Bloc is a portable speaker concept I developed using AI assisted tools. The intention behind this project was to explore AI assisted workflows for product development and visualization, from initial ideation through 3D modeling using image to 3D generation. By streamlining these early stages of the design process, I was able to focus more of my efforts on the motion graphics and overall presentation of the project.
For concept development and image generation, I utilized Midjourney and Kling, while ChatGPT was used to refine written prompts to cater towards each model. Tripo AI was used to generate initial 3D models from generated concept images, creating a workflow that bridged concept visualization and 3D development.
I started this project by exploring references for a variety of products before ultimately landing on the portable speaker. I've always liked the idea of taking an everyday carry item and creating a compact version of it, almost like a "little brother" version. Throughout the concept development phase, I bounced back and forth between Kling and Midjourney, getting a feel for how each model responded to different prompts. I refined and reworked written prompts in ChatGPT, tailoring the language and writing style to better suit the strengths of each model and achieve more consistent results.
I eventually landed on this image gen
I then fed this image into Tripo AI for model generation, giving me a triangulated mesh to export into Maya. I had to do some light retopology and had to remodel the speaker body to achieve cleaner topology and a better result.
With the modeling stage done, I moved onto the motion graphic portion of the project, creating the materials for each component and having the fun of making things move, refining until the finished product. Overall, the project was a good experience to better understand the strengths and limitations of each AI model and how they fit into my design workflow. I gave myself three days to complete the project, with the goal of seeing how quickly I could explore a variety of concepts, settle on a direction and execute it from ideation through to the final motion piece.
Development