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Karthik Mahadevan
ContentBicycle Chair
Bookmark Pencil
Wooden iPhone Case
Jarry
Graphic DesignDuchamp’s BicycleModeled in SolidWorks
Rendered in Keyshot
BicycleChairSeptember 2013
This project was done while working for Sylvn Studio, Mumbai. The brief was to develop set of outdoor furniture made of used bicycle parts. The design and development was undertaken by me with key decisions taken with consulation with the studio director.
Brainstorming Sketches
A brainstorming session was conducted where we sketched out a whole range of possibilities using bicycle parts. It started as an exploration excercise and later we gravitated towards more practical ideas.
Since it was a customised product the tastes, likes and inclination of the client towards a particular idea was given high importance.
Also, secondary requirements like the furniture being weatherproof, the seat being high enough to look over the ledge and the short time period for completion clearly came out.
The ideas which had a playful element of cycle wheel and pedals were obsereved to be more preferable, thus they were chosen for further detailing.
Concept Detailing
Once the ideas were fixed, the detailing was done
using CAD and quick renders were produced to ease the decision making
process.
For the chair, cycle wheel and pedals attached on a bar stool inspired design
was chosen. The pedal adds a playful feature as it allows people to fiddle
around with it as they sit. Other features like a bell
and handle bar covers were added as little quirks.
For the table. a simple hour glass shaped structure of cycle wheels and spokes
was finalised.
resembling bicycle handle
for playful pedaling
little quirks for cycle lovers
hour glass shape
Manufacturing
Raw Materials Welding Painting
Manufacturing
Getting these furniture made locally was no easy task. After many expeditions we found metal furniture makers who agreed to help out. Old bicycle parts along with steel tubes were procured and handed over to them.
The major operation in the making of these furniture was welding.The metal workers were extremely skilled at the task and it proved as a great hands-on learning experience.
For the paint on the furniture, due to lack of time we decided to wgo with fast and economical hand-paint option over the long and expensive powder coating option. This bargain came back to bite us later.
The table came out perfectly fine with no troubles, but the chair being slightly more complex in its function had some serious blunders.
Shorter people and children found it difficult to sit on it.
The height was decreased by shortening the middle rods.
The chair easily toppled backwards if leaned back on.
A small extension was added at the base to prevent that.
The paint work was sloppy and started peeling off.
Both chairs and table were powder coated.
Pedaling the chair was a bit uncomfortable.
The seat was reshaped to make room for leg move-
Correcting Blunders
Despite careful planning and testing of the
furniture at every stage of manufacturing we
encountered some complications once we
got the model home and started testing it. They were
immediately worked on.
Fortunately, we found innovative solutions for all the problems which could
be implemented readily and without much addition to
the cost.
Although considerable time was lost during this
rectification, we came out with a much better chair at
the end of it.
First Model Final Model
Blunders Corrections
BookmarkPencil
This project was done as a part of product development for Gemklip who were looking to produce low cost innovative products that solve everyday problems. The design and developement was solely carried out by me with occasional guidance from the studio director. April 2014
People like to scribble, doodle, underline
and highlight while they read a book.
But when you are in the most need of it, you find everything but the thing you are looking for.
So what is the one thing that people
will always keep with their book?
Hence the idea:
A bookmark.
This project stems out from trying to solve a very personal problem of mine Whenever I read I like to underline a few lines or make small notes in the
book for later reference. But most of the time I am reading at a place
or a position at which I am never able to find a
pencil. And while I am so engrossed in the book I
don’t want to get up and go look for one either. When I spoke to other book lovers
I know, I discovered that they too suffered a similar
dilemma.
Hence when I dived in to find solutions for it, I
started looking for things that are accesible to us while we read. I didn’t
have to look further than the one thing that I always
carried around with my books. A bookmark.
The Problem
We don’t need the entire pencil.
The problems in merging them together:
• It needs to be sturdy enough to hold and write.
• The pencil lead should be firmly adhered to the bookmark and should not move.
This much should do.
I quickly jumped into making prototypes by trying different ways of attaching a pencil lead on to a peice of thick paper. It became instantly clear that it was futile to attach a long lead as only a tiny portion jutting out would do. The pencil will only have minimal usage of occasional underlining and it will also prevent breakage.
The second problem that surfaced while prototyping was that of how to attach the lead on to the paper in such a way that it stays sturdy and is easy to hold and write, without being too thick. The lead also needed to be enclosed to prevent exposure.
Prototyping
The Solution: Double Sided Foam Tape
The slit holds the pencil lead in place.
The adhesive on the tape helps lock the bookmark.
The solution was found in the form a double-sided foam tape. The tape not only provided a firm grip but also helped bind the
two side of the paper.
A slit in the foam tape held the lead firmly in its place and made for a wonderful
writing and underlining experience.
