Monday, October 25, 2010

Project Two: Upcycling - Hero Shot

This project I had to be creative and innovative in reusing and transforming trash into objects of practicality with a hint of elegance. This upcycled object should be positioned for sale in upmarket boutiques and museum gift shops.

I created a Set of Candy Bowls

Project Two: Upcycling - Transformation Poster

Project Two: Upcycling - Context Of Use

Project Two: Upcycling - Rationale

I was really interested in the idea of sustainability, with one understanding the interaction between humans and the environment and how it impacts. Through taking back what we use and use the materials at their end of life for our benefit now. By closely looking at ways of reusing, recycling or declining the use of resources and processes to enable a sustainable society.


Through this project I have chosen to concentrated on a material of scrapped steel, as this material at the end of its life, still has its strong properties but due to the large amount of waste that comes from construction sites, appliances, equipment, fasteners etc, re using scrap metal has its potential, but will be difficult in the sense that it can’t be manipulates with heat in this project being hard to bend and reform. It is said in 2002/3 that the recycling of steels was meant to be up to 60% - 65%, but currently 44% of steel is being recycled.

I have chosen to focus especially on metal fasteners as the shape they came in was very interesting for me to connect and experiment with the form in different ways to create a product. These metal fasteners are used in industries for assisting in shipping and transporting goods on crates. Millions of these metal fasteners are used every day, which multiple to large amounts being wasted as these metal fasteners are made to be used only once and then disposed of. The reason for this one time use is because when the strapping is wrapped around the goods the metal fasteners are used to tighten and secure the strapping around the goods. When force is applied in opposite directions to the fastener it causes the metal to be stretched out of form making the fasteners not effective in using a second time. There is no maximizing its securing ability, therefore no maximum retraction force. So due to their inability to be recycled they are at the end of their use, meaning we aren’t sustaining this good steel product, with great properties, but they are just adding to land fill.

These steel fasteners have strong, durable, weather resistant and high hardness properties, but due to the minimum size of the fasteners I am not able to use the metals properties to their advantage. Even if I decided to solder them together as a way to link them, they aren’t able to sustain the high impact that steel is able to withstand, so my choice of products to do in this project were with limitation/restriction.

However I came up with creating Candy Bowls by up cycling these steel fasteners. I was experimenting with different ways of forms and linking the steel fasteners and came up with a way for them to be linked in a swirling, circulars formation, instead of them just being joined at the sides. Having this circular formation, I created them into a bowl like shape, but I wasn’t restricting myself to an original bowl form. The shape of the bowl depended on the way I linked in the fasteners to each other, in other words the way each angle, direction and length I placed them into each other determined the shape of the bowl. Having this shape as the base for the bowl made it ergonomically suitable to be held in the palm of one’s hand, making them comfortable. Also the way the edge of the bowls, gradually form a nearly flat edge, helps the users to grip and handle the bowl when placing or passing around.

Having this circular form I had the repetition of the recycled metal fasteners which created an illusion but an effective result in appeal to the users. Through the use of repetition I was trying to manipulate the form of the steel fasteners in a weaving, intertwining way so at first glance there wasn’t recognition of the recycled steel fasteners. The only way I could link them, in order to keep them at a temporary formation was to use minimum amounts of super glue as it wasn’t possible otherwise to try to link the fasteners with string/wire, while trying to keep the fasteners in place at the sometime. However the use of super glue has an effect on the environment, due to its toxic fumes and degradable process, but it is minimal compared to using a toxic resin or heating device to link and harden them together. The option of super glue had a less drastic effect on the environment compared to the other more dangerous options available to me.

So a way to link my steel fasteners together after the super glue wear away, I introduced another recycling material, known as E – WASTE. E – Waste is found in all electrical appliances and materials, such as cords, wires, computers, etc, that are disrepair or are at the end of their capability of life.

Using E – waste as another material was a way for my product to grasp the issue of sustainability. I have read that e – waste is a big problem in the area of business as there is a constant change and development of new software’s causing these materials to go to land fill, making the heavy metals in the material leak into the environment, effecting the land. It is said that Australia has “estimated that in 2006 there will be around 1.6 million computers disposed of in landfill, 1.8 million put in storage (in addition to the 5.3 million already gathering dust in garages and other storage areas) and 0.5 million recycled in Australia alone.”

