Papers by Bjarki Hallgrimsson
The project involves collection and storage of water. It builds on a pilot project that establish... more The project involves collection and storage of water. It builds on a pilot project that established local partnerships in the village of Longido (Tanzania), explored water storage issues, and had begun protoyping regionally appropriate solutions. This report provides detailed information on water containment structures, turbidity, filter design, and water quality.The abandoned, former walled cattle market in the centre of the village was turned into a community garden, to demonstrate water-conserving gardening methods and plant species, and will operate through community participation. There is virtually no existing infrastructure to collect and store water for inhabitants of the area (Mara Districts, Tanzania).Carleton University FutureFunder crowdsourcing sit
At the heart of the maker movement stands the transformative technology of 3D printing. The acces... more At the heart of the maker movement stands the transformative technology of 3D printing. The accessibility and low cost of new machines popularized in the do it yourself (DIY) culture allow increased access to a process that used to be reserved for designers and engineers using it mostly for prototyping ends. The market is currently dominated by extrusion-based equipment due to the processes simplicity and low cost, with Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) representing the less expensive machines and fused deposition modeling (FDM) representing the higher end equipment. The process is employed in low cost machines such as RepRap and MakerbotTM and can be compared to a hot glue gun on a robotic arm, as a thin filament of plastic is extruded in layers of two-dimensional patterns one on top of the other so as to form a 3 dimensional shape. Whereas low cost 3D printing has sometimes been described as hype, the reality is that 70,000 low cost machines were shipped last year, with a projected...
International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, 2014
This article offers a complementary approach to research and education in biologically informed d... more This article offers a complementary approach to research and education in biologically informed disciplines through the lens of bionics, biomimetics, and biomimicry terminology. For the purpose of developing this approach, we look at past and current contexts in which the three fi elds have emerged and identify three issues: an absence of common ground that unites the fi elds of bionics, biomimetics, and biomimicry while recognizing their contextual differences, a non-standardized use of the terminology that leads to ambiguity within the fi eld of biologically informed disciplines, an incomplete and disorganized historical and contextual knowledge about the fi eld that inhibits a common starting ground for collaboration, and confuses non-scientists who seek biological understanding. We offer a fundamental understanding of the fi elds from theoretical perspective by bringing together opinions of researchers and practitioners of bionics, biomimetics, biomimicry, bio-inspiration and offering a comprehensive analysis of terms culminating in the introduction of an overarching term 'biologically informed disciplines'.
Sketching and modelmaking remain central to the industrial designer’s work, particularly in the c... more Sketching and modelmaking remain central to the industrial designer’s work, particularly in the context of physical form creation and interpretation. The focus and dynamics of these activities however are changing as they work to support a more user-centered design approach that requires faster and more fluid turn-around with multiple points for validation. A hybrid workflow of digital and analog technologies has the capability to keep the designer much closer to such a user-centric design approach. As a result, both modelmaking (the making of prototypes) and sketching instruction need to undergo a transformation and alignment with the methods and processes taught and exercised in modern design practice. Whereas the traditional emphasis on technique in support of the design process is still important in terms of eventual mastery, the learning objectives have changed dramatically towards more knowledge-focused activities requiring the skills to adapt accordingly. This approach requir...
1. BACKGROUND The Design Innovation for Disability in Kasese (DIDK) project addresses needs of pe... more 1. BACKGROUND The Design Innovation for Disability in Kasese (DIDK) project addresses needs of people with disabilities in Kasese District in the western part of Uganda. Design for extreme poverty and disability includes the identification and application of a range of cultural, disability related, economic, geographical, and social issues. This requires an extensive network of participant and expert involvement to arrive at real world feasible outcomes. Specifically the DIDK project teamed four final year undergraduate students as well as faculty at the School of Industrial Design at Carleton University with a range of international organizations. The team collaborators included the Research Education Accessibility and Design initiative (READ) at Carleton University as well as the CanUgan Disability Support Project. The latter being a joint undertaking between a Canadian NGO (Hindu Society of Ottawa Carleton) with a Ugandan umbrella organization called Kasese District Union of Pers...