The bookmarks were printed in lovely color with
graphics reminiscence of a pencil clip art. This also
allows for scope of branding and printing other details
on it.
Hence, we were able to successfully make a low-
cost product that solved a genuine problem of book-
lovers.
The Solution
USE CASE
Wooden iPhone Case
This project was carried out while working for Gemklip. The brief was to design and develop iPhone Cases in Indian Wood for sale through online and offline stores. I took over this project once the research and benchmarking was done. I was solely responsible for the design and development with regular guidance from the studio director.
June 2014
Doesn’t really give a real wood feel. The plastic ruins the organic beauty.
Plastic Case with Wooden Veneer or Panel.
What market offers:
Two-piece sliding case. Thick snap-fit case.
Very bulky. Becomes loose over time and difficult to snap on.
We started with thorough competitor study to
understand the existing benchmarks and look for design oppurtunities. We didn’t want to make just another iPhone case, we
wanted to make a wooden case that is genuinely better
than the rest.
The results of the research were pleasantly surprising
as there were many complaints and drawbacks with the existing wooden
cases in the market.
Competitor Study
Makes the phone bulky as it engulfs it. Many complains of scratches while fixing and removing the case. Complex manufacturing.
The problem, we discovered was in the material. Wood is not an easy material to work with and the more we studied it and its properties the tougher it looked. Many experts we spoke to infact denied that a product demanding such low thicknes and high accuracy would be possible in wood.
In order to understand what would be possible in wood, we first sat down and understood what would not be possible and what difficulties lie ahead of us.
Our brief was clear: it needs to be thin, it needs to be in one piece and it needs to fit snugly on the phone.
Not as flexible as plastic, so can not
be snapped on to a phone without risk of damaging the phone or breraking the case.
Every wood is unique. Though it’s a good thing from the point of view of uniqueness, existence of
random knots and cracks in the wood can lead to a lot
of wastage.
Wood is brittle, hence small wall thicknesses
are very difficult to achieve and nearly
impossible to sustain without chipping or
breaking it.
Wood feels alive even when it is cut off from
the tree, as it constantly shrinks and expands in response to the
moisture content in the environment. Thus getting
the tolerance right is difficult.
Wood Woes
The solution: Micro Suction PadSince snapfit was not an
option, we started looking for alternative ways to hold
the iPhone tightly on a precisely machined wooden case, but not permanently. The breakthough came in the form of micro-suction
pad.
This tape like material that was available in sheets
contains millions of micro pores which when pressed
on with a flat surface creates a vaccum to hold
the object in place. When we tested it out, its suction
power proved stronger than we expected and we were
sure that it would do the job.
Thus, a concept in which suction pad would be stuck
on precisely machined wooden case was arrived
at. When the phone is pressed against it, it forms a
bond and firmly stays put.
The micro-sized pores act as tiny suctions cups.
The Solution
A lot of preparation was made before going into manufacturing. CAD models and engineering drawing were generated to communicate with the vendors. An aluminium template was also prepared to ease the quality check process.
Also, we decided to use Rosewood as it has a wonderful color and beautiful grains on it. It is also ideal for machining and engraving. We were lucky to find a local supplier to source the wood from.
The wood however needed to be planed and kept out in the sun for a few weeks for it to get seasoned.
CAD Modeling
Enineering Drawing
Template Creatiion
Wood SourcingSlicing and Planing
Natural Seasoning
Preparation
Pre-Manufacturing
For manufacturing, we found a government supported
unit in the village of Channapatna, which is well-known for its wooden toys.
They had the machines to all necessary wood works and
were also well connected with locals who can perform
post-production work like sanding and polishing.
The wood was cut into slats for convenience. The machining was done on a
8”x4” CNC router. We had to perform many trials as the
wood kept getting chipped during the machining of
outer wall. We eventually locked in on the right tool
speed and iterative removal of material to get it right.
Once successful samples were made, a template was created out of MDF to hold the wood slats. This allowed
for mass manufacturing to take place smoothly .
Manufacturing
1.5mm thin wall
Suction Pad goes here.
Each case has a unique wood grain.
Just one piece.
Final Product
After the production, the case was hand-sanded to
smoothen the surface and to remove the burrs. It was
then polished with food-grade mineral oil.
We managed to make the product we set out
to make, meeting all the requirements of the brief
and a better wooden case than what exists in the
market.
We are now in the process of cataloging the cases and designing packaging for the same. We are also exploring options for engraving Indian inspired artwork on it. It will
soon be available for sale on online and offline stores.
JarryThis project is a work-in-progress for Gemklip which aims to create products for the creative minded people. The design and developement of the project is solely done by me under the guidance of studio director. September 2014
We all have used jars at home. Peanut butter, jam, olives, pickles, sauces, spices, coffee powders, tea leaves. They all come in jars. And after use these sturdy glass jars usually face the darkness of a dumpster.
