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CTS - ASSIGNMENT 1
Jonathan Hiew - 0333787
TOY DESIGN
- Projectile Toy -
Assignment Brief
In this assignment, we were given a group project work to design and create an interactive, fun toy made out of recyclable items. We were given 4 types of toys that we can choose from which are spinning top, glider, racecar and projectile toy. Our design for the toy is mainly, but not limited to, 4 types of recyclable materials:
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Old rubber tubes or hoses
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Discarded wood
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Plastic bottles
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Cardboard
We can customize the design of our toy based on a DC Superhero or a Popular Eighties Pop Stars. Our toy should be highly engaging, have a sense of playability (competitiveness), be functional and be aesthetic.
Our first ever CTS Lecture and Tutorial!
Week 1 - CTS Lecture with Mr. Charles, Mr. Choy and Ms. Fu in LT1
Week 2 - CTS Tutorial with Ms. Fu at E6.17
On the first week of learning in CTS , we were given an introduction and a comprehensive lecture of what is CTS and what to expect in CTS. On the second week, we were given the assignment brief of our first assignment - design a toy! Each foundation course was given a specific place to meet up with different lecturers. For my foundation (FID), Ms. Fu was assigned to arrange tutorial classes with all of us and give us a more detailed information on the assignment.
Week 3
Zelimonaryl at work
Zelimonaryl is our group name which was made by a combination of all our group members (Jim, Jonathan, Zafran, Melvin and Daryl). Our first meeting had Daryl, Zafran, Melvin and I brainstorming together on the toy. Before this meeting, we had scavenged like raccoons for any
used items or materials that were thrown in the trash and were in good condition :( be it in a public place or a specific corner, we shamelessly dug through trashes multiple times and were rewarded with good junk. We had marked specific locations to check during specific times, so that the trash wasn't thrown away before we had the chance to salvage them. On that day, we had laid out the first overview and functionality of the toy. We had done lots of research on different prototypes of projectile toys in the internet. We observed and studied a lot on how it works, the durability of the toy and also the comfort of it. With just a couple of cardboard boxes, an UHU glue, 2 rubber bands (thicker than the ordinary ones) and a metal wire, we got to work. Jim could not be here at the time because he had to leave early.
After filling in Jim with our idea at the next meeting, he was in line with it and proceeded as planned. Melvin had an idea to implement an idea of his into the toy which was a mini multiplayer activity. The activity was that we use our toy to shoot wooden blocks into a target (cup) and see how many could a person gather. This raises competitiveness in the game, so it would be really nice to have that. However, because we were short on time, the projectile toy itself is more critical so we divided our team to have Zafran, Daryl and I work on the toy itself while Melvin works on the activity. Jim helps out on both the toy and the activity. We managed to get the functionality done during this meeting and tested out the power of the toy. We were really amazed by it because it was stronger than what we had expected. We chose a DC Superhero, Cyborg, to fit the theme for the projectile toy.
Week 3 - Week 4
In a span of 1 week, we managed to get the function and the design done. We were relieved that we managed to get this far within a week despite having other pending assignments. Also, the original deadline to present our toy to the lecturers was Week 4, but it was extended to Week 5. We had shown Ms. Fu and Mr. Charles our progress on our toy during a tutorial class. We had positive comments on the toy but we got a feedback that the toy could be better in terms of functionality. This toy requires you to hold the toy with your other hand and the other to pull the rubber band like a sling shot and.. off it goes! Mr. Charles thought that we could improve on that area.
That same time, due to overuse, the rubber band snapped (thankfully after Mr. Charles had left) and that left us back to square one. We looked into a lot more ideas for a better option on making a projectile toy such as using a spring, using an air pump, etc. We tried to look for the needed materials but we can't seem to find any (also because we can't buy materials so we have to literally look everywhere and ask people if they have used items that they don't need anymore). So, my team and I stuck to the idea of the rubber band and decided not to play a lot with it anymore until presentation day.
We spent a lot of time trying to look into more ideas and improve the toy overall to meet the expectations of our lecturers. We laid out another plan of the toy and after spending more time being raccoons and expanding our territory to look for useful trash, we finally figured out a way to improvise. We found PVC tubes and more cardboards. We figured that we could use the PVC Tube as the force and a trigger as the fulcrum (just like a gun, only that we use rubber bands and not spring). Zafran said that he has a flexible and strong gymnastic band that could substitute the rubber band we have, which in the end we decided to use.
Week 5 (Presentation Week)
It's Week 5! One of our team members, Daryl, couldn't be here with us for the presentation day and the night before. All of us were taking it easy because our toy was about 80% complete. Only a few more things needed to be done. However, parts of the toy started breaking down. Whenever we patch one up, the other just needed emergency repair. More so often, the same part needed patching up more than a few times. Jim had already left, leaving Melvin, Zafran and I staying back for the toy. We decided to stay there overnight until the next morning to finish up the toy. Right up until the presentation itself. The design of the toy needed some touch up too.
Finally, judgement time has come! We managed to fix our toy up to the functional level.. for a while. We were very unsure of presenting this toy because of its weak, unsteady condition. Unfortunately, our toy did break right before presentation and the lecturers told us to fix it on the spot. We utilized whatever materials we had with us. We were left with a sellotape, cups, extra cardboard and used duct tape. We disassembled certain parts and replaced with another. We taped in a messy but effective way and it made our toy less presentable. In the end, we managed to present our toy that serves its function: to shoot out an object. It did, just in a very poor way.
All in all, even though it didn't work out as we hoped it would, we had a blast thinking about lots of ideas that came in our heads and trying to create a toy out of imagination. We learned a lot throughout the assignment in terms of teamwork, time management, cooperation and enhancing our creativity! In reference to Taylor's Graduate Capabilities, I have learned to put theories into practice, learn independently as well as think critically and creatively.
Below is a video of us trying to repair the faulty toy on the spot. An arrow to the right is a video of us testing out the repaired toy. Unfortunately, we don't have a recording of the big presentation itself.
Videos
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Final Product
My Idea Journal (IDJ)
Our toy is a projectile toy inspired by the Teen Titans character, Cyborg. Throughout the assignment duration, my team and I wrote our own IDJs, a.k.a. Idea Journals (a compilation of our thoughts and ideas on paper as well as the process throughout our assignment) and compile them altogether in the end. Click the button below for a PDF version of my IDJ:
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