The Cove is a personal acoustic shroud system designed for use in open plan offices. It creates a private space for one person using acoustic panels that provide a peaceful area for phone calls and relaxation amid the busy office environment. User testing showed that the panels should be sized to closely surround the user and that an adjustable, semi-translucent canopy is preferred to block views and lighting. The final design includes a bulletin board and cushions inside the panels to enhance comfort. The Cove is intended to help office workers reduce stress and be more productive through efficient relaxation breaks.

1. CLAIRE KONG
PORTFOLIO 2011

2. THE COVE
April 2011, Sponsored by Teknion
Acoustic Shroud System
The central-idea behind The Cove is to create a personal space in the open plan office. It defines a room within a room only for one
person. The acoustic panels provide a peaceful oasis for phone conversations and relaxation. The system also functions as a visual
screen to minimize interruption from the surrounding environments. It accomodates most sizes of lounge chairs up to 36 inches width.
The Cove is designed to ease the office worker's stress from the busy office environment.

3. THE COVE
Research
Office workers are highly encouraged to
share and discuss their ideas
because collaboration is the most
important work trend in today's workplaces.
The noise level and distraction due to en-
couraging informal encounters are becoming
serious issues in the open plan office. It may
create fatigue and mental exhaustion espe-
cially for the static workers who spend at
least 8 hours in the office.
The research from interviews and a site visit
found that most office workers wished if they
could take a rest from all the noise and
stress at times during the day in an isolated
zone.
Efficient relaxation will motivate office
workers to be more productive and healthier
throughout the day.
Ultimately, it may help an office to be a
pleasant and healthy workspace where people
want to come back to work.
User Scenario
Interviews and user observations were per-
formed in Wesley Clover in Ottawa, Canada.
It was a good opportunity to see the real
office environment and to confirm that the
design opportunity of creating a personal
space in the public area was demanding in the
current office environment.
How will office furniture motivate workers to be more
productive throughout the day?
a typical busy open concept office
Teddy,project manager
Cynthia,Junior Designer
Thomas,Creative Director
Teddy,project manager
just 10 minutes...
Thomas,Creative Director
just 10 minutes...
Cynthia,Junior Designer
just 10 minutes...
ah..........
The couches were placed in a quiet hallway for employee’s relaxation.
However, many people were reluctant to take their break in the area
because they felt uncomfortable to see other people walking by espe-
cially when they wanted to stay alone for a short break.
Hallway,Wesley Clover,Ottawa Hallway,Wesley Clover,Ottawa
It becomes a trend that office furniture is designed not only to
encourage collaborations but also to provide individual space in
the office. Most of existing products are designed with the seating
that are attached to the dividers.
1.Vitra, Alcove Highback Sofa
2.Bene, Koja High
3.Buzzispace,Buzzibooth
1 2 3

4. User Testing
THE COVE
User Testing 1.
Will this product be in demand for the next generation?
The goal of the first user testing was to find out the need of the prod-
uct. The previous research on published material, interviews and an
office visit proved that people in the office wanted to have an isolated
zone to take a break from all the noise and distraction at times during
the day. The initial idea of creating a personal space in the public
area was tested by 10 industrial design students. The testing model was
prepared to create a small room about 24inches by 24 inches space in the
school corridor. The subjective feedbacks of the users were the most
valuable findings during the user testing.
1. 7 out of 10 users preferred
to have the canopy because it
helped to stop eye contacts
with the people passing by.
2. 8 out of 10 users preferred
to have the canopy because it
cut out the fluorescent light.
3. 8 out 10 users were able to
concentrate on their work such
as reading inside the booth
while the outside was crowded.
Findings
User Testing 2.
What will be the ideal size and translucency of the shroud?
The test objective was to figure out the ideal size of the shroud that could
create atmosphere for effective relaxation in an isolated zone and to find out
how the user would perceive the level of transmitted light through the canopy.
a
b
c
d
Dimensions of the shroud to be tested To test how the user percieves the different depth of the canopy
500, 600, 700 mm
600
400
b
a
e
Steps of User Tesing 2 to find out the ideal size of the shroud
Wooden armature
for the testing pieces
The user is participating to test the level of
the transmitted light through the canopy.
Overall, people felt comfort-
able when the side panels
were closer to their body and
the canopy stayed high over
their head. It must be care-
ful to create a comfort zone
without creating a feeling of
trapped inside of the panels.
Interestingly, almost every
user had specific preferences
with the angle of the canopy.
It was a useful finding to
consider the next user
testing to have an adjustable
canopy.
Findings

