During the development of the eSticky project, we presented several tangible, non-functional 3D design mockups. These mockups, which showed an accurate appearance of aesthetics, proportions, and detailed ergonomics, were made available to project partners as part of the user experience for testing and evaluation.

The results were compared with the design brief and served as the basis for selecting a design to be used in the subsequent process, especially to accompany the prototype with the design partners.

In “Design Model Making,” multiple stages of work were carried out. First, a series of initial design mock-ups made of cardboard or similar materials were created to obtain tangible 3D pre-models.

The information from these mock-ups was used in the phase of creating several design variations of 5 failed models.

After testing them with user experience partners, the designers summarized the data obtained. Assumptions from the previous stages of the project, such as the design brief, design concept, and design development, were compared with this data.

The results of the evaluations led to changes in the design. The goal was to integrate the best features of each model into an optimized design. This led to the decision to produce 2 final models, which differed only slightly from each other.

 

Initial design mock-ups

After the design sketch stages and also in the earlier stages of the project, some tangible 3D pre-models made of cardboard or similar materials were made to get first impressions of proportions and ergonomics. 

With the help of these models, the designers were able to test how to touch the button of the eSticky device and how to hold the device in their hands. To have better user interaction, an angle on the display allows the user to read messages better. The pressure button should be easy to use for both left- and right-handed situations. This is true for both the wall-mounted version and table-top use. 

As a result of these tests, the designers could see that a side handle on the device might be a good solution for the user. Subsequent design templates were influenced by these test results.

Creation of design templates for the first user test

After these initial steps, 5 design variations were created. An accurate appearance of the detailed aesthetics, proportions, and ergonomics of the device design was obtained. Using a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine and other equipment, the models were fabricated.

Since the design of the eSticky device includes some parts of natural materials-such as wood, fabric, and leather-it was necessary to integrate them into the models to achieve a realistic result in both look and feel. This step is important to achieve test results that are as close as possible to the final appearance of the product on the market.

 

Modeling by CNC milling machine

The wooden parts of the eSticky device could best be machined by a CNC milling machine. The side covers of models A, C, D and E are made of wood, as are the top and bottom covers of model B.

 The draft design of the body was made in a 3D CAD program. Parts of this data were sent to a CNC milling machine program. To achieve more stability when milling the wooden parts, some supports were built.

Modeling of the main parts

For the main body of the device, wooden panels and sticks were made to be assembled. With a circular saw and drills, the parts were cut and drilled. In the next step, some parts were covered with fabric or leather. 

Once the main parts of the design patterns were made, they were ready to be covered with fabric or leather. The choice of these materials was guided by user preferences. The materials should be contemporary on the one hand and well known to older people on the other.

Assembly of the shell parts

The body parts and the coated parts were assembled and prepared for the assembly of the display. All these parts were fixed with pins and glue. 

Also, since the ePaper display looks similar to a printed sheet of paper, it was not difficult to find a solution to simulate this display. That is why a printed sheet of paper was mounted on the model, which was later covered with a display glass.