Context

Gaming is a multi-billion dollar business that has been expanding for many years now. There is no sign of a decline in the popularity of gaming, and there are many opportunities for a lucrative career in the different facets of the gaming industry. Therefore, it is an area of interest for educating and upskilling our students here at Rugby School Thailand.

Design Brief

You are required to come up with a suitable theme for a game that can be programmed onto a BBC Micro:bit. You should then research the theme and present a range of design ideas for a handheld console to hold the Micro:bit chip and allow users to interact (play with) the game. Once you have designed a solution you must manufacture the final product from suitable materials.

Design Restrictions

Your product must be handheld - no bigger than 180mm x 120mm from a top view.

You must use the standard Micro:bit holder provided

Your design must consider anthropometric data and include ergonomic features

Your final model must be manufactured using mainly hand tools

Context

Gaming is a multi-billion dollar business that has been expanding for many years now. There is no sign of a decline in the popularity of gaming, and there are many opportunities for a lucrative career in the different facets of the gaming industry. Therefore, it is an area of interest for educating and upskilling our students here at Rugby School Thailand.

Design Brief

You are required to come up with a suitable theme for a game that can be programmed onto a BBC Micro:bit. You should then research the theme and present a range of design ideas for a handheld console to hold the Micro:bit chip and allow users to interact (play with) the game. Once you have designed a solution you must manufacture the final product from suitable materials.

Design Restrictions

Your product must be handheld - no bigger than 180mm x 120mm from a top view.

You must use the standard Micro:bit holder provided

Your design must consider anthropometric data and include ergonomic features

Your final model must be manufactured using mainly hand tools

Microbit Gaming Device Problem Analysis of exsisting products
What do we mean by Ergonomics?

EXPLAIN ERGONOMICS HERE!

What is a BBC micro:bit?

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized codeable computer with motion detection, a built-in compass and Bluetooth technology. You can write your own code and attach sensors to expand the capabilities of the micro:bit.

You will be learning all about coding through your computing lessons and will design the code for your game there. In DT lessons you will design and manufacture the casing that allows a user to interact with the game.

You must have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and be able to communicate that with your computing teacher as well as your DT teacher; as well as being clear in your own mind about what you are trying to achieve. Therefore, it is importantnt at this early stage to do a problem analysis and to come up with a suitable theme.

A problem analysis is an investigation of the design problem in front of you. Many design teams present this as a web diagram to help visualise the problem.

You need to create your own mind map of this design project including lots of possible themes to help you with your design and development work.

To help you get started, branches of your web analysis could include: Materials, themes, technology, existing products, restrictions,

Task

Create your own web diagram to help you explore the design project and present it on your website.

Microbit gaming device analysis of existing products

Good designers will always do some research before they start to design themselves. One form of research is to look at (analyse) existing products. This analysis allows the designer to see how a similar design problem has been solved before as well as to generate ideas about what works well or what does not work well. You can gain knowledge and inspiration by looking at existing products. In this section of work we will look mainly at gaming

This section of work is divided into 2 parts.

In part 1 you will learn about sources of research and then start to source some examples of your own research for this project.

In part 2 you will learn how to fully analyze each product that you have chosen.

Part 1 - There are 2 types of research

Primary research

Primary research is the kind that you have done yourself by analysing the product first hand. Primary research is the best because you have the chance to interact with and test the product .

Secondary research

Secondary research is an analysis of anything that you do not have in front of you when you do your analysis. When we cannot hold and interact with a product, there are some assumptions made about, therefore this type of research is not as valuable. You also usually only see the product photo from one view.

What is Primary Research?

Photos you have taken yourself

Primary research is research that you can do yourself because you have the product in front of you.

When you take photos of your product, put white paper underneath so there is a plain background and use the opportunity to take more than one picture from different angles

Primary research is the best!

Primary research is better because you can analyze the product in greater depth when you have the chance to hold it and interact with it. You can also take many photos of the product from different angles.

Here are a few examples of some photos taken for primary research:

Top view shows the overall appearance of the product

Side view shows the depth and width of the product

An image of the product being used helps show scale and context

A back view shows any underneath features or details of the product

What is Secondary Research?

