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Introduction For the Dissertation, I chose the Conceptual Project between the three ones. I decided to investigate Scandinavian design and eco-friendly materials. The intention of this project is to create a final outcome that is low cost and that incorporate all the concepts that will be described in this paper.The objects will be designed aiming to an ageless, but more likely to be young, quirky and hype audience, which would rather to buy something different than something massive produced. The chosen audience prefers to buy eco friendly and fair trade objects, as The Guardian Journal says: “ ...the percentage of Generation Y who report that they ‘buy as many green/eco-friendly products as they can ‘ is up to 36% in 2012 from 31% in 2009, a 16% growth rate during some tough economic times”. The green spirit that this audience aims for is not only about sustainable products, but also for products attached to Social Projects, such as Tom’s.
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Aim: The aim of this Conceptual Project, the chosen type of Dissertation, is to create jewellery based on the Hygge concept of the Danish Design and life style. Objectives: - Study the roots and concepts of Scandinavian Design - Understand the differences of Danish designs - Understand the concept of Hygge - Develop Objects with that reflect the concepts cited above - Explore materials and their relations when combined - Create a brag and advertising for the objects - Record and develop final outcomes
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Contents
Introduction – 2 Aim & Objectives – 3 1. Material – 7 1.1Bamboo – 8 1.2Thread – 10 2. Audience – 15 3. Scandi – 19 3.1 Scandinavian Design – 20 3.2 Hygge – 22 3.3 Danish Art – 24 4. Process – 27 5. Product – 30 6. Conclusion – 35 7. Bibliography - 39
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1.1 Bamboo Bamboo was chosen as the major material because of the many eco-friendly characteristics that it have, as the ones cited bellow:
every part of the plant can be utilized. Versatility. Bamboo can replace the use of wood for nearly every application. Paper, flooring, furnitu-
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“Renewable resource. Depending on
re, charcoal, building materials, and
the species, bamboo can be harves-
much more can be made from bam-
ted in one to five years. Hardwoods
boo. What's more, bamboo fibres
like oak take at least forty years to
are far stronger than wood fibres
mature before they can be harves-
and much less likely to warp from
ted. Almost 1 million acres of forests
changing
are lost each week worldwide to de-
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbici-
forestation. Bamboo's versatility as
des needed. Unlike most cash crops,
a substitute for hardwoods offers a
bamboo requires no agricultural
chance to drastically reduce that fi-
chemicals to thrive. Unlike cotton,
gure and protect the forests that we
which is one of the most intensely
have left. Absorbs greenhouse gases.
sprayed crops in the world and rapi-
Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide and
dly depletes the nutrients in the soil,
releases 35% more oxygen into the at-
bamboo sequesters nitrogen and
mosphere than an equivalent stand
cultivation does not add chemicals
of hardwood trees. Amazing grow
to the environment. Soil protection.
rate. Some species of bamboo grow
Once hardwood forests are clear-cut
more than three feet each day! No
and the stumps are burned to provi-
plant on the planet features a faster
de fertilizer and space for growing
growth rate. When it is harvested, it
crops, erosion inevitably occurs as
will grow a new shoot from its ex-
the topsoil and nutrients are wa-
tensive root system with no need for
shed away by rainfall. The eroded
additional planting or cultivation.
soil then clogs rivers and streams
Very little waste. After harvesting,
and affects the lives of people and
virtually every part of the plant is
animals living downstream. Bamboo
used to make a wide variety of pro-
roots remain in place after harves-
ducts. From soil-enriching mulch to
ting where they prevent erosion and
beautiful
help retain nutrients for the next
furniture
to
chopsticks,
atmospheric
conditions.
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crop. Economic development. In less developed countries where unemployment leads to civil unrest, bamboo production and the manufacturing of bamboo products provide job
have many finishes, and also can be used in the most different ways, from clothes to bikes. Bamboo also is good for the environment, as it purifies more air and emits more oxygen in its photosynthesis then normal plants.
opportunities in areas that despera-
“Bamboo
tely need social and economic stabi-
antifungal, anti odour and anti sta-
lity. Bamboo grows in a variety of
tic properties; bamboo contains an
conditions. Bamboo can grow in arid
anti-microbial element called Kun,
regions where droughts cause other
which stops bacteria from growing.
crops to fail and since the roots are
Bamboo is hailed as the resource of
left in place after harvesting, it helps
the 21st century because it has cou-
to preserve vital moisture in the soil.
