Overall, the project was an immense learning experience. Growing across all expertise areas, I can confidently portray my understanding of the importance of their interconnectedness. Although my expertise lies in C&A and T&R, the simultaneous integration of all five led REform to become a complex, coherent, and grounded proposal. REform is also the project that most directly reflects my vision of the smart, circular home. 

Being critical of my weaknesses in the initial phases of a design process, I quickly moved to hands-on disassembly of the hair dryer, one of the most formative moments of the project, making my research tangible and useful for my process development. The hair dryer disassembly was inspiring, as it surfaced an opportunity for developing in T&R whilst implementing C&A. I approached the electronics development phase methodically: from theoretical understanding with guidance from D-search lab, to schematic drawings, to hands-on soldering components. This made my T&R learning develop exponentially as it made me understand the foundations behind a realized concept.  

Midterm Demo Day marked the first moment of solidified expertise integration. Ideating and prototyping within C&A, designing a scenario-of-use storyboard linking to U&S, and developing a SolidWorks CAD model connecting to T&R. However, this surfaced as the most pivotal moment of the project. Feedback revealed a lacking contextual clarity I had not considered, leading me to reframe, using reflection-on-action. This redirection made me realise how much the remaining expertise areas, B&E and U&S, were needed to reinforce the broader argument. Without commercial grounding and a clear understanding of who this was designed for, the technical and aesthetic work lacked foundation. From here, decisions began to flow naturally. 

The co-creation session that followed directly integrated U&S. Bringing together a mechanical and electrical engineer, and an industrial designer produced more clarity in one session than weeks of independent iteration. Seeing how this multidisciplinary approach unlocked what my project was missing reinforced how external perspectives are fundamental to good design, actively challenging my natural tendency to fixate on my own ideas. 

The final prototype and guide development became the most complex integration in the project, but also where my professional identity was most visible. MD&C dimensioning fed into T&R through SolidWorks realization; electronics were finalized by revisiting the hair dryer disassembly to salvage the mechanical toggle switch into the final circuit. Simultaneously, C&A shaped the minimalist, polished material choices, directly reflecting my aesthetic values. U&S and C&A converged in the guide creation, transforming co-creation insights into clear, visually coherent instructions, branding, typography, and color schemes. B&E pushed the project further, commercially framing the platform and incorporating a screening LCA, while U&S validated the system through an additional user study to gather insights for future considerations.  

Reflecting on this semester, I am very satisfied with my hard work and the result, one step closer to a sharpened vision and identity. In every moment of difficulty, I searched for guidance, coach feedback, expert input from D-Search, user studies, or literature, and adhered strongly to RTDP throughout, particularly in the earlier phases where I usually struggle most. A sketchbook and online weekly logger kept my process consistent and documented, obtaining an organised work ethic. Most of my initial goals were accomplished, with the project closely aligning with my vision. What remained underdeveloped were stakeholder engagement and deeper mechanical design exploration, goals I plan to prioritize going forward.