Product Design

Specification Brief

DNB601 Industrial Design

Austin Inglis
Charles Hibbard
Jonathan Eggins
Stuart McMillan
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2
2.0 Design Brief ....................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Aim ............................................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................... 2
2.2.1 Market position ................................................................................................................ 2
2.2.2 User Requirements ........................................................................................................... 2
2.2.3 Features ............................................................................................................................ 3
2.2.4 Project Requirements 1 ..................................................................................................... 3
2.2.5 Project Requirements 2 ..................................................................................................... 5
2.2.6 Project Requirements 3 ..................................................................................................... 6
2.2.7 Safety Requirements ......................................................................................................... 6
2.2.8 Materials ........................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Design Criteria ............................................................................................................................... 7
2.3.1 Form/Function Relationship ............................................................................................. 7
2.3.2 Cultural Implications .......................................................................................................... 7
2.3.3 Standardization and Modularity ........................................................................................ 7
2.3.4 Project Specific Criteria ...................................................................................................... 7
2.3.5 Technology ........................................................................................................................ 7

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1.0 Introduction
This day in age, social networking is an entity saturated into contemporary culture. It is a digital
medium by which people can stay in touch with each other to a greater degree than by other
electronic means. Since the creation of smart phones, the ability for social networking has
become portable and updates are real-time and more frequent. A problem that has stemmed
from this social development is an increase of human-computer-human interaction as a means
of socializing instead of dynamic human expression methods.

2.0 Design Brief

2.1 Aim
The aim of this project is to design a portable communication device that prompts social
encounters and aids in the instigation of arranged meetings.

2.2 Objectives
2.2.1 Market position
The pogo will fall under the consumer electronics market as both a stand-alone device and a
smart phone accessory. It is aimed towards a younger demographic such as students who are
out in public often and spend a large amount of time socializing in human-human interaction and
communicating via mobile phone and social networking programs.

Its appeal to males is both from a technological and sports related stand point. Technologically,
it is comprehended as „the latest gadget‟. It comes across as „sporty‟ because of the physical
actions and gestures associated with its functions; you need to get active to use this device.

It appeals to females because it acts as an external ringer for mobile phones kept in handbags.
Aesthetically, it is classed as a fashion accessory to be attached to a mobile phone and worn in
a way the user chooses. It will have a removable element on its front that can be replaced with a
stylized „skin‟ substitute to the users liking.

2.2.2 User/needs/wants/desires/ requirements

● The targeted demographic are students and young professionals who spend a lot of time
socializing in face-to-face situations and via social networking programs.

● Specific user types include:

○ People who keep their phone in a concealed portable compartment such as their
handbag or backpack and often miss calls and messages consequently.
○ People who out in a populated event and are happy to meet with friends that may
coincidentally be at the same event.
● The user wants to be constantly updated of potential social situations that could arise,
whether it is in close physical proximity, via phone communication or by social
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networking mediums. In this context, Pogo can be described as a digital social agent or
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assistant, taking the search out of social encounters.

2.2.3 Features – functions requirements
Pogo is a device that:
● Alerts when two or more social companions with a similar device are in close proximity
of each other by vibrating at a particular frequency unique to the devices in range.
● It is connected wirelessly by Bluetooth to your Smartphone and can alert you to
incoming calls and messages and social networking updates.
● By putting your pogo in your hand and shaking it next to another pogo in your
companions hand in a handshake like gesture, you are able to immediately swap
personal details, which are to be confirmed later on your social networking program.
● When you come in close proximity with your friend and a vibration alert has occurred,
you are able to enter into interactive communication mode by pressing the large front
button. In this mode you can:
○ Signal to ask „are you free‟ to each other by making a throwing gesture with the
pogo in your hand
○ Answer „yes, come over‟ by shaking pogo forward and back like a „come here‟
gesture with your hand
○ Answer „no‟ by swiping the pogo from left to right or visa-versa
● Interactive tactile buttons on the device include:
○ Three way switch at top for On/Off/Hold or Numb
○ Two way switch for Silent on/Silent off
● Signal icons/lights:
○ Square = On/numb/Off modes
○ Exclamation mark = incoming proximity signal
○ Bluetooth = Bluetooth activated – flashes if proximity signal
○ Star = alert from phone
● clips to outside a hand bag
● Microphone detects the volume levels of the surrounding environment and sets its ringer
at an appropriate level accordingly.