ntless ethical, environmental and
From low wetlands to higher ele-
other benefits. It is a pioneering
vations in the mountains, bamboo
plant and can be grown in soil da-
thrives in a wide range of climates.
maged by overgrazing and poor
Optimism and cultural cooperation.
agriculture without the need for fer-
In a fractious world where wars are
tilizers, pesticides or much water.
fought over resources, the increa-
Proper harvesting does not kill the
sing popularity of bamboo products
bamboo plant, so topsoil is held in
provides an opportunity for diver-
place. Because of its dense litter on
se cultures to settle their difference
the forest floor it feeds topsoil.�
through trade and cooperation that
possesses
antibacterial,
1.2 Thread
benefits everyone.�
Bamboo can be easily used, and there is no need for high tech machinery to conform it, it has a green production and many other great features. Bamboo is solid and sturdy, and has the advantage of growing fast, which means that production prices can be dropped down, as its extremely renewable. Bamboo is also very versatile, it can be used in many ways; it can
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The use of thread to create objects is seen trough all the history, not only to create elaborate pieces of clothing, or details of other objects, it has been used to create dimensions over the flat; hairs of braided wire, tents to war times, curtains and so on. Treads and cloths can be used in the most diverse ways, such in artistic or more commercial ways. Anne Lindberg is an artist that uses threads to create new spaces, she uses them in repetition to create dream like scenes in installations.
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She
describes
her
work
as:
My work is a mirror of how I experience the world, and as I negotiate
“Neurologists have determined that
physicality, optics and ideas throu-
the old brain holds the seat of our
gh drawing languages, my voice
most primal understandings of the
withholds, blurs, teases and veils.
world. Goodwill, security, fear, an-
I frequently return to subtle dis-
xiety, self-protection, gravity, sexua-
tinctions between drawing as noun
lity, and compulsive behaviours ge-
and verb as a long held focus in
nerate from this lower cerebral core.
my studio practice. This blurred
My sculpture and drawings inhabit
distinction
a non-verbal place resonant with
with
such primal human conditions. Syste-
drawing languages and the resur-
mic and non-representational, these
gence of drawing in contemporary
works are subtle, rhythmic, abstract,
art. My collective body of work
and immersive. I find beauty and dis-
is an iteration of this language.”
an
drives
my
expanded
fascination
definition
of
turbance through shifts in tool, layering and material to create passages of tone, density, speed, path and frequency within a system. In recent room-sized installations, I discovered an optical and spatial phenomenon that excites me as the work spans the outer reaches of our peripheral vision. The work references physiological systems – such as heartbeat, respiration, neural paths, equilibrium - and psychological states. I’ve come to understand my work as a kind of self-portraiture. Within the quiet reserve and formal abstraction is a strong impulse to speak from a deep place within myself about that is private, vulnerable, fragile, and perceptive to the human condition.
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Lindbergs work is about creating idyllic shapes and images with thin lines of thread in repetition. Her work gives an idea of lightness and ethereal, an amorphous and simplistic way of beauty. Her work is quite artistic, and not much turned to the market bias, but some similar approaches have been seen in a more commercial way. Julie Lanson is a photographer and autodidact designer; she released her line of lamps called Sputnik a while ago. She uses wood and tread as raw materials, her work is highly focused on the craftsmanship of each peace, an approach that I aim to use whitin the project that this paper is about. Her designs are one of a kind, quite simplistic and beautiful, they are very geometrical and also represent an idea of lightness.
Both these artist and designer made me opt to use threads also in the final object, as they work show how versatile it can be, and the way that they evoke the ethereal and beautiful was the major reason to it. I also decided to use this kind of thread
composition because it represents a concept that I want to insert in the project, that is hygge; hygge is about lightness, and simple things building up something bigger and meaningful to someone, and will be explained further ahead.
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2. Audience The product was targeted mostly to Generation Y, people mainly between 18 and 30 years. The part of it that I wanted to work with was people of both genders between 20 and 25 years, who tend to have more dynamic life-styles, as they still do not worried in starting a family as older ones do, and may still spend more money in more trendy products. The research showed that this audience is completed connected with networking, such physical as virtual ones. They tend to be connected in their computers, tablets and phones all the time, something that can be analyzed as a need of projecting the right image to everyone, to being worried to show the right self all the time. Other characteristic of this audience is that they get to know their products more before buying it; they like to associate themselves with products with hype and quirky images, and also ones that have sustainable and social concerned concepts. The Guardian Journal says: “ ...the percentage of Generation Y who report that they buy as many green/eco-friendly products as they can ‘ is up to 36% in 2012 from 31% in 2009, a 16% growth rate during some tough economic times”. The green spirit that this audience aims for is not only about sustainable products, but also for pro- ducts attached to Social Projects, such as Tom’s.
