3DD- Project Five

For this project, every student was given a different thing to design. I got given a cruet set, which basically consists of salt and pepper shakers and sometimes vinegar and olive oil bottles. The way I approached this was by first thinking of the problems I have with the existing ones and what can I do to solve them. For instance, I always get confused with which is salt and which is pepper and also, I can never control the amount of olive oil I want to put in my food. After that,I decided to aim my product towards young adults who go camping or for picnics. Since it would be for an outdoor context, I had to chose a material which would be appropriate. I started researching materials and came across moulded PVC and I though it would be the most suitable thing to use. It is flexible and durable, therefore people could just throw the products in their backpack and they wouldn't break. In addition, its is inexpensive to produce, therefore young adults, who don't want to spend that much money, could afford it. Since I usually can't which is salt and which pepper, I thought I could make each container completely different from the other so people won't get confused with which is which. My idea, was for the containers to be the shape of the thing they contain. For example, the bottle for the olive oil will be in the shape of an olive, the pepper shaker will be in the shape of a peppercorn etc. Therefore, I took the organic forms of olives, grapes, peppercorns and salt flakes and simplified them. 

In order to save the problem of not being able to control how much olive oil you put in your food, I through it would be a good idea to have spay bottle containers for both olive oil and vinegar. I was intending to do prototypes of my products using the vacuum molding machine however, since I did not manage my time wisely, I did not have enough time to do that. Therefore, I decided to create my prototypes using a different color of play-dough for each one. I think that the thought of process I used, helped me to solve some of the problems with existing cruet sets, as well as to create something suitable for type of people it was aimed for.  Even though at first I found it challenging to start and find an idea, by the end I was very happy with the outcome of this project.

3DD- Project Four

For this project, each student was given a "client", which was one of our classmates, and we had to design something for them. Each client completed a questionnaire, where they had to choose what they prefer for instance, autumn/summer/winter/spring. After that, we had to chose some of the words and research pictures that remind us of it. The words I picked were summer, wood and abstract. For my final product, which would be a double-seat deck chair, I decided that I wanted to incorporate an element from each one of the words. Firstly, it would be made out of wood, therefore I researched into suitable woods for outdoors and I decided that it would be made out of monkey pod wood. The reason I chose this specific one is for its light color and the interesting 'water' patterns it has. I chose to reflect the word summer through the net which would be placed where the people can sit. The reason behind this is because nets remind me of sail boats, the sea,fishing and are also comfortable to sit on. Finally, I thought I could reflect abstract by having a colored net, instead of a basic white one, which would be inspired by the colors of sea corals and blue for the sea. Even though I like my idea of a double seated deck chair, if I were to do this project again I would have done some things differently. For instance, I would have researched a bit more into the words my client chose so that I could have had more material to work and experiment with. In addition, I think my design is quite simple and not abstract. Instead of just having a colored net, I could have also experimented with the shape of the structure, in order to create something more unique. I did not really enjoy this project however, it has made me realize that when you work with a client, you have to take their likes into consideration first, so that you can present to them a product that they will want to buy. 

3DD- Project Three

Over the Christmas holidays, we got given five different categories: minimalism, conceptual, modernism, abstract and digital, to research into. After that, we had to choose one of them and design a product based on the disciplines of the category. Abstract was the one which caught my interest the most and this because I like the idea of seeking to create something that achieves its effect through shapes, colors and textures. On the first day of the project, we had to visit the V&A and take photographs of things that we thought would fit in our chosen category. Later on, I researched into different designers who have an abstract style for instance, Shiro Kuramata, Thomas Heatherwick and Ron Arad. By researching, I was able to find out about materials that designers manipulate, in order to create an abstract final product, which still serves its purpose. For my final product, I chose to design a shelving unit. I noticed that loads of designers, such as Peter Marigold,use shapes and combine them to design an abstract design. Therefore, I thought I could design a shelving unit, made out of geometric shapes. The shape I chose was inspired books and the way you can open them. 

Later on, I took some books and opened them in the shape I wanted them to have, and tried out different compositions by rotating them and arranging their positions. The only way I could place them was in an 'L' and a 'V' shape. After seeing which composition worked the best, I made a prototype using foam board.  At first, I thought that if this shelving unit were to be produced in real life, it would have been made out of high gloss colored wood and  people could buy it in various bright colors. However, after presenting my idea in class, some people gave suggested that it would have made it more unique if the bookshelf was actually made out of books. I thought this was great feedback since it helped me find a way in which I can improve my design. 

Even though I like my idea, I am not very pleased with my final design since I think I could have experimented more with shape, as well as material.However,

through this two week project, I managed to expand my knowledge of both artists and materials that are out there and this has helped me gain more knowledge about the product design industry.

Fashion Meets Product Design- Week Two

During the second week, my aims were to complete my final design which would then be laser cut. By doing collages using magazine cutouts, I was able to figure out the basic structure of my neck piece and how it would look on the human body. After I had designed my final product, I had to re-create the shapes I wanted to be laser-cut, on Illustrator. It was the first time I was using this program therefore, it was challenging for me. However, after asking my tutor for help and by practicing, I was able to create an illustrator document which was then put in the laser-cutting machine to cut. Since the shape of the neck piece is more reminiscent of Zaha Hadid's style, I chose to make it using gold, mirrored perspex, because it reminds me of a material that Iris Van Herpen would use. Using the laser-cutter was much easier than I expected it to be however, I had to go over my design twice because it was not properly cut. This project got me out of my comfort zone by having to use software I had never used before, experimenting with new materials and using the laser-cutting machine for the first time. I think that the outcome of my final product was successful since it combined both Zaha Hadid and Iris Van Herpen's styles. The only thing that I would do differently if I were to do this project again, would be to manage my time better. Since I used the laser-cutter on the final day of the project, I did not have enough time to put everything together in the way that I wanted to. I had to connect all the shapes using wire since I did not have time to go and buy a gold chain and rings to connect everything. Overall, this was one of the most interesting projects I have done.  

Fashion Meets Product Design Project- Week One

For this project, the aim to produce a final product, using the laser-cutting machine, which would be a collaboration between two existing designers. On the first day, we visited the Design Museum where we got the opportunity to see Paul Smith's exhibition. We got an inside on how he started out, his inspirations and his work in general. Something that really caught my interest was one of his quotes saying "Ideas can come from anywhere- you can take inspiration from anything". Even though Paul Smith started off as a fashion designer, throughout his career he collaborated with loads of other designers and companies, such as The Rug Company, Triumph Motorbikes, Evian and many more. This made me realize that designers can collaborate to create a final product, while still keeping both their styles. 
Later on that day, we had to go around shops like Selfridges and Liberty, to look out for products that have been made using laser-cut techniques. By doing this, I was able to see a range of materials that other people laser cut for instance, paper, plastic, wood and plexiglass. It also gave me ideas on how to design my final product. 

For my final product, I decided to design a neck piece, which would be a collaboration between Zaha Hadid and Iris Van Herpen. I found it challenging at first since the styles these two designers are completely different. However, after researching their works, I noticed that both designers use abstract shapes that do not follow a certain pattern. Therefore, for the rest of the week, I was trying to extract shapes from both their designs. By experimenting with collages and sketching, I was able to come come up with various shapes that I could later on use in my design.