Top 5 Specifications and Top 5 Constraints: Apartment Bicycle Storage

For my final project, I am creating a method of bicycle storage for small apartment lining spaces that also function as furniture. The goal and purpose of this project have remained the same; however, there are some design changes that I have made in recent days.

The specifications for my project design are mostly centered around the functionality of the bike stand. First, the most fundamental specification for this project is that it must serve as a bike stand in my room and accommodate multiple bikes. I personally own a lot of bikes and I usually have at least two bikes in my apartment bedroom. Therefore, I have made it a goal for myself to make the rack suitable for two bikes. Second, this project will need to incorporate a dynamic element. Initially, I had planned to incorporate a foldable bicycle work stand but I have since moved away from that idea. I now plan to have two potential dynamic elements. I will incorporate drawers into the design of the lower base instead of having them as open shelves. Furthermore, I think there is potential to have an adjustable backing in the design to switch between single-bike and double-bike storage. My third specification is that I will be trying to adhere to a minimalist aesthetic. The design will be simple and functional and largely made out of wood. I think that it will be a challenge to maintain a smooth finish and seamless lines in the design with the large number of wood components that may be necessary. I think this will be somewhat dependent on using wood glue instead of traditional fasteners if I can. My fourth specification involves the size of the piece. Given that this will most likely be used for an apartment room, it will need to be shallow against the wall so that the bikes do not protrude too far away from the wall. Finally, this project should display the bikes as works of art. I want to have a better display of my bicycles in my room and I believe that they can be an excellent decoration and display on their own.

Improved Bike Rack Design

Of course, with these specifications come constraints. I think my greatest constraint is time. The end of the semester is coming fast and other project classes will be demanding alongside this project. I will be purchasing materials this week with the hope of beginning manufacturing at the end of the week. Second, I believe that the cost of this project will be a constraint. The cost of materials for this large project will most likely be significant. However, I plan to look into what materials are useable at the Idea Forge Makerspace to see if there are any options for cheaper materials. My third constraint is the manufacturability and appearance of the project afterward. I have no doubt that I will be able to manufacture the project; however, I think that there will be a challenge to effectively make the design sleek and simple to stick with the minimalist aesthetic. On that note I have simplified my design greatly to better fit the aesthetic. I am also concerned with the storage of materials during the manufacturing process. I will mostly need to use on-campus wood shops but since my project is fairly large I will also need to store the project in those spaces. I will check to see if it is possible to leave the parts in the Idea Forge during the assembly so I can complete the work over multiple days. Finally, I think that I may be constrained by the size of my project if I try to move it to a new location. I do not plan to live in my current apartment for much longer and it could be difficult moving the piece to a new living space if need be. I will consider moving forward how to disassemble the assembly for moving purposes in the future.

I hope that the Specifications and Constraints put in place will help to guide my design and decision-making during the next steps of the design and manufacturing process for this project.