Makersmith - Product Design and Prototyping in Scarborough Yorkshire

330 million years old – our oldest clients yet!

9th August 20189th August 2018 makersmith

It isn’t often that there is an opportunity to engage with something as old as 330 million years but that’s just what we have been doing recently with Scarborough Museums Trust and their new exhibition – Ancient Seas.

A 50 Kg ammonite! — The sculptural 50 Kg ammonite!

Having previously worked on other exhibition displays for the Trust we were approached by them with a requirement to provide display stands for a range of large and small fossils ranging in age from 330 million year crinoids to 65 million year old ammonites. The ammonites ware spectacular and include some that weigh in at 32 Kg and 50 Kg.

The largest ammonite had previously been displayed in a heavy duty forged steel clamp that wrapped around the fossil and was a considerable distraction from the elegance of the sculptural shape.

Our brief was to design and construct free-standing and wall mounted stands for the heaviest items without obscuring their shape and also to enable the stands to display related graphics. We were also asked to provide dedicated clear Perspex stands for a range of other artefacts including fish, starfish, a crocodile skull and an ancient turtle shell.

We surveyed all the fossils and created templates around which we could build the dedicated supports. To do this the templates were scanned and brought into SolidWorks where we could replicate the fossil profiles and develop support profiles to follow the fossil contours.

The larger stands were constructed from birch plywood and were designed to allow the fossils to be embedded in the top panel for stability and security. The stands also had flat side panels for displaying graphics. Finally the fossils were completely restrained by 10mm thick Perspex hold-downs which clamped the fossils in place without obscuring their appearance.

The smaller fossils were supported on clear Perspex stands that were either bonded together from specially shaped profiles or clipped together using interlocking panels.

Which all goes to show that innovative design can be applied as well to incredibly ancient applications as well as modern ones…

Podcasts Have Arrived!!!

12th April 201812th April 2018 makersmith

What better way to explain what we do than to talk about it!

We recently recorded a series of Podcasts with Great Yorkshire Radio talking about design, about what we do and who we are; we’ll publish them over the next few weeks in parallel with the radio broadcasts, so here’s the first about our clients and how we save them stress and hassle!

The Complete Beginners Guide to Squiggles

5th April 20185th April 2018 makersmith

We have recently recorded a series of podcasts about Makersmith, our clients and our design and manufacturing processes. During one interview the interviewer said “So actually, you start with a squiggle and turn it into a real product?” – and of course the answer is “Yes, that’s exactly what we do…” but, like most things it isn’t quite as straightforward as that. First you have to have to ask what is a squiggle?, where does a squiggle come from? and lots more besides:

What is a squiggle?

The Oxford Dictionary definition is “A short line that curls and loops in an irregular way.” That’s sort of it, but not quite, our squiggle is much more than this…

Our squiggle can be:

A very rough sketch of an idea on paper – or a paper napkin – or the back of your hand
A thought that you can just about describe – in your mind – or in the mind of your client
A shape that you have seen and that you can describe in space with your hands
Something drawn in the sand on a beach
A pattern that you have seen – the pine needles lying on a path, the waves on a beach, the texture of a fabric
A set of words that describe what you want

And once seen, squigglers can say “I want it like this”; it’s a starting point on a path of design…

Where does a squiggle come from?

In your dreams… . Ideas do come from dreams, perhaps one of the most fundamental was Niels Bohr when he was inspired to describe the structure of the atom by a dream. You may dream of products, structures, shapes, landscapes, machines…

The world around us: the natural world contains so many complex shapes, so many simple shapes and they can all inspire new products, new forms for products, new structures and inspiring buildings.

Our man-made world: often one idea, one shape or form or function will inspire others as contrast or reaction.

Necessity: sometimes only one shape will work or will fit in a space – only one squiggle will do…

Competition: “I want one like that” or “ I don’t want one like that” are both powerful drivers for creators of things

Clients: your clients have their own squiggles that they pass on to you. You end up with a whole pile of the things – it would be great if someone could take those from you and resolve the squiggles into something concrete…

Where does a squiggle go?

For us, squiggles always go somewhere; we are presented with a squiggle of thought, words or drawing and take it through a sometimes huge process to come out at the other end with a product – a thing – that the was the intention of the original squiggler. And the say “ah yes, that is just what my squiggle meant…”

Sometimes along the way one squiggle gives rise to others as we generate and select ideas, but always the squiggles become more fully formed as tangible shapes, components and processes develop.

That’s where our expertise lies – in taking the squiggle and delivering the living product.

Do you have a squiggle?