Pictures off the internet

You can find many pictures of gaming devices, gaming controllers and other handheld products by using the google search engine on the internet.

Pictures from a book, magazine or catalogue

Books, magazines and catalogues are a great source of images of existing products.

Pictures sent to you from someone else

Even if another person sends you a photo that they have taken, it is still secondary research for you.

Task 1

Collect images of suitable existing products and display them on the google slides on your Google Classroom.

You must include 2 slides. 1 Primary research and 1 secondary research.

On the primary research slide should be a range of photos that you have taken yourself of the product you have chosen.

On the secondary research slide should be 4 - 6 different existing product photos that you have found from secondary sources.

Microbit Gaming Device Inspiration Board

< Previous section

Before you start to think about Designing, it is beneficial to create an Inspiration Board. This is a collection of images (photos, shapes, forms, buildings, products) that inspire you (look good!).

Wide variety of influence - Strong

Include a wide range of influences to help direct the design.

Things that have been included in this Inspiration Board:

• Handheld device shapes (existing products)

• Colour (green/ tones)

• Theme (nature/ leaves)

• Symmetry

• Ergonomics (shape)

• Leave shape/ design

• Size of the Micro:bit

Limited and repeated influences - Weak

Think about how your device will be used and what features you want to adopt.

Things that have been included in this Inspiration Board:

• Handheld device shapes (existing products)

• Ergonomics (shape)

• Likes and Dislikes

Task

You should create your own Inspiration Board (images you can look at that will help you to design).

Make sure there is purpose to each image that will help you design! Keep in mind any theme or style that you want to convey.

Your page should include a minimum of 20 images that inspire you to design your own product. Make sure you include a title as well as your images.

Microbit gaming device 

Design Ideas

Designing around a standard component

During this project, you will design around a standard component. This standard component is featured above and on the left. It is a case that will hold your Microbit in place and protect it. You must design your device shape around it.

QR Code

Scan this QR code to see the holder in AR on your device.

Initial design ideas

Initial design ideas are you first ideas about how to solve the design brief. Your initial design ideas should be quick sketches that communicate the overall concept but may lack some of the finer detail (you develop detail later).

Your ideas should be well presented so that the concept is communicated well but should not take you a long time to produce.

How to present your design ideas

Use the template to mark out and sketch your initial ideas.

Ghost lines should be used when sketching with a pencil.

A 0.5mm fine line pen should be used to outline your model.

Digital Procreate designs can be added after sketch designs have been rendered and are complete.

Rendering has been finished and 2 colors have been blended or faded together. The color effect will be the main feature - therefore there is a simple yet smooth to hold design and a multilayered color texture.

Softer lighter shadows are more effective than the dark heavy shadows in the left 2 examples. Shadows can help to push your design forward  and create a 3D effect.

Click here to download your template https://drive.google.com/file/d/1po9k8mo3lSu9ehjPKPomJ9W--PP533_u/view?usp=sharing

Once you have downloaded your template you can open it in Procreate and begin your digital Procreate renderings.

1. Centre lines and guide lines

Use center lines and guide lines to sketch the rough shape and proportion of the standard component.

Center lines and guide lines will also help with the symmetry.

Lines of symmetry can help balance both sides of the shape or help mirror each side so that they are the same - imagine wings of a butterfly.

Hold the pencil at the end to get very light and soft lines.

2. Sketching

Sketch lightly in pencil to get your ideas on the paper quickly. You should be using ghost lines for all pencil lines.

Hold the pencil right at the end to get a soft line.

3. Thin fine line pen

Use a thin fine line pen to make your work stand out. 0.5mm or 0.3mm will be perfect for outlining.

4. Thicker fine line pen

Use a thicker fine line pen around the outline only to make ideas stand out. This should be around the outside edge of your design.

5. Rendering

Render your ideas with coloured pencil crayons to show colour and shadows to help communicate the shape.

6. Add annotation notes

Annotations are notes that describe and explain your design thinking.

You should comment on the design idea, how it works and why you have designed it a certain way.

Highlight any special feature and comment on your opinion of your own work.

