Exhibition Display - My major project was designing a pair of climbing tools for the sport of dry-tooling, a branch of ice climbing.
Exhibition Banner - Pick Innovations
Whole banner
Grip Innovations
Developmental Sketches
Developmental work
Concept Sketching
Product Outcome - My major project was designing a pair of climbing tools for the sport of dry-tooling, a branch of ice climbing.
The final design was dubbed the talon and a pair are show here. A pair of tools were built utilising a range of tools such as laser cutters to maxamise efficiency. One of the grips pictured is painted ciba-tool pattern and one is sand-cast aluminium... See other images for detail shots.
Close-up - My major project was designing a pair of climbing tools for the sport of dry-tooling, a branch of ice climbing.
Early illustrator render - This image shows the grip as i began the transition from paper to illustrator to refine curves and more subtle details. At the stage the grip lacked visual flow and structure which were added through several itterations.
Tools and climber
Final Render - This image was generated in Illustrator and Photoshop and took around a day, start to finish.
Parts drawings
Exploded View (from Presentation)
User Group (from PDF presentation)
Ergo Analysis (wrist deviation) - A comprehensive motion assesment of the tool outlined a range of commonly used actions, illustrated above. Analysis of these diagrams defined performance specifications for the tools design, specifically the position and angles of each grip.
The grip Design
Grip Components (ergo Investigation)
Anodised black Edition
Anodised black edition
packaging/diaplay case
Black pencil sketches - I often use a hard black pencil for quick expressive sketches, finding the cross hatching backgrounds great for highlighting features.
Climbing tool prototype - This page shows the finished model 'on-location'. Laser cutting was used extensively to accurately replicate the organic shapes in layers of sepia-tool and acrylic which was then sculpted and finished. The carbon fiber shaft was built over a polystyrene pattern, and finished with clearcoat. A second tool was also created in aluminium, using the prototype as a pattern for sand casting.
Sand casting 101 - This page shows some of the my early sand castings made to give materiality to foam concepts. The process was very simple; make a polystyrene part(left image), add conical 'pour' parts and bury in sand, leaving the pours explosed. Then just pour molten aluminium onto into the part (it vaporises the foam as it flows through) and alow to cool... Dig up (middle image) and polish! I got the whole process got down to a day from starting the foam pattern to polishing the part.
Development Sketches - A range of pen and marker sketches from the development of the climbing tool.
Render or photograph? - I thought id try using a mirror surface to give a different feel to the product.. any thoughts?
Grip close up - Have been experimenting taking a range of shots of the tools using different background materials... here backlighting through bubblewrap provided an interesting texture! I like how the logo is reflected in the side of the grip creating that interesting illuminated edge...
Talon Climbing tool - Main image - I recently revisited my major project work, taking a lot more photographs in preparation for some design competitions... getting the reflections just right was a mission involving 3 lights and huge white boards as reflectors!
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Major Project