Spark Whiteboard Marker by HH Hsueh |
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| DESIGN NAME: Spark PRIMARY FUNCTION: Whiteboard Marker INSPIRATION: The whiteboard is one of the best brainstorming tools - it allows one to rapidly sketch out ideas. But how could the experience of transferring one's thoughts to the board be designed with greater meaning and play? Traditional markers and erasers are combined clumsily, or whiteboard erasers are clunky and uninspiring. With this in mind, I strived to find a better way to facilitate the brainstorming process - a way to celebrate both the acts of coming up with great ideas, and discarding others. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Spark is whiteboard marker that awards the experience of getting a good idea and celebrates the act of throwing away a bad one. The motion of erasing and writing on a board is tactile and playful, while the marker at rest encourages the user to twist and fidget the malleable surface. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Spark allows the user to feel more connected to their thought processes, whether generating or discarding ideas onto the whiteboard. This is done by the act of compressing the marker to the board, which exposes the dry-erase pen nib, and similarly compressing the other end of the marker to expose the felt-erasing area. The shape is reminiscent of a light bulb, and the flexible PVC tubes that comprise the body encourage twisting and fidgeting when not erasing or writing. Spark was designed to add a tactile response to erasing especially, with the act of crumpling paper in mind - an act that engages the user greater than simply wiping away an idea. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: Spark was a two-week long studio project starting from January 16, for third year design studio at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Flexible PVC tubing was stitched to sliders constructed from folded plastic sheets. The tubes were then stitched to the ink reservoir case. Small neodymium magnets were inserted into each tube to allow the marker to stick to whiteboards. Felt was sewn into the soft PVC plastic. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Dimensions when closed/at rest: 1.5" x 1.5" x 8" TAGS: marker, stationary, eraser, whiteboard, write RESEARCH ABSTRACT: I researched different textures and functions that could change the act of erasing, starting with soft springs, various cloth types, folding/compressing cardboards, and various plastics, before experimenting with rubber tubes. These tubes allowed for fidgeting and playful gripping when the user is not writing/erasing, and can flexibly expand on either side through the use of springs. The spring strength was experimented with, so that the writing and erasing experiences had just the right amount of give. CHALLENGE: The greatest challenge in designing Spark was finding an appropriate design of the marker body that would have the envisioned functions while conveying a sense of playfulness. ADDED DATE: 2017-02-05 20:02:23 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : IMAGE CREDITS: HH Hsueh, 2016. |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://www.behance.net/gallery/48401693 |
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| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: HH Hsueh PROFILE: This was a personal project that I designed as part of Virginia Tech's third year design studio, in which we were given two weeks to breathe new life into the design of a traditional whiteboard eraser. |
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Spark Whiteboard Marker by Hh Hsueh is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Art and Stationery Supplies Design Category, 2016 - 2017.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with HH Hsueh. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by HH Hsueh. |
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