Ray-O-Vac Family of Flashlights

This project with Jake Tompkins, was a deconstruction of design intent resulting in new products. Layers were stripped away, in order to understand the original product in reverse from finsh to start: surface, detail, proportion, and concept. We started with the Ray-O-Vac industrial flashlight, with a rugged rubberized body, and an adjustable spot-to-flood beam.

Subtracting the first layer, surface, we see the finishing touches. The yellow color of the body, the black rubber for grip, the Ray-O-Vac logo, and the lightning bolt detail on the power button. Delving a layer deeper, detail, we have the numbers indicating the beam pattern, the molded spikes and ridges giving the sense of tough, and the functional carabiner loop. The third layer, proportion, reveals the contoured grip for use, the body length and diameter of appropriate dimensions, and the rotating head for focus. Finally we arrive at the beginning, concept, of a heavy-duty push button operated flashlight, with texture on the body and flared ends for easy grip, and an adjustable beam.

Keeping in line with the industrial tone of the original gives us the PryLight. Multifuntional, it houses impact-resistant LEDs on one end, and aprying claw on other, with machined serations usable as multiple wrenches.

Playing with proportion gives us a compact, double-lens PuckLight. One end is the spot, and the other flood. This light takes up a third of the volume of the original, and is very stable when placed on it's end.

Final models.

Sketches for PryLight.

PryLight in action, the business end.

PryLight in action, the party end.

Sketches for PuckLight.

PuckLight in use.

PuckLight storage.