This idea stemmed from an observation of how glass jars that we use at home are the perfect shape and size for making coffee mugs. The only thing missing was a handle.
It always pinged my heart when a good sturdy glass jar was dumped in the garbage as I felt they had potential to be put to better use. People do use it as a storage for their spices, pickles and other things, but not beyond a point.
Hence, we brainstormed on different ways to attach a handle and clear winner surfaced.
The Idea
We brainstormed on ways to attach handle onto a glass jar, which comes in various shapes and sizes.After ruling out ideas like
glass fusing, super glue, plastic clamp we decided
on a combination of strong elastic band and plastic
handle as the best way to go.
A quick prototype was made to test the feasibility and strength. A handle was
cut out of a cheap plastic mug and elastic bands
that came as add ons with speakers were used. The studio pantry had ample supply of used glass jars.
After putting things together, we had a working prototype and it was better
than we expected.
Quick Prototype
Coaster Saucer Take-away
The prototype served as a proof of concept. It actually was as good as the finished product and was being used as a everyday coffee and tea mug at the studio.
It proved to be an eye-catcher and made for good conversation.
We found some new quirky uses too. The lid of the jar could be used as a coaster for mug or as a saucer to keep bicuits. And when the lid is put on the jar, it is ready to take away with you to enjoy your drink on-the-go.
Proof of concept
Detailing and Engineering in progress.
Concept Detailing
I am currently working on detailing the concept and doing the necessary engineering required for
manufacturing.
The plan is to produce a plastic handle and the elastic band to be sold
online that buyers can use on any glass jar they want.
It is important to ensure that the cost is kept as
low as possible without compromising with the
quality of the product. The focus is on making the
product flat packed so that logistics becomes easier
and cost effective.
Graphic Design
Seven Hills
Seven Hills(Minimal)
Seven Hills(translucency, looks great with colors)
Seven Hills Seven Hills
Seven Hills Seven Hills
Seven Hills
Seven Hills Seven Hills
Seven Hills
Seven Hills
Seven Hills
Seven Hills
Developers and Builders Developers and Builders
Developers and Builders
Developers and Builders
Developers and Builders
Developers and BuildersConcept 1 The Heptagon
Seven Hills Seven Hills Seven Hills
The seven triangles, signifying the seven hills, converge towardsthe centre which gives it a sense of trust and dependability.
Aesthetically, converging symbols evoke a sense of closure and completeness.
Concept 2 The Flower
Inverting the heptagon, gives us these pretty seven petal flower shaped logos.
Seven Hills Seven Hills Seven Hills
SH
Seven HillsDevelopers and Builders
Exploration Detailing
Final
Logo Design
This project was undertaken by me as a freelance work
for a new Real Estate Development firm called
Seven Hills Developers and Builders. Their brief was to
come up with a professional looking logo that would appease executives and businessmen. They also
wanted the logo to convey symbolically their name -
Seven Hills.
Exploration was done to come up with various
concept with different themes. I chose to work in
black and white to arrive at a logo that would be
truly memorable. The client chose concepts to be
detailed based on his liking.
From the detailed concepts, we chose one and it was further worked upon as
per the inputs of the client. I personally was not very
happy with the final design, but that was what the client
wanted, hence I abided.
This work was done by me with a software developer as a hobby project. The idea was to build a web app that provides users with a list of the top 50 things to do in a city. We called it 50things.in. The list would be entirely crowdsourced encouraging users to upload new things that they discover in the cities. These ‘things’ would then be ranked by the community through a voting systen.
A lot of little playful details were added to the website, with the main list page serving as the pillar. The page that has details of a ‘thing’ was made to look neat like a blog article. The page where people can add a thing was a form that looked identical to details page so people get a feel of how their content would look once published as they type it.
UI/UX Design
Home Screen
List Page
Details Page
Add Page
Profile Page
Mobile App
The ‘Add a thing’ page was made identical to the ‘Details’ page with place holders, so that people can see a live render of how tect content will look.
education
education
internship
work
personal skills
software skills
B.E. Industrial EngineeringCollege of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University (CEG)Chennai (2009-2013)
CBSE Grade XIIDelhi Private School (DPS)Sharjah, U.A.E. (2013)
Product Design and DevelopmentSylvn Studio Mumbai (Aug 2013 - Dec 2014)
Product Design and Development. Gemklip - a brand of Teqzo ConsultingBangalore (Jan 2014 - Present)
Leadership, Team-work, Observation, Brainstorming, Model making
address
phone
birthdate
608-D, Oberoi Spelndor, JVLR, Andheri East,Mumbai - 400 060
+91 9967694216
karrmafolio@gmail.com
14th January 2014
Hello. I am Karthik Mahadevan, an aspiring industrial designer hoping to make this world a better place, one product at a time.
SolidWorks, Keyshot, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
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