There’s always something that you can put into a squiggle. Our clients rely on us to take their ideas forward from that squiggle to the end product, we also generate squiggles, idea, concepts of our own for clients.

If you have a squiggle or your business has a squiggle, get in touch -we can make your squiggle live!

https://www.makersmith.works/

The Unconventional Guide to Client Projects

17th March 201817th March 2018 makersmith

The types of projects that we undertake at Makersmith are so varied that each one brings it’s own unique challenges; no routine work for us! As a result we have to make sure that we learn as much as possible from each project and embed whatever we have learnt into the next.

An important part of this is time recording; it’s really easy to significantly underestimate the time taken to carry out a design or manufacturing task as we naturally tend to be optimistic when we envision a process. If, having carried out the task, we know exactly how long it took, then we are in a much better position to not only plan the next project timescale more accurately but to give our clients the most effective quotations for work.

Our Unconventional Guide is based on one day’s time logging for a project for one of our design team:

7:45am Arrive at work, ~~coffee~~, review schedule for the day. Update project planner to record completed work. Check emails, check client emails into CRM system. Fire up SolidWorks ready to review project CAD model

8:22am Take call from client with detail query as they are on the way to work. Reassure them that we have resolved the query and will confirm with them by email before the end of the day. Log the call in the CRM system

8:27am First task this morning: resolve the design of connections between steelwork and timber components, build detail in to the outline concept model until it is completely resolved. Compare the solution with the the requirements of the detailed Project Specification –it’s in line with that. Review the detail to make sure there are no untested assumptions. Double check the availability of special fixings – they are normally a stock item. Record this and the full specification in the project Bill of Materials.

Designer's Coffee 10:35am Really stop for coffee…

10:46am Prepare for client meeting at 1pm for new project. It’s great to have such an amazing meeting venue – the Old Kitchen at the Abbey – enough to excite any prospective client; make sure the room booking is confirmed…

Set up paperwork, initial documents and detailed specification questionnaire to run through with client. Make sure the computer Works!

11:33am Review key issues for new project and carry out research into alternative materials and suppliers.

12:07pm Lunch – a short walk in the woods and back for…

12:48pm To the Old Kitchen to check the setup.

1:15pm SolidWorks model Meet clients with colleagues. Chair meeting and lead through client requirements, detail specification issues, identify areas where we need more client information and where more research is needed. Conclude with summary of our respective actions and timescales to complete. All done.

14:30pm Return to office and complete meeting notes for project file/audit trail and summarise on CRM system.

15:07pm Check in the workshop to see progress of another project and evaluate stiffness of the structure – having done the design originally it’s good to see it in the flesh and to feel that it is just as designed.

15:22pm Back to detail project work. This time taking detail computer data out from SolidWorks for use in manufacturing systems to create laser cut steel profiles. Also take timberwork profile data for production.

16:02pm Use CNC tooling program to check the correct machining sequence for the timber. Revise the design slightly in SolidWorks to optimise machining time and re-check the CNC programme. All fine.

17:16pm Review emails that have arrived during the day and allocate responses to future time slots. Reply as necessary.

17:46pm Shut down the computer to go home. Leave through the workshop where the CNC machines are still running. Out into the evening air with the hazy view across to the hills and stumble over a flock of Quail that seem to be wandering around the car park and perching on the cars…

Another day at Makersmith…

Getting Creative for Autumn

11th August 2017 makersmith

I know it’s still August and it’s still holiday time but it’s beginning to feel just a little like Autumn is on the way… It will soon be time to tidy to tidy up outside, clear out those odd corners and think of new things to do with the garden.

So this autumn we are focussing on how to make best use of your garden: one really useful thing would be to put in a new shed… well, not just a shed; you can buy those from B&Q or one of the many standard shed manufacturers. But how about something a bit different:

– A little eco-space with a cushion and a kettle
– A micro-library where you can relax with your favourite book
– A studio where you can (at last) enjoy your hobby
– Two rooms – one for each of you – linked by a glass porch
– A space with a mezzanine, a view and a woodburning stove

A standard shed would be just a little boring wouldn’t it?

The great thing about having a bespoke structure is that you can really do what you want with the space. Even if your garden has odd shaped corners or a steeply sloping site something can be made to fit.

There are lots of possibilities and we have lots of experience of turning your ideas into reality in all sorts of materials. So start sketching or cutting out pictures of ideas that you like and get in touch with us to see how we can help.

Please also bear in mind that we produce an excellent, bespoke product and it will cost more than a standard shed – but yours will be the only one in the whole world!