So I decided to use the electrical wires of internet cabling, phone cords, electrical cords, as a part of e – waste to addresses the above stated statistics. E – waste is a big problem in our society so using these wires as an additional piece to my bowls was a way to fasten the metals. Also I will be using its properties are well as its appearance.

In terms of my bowl I stripped the wires down from their polymer coatings to use the thin coloured wires. From the choice of colours available to me I chose to use black, yellow, red and blue. I weaved the wires over and under with two loops in between the metal fasteners. This weaving technique enabled the wire to secure the metal fasteners in both directions allowing the usage of wire to be minimal but effective. Having this pattern added appeal and quirkiness to the design, but at the same time I wanted to try and manipulate the materials by weaving so the users wouldn’t recognize the recycled material at first glance, but at first impression think that they are unique bowls. I chose the colours and weaving technique through various testing and experiments. Through using the coloured wiring, creating a spiral effect, captures the essence of beauty and elegances in the design of the bowls, making reused and recycling materials into an up cycle boutique product.

The bowls sit on their side, making the effect of the wires and the colours vibrant and interesting to the viewer’s. Having the bowls sitting this way gives the impression of the bowl to be wanted to be investigated / looked at and the first reaction would be to pick it up and readjust it. It will allow them to experience a bowl in a new way and with a closer look observe it is made out of materials that are unexpected.


Overall the size and shape of the bowls displayed a practical factor to the design and adds an element of comfort when hands and palms are used as well as addressing the aspects of design keeping in mind the idea of sustainability. By using something that is so small and unnoticed and largely put to waste can be used in a creative and innovating way in order to reuse and up cycle the fasteners and e – waste wire into something bigger and still useful for today’s society with minimal effect to the environment.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Design for Life - Episode 6

Through the process of identifying and prototyping, the two students left in the competition have to look further into production techniques and marketing. The more complex an idea the more difficult it will be to manufacture due to the limit of technology as well as the cost involved in the object. This will impact on the usability and function of the product to the user in terms of cost.


Although from what Dick Powell says “If you get to the point of manufacturing and then find out what you have done is unworkable. You have failed.....That’s not what design is about making things that can be done. Not just developing dreams.” This confronting statement got me thinking that most of the time we are focusing on the concept and idea of the design, not knowing the cost or impacts/implications that will come through to the manufacturing stage.

We as designers should be aware of what can and can’t be made, but also designers should push the limits and see if something that is designed could be made without really knowing the outcome. However designers will still have to go through the process of designing and developing in order to find out if a design is possible or not.

A big factor in success in the market place is if the designed product is competing with existing designs as well as the amount of investment that will be put into the product. These things are important to think about when deciding to manufacture a product. Something that is innovating and useful to the humanity of the world will influence success in product and willingness to manufacture.

Great marketing is the key to success. If people don’t know about your design then no one is going to buy it. If your product pin points on all the aspects of need, want, function, appearance, ecology, etc, it doesn’t influence the success of the product if your targeted market doesn’t knows about it. So marketing is a way to get your target market to remember the advertisement and then influence them to want and buy the product. The marketing will highlight the key features and values that a designer has and wants to share with the world.

In the end of the process of designing, these two last students put all their learning and efforts into their designs through Philippe Starcks approach in design and developed in one to look at design in another way due to their experiences. There was only one winner, who was Ilsa. She won on the basis of ambition.

Design For Life - Episode 5

In this episode we are shown that the students have to pick up their game as their ideas and designs are becoming real, into prototypes. They will experience the industrial design corporate world with demanding and harsh criticism. Prototyping is a huge investment for designers in which there has to be a real want and ambition in the designer’s idea to enable them to trust and invest a lot of money to see their ideas development and abilities.