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Tom’s is a brand that is completely well regarded by Gen Y; it summarizes important concepts to the audience, such as social responsibility and a strong personality, and those were concepts that I wanted to incorporate the final outcome.
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3.1 Design “More than anywhere else in the
Modern Danish design has its roots in expressionism, as at the end the 19th century artists wanted to separate Decorative Arts from Arts itself, and by so the Decorative Arts started to follow an international trend of expressionism, as the Jugendstil in Germany and Holland, and Art Nouveau in France. The Danish expressionism tended to be more restrained and softened then the ones abroad though, and also being inspired by the craftsmanship of its history and heritage. The Danish design has some contrasting facts throughout its history. As Copenhagen is a port city, products from diverse places used to pass by there, and exotic objects used to have its importance. In the 18th Century a facture was build to produce Chinese porcelain, and this created the first Danish porcelain facture. The contrast is seen when noted that those Chinese products were objects of desire, highly adorned and with a lot of work involved, would make the first facture, that years later would be producing modern minimalistic objects. The interest of the Danes by importation is not only about final products, but by raw materials too. In Scandinavia raw materials are not in abundance, such its diversity. Reserves are small and by so importation is needed. But even with high prices on materials, they still have a democratic approach to design.
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world,
designers
in
Scandinavia
have instigated and nurtured a democratic approach to design that seeks a social ideal and the enhancement of the quality of the life through appropriate and affordable products and technology. From its birth around 1920, modern Scandinavian design has been underpinned by a moral humanist ethos the roots of which can be traced to Lutheranism – the state religion throughout Scandinavia, which stresses truth and reason and teaches that salvation can be gained through honest work that benefits one’s fellow man. It is moral belief in social imperatives that has formed the philosophical bedrock from which Scandinavian design has evolved and prospered. […] For centuries ‘the home’ has been the central focus of the Scandinavian people’s existence as it not only offers a vital haven from hostile climatic conditions, but also functions as a framing structure for family life. This age-old ‘household culture’ was additionally prompted by the fact that self-sufficiency was often an economic necessity in remote rural communities. It is not surprising, therefore, that over the long his-
tory of the applied and decorative arts, Scandinavian designers have tended to concentrate on the production of functional yet attractive wares of the home which reflected craftsmanship and essentialist principles that throughout the ages have guided the making of tools, weapons and domestic implements. In Scandinavian countries well-designed products are commonplace because the whole notion of ‘good-design’ has permeated their socially inclusive cultures.”
The term good design can be read at above as a sort of utopian design, in which the main focus of the project is the user and not the industry that is producing the object, by way of thinking is different. The “happiness” generated by the object should be truthful; the object should be long lasting, so it don’t fade with time or is replaced easily. Scandinavia can be classified as a land of “good-design” because of their real concern with objects. With hard, cold and dark winters the life of Scandinavians passes inside the house the most, and objects are omnipresent. These objects must be well designed, as their interaction is non-stopping. There are more aspects that define the Scandinavian design; the concern about how and with what the product is build is major stage of the process. The Scandinavian countries have one of the
earth less populated territories, the most northern part of theses countries are almost inhabited, as the cold is ever harsher than in the south. Even with this strong climate these most northern part provides the dense forest of the tundra, of which most of the feedstock of the industry comes from. With the concern of the fragility of the eco-system Scandinavians tend to use the material in the most productive way. The roots of Scandinavian design comes from the Bauhaus modernism, with a strong formalism and functionality, but the Scandinavian design approach to this Bauhaus thinking is more human and sensitive, they arouse creativity and a sense of beauty. This desire to create objects that transcend a beauty and functionality is omnipresent in the design of all five Scandinavian countries, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Even with concepts of good-design being shared the design of each country have specific characteristics. The design writer Anne Stenros says: “On the emotional level: the Danes are a little more ‘southern’, the Finns are a little more ‘eastern’, the Norwegians are a little more ‘ northern’ and the Swedes stick to the golden mean. The Icelanders have sturdy roots of their own.” There are also national concepts that are applied to the creative areas, such as design, architecture and arts. As Sisu for the Finnish, and Hygge for the Danish.
