Biophilic modeling in product design

Biophilic modeling in product design

ABSTRACT:

          This was a study of a reiterative design process utilizing both digital modeling and physical modeling for developing new biophilic interior product designs. This research used both of these modeling methods together: The digital modeling phases informed the physical modeling for design development. Progress in the physical modeling were then further examined through modification of the digital model. This study analyzed the ability for digital modeling to assist in creating successful biophilic prototypes. Since industry practice uses digital modeling in standard product design, this research addressed if it is also an applicable process for biophilic product design creation. The current trend in product manufacturing using computer based 3-D model generation has increased the speed of physical model production and is used to inform the design process and the speed of the overall product development process (Chua, Leong, & Lim, 2003). Some of the speed is found: in the digital sharing of files and information, being able to make multiple iterations quickly, and being able to see and modify issues that may be impossible to see due to size or physical/visual access within a physical model. The hands-on prototype is then better informed and can explore the design in both a tactile and visual manner that better express scale. The scope of this project was three fold. The first objective was documenting the design process of the creation of a new interactive screen and a lamp. The second was the use of modeling software to assist in the 3-D digital study of the objects and exploring modeling software that is fully able to model biophilic forms, and produce the necessary output for making the physical modeling and production. Finally, there will be an actual production of working prototypes that are the outcome of the design process and prototyping explored.  The limitations include the predetermined time, the equipment available, and access to the equipment.

Introduction:

                The hypothesis of this research is that by producing physical model prototypes from a 3d digital modeling software the resulting design will be advanced by an iterative design process toward a completed biophilic product.  Biophilia is the innate tendency for human’s to have an affinity for nature (Wilson, 1984).  The importance of biophilia can be expressed in product design by incorporating biophilic elements into the design. Hildebrand designates five biophilic elements: prospect, refuge, enticement, peril, and complex order (Kellert, Heerwagen, & Mador, 2008) and is further explained in the Methodology section.

            The importance of access to biophilic product designs is reliant upon companies being able to produce the products. In today’s global economy “product information sharing and exchange between various stages of PD [product design] processes can lead to optimal solutions for developing a product, thus, it has become paramount for a company to succeed” (Yang, Xie, & Zhou, 2008, p. 6055). This expresses the economic need for companies to produce pieces with optimized process. Rapid prototyping (RP) is an example of a physical model that aids with optimizing speed and accuracy. It has also been said that “the versatility and range of different prototypes, from complete systems to individual components, that can be produced by RP at varying degrees of approximation makes it an important tool for prototyping in the product development process” (Chua et al., 2003, p. 4). RP is becoming broader in its key emphasis of the rapid ability to create a prototype and is beginning to be defined to be RPTM (Rapid Prototyping, Tooling and Manufacturing) to “include the utilization of the prototype as a master pattern for tooling and manufacturing (Chua et al., 2003, p. 18). Therefore, the creation of a master biophilic pattern for manufacturing is the focus of this study. Through using 3-D modeling with the idea of RPTM, the creation of the needed computer files for manufacturing the prototype will also test the relevance of the software and machinery chosen. The results will be used for education of future biophilic product designs processes.

Literature Review:

            The importance of 3D modeling is its ability to rapidly adjust and change objects which allows for designers to make more detailed and accurate designs with easier exploration.  This is the basis for the modeling approach to this research.

3D Modeling

            The basics of modeling are shown by Spalter (Spalter, 1999).  They are: primitives which are the basic building blocks, sweeps which are the 3D form of a profile, and Boolean operations which use the addition or subtraction of multiple objects to create more complex and also more organic shapes than can be accomplished thru simple addition or subtraction. These are all techniques that will be explored in creating the digital models.

            The future will most likely bring more multi-sensory 3-D animation and virtual reality to architecture for a total sensory experience that allows fully virtual buildings to be created and tested before construction begins. This would go further in bringing design and build project teams together earlier in the building design process. This is a strategy that is already emphasized by the USGBC and LEED for minimizing change orders and inefficient building design (U.S. Green Building Council., 2007). The increased upfront communication that is required allows everyone to see from the beginning what the end goal is and how everyone else is working toward that goal. Better system integration is often a result. With the need for up front analytical development of requirements, innovations that may be needed can be pursued. Part of the importance of group involvement in the design process is for the environmental benefit of minimizing errors and creating buildings that are better understood by those involved. The LEED building rating system by the USGBC has supported changes in manufacturing which emphasizes the importance of minimizing waste and creating environmentally friendly designs. Biophilic design goes a step further and through the reunification of humans with nature has the effect of awakening the human advocacy for nature that is greatly needed today (Kellert et al., 2008).