5. User Testing
THE COVE
User Testing 3.
How the user will interact with the shroud system in the public area?
The central objective of the third user testing was to find out perception and emotion
of the product. The testing model was designed based on the dimension from the previous
user testing.
The User Testing was perfromed at the Pagebreak in the Carleton University Library.
Snapshots from observation during the open review of S.I.D at Carleton University
Reading Conversation
Number of
Responses
Type of the canopy
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
a b c d
The most favorite choice
4 different types of canopy materials were used to test how the
texture and the level of translusency of the canopy would affect
the emotions of the users.
The interesting finding was that the canopy material with aes-
thetic texture and colour was preferred the most. Most of users
answered that they enjoyed looking at an object with beautiful
pattern than a plain design.
This last user testing was helpful to observe how the users inter-
acted with the shroud system. The backgrounds of the users were
office workers, students who were studying business and some
engineers. It was intended to have users who were not related to
design field to observe spontaneous reactions. The observation
turned out to be the most useful resource to make decisions on the
design features such as having bulletin boards, head rest and
cushions inside of the panels.
Findings
a. Without a canopy material b. The most sheer one
c. Semi translucent, loose & rich texture,
sage colour d. The most translucent one
The view from the inside of
C testing material
The view from the inside of
D testing material

6. THE COVE
Ideation and Form Development
The most challenging part was to
create welcoming environment for the
users as well as to be functional.
In addition, designing the product to
be part of a beautiful interior design
element was considered consistently in
the process of form development.
The following images show the
development of ideas from the early
phase using sketches and models.

7. THE COVE
Final Design
Aesthetic translucent canopy:
The height of the canopy is adjustable in re-
sponse to preference. When it is fully closed,
the semi translucent canopy shield screens the
view of the surroundings and softly diffuses
the florescent lighting.
String Curtain :
It filters the surroundings without
detracting from the elegant structure.
Bulletin board inside of the acoustic panels: While
enjoying one's own time, a person can still check
out company news postings and post a message for
colleagues.
Cushioning inside of the acoustic panels:
The cushion on the side panels and the headreast
on the back panel provide a comfortable zone to
lean on for resting.

8. THE COVE
Product In Use
The Cove
The Cove is designed to accomodate most
sizes of office lounge chairs. The ideal
context would be casual spaces such as
the cafeteria and lounge area. It may be
placed as multiples or on its own.
The Cove will be a beautiful interior
design element in the office environment.
The Cove provides a quiet zone for activities such as phone conversation, reading a book or
conversation with a colleague in the office.

9. STUDIES ON LIGHT AND TEXTURE
EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTS
With the University Centre Galleria at Carleton University as the site of study, the project was to study how light and texture could
create different atmosphere without an alteration of the existing interior structure.
December 2010, In Collaboration with Eugene Pityk

10. STUDIES ON LIGHT AND TEXTURE
EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTS
Experiments of light and texture
10:30 am 11:30 am 1:30 pm 2:30 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:30 pm
Cardboard
Concrete
Wood
Cork
Acrylic
Creased
translucent
paper
Left: The experiement was to determine how differnet lightings influenced the
coloured background and what kind of atmosphere was going to be created from
the mixture of the lighting and background.
Right: The purpose of this experiment was to study the reaction of
natural light to different materials and textures. The conclusion was that
rough texture retained colour better than smooth surfaces which reflected
light.
Red Yellow Orange White Green Blue
Red
Purple
Blue
Orange
Yellow
White
12:30 pm 1:00 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:30 pm 6:00 pm
Rough/Glossy
6:00 pm
Smooth/ Matte
Left: The experiment was focused on tex-
ture and gloss of the material.
The conclusion was that glossy materials,
especially with rough surfaces responded
more dramatically to natural light than
matte surfaces.

