3. Shih-Yen Lo, a designer, mechanical engineer, and photographer.
He believes that design is based on humanity, and all humankind should be served.
He considers that it is honest and practical that makes design powerful.
Abisko, Sweden, autumn 2011
4. 6 7
Shih-Yen Lo
羅士硯
+44 754 381 3148
+886 912 902 336
loshihyen@gmail.com
LANGUAGES
Chinese (mother tongue)
English (fluent)
Japanese (beginner)
Swedish (beginner)
COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Office
Adobe Creative Suite
Rhino + Grasshopper + Paneling Tools
CATIA
KeyShot
Sony Vegas Pro
Autodesk AutoCAD
Abaqus CAE
SKILLS
General metal / wood workshop equipment
Model-making
Origami
Mechanism / part design
Structure lightweight design
Circuit design
Commercial photography / rendering
2011-12 Umeå, Sweden
2013- London, UK
2006 Los Angeles, USA
-2011 Taipei, Taiwan
EDUCATION
2013- Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
MA Design Products
2012 Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
2011 Industrial Design Introduction (BA Level Program)
2011 National Taiwan University, Taiwan
2009 MSc Mechanical Engineering
2011 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
2007 Dept. of Industrial and Commercial Design (Auditing)
2006 University of California, Los Angeles, USA
6wks Jump-Start: An Introduction to Architecture (Summer Session)
2009 National Taiwan University, Taiwan
2005 BSc Engeenering Science and Ocean Engineering
EXPERIENCE
2013 Intern at ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Taiwan
2012 o Sleeves and smart covers for tablets and smartphones
o Mobile powerbank for smartphones and tablets
2011 Research assistant of intelligent lightweight vehicle project, National Science Council, Taiwan.
2009
AWARDS
2008 Design award of solar yacht, National Ship Model Contest, Taiwan
2008 Nominated, TECO Greentech Contest, Taiwan
EXHIBITION / PUBLICATIONS
2013 Personal photography exhibition titled fjärran i norr, Taiwan
2012 Mechanism and Structure Research of a Portable Electric Personal Vehicle, master thesis of National Taiwan University
2010 Portable Electric Vehicle, patent of Republic of China (pending)
2010 A Multi- mode Vehicle for Multi- purpose Transportation Use, patent of Republic of China (pending)
2010 Research and Design of an Intelligent Personal Lightweight Electric Vehicle, conference paper, EVS25,
ShenZheng, China.
Umeå University
5. PROJECTS
EXOSKELETONp 26
REMOTE DOOR UNLOCKERp 70
GARDENA HANDSAWp 46
OLFA CUTTER MODIFIEDp 66
BEOBLENDERp 60
FLOWp 54
PERSONAL VEHICLEp 40
GREEN JUMPERp 34
FEASTNOGRAPHp 22
DROPBACKp 14
IN SEARCH OF ORIGAMIp 10
6. 2014.1 In Search of Origami
Created the idea, idea sketching, 3D modeling, model making
320 x 320 x 500 mm
Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
I am interested in the relationships between the pattern, the form, and the function.
This project started by exploring the essence of origami: the ability to create a structure by
simply transforming a sheet of material.
7. 12 13
Yoshimura Pattern
The rolling pattern started by the Yoshimura buckling pattern, I
started to play with different materials and different methods. The
pattern creates stiffness so that the thickness of the sheet material
could be reduced by 30%.
Manufacturing Process
The aim of this project is to develop a method of manufacturing a
stool. I modified a pasta machine with 3D printed parts to create a
rolling mold of the pattern.
The goal of this machine is to prove that it’s possible to manufac-
ture a larger size (ex: a stool ) and quantity. I am looking for imple-
mentations and trying on different materials.
8. 2014.6 DropBack
Created the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, testing
360 x 160 x 250 mm
Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
Drop Back is an auxiliary water supplying system designed for the city of London. It con-
denses the steam exhausted from the boiling system and collects high-quality water that’s
usable for gardening, laundry, or even drinking.
9. 16 17
Fog Harvesting
I took the picture in the previous page through the window of a
train in London in early morning. It make me think of transforming
the fog into water. I found out that there is an organization called
FogQuest who uses double layered Raschel mesh to harvest fog.
