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CONTENT 4. Brief 5. Introduction 6. Make: Discover & Define 8. Defined Archetype 10. Develop & Deliver 12. Testing 14. Casting 17. Final Part of Week of Experiments 18. Remake: Discover & Define 20. The Difficulties of Plaster Casting 22. Develop & Deliver 24. Drop 27. Thoughts on Developing Project
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PROJECT BRIEF This project asks you to consider the decisions consumers make in the products they buy for themselves and their homes. You are being asked to consider something simple, a common item that perhaps we all take for granted, and investigate it, reproduce it and re-design it using the workshop facilities. Split into two halves, the first part Make will build on what you have learnt about product semantics at the start of term, by investigating the evolution of your chosen object, its many variations and identifying its archetype form. This is followed by quick
physical explorations of the object relative to its form language. The second part, Remake, focuses on the product’s function and asks you to design and make a new version based on the experience associated with it. With a focus on “thinking through making” this project will develop your ability to combine conceptual thinking and making skills together. The final outcome and presentation should demonstrate your project’s journey and the developmental process employed to arrive at the final object.
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MAKE: DISCOVER & DEFINE To distil the archetype lemon squeezer I researched history, material, culture and function. There are two main categories: Twist squeezers and Crush squeezers. The oldest excavated lemon squeezer was found in Turkey and resembles what I personally associate lemon squeezers too; a pressed glass lemon squeezer. Pressed glass has a cheap manufacturing process and used to be used widely in kitchenware. Materials mainly used for manufacturing are: Aluminium, stainless steal, glass, plastic, wood and earthenware. These are all materials associated with kitchenware and hygiene. The materials have to be tough to withstand pressure and be able to cope with citric acid that can corrode various other materials. To understand what people relate to as the archetype form I studied how it is used in different forms of culture. The ‘lemon squeezer hat’ worn by Canadian rangers clearly shares traits of the pressed glass squeezer. In film and TV it can also be found. The dome shown in this moodboard is situated in Russia and is locally called the lemon squeezer.
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Citrus S Carlo
History
Lemon Squeezer L. S. Chitchester 1860
Lemon S
J.
Kutahya Blue and White Lemon Squeezer, (underglaze painted earthenware) Turkish School Early 18th Cetnury
How it works
Arc
Cul
Squeezer o Mazzeri 1976
Juicy Salif Philippe Starck 1990
Squeezer
Half Lemon Squeezer Epicurio
T. White 1896
Lemon Squeezer
Kuno Prey 1991
Utilo Nicole Schaert 2007
White porcelain squeezer Sophie Conran
Function
Lemon Squeezer Daniels & Koitzsch 2011
chitype
lture
Manufacturing
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DEFINED ARCHETYPE
K端tahya Blue and White Lemon Squeezer, (underglaze painted earthenware) Turkish School Early 18th Century
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The oldest lemon squeezer found was excavated in K端tahya, Turkey. They were made in the 18th Century in the then Ottoman Empire. The reason I chose this as the archetype form for a lemon squeezer is that the design of a simple lemon squeezer has barely changed over the years. The form of the cheap pressed glass lemon
squeezer we can find today derives effective compared to a squeezer directly from this Turkish artefact. with deeper grooves. To be able to try how it felt to use the Turkish lemon squeezer I made a rough copy with air drying clay and varnish. Although I probably did get the scale wrong it was noticeable that the smooth form of the squeezer made it not very
From defining this as the archetype I started to do small changes to the form to see how the alterations changed the semantics and experience of the product.
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DEVELOP & DELIVER 1. A rough copy of the Turkish 18th Century lemon squeezer. It was not very functional compared to most modern squeezers. Made with air drying clay and finally glazed. 2. An unpractical squeezer due to it’s very small collection bowl. Made with air drying clay and finally glazed. 3. An apple carved into a squeezer form. The idea was to try and use organic material tho create the squeezer. It was also very easy to carve and shape. It was not durable enough to use as a squeezer although the citric acid from the lemon did help preserve the cut apple for a week. 4. The ‘found object’ lemon squeezer was made with a bent fork, tapper ware and a handle of air drying clay. From observing that most people without lemon squeezers at home usually use a fork to get the juice I wanted to see if it could be developed towards the archetype form. 5. Worked aluminium squeezers. These are three metal squeezers worked on an anvil into the archetype shape. They were difficult to craft as the aluminium hardened and cracked after much work. It was an experiment of form and material. 6. Made from cut and glued plywood this squeezer had a heavy solid feel and was quite effective. The inside has sharp edges that make it uncomfortable to use. 7. I wished to experiment with metal and clay to make a sharp, effective squeezer. The result was terrifying, described by some as a torture devise. It made me look towards making more careful, organic forms.
