S TA N F O R D D E S I G N
2009
S TA N F O R D D E S I G N P RO G R A M
CLASS OF 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
JAKE EISNER D AV E E VA N S E R I C FAG G I N JOE MELLIN L AU R E N M I L ROY R A J I V PA T E L PETER RUSSO B R E N DA N W Y P I C H J E F F YO U N G LOFT LIFE
INTRODUCTION Stanford’s Graduate Design Program is focused on exploring the intersection of technology, human needs, and wicked problems. This program is a collaborative offering of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Art and Art History. It provides students with a design experience at the Masters level that synthesizes engineering, art, need-finding, and creativity. The Program gives students the opportunity to create their own thesis topic, determine their own path of investigation, and deeply explore their interests while accessing the full spectrum of resources Stanford University has to offer. Students graduate from the Program with one of two degrees; a Masters of Science in Engineering - Product Design or a Masters of Fine Arts - Product Design. Each year (this edition marks our second annual) the students in the Program select the work that they feel best represents their experience at Stanford and we publish it in this Design annual. We hope you enjoy this record of their accomplishments. The Design Faculty
JAKE EISNER M A N HAT TA N, NY
BFA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & F IGURATIVE SCULPTURE U N I V E R S I TY OF MICHIG A N
“I have been impressed by Jake’s creative abilities. He uses talent, hard work and a great sense of humor to make his projects truly successful.” -David Kelley
My time at Stanford has been a revelation. It changed my perceptions of what design means. I learned to go beyond the objects and understand that design is about ideas, people, and transformation. However, my love of building things and working with my hands will always be a part of my work. I have gained so much in such a short time, and I am very grateful for this opportunity and for the people I’ve worked with and learned from. The following images are a sampling of my work over the past two years.
I made this desk lamp in response to the ‘Illuminating Objects’ assignment in our first-year formgiving class. The lamp can be turned on or off or even dimmed by simply touching any part of the brass base. The lamp senses touch capacitively. The nautilus-style shade is made of cherry veneer, which gives a warm hue to the light. For a larger hanging version I chose to use a maple veneer which allows for a brighter, clearer light.
1. Working on the Skate Table 2. The Skate Table 3. Luigi Colani-Styled Pen 4. 20 oz. Tungsten Darts 5. Ski Photography Backpack 6. One of Six Veneer Masks 7. Prayer Architecture 8. Test Flight One
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4 The loft is an environment that goes beyond fostering creative behavior. This community actually challenges its members to reach and explore while taking new risks. I’ve learned that it is far better to ask forgiveness than for permission. If you do ask for permission there’s a chance you might be told “no.” Which then makes it harder to do what you were going to do anyway. Plus it usually feeds your own doubts. So if you
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5 can, don’t ask permission. But there are times when it’s a very good idea to get some expert advice before going further. For example, I wasn’t so sure about an idea I had for our Personal Statements event. I’d been thinking about launching dozens of lit Japanese lanterns from the roofs surrounding the Loft courtyard. I’d imagined how beautiful it would look to see all those points of light slowly flying up over the crowd. When I ran this idea by Craig, he looked down at
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6 the pavement to collect his thoughts. Very calmly, he said, “You might want to consider any potential fire hazards like burning the place down, or maybe just starting a few brush fires. But, if you’d like, we can think about it some more later.” I saw his point and moved on to other ideas. But not before doing a few test flights. The Loft is our community in which to consider and reconsider our ideas – and the freedom to try anything.
DAV E E VA N S
CUPERTINO, CA B S M E C H A NICA L ENGINEER I N G
S TANFOR D U N I V E R S ITY
My design explorations revolve around the creation of artifacts that enable users to generate more meaning in their daily lives. Transcendent design! Transcendence through design? Transcending design? Regardless, it is probably trying too hard, but hear me out: It has become a given that good design results in functional, comfortable, usable products. Yet few products are explicitly intended to enable users to find or create more deeply personal experiences, a grave oversight. As this is a master’s degree, I shall pose my thesis in academic-speak: I believe that, at its highest level, product design should transcend teleo-functional creation in the pursuit of teleo-semantic design. Teleo-functional design creates objects with great attention for their practical purpose. This is the majority
of contemporary product development, focused on providing users with more capabilities in their daily lives. Teleo-semantic design creates objects with an intrinsic awareness of their meaningful purpose. This is not to say that the themes of my work are exclusively serious and meditative. Play and whimsy can often provide joyful access to the profound far more easily than the over-considered work of an intellectual. Yet I must confess that over thinking has also been a hallmark of my design thesis. (Clearly.) In practice, I aim to create objects that elicit a meaningful response from users due to the intimacy of their design. Understanding how an individual’s values derive from their experiences, interests, geopolitical background, and personal beliefs, enables the creation of artifacts that enhance an individual’s access to, or experience of, these values. My background in engineering and manufacturing, married to my passion for craftsmanship, ensures that I create products of exceptional functionality. Yet, at its best, I hope my design work transcends functionality and enables users to have personally enriching, meaningful experiences.