After that I built an experiment in my bathroom to try the water
harvesting ability of different textiles including the Raschel net, but
all of them seems not that good.
Then I did another experiment in Hyde Park to see if it works
there, but there were no mist in that part of the park, nor above
the Serpentine.
Observation
Through my window I saw steams coming out from chimneys. And
I thought about what if I can harvest water from that.
I looked into the water boiling system for household and found it
possible to harvest water from the exhaust pipe.
10. 18 19
Initial Experiment
Then I quickly made a device to harvest
water from the steam. It works effectient-
ly, but the water gathering system didn’t
work. The device produced a pool of water
on the floor in 30 mins.
Form Follows
Function
I think it could be nice to use the con-
densed water for gardening because the
water quality might not be good enough
for drink, and the source is already out-
door and maybe by the garden.
I decided to design a cover to cover the
duct because I want the product to be
broadly used. Although the duct along
with a pipe could be replaced,I consider it
easier to just put another part on it.
11. 20 21
Design for Manufacture
I think the cylinder series are the most intact form and easy to manufacture in the same time. It could
be made through metal spinning or stamping. But the closed form might raise the pressure in the pipe,
which might be dangerous.
Then I started to fosus on the sheet metal folding series. I think this is also a good way of manufacturing
because it doesn’t need mold and could remain flat all the way until installing, which reduces the volumn
of package and shipping.
(See the aluminum models)
TDS MeterA TDS Meter indicates the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of a solution, i.e. the concentration of dissolved solids in it. Since dissolved
ionized solids such as salts and minerals increase the conductivity of a solution, a TDS meter measures the conductivity of the solution
and estimates the TDS from that.
Dissolved organic solids such as sugar and microscopic solid particles such as colloids, do not significantly affect the conductivity of a
solution so a TDS meter does not include them in its reading.
Water Quality Test
The water quality is very good. The TDS
is 108 ppm, while the standard of drinking
water is about 250 ppm and the water from
the drinking fountain in our school studio is
over 300 ppm, which is undrinkable.
Water Harvesting
A stainless steel mockup is made and test-
ed. Due to hot weather, only 30ml of water
was gathered from 5 showers.
12. Feastnograph 2013.10
Created the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, film shooting
500 x 330 x 250 mm
Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
Feastnograph is my response to the brief: Feast Automata. My idea is to share the joy
and warmness with those who couldn’t attend the reunion. I created this candlestick that
records the sound from the dining table and save it on the candle. Send the candle to the
missing one and share the warm and joyful atmosphere.
13. 2524
Phonograph by Edison
Phonograph, also called record player, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the
vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc,
or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove
inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus. When the record is played back, another
stylus responds to the undulations, and its motions are then reconverted into sound.
The invention of the phonograph is generally credited to the American inventor Thomas
Edison (1877). His first recordings were indentations embossed into a sheet of tinfoil by a
vibrating stylus; the tinfoil was wrapped around a cylinder that was rotated as the sounds
were being recorded.
~Encyclopædia Britannica
Record the atmosphere on the dinning table by
Feastnograph, the special candlestick. The sound of dining, chat-
ting, and laughters would be recorded onto the candle.
Receive the candle and mount it onto another
Feastnograph candlestand.
Send the candle to the one who couldn’t come back for
the reunion.
Play it and enjoy the warmness from the family, friends, or
the beloved.
Cone for gathering/spreading the sound
Membrane for vibrating
Pin for carving/reading the candle
Candle for recording
Screw for lifting the candle as rotating
Gears for rotating the screw
Handle to power the machine
Phonograph for Feast
Based on the phonograph, a candle is used as a data saving media of Feastnograph.
Gone with the
Time
Just like the laughters disappear in the air
and memory gone with the time, the re-
corded atmosphere could be played only
once to your mind.
14. Exoskeleton 2012.11-2013.1
Created the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, 3D Modelling, 3D Rendering
338 x 239 x 25 mm
Co-work with Derra Chen and Jo Chang, ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Taiwan
Exoskeketon is a sleeve assesory for ASUS Transformer Book that connects the pad and
dock with a built-in double hinge structure. The assembly works like a notebook with touch
panel but with more variety to fit different scenarios by transform among different modes.