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3.2 Hygge The Danish have a life concept, applied to the whole Danish life; the concept of hygge, which means: “Hygge is as Danish as pork roast and cold beer and it goes far in illuminating the Danish soul. In essence, hygge means creating a nice, warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people around you. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. And let’s not forget the eating and drinking – preferably sitting around the table for hours on end discussing the big and small things in life. Perhaps the Danish idea of hygge explains why the Danes are often considered the happiest people in the world? [...] Hygge didn't originate in the Danish language but in Norwegian, where it meant something like "well-being." It first appeared in Danish writing around the end of the 18th Century and the Danes have embraced it ever since. One good thing about hygge is that you can apply it anywhere, and Danes allocate it generously to everything commonplace.”
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In my dissertation I have decided to focus, in the project that I will develop, in the concept of hygge. As so, the main concept of the project is hygge, this sensation should be inserted in the product, even if the audience don’t exactly know what hygge is. Hygge is about pleasure and having a good time, concepts that connect with the audience that I’ve chosen. Gen Y is well known for its hedonist life-style, and that was a connection between the concept and the target that I thought that could be used. Another important characteristic of this aimed target is it they care to the meanings reflected in the object, they care if the product is eco-friendly, or fair traded, or even if it is related to a Social Project. For this project the idea of hygge will be used in the way materials are applied, always thinking about environmental issues, and the symbols that the material relate to.
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3.3 Danish Art I also opt to use a Danish artist to be used as a visual reference to the project; the one chosen was Eske Kath. He plays with geometrical forms and modernity in a simplistic, yet, beautiful way. His project is descripted as:
ned. In this exhibition, Eske shifts the role of destructor from Nature to Mankind himself and asks interesting questions about the durability of human civilization and the artist’s role and culpability as a member of that civilization. Eske’s preoccu-
“Eske explores subject territory that
pation with catastrophe echoes the
balances colourful exuberance with
images that circulate frequently in
images of destructive threat. In lar-
global media today, and his work
ge format paintings and sculpture,
openly references topical events,
Eske depicts nature and human civi-
such as the Deepwater Horizon di-
lization in conflict. This conflict has
saster in the Gulf of Mexico from
been at the heart of Eske’s practice
earlier in 2010.
for several years. Human civilization
Eske Kath graduated from the Royal
in Eske’s work is symbolized by the
Danish Academy of Art in Copenha-
image of the house. The house serves
gen in 2003. In 2009 he was commis-
as proxy for the human figure and
sioned to paint a chamber ceiling
also as exemplar for humanity’s will
in the Crown Prince of Denmark’s
to control nature. In Eske’s paintings
Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
and sculpture, houses are pictured
He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
in flight, tossed about by the force
Eske is represented by Charles Bank
of Mother Nature. The house thus
Gallery in New York, Galerie Mikael
becomes emblematic of the frailty
Andersen in Copenhagen, and Gale-
of human civilization, and calls into
rie Mikael Andersen in Berlin.”
question the ability of man to control nature. Tension in the paintings emerges from the controlled nature of the work and the chaotic nature of the content therein, analogous perhaps to the relationship between house and earth previously mentio-
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4. Process The process of designing the objects started with the initial references being studied. Mood boards were made to help with the initial ideas, there was no specific brief to the project, only a few things that I wanted that the final object incorporated, and those were: - Aesthetical values of Danish design - Represent hygge in some way to the user - Use bamboo and threads in its formal composition The process of designing it was quite normal, except for a detail; at all the stages I’ve tried to feel the cosiness of hygge. At the design process it is normal to feel worried, stressed and quite a mix of not pleasant feeling, so for this project I’ve tried to feel the best I could, tried to make it more pleasant as it could be. I have tried to make hygge not only the concept of the pieces to be design, but the driving force of the whole project, something that would be experience in the process and in the object itself. To insert hygge to the process was a challenging thing for me, as I tend to get a lot anxious in the process, so for that I tried to mix pleasure into the process. I have read most of the bibliography while I was travelling, loads of cups of tea were added, and also glasses of wine and beer; music was a major participant of all stages. Big amounts chocolate were added too. For me
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this was an anthropological study of myself, I have learned how to deal better with the process, how to avoid certain things that used to disturb me at those important times. This whole experimentation made me reflect a lot about what the process of designing really is, and helped me to developing my skills quite a lot, I became more aware of the importance of serenity thought the process, as design is all about making choices, and the best way to do it is with a clear mind. The serenity in it made me quite happy with what was produced, I have a lot of good alternatives, and after discussing with other I have decided to choose a small number of pieces to be developed, as this would also improve the quality of the same. The chosen pieces are displayed in the next pages. The pieces were made of bamboo board, and were cut with a laser cutter, the wholes o pass the thread were also made with the laser cutter, even though I used an machinery that is a bit sophisticated in this process, I could have easily done it with more simplistic tools found in the workshop, as saws and dowels. The patterns to be made with the threads were a important stage, the way that the thread would be used could make chances to the final pattern, and as so a lot of testing was made. After a lot of alternatives the final pattern, and mesh were chosen.
