emily k.

stokes
industrial design portfolio 2014 ohio state university

about me
Emily K. Stokes
Im a second-year student in the Industrial Design program at Ohio State University, and Im primarily interested in product design. I have some experience in illustration and graphic design, and I try to use the techniques I learned through those subjects to design products that are both aesthetically appealing and communicate well with the user through their visuals. Besides industrial design, Im intersted in cartooning, illustration, and video games as an art form. Im also currently pursuing a minor in German.

Activities and Awards

IDSA OSU Chapter Member 2014 Design Circle OSU, Member 2012-2014 University-supported group for design students NSCS National Society of Collegiate Scholars Student Member 2013-2014 Provost Scholar 2012-2014 National Buckeye Scholar 2012-2014

contact: stokes.174@osu.edu (484) 844-5401

table of contents
Salt and Pepper Wine Bottle Opener Teethers CAD Models Illustrations 4 8 13 18 20

salt and pepper

the task: to create a functional salt shaker and pepper grinder set that represents a type of contrast in its forms and colors

professor carolina gill, spring semester 2014

ideation
The first type of contrast I explored was day versus night in the form of a sun a moon, but found this to be too literal.

I found the same problem with being too literal when I tried to represent morning and night with coffee and wine-inspired models.

I finally decided to use a more abstract representation of day and night, and settled on light vs. shadow.

I created several different foam models that represented light and shadow. The model on the far left was inspired by a wine glass and coffee mug, the middle model was inspired by an image of shadows on a wall, and the right model represented a block and its shadow, and was the design I decided to take to the final.

My final design represented a light block split between the pepper grinder and salt shaker with a shadow that trailed off and formed the shape of the salt shaker. This scene, the colors, and the forms all represented a contrast between light and shadow. 6

final design
This project ended with a fully functional model. One feature of this design is the pepper kernels and salt crystals cast in clear resin. This was added to communicate to the user what was inside the pieces, and also to show contrast between the light salt and dark pepper.

From this project I learned the importance of test models, because what may seem like a great design in 2-D may fall short of expectations in 3-D. Test models are crucial to work out the details of a design before too much time is devoted to a final model. 7

wine opener

the task: to design a bottle opener for a kitchen environment that fulfills the needs of a family with young children

professor carolina gill, autumn semester 2013

research
First, my research group and I looked into openers in the market and in homes. We then used those findings and personal in-home interviews to develop an idea map to help decide on what specific areas of the product we would focus on.

I decided to pursue designing a better opener for a household with small children. This then opened up three main areas for redesign: child safety, comfortable grip, and safe storage.

ideation

I explored four different types of wine openers: waiters corkscrew, bunny ears lever, twist and pull, and butterfly. I aimed to create a product with child-lock features, a comfortable grip, and the ability to be stored safely and cleanly. The features I used to fulfill those goals were caps and buttons, large and smooth handles, and a case that would contain the screw.

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final concepts
For my final designs I decided to use the waiters corkscrew and lever mechanisms. I included large, smooth handles for ease of use.

The lever-style bottle opener features a rubber grip to hold onto the bottle with and a child safety lock at the top.

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The waiters corkscrew design is opened by pressing a button for a locking mechanism. When not in use, it contains the screw safely within a large and soft case. This allows for both child safety and sanitary storage.

From this project I learned how research affects the quality of design. I found that better ideas come from direct observation than from preconcieved ideas of how people interact with a product. 12

teethers

the task: to design a line of teether toys that and develop a childs basic motor skills while maintaining their original role as teethers

professor scott shim, autumn semester 2013

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research
To design a babys toy I tried to understand exactly what purpose the toys should fulfill. During my research I found that the age at which a baby starts teething is also the age at which a lot of motor skill development is happening. I looked into what activities and exercises facilitate that development and decided to incorporate them into my designs.

ideation
To stimulate the babys arms and hands, I used twistable and turnable parts, including rattlers and handles. The babys fingers are stimulated by long, thin pieces and moveable keys. To fulfill the role of a teether, many different textured materials are included throughout for the baby to chew on.

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final concepts

Concept A features long, thin, textured parts to develop the babys finger and hand coordination.

Concept B uses a spinning rattle to both engage the babys motor systems and to entertain the baby. The hanging keys provide a similar function.

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Concept C uses long, thin rods that the baby can twist and pull to stimulate motor development.

Concept D features both a rattle for the baby to shake as well as two handles that rotate.

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The final concept features a long, thin handle to test the babys reaching ability and to strengthen its fingers. It also includes several different forms and varying textures for the baby to teethe on.

From this project I learned how important research and ideation are, especially when designing for a demographic Id had no prior experience with. I also learned how to work in a new function without comprimising the original one.

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CAD models

3D models developed in Solidworks

bike helmet

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angle grinder

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illustrations
In my free time I like to draw and illustrate with digital media. These are some pieces Ive done in the past few months using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.

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