Overview

Background

During my sophomore year of college, I was tasked with redesigning an existing service or tool that helps people and imagining how a major company or brand would approach its design. For this project, I chose to redesign a delivery robot through the lens of Disney's design language.

Throughout the process, I explored different sketching techniques learned in class to develop unique patterns, forms, and renderings. This project allowed me to strengthen my visualization skills and explore how a brand's identity can influence the design of an everyday product.

Objective

Redesign an existing service or tool by collaborating conceptually with a major company or brand. I chose to reimagine a delivery robot as if it were designed by Disney, exploring how its playful and imaginative design language could transform the robot's appearance. Through sketching, pattern exploration, and rendering techniques, the goal was to communicate a creative and visually engaging product concept.

Mood Board

My mood board was inspired by LED displays and their ability to create different images, patterns, and characters using small dots of light. I was especially inspired by an LED backpack that could display customizable visuals, which made me think about how this technology could be incorporated into a delivery robot.

To connect my concept to Disney, I explored their Tsum Tsum toys and Tsum Tsum-themed vehicles, which transform familiar characters into playful, rounded forms while maintaining their recognizable features. These references inspired me to combine customizable LED displays with Disney's character-driven design language to create a fun and expressive delivery robot.

Ideation

During the ideation phase, I explored different ways to incorporate LED displays into the delivery robot, experimenting with their placement and how they could bring the robot to life through expressive visuals. I also experimented with different tire designs and playful forms inspired by Disney's design language. Through sketching, I explored how these elements could come together to create a fun and imaginative delivery robot while maintaining its functionality.

Iteration

During the iteration phase, I focused on refining the robot's exterior design and exploring how the LED display could be incorporated into its overall appearance. I also wanted to address a practical challenge: delivery robots getting stuck in snow during the winter. To solve this, I explored adding a shovel-like attachment to the bottom front of the robot to help clear snow as it moves. This allowed me to combine Disney's playful design language with a functional feature that could improve the robot's performance in winter conditions.

Final Concept

My final concept features a delivery robot with a built-in LED display that wraps around its entire exterior. Through an app, customers can choose their favorite Disney character to customize the robot's appearance when ordering food. For example, if a customer selects WALL-E, the robot transforms into a playful, Tsum Tsum-inspired version of the character as it travels down the street to deliver their order. Once the delivery is complete, the robot returns to its original appearance, ready for the next customer to personalize.