Over the last few days, I've been working on sketch development for the onboard bike kit. This is the kit that will detect any blind spots, then Bluetooth this information to the helmet heads up display.
The idea is that this product will stick to the front fender of a motorbike, as this is the most consistent part of all motorcycles.
To kickstart this sketch development, I started by taking inspiration from 3 different design periods:
1. Art Deco
2. Contemporary
3. Futuristic
Art Deco
Art Deco was when automotive design started to go crazy. People were inspired by looking to the future, seeing what cars, motorbikes and any other form of transport would look like in the years to come. I wanted to pull from these long, sweeping designs and rounded edges to incorporate an aerodynamic feel to my product. I want the bike kit to seem streamlined like it can cut through the air and not affect the agility or feel of a motorbike at all.
Contemporary
I wanted to pull some inspiration from contemporary design, as most of it is around due to its popularity and current trends. A lot of modern automotive design included harsh lines, an almost visual aerodynamic and a sense of sportiness to everything. Something wasn't just designed to look sleek, but like it was already travelling at 100mph. The sharp lines contribute to the aggression of the design, and definitely add a feel of the product being more 'high-end'.
Futuristic
Futuristic designs from the 21st century have a lot in common with those from 100 years ago. We can see the re-incorporation of long, sweeping designs, less harsh lines and more curved edges. This takes away from the aggression found in contemporary design and leaves a feeling of elegance to the design, without underestimating the power to the product. It still includes a visual steam-line through each design, but with the appearance of flowing through the air, rather than cutting through it.
Sketches
Below I have included some sketch development from rough sketches above. Each one is still to be developed more, but give a more in-depth look at how the products 3D appearance would be.
Sketch 1
This one so far is my favourite. It appears streamlined, sleek and likes it would fit in with the design of most motorbikes well. The front 'grill' is paying tribute to the grills and radiators of most cars and motorcycles, giving a nod to the industry it's intended to sit within. The camera would sit in the middle of this 'grill', allowing an unrestricted view of the road ahead. The only thing I'm not sure about is the harshness of the lines, but I can change this if I were to take this product on to further development.
Sketch 2
This one, similarly to the first, is intended to look sleek, but this time with the reduction of aggressive lines. The curve of the product is inspiration taken from art deco, but my overall feeling is that this shape appears to make the product look bulkier. The sloping lines of the bottom right sketch make the product appear more sleek and unobtrusive.
Sketch 3
The above design was created by pulling full inspiration from the contemporary design period. It includes harsh lines, a sporty stance and fully aerodynamic aesthetic. I think this design could be one of the better ones going forward. If I were to take this to further development, I would look at slightly reducing the harshness of the design and making that incline somewhat less steep.
Sketch 4
This sketch is one of the more streamlined out of the four. It has a gentle curve to allow air to pass over easily and a 'rib' or 'spine' (whatever you want to call it) to enable the camera to sit at a slightly greater angle to the rest of the body. Going forward, I would like to play around with the design of this sketch to make it a little less 'basic' and more modern. My plan moving forward is to take these designs into further development, CAD them and explore their shape a bit more. I was to try and create rough cardboard models of the final one, with cardboard components inside to show precisely how it would all come together. Over the next few days I aim to have CAD models ready to upload here and the design I wish to stick with chosen (doesn't need to have been fully developed).
That's all for today's blog,
Thanks!
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