It is seen that having technical and more in-depth information into your idea will help you and the prototype fully understand the designs, function, appearance and safety as well as the end result. From this insight being a designer, you have to think in terms of the creator, inventor and technician (to an extent). It is important for designers to believe in their ideas, but to not over complicate the idea itself due to the target markets use and their capability to use it. Having something that is simple in its form and function will increase the usefulness of the design to the targeted user.

Through the process of initial thinking, to development of ideas, to harsh criticism, then to working with a prototype, we as designers cannot forget the real reason in designing products. It is in reason of the user and their experiences and thoughts in the designs use, function etc. Clever branding will influence this attraction and want of the intended target market. There are three things in branding, a promise, an experience and memory. It is meant for the target market to feel these three key things through branding. The branding has to represent these beneficial aspects of the product for the target market.

Know there are two students left in the competition.

Design Fro Life - Episode 4

Through this episode the students have experienced hard criticism which has influenced them to have low self esteem. One student has a different point of view to the situation, she states that they have to rise to the challenges, even if they were harshly criticised. In fact hard criticism is addressed all the time by others and we have to think of it as a sign of development which we use to improve or do different. This is similar in when learning about design in university the teachers and tutorials always critic our work that the design is bad but not to take it on at a personal level. It is hard not to include that criticism from Philippe Starck in relation to their abilities and themselves.

Philippe Starck has based his designs of sustainability around his student’s projects. They have to re do the project seen in episode 3 so they can get to the next stage which is prototyping. Design at the stage of prototype making, is an opportunity for your ideas to be explored in a real and physical way. But before this stage innovation is the large step. Jeremy Myserson says that “Your internal source is your own personality, memories, recollections, creative influences that you have soaked up over time. The second internal source comes from observations. What’s happening around us.” From this insight I understand that everything we do and see, and experience in life is a idea, a problem that can be seen and addressed, such as when you are sitting at a dining table and you see the difficulties people have in passing bowls to tipping a water glass, that is a firsthand experience and starting point in an innovation as well as something bigger.

However at the sometime when designing these products the complex and technical knowledge of the product has to be thought of and included within the design as technical design, such as how and with what will it work, comes in the definition of design. But overall the presentation and communication of a product has to be seen with the conviction and passion a designer has felt through the process of designing the product. It is a key to a good and selling idea to the market.

Inspiration is hard to come by, but simple things like looking around you at the forms, experiences, colours and nature will influence, ignite that spark that can be used as an addition in your design. However at the end of the day Philippe Starck had to pick 4 students to enable them to produce their ideas into prototypes. This video episode was very intriguing as it showed the tough world of design and the hard path through to designing from the initial concept and what it evolves. It showed me that having the entire package of ideas and being technical with ambition will influence one in selling and creating something more innovating.

Design For Life - Episode 3

Philippe Starck believes the drive of laziness doesn’t result in good design. They have to change their attitude in order to succeed. I believe this as hard working in research, and communication will drive us as designers to develop something worthwhile and sustainable, without the potential threats of failures or faults in designs.

So with this statement the students have to put it to the test in their final project in which they have to create a product that is ethical, ecological, democratic and for daily use (non electrical), adding their creative, honest and moral insight in their design. As Philippe Starck states “INVENTION is the goal” as it something that will be useful, compared to if it is a redesign. From this proposal it can be seen that the most successful designs in the market is something that is invented differently which will intrigue the user to want and buy, such as that of the Apple company.

The key to the project is sustainability as in designing a product there needs to be the reasons of use and solving problems, and most importantly the idea of necessity. Philippe Starck repeats to his students as designers to think in terms of creativeness in which products and ideas will emerge. He doesn’t want them to pick a product and redesign as he believes that isn’t the communication of design and creativeness.

However most importantly encouragement, confidence and self believe is another aspect of good designs. Having these characteristics will influence as designers to believe in themselves and their creative minds, as Nick Powell quotes by Tom Edison “Invention is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration”. Being convinced you possess these qualities as a designer will strive you to create good designs for people with enthusiasm and effort.

This is what he wants his students to be and taking risks with certainty and encouragements will influence them to have a wow factor and intrigue their audience in their designs. So we as designers have to embrace ourselves in the people we are designing for and understand what their life involves by putting ourselves in their shoes as a way to experience firsthand their needs, and wants in order to capture what the design needs to have and understand what the target market doesn’t know what they want yet.