This project is still on further stages of developing and could be in the market soon.
15. 28 29
Current Modes
ASUS Transformer Book is the world’s first
detachable notebook. It is a notebook, a
tablet, and altogether amazing. Shifting
from different modes, Transformer Book
can fulfill different needs in daily live.
Pad/ Laptop
ASUS Transformer Book is not only a pad,
it’s also a hybrid laptop.
Carrying
Shut the Trandformer book, and carry it like
a book!
But We Want
More!
ASUS Transformer Book is good, but we
beleive that it could be better by simply
adding a sleeve to it. The Exoskeleton
sleeve makes the transform simplier. With a
double-hinge hided inside, no more mech-
anism is needed on the pad and keyboard
dock but some magnets.
Touch-Stand
The touch-stand mode enables user to
manipulate the touch screen easily in front
of a table or in similar gestures.
2-Pads Sharing
We can also attach 2 pads to the sleeve
and make them syncronizing. Then we can
share the same screen!
16. 30 31
Idea Sketching
To achieve the built scenarios, several kinds of hinges were considered and some sketch
models were tested. We chose a pair of double hinges to prototype.
17. 32 33
Prototyping
Thanks to company’s model shop, most
parts are CNC machined and have same
weight as real product. What I had addi-
tionally learned here is to communicate
with the hinge supplier but not leting them
know our idea.
Pad
Exoskeleton upper part
Magnets
Leather cover
Double hinges
Keyboard dock
Screws
Magnets
Exoskeleton lower part
Rendering
Rendering is one of the first basic skills I
have been trained in ASUS,
18. 2008.9-2010.12 GREEN JUMPER
Exterior Design, Interior Design, Ergonomics, Chassis Design
4230 x 1800 x 1540 mm
Teamwork in National Taiwan University, acknowledge to Delta Electronics, Taiwan
Green Jumper is a battery powered electric car. It’s a joyful and energetic hatchback. The
size is like a 3-series BMW sedan, but has bigger room for its shape. The vehicle is de-
signed to be use in city, with the carbon fiber body, the weight is less than 900kg, and this
leads to the result of only 0.1Kwh of energy is needed for it to drive a kilometer.
19. 36 37
Designer -x- Engineer
Being the only designer in the team, I designed the exterior of this vehicle. Started from
2D sketches, the proportion, curves, and details are defined step by step. This project
gives me lots of experience on 3D modelling and communicating/tackling with engineering
team. I think I did well thanks to my engineering background, as a Chinese saying, “Know
your enemy, know yourself; hundred battles, hundred won.”
20. 38 39
Aerodynamic
After the sketches, the 3D model was built
and tested by the fluid dynamic depart-
ment. The Cd of this car is 0.25 accord-
ing to computational fluid dynamics, which
means the air resistance is very small.
Handmade
& Test Drive
We did some road tests and enjoy this cool
“super car.” The high frequency sound of
the motor impressed me a lot, but what
moves me the most is to see my “baby”
dashing on the road.
21. 2008.9-2011.9 PERSONAL VEHICLE
Concept & Scenario Design, 3D Modelling, Prototype Building, Mechanism Design
1400 x 600 x 900 mm (expanded mode)
Teamwork in Taiwan University, acknowledge to National Science Council, Taiwan
This is an ultra compact folded electric vehicle which is designed to be used with public
transportation system. With a easy folding mechanism and ultra lightweight body, the 10-
Kg vehicle brings you from metro /bus station to the place you want to go fluently and
rapidly, without a single drop of sweat!
22. 42 43
In Urban
According to the data research, using en-
vironment, and human behaviour, the sce-
nario is built up. Designed to be used with
metro system in urban area, the personal
vehicle was developed via a rigorous pro-
cess.
For Metro & Bus
Designed to be used in urban area with
metro and bus system, the scenario was
interpreted into the specifications of the
vehicle.
Mind Storming
After the specifications were regulated, the
7 people team brainstormed several rounds
to create the concepts of the vehicle.
Towing Mode
The folded full scale mock-up was tested in
towing mode, to check it fits the accessibil-
ity ramps and other places.
3-Wheeler?
Scaled mock-ups were made to discuss
and refine the idea of the folding mecha-
nism and verify if it fits the scenario.
