Mad Men Pub

To conclude the screwdriver project, we had a pub - initially the screwdriver pub, which we turned into "the Mad Men Pub".  (screwdriver -> cocktails -> hard liquor -> Mad Men)  Gave us a chance to dress up and act all classy while drinking and having a good time.

Mad Men - me and fellow classmate Stephie at the pub

MA APD - Term 2, Part 2: Parametric Modelling

Part 2 of the second term, was the course in product analysis and parametric modelling.

For the product analysis and parametric modelling, we were given a (cheap) electric screwdriver, and tasked with coming up with a new design for it, with the branding of our choosing.

Cordless Electric Screwdriver - External

Cordless Electric Screwdriver - Internals


I thought I'd challenge myself and go for an Ikea version, given they do sell some budget, Ikea branded tools, and it fits in the theme of their products and product line, but could maybe be branded better.

Quick Sketch, Branding reference, and Design Direction - trying to determine the styling of an Ikea product proved to be difficult enough to do

Screwdriver 3D Design - Modelled in Solidworks, rendered in Keyshot

Screwdriver parts - (we get funds from the school to print the parts for this project)

Screwdriver Internals - I made a sort of rib-cage support structure to assemble the parts and hold them in place inside the housing

Ikea Family 'Fixa' Screwdriver - Top view of model

Ikea Family 'Fixa' Screwdriver - Front 3/4 view of model

Ikea Family 'Fixa' Screwdriver - Rear 3/4 view of model (my idea was to have it charge in the toolbox casing, just like a cordless home phone charges with 2 contact points in it's base docking station)

Umeå Intermission Part 2: Nordbygg

So for the water tap project we did earlier in the year, FM Mattsson; the main Swedish water tap and fixture maker, decided to exhibit the work of our class at their stand at the Nordbygg exhibition (home interiors, renovation, power tools, etc, mostly for trades workers) in Stockholm.

Given they were exhibiting our work, they felt it would be good to have some students on hand to answer questions for any visitors to the stand.  Me and fellow classmate Dawid took the time to make the trip down to Stockholm (thank you FM Mattsson for a great trip, and putting us up in a really nice hotel!).

-Dawid and me posing in front of our classes work - exhibited in the FM Mattsson stand (I was pretty tired from having not slept the night before, I think it shows)

Umeå Intermission Part 1: Northern Sweden

Hard to believe it's been 4 years and 5 months or so since I started this, and also since I more or less left Canada.

Anyways, so this past week, there was an impulsive last minute road trip on Wednesday to go all the way to Abisko to check out the aurora borealis (northern lights).  Decision made wednesday around 15:30 to go, we hired a car with 5 of us, and were gone by around 18:00.  It's funny how travelling some near 9 hours or so in a car north of Umeå makes this school no longer seem so far north or remote.

Here's the highlights:

-Abisko sky station - on that mountain, supposedly the best aurora on earth, when it's happening, and not overcast (and you pay the fee to go up to the sky station instead of watching it from the base of the mountain)

-Lapporten - Gateway to Lapland, Abisko, Sweden

-Ice on Torneträsk - east of Abisko on along the E10

-Fellow APD1 Stephanie and myself at Torneträsk

-Biting on some glass-like ice - Torneträsk

-Ice pushed up in thick large sheets along the lake edge

-Lapland mountains across the lake

-ICEHOTEL entrance - Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

-Ice and Reindeer (fur) - our road-trip in short (I did have to stop once in the night while driving for the 6 or so reindeer crossing the road, very casually)

-UID impulsive road-trippers - Carlos, Shiy-Yen, Me, Priyanka, Stephanie (l-r)

-Welcome to ICEHOTEL

-Harvested Ice for next season - as explained by our tour guide

-Ice corridor - to the hotel rooms

-THE (original) ICEBAR - Jukkasjärvi

-ICEHOTEL Central hallway - with a chandelier made of ice

-ICEHOTEL central hall - toward the main entrance

-Ice room (or was it one of the 'snow rooms) - either way, one of the 'generic' rooms, that aren't custom done by a signature artist/designer (almost just as nice or nicer then the specialty rooms)

-Ice chandelier

-Lobby entrance ceiling/wall detail - inspired by trees

-Lobby entrance wall detail - with ice benches

-Torne harvested ice - so blue, so beautiful, possibly my new favourite colour

-the beauty of ice

-ICEHOTEL chapel - where a whole lot of weddings happen every season

-Ice Breakers - me, on the thrown of the 'Ice Breakers' dubbed room, done by 2 break dancers from Norway I believe (just realized this is one of the rare occasions I've actually worn my Canadian winter coat, as it's barely been cold enough to bother with)