charles hamilton portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Industrial design work from 2012-2014TRANSCRIPT
CHARLES HAMILTONDesign Portfolio
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY BRUNEL UNIVERSITY, LONDON, U.K.
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[email protected] HAMILTON 209.210.8723
HELLO!
CHARLES HAMILTON
Product Designer
I am a recent graduate who is eager to enter the design industry. I consider myself a product designer, one who designs both physical and digital products. I’ve been able to utilize my industrial design background for work as a graphic designer during my internship with an online clothing store. I also spent a year studying abroad in London where my work was recognized by Samsung’s design team as one of the best in their competition.
As much as I enjoy the aesthetic side of design, my ultimate goal is to solve problems that improve the world and have social impact. This portfolio illustrates my unique design process and highlights my best projects while in school.
Physical Digital
Where I like to design.
Aesthetics
Problem Solving
GEAR FLOSSER
A bike cleaning tool addresses the need of cleaning grease and dirt stuck in between gears.
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IRRIO
An irrigation valve that waters lawns based on soil moisture content.
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XAVI
A lounge chair designed for bookworms who need storage for their books.
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FLECTERE
A modulating light fixture inspired by hyperbolic paraboloid shapes.
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IRRIO APP
This app accompanies Irrio, the smart irrigation valve. It displays how much water is being used, and offers landscaping suggestions.
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IRRIOSmart Irrigation Valve
This four month long project was a part of my final research design course. The first two months were spent researching a problem through literature, user interviews, surveys, and expert interviews. The final two months were spent developing a solution through sketching, prototyping and model making.
BRIEF
Design a solution that reduces outdoor water usage.
SKILLS
Literature ReviewUser ResearchInterviewingDesign AuditSketchingRapid PrototypingModel MakingArduinoAdobe Creative SuiteSolidworksKeyshot
PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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IRRIOSmart Irrigation Valve
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Why is this a problem worth solving?
GENESIS
IRRIO
PROJECT GENESIS
After returning home from a year in the UK, I was surprised to find that my parents removed the grass in the front lawn. In its place was a mixture of bark and drought-resistant plants. Watering and maintaining a luscious green lawn became too much of a hassle for them especially during a state-wide drought. I thought why don’t more people remove their lawns since they use up so much water. My research and development consisted of answering several questions that led me to my final solution.
Why don’t more people remove their lawns?
Why do people have grass lawns in the first place?Why is having a grass lawn bad?
What are the alternatives and why don’t people adopt these?
How can I design a solution for lawn owners to reduce water usage?
Will people adopt the solution?
PROCESS
LITERATURE REVIEW
USER RESEARCH
EXPERT INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
SURVEYS
MARKET RESEARCH
CONCEPT IDEATION
VALIDATION
QUESTIONS
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Why do people have grass lawns and why is it so bad?
RESEARCH
IRRIO
LITERATURE REVIEW
There’s no doubt that Americans love their lawns. Since the end of WWII, suburbs have been popping up and with it acres of turf grass. Lawns are a significant part of American culture, as we have a history of taking over land and making it our own. Lawns were created in England and France in the 1500s. After the Civil War, the idea was brought to the U.S., becoming a popular feature of wealthy estates. Frederick Olmsted, known as the father of the American Lawn, designed a concept for Central Park which featured expansive grasslands throughout the park. This green idea took off and was used in public places. With the emergence of the suburbs and the middle class in the mid-century, lawns began to attract the interest of many Americans. Lawns were a symbol of status and a way to show the Joneses you were keeping up with them
PROBLEM
What is so bad about having a grass lawn?
4.5 BILLION GALLONS WASTEDEACH DAYWhile California is struggling with a massive drought, the EPA
estimates that 9 billion gallons of water is used every day just in watering lawns with 50% of that water wasted.
THE COST OF MAINTAINING NON-NATIVE GRASSES
PESTICIDES
FERTILIZERS
WATER
9 billion gallons a day
ENERGY POLLUTION
OIL
17 million gallons Spilled a year
ELECTRICITY
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IRRIO
Why don’t people remove their lawns?
RESEARCH
USER INTERVIEWS
I interviewed several homeowners that had lawns to find out why they wanted to have a grass lawn.
“I don’t want to give up my grass lawn because anything else won’t match my French style home”
Over watering and run-off is an all too common problem.
