C AT E R P I L L A R
Ha nna h Za itlin | He le n B e zve rh aia | To ri We ir
LIGHT
a ki d s fl a s hl i g h t + n ig h t lig h t
desirable for childrn
materials selection
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Process + Iteratio n
Key ide as t hat drove t h e i t erat i o n p ro cess i n cl u d ed
mak ing the for m m ore s i m i l a r t o a ca t erp i l l a r t o
c re ate better visual app ea l fo r ch i l d ren , a s wel l as
de signing t he button to b e m o re ap p ro p ri at e fo r a
c hild; the buttons posi t i o n was m oved t o t h e b ase
of the f l ashlight to preven t a cci d en t a l l y t u rn i n g i t
on/of f , while t he switch i n t era ct i o n wa s ch a n g ed
f rom a press-and-hold t o a t o g g l e st yl e.
summary
Context Comparis on
Conte xt great ly affect s d esi g n ; t h e n eed s o f a
c onstruction wor ker, se n i o r, an d ch i l d are a l l
dif fe re n t . While a cons t ru ct i o n wo rker m ay n eed a
f lashligh t with m any fu n ct i o n s fo r a va ri et y o f
task s, a senior m ay simp l y n eed o n e t h a t i s eas y t o
unde rstand how to use; a ch i l d n eed s a vi s u a l l y
appe aling flashlight t ha t i s eas y t o o p era t e, b u t
like ly doesn t care whe t h er i t can a l so b e u s ed a s a
sc re w dr iver. Context does n o t so l el y affect fu n c-
tion and visual for m , ho wever; i t a l s o a ffect s
e rgonom ic design. A fla s h l i g h t m a d e fo r a ch i l d s
hands needs to have di fferen t d i m en s i o n s t h a n o n e
f or a large adult m ans . Co n si d era t i o n s fo r vi su a l
f orm, e rgonom ic for m , a n d fu n ct i o n a l i t y a l l a re
af fe c te d by the context / u ser.
persona
T h e Ca t er p illa r L ig h t i s a 2 - i n- 1 f l as h l i ght/ ni ghtlight designed f or kids with a
love o f c r it t er s a n d a fea r o f t h e d a r k . Fe a tur i ng a green m oulded plastic body
re s e mbl i ng a c ate r p i l l a r, the l i ght i s p lay f u l a n d fri e nd l y in its a ppea r ance a s
w e l l a s s a fe a n d ea s y t o c lea n - a p pe al i ng to both children a nd parents. With a
f l i p - o ut pl ug, i t c an a l s o be p lu g g ed in t o a n o u tl e t to act as a n i g htl i gh t.
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
A l i ce Hol m be rg is 6 yea r s old, and just sta r ted attending elem enta r y s c h o o l.
To be de s i r a b l e f o r k i d s , a ma te r i a l mu s t be vis u al l y app e al i n g. The body of
She loves ani m al s an d drawi n g, and her f avour ite colour is gre e n. Livin g in
the C a te r pi l l a r L i g ht i s ma de of Hi gh D e ns i ty Po lyethylene (HDPE) , a
Va ncouver with ver y outdoor sy pa rents, she spends a lot of tim e out s id e fo r
the r mopl a s ti c tha t c a n e a s i l y be mo l de d a n d c o loured. M oulding it into the
c a te r p i l l a r f o r m w i th rounde d c u r ve s c re ate s a f r iendly, f un sha pe, while
c o l our i ng i t br i ght gre e n ma ke s i t eye - c atc hi ng a nd reinf orces the
f a m ily a ctivities. Like m any 6 yea r olds, Alice is a lso afrai d o f the d ark. Sh e
uses a nightlight in her bedroom , a nd her pa rents a lways m ake sure to p ac k
spa re batter ies f or the lanter ns f or their fam i l y cam pi ng tri p s.
c a te r p i l l a r i mage r y. T h e re s ul t i s a w hi ms i c a l , play f ul f or m , f or a f la shlight
tha t i s de s i r a b l e to k i d s . Func ti o na l l y, HD P E i s du rabl e , ca pa ble of
w i ths ta ndi ng be i n g throw n or droppe d - c o mmon occur rences with kids. It
how to use
i s a l s o h yg ien ic , s o tha t an y di r t or s tai ns f ro m m essy a ccidents ca n be
e a s i l y c l e a n e d of f . HD P E i s a l s o phthal a te a n d BPA-f ree (da ngerous toxins
f o und i n s o me pl a s ti c s ) . T h i s ma ke s HD P E a n i ncredibly safe m a ter ia l, f or a
f l a s h l i ght tha t c a n be us e d i n hous e hol ds w i th children of a ll ages.
1. Flas hlight
A butt o n s witc h at th e b o tto m o f th e
Silicone
Ca ter p illar L ig h t is p re s s e d to to g g le
T h e gr i p of the C ate r pi l l a r L i g ht i s ma de f ro m silicone, a n anti m i cro bi al
the ligh t o n / o ff; th e s witc h c an b e
a n d w a t er -res is t a n t mate r i a l . T h i s ma ke s i t i dea l f or the pa r t of the
press e d o n e - h an d e d , with th e o th e r
f l a s h l i ght w he re pote n ti a l l y di r ty or w e t ha n ds will be holding. Its r ubber y
ha nd, o r by b e in g p u s h e d rmly ag ain s t
te x tu re prov i de s f r i c ti on a n d t a c t ile feed b a c k f o r gr ip, while its m o l d abl e ,
a ny o b j e c t (e .g . th ig h , flo o r).
c o lo u r a b le prope r ti e s a l l o w i t to be v i s u a l l y a p pealing.
