Real-Life Decision Making
Your favorite type of model to make is the prototype to a new product that
someone has designed. This represents the greatest challenge to your skills
because you have to work from something that is very vague, and build it into
something that is real and can be touched.
It's a skill you've learned to enjoy tremendously -- being able
to take a word picture or a two-dimensional drawing and create it in three-dimensional
form.
You've been approached by a local company to build the prototype for
a new product that the company is considering putting into production. The
product, which they are calling Sweet Air, is an air freshener that will blow
a scent from a cork soaked in a scent out into the surrounding environment.
The Sweet Air needs to be built in such a manner that it contains a blower,
can be plugged into a wall and has a place to slide the cork into so that
the scent will be on the air that is forced away from the machine.
The company has given you a sketch of their idea for what it should look
like. But as you look over the sketch and begin making the computer-aided
model, you find that one of the design elements, a small narrow shape, will
not work.
The shape is too small to accommodate a blower that will be powerful enough
to send the scent around a room. In order to make the mechanical parts of
the design work, you're going to need to change the appearance of the
model somewhat.
The company was insistent that the prototype remain as close to the original
sketch as possible when they contracted you. Their idea is to blend the new
product into an existing line of products that have similar appearances.
You think you can change the design without losing the general idea of
appearance that the company wants, but you're worried that they will
withdraw their contract if you proceed without contacting them about design
changes.
On the other hand, you don't want to make yourself appear incompetent
by contacting them about the changes that are usually standard with any kind
of prototype work.
What do you do?