I received praise for my button/actuator investigation from my Industrial design professors. For this project I had to study different kinds of buttons, knobs, and other actuators in order to determine how one is to use it. For example how does one know when to pull or twist a bulb on a wall? Was it the overall design? Was there something about the position? I started with taking a lot of pictures, sketching, and internet research. In addition to presenting my investigation, I had to build a working mock-up of a button that I designed without going to the store to purchase materials. My mock-up was crafted from a Popsicle box, a plastic container, clothespins, and rubber bands. I found that there are numerous factors that are part of designing the ‘perfect’ button including:
- Overall function
- Position
- Size
- Shape
Included are pictures of my mock-up and scans from my sketchbook