As a general rule, your annotations should support the communication of your ideas.

Step 1 - Soft ghost lines to sketch out the new designs.

                Step 2 - Fine lining over your ghost lines. Also fine line neatly.

Step 3 - Render to add color and tone to your work.

Task   

Present 1 A4 page of Initial design ideas.

You should use the sketching techniques shown to you by your teacher and include a title

You must produce a minimum of 4 ideas and fine line, render and annotate them.

Next Section >

Original and unique designs are the best.

A clear presentation and layout looks great.

Fine line all the shapes.

Render with care to show dark, medium and light tones. Always blend.

Neat designs with neat annotations score top.

Carefully rendering gives the best results.

Fine lined edges and rendered edges should be very neat.

Think carefully about the smaller details.

Annotating designs is really important to help explain your ideas. Annotated labels can describe the theme or style  and even mention what materials you are panning to use.

Tin Tin's sketching design for the microbit project

Procreate sceching design

Digital Sketching with Procreate

Have full control over your design shape

Easily edit and adjust colour effects

Adjust and vary shadow/highlight effects

Using a digital illustration app like Procreate allows you to create visual interpretations of your designs.

The great thing is that once you have created your main design, you can quickly build and add layers. These layers can be turned on and off and can all differ in what ever way you want. This allows you to create different colour skins or paint effects much quicker than you could if you had to redraw and start from scratch to render version 2 or 3.

You can also add layers or adjust layers to develop a design idea without having to start from scratch.

Duplicating base layers, colour skins or using saved brush tools speed up your design work.

Create shadows around your edges

Add highlights to show surface reflection

Under shadow or ground shadows may be added

Choose a suitable paint effect

Procreate Design Ideas and Examples

Design 1. Darker shadows appear on the lower right hand side of the design while the brighter highlights appear on the top left side.

Design 2. The paint layer uses multiple colours but only one paint tool - a selected spray can with a fine spray for light dusting to create this effect.

The blue pencil sketch lines can still be seen in these screenshots but as they are a separate layer, they can be turned on or off at any time.

By using the same designs and only adjusting the paint layer, you can quickly and easily change the appearance of your design - it's a 2 minute job!

Additional notes have been added to some of the design ideas to help explain and clarify parts of the designs.

By using the same designs and only adjusting the paint layer, you can quickly and easily change the appearance of your design - it's a 2 minute job!

Adding paint details can be done in a number  of ways but its important to use Procreate to test different paint effects and designs

Masking off areas and creating shapes within the main shape can create areas of detail. Using colours that match and compliment are best.

Procreate Layers. Add new layers for each stage

Ensuring you have selected the correct layers when working is crucial to your design process. Using the correct layers will allow you to edit different parts without affecting other areas. This might mean altering a corner, part of a shape or changing the colour without having to start again.

Step 1. Blue Pencil Sketching Layer

Blue pencil sketching is just like sketching ghost lines.

Step 2. Inking Layer - Fine Lining

Adjust the stability of the pen tool in the Procreate settings  so that the line draws smoother.

Step 3. Paint Layers - Colour effects

Build up colour effects with multiple layers or colour. Be patient with layering the colours.

Step 4. Shadow Layer

Remember that the bottom right has darker shadows but all edges should have at least some shadow.

Step 5. Highlight Layer

Highlights should be added to the top left corner of the design.

Step 6. Text

Adding text is optional but should be something you consider to enhance and improve your work. Adding written descriptions can help explain an idea or make a comparison.

How to Tutorials

Layer Masks: This allows you to select specific shapes or parts and apply colours or brush effects within only that shape. You will not be able to paint or add colour outside the line or outside the mask zone. This means that your edges will always be perfectly neat and you will not need to use the eraser to tidy up the edges.

Select the inking layer. This is the outline layer for you to select parts or shapes.

Select and turn on the masking tool on the top menu bar.

Select the shapes that you want to work on.

Open your layers menu and choose the layer you want to apply the paint effect.

Video Tutorial: Layer Masks

Clipping Masks to Copy and Paste:

Video Tutorial: Clipping Masks

Development

Photograph your design test model and scan in your development sketches to Procreate. Your scanned image  is now your template for starting your digital development. Add layers on top of your scanned image. Your layers should be the same as above in Procreate Design Ideas.

