# data[].attributes.body
Music is becoming a huge part of our lives. I’m sure most of us use earphones a lot of the time, especially when we're traveling; but, they’re always getting tangled, lost, or broken because they get stuck deep inside our bags and taking them out would simply be more damaging.

I want to fix this, and my solution is going to be a phone accessory for example a phone case or phone attachment, as we always have our phone around us and it would be much easier to find our earphones without having them tangled, lost or broken. The target audience for this product is going to be for travelers and my client is going to be my father because he travels a often and requires entertainment on the airplanes.

# data[].attributes.body
The phone holder ring is for both making the phone user more comfortable holding the phone by holding the phone through the ring. The ring is also used as a stand for the phone when twisted horizontally. This is useful for watching videos as it provides a stable surfaces for the phone to rest on. The product is made out of polypropylene that is very smooth so it makes the product more aesthetic. The product also has a Adidas logo as decoration. Something I can take from this design is the tightness the rings provide so that the ring could be used for multiple purposes. I think for my phone accessory we can have a stand similar to this because it can be be compressed and makes use of space more efficiently.

# data[].attributes.body
The phone case can cover the screen of the phone so it provides protection for the phone screen. The phone case also serves as a stand for the phone by folding the phone case backwards and then folding the second half forwards, which creates a triangular stand. There is also a small magnet on the edge of the phone which keeps the phone case on the side and intact. The product is made out of synthetic leather and ABS plastic for the base of the case. The plastic is soft so the phone can fit in easier and the leather pit is stuck onto the edges of the phone case base.
From this design I think I can take the design of the softer phone case which was made by a special kind of plastic or synthetic leather. The foldable part of the case also helps protect the phone even more, covering the phone screen.

# data[].attributes.body
How to make products out of plastic?
Sources-
Primary: Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Mcmahon
Secondary: https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-manufacturing-processes-for-plastics/

Qualitative

This question is important because a lot of phone cases are made out of plastic due to the lightness of the material and also the durability. Plastic would be most likely the core of my product's materials so it is important to know how to use plastic to make products. Also, since we are in a classroom environment, there wouldn't be as much choice as to how we can use plastic to manufacture, therefore it is important to ask the teachers what machinery they have to make products from plastic.

Priority 2

# data[].attributes.body
The product is made out of synthetic plastic, with some smaller pieces of fabric within the base. There is a net inside the case which secures the wires and earbuds of the earphone. There is a zipper that is on the side to zip together the 2 base pieces. The 2 base pieces are identical and are attached by a thin piece of fabric which allows the pieces to come together and be zipped up.
Something I would take from this design is the little packets inside the case, because I think this would definitely help protect the wires and prevent the earphones from breaking. I can't use the amount of fabric cushioning used because there are not enough machinery or fabric to be used for such a small product.

# data[].attributes.body
The case is designed to have the wireless earphones to be folded so they can fit into the earphone case easily. This makes the earphone case much more convenient as it is smaller and isn't too hard on the surface as it is made out of rubber. The rubber is important to this design as it allows to make the earphone case to be opened up and to be flexible so the folding of the earphone doesn't have to be done in a certain and set way. The earphone case is basically constructed by having a pretty flat hollow rubber case, and having thinner connections between the 2 big faces so the piece is more flexible and spacious. Then there is the small but flexible gap in the piece, allowing the earphones to be put in.
From this design, I think I can take the simplicity of the design, simply having one piece to carry the earphones rather than a larger box. However, making this product with rubber could potentially be difficult and would require more research into manufacturing using rubber.

# data[].attributes.body
The phone case is very generic, it is a soft piece of ABS plastic and very thin which makes there feel like there is no extra piece on the phone. The phone case is flexible and doesn't break easy. There is some slight texture changes to the parts that have the spiderman logo painted on. The phone case is very light due to it's thinness and plastic material which I think would be something I'd like to incorporate into my design. Since My design would likely have an earphone with it, it would be best to make my phone case as light as possible just like this one. More research would need to be conducted on how to create plastic that isn't completely solid but able to bend and fit onto a phone.

# data[].attributes.body
Sources-
Primary: Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Macmahon
Secondary: https://cougartron.com/blog/6-steps-manufacturing-process-stainless-steel-product/

Qualitative

This question is important because to keep the options open for making the attachments of my phone case, I would need to research about at least some different materials and how they are used to make products. I don't think metal would be the biggest piece on my phone accessory, but there could be some added durability.

Priority 4

# data[].attributes.headline
What kind of plastic are often used for phone cases?

# data[].attributes.subject
What kind of plastic are often used for phone cases?

# data[].attributes.body
Sources-
Primary: Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Macmahon
Secondary-https://ghostek.com/blog/best-cell-phone-case-materials/

Qualitative

This question is important as it links to the other question before about manufacturing with plastic. If I am unsure of what plastic I should use then the answer to that question may not be valid for my product because maybe the method only works for some types of plastics. Phone cases are often made out of some softer and flexible plastic so it is important to know what kind of plastic they have so the same sort of plastic could be used for my phone accessory.