“We had to remove all the grass in the backyard because all the water fell down the slope”
USER SURVEY
I conducted a survey with homeowners. The survey had only 40 respondents so it may not be an accurate depiction of most homeowners.
82% HAVE GRASS LAWNS
68% HAVE SPRINKLERS
97% WATER MANUALLY OR WITH A TIMER
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IRRIO
Why don’t more people remove their lawns?
RESEARCH
“Sprinklers are one of the biggest water wasters. 90% of controllers have no understanding about the environment.”
EXPERT INTERVIEW
SUMMARY
Elizabeth DoughteryFounded Wholly H20, California’s Integrated Water Management Information Center
Chris KlienFounder Of Rachio, A Smart Sprinkling System
Julie Saare-EdmondsLandscape Irrigation SpecialistCalifornia Department Of Water Resources
“Green is the new green. Xeriscaping can be beautiful. You have to show people how beautiful and easy it is”
“The irrigation controllers that use moisture sensors can be helpful and more appropriate than using weather data. The problem with the sensors is that the controller can only turn all off or on.”
MIDDLE CLASS
UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS
CAN AFFORD THE COST
SUBURB CULTURE
UNIFORMITY
KIDS
CONCERNED WITH SAVING MONEY
CONCERNED WITH DROUGHT
PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT
SAVES WATER AND MONEY
BUT WON’T STOP WATERING OR
GIVE UP THEIR LAWN
LAWNS ARE GREAT FOR
KIDS TO PLAY ON
HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION
LAWN CAME WITH
THE HOUSE
LAWN OWNERS
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IRRIO
CONCEPT IDEATION
How do you design a solution to reduce outdoor water usage?
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IRRIO
CONCEPT IDEATION
How do you design a solution to reduce outdoor water usage?
OVER-WATERING
OVER-WATERING
INSTALLING
PLACE SENSORS
THROUGHOUT LAWN
DIGGING
TAKE OUT EXISTING SPRINKLERS
MOIST SOIL
SENSORS ACTIVATE SPRINKLER
INSTALLING
INSTALLING
TURN OFF
WATERING DIFFERENT AREAS
AND PLANTS
STORYBOARD: CONCEPT 1
Retrofit
STORYBOARD: CONCEPT 2
New Sprinkler System
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IRRIO
How do users responds the different concepts?
VALIDATION
USER INTERVIEWS AND SURVEY
The validation phase consisted of in person interviews and survey. The survey had only 20 respondents so it may not be an accurate depiction of most homeowners.
“I don’t want to have to rewire my entire sprinkler system or have a unit above ground. I’d much rather have something I can retrofit only if it was cost effective.”
78%
PREFERRED CONCEPT 1
22%
PREFERRED CONCEPT 2
EXISTING LAWN OWNERS
ADOPT RETROFITTED
SOLUTIONS (CONCEPT 1)
GRASS LAWNS ARE
REDUCED
DROUGHT BECOMES
WORSE
NATIVE PLANTS TAKE
OVER THE FRONT LAWN
NEW RESIDENTIAL
LANDSCAPES INSTALLED
WITH NEW SPRINKLER
SYSTEMS (CONCEPT 2)
TIMELINE
The drought is expected to continue according to one of the experts I interviewed. If that is the case then the ideal solution would be to remove grass lawns. Since most people won’t be willing to at first, the best solution now is to reduce water usage with more efficient systems that can be adapted to current sprinkler systems. For new homeowners you can build new watering systems that are even more efficient and gradually persuade them to reduce the size grass lawns.
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How do you develop a working prototype and an aesthetic model?
DEVELOPMENT
IRRIO
WATER VALVE
ARDUINO BOARD
MOISTURE SENSOR
PROTOTYPING
This prototype functions by communicating between a moisture sensor and a valve. The moisture sensor read the amount of moisture and sends the computer a value. The higher the value, the higher the moisture.
MODEL MAKING
PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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IRRIOSmart Irrigation ValveIrrio is a smart water valve for sprinklers that uses a moisture sensor to decide when to water. It gives sprinkler heads individual control over how much to water in it’s respective area. The gyro sensor determines if the sprinkler is on a slope. Irrio then can slow the flow of water to prevent water from running off. The flow sensor calculates the amount of water running through the valve.
