This document provides summaries of Alma Daskalaki's portfolio projects from 2010. It includes summaries of 3 academic projects from her 1st, 2nd, and final years of study: 1) "Notes at Your Fingerprints" - An educational toy that teaches music notation placement through an interlocking mechanism. 2) A water timer project that counts 4 minutes using falling ping pong balls powered only by the potential energy of 1 liter of water. 3) A group project for DePuy involving the design of an "acoustic inserter" providing surgeons feedback during hip implant insertion and innovative packaging for implants.

1. po rtfo l i o 2010 a lm a
dask a la k i
Design & Innovation Beng
DesigNerd. Thinker. Maker.

2. co n tents
(click on the project’s name for easier navigation)
Academic
final year / a shoe to dance en pointe
dissertation
DePuy live industrial project / group project
2nd year / spicesphere
lightingle
rainbib / group project
1st year / notes at your fingerprints
human column
water timer / group project

3. how could new materials and technology help improve pointe
a sh o e t o d a n c e en p oin te shoes with respect to the tradition and history of ballet

4. in this project a new version of pointe shoe is
suggested.
the design aims at the improvement of the shoe,
using new materials and techniques.
snapshots from a short movie “the life of a poi
nte shoe” showing and communcating big part
of the research.
the film was presented as part of the final out-
come alongside with the final design and pro-
totype.

5. it has been said that the ballet Toe Shoe is one of the few instruments
of torture to survive intact into our time. in this project the concept of
dancing en pointe is revisited and the form and structure of the Pointe
Shoe challenged.
it is a study into the art of ballet dancing, the tuning, the use and break-
ing of the shoes, the ceremony before and after, the shoe making and
the materials. it is an exploration of the shoe in its context and outside
it including stress analysis, body mapping and self-molding techniques.

6. early concepts, sketches and prototypes.

7. the dissertation accompanies the project justi-
fying the concept and explaining the research
and design development process.
special notice was given in the presentation
and communication of ideas.
hand-bound.

8. hip replacement surgery
Depu y l i v e in d ust ria l project
group project

9. packaging proposal.
the package proposed consists of a series of cases that minimise the
confusion in the OR, improve the handling and ensure the safe transpor-
tation of the implants until the last minute.
labels.
by introducing colour coding the communica-
tion amongst the medical staff improves.

10. in this project we have been working with DePuy, a medical engineering company who specialises in orthopaedics.
the brief was to identify key issues raised during hip replacement surgeries and suggest possible solutions.
the team saw possibilities of development in 3 main areas: alignment, protection and handling of the implants. after thor-
ough analysis of the procedure and research on the environment and the actors involved, we were able to develop an
‘acoustic inserter’ that provides the surgeon with feedback during the insertion of the implant and suggested a complete
innovative packaging proposal with integrated protection for the implant surfaces.
packaging is an area often neglected in the medical sector.
the packaging of the right component in the right “box”, its safe transportation and easy handling are a few things that if
go wrong can cause problems to both the hospital and the suppliers.

11. the bearing surfaces of the implant need to re-
main unscratched until the very last moment,
just before closing the incision.
any protection used should be easily removed
and introduced in the procedure in such way
that its removal will not be forgotten.

12. device that assists human lifestyle
spicesph ere facilitates the preparation of spices, herbs, sauces and marinades

13. crush and smash the
ingredients by rotating
the pestle and using
arm’s weight.
pour the crushed in-
gredients in the bot-
tom container.
add any liquids.
spicesphere is a device close and shake!
that grinds, smashes
and mixes without get-
ting your fingers dirty.
fun to use.

14. human interaction with space
lig h tin g le lighting in the sense of revealling space
lighting as an object dependent on its place in space

15. decorative layer task layer lighting is the medium that reveals the space
around us.
although its position, quality and type plays a
vital role to how we see our environment it still
sometimes occupies such a neutral or even in-
visible place in our living environment.
in this project the lamp explores its connec-
tion with space through user’s interaction and
makes us to notice it.
the user interacts with the lamp by pumping it
using a pillow-pump.

16. why do lamps not move?
how could they have a more active role in the living environment
concept
sketches and models

17. light portable device
r ain b ib protecting cyclists against rain and wind
group project

18. easy storage. protection for cyclists against rain and wind.
adjusts on all backpacks. targets to the commuter.
lightweight.
neck collar. costs about 10GBP.
extra protection
in winds.
elasticated sides.
universal fit.
keeps arms dry.
aerodynamic shape.
fluorescent piping.
suitable for
all handlebars.
allows signaling.

19. various test prototypes wind tunnel testing

20. a toy that uses an interlocking mechanism
n o t e s a t y o u r fin g er tips learn the place of the notes on the stave while playing

21. this is a short project, in which the teaching and learning of music while
playing was developed.
the research included developmental psychology and different educa-
tional methods to see how children think.
the result is a self-contained, self-correcting educational toy that aims
to kids of about 4 years old but can be also used by teachers during
classes.
the right note
interlocks only when the box acts both as
placed in the right po- when the note is turned a storage box and a
sition on the stave it knocks the strings speaker for the sound

22. a 3-D object as a piece of art expressing the idea of a column
h uman colu mn

23. the human body can be viewed as a beautiful machine.
the similarities between the vertebral column and the Greek ancient
columns were used as inspiration for the development of a 3-D object.

24. a water timer that counts 4 minutes
w ater timer
group project

25. this project concentrated on designing with
specifications and constraints.
the water timer had to count and indicate a
time lapse of 4 minutes.
the process involved many prototypes and ex-
perimentation.
constraints:
max dimensions 500x500x200mm.
1 litre of water.
4 ping pong balls.
only potential energy of water.
reused materials only.

26. con ta ct alma @daskal aki .gr