Ergonomics
Full scale models were built to test on er-
gonomics and evaluate the folded size. We
had a 3-wheel vehicle at this stage, and
simplified to a 2-wheel model later on.
23. 44 45
Folding
Mechanism
After the 2-wheel folding scooter idea was
adopted, more sketches were made to fig-
ure out the possible folding methods.
Weight = 10 kg
The team achieved an 11kg working proto-
type, which is 1Kg heavier than the target.
24. GARDENA HANDSAW 2011.11-2011.12
Design Process, Idea Sketching, Mock-up Making, 3D Modelling & Rendering
270 x 44 x 22 mm
Personal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
The GARDENA 340 handsaw, which had been in the market for 10 years, need to be rede-
signed. From the ergonomic point of view, the old version isn’t that good. I did 2 rounds of
user tests to find out the best ideas and the best dimensions of the final concept to make
this new handsaw as ergonomic as possible.
25. 48 49
Strap attachment:
Too small, easily broken.
Grip:
Too rigid and slippy, not ergonomic nor
explanatory.
Release button:
The response is a bit wobbly, and only for
right-handed people.
Blade:
The blade should be a curve instead of
straight, and the direction sign could stand
out more.
Finger shield:
Effective design but ugly.
It Slips!
We tested the saw in different pruning positions to check the ergonomics, and found the
saw not easy to handle, and may slip out from your hand due to the teeth of the blade
were stuck in the branch!
The Current Model
The current version of the saw we were assigned to design, the Gardena gardener folding
saw 340, was tested and evaluated in different aspects.
Direction of the forearm
Direction of the blade
Twisted Wrist
If you see from top, you’ll find that there
is an angle between the arm and the
blade, which makes the wrist pain dur-
ing periodical movement.
Blade Should Extent from the Arm
Due to the blade and the forearm are not parallel, wrist, shoulder and waist would be
painful when using the saw. From ergonomics’ point of view, the blade should be an
extension of the forearm, which is parallel and has no displacement from the forearm,
to eliminate the torque exerted on the wrist.
Direction of the forearm
Direction of the blade
26. 50 51
2-Modes
The first ides is to make the blade adjust-
able between 2 mode, to eliminate the an-
gle between the blade and forearm from
side view.
In the Middle
To reduce the torque caused by the dis-
placement between the blade and the fore-
arm, the blade is moved to the middle of
the saw by a 2-section folding mechanism.
According to the reflection from user tests,
the position of the hole is adjusted for index
finger instead of middle finger.
Relax the Wrist
To eliminate the angle between the blade
and the forearm from the top view, the
blade is tilted with a little angle to make the
wrist in rest position and the blade parallel
to the forearm when pruning.
Detail
Adjustment
More mock-ups were made to verify the
details on the final design, including the
size and thickness of the ring, the curve of
the grip, and the shape of the bar-end.
Different
Idea Sketching
After the user testing, I found out that both
idea 1 and 2 could be in the final design.
Idea 3 was abandoned since it’s a bit dif-
ficult to cover both left and right handed
people in one model.
Ring
Bar-end
Grip
27. 52 53
Reflections
According to reflections from various user
tests on the 4 mock-ups from the last
page, the final design was modified into
the best ergonomic design, which could
be flexibly used in different scenarios, posi-
tions, and habits.
Well Controlled
The ring with soft inner grip let the user
control the saw more precisely and easily.
The indicator shows that the blade could
be stopped in 2 angles. The strap attach-
ment is reinforced.
28. 2012.3-2012.4 FLOW
Flow is an interior concept for a 2-seater vehicle which want its users get close to the na-
ture. The 3 layers laminated wood structure forms the seats, arm rests, and control panel.
Both natural lighting and ventilation are induced into the vehicle through the panels, which
are also integrated into the 3 layers of wood.
Idea Sketching, Clay modelling, 3D Modelling & Rendering, Commercial Poster Design
2200 x 130 x 140 mm
Personal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
29. 56 57
Oriental
Atmosphere
The goal of this project is to interpret a feel-
ing into the vehicle interior and create a A0
commercial poster presentation.
I chose to make my vehicle feels oriental,
relax, and futuristic.