Priority 3

# data[].attributes.body
Sources-
Primary: Liang Ying (My mother, very tidy with everything)
Secondary:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0rTb2rVsac

Qualitative

This question is necessary because the case would need to keep the earphone inside the case while it is folded to prevent the earphones from breaking.

Priority 5

# data[].attributes.body
Sources-
Primary: Sven Schopp
Secondary:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11087865/iPhone-6-Plus-screen-size-Is-it-too-big.html
Quantitative

This question is important as if I am going to design an accessory for the phone, I would need to investigate the accurate measurements of the size of the phone to make an accessory that actually fits the phone of the client.

Priority 1

# data[].attributes.body
Design Goal
The problem I am going to solve is the inconvenience of carrying around earphones in bags or pockets, resulting in tangled, broken and lost earphones. To solve this, I will design and create a phone accessory that will be able to carry earphones, preventing them from breaking and getting lost.

Target Audience
The target audience for the product would be travelers because earphones are often used for entertainment in traveling, whether it's just for music or even watching videos. A frequent traveller I know is my father (Sven Schopp), he often travels for business trips to Germany and Beijing, which take 12 hours or 4 hours which are very long flights to be in without entertainment. Therefore, my product would be able to carry his earphone and provide entertainment conveniently and safely without breaking the earphones.

Major Constraints
Some major constraints that I may encounter in this project is the selection of materials. Through my research into the similar products, most of the products use plastic as the main material since it is lightweight and protective. So far in my designing experience I've only experienced using wood, and outside of design class I've encountered metal, but the lack of experience I have manufacturing with plastic would be a constraint that I would face. However, research into manufacturing with plastic has been done and there are machines available in the design classroom that could be used to manufacture my product. Another major constraint is the size of my product. Whether I am going to make a case or an attachment, it will be important to create it so that the product isn't interfering with the comfort of the phone user. Since my product would carry the earphones, there would need to be some design put into the comfortableness of the product to ensure that it isn't interfering with the phone's comfortableness.

Success Criteria
The product would be successful when it carries the client's earphones safely, preventing it from tangling, breaking and being lost. The function of the product would then be tested through a variety of tests to ensure it is successful.

# data[].attributes.body
The product must be able to carry earphones when they are coiled.

The product must be able to hold the earphone close to the phone itself, this is so that the product is more convenient.

The product must be lighter than 150g, because that is the average weight of a phone case.

The product must not be bigger than 40mm x 40mm so the product isn't inconvenient.

The product should be made out of plastic to ensure that it is light and protective.

The product must protect the earphone and prevent it from breaking.

The product must have a smooth surface which doesn't scrape the user's hands.

The product must be manufactured through the vacuum former as the product is made of plastic.

The product should be less that 40mm so that it is thick enough to be protective and not inconvenient.

The product should conceal the earphone so that it won't get lost (Doesn't have to fully conceal).

The product must be able to be attached to the phone with  the earphones.

The product must be made out of PLA plastic since it is very light.

# data[].attributes.body
I chose this design because the product conceals the earphones when coiled with the adjustable lid on top. The product would be made out of plastic which ensures that the case is protective and light; ensuring that the earphones are protected and won't be as easily broken if they are coiled properly. The product is attached to the phone as it is a phone case and the lid is inwards so that there is sufficient space for the coiled earphones. This design would be simpler to make than the other designs since the shapes are very simple (polygons). The product fits the problem we are trying to solve as the earphone is protected under the lid with plastic which increases the durability of the product, the earphone wouldn't be as easily lost when the user's phone (with the attached product) is put into his bag.

# data[].attributes.body
I chose to use this design because I think it is one of the more popular and common knife handles. The bend on the knife handle allows the hand to fit the handle better so the pinkie can fit upwards better. The grooves and ergonomic grip helps the user handle the knife better. It is designed to fit the thickness and shape of our hands and fingers. The handle is also rounder so the the user's hand can fit and not feel any rougher edges.

# data[].attributes.body
The final product has the grooves and ergonomic grip designed in my drawings. The fingers and hand fits the handle well as it is a good size and the handle in general is smooth and round for the hand to fit around. The grooves also meshes well with the basis of the handle. The groove for the index finger also is deep enough to protect the user's finger from skimming into the blade. An improvement to the knife would be improving the stability of the blade, since my chopstick doesn't go through the handle in a straight line and creates a loose hole, which makes the blade unstable.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sand out the surfaces to adjust the shape of the modeling foam

# data[].attributes.subject
Sand out the surfaces to adjust the shape of the modeling foam

# data[].attributes.headline
Stick in blade and bamboo stick to support the blade

# data[].attributes.subject
Stick in blade and bamboo stick to support the blade

# data[].attributes.body
I cut out my shape on a piece of paper where I marked my dimensions. This piece was later used as a guide for my foam block, as I traced around using my knife to make sure the dimensions  are correct.

