The objective of our final project was to come up with an idea that could help combat the wicked problem of Colony Collapse Disorder. For our group we attempted the attack the wicked problem by blending product design and education into a memorable family experience. Our group wanted to change the negative connotation of a bee hive that could in someones yard. We came up with the bee house, a bird house enhanced with bee features. Some of the features consist of putting frames in the house for bees to make honeycombs, cups to put sugar water for the bees, and raising the side walls to allow bees to enter and exit the hive freely. To go along with the bee house we plan to combo it with an interactive children's book. The children's book would focus on teaching families not only how to make the bee house, but also teach kids the issues that bees are experiencing in the real world. These two products would be bundled and we would focus on marketing them as a DIY family project you could possibly buy at Michaels Craft Store.
This project was a learning experience as I had never done any woodworking a this scale, as I had only made a wooden ball for the last project. Making the bee house required several weeks of construction and measuring, and learning how to use different tools. One challenge I had with making the bee house was creating a cross section of the prototype. To do this, I had to cut every side piece in half which doubled the amount of pieces that had to be cut and glued together. Despite the prototype being a little rugged, I was quite impressed with how it turned out. With enough practice and time, I believe that I could have made a bee house in a few days. Overall this project was a microcosm of the class itself as shown by our idea for a bee house, normal everyday people can come up with ideas and projects that can help save the bees from their extinction. |