Design PortfolioOliver Thomas

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Curriculum Vitae

Phone Experience

Non-Literal Form

Hygiene + Travel

Lung

Biomimicry - Lyre

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Contact :

Experience:

Education: Skills:

About Me :

oli.thomas@mail.com +44 7565980032

olithomas.myportfolio.com

Bould Design, CA. 1.5 Months

Benchmark Furniture, UK. 3 Weeks

Northumbria UniversityYear 2 of 4: Design for Industry (BA)

Dauntsey’s School 2007-2014

A Level: ABD GCSE: 1A*, 5A’s, 3B’s

PhotoshopIllustratorFinal Cut /Premier Pro

SketchingModellingKeyshot

I am a driven individual with a passion for creating positive experience through design. Problem - solving iteration through modelling, sketching and testing are what I thrive on.My time at Bould Design provided me with invaluable experience in product development with attention to detail, particularly in the case of semantics and brand language.Music, travel and boardsports provide me with inspiration outside of the studio.

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Hygiene + Travel03

Hygiene + Travel

Hand sanitizer is the obvious solution for keeping clean when on the move, but it always needs replacing.

An alternative to gels and liquids is UV lighte.g. Ultra Violet Germicidal Irridation (UVGI)

A test done by Jeff Rossen in 2014 showed that 9/13 swabs taken during a domestic U.S flight were positive for harmful germs.

One X-Ray tray yielded evidence of fecal matter at levels high enough to make people sick.

Another swab on a seatbelt found human bacteroides, something Glatter described as "very serious.”

"These are dangerous bacteria that cause serious infections, and are easily transferable through a single touch”

Dr. Robert Glatter, New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital.

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UVGI disinfection been used widely in medical sanitation since the 20th century. Harmless in small doses, what could come out of an attempt to utilise this in a consumer product?

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Modelling Process

Began with a ‘soapstone’ form and quickly downsized to a sharper compact form for convenience.

Concluded that the ‘effective edge’ needed to be longer. Adjusted the form to allow one whole edge to accomodate for the UVGI LED Strip.

Rounded the form for a softer aesthetic.

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07 Smartphones

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Custom. Creative. Playful

Physical interpretation of data and commands takes greater advantage of our senses, providing a larger range of meaning than a 2D visual display. Physical representations help us explore, manipulate and ‘feel’ data.

Visual exploration of touchscreens on a phone typically requires pinch, scroll and swipe commands. Although powerful, these commands feel inconsistent across applications. New ways to interact with technology constantly need to be rediscovered.

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Remote hardware with an application allows a user to rethink and remap their smartphone experience

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Modelling Process

Through several iterations, a highly modular and customisable solution. Attached using nano-suction, connected via Bluetooth and removable at any time.

‘Play’ allows a user to customise their smartphone experience as well as use the hardware in a constructive, playful way. (e.g. as a MIDI platform)

By making everything open-source, consumer invention drives further creativity and purpose.

Lung11

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A life - saving product for Watersports

Watersports are dangerous.

Being held down by a wave is commonplace amongst surfers and watersports enthusiasts. Under high stress situations it’s difficult to hold your breath.

What if you had just one more Lung?

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Modelling Process

Began with a handheld form, evolved this into a wearable, hands-free device.

This form invloves 3 parts.

The main body. This houses the pressurised O2 cartridge and is worn with a wrist strap.

The pressure valve / mouth piece. This regulates the pressure from 800 in the cylinder to a breathable 15 psi.

Disposable mouthpiece. The user punctures this with their teeth to release a steady stream of air.

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Familiar product semantics on an unfamilar form

Intrigue, confuse and ultimately draw attention to the importance of semantics in product form & detail.

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A new way to remember

Inspired by the Lyrebird’s ability to collect and replicate audio, Lyre helps you recall lost information by continuously storing what it hears.

Using the Lyre App, search for forgotten information by mimicking key words and sounds or scrubbing.

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Lyre’s microphone pairs with an App, using context to help rapidly access information.

Connect via Bluetooth 1. Scrub through history

2. Search by Location& Time

3. Search by mimicing,like a Lyre Bird.

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Modelling Process

Experimentation with form led to an unobtrusive rounded casing with flat microphone grills.

Initial designs allowed for a power switch / button. After modelling and testing, the flat panels gave cues to twist the two main parts. I adopted this to give function to the affordance.

For verstaility, a lanyard allows Lyre’s microphone unit to be worn or attached to posessions.