# data[].attributes.body
I used the sandpaper to get smoother surfaces on my product's faces. Every time I rasped I would have a lot of uneven parts or scraps and I would clean them off with the sandpaper.

# data[].attributes.body
I used the razor knife to cut out the general shapes drawn on my paper by tracing them. Since my prototype is more small and detailed, I only used the knife to cut out the cubes and the rest was done through the rasps and sandpaper. Sometimes I had to cut a certain depth only, to make a small concave using carving chisels.

# data[].attributes.body
I used the rasp to make bigger changes after cutting out my general shape, I also used it to make some curves in my design.

# data[].attributes.body
I used tape to make flexible parts of my product for my prototype. I used masking tape for the lid's connection.

# data[].attributes.body
Cavity storage space-
Since my product is a container, it is important to see how much my prototype can hold. To test the cavity space, I will put in a wide range of coiled earphones into my earphone case. This would test the specifications of

The product must be able to carry earphones when they are coiled.

The different sizes/types of earphones would range from 90cm to 120cm. Each earphone will be coiled and tested once.

# data[].attributes.body
Since my product will be attached to my phone, it's important it doesn't effect the comfort of the user when using the phone. This will be tested by the target customers taking a survey where the people hold the product and rate how comfortable it is to hold the product. The rating scale would be as follows-

1-Heavily effects the comfort of using the phone negatively.
2-Effects the comfort of using the phone negatively.
3-Does not effect the comfort of using the phone.
4-Improves the comfort of using the phone.

This test is relevant to my product's functionality as it relates to the specifications:

The product must not be bigger than 40mm x 40mm so the product isn't inconvenient.

The product must have a smooth surface which doesn't scrape the user's hands.

# data[].attributes.body
Since my prototype isn't made out of the original material, I would take the kind of material I originally wanted to use for my product PLA plastic. To test out whether the material would be durable enough, I will use pieces of sandpaper and rub it against it to see if the material will deteriorate. This is an important test as when the phone is in the bag with other things, the attachment would be rubbing against other.

This helps test the specifications-

The product should be made out of plastic to ensure that it is light and protective.

The product must protect the earphone and prevent it from breaking.

# data[].attributes.body
The most common rating I would get was a rating of 2. The common reason people gave for my prototype was that the product was too bulky, though there were some ergonomic aspects to my product like the curved part of the attachment, but the size of the prototype nullifies the comfort and ergonomics of the prototype. This shows that the product is too big so my specification of 40mm x 40mm would be too late which means I need to make some changes to it's size.

# data[].attributes.body
I use the PLA plastic and rubbed it against the sandpaper to see whether the product would crack or get slowly rubbed off. The plastic turned out to be durable enough to sustain the rubbing as the face was smooth enough to not cause to much friction which would lead to possible destruction of the product.

# data[].attributes.body
Form
The biggest improvement my product could have is to have a flatter/smaller product to be attached to my phone. From my ergonomic test results, the target audience has said that the product was uncomfortable even though I had my curved lid. This was because of the large size my product had generally which made it harder for people to hold it and to put it into their bags or pockets. To fix this, the product could be scaled down, specifically, the product could be thinner so that the user can hold the product without stretching out their hands.
To improve the ergonomics even more, I could add some grooves so that the user of the finger could fit the product better, improving the comfort of the user and ergonomics of the product.
The product's sides could be thicker since when the product is actually PLA plastic, the product could be prone to breaking inside the bags or pockets of the users due to the uneven pressure.

Function
The function of the product could be improved if the lid of the product could have something more stable and secure way to keep the lid closed. This could be done by creating a flexible clip which can be bent into a hole, serving like a mortise and tenon joint to stop the lid from moving after it is clipped in.

# data[].attributes.body
The problem of people losing, breaking or tangling their earphones on their travels would still be solved by my product despite its imperfections. The product protects the earphones when it is inside the container and prevents them from getting lost as it is sealed completely. From the tests of the product's materials, the product is also durable enough to be inside the user's bags and resist the scratches. The product would be able to sustain the pressure from the other products inside the user's bags.

# data[].attributes.body
My product was able to carry the different lengths of earphones, ranging from 90cm to 120cm. As long as the earphones are properly coiled, the cavity storage space is sufficient for a large range of sizes. This shows that my product does fit the specification of

The product must be able to carry earphones when they are coiled.

As it is able to carry a wide variety of earphones, showing that there is sufficient space for a lot of different earphones to fit the client's earphones.