“I am impressed by Dave’s ability to do almost anything in design... fantastic results.” – David Kelley
This guitar amplifier is my expression of superlative craftsmanship and a balance between traditional design and a fresh look at the object’s purpose. As a personal object, this amp expresses it’s owner in both its physical design and it’s performing capabilities. Sustainably harvested redwood for the native Californian. Dovetailed construction for the detail-oriented craftsman. A hexagonal perf-sheet aluminum grille for the mechanical engineer. Metallic, sculpted, fluid forms emanating from the speaker cone that evoke the acid jazz of the musician. This is my gigging amp, and the connection I have to it is exceptional.
“Dave’s impact on an audience is a true design experience…he unknowingly uses design mechanics to engage and enthrall. And, his story engages everyone in laughter.” – Barbara A. Karanian
A tea-infuser can be designed to give its user access to the meditative ritual of steeping loose-leaf teas fit their lives exactly as they desire. By creating a tea-infuser that is exceptionally portable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing the user is freed from preparing their sensual brew in the kitchen. When you can easily and beautifully prepare your finest cuppa by an alpine lake, on the train, or in the boardroom, new interactions between locations and their associated rituals can interact with the meaning a user already carries in their loose-leaf teas. The redesign of an infuser allows the entire tea brewing and enjoying experience to be elevated beyond one of consumption and towards one where tea can be brought to any significant corner of the user’s life.
The “Out of Office� series is about re-framing our interactions with the white-collar objects we already use on a daily basis. Your laptop case can be your means to enjoy the outdoors midworkday, your iPhone can enable you to disconnect from the digital workplace for a fleeting sunset, and whiteboard markers and coffee mugs can turn your office conference table into a temporary game hall. Many of our working possessions are sufficiently robust to endure the application of new layers of interaction, fostering the generation of meaningful experiences.
E R I C FAG G I N LO S ALTOS, CA
BA PHYSICS & BA PHILOSOPHY
S A NTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
“Eric's body of work is both prolific and profound, pointed and absurd, full of metaphor, commentary and always worth a Tuesday night trip to the Loft. From teapots-in-cement to pre-critiqued sketch pads (daunting to doodle in), Eric has mastered the "...lie that makes us see the truth". His off-center but gentle take on contemporary society deserves to be heard and I feel certain that it is only a matter of time before the design world takes notice of Eric.� -Bill Burnett
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1. Last Cone ice cream bowl and spoon 2. Wound-Up lamp 3. Sir Lampsalot lamp
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4. Laminate table 5. Personal Statement 6. 28 % Lacewood, 26% Purpleheart, 13% Bloodwood, 8% Wenge, 25% Yellowheart cutting board 7. Heavy Light lamp 8. Copernicus ashtray 9. The Trouble With Modernism teapot
“Eric consistently stunned us with exquisite work—and an evolving mythic story that always demonstrates a creative, and thoughtful confidence in his design process.” -Barbara A. Karanian
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JOE MELLIN S AN AN S E L M O, CA
B A PHYSIC S, UC BERKELEY “It’s hard not to be drawn in by Joe’s passion for making people’s lives better. I am continually impressed by his desire to tackle the big, messy problems that most would shy away from. I can confidently say that Joe’s contribution to the design world will be significant, and I feel honored to have helped in a small way.” -Nicole Kahn
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5 In looking back on the past two years, I would like to pass on my two main learnings. The first being that empathy for a user is the best way to unite a team during the creative process. The second is that for a designer to grow into their new responsibility of impacting society, collaboration and process are now prerequisites and an authentic grounding in one’s own beliefs is now what will enable designers to fill their fledgling role of impacting society. Finally, I would like the thank the faculty, my class mates and my collaborators for helping me learn the tough lessons I needed to learn. I am forever grateful.
