Education/training

Industrial design project lights the way

As industrial design students at Humber College, Steve Ngo and Miri Segalowitz are learning how to create a huge range of products. As winners of an in-class competition, they're putting their lessons to the test by producing a product the college will use as a promotional item.

Linda White
[ 2006-11-22 ]

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Miri Segalowitz helped developed the key light, a plastic key holder that features an LED light that shines when the key holder is compressed. The product is unique in that it has a compartment that can accommodate a house key.

"We don't know of any other school that does this -- taking a project from 'art to part,'" says Glenn Moffatt, co-ordinator of special projects and an industrial design teacher at the Toronto college. "Theoretically, these students will have their product on the market before they even graduate."

The project, a key light, is a plastic key holder that features an LED light that shines when the key holder is compressed. "Key lights currently available are designed to attach to your key chain and do not have a compartment that can accommodate an existing house key," Segalowitz says. "This is a unique feature that we have incorporated in our design."

SUMMER JOB


As their prize for winning the class competition, Ngo and Segalowitz each landed a summer job at the college to further develop their key light. They've been working with students in injection moulding design, automation, electrical controls and machine design to create the key light -- a process similar to the manufacturing process.

Students have been working together to produce a product that meets specifications for production, quality, schedule and cost. "We're now designing the injection mould, which will be made in our engineering department," Moffatt says. "It then goes to our plastics and automation divisions and will be moulded and assembled at the school."


Ngo, a fourth-year student set to graduate this spring, is proud of the project. "The key light is something that is intuitive to use ... and will serve as a reminder of where it came from ... Producing this has been a huge, great feeling. We have worked with other groups in each stage of transition, from idea to production," he says. "Because of this experience, we are more in tune with what other disciplines can do. It makes us better designers."

SKILLS CANADA


The goal is to present the key light for the first time at the Skills Canada competition next spring. "We will take all the machining to the show to make the key light there," Moffatt says.

Humber students have fared well at the competition. In 2004, Paul Reynolds earned top honours for his CD design. Today, he's a senior product designer and interim design manager for Spin Master Toys' Marshmallow brand. "The CD holder project was the star of my student portfolio," Reynolds says. "It spoke louder about my knowledge of design, injecting moulding and materials than any other project I worked on."

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS QUICK FACTS


Industrial designers create everything from cars to TV remote controls. Graduates of Humber's Industrial Design program can expect to find employment as senior industrial designers, product designers, project designers or client managers in such diverse fields as furniture, automobile, computer media and sporting gear design. They may also choose to pursue graduate studies.
- Visit www.humber.ca to learn more.



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