LaCie

External hard-drive concept — prospective study (horizon 2018)

Octave is an extern­al hard drive concept we designed in 2008 to illus­trate the poten­tial evol­u­tion of the brand LaCie, for the 2018 hori­zon. This concept has been awar­ded with the pres­ti­gi­ous 2018 Design Intelligence Award (DIA web­site here), and is ranked in the Top 100 Best Design (check pro­ject link here). So, it has been awar­ded exactly 10 years after it was designed.

Link to DIA web­site here and here.

For that concept, we explored the pos­sib­il­it­ies of 3D met­al print­ing (for the lower part of the device). The cool­ing of the device is done pass­ively (without fans) by the 3D prin­ted alu­min­um plate and a thin black anod­ized alu­min­um grid, for best air cir­cu­la­tion and dust block­ing. The device has a lacquered white coat (top part), and slip res­ist­ant rub­ber pads (below the device). It also fea­tures a front on / off but­ton, with an integ­rated LED, which indic­ates read / write status.

Backstage of the project

Design Research

The first sketches of the concept, from the sketchbook.

CAD design

Screenshots from the 3D CAD mod­el, done in Rhinoceros 3D. The hole pat­tern of the 3D met­al part, and the details of the rub­ber feet are more vis­ible in this view.

3D Metal Printing

3D print­ing tests in alu­min­um, done at our pro­to­type maker. The part has just fin­ished to be prin­ted, after more than 3 hours. The part has still a mat fin­ish, before being polished.