Power Tool - Battery Powered Domino Joiner

Goals : The power tool project was created to push students CAD and rendering skills past their limits. It focuses on redesigning an existing tool, keeping the functional components in mind. It pushed students to design around a brand, rather than for their own image.

User Concerns

Safety

Workplace safety is always a number one concern. The tool should keep hands away from moving or potentially hot parts.

Pain Points

Ergonomics

The tool should be comfortable, highlighting comfortable touch points with buttons or selectors in convenient spots.

15 Week Project - Summer 2026

Workplace Maneuverability

Enable the user to move around the workplace freely, Whether this is weight reduction, handles, or other methods.

Reference

Align piece with wood and reference lines. Not easily repeatable and time consuming.

Set up

Adjust height, depth, and mortise size with various adjustments

Plunge

Power on and slowly make cut. can be shaky, especially when on a thin or uneven surface.

This sketch phase explores a variety of directions, narrowing in on specific problem areas I found through research.

Design Direction : Adding a battery to the Festool Domino Joiner keeping true to the brand language and incorporating stock parts in the new design.

DISCLAIMER : during this project, Festool’s DFC500 Cordless Domino Joiner did not exist. The design for this was inspired by my own market and consumer research.

incorporate these words into a blurred out render of the final product

Plug In

Insert power cable and vacuum line. requiring a power cable tethers the user to a specific range

Festool Brand Analysis

Sketch Ideation