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Final product workflow

My workflow for this product was achieved by lessons from the first 6 weeks of this course. I scraped by that one stressed out of my mind and having a fast food 3 course dinner for a week. The motto “If you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late and if you’re late you’re fired” really helped on planning. Never just leave this kind of work alone for a week, because it will just snowball, so plan ahead and actually achieve something by a week by week basis. I planned to work hard on a dedicated day (Tuesday or Thursday) and finish something that I didn’t have to cry for at the end of the 6 weeks. Although I had some sleepless nights, perseverance, will power and a little fear of failure got me over the finishing line this time. Although I did take it at my leisurely pace, and I never complicated something. Keep it simple, stupid. And preparing for failure is always a good habit. The main thing I can take out of this course, aside from a gratitude towards caffeine, is that hard work will get you places and will make your ideas reality. 

Charles

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My final product. The switch works well, and the components are all snug inside. The red light is great, it really lights up from the bottom, including the legs, and the white light is a great surprise, it really shows the small light of hope. The jack fits perfectly, the grill looks fine, and everything works, which is great. I’m quite happy with how it’s turned out, and can’t wait to showcase it with Feel Good Inc. 

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The final design. I've made the print just big enough for all the components, and it fits together well, in theory. I’ve made a makeshift antennae and a few holes for the LED. The model is flipped for printing ease and speed. The headphone jack fits well, and I’’m hoping to get a white model for my final design. 

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The first fully working prototype. The red colour is good and all, but it doesn't show up well in the dark, it turns pink. The feet turned out great, and the light goes through them superbly. I couldn't fit the second white light though, so just a simple on/off switch works just as well. 

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So I found a switch that will be perfect for my two LED’s that I need. The diagram above is how the switch works, and how I set up my circuit. My 9 volt battery serves as the power source, and only one resistor is needed between the red and white LED. The size means that the switch will have to be put in sideways, but no matter, the screws you can see will hold the thing in place.  

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Final cardboard prototype. I think I finally have the size sorted out, and the antennae may either need to be useful of I will drop it. I might put a light on there soon. The colour is just to show the darkness compared to the little wire of hope.  

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Another variant of the model. A thicker base, and the headphone jack is on the top, just to test. And the grill at the front has a much more pronounced curve. I don’t think that the modifications help though, so I might drop them. 

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A few prototype switch holes. I found a few Jaycar models that fit like these, but the oval holes don’t fit my theme. But the simple square holes just seem boring. But a few switches also have a few plates that can be screwed on, so they seem much better for the job. 

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A small hiccup; the 3-D print may or may not have had a little daydream and found itself printing a few good centimeters off where it started. No matter, the material holds up really well, and I have decided to not use orange, maybe a red next time. And the latch system didn't work, but I now think I don’t need a latch, more joints make the print complicated and gravity can do the work for me.  

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Another cardboard model, this time for a real size test. Still too small, and the legs still don’t match the theme quite as well as the first 3-D model. But the antennae has given me an idea for the hope light.   

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Another deign experiment, this time in how the speaker will have a compartment for the LED’s, therefore a door. I think having a simple hinge-flap would be fine, and the space inside could easily fit a simple flat battery and 2 LED’s. 

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Theme

As Feel Good inc. is my song of choice, I want my theme for my speaker to be one of darkness, of plastic and “fake-ness” that takes you for granted, of a ruthless, dark light that almost seems to come up from underneath you and drag you down. But then a small, sliver of light comes through, a small light of hope, even for only half a minute, that lights up before the deep darkness comes up from underneath you again. A red light could symbolize the darkness of the song, and a small white LED could symbolize hope. I will think of a way to have a two way switch of some sort. 

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Material

I chose that 3-D printing my speaker would be the best for my idea. Its sturdy, has a wide range of colour, can form almost anything I design, and can make LED light look epic. I think maybe a red, orange or a white plastic could help with the dark colour I want for my theme. 

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My first concept in my chosen material. A little rough, but it shows the shape and features I want. A good first step in the right direction. The legs are a little fiddly, and the colour doesn’t suit the idea of what I want, but its a start. 

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The first rough physical model. The cardboard is good for a quick build to show a prototype, but will not be the material I choose. I wanted to see if the beveled edges and the first designs idea for prongs for legs could work. But I find that this model is too small, the edges don’t work, and the legs don’t show the idea of what  i want in a model

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Another experiment, this time changing the edges from a hard to a beveled surface. Could help with handling, but then it doesn't have the same hard shape and almost menace that the LED’s could light through. And the switch doesn’t fir the aesthetic 

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Another experiment with the designs, thinking of the old T.V’s you see in cartoons which have the large boxes on the opposite of the screen. Don’t really like it though, and it could effect the balance of the speaker