ORBIT
Orbit.
A battery-powered lamp that emulates the excitement behind space exploration in the mid-twentieth century.
Role
Product Designer
Duration
5 Weeks (2023)
Type
Lighting
Futeristic Vehicle Concept art by Syg Mead
Bringing the excitement of the 1960's space exploration indoors by incorporating aesthetic inspiration from mid-century Googie Architecture into the design of a table lamp.
Concept art done circa 1970, artist unknown
Futeristic Two Seat Vehicle Concept art by Syg Mead
Cover Art by Ron Turner for Alvin Westwood's comic Sinister Forces
Define: GOOGIE
GOO·ghee
"Googie is a modern (ultramodern, even) architectural style that helps us understand post-WWII American futurism — an era thought of as a “golden age” of futurist design for many here in the year 2012. It’s a style built on exaggeration; on dramatic angles; on plastic and steel and neon and wide-eyed technological optimism. It draws inspiration from Space Age ideals and rocketship dreams."
- Smithsonian Magazine
Iconic "Googie" buildings:
The Theme Building.
LAX international Airport
The Space Needle.
Seattle, WA
Milwaukee Art Museum.
Milwaukee, WI
Design and Safety Considerations
Safety
The user should never encounter exposed wiring, even while changing batteries.
Assembly Method
Ensure battery pack is accessible to the user for easy battery changing.
User Experience
External button incorporated into the form, drawing the user to press it.
Preliminary Sketch Ideation
Orthographic-heavy sketch sprint to help gauge what is in and out of scope considering the project limitations and considerations.
Low Fidelity Models
Estimating the dimensions and considering the constraints produced by the need for spacing and placement of the internals provided for this project.
Internal Layout and Assembly Ideation
Planning where components will nest inside the house of the lamp, working with the limiting factors listed above to ensure model meets the project constraints while maintaining aesthetic integrity.
Final Assembly Concept :
External button cover
Wires and battery housed in top section
Cover to protect user from exposed wiring
Holes in lamp diffuser fit pegs of top housing to hold together
Detachable wings
CAD Modeling
Utilizing Fusion 360 to incorporate my findings into a finalized design direction.
Final Assembly Method
Utilizing Fusion 360 to incorporate my findings into a finalized design direction.
Detachable wings hold together lampshade and the upper housing for the internals.
Internal housing and lamp shade are held in place with 3 pegs around the inside rim.
Protective cover screws on over wiring and circuitry, leaving battery pack and light bulb exposed.
Poster Design
A summary of the design intent behind the ORBIT battery powered lamp, created in Adobe Illustrator.
Physical Prototyping
Adjusting tolerances and testing wiring circuit.
Process Work.
Printed on Bambu 3D printers.
Sauldering wires into base
Final Physical Model.
ORBIT.
