Design Case Studies

Chris Labriola - The Meeting of Music and Design

Chris Labriola, a graphic artist and web site designer employed by Peterson Strobe Tuners, the world’s oldest manufacturer of electronic tuners, uses 3D imagery in virtually all of their product design, brochures, websites and TV commercials, including in his work on their most recent product, the Strobostomp guitar tuner.

A drummer with a degree in commercial music, Chris merged an interest in music, an artistic flair, and computer prowess to land a job designing collateral and products for Peterson shortly after he graduated from college. He had been using trueSpace since high school, and his artwork so impressed Peterson that he quickly moved from project work to a full-time position with the company.

“Right from the start I was able to help designers visualize a product that had been conceived but not yet created. This worked so well that we used trueSpace to design our latest product the Strobostomp, ( www.strobostomp.com) from start to finish.

Previously, we had some idea of where to start based on existing parts and products. With Strobostomp however, we modeled each component in real-time as we designed the product, visualizing and testing the functional design of the product onscreen long before we ever produced a part."

Labriola began the process by modeling standard components, such as jacks, switches and batteries from spec sheets to an accuracy of .001 inches. He would then assemble the objects from an array and model around them. The design team would experiment with the functional design, moving the battery pack from the front to the side for example, shifting or shortening a panel or making other adjustments and then viewing it from all angles.

The evolution of the Strobostomp - click for larger image!

Because each component was a perfectly scaled and three-dimensional, Labriola and the design team could see exactly what the product would look like and how the parts worked best together. As the project progressed, Labriola also modeled the inner workings of the product, exporting the “open” view of the Strobostomp in a Viewpoint HTML file to the design team so they could each turn it, view it from different angles, and make real-time design suggestions.

”The object files were then sent to a rapid prototyping machine and the plastic 3d parts were assembled. Development was extremely fast and adjustments could be made on the fly. It was a “no regrets, no surprises design,” said Chris.

Besides product design, Chris also uses trueSpace to create 3D imagery for the company’s website and brochures. “You could take 100 photographs of a product and still not get the angle or lighting you want,” said Chris. “With trueSpace I can create one model one time and then reuse it adjusting for a variety of purposes. I can also re-light and turn it to get the exact image I’m looking for.”

He used trueSpace to create a 30 second video spot that Peterson used to promote the Strobostomp at a recent trade show. “I created the whole spot from modeling, through video mixing and audio in less than two weeks.”

While Chris has experimented with other 3D software packages, he keeps returning to trueSpace and its extremely intuitive, easy to use interface.

“The icons are visually descriptive and arranged in a way that tells the story. It was very easy to learn initially and I’m still finding new ways to use the product.”

Contact Chris Labriola at clabriola@petersonemp.com