Microbit Gaming Device Test Modelling

Test Modelling

Good designers will build many test models to help develop their design from their initial idea into a better solution.

Making a mod

Both MDF and blue foam are great materials to work with to make a quick and easy test model.

Why is MDF and blue foam the right materials for this Test Model?

• Easy to cut and shape with hand tools

• Sanding is quick and easy and leaves nice smooth edges if done correctly

• Light weight

• All tools can be used to help shape and design your model - even cutting knives, pencils and needle files

• Can be painted or glued

• Predictable material because it is man made- there is no grain, no air bubbles, no cracks or splits and the density is consistent throughout the material.

• The shape/model can easily be adapted at any stage

• Cheap

Step 1: Draw your design onto the MDF and foam. Think about your design shape and where your fingers will hold the device.

Step 2: Cut out the rough shape by using hand tools, cutting knives or the scroll saw

Choose the correct shaped file for the groove you 

want to cut. Use the table vice.

Use both rough and smooth grades of 

sandpaper to get a nice finish.

The blue foam is easy to snag, tear and rip so 

you should sand, cut and shape with care.

3 different example models. Each one has a 

different design or different features.

This photo shows the backside of the 

Test Models and shows the finger/hand grips.

A close up photo of a finger grip on the edge of the test model

Microbit Gaming Device Development

Google Sites

Before you start you paper development, make sure you have presented your test model on sites and you have written an evaluation of the model.

You should explain the steps you took to manufacture the model what tools and processes you learned and how the manufacture went. 

Did you make any decisions? What successes or failures did you have?

After explaining the process of manufacture you should write a summary evaluation about the model and critically analyse the design. 

When evaluating you should say what is good about you model but also what is not good and needs to change (develop) in order to make you design better.

Clear photos and descriptive text.

Don't leave blank photos or empty textboxes.

Explain the processes you used.

Development is the process of trying to improve your initial idea to make sure you have considered all design options and details before you commence manufacture. 

Development ensures a thorough design process has been followed and gives a client options within the same design style.

Arrows are an important feature of development and communicate the flow of work. You should use arrows as part of your design communication to help demonstrate your order of thinking. Hopefully these arrows will inspire you.

Start your development work with a photo of your foam model and add annotations to critically analyse the outcome. Write what is good about the model and what features need to change.

This critical analysis should guide your development.

Using pencil to begin with start to develop the changes you have identified. Use the crating technique to make sure your design is proportional and annotate (add written notes) as you go along to explain your design thinking.

Continue your development, experimenting with different concepts to see what works. 

Use a combination of views - front / side / top to show how design details look all around the design shape.

Pencil sketch

Thin fine line pen

Annotation added

Thick fine line pen around the outline

3D sketches can be used to show more detail

Use the crating technique but make sure the crate is a 2 point perspective crate. An underlay may be a useful resource to help you.

Fine-line all the details with a thin black pen.

Use a thicker black pen for the outline. 

Don't forget to photograph your work throughout the lesson so you can put interesting images on you website!

Rendering

The purpose of rendering is to make your design work look realistic. You should use the tone of your rendering to help communicate shape. Darker tones of the same colour appear as shaddos in our minds eye and help our brains to interpret 3D shape. Think about the shape you are trying to communicate on your paper...

If it curve inwards (concave) then it will be in shadow and therefore should be a darker tone.

Flat or upwards facing curves (convex) will catch the light and should be a lighter tone.

Diagonal highlights can be used to communicate flat sheet material that is shiny. Make sure the lines are parallel. Use a ruler to achieve this technique.

When rendering a 3D drawing you should make the same considerations of where light will hit the object or where shadows will be cast. Imagine the light coming from above the object - like the lights in the ceiling.

Alternative Digital Development - Procreate

Digital development on Procreate is also an option. Check the examples below to get a better understanding of what you might need to do.

Use the text options to customise your text.

Make full use of the drawing tools.

Always use and apply layers when designing.

