Role: Industrial Designer (Enclosure)

Phase: 2 — Hardware Prototype (optional) Engagement type: Contract Budget: $1,000–$3,000 When to engage: Month 3–5, after core firmware is working Status: Not yet engaged Priority: Optional — do not engage until firmware is validated

Why This Role May (or May Not) Matter

The firmware engineer produces a working badge on a dev board. That is adequate for Phase 2 testing and the Phase 4 charter partner pilot.

An industrial designer becomes necessary when:

  • The charter partner requires hardware that workers will actually wear without complaint (ergonomics, clip mounting, weatherproofing)
  • The prototype is being demonstrated to potential partners or investors who need to see a product, not a dev board with wires

An industrial designer is NOT necessary when:

  • The firmware is still being debugged
  • The charter partner has not yet been identified
  • The budget is constrained and firmware and cloud are not yet complete

Default position: skip this role until the Phase 2 firmware exit gate is met and a charter partner candidate is confirmed. A 3D-printed enclosure built from existing parametric badge designs is adequate for proof-of-concept.

Scope (If Engaged)

Deliverables

  • 3D-printable enclosure design (STL files) for badge hardware
    • Houses the Blues Notecard, MCU, battery, e-ink display
    • Clip or belt/pocket mount for field wear
    • Weatherproof (IP54 minimum — splash resistant, not submersible)
    • Tool-free battery access
    • No exposed connectors in wear position
  • 3D-printable enclosure for BLE site tag
    • Magnetic mount or adhesive mount variant
    • Weatherproof
    • Indicator LED or visual identifier accessible without disassembly
  • Print-ready files tested on a consumer FDM printer (PLA or PETG)
  • Bill of materials for enclosure components (screws, gaskets, clips)

What Is NOT in Scope

  • Injection mold-ready designs (that is a Phase 3 / manufacturing scale decision)
  • UX/UI design (the e-ink display interface is firmware-controlled)
  • Branding or aesthetic treatment (functional prototype only)
  • PCB design

Where to Find

Priority 1 — Freelance industrial designers on Upwork or Contra Search: “wearable enclosure design”, “3D printed IoT enclosure”, “product design freelance CAD”. Filter: Portfolio showing enclosures for wearables or electronic devices. FDM print experience required. Onshape, Fusion 360, or SolidWorks proficiency.

Priority 2 — Makerspace community (Atlanta) Atlanta Makers, Decatur Makers, or similar. Look for members with product design or engineering backgrounds who do contract CAD work.

Priority 3 — Thingiverse / Printables precedent search Before engaging a designer, search for existing parametric badge or IoT device enclosure designs that could be adapted. If an adequate open-source enclosure already exists, this role may not be needed at all.

Budget Breakdown

Deliverable Low High
Badge enclosure design and print-ready files $700 $1,500
Tag enclosure design and print-ready files $300 $800
Iteration and refinement (1–2 rounds) included $700
Total $1,000 $3,000

Exit Gate

This role is complete when:

  • 3D-printed badge enclosure fits the actual hardware (test-fit confirmed)
  • Badge can be worn on a belt or clipped to a pocket without interference with GPS antenna or BLE radio
  • Enclosure withstands a 5-second water spray test (hose or faucet, not submersion)
  • Tag enclosure mounts securely to a metal surface with the specified mount system
  • All files are delivered as STL and source CAD format

Known Risks

Risk: Enclosure design is aesthetically polished but not field-practical. Mitigation: The designer must understand that this device will be worn by landscaping crews in outdoor conditions: heat, sweat, rain, rough handling. Show the designer photos of field crews at work before the brief. The brief should state explicitly: function over form.

Risk: The firmware engineer’s hardware layout changes after the enclosure is designed. Mitigation: Do not engage the industrial designer until the PCB layout (or dev board layout) is finalized. Designing an enclosure around a moving hardware target wastes the budget.