be hard in some
cases to replicate some of the complex geometries that you might need or want in
your prototype. And so, for example, in ice cream scoops that the whole scoop
shape recurs repeatedly in the concepts that we're looking at.
That's actually a pretty hard shape to make with hand tools, but there's no
reason I can't take this product that I paid about $four for and cut it up in
order to use it in my prototype that I'm using just to test an idea.
So, making clever or resourceful use of some existing products to adapt them to
one of your concept is totally fair. It's very common.
Finally, let me say that what I'm doing here is standard professional practice.
That is, just because it's hand tools found objects and done very simply,
doesn't mean its amateur. This is the way prime designers everywhere mock up or
experiment with fiscal goods. So, what we're doing in this course and my
emphasis here on simple approaches to prototyping is very standard practice.
Because your goal here is for you, as the designer, to be able to learn and explore
without incurring a lot of time or expense using professional or elaborate production
Karl T. UlrichVice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