MONOCRYSTALLINE SOLAR PANEL
MOISTURE SENSOR
WATER VALVE
MALE PIPE THREAD
INTERNALS
BATTERYFLOW SENSORMICROPROCESSORWIRELESS TRANSMITTER
PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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SOIL MOISTURE LEVEL
SLOPE ORIENTATION
RATE OF FLOW
OPEN/CLOSE VALVE
LANDSCAPING RECOMMENDATION
FLOW RATE
WATER USAGE
INPUT/OUTPUT
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
IRRIOSmart Irrigation Valve
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The Irrio app was designed to accompany the Irrio Smart Valve. The user needs an intuitive interface to be able to control irrigation and to see how much water they are using.
BRIEF
Design an app that displays outdoor water usage and convinces users to relandscape with drought tolerant plants.
SKILLS
User ResearchDesign AuditUser FlowsWireframingSketchingPhotoshopSketch
IRRIO APPIrrigation Controller
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
The Irrio App monitors outdoor water usage, via Irrio, a smart irrigation valve. Irrio uses a moisture sensor to water grass efficiently and uses a flow sensor to calculate water usage.
IRRIO APPSmart Irrigation Monitor
LOGIN SCREEN
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
Swipe to navigate through daily usage
Swipe to navigate through all the xeriscaping plants
The Irrio app quantifies the water usage of sprinkler systems on a daily basis. At the end of the month the user is prompted with a monthly report card showing the total monthly water usage compared to previous months. Through interviews and surveys I found that most people don’t know how much water they use.
The Irrio App will also provide landscaping suggestions that reduce water usage. The purpose of this feature is to persuade users to reduce the size of their grass lawns. Grass consumes a large amount water because they are not native to the climate. The app will suggest native or drought tolerant alternatives.
USAGE
XERISCAPING
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
IRRIOSmart Irrigation Controller
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
IRRIOSmart Irrigation Controller
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GEAR FLOSSERBike Cleaning Tool
Integrated Knowledge Brief was a four month project. The first few weeks started as a group project to develop a fictitious company and brand that would design a range of products. The group then collectively decided the values that the new products must abide by. The next several months were focused on user research and product development.
BRIEF
Design a tool that solves a problem for an enthusiast.
SKILLS
User Research/TestingTeam workingBrand DevelopmentSketchingRapid PrototypingAdobe Creative SuiteSolidworksKeyshot
ROLE
Industrial DesignerGraphic DesignerProject Manager
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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How do you create a brand for high end cycling tools?
GEAR FLOSSER
BRAND
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Working with a team of six other designers, it was our task to create a fictional company, a brand, and a set of values that our products must follow.
Cadence (n): the number of revolutions of the crank per minute, this is the rate at which a cyclist is pedaling/turning the pedals.
The brand needed an identity that expressed a style that was relevant to cycling community. I designed several logos, which expressed youthful urban style.
MOOD BOARD
We looked at parallel brands such as Chrome Industries and Mission Workshop, both make high end cycling bags and apparel. Both brands express this urban street style, which some might call ‘Hipster,’ that is very minimal and utilitarian yet still aesthetically pleasing. I envision Cadence as an extension of these two brands but in relation to cycling tools.
C A D E N C E
C A D E N C E
MINIMAL
UTILITARIAN
URBAN CYCLING
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What problems do cyclists have?
GEAR FLOSSER
RESEARCH
USER RESEARCH
I interviewed several cyclists to find specific pain points. I asked about problems with riding, maintaining, storing, transporting, and repairing bikes. One of the cyclist had a specific problem with cleaning her bike.
PROBLEM
Cleaning is the first step of maintenance, but unfortunately there are not a lot of high quality products for cleaning bike gears. Current tools on the market are uncomfortable and don’t do an effective job. This leads to build up of grease and dirt in between bike gears. This cyclist end up using old toothbrushes that will eventually be disposed of.
“The brush tool I use is uncomfortable and it is hard to dig in between the gaps. I end up just using a toothbrush”
PIPE CLEANERMETAPHOR OF FLOSSING TEETH
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How do you redesign the method of cleaning bike gears?
CONCEPT IDEATION
GEAR FLOSSER
SKETCHING
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GEAR FLOSSER
PROTOTYPING & TESTING
Which tool is easier to use and cleans better?
FINGER GRIPS
I hypothesized that a better brush would be one that clean at 360 degrees with bristles at every directions as opposed to a one directional brush. By pulling the pipe cleaner back and forth through the gears, I was easily able to pick up most of the dirt and grease. It was difficult to use both hands and to maneuver around the bike frame.