Follow the 4 main steps below in the same order to streamline your work flow. By doing all of the inking/line work first will help speed things up. If you do all of your colour effects at the same time then you will only need to select masked areas once and choose brush tools once. Working in this way means you will not work on each design one by one but on the entire page as one piece.

Step 1. Set up and import photo.

Step 2. All line work

Step 3. Colour effects

Step 4. Text

A photo of the blue foam test model has been imported successful (after editing the white background). 

All line work has been completed during Step 2. 

Step 3 colour effects are consistent but shapes change and adapt through development. 

Text and evaluations explain ideas and planning

Microbit Gaming Device Final Design

The final design is a presentation drawing of the design that you have come up with as a solution to the design brief. You should always present a final design as clearly as possible and ideally you should include multiple 2D views (elevations) of your work that allow you to describe 3D shape on 2D paper. You can also sketch in 3D to communicate as much detail as possible.

Types of 3D sketching:

Isometric drawing

Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings. It is an axonometric projection in which the three coordinate axes appear equally foreshortened and the angle between any two of them is 120 degrees.

Perspective drawing

Perspective drawing is a technique to create the linear illusion of depth. As objects get further away from the viewer they appear to decrease in size at a constant rate. The box in the sketch below appears solid and three dimensional due to the use of perspective.

Use a template to help guide and map out your designs. Follow the set view angles to ahieve the correct perspective. Front view, Top view and a 3D 2 point perspective view.

Use a light box to shine the template lines through onto your own work.

Light boxes

Lay your drawing paper over the template page for the template lines to shine through. 

You will be able to draw your design over the top of them and use them as guides to help maintain the correct proportions of your work.

Final Design. Sketching on paper

You should have 3 different views for each sketch. A total of 3 sketches.

As you work into each sketch you can start adding details to your design.

A 'Final Design' title should be added too but keep in mind this should have its own design.

Use a fine line pen once you are happy with the overall sketch,

Fine line the title so that it becomes part of your design and overall presentation

At this stage you will be ready to add colour and complete the rendering. 

Think about the direction of light and how shadows or highlights may fall on the model.

Complete your colour scheme to ensure your designs are all consistent.

Consider the style and presentation of any titles or text on the page.

Digital Final Designs. Procreate

Poor designs and errors!

Mistakes can be made while sketching which may result in a poor design or unwanted model. 

If you do not feel happy with your design then erase or delete it and redraw the part. Procreate makes it really easy to redraw and have a second or third attempt.

Sometimes it's faster to start again instead of trying to edit or fix a poor design.

Re-drawing designs

Always work with layers for different stages or different parts of your design. This will allow for easy editing when changing your model.

Once you are happy with your redesign then continue working in to it with shadows and highlights until you are happy.

Editing and cropping the page

Cropping parts of the page that are unused is a necessary part of presenting your work.

The final design should show 3 different views of your model, include a designed title and some smaller view angle titles.

The final design has been exported as a JPEG but still includes the underlay template layer. This should be turned off to reveal only your model designs.

After turning off the underlay template layer, your final design should look something like this.

Test a variety of background effects to see if the presentation of your work improves.

Test different pen, marker, spray or paint tools/brushes.

Adjust the opacity of the brush tool so that you background is not over powering.

Try different styles that match or compliment your designs.

Digital Final Design Example

Microbit Gaming Device Manufacture. V1

Manufacture allows you to turn you design work into reality and build what you have envisioned. 

Designs will all be different. Color should be unique.  Materials used will be similar. Similar manufacture process.

Manufactured models may start out looking similar as they will use the same materials and have common features.

Microbit anufacture - marking the hole for the micro-bit

Make holes inside the box of the wood and try to make the inside of box being cut out so you could the Microbit holder inside. After you can stick it to another piece of wood and draw the outline to cut it out, after you can design how it looks by using the saw machine, file and the sand paper to make it look better and smoother.

Final manufacture before spray painted

After that we can spray paint the Microbit controller with grey.    Materials we need : mask, spray box, spray can. when spraying your spray can has to be 20 cm far away from the micobit holder, we must also put this in the spray box cause it can consume the paint so it does not go every where

After spray painted with grey

After spray paint with blue 

Finished being spray painted