            Another major change happening in this country with product creation is the open market sharing of ideas and software (Anderson, 2010). It is additionally fueled by the increased affordability of smaller equipment for use in manufacturing prototypes. This trend has led to greater hands-on design development to occur by smaller companies and individuals. Their iterations are able to happen quickly between computer generated modeling and the production of physical prototypes. The further refinement of the model can become succinct and more rapid when able to carry these steps out without waiting for others to create prototypes. This type of iteration has become very successful and supports the methodology of using computer modeling to inform the design toward the manufacturing of the prototype. The major steps in the process of creating affordable prototypes for the individual are as follows: invent, design, prototype, manufacture, and sell. According to Anderson of Wire Magazine the following breakdown is a how-to for the do-it-yourselfer.

·  1) INVENT Stop whining about the dearth of cool products in the world — dream up your own. Pro tip: Check the US Patent and Trademark Office Web site to ensure no one else had the idea first.

·  2) DESIGN Use free tools like Blender or Google’s SketchUp to create a 3-D digital model of your invention. Or download someone else’s design and incorporate your groundbreaking tweaks.

·  3) PROTOTYPE You don’t need to be Geppetto to crank out a prototype; desktop 3-D printers like MakerBot are available for under $1,000. Just upload a file and watch the machine render your vision in layered ABS plastic.

·  4) MANUFACTURE The garage is fine for limited production, but if you want to go big, go global — outsource. Factories in China are standing by; sites like Alibaba.com can help you find the right partner.

·  5) SELL Market your product directly to customers via an online store like SparkFun — or set up your own ecommerce outfit through a company like Yahoo or Web Studio. Then haul your golden goose to Maker Faire and become the poster child for the DIY industrial revolution (Anderson, 2010).

           

            In the process of designing, the concept of using prototypes allows for testing and proofing of ideas in order to move the product toward the manufacturing phase. It can also aid in communicating ideas and demonstrating concepts that are much easier to grasp in physical form. The physical form also adds to the ability for greater communication within the design team and focus groups can receive an advantage from looking at tangible objects and are able to give more valuable feedback.  The prototype can also “synthesize the entire product concept by bringing the various components and sub-assemblies together to ensure that they will work together. This will greatly help in the integration of the product and surface any problems...” (Chua et al., 2003, p. 6). This is an important advantage for the use of prototypes and supports producing biophilic product designs.

Biophilic design

            Biophilic design’s goal is to support the human affinity for nature. The powerful, beneficial impact of nature on humans was first researched by Ulrich (Ulrich, 1984) in “View through a window may influence recovery from surgery”. This focus on integrating nature into our environments has already been found to enhance healing and recovery rates, reduce social problems, enhance coping and adaptive behavior, improve worker performance, increase concentration and memory, aid in healthy childhood maturation and development, and produce a more positive valuation of the environment (Kellert et al., 2008). Biophilic research is important for two primary reasons: for endorsing biophilic design integration in building design for benefits to the users and the fostering of environmental appreciation. 

           

            The biophilic fractal is a “geometric way to express seemingly irregular ‘non-geometric-looking’ forms such as trees, coastlines, and clouds by noticing that they exhibit, at many levels of detail, patterns of self-similarity” (Spalter, 1999, p. 241).  The fractal design component is defined as “complex geometric shapes that appear to repeat at finer scales; such shapes are often found in nature and can be defined mathematically” (Kellert et al., 2008, p. 332). “The Poetics of Space” (Bachelard, 1994) is applicable as it relates to exploring the ideas and spaces of the imagination, nature, and home, which can be created within the 3D realm in ways that we were unable to prior to CAD. We are now able to tap into our imagination and use 3D tools to help us explore nature and ourselves. “By the swiftness of its actions, the imagination separates us from the past as well as from reality; it faces the future” (Bachelard, 1994). Biophilic design supports creating environments that foster imagination through computer aided design and rewards the planet with biophilic advocates for healthy, sustainable environments.

           

Methodology:

               The initial design concepts were selected based upon nature-based shapes. The lamp was based upon the oval-spherical form of an artichoke. The screen used a nature-based fractal shape for development and the singular shape was then reproduced into a larger installation with multiple similar units.  The fractal form was mathematically explained by Benoit Mandelbrot and is described by saying that that “the shapes tend to be scaling, implying that the degree of their irregularity and/or fragmentation is identical at all scales (Mandelbrot, 1982, p. 1).  It possesses self-similarity through smaller versions representing the whole, see Figure 1.

Figure 1 This Mandelbrot image is a representation of a fractal that shows the same shapes repeated in various scales and the outer edge being infinitely irregular.