11. December 2009
Electric toothbrush to aid people
with spinal cord injury
SMART D
Smart-D was designed to enhance self-esteem and assist independent living
style for the people with spinal cord injury. The project was a comprehen-
sive industrial design project that started with intensive research and
ended with a final design proposal. An existing product was redesigned to
meet specific needs of people with spinal cord injury in the level of C-5
and 6 tetraplegia.
The designed components were the toothpaste dispenser, the electric
toothbrush and the charger. Each component was carefully designed to meet
the user’s specific needs. The form of the electric tooth brush was
achieved successfully to be hold easily without an assistvie holder. In
addition, the final design was able to propose the lightest weight (only
100g) by using 13g of micro motor. The design of the charger was consid-
ered deliberately for the both users who used an assistive holder and
non-users.
Touch Sensor
Overmold
This groove helps to prevent a hand
touching the touch sensor accidentaly.
Charge Indicator

12. Research, Ergonomic Testing and Preliminary Design
Most people with spinal cord injury
try hard to be independent in their
daily care as much as they can.
More than 41,000 Canadians live with spinal cord
injury and 1,200 new injuries occur each year.
Tetraplegia refers to the cervical (neck) injuries
in four limb paralysis. Injuries below C-5 tet-
raplegia can perform daily care such as oral,
facial hygiene and dressing themselves with the use
of assistive device and a little help from an as-
sistant. C-5 tetraplegia patients have no control
at the wrist of hand. C-6 tetraplegia patients have
a little bit of wrist control but no hand func-
tions.
Depending on personal preference, a holder is used
to grab a toothbrush. Most of people uses electric
toothbrushes however they still need an assistant
to turn the power, squeeze toothpaste onto the
brush and place a holder to their hands.
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se
Image Source: www.spinalistips.se
Dental Sigma 360 developed by Japan’s
Vivatec for people with disability
Mechanisms of existing products were studied to
understand the operation of an electric tooth-
brush. Understanding of the parts was necessary
to reach the right solution..
Colgate 360 degree electric toothbrush, Battery operated
Braun Professional Care 8900 DLX Oxyget Center,
Rechargeable
13 g of micro motor
found in the Collgate
360 degree electric
toothbrush
Preliminary selected concept
Considering weight, appearance,
form were the major challenges to
solve.
Great opportunity was given to meet the actual
users through Angela Clair who was a bilingual
regional services coordinator at Ottawa Canadian
paraplegic association.
The initial prototype on the user testing
Testing the initial prototype with the designed assistive holder
SMART D

13. Form Development
The goal was to design the form that have the generic appearance as other electric toothbrushes and to be hold
firmly by the user without an assistive holder as much as possible.
The body was designed to be thicker than the regular
electric toothbrushes. The cylindrical form had flat
surfaces in four sides to be hold firmly without an
assistive holder as much as possible. In addition, it
helped to indicate the product orientation when it
happened to roll on the flat surface accidently.
The detail of the indent was considered carefully to
prevent touching the power accidently and also to be
used with an assistive holder if needed. .
SMART D

