KUPU
A unique game controller designed to balance ergonomics and aesthetics
DISCIPLINE
Industrial Design
DURATION
Fall 2019 | 3 Weeks
TEAM
Bryan Lee Budiman (client)
HOW MIGHT WE...
design a unique game controller that meets both the ergonomic and aesthetic specifications of our client?
THE PROCESS
WHO IS BRYAN?
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Bryan is a 22 year old student at the University of Washington. His hometown is in Indonesia and his favorite hobbies include sports and drawing.
He doesn't game that often, but he'd like to play more. When he does play, he usually plays racing games.
WHAT IS HIS AESTHETIC?
Bryan's aesthetic is self-described as "sporty chic", consisting of sleek, elegant, and organic forms that convey a sense of speed or motion.
Additionally, he expressed that he prefers flashier designs — if this game controller was to actually live in his home, he would like it to look "so cool that my guests are like, "whoa, what is that?"
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Prototypes' dimensions were made to fit Bryan's hands.
ERGONOMICS
MARKET RESEARCH
Many existing game controllers for racing have a traditional wheel component; however, Bryan very clearly expressed that he wanted to stray from the norm.
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stationary
portable
intuitive
unique
traditional wheel component is intuitive but boring
more engaging interactions than just pressing buttons
set-ups felt clunky, inelegant
interesting smaller scale interactions
prefers the lighter, sleeker aesthetic
THE PRINCIPLES
UNIQUE
eye-catching to draw the attention and interest of Bryan's guests
ACTIVE
mentally and physically engaging, gets Bryan immersed in the game
ERGONOMIC
a given, must be fit to Bryan's hands
IDEATION
01
accordion / flexible joints for adjusting hand positions comfortably
02
twistable / motion simulates revving of an engine for racing games
03
grooves / can be used separately or joined into one controller with finger grooves for comfort
04
origami / can be folded and unfolded for easier storage + eye-catching form
05
twistable / motion simulates revving of an engine for racing games
06
traditional wheel / wheel attachment which can be expanded and contracted
PROTOTYPING
ROUND ONE
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The prototypes looked flat and two-dimensional and did not really meet Bryan's personal aesthetic — I was focused too much on having organic forms and unique concepts rather than maintaining a "sporty chic" feel.
However, they were very useful to figuring out which forms fit his hands the best.
From there, we decided to further explore three of the seven concepts, as we felt that they had the most potential for refinement to fit Bryan's aesthetic and interactive needs.
ROUND TWO
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01
02
03
origami / interesting but clunky and hard to build
detachable / most ergonomic but unattractive form, looks two dimensional
twistable / most room for further development, unique twisting motion
Concept 03 had the most room for further form development, and so I proceeded to refine its profile to better fit Bryan's "sporty chic" aesthetic as well as ergonomics.
ROUND THREE
In my third round of prototyping, I solidified the controller's form language and features.
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light + speedy form reminiscent of a butterfly
finger grooves for comfort
detachable parts for various methods of usage
sheath to indicate hand placement + secure grip
ball joint for full rotation
buttons located on thumb panel
natural curve for thumb placement
THE SOLUTION
"Kupu kupu" means "butterfly" in Indonesian, Bryan's mother tongue.
ACTIVE
With its detachable and rotating parts, KUPU is versatile and engaging in its user interactions.
ERGONOMIC
With its natural curves and grooves, KUPU is designed to maximize user comfort.
UNIQUE
With its eye-catching form reminiscent of a butterfly, KUPU is one-of-a-kind.