Polyurethane Foam Rubber (NOVEL ALTERN ATIVE) 2. Nightlight
Po l y ure th a n e Foam R u bbe r i s a r ubbe r tha t ha s been m a nuf actured with Prongs are flip p e d fro m th e b o tto m o f th e
a f o a mi ng ag e n t to c re ate a n a i r - l l e d ma tr i x s t r ucture; it is m ol dab l e , Ca ter p illar L ig h t to p lu g it in to an o u tle t;
c o lo u r a b le, lig h t w eig h t , a n d ha s a h ig h a m o u n t o f e l asti ci ty . It could the ligh t au to matic ally tu rn s o n wh e n
be us e d f o r the oute r body of the C a te r pi l l a r L i g ht to create a cushiony plugge d in . P lu g g in g it in to a ve r tic al wall
e x te r i or, re s ul ti ng i n a d elig h t f u lly s q u is h y a n d tacti l e fe e l . outlet is o p timal fo r maximu m b ro ad
illum in atio n , as th e lig h t is c as t u p ward s
to bou n c e o ff th e wall/ c e ilin g .
B utton
E rg o n o mi c S h a p e
the l oc ati on of the button at the bottom
t h e cu r ve o f t h e b o d y m a ke s i t cl e a r w h e re t o
preve nts the l i ght f rom be i ng ac c i de ntal l y
g r a s p t h e fl a s h l i g h t , a n d p rov i d e s a n a t u r a l
tur ne d on/of f , w hi l e the toggl e -s ty l e make s
fe e l w h e n d o i n g s o .
us i ng i t e as y and s tr ai ghtf or w ard.
Light
t h e l o c a ti o n o f th e l en s a t th e to p a l l o w s f o r a b o th f o c u s ed ,
m a n e uvera b l e b ea m , a s w el l a s g en era l i l l u m i n a ti o n w h en
p l u g g ed i n ver ti c a l l y a s th e l i g h t b o u n c es o f f th e w a l l /c ei l i n g .
Me ta l P l ug
the m e tal pl ug has prongs that l i e f l at, tuc ke d i n t o
the body ; they c onduc t e l e c tr i c i ty and c an b e
f l i ppe d out to pl ug the l i ght i nto the w al l f o r u s e a s In d e n t e d G r i p
a ni ghtl i ght. i n d e n t a t i o n s m a d e fo r t h e d i m e n s i o n s o f a ch i l d s
h a n d s cre a t e a m o re e rg o n o m i c g r i p t h a t fe e l s
co m fo r t a b l e t o h o l d . t e x t u re d , r u b b e r y s i l i co n e
p rov i d e s fr i ct i o n , m a k i n g i t e a s i e r t o g r i p .
Constraint Interesting Material Info References
T h e c o ns tr a i nt of be i n g de s i r a b l e f o r k i d s pl a c ed a higher im por tant Product design is not sim ply a m a tter of f or m a nd f unction; m ate ri al is a n Harrison, K. (2015, June). Will Silicone Replace BPA-Free Plastics
For Kids' Products? Forbes. Retrieved from:
on s e ns o r y prope r ti e s of the mate r i a l r a th e r tha n f unctiona lity, a s im per a tive f actor in product design. It is a third com ponent tha t needs to take www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2015/06/18/1874/2/#3c3a15
0a3b93
c h i l dre ns de s i re s a re a f fe c te d mo re by e moti on a nd sensation a s into consider a tion both f or m a nd f unction in order to a ppropr ia tely
oppos e d to r a ti o na l i ty or l ogi c . A s a re s ul t, ma ter ia ls ha d to a ppea l com m unica te and a ddress both. Dif ferent m a ter ia ls a re suita ble f or dif ferent
Silicon Material Safety Data Sheet. (n.d.) Retrieved from:
i n a s e ns o r y w ay, a s w e l l a s be c a pab l e of c o mmunicating the contexts, just a s dif ferent f or m s and f unctions a re. Fur ther m ore, m a ter ia l ca n www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924921
c a te r p i l l a r i mage r y of the f o r m; HD P E s mo l da b le a nd colour a ble be selected to crea te a n em phasis on f or m , or f unction, depending on the
prope r ti e s , i n a d di ti on to i ts f u nc ti o nal prope r ti es (dur a ble, context of the product; f or exam ple, squishy f oa m can be used to give a f ocus Different Types of Plastics and Their Classication. (n.d.)
Retrieved from:
hygi e n i c ) ma de i t a n i de a l ma te r i a l , w hi l e Po lyure than e Foam on ta ctile f or m f or a f lashlight, or dur a ble ca r bon-bre ca n em pha size its www.r yedale.gov.uk/attachments/ar ticle/690/Different_plastic_po
lymer_types.pdf
R u b b er ha s the nove l a n d de l i g htf u l prope r ty of being squishy a nd f unctiona l a bilities. Rega rdless, there a re not just two, but r a ther three key
Silicon. How Products Are Made. (n.d.) Retrieved from:
ta c ti l e , a uni que s e ns o r y prope r ty f o r a f l a s h l i ght. com ponents of product design: Fo rm , Fun cti o n, a nd Mate ri al .
www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Silicon.html