14. DRAWING NUMBER : CU.101
11" x 17"
DIMENSIONS mm
UNTOLERANCED DIMENSIONS
SCALE
Number
Description
Details
Quantity
SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
DRAWN: C.KONG DATE: DEC09.09
CHECKED:K.MORGAN DATE:DEC09.09
CLIENT : BRIAN BURNS
PROJECT: TOOLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
DRAWING NUMBER: CU101
DRAWING: ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
SHEET 1 OF 1
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
COLONELBY DRIVE
OTTAWA CANADA K1S 5B6
Initials
Date
Revisions
Issue
1:1 DO NOT SCALE
SECTION A - A
2
3
1
6
7
8
4
5
A
A
1. MICRO MOTOR
3. MOTOR CASING
2. SHAFT
4. RECHARGEABLE BATTERY
5. COILS
7. CASING FOR MOTOR
8. SPRING
6. ELECTRIC CONNECTOR
Use Cycle,Technical Drawing and Suggestive Furthur Development
A suggestive way of holding the electric toothbrush
An assistive holder can be developed further to integrate with the design of the electric toothbrush.
The preliminary prototype suggests having a small window in the front because the user may require
rotating the orientation of the toothbrush by sliding the surface to the side through the window.
CNC Polyurethane Foam
SMART D

15. CHICKADEE HOUSE
Modern Bird House
March 2010
The Chickadee House is
designed exclusively for the
black-capped chickadees.
They are the one of the most
popular North American
birds. Their name follows
their typical call, chkak-
a-dee-dee. They frequently
show up back yard feeders
and stay in one area through
the year.
Ideal bird house for
chickadees would be to
protect them from rain, wind
and predators as well as
create an appropriate space
for their nesting. The man-
made bird house should en-
courage their natural habit
of roosting. The birds like
to dig out their cavities in
such as rotten wood. Accord-
ing to Kluyver (1961), they
will virtually always dig
out a natural cavity rather
than take an empty hole such
as a nest box – unless the
box has been partly filled
with sawdust.
Based on the research, the
Chickadee House was built to
create natural environment
as much as possible for
black-capped chickadees. The
birdhouse had 1-1/8” diam-
eter hole to entice the
chickadees. The hole was
small enough for predators
to enter. The oil-finished
natural pine wood was a
beautiful addition to any
area. Stainless steel screws
and glass roof were
carefully selected to create
modern architecture.

16. CHICKADEE HOUSE
Use Cycle, Technical Drawing and Preliminary design sketches
Moon was used as a metaphor for the
appearnce of the birdhouse. It was used to
convey a meaning of providing a peaceful
place for chickadee family.
The repetitive use of horizontal lines
helped to emphasize a feeling of calm and
the round edges of the transparent eaves
were designed to resemble the softness of
the moonlight.
The Chickadee house was designed for easy access of cleaning and monitoring breeding.

17. THE SURFACE
SolidWorks Computre Application
December 2010, In collaboration with Khulood Alawadi
The project was to simulate the workflow of creating a plastic part for a
mass produced product. We participated in creating sketches, measurements,
digital geometry, rapid prototyping and reverse modelling. It was to reverse
design the top surface part of a computer mouse and it was 3D printed on the
Dimension machine. Emphasis was made on surfacing and enclosure details.

18. HI SOAPHIE
Mass Production Technology For Industrial Design
October 2008
Jigs, Fixtures and Fabricating
The objective was to understand fabricating by manufacturing a simple product which
could be used in the daily life. Matched wooden tool with a curvature was designed
to form a simple product like a soap dish in low volumes. Edge trimming was the in-
tegral part since excess material must be cut from the formed part. Bandsaw was used
to produce a quick rough cut and edge finishing techniques such as scraping, filling
and sanding was treated after.
Hi Soaphie has a simple and elegant curvilinear form. The line flows beautifully
from one angle to the other.
Medium: Blue Hard Pencil

19. GREEENSHELVE
Cardboard Book Storage
DECEMBER 2007
The most challenging
part of the project was
to design the cardboard
furniture without using
any adhesives out of one
sheet of 100 inches by
60 inches cardboard.
The actual model has
been used carrying over
90 pounds books for the
last four years.
The form was inspired
from the theme of
Bauhous. It influenced
me to study how the
basic geometric forms
could create interesting
composition.

20. RED BLOOMS
July 2010
Acrylic Painting
Studies on texture and colour
Red Bloom was painted to add vibrancy in the
living room space.

21. Contact
Email: clairekong03@gmail.com
Tel: 613-316-8353(Ottawa, Canada)
ANY QUESTIONS?