NORDKONSULT SHOWREEL
Summer/Fall 23
In preparation for Nordkonsult i Luleå AB's new launch, I was tasked with creating a showreel of some of their recent mechanical solutions. I had a goal of using Blender to make this happen. Using plug-ins like STEPper, I could convert the STEP models from NURBS into polygonal, followed by building different environments around them - based on photos from the project's documentation. In some scenes I even used rigged 'operators' to both show scale and how one would operate the machines. I had lots of fun learning about shaders, setting up scenes, and the endless possibilities of Blender as I went on.
The biggest challenges during this project were lightning and animating specific components such as cables and chains working in unison with multiple gears (and animating the operators took the most time). The challenge with the lightning was to balance the amount of raytracing and other specifications, so the scene would look both decent and not take ages to render. The post-processing was done in Adobe Premiere. All in all, a fun, rewarding, and good experience. Thank you to Nordkonsult for supporting me and to have allowed me the opportunity to do this!
Don't forget to check out the video!
DIGITAL MINER, Nexgen SIMS visualization
Winter 22/Spring 23
This was an assignment I was given under Human Work Science at the Division of Humans and Technology, Luleå University of Technology for the project Nexgen SIMS. Part of the work was to make use of storytelling, and during the project, we created an interactive story where stakeholders could follow a working day from a new perspective for future miners. My task was to visualize each part of the story. We wanted the visualization to not only support the story but also inspire and possibly create internal discussions about what the future should look like.
This project allowed me to use the early models of SD and MJ, as well as make use of my Photoshop and sketching skills. This was a good learning experience and it was a lot of fun to work on the story with my colleagues as well as being given a lot of creative freedom. We even had a visit to the mines in Kankberg, Boliden for me to understand how their current operations worked. I tried to simulate that sensation of being underground in my visualizations.
I also had the chance to hold a small lecture at a workshop with Professor of Product Development Peter Törlind, for TD-DAGEN 2023 at LTU, about my workflow using AI and other ID tools.
Try out the interactive story below!
"Welcome to the vision of the digital miner and mining workplace. The vision is an interactive story of how it could be to work with maintenance of the autonomous systems developed within the NEXGEN SIMS project. With this vision we want to show how it could be to work with digital technology in interactive ways with both colleagues and machines. The story takes about 5-10 minutes to complete depending on the choices you make throughout the narrative."
HOMESTEAD, an Energy-saving solution
Fall 22
This project was done as a part of the final product design course in my master's at Luleå University of Technology, Advanced Product Design. The product created, together with its app, utilize behavioral design and current technologies in smart homes to save energy and create sustainable habits. The team consisted of me, Adam Negmér, Henrika Kostet, and Madele Schulz. The project lasted during Q1-Q2 and was the longest project I've been a part of yet, where we designed for the company Nordic Innovative Living. The course ended with an exhibition that I was a part of putting together, where each team presented its sustainable solutions.
The product was modeled in Siemens NX and Blender and built using a milled dark-stained pine base and laser-cut sand-blasted plexiglass layers (representing glass). The functional app prototype was made using Figma. The LEDs in each section were set up using Arduino and WS2812B LEDs, where I got the opportunity to program each running loop for the exhibition demo.
In this time of costly electrical bills and environmental discourse, we need an easy and reliable way to save energy. A product that fits naturally in the home environment and helps you to easily see and control your energy usage in real-time. Today we are introducing Homestead, the energy-saving solution for environmentally conscious homeowners. When a room in your house consumes energy, the corresponding segment on your Homestead will light up. The brighter the light, the more power that room uses. And if a room has been using energy for a while, the color will slowly change from a warm yellow to a red warning light. This change is based on the total amount of kilowatts used by the room.