HACK A HACK SAW
This one handed design freed up the other hand to move the gears. It was also much easier to get in between all the parts of the bike. The hack saw worked perfectly as the pipe cleaner flowed right through the gears picking up all the dirty and grease.
REFINED HANDLE
The next prototype was focused on the form and design of the handle. The design that worked the best was the one with the shorter arc because it was easily able to fit around all the parts of the bike.
BEFORE AFTER
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?G E A R F LO S S E RBike Cleaning Tool
PICK FOR CLUMPS OF DIRT
REMOVABLE WIRE
Gear Flosser is a tool designed to clean in-between bike gears. The current solution on the market is an uncomfortable brush that still leaves a residue of oil and dirt. Gears need to be flossed, not brushed, because, like teeth, they have small gaps that are hard to reach.
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
SPIRAL NYLON BRUSH
The brush will be made of two materials nylon fibers and stainless steel wire. Nylon is perfect for cleaning because of its flexibility. Stainless steel is used for the wire for resisting corrosion.
RUBBER GRIP
The grip will be made of a soft touch, low gloss silicone rubber similar to the grips on OXO products.
BODY
In order to resist corrosion, I chose anodized aluminum for the body of the product. Since it is a cleaning product it will come in contact with water and needs to be rust resistant.
190mm
30mm
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
GEAR FLOSSER
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The purpose of the lighting project was to test my rapid prototyping skills. I was tasked to design a modulating light fixture that integrated three rapid prototyping technologies; 3-D printing, CNC milling, and laser cutting.
BRIEF
Design a modulating light fixture that integrate three rapid prototyping techniques.
SKILLS
SketchingDesign AuditRapid PrototypingCNC MillLaser Cutter3-D PrinterAdobe Creative SuiteSolidworksKeyshot
FLECTERELight Fixture
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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How do you design a light fixture that modulates light?
FLECTERE
DEFINING THE SCOPE
LIMITATIONS
The design must integrate three rapid prototyping technologies.
CNC MILL LASER CUTTER 3D PRINTER
METALLICHYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID
INSPIRATION
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FLECTERE
How do you combine hyperbolic paraboloid and metallic elements into a lighting design?
CONCEPT IDEATION
SKETCHES
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FLECTERE
PROTOTYPING
How do you rapidly prototype a modulating light fixture?
3D PRINTER CNC MILL LASER CUTTER
ASSEMBLY
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FLECTERE
PROTOTYPING
How do you rapidly prototype a modulating light fixture?
FINAL PROTOTYPE
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UP UP+DOWNDOWN
The light is modulated by directing light up or down. By pivoting the two shades, the amount of light directed is changed in either direction.
F L E C T E R EModulating Light Fixture
PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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XAVILounge Chair
This five week project was a part of a rapid prototyping design course. In groups of two, we were tasked to create a persona with a realistic problem and to design a seating solution for them. The purpose was to get familiar with the Partworks and Shopbot software as well as running a CNC mill.
BRIEF
Design a seating solution for a persona with a realistic problem.
SKILLS
Team working PersonasSketchingRapid PrototypingUpholsteryAdobe Creative SuiteSolidworksKeyshot
ROLE
Lead designerProject Manager
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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XAVI
PROBLEM
What types of problems do bibliophiles have and what do want in a chair?
BIBLIOPHILE
AESTHETIC
PERSONA
LIMITATIONS
How can the final design integrate plywood and usage of a CNC mill?
(2) 4’X8’ PLYWOOD CNC MILL THREE DESIGNERS
PROBLEM
TO READ
SIDE PANELS TO
BLOCK SURROUNDINGS
WANTS
COMFORTABLE LOUNGE CHAIR
LACKS SPACE FOR BOOKS
NEEDS A CHAIR AND STORAGE
MID-CENTURY MODERN
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CONCEPT IDEATION
XAVI
SKETCHES
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How do you rapidly prototype and build a chair?
PROTOTYPING
XAVI
CNC MILLING
ASSEMBLY
UPHOLSTERY
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How do you rapidly prototype and build a chair?
PROTOTYPING
XAVI
FINAL PROTOTYPE
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
INSPIRED BY MID-CENTURY
MODERN DESIGN
SIDE PANELS
OTTOMAN
SPACE SAVING DESIGN
40”
31”
14”
HIDDEN BOOK SHELF
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
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PROJECT
PROCESS
Why is this a problem worth solving?
THANK YOU!
[email protected] HAMILTON 209.210.8723