II LIST OF FIGURES IV I. BACKGROUND 1 II. PROBLEM STATEMENT 2 III. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 3 IV. METHO... more II LIST OF FIGURES IV I. BACKGROUND 1 II. PROBLEM STATEMENT 2 III. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 3 IV. METHODOLOGY 6 V. PROJECT ACTIVITIES 11 VI. PROJECT OUTPUTS 15 VII. PROJECT OUTCOMES 22 VIII . OVERALL ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 29 Final Technical Report: Design Innovation for Disability in Kasese GRANT NO. 107108-00020702-00 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Venn Diagram to show the triangulation of methods 6 Figure 2. Skype conference call between Canadian and Ugandan participants 7 Figure 3. Workshop in Kasese 8 Figure 4. Ethnographic research with end users in village used by undergraduate and graduate student reveals insights into how people spend their days 8 Figure 5. Interview with Margaret (recipient) by graduate student Amanda Cox 9 Figure 6. Scenario Board for wheelchair vs. tricycle for kids (Jennifer Vandermeer) 9 Figure 7. Sketch ideation uploaded on Blog for discussion (Zoe Krug) 10 Figure 8. Quick cardboard prototype (left) and in field prototyping by Kio (right) 11 Figure 9....
PROTOTYPING 1 Characteristics of Prototyping 2 How Prototypes Are Used 3 Prototyping Interactive ... more PROTOTYPING 1 Characteristics of Prototyping 2 How Prototypes Are Used 3 Prototyping Interactive Electronic Products MODELMAKING 4 Principles and Choices for Modelmaking 5 Health and Safety 6 Space and Setup 7 Workflow 8 Tools 9 Adhesives and Filters 10 Paper 11 Foamcore 12 Polystyrene Foam 13 Thermoplastic Sheet and Extruded Shapes 14 Polyurethane Modeling Board 15 Wood 16 Modeling Clay 17 Casting 18 Painting: More than an Afterthought 19 Graphics: Labels and Decals 20 Softgoods: Sewn Textile Products Glossary Resources Index Acknowledgments Picture credits
Kampala International Design Conference, 2015
People with disabilities (PWDs) represent a substantially underserved population throughout the m... more People with disabilities (PWDs) represent a substantially underserved population throughout the majority world. While there are several local and mass produced mobility devices available to this population, these technologies are susceptible to a range of design and production issues, which impedes widespread delivery of suitable assistive devices. The examination and discussion of these issues is critical to the successful provision of mobility aids in developing countries. Currently, the majority of PWDs in sub-Saharan Africa receive wheelchairs that have been donated and repurposed from industrialized countries. Local and mass produced options, which cater specifically to these harsh operating environments, represent substantially better alternatives. This literature review evaluates such issues of wheelchair technology in sub-Saharan Africa and determines that resolving these issues is critical to the success of the devices' provision.
The authors examine how teaching the traditional skills of modelmaking and sketching should be al... more The authors examine how teaching the traditional skills of modelmaking and sketching should be aligned to a modern design curriculum. The notion of skill and mastery as well the underlying reasons for why these need to change in focus from an overriding emphasis of technique towards an emphasis on exploration, testing, communication and verification is explained form the vantage point of several contexts. With the rapid advances in digital prototyping and other forms of digital visualization, design educators must not shift their emphasis merely towards a myopic focus on these technologies, but rather towards a better synthetic workflow that encourages re-framing and innovative thought less influenced by stereotyping and more motivated by new user-centered solutions. This will require a better integration of digital and analog tools so that the thinking process remains pragmatic and more open-ended with tools being applied as needed rather than simply systematically.
The transformative technology of 3D printing is democratizing the production and design of produc... more The transformative technology of 3D printing is democratizing the production and design of products. This paper addresses how we respond to this opportunity and associated pressure in industrial design higher education in particular. Market segmentation into lower cost and higher end 3D printing equipment represents opportunities both inside old and new industries alike. Through case studies and samples of our ongoing research we will show how the process is evolving along the same scientific principles that governed the transition of earlier plastic processes such as injection molding from being mainly an art to a science. At the heart of this examination is that 3D printing in and of itself should not be viewed as a silver bullet, but instead as a genuine process alongside traditional manufacturing techniques, requiring a better understanding of the science behind the process. The paper further aims to show that whereas creativity can be spurred by the technology, the innovation process itself requires a much broader and deeper understanding of design thinking in general.
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Papers by Bjarki Hallgrimsson