But how does Homestead create a more sustainable lifestyle? Research has shown that real-time information can help change behavior, whether people are aware of it or not. And by making environmentally-friendly options the default, we can encourage sustainable habits. Social norms also have a big impact on nudging a more sustainable lifestyle, and that's why we've designed Homestead to be a neighborhood-wide solution. Homestead is constructed with recycled Soda-Lime glass and features a frosted, sandblasted finish. The base plate is made of FSC-marked locally grown wood, and energy-efficient RGB LED lights it up. And because Homestead is powered by a cord instead of batteries, it requires minimal maintenance.
In addition to the information provided by Homestead, we've also created an accompanying app that offers more functions for customers who are interested in statistics and want more functions. On the home page, you can see your current energy usage and a 3D model of your Homestead that lights up in real-time. And with the main off-switch featured on the homepage, it's easy to turn off everything when you're leaving the house. The app also allows for remote control, so you can turn off anything you may have forgotten from anywhere. But to encourage sustainable habits, the app does not allow you to turn on outlets. The app can also access information about your current energy prices and view statistics on your energy usage over time.
And to make sustainable living even more fun, we've included a gamification element in the app. You can see your energy usage compared to others in your neighborhood and earn achievements for saving energy in various ways. This will be a great way to stay motivated and make a positive impact. So by giving you real-time feedback, that's easy to comprehend, in a look that fits naturally into your home environment, we’re confident that Homestead will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Feel free to try the app prototype!
Festool robotic vacuum cleaner
Spring 22
This project was done as part of an Advanced Prototyping course in the spring of 2022 at Luleå University of Technology. The team consists of Emil Öhlén, John Arnberg, Sam Hedrén, Noah Andersson, Mohammad Raad Ghamlouch & Oliver Sundgren. Our mission was to define the design language of Festool and then use it to design a conceptual robotic vacuum cleaner. This booklet illustrates our process at every step along the way.
The result is VCM 01 - a product that not only embraces the honest, bold & intentional design language of Festool but also pushes the boundaries of what Festool indeed can be in the process.
Feel free to read through the storybook which covers all parts of the design and prototyping process.
Hand blender
Spring 21
The feeling the user should get from a PPE perspective (Warell, 2008) is that the product feels solid and thus is reliable. The user should be able to feel comfortable when holding the product, emphasizing an ergonomic grip that fits all hands, made of rubber to enforce a robust and controlled feeling. The rest of the surface has a clean finish like products from Braun to give a sense of cleanliness and professionalism. Following the PPE model, the product uses similar color schemes as mentioned brands have in common; quiet, partly pastel but still colorful.
Warell, A. (2008). Modeling perceptual product experience – Towards a cohesive framework of presentation and representation in design. In Proceedings from the 6th Conference on Design & Emotion Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Gamification for social interaction
Winter 21
Our goal with this project is to encourage social interaction between individuals or groups through gamification; in a subtle manner that doesn’t require the user's full attention, allowing them to socially interact.
The app is inherently supposed to be displayed in semi-public spaces, such as a canteen, where people gather to have their lunch. The game allows the users to answer questions that are seen on a big screen in the room, through a screen on their table. They will be able to send ‘power-ups’ to each other as well as ‘reactions’ which also will be shown on the big screen. Prototyping was done through Figma.
Feel free to read through the booklet explaining the product further with more detailed images and process descriptions.
Lumi, desktop lamp concept
Fall 22
This project was done as part of the course Product Visualization during the fall of 2022 at Luleå University of Technology. The assignment for this course is to develop and visualize a toy with a few parameters to regard. The modeling was done in Blender v3 and the video editing was done in Vegas Pro. I learned basic sculpting, lightning for visualization in different contexts, relatively advanced shading, and modeling.
The result was Lumi. He is a desktop lamp that interacts with you by reminding you of coming events in your schedule. He does this by blinking his light the color your event is in your calendar (or any color you set in the Lumi app) - about 15 minutes before your event (or any time you choose for that matter). While the event is ongoing, he constantly glows that color.
Feel free to read through the workbook which covers all parts of the design and modeling process.