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CASTING Using an apple as a lemon squeezer had generated an idea to plaster cast a the inside of a lemon and a cut apple. Making a fully organic form.
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FINAL PART OF WEEK OF EXPERIMENTING I decided to stylise the cast of the inside of a lemon as my final object of ‘Make’. It summarises the work and development in the ‘Make’ weeks of the project; the process of doing subtle changes to the Turkish squeezer, the choice of going from a harsh style to a organic form and the experiments with casting.
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REMAKE: DISCOVER & DEFINE From my experiments I into you own palm. realised I wanted something organic, personal and playful The juicing function is a industrial star shape that proved efficient, in smooth porcelain. deriving from the experiments with The previous part of the project a cut apple. expected sketching purely through models. Because this stage of The smooth geometrical shape development would take more time derives from my last piece in the sketches were needed to gain ideas previous part. It was formed as a worth spending time on. 6th of a sphere. It was smooth to touch and felt good in hand. I sketched an idea: a handball (or I planed to make it bottom heavy coconut) sized spherical lemon squeezer that fits comfortably in so that it stayed in place when on a your hand so that when you press flat surface. your lemon the force is directed
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THE DIFFICULTIES OF PLASTER CASTING 1st attempt
2nd attempt
3rd attempt
This was a week of struggle taught me that casting is not as straight forward as one might think. As this was a new experience I was given help from the casting workshop technicians.
enough slip but after correcting it the second time I consulted the technicians about a new approach.
For the third attempt I cast plaster into the plastic sphere I had used to make negatives. This proved First I got a plastic sphere to use as the form I wanted easier as I could then feel and see if the plaster was to cast. I made a three part negative, of the sphere, in evenly distributed. It could only be used once though plaster and rotate cast the inside. This was so that I as it had to be broken to release the cast. The sphere could make the piece hollow. The plaster sphere got was finally surformed and sanded to make the brim. stuck. We thought that this was due to me not putting 20
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FINALLY A SPHERE! The last step was to add the tough to use. squeezer. This was cast from a clay model and attached to the body. What really surprised me was what the weight in the bottom of the It was comfortable to hold, smooth squeezer did. When one holds it in and had a satisfying weight. A one’s hand the weight makes it feel negative aspect was that the like it wants to stay in your hand opening was small and made it even when you tilt it.
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DEVELOP & DELIVER
We had a tutorial where we in a group discussed how to continue our process. It was suggested that it could be used as a vessel like a coconut and that I should make it more practical to use. While trying to keep the general form I worked to make a spout. I also lowered the brim, making the opening wider. I lowered it enough to make the opening wider but it was still high enough to hint that it is cut out of a sphere. Cutting it halfway would have
made it difficult to imagine the resemblance to a coconut, or a vessel to drink from. I kept the shape of the previous functional part as I enjoyed the simple, friendly look of it. Sadly plaster corrodes when subjected to citric acid so I was not able to try these prototypes. I could not be cast this way in resin, and I did not have access to a kiln to slip cast it in clay. 23
DROP - FINAL PROTOTYPE The prototype was named ‘Drop’ due to its form. Drop is undoubtedly satisfying to hold in your hand. It has some weight and rocks back into your hand. When placed on a table it stays upright and will not rock much or roll away. However it is playful. The ball shape suggest games, sport or toy. I experience it as a personal object, something you only have one of at home; you squeeze a lemon, add water and sugar to make lemonade and take it out to your garden to enjoy the sunny day. Who is the target user? The individual flanuer. A person who wants to have a moment for themselves and enjoy the day. Or a person served a luscious ice tea on the beach (Or maybe a do it yourself ice tea?). Some enjoy making their own tailored drink as it gives them a slight sense of accomplishment.
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THOUGHTS ON DEVELOPING PROJECT The next step is important. How do you manufacture this product? And would it be the same in a porcelain? Are there better materials or forms that would communicate the same experience?
After the process of creating a working prototype I will be able to evaluate the experience of using the product and tinker the semantics so that it is suitable to produce.
To be able to evaluate the experience of the product a working prototype would have to be made. The ceramics workshop Fireworks, Glasgow will soon create a working prototype in ceramic (March 2014). It is key to the development of the product as to create it in ceramic will change the aesthetic and feel of the squeezer. It will be handmade, lighter and have different proportions to the presented plaster model.
To be able to deliver a liable product at the end of this project I would have to have had the production method as a part of the process of creating the prototype. Slip casting and a kiln would have allowed me to make a working prototype but would also have taken a great deal longer as it takes time to set clay before firing it. As a prototype material plaster did exceed my expectations and is durable, fairly easy to use and had a fast curing time.
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