Vehicle Layout
3D model were built to check the aspect
ratio of the vehicle interior; manikins were
put to verify the ergonomics.
3 Layers Form All
Both the control panel and the seats are
extended from the laminated woods. The
seat is formed by 2 loops, which is like a
“ruyi” symbol in Chinese culture.
30. 58 59
Clay Modelling
A set of clay model were built and photo-
graphed by super wide angle lens to sup-
port the abnormal perspective of interior
sketching.
Car Ad Poster
The poster is made to sell this vehicle. In my opinion, the behaviour of selling a car is not
only selling the vehicle itself. It’s more like selling a atmosphere, a way of living, or even a
dream.
My idea is to lead the users of this car close the nature, thus I created this poster to put up
the feeling of natural and peaceful.
31. BEOBLENDER 2011.9-2011.10
Design Process, Idea Sketching, Mock-up Making, 3D Modelling & Rendering
220 x 140 x 320 mm
Personal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
Assigned the Bang & Olufsen brand and target customers in the age section of 30-50, the
set of BeoBlender and BeoTumbler was designed for those who are always in hurry in the
morning. The one click user interface and powerful drill reduce the time of handle the fruits.
Vitamincartridgeandcoolingsystemmakethejuicefreshandnutrient.Justgrabandgo,Alex!
32. 62 63
Bang & Olufsen
To study the brand of Bang & Olufsen,
another imageboard were made and dis-
cussed in team of 3.
Personas
The imageboard shows the style of Alex,
including what he wears he uses, and what
he wants.
Alexander
The target customer, Alexander, is a 35
years old fashion designer who owns a
apartment in London.
Ideas
Idea sketches were made and further eval-
uated by Harris profile method.
Always Hurry in the Morning
A scenario were made to think about when, how, and why this blender. The story tells that
Alex needs a fast blender for him to grab and go.
33. 64 65
The Right Curve
Started from 2D sketches to find the pro-
portion, more sketched were made to de-
velop the details after the idea were the
decided. A set of full scale foam mock-up
were made to check the developed form.
Fast & Fresh
The drill on the top can crush the core and
press the fruit down to the blending area.
Interchangeable vitamin cartridge adds vi-
tamin into the juice, and the cooling system
keeps the fruit and juice cool and fresh.
34. OLFA CUTTER MODIFIED 2010.2-2010.6
This is a personal project that I did in my spare time. I had this idea years ago and decided
to implement it in 2010. I designed the wooden grip for the knife and repackaged it with
number and the name of that wood species. Being endued a high quality feeling, all the 30
copies handmade by myself were sold out in a week.
Concept Design, 3D Modelling, Prototype Building, Manufacturing, Merchandise
190 x 60 x 10 mm
Personal project, consulted by Chih-Feng Li.
35. 68 69
DetailsareCrucial
Several prototypes were made to
evaluate the volume and details.
A pair of knives with verawood grip,
the pattern of the wood build up
the high quality feeling.
Customized
The packages were also designed and
customized, the number and material were
laser carved to show the preciousness.
Which One
Do You Want?
A wide variety of more than 10 kinds of
woods were used, each performs unique
natural aroma and tactile impression.
Home Foundry
The products in different steps of manufac-
turing, which is a romantic mess.
36. 70 71
This is a 30-minute project that saved me a lot of time. I came up with this idea all in a
sudden and went to workshop immediately. It took me 30 minutes to build the mechanism
and I think this is the most useful stuff that I’ve made in Sweden.
REMOTE DOOR UNLOCKER 2012.4
Prototype building, Testing
100 x 128 x 88 mm
Half hour project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
Knock! Knock!
Since I’m the one who sits closest to the
door and we are all hard workers that work
so late, it’s my duty to unlock the door for
those who forget their access cards. It’s
quite annoying to jump up from the seat
just for pushing a single button, thus I de-
cided not to.
Click!
Without any sketch and graph, all the ma-
terial was picked from the recycling bin.
The cross shaped part is a leftover from la-
ser cutting machine. The handle at my side
is a tape
37. Shih-Yen Lo likes cycling and landscape photography.
He started his photography life since 2008 and soon found out to have a crave on landscape.
Photography reminds him to reserve the nature, and he is practicing in his life and design. Ilan, Taiwan, Summer 2013