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5. The product The objects created were a line of jewellery that spoke the same aesthetical language. They all had minimalistic forms and still were detailed, fun and young, which summarizes the chosen concepts and inspirations. The idea of joining Danish concepts of life and design, eco-friendly material and Generation Y made sense to me as they all seems to represent similar ideas. The Danish concept of Hygge tells about having a great time and enjoying it, is about the idea of happiness, with is densely connected to the hedonism of Generation Y; that seems to search for a great time all of the time. The concept of hygge also stands for a greener way of life, as can be seem in Danish life style. They are extremely concerned about the life cycle of products, recycle and how things have an impact on earth; this is a new thinking that Generation Y is starting to accept and adopt. The green era of products has just started, they are becoming more popular and diverse, the number of eco-friendly products just rises on stores, this reflects not only an interest of big companies, but mostly important, a audience that is interested about buying it. The idea of the product is to be targeted to this audience concerned with the cycle life, the manufacture, disposure and recycling of
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the products that are bought. The eco-friendly bias was inserted in the product by use of green materials and manufacture. The product resembles craftsmanship, in a simplistic way, modernism in its reduced forms, greenness in its material and manufacture, the hype and quirky aesthetics in its fun and contemporary aesthetics. Following the idea of the concept, the objects produced were visually simple, but still with a sense of emotions. They were not projected to be emotional empty.
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6. Conclusion According to the aim of this project, to create pieces of jewellery based on the concept of hygge, I believe that I was successful. The first part of the process was to study Danish design and try to summarize it and its characteristics, so that it became easier for me to develop something according their aesthetical values. My attempt was not to try to fake a typology of design of which I like, it was a way of studying this subject which I am interested, understanding its concepts and applying it in a project. In this project I tried not only to understand the concepts, but also to apply in the whole design and project, I tried to experience the ideas and learn with it. And understand the new and learn with it is a part of the Brazilian way of thinking. Thought Brazilian modernism era, which is not over in some creative areas, the anthropophagy was a common behaviour. Artists in the beginning of the past century used it to begin the Modernist movement in Brazil, in the sixties musicians made use of the same tactic to start new musical movements in Brazil. And by last, in the late sixties and seventies, this anthropophagical way of thinking got into design, when the first schools were opened and started to teach it in Brazil. Those schools used the Bauhaus method, and introduced the modernism in a more broad way in the daily life of the
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Brazilian. Anthropophagy can be linked to Brazilians even in the begging of our occidental era, when Europeans came and imposed their way of living. The natives of the new land normally were descripted as cannibals and almost as beats. Anthropophagy is a part of Brazilian design, as Brazilian design still in its first steps in this field, it still needed to use to other as an example to produce something unique. For me, Danish design is one of the designs that I most like, and having a chance to understand it better and design by their means can’t be considered as a mimic, it is way to learn, a way to see what I can take of it, and to design something new. And also to get in touch of new concepts of different cultures is a good experience. The chance to get to know better the term ‘hygge’ and design by its standards as quite a fun experience. I have first get in touch with the world ‘hygge’ when I was in Copenhagen talking with an native, she tried to explain it, and said that there is no word as it in another language, she described as a sort of cosiness that comes from simples things, as a walk outside on a sunny day, or charring a cup of tea with an beloved person. It’s a concept of Danish life and is something that they search for in daily life. For me that was a something that can be seem in Brazilians also, as we always tend
to have a good time, no matter the situation, and by so that was something that I wanted to work in a future project. I believe that the way I applied it, in jewellery, was a good way to do it. Jewelleries, not only the expensive ones, are becoming more and more used, by both genders. It is a way of communicating and showing a part of your personality, and it is also a thing that people put it on when they go to get a great time. They use it to go out with friends, meet with family, to travel, and many other pleasant situations. The designing of this cosiness was not only applying the concepts in a random object, but one that is often used when hygge is achieved. The main concept of this project was not only inserted, it was in a way lived by me. I adopted it in my process, and was a huge chance for me to look to other culture and see it closely and carefully, was a way to travel, not only in mind, but also in my process.
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