The fractal is the basis of many natural structures like the cauliflower (see Figure 2) and when applied to computer modeling was a major breakthrough that allowed for more realistic nature representations. “Rigorous, infinite self-similarity is required for a true fractal, but with computer graphics a few rounds, or iterations, of substantially self-similar forms can create a variety of realistic-looking plants or trees” (Spalter, 1999, p. 241).

Figure 2 - A cauliflower shows the same self-similarity of parts that mathematically was defined as a fractal by Mandelbrot.

            This ability to model biophilic shapes will be used within the design parameters of the biophilic design elements.  The six elements of biophilia are based on Hildebrand’s: prospect and refuge, enticement and peril, and order and complexity (Kellert, 2005). For the lamp, prospect and refuge are specified through the ability to turn the light on and off. You can see what is around you (prospect) with the light on and you can hide in the dark (refuge) with the light off. Enticement and peril comes in the light source and the shape of the form. The enticement is the organic, biophilic shape and the visual analysis of the fragile nature of the object. Peril comes from the bright light, the possible heat source. The object exhibits order and complexity through the repetition of the structure. For the screen, prospect and refuge are indicated by the manipulation of the product when installed in multiples along the z-axis in the Cartesian coordinate system. The height of the unit provides refuge, while the ability to see through parts of it provides prospect. They are the highest priority elements to inform this design.  Secondarily, order and complexity were sought after through utilizing a fractal type unit for creating the basic block. A rectangular based star shape was used to begin the form and organic curves helped to soften the edges for user safety. The use of multiple units reinforces the fractal effect with varying shapes and patterns created through a larger installation.

Figure 3- Basic fractal shapes showing five levels of complexity starting on the left at level one. Each level adds smaller versions of the shape to create increasingly irregularity of the edges.

 

            Finally, the elements enticement and peril were incorporated through the overall curvilinear complexity of the x- and y-axis in the form.  Peril was further experienced in the final installation through the perceived uncertainty in the stability. It is the enticing shape of the biophilic form basis and the overall tactile ability to create and play through manipulating the objects that adds to the allure. 

            This research was conducted by using Autodesk’s 3dsMax digital modeling software to explore the biophilic shapes. “3ds Max gives you a more streamlined, artist-friendly modeling workflow through a collection of hands-on modeling UI [user interface] options that let you focus more on the creative process” (Arpak, Sass, & Knight, 2009, p. 480). Next, the files generated were converted into an acceptable format for the production equipment.  The equipment included the Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC), the laser cutter, and a full selection of wood shop equipment. The design process included initial sketches and clay studies that were further developed in 3dsMax.  Along with the initial designs being modeled, a scale version and/or specific components were further investigated. This exploration then was refined in the digital modeling software toward a completed product. Another study looked at a design process using prototypes to inform the design process noted that this type of design process “involved a reciprocal action between the visual and physical realms which continuously fed each other, were highly productive, and led to creative novel results and [is] further developed until final production is achieved” (Spalter, 1999).

                A constraint to this research was the available computing power of the computer used for modeling, the software’s ease of use, and the production equipment’s limited availability for use. Additionally, the schedule was predetermined, so work needed to be complete by the due date.  

Figure 4:  Process diagram of design

Figure 5- Example of a nature based image for idea generation

            Patterns like the one shown in Figure 5 were used to start the ideation process and were aids in creating a screen based on the individual unit repeated. These ideas were relied upon when looking at how the larger pattern of the object relates to the users and to its showing greater fractal complexity.

  
      This research using physical model prototype creation from a 3d digital model aided the design process toward completing the biophilic designs and was assessed through the digital image recording of the various stages of production shown in the following pages. The feedback from looking at this was self-reflective and allowed for greater awareness and an informed approach to future design work. It will additionally be used as an appendix for my thesis showing biophilic product designs. 

            The final design for screen/play toy was based upon Montessori learning tools which often use wood as a natural material and keep a natural finish.  The production of these pieces is through precision cutting and “is controlled by the latest computer technology. Sturdy interlocking joinery and space age adhesives have almost eliminated the need for nails, screws or other metal fasteners” (“About Nienhuis: The Unique Production Process,” n.d.). Theories of child development coming from Piaget and Montessori are “referred to as constructivists, because they view children as constructing knowledge, rather than simply taking it in” (Lillard, 2005, p. 12). This approach places importance on the setting in which learning takes place as well as the materials from the environment for that construction.  This was used to inform the importance of creating a toy that could be used to create a child’s own environment defined by the objects which adds to the personal sense of place and empowerment that children dealing with ill health can benefit from.

