Flashlight Redesign

The major problems that I found with the flashlight were the following: 

1. Uncomfortable to hold 

2. Hard to find where the button is placed in the dark 

3. Hard to find which side the button is on

4. Must press and hold the button to keep the light on 

I then sketched out a few flow forms keeping those problems in mind. I wanted to create a more organic shape so you would be able to understand the form based on what the shape itself was describing. These forms helped me to inform the next step of my process which was to build off of these and create 3D drawings instead of just creating side views.  

The following 3D sketches were based on the flow patterns drawn previously. Here, I tried to think of new ways to interact with the flashlight and new shapes that the form could take on. 

I then started the create some of the forms that I resonated the most with. The easiest way for me to do this was through play-doh. This is not a very sturdy material hence why it was not chosen as the final material to make the finished design.  Play-doh, however, is extremely malleable which allowed me to iterate on my designs. I made different types of grips and tested the way the form fit to my own grip. 

I then decided to pick two of the forms and create them out of foam. This helped me conceptualize even more what the forms actually looked like in 3D. I traced the outline of the top and side view and placed it on the foam. 

I then began to bandsaw the form out into the actual shape of the top view. Then I taped the form back together and bandsawed the side view. This was very helpful for me to get a sense of what the actual shape was. 

I then started to add clay on top to create the final surface form that fit well into my own hand. I also added the clay to show the textures that would be on the final object as well as the on and off switch. 

I then realized that the water droplet shape was way too skinny at the end. I decided not to go with this form because it did not feel comfortable in my hand. Since I wanted to create an object that was comfortable, I decided that it would be better for me to work with the other shape. I shaped the object using an oscillating spindle sander to get the rough shape of the object. Then, using sandpaper, I finished off the foam to create a smoother texture. 

I then tested my design on people and asked them about the grip. I realized that I still need to tweak the grip further as some people were focused on how to hold the object. This caused me to think about textures and I added the rougher pattern on the bottom of the flashlight to show people that they were supposed to hold that part. I also added the on and off switch as a slide forward. Originally, I thought that a slide sideways would be more natural. However, through testing, I realized that it was not intuitive enough and people felt that it was not very natural. 

I changed the interaction slightly with a vertical switch and added the rough texture for grip. The surface texture was extremely difficult and despite using a wet sponge and the scraper tool, I still found it difficult to create a smooth surface. 

The final flashlight fit nicely into your hand as well as has an intuitive interaction that works during the day and in the dark. This was able to nice solve the problems of my current flashlight. 

In the future, I want to iterate on my design further. Although I am proud of the design that I created, I want to create a more abstracted form of a flashlight and push the idea of what is a 'normal' flashlight. I really want to dive deeper and focus on the form of the object focusing on where parting lines are, hard vs soft curves, as well as creating a more subtle way of turning on the flashlight. I want to question why there is a button or a slider rather than a twist or a shake motion. By doing this, I hope to push my designs even further. Here are a few of the steps that I have taken to focus on this new idea.