EMMA POWERS
THE LOCUST DREMEL
USER BASED REDESIGN
USER
Most power tools are designed for men, I wanted to focus on redesigning the Dremel, a tool I use often, for women, or people with small hands. I created a user board for my ideal client, and tried to design for their full life rather than just a part of it.
INSTRUCTION BOARD
I photographed and mapped the steps to use the current Dremel.
As you can see almost all steps require two hands, and the overall shape is incredibly uncomfortable.
EXPLODED VIEW
When working on the exploded view I chose to suspend each piece of the existing product with fishing line on wire mesh. This allowed me to take multiple pictures from different angles and photoshop out the fishing line to create an organic sculpture rather than a generic linear exploded view.
SKETCHES
After I examined the inner workings of the existing Dremel I began to ideate, focusing on creating something that looked unique, yet still maintained comfort and aesthetics.
MODELS
I made several foam models of different sketches, allowing my peers with small hands and I to decide which was most comfortable.
I ended up straying away from the initial foam models and sketches and refining the design further to make a more streamlined Dremel that could be held in multiple ways.
ORTHOGRAPHIC DRAWING
FINAL MODEL
I decided to hand carve the final model from wood, knowing that it would allow me the most detail while also being incredibly resistant and mimicking the weight of the original Dremel.
After carving, I sanded and spray painted the body light green. I used scrapbooking stickers to give the buttons a realistic feeling. I made the front of the Dremel with multiple medicine caps, attached together, shaped with heat and spray painted. Finally I attached wire from the original Dremel, allowing the viewer to know where the cord would be.