Nevertheless Philippe Starck briefs the students by saying that when designing a product, it isn’t just the appearance and it works like this , but the designer has to design the entire product from how and what technology will be needed to design the product. From this insight, I recognize that being a designer one needs more than the background of design, but elements of engineering, knowledge and such to help in advancing a design and see if it is possible.

Design for Life - Episode 2

Philippe Starck is known as a designer to mould his creativeness to the time. He tries to adapt the idea of demographic designs to suit the economic situation of our time, as he wants not an object of fashion and trend, but an affordable, sustainable and functional product to benefit all consumers. If an object is expensive the consumer isn’t going to buy it, and therefore the design will not be successful. However this is impacted by the economic down fall and inflation, which in turn will affects sales.

The students involved in this design experience are getting to know the city of Paris and with its art and their experiences from this one place can influence their views and creativeness in design. Also reflecting good and bad design in a subjective view, which is highly critical to designers. It is a way for them to look at their designs to see why some people like it and others think otherwise. Philippe Starck says “Designers need to embraces the future, by putting sustainability at the heart of their work.” The idea of design is based around the way you communicate an object to suit the need of a wide range of people. This insight is understandable as having objects that are designed truly for sustainability is relevant in our era, due to issues of less space, use of large amounts of materials and the environmental impact.

Through the diminishing resources in the world Starck is teaching the students about the potential of the world and therefore they have to look at design in terms of it being beneficial to humanity. From this I understand the idea of beneficial design with the use of creativity will assist in new and innovative design, which will be required in the world without the repetitive process that is happening of redesigning more of the same object with the same use.

Looking at real life problems of hunger, poverty, disabilities, ethics, in underdeveloped countries come to mind when Starck placed the brief onto the students of designing for the benefit of humans. By researching and understanding in-depth the target people, such as their lifestyles, likes, dislikes etc, and from this looking at a smaller target market in-depth, and looking at their problems, will be less challenging in the sense that you will not be approaching the brief as if you are trying to cure cancer. Having a specific target market will help in reason and creating a product. However in the end of the project two contestants left in reasons of lack of effort and innovation.

Design for Life - Episode 1

Philippe Starck addresses in this video that skilful design speaks about life and its effect on one’s life. He believes that as a product designer can change the world with creativity. He has taken on twelve design students to teach them to criticize and challenge design decisions. These students will face projects each week which will result in one student left in the end to be offered to work six months in Paris with him. They all have to inspire Philippe Starck with their creative and visionary approach.

He believes that design should be something beautiful, usable and sustainable, which can be enjoyed by everyone. Design has to be something that is functional and beautiful at the same time, there has to be a reason behind the creation of a new and improved idea for it to be a good and useful design.

Through the competition being set in Paris, the environment and atmosphere of Paris culture will test their ability to cope with criticism. Through hard judgments it will encourage them to achieve high quality designs with good and positive results. This strategy will influence different designs that haven’t been explored before in oneself. It is a way to improve and reach into ones creative nature that hasn’t yet been grasped. It allows designers to question the need of design.

Philippe Starck believes that it is a school of creativity not a school of design. It is meant to be spoken in terms of everything around us, not about design. It is about improving the life of people/society. It is not art in terms of sculptures. Philippe Starck explains that design is more than that, there is more conceptually. Designing anything is very well thought out with strong reasoning’s in functionality and why something is the way it is.
To observe their understanding of design Philippe Starck has sent the group of students to buy two items that reflects gender, functionality and ecology. He believes that something that is simple and only reflects either functionality not marketing is good design. From this he wants to determine the way his students think of design in terms of creativity. He wants them to discover the unnecessary items that are designed and what future designers should design for the reasons of function and sustainability. There is no need for ten of the same item.
Philippe Starck shows that looking at objects in the three areas presented to the students, it gives insight to the reasons of good, bad and useless designs, as well as the influence of design on the encouragement of users to be either sustainable and environmentally friendly or otherwise. A product that has symbolism will influence creativity and innovative thought.