CLIENT
NEMO POWER TOOL
Year PROJECT DURATION DISCIPLINES INVOLVED
2024 May-August Product Design
PROJECT
OBJECTIVES
Redesigning an existing power tool from a company. The new design can encompass various improvements ranging from ergonomics to novel features that boost the productivity of the end users.
For this particular project, I aim not just to showcase my conceptual skills but also to put my form language ability to the test. That is, I decided to redesign the NEMO diver's drill.
DISSECTING A NORMAL DRILL
Though they are used in different environments, underwater and commercial drills have the same mechanisms. Therefore, the important components will be identical. That is, I opened the drill to learn about the different parts and how they work together.
BRAND
ANALYSIS
Nemo Powertool's products have two main colors: red and black. The battery is bigger than that of a standard drill. Their products also have more bolts to prevent water leaks and a flange trigger.
What makes Nemo's drills stand out is the simplicity of the body. It does not have intricate surfaces like other brands such as Ryobi or Black+Decker.
INITIAL SKETCHES
Since power tools usually have detailed surfaces, for the first sketches, I decided to use silhouette sketching. In this process, I aim to explore interesting big shapes by estimating where the internal components lie.
CNC FOAM PROTOTYPES
Similar to the sketching phase, while doing these prototypes, I explore the 2D shapes in the 3D world. During this phase, I care most about the proportions of different parts, as well as how the handle will fit in our hands.
THE SECOND SKETCHING PHASE
After solving the proportion problem, I move to carving out details for the drill design. In this process, I design the surface details, bolt positions, as well as some basic features.
ARTSTYLE
REFERENCES
For this design, I want to go with a sci-fi look. I strive for a mix between a pistol and a drill. Since the black and red give me a sleek vibe, I also want the drill design to be something that is manufactured by a big corporation in the far future.
BUILDING THE 3D MODELS FROM SCRATCH
I started with Model #1 for the general block-outs. Afterwards, I refined it and the result is Model #2. However, I felt that the design was influenced too much by Nemo's language rather than my aesthetics, so I wanted to push it further and ended up with Model #3, which is the final design for the project.
In-CONTEXT
& FINAL 3d PRINT
The final design is 3D-printed using Bambu Lab printer and white PLA.
