This is the tripod fresh out of the box. In order to improve this design, we disassembled the tripod so we could reverse engineer it to better understand how it works. Based on our findings, we drafted 12 sketches that could improve quality and function, or reduce cost.

To start off our design process, we decided to investigate customer reviews of the existing product online in order to gain insight from actual consumers. Based on the reviews, each team member came up with 3 design changes to satisfy various issues  customers faced. A common complaint was the excess amount of fasteners and parts encountered when attaching/detaching different cameras. So, we looked into ways that we could reduce the total amount of parts in order to appease the customers’ wishes. In each of the sketches above, the illustrator's name is written at the bottom of the each sketch.

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In addition, we considered increasing functionality by creating various attachments that support different pieces of equipment. Some of our team members devised mounts that could support a flashlight, a telescope and even a cup holder. Once we shared our ideas with each other, we narrowed the field down to 4 choices -- reducing the parts of the mount, a flashlight holder, redesigning the legs, and increasing camera compatibility. Upon revising our designs, it seemed as if reducing the parts in the existing mount provided a high degree of functionality while minimizing the total input costs.

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Our final selection was influenced by the following DFMA table. This helped us decide which parts could be eliminated or combined to reduce cost. A sketch of our final selection can be found below the table.