               For the creation of future biophilic designs, development in the world of modeling will have the most impact on design development. This is an area that I see as continuing to be able to increase the effectiveness and profitability of designs for companies. The software, hardware, and user interface should help the designer make quicker and cheaper modifications with fewer variables in between each cycle of design, model, and modify. The affordability of manufacturing equipment and the sharing of information online continue to advance the possibilities of production and design innovation.  “Fabrication aids in revealing a great deal of future problems and allow for planning in advance. It offers a more explicit design medium in which designers more easily self-reflect. This synchronous meta-cognitive process offers faster learning” (Arpak et al., 2009, p. 481). The results are final product designs which are inevitably of better final quality.

            Final digital representation of the progress and process of the screen design included the final product design prototypes and were represented with actual physical models, photographic process documentation, and a computer rendering of the screen installation. This was presented in a PowerPoint format for the class. The class presentation provided feedback for product design success and possibilities for design advancement. The focus on more functional representations of biophilia and revisions to the placement of the magnets and internal shapes were topics discussed and are being used for future product design development.

Lamp Ideation Process:

             The lamp design process started with sketches and led to a digital model that allowed for a physical model to be generated. The exploration of the physical model created new design development that led to revisions needed to the digital model. A final product design will be completed when a new machine is made available. The iterative design process allowed for great advancement in the design by using both to explore the design and resolve issues informed by having gone through both processes. It also allowed for the alteration of the lamp from a table lamp to a pendant fixture.

             The modeling process that brought the image to life started from the initial artichoke concept and was adjusted with the modeling helping to clarify design issues. As the cut file was being created, multiple iterations were made and design adjustments needed to the structure.  The addition of the central support ring was modeled using Boolean operations to merge the items and then subtract the objects where necessary.  Also, the top had another Boolean subtraction added to it so the top would sit flush with the ribs. The base then prompted a Boolean subtraction off of the ribs in order for the lamp to sit flush on the base and add support. 

               

              Final results of the physical prototype showed that there was a need for additional built-in recesses in the base which could add support for the piece during assembly and also add an added layer of interconnected strength to the piece. An additional ring for support would be beneficial if added to the top of the piece and strengthen the termination of the ribs.  The aesthetic appeal for the piece was viewed favorably by those that saw it and the ability to customize the outer shade was seen as a successful, sustainable option that would help outlast trends and décor changes. The use of the LED bulb was also seen as beneficial for low energy costs. The biophilic and sustainable features present in the design were all viewed as positive and also desirable, an overall success.

Screen Ideation Process:

            The initial design inspiration of tessellated or fractal shapes were followed to completion with the use of a modified star shape. The ability to explore connections between multiple pieces was a major goal for the design and for inspiring creativity and imagination within the user group, 3-9 year old children. The goal for product was for a child to be able to create a screen or installation that allowed for the customization and definition of their personal play space, while fostering creativity.

           The final project was effectively guided by the use of both digital and physical modeling. Whenever roadblocks or bottlenecks would occur, the use of desk critiques and informal interviews with others would help to guide the further development of the design.  The patients for knowing each programs strengths and weaknesses is key. As Spalter (1999) expresses in her book, 3d modeling allows for more intricate exploration of a model than can sometimes occur in real life due to the scale or internal structure of an object, etc. 3d modeling can lead to quicker iterations due to the speed at which one can locate and modify potential problems.  Part of the complexity of digital modeling is working in a 3d world on a 2d monitor with a 2d input device. It can be both “unbelievably frustrating and deeply rewarding” (Spalter, 1999, p. 213).  Working with the software and learning the best path for the desired output (i.e. file type) is an important step in obtaining more of the rewarding moments.

            With the breakthrough of being able to model biophilic objects after the fractal’s definition, the current trend of creating more life-like animation and models through digital software will continue to push future hardware and software development, as well as push our ability to create more biophilic inspired product designs.  Lessons learned from this project include the number of magnets in the larger pieces may need to be increased, as well as the size of the central shapes for the larger units. The use of both the open and acrylic inserts has been shown to be interesting to people. With Professor Mendoza’s children’s interest and multiple offers to buy the product, I think the design is overall a success and the iterative design process one that will provide me with a proven process to follow for studio next fall.  Future guidelines for using this process will include providing more learning opportunities for using all of the different software involved and using the possible end equipment production software to dictate which modeling software to use.  Rhino, for the CAM studio, seems to provide the easiest modeling software for use in producing both the models and the final cut files needed.  More biophilic product designs await.

REFERENCES

Figure credits:

Figure 1- http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/10/benoit_mandelbrot_father_of_fr.html

Figure 2- http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sweet-pickled-cauliflower-recipe.html

Figure 3- http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Fractal.html

Figure 5- http://www.spicelines.com/2009/03/baby_its_cold_outside_incompar.html

Figure 6- Iwamoto, L. (2009). Digital fabrications : architectural and material techniques. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Remaining images- Author

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