2.2.4 Project requirement 1: Assembly, disassembly considerations

When considering the manufacturing processes for each individual component we broke the
object down into an exploded in-line assembly and a corresponding bill of materials, both
pictured on page 3.
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Bill of Materials

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The manufacturing processes involved in developing and producing the Base, Top and Cover
panels are dominantly injection moulded polypropylene. The injection moulding phase consists
of injection moulding a thermoplastic material into a hollow, tube-shaped article called a preform;
the shape of the base/top cover/ side panel. The preform is transferred on a metal shank, called
the core rod, into a blow mould. During this process we will be using polypropylene and also
transparent polypropylene for the top cover so the LED‟s can been seen through the material.
The case is then snapped together using male and female joins developed during the
manufacturing process. The external module clip component is added to the assembly post-
manufacture of the case. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical
industry and used in a wide variety of applications. The Lithium ion battery was selected as it
performs efficiently and is more reliable than any of its market competitors. We have designed
for simplistic assembly and have considered for easy dis-assembly when replacing parts or
upgrading technology

2.2.5 Project requirement 2: Anthropometric, ergonomics and usability

considerations.
The designs physical appearance and aesthetics directly full-fills the needs of the projected
demographic. We have developed the pogo as a modular system, easily manipulated to each
particular environment and scenario. For example there is a clip-on module for shirt cuff and
shirt pockets and also a modular unit that is fastened to a bag strap or hand bag.
The dimensions of the device in relation to ergonomic hand size is portrayed below:

95% male user

5% female user

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In having the unit these relative dimensions we considered for:

● The projected demographic use group (95% male and 5% female)

● Being able to be comfortably transportable in pocket/ handbag compartments
● The size of the unit being capable of holding and storing the required technology used to
run the device

Ergonomically we designed the control actions to be dominantly thumb movement working on a

360 degree conial axis. The users thumb being the controlling action and the rest of the hand
and fingers being the support holding and securing the device when in use.

2.2.6 Project requirement 3: Maintenance

 battery recharging
 settings app on phone – computer
 uploading Facebook friends to Pogo = Bluetooth computer connection.

2.2.7 Safety requirements

As there is a safety level for a phone ringing, the device will not breach that
Privacy: People only share people‟s names and get to chose whether or not people want to
add them as a friend
Your Bluetooth signal can only be identified by people on your network. You can easily turn this
on or off.

2.2.8 Materials
 2 Bluetooth chips
 4 Led Lights
 Accelerometer
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 Microphone (Volume sensor only?)

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 Speaker
  Pressure Button
 PP plastic
 PCB

2.3 Design criteria

2.3.1 form/function relationship
-The form of the product needed to fit easily into the hand or pocket, while also being small
enough to be part of a clip.
The design needed to be sleek modern and stylish, to fit into the targeted user groups market.
The product needs to be seen as a fashionable accessory.

2.3.2 Cultural implications on design

Mobile technologies have evidently become more popular since the introduction of mp3 players,
mobile phones and Bluetooth technology to the market. Therefore by developing supporting
technologies to current systems, as the pogo is to Facebook on mobile phones, we can keep
ahead of cultural acceptability and be ahead of the competitive market.

2.3.3 Standardisation and modularity

-Pogo is designed for self expression. The top casing and cover panel are able to be
individualised to suit your taste.
-This device was designed to have the ability of accessorising more than just the physical “skin”.
Some of the accessory ideas were – watch band, clip and mirror finish.

2.3.4
- Device is classed as a mobile phone accessory as well as a stand-alone device. Being that as
a stand-alone device, its functions are limited, it should be priced as a high functioning
accessory and therefore a RRP of $50.00 is given.

2.3.5 Technology
Bluetooth proximity sensors if there is another device in range of 0.5 metres then allows for the
accelerometer to look for a handshake motion. If there is a handshake motion the Bluetooth
sends a name to the other person‟s device, which then sends signal back to phone, where they
can accept or reject the new friend onto their social network.

Bluetooth keeps broadcasting a unique identifying number, if someone has that person as a
friend on their network their Bluetooth connects and the vibration motor turns on and notifiers
each user that someone is in range of 30 metres. They can then communicate to the other user,
by shaking device up and down the accelerator picks it up and vibrates the other person‟s
device if the person is free and wants to meet up they would shake the device up and down to
accept and meet up. If they were busy and didn‟t want to meet up they shake left to right to
reject and it ends communication with the other person until they go out of range.
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A Microphone measures the amount of ambiance noise and tells the speaker to play louder, so
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the person can hear it.