Industrial Design: Basic Elements

The Dot

Hello Haptic is a flashcard kit designed for blind children to be able to experience features in nature that they otherwise cannot visually see. Here, the dot, the most basic element, becomes the main functional feature of this product. It uses the (raised) dot system of braille to stimulate knowledge about their surroundings with a first-hand tactile experience. Additionally, dots are not only exclusively used in braille featured products but are also found on common household devices such as the everyday television remote control.

The Line

Formulating from the basic element of the dot, the line is the next most essential element in industrial design. From sketching freehand to 3-d modeling, one cannot conceptualize a design without using a form of line. In this example, a simple tea kettle is broken down in its primitive form of lines. The combination and connection of many lines form the curve and shape of products and other industrial designs, turning the abstract into an object.

Tone

In the process of prototype sketching and conceptualizing an idea, the most efficient and effective way to brainstorm is to rapidly visualize designs through black and white. But when designing for a tangible product, one must ultimately need to create a sense of depth and three dimensionality to their designs. Tone then becomes a very important factor to rapid visualization when we use varying tone levels to play with the depths and shadows of each conceptual design.