Prototyping and More Prototyping

This originally started as an outline for a post last year that never materialized and now is very relevant again this semester in my multimedia class.

Students in multimedia this semester will have more choice than ever before. After completing two compulsory modules (one to learn about Photoshop and the other the basics about Illustrator), students will then get to pick from 6 modules depending on their interest, and complete 4 of them.

The Idea

One project that I'm really excited about right now is a design project where students will design their own speaker enclosure for an mp3 device. I'm ordering mono speaker kits from a supplier which will allow students to solder together all of the electronics and then design the enclosure.

Students will sketch, prototype from cardboard, make mistakes, and do it all over and over again until they create a speaker enclosure that is uniquely theirs, all the while blogging about their work. In the ned they can make it out of wood, cardboard, acyclic sheets, or even recycled materials they've found around the house.

The kits have been ordered from a supplier in the UK call Kitronik. If anyone knows where I can get these kits in North America PLEASE let me know!