UNSW Built Environment Industrial Design: Sascha Dal Santo

This semester has really taught me how important it is to balance your time productively between process, production and most importantly the presentation of design. We are currently learning the software programs Rhino and Photoshop to explore the visual language of our products. It is time consuming and fiddly with so many different tools, however the final result is often mind blowing, rewarding, slick and exciting. This fast paced design rendering is a steep learning curve but has taught me a lot about how to apply different finishes i.e. metal chrome or a matt finish and make a 2D sketch ‘come to life’ in my designs.

Photoshop Rendered Camera

As a result, expectations have increased. For our last studio project brief we had to design a product for 5 years into the future for a particular clientele. This involved concept development, a design process of scenario planning, market research and researching new and current trends to realise ideas. Initiated by my interest in wearable electronics I designed a flexible display screen as well as a blackberry/Ipod rechargeable docking server that seamlessly attaches to a larger handbag as part of the overall bag design. Detachable; the client could take the bag to meetings or use on the plane. At the end of the day the client had the option to leave this flap behind and carry the handbag onto evening activates after work. From this project I also learnt that designing objects and working with textiles can be quite difficult….

Photoshop Rendered Hairdryer

At the moment we are designing a product that will enrich the dining/eating experience and ritual of a chosen culture. I’m in the development process of designing a product for the great Aussie BBQ; specifically honing in on the B.Y.O side of the ritual for al fresco dinning. In our Useability design research project we designed an interface self-service outlet focusing on the following key elements:

• Spatial such as sight lines and human reach and seating comfort.
• Visual communication such as text, graphics, and audio to communicate information to the user

The project involved a design methodology and research approach, with comparative usability testing of interface designs with different users to understand their haptic senses and the way their eyes move across the screen. Pleasure-ability as well as functionality was fundamental in my “personalise your fragrance’ outlet to be located in beauty shops.

Text analysis diagram for 'Personalise your Fragrance' Outlet for beauty stores