MICHAEL RENCHECK
Lotion Warmer
This project was completed while working at a product design consultancy, Design Central, that was proposed by an outside inventor. The goal of the project was to design and build a functional appearance model for the client to use as an aide in pitching the idea to different companies to license. The product was designed to hold various different retail lotion bottles and heat/hold the lotion to at warm, comfortable temperate.
As the final models were being completed, the client successfully pitched the product to a licensing firm that signed on to help him get it into the marketplace. The design is currently under evaluation by consumer goods companies to determine if they want to manufacture and sell it.
Early Brainstorming
After talking through some inspirational imagery with the client, the team started brainstorming different concepts focusing on simple and minimal modern appearance that incorporates the use of his patent and can adjust to various bottle sizes.
Rapid Prototyping
From here, the industrial designers and engineers broke off to parallel path some of the efforts. The designers took all of the concept and discussion points from the brainstorming session and began to develop more refined concepts.
From the brainstorming session, a simple solution for contouring to a bottle surface arose: use foam for insulation as well as the surface needed to keep the bladder snug on the bottle and provide some compliance. So the engineers started out with a simple breadboard model testing this concept.
Iteration. Iteration. Iteration.
As each part of the team each progressed with their delegated tasks, the product was molded from pieces on the table into the final model.
Version 1
As the design team finished reviewing the concepts with the client, a general direction of an elliptical lofted exterior was chosen.
The designers then started to ideate on the detailing work such as a light bar, button size and location, and cord management.
At the same time the engineering team built the general shape in CAD and printed it on an FDM printer to start to explore the interior space as well as assembly.
Version 2
After the detailing was completed and the assembly methodology was further explored, the modifications were incorporated into the CAD assembly and another model was printed.
This version included the lighting and button as well as moving all of the electronics internally and using assembly hardware to better replicate the final design.
Final Version
After building and testing Version 2, a few small changes were made to the design before printing and finishing the final SLA model.
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The light bar was shrunk down to maintain a better proportion with the device size.
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The button was shifted lightly to better line up with how the user naturally grabs the device.
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Extra internal features were refined to improve the ease of assembly.
