In this project I was asked to design a travel iron, and at the end of the project have some sketches of it, a Photoshop rendering and a 3D foam model. At first it was a bit odd to design something so random and seemingly dull but I soon got into the flow of it and it became an interesting challenge to take on.
As this was a travel iron and not an ordinary iron, multiple questions were raised on saving space and how the iron should be powered.
Some earlier ideas were a bit more wacky, however I think the bullet magazine handle was interesting. Although I had an issue with its shape, it seemed like it may be uncomfortable to use. In addition there was the question of where the handle would go once it was removed.
I initially set out to design a travel iron that was built to last in tough conditions, like a 'survival' iron almost, so there was some temptation to create angular, masculine designs. However the design with a detachable handle was rather good as it was fairly gender neutral, the only problem I had with it was that maybe the detachable handle wouldn't save as much space as I anticipated.
I started playing around with some layouts and adding colour to sketches. The sketches have been scanned in and using Photoshop I added colour to it, making it a quick way of getting a decent idea of how the product would look.
This is the point where I was more happy with the design, I think a detachable handle may have not been the way but instead making the iron more like a sanding block. This way the iron could be more compact. The use of simple ergonomic contours meant it was fairly easy to grip without wasting more space in your suitcase. I also started thinking whether this would be battery powered or connected to mains electricity. Previously I just assumed that I would go for battery power, however this would mean you would need to bring with it a charger which take up more space. It seemed a power cable was the way to go.
In this Photoshop rendering I wanted to make the iron look like it was made of stainless steel which seemed like a very sleek and modern material to use. It did add a bit of a utiliatarian look which I liked. I'm fairly happy with this rendering but the top of the iron looks a bit flat and unrealistic.
The foam model differed slightly to the previous Photoshop render, the shape became more pointed at the tip and more curved for better ergonomic grip. The colours also make it look more like it would be a plastic iron, perhaps a bit less sleek but cheaper to produce. The addition of colour also makes it look a bit more 'friendly' in a sense, not overly technological perhaps.