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1. My Extreme Affordability Team, Pump designed for IDE Ethiopia 2. Testing Merchant Prototype d.light fellowship, India 3. Prototypes and User testing at the Day Worker Center of Mountain View 3. Personal Statement #1 the Potential of the Moment 4. User research in Louisiana on heavy equipment mats 5. The JOE Stool 6. d.meets b. How to Prototype Workshop 7. Personal Statement #2 The Value of the Transaction 8. iShine: Collaboration with Eric Faggin 10. Doing it + Guerrilla Marketing
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L AUREN MILROY
PALO A LTO, CA
B S M E C H A NICA L ENGINEER I N G U N I V. O F S O UTHERN CALIFOR N I A In our “look at me” world of self promoting “makers” Lauren represents a remarkable design talent with a refreshingly down to earth sense of humility. Lauren’s work quietly challenges our assumptions that inform mundane products: from pockets to personal accessories. Her designs magically transform the values of every day consumables through insightful reframes of meaning combined with an unerring (and sometimes breathtaking) aesthetic. - Michael Barry
I am deeply interested in the relationship between people and the things that they own. Do the items we carry, possess and wear define our identity? I try to create clothes and accessories that are infused with personal meaning as a means to create a deeper connection between a person and their objects, primarily through the very way in which they are carried or worn. I believe that by enhancing our personal connection to the mundane things that we live with daily we can lead lives that are more meaningful, engaged, and filled with more fun. 1
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Thirty-three jars filled with ordinary objects, each with a color unique to itself. Floor and shelf made from reclaimed wood.
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8 1. Bubble necklace: fabric & acrylic 2. Personal statement: ordinary jars 3. Hands in pocket t-shirt 4. Army toy necklace 5. Hammock: woven seat belts 6. Temporary tattoo 7. Flip-flops: colored pencils 8. Heels: colored pencils 9. Pocket hat 10. Garden necklace: Irish moss
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R A J I V PAT E L S AN F R A N C I S C O, CA
B S G ENETIC S UC B E R K E L EY Energetic and always up-beat, Rajiv is a designer that has heart, soul, and a desire to create impact in the world. Rajiv’s work spans the digital and the physical, with work ranging from curriculum design to gaming. Whether in the Loft, the d.school, or TA’ing in classes, Rajiv is a the kind of positive person who creates a vortex of activity that sucks others into his vision. Above all, he has mastered learning and, as he leaves the Loft, he is ready for anything. -Bill Burnett Opposite Page: PERSONAL CONSTELLATIONS Created a set of personalized constellations installed as a false ceiling of the night sky in the Loft library. This was for Personal Statements. Clockwise from top left: high-speed rail for perseverence; hand in hand for larger forces that guide; bridge for traversing different worlds and disciplines; gecko for self-healing and growth; web for the interconnectedness; septapus for a multi-faceted being; om for peace, love, and joy.
I came to the Stanford Design Program seeking three things: to join a tribe of like-minded people, to develop skills and build confidence, and to learn more about what makes me tick. Much of my time during the first year was devoted to orienting myself to a new role and direction in life. I shed my past experiences and was a beginner again. During the second year, I continued on the unknown path that was unfolding, but also attempted to reintegrate aspects from my past that I was particularly passionate about. So for my thesis work I began exploring ways of adding enchantment into our everyday physical world with the addition of a digital layer. Expectably, this lead me to think more about communicating experiences. But unexpectedly and wonderfully I also found myself learning about game design; and exploring ways to apply those principles to a broader domain. Ultimately, I am driven by the desire to have an impact on a large scale. “It’s not about the world of design but the design of the world.” Reflecting back, I have achieved all three of my original goals. Yet, I leave the Design Program hungrier than when I arrived.
1 1 & 2. PORTaFilter: Aluminum and Walnut Bottomless Portafilter for an espresso machine. (Photos by Jonathan Edelman.)
5. Parametric Seat: Various seat rendering of a single design with differing comfort settings. Collaboration with Jeff Young.
3. Pen Made In the style of the folk art of Indian rickshaws.
6. Poster inspired by a zen legend expounding the value of a “beginner’s mind.”
4. Parametric Glass: Margarita glass based on one curve and different amounts of salt, mix, and tequila.
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2 “Rajiv’s presentation and master teacher approach has amazing depth and makes a consistent impression on every audience waiting to hear the next steps in his design story.” -Barbara A. Karanian
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PETER R. RUSSO
IOWA C I T Y, IA
S B ELECTRICA L E N G I N E E R IN G M.EN G. E L E C T R I CA L E N G I N E E RIN G MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOL O G Y “It was wonderful to see Peter combining his strong technical background with the human and emotional aspects of design. His force-feedback switch is my favorite project for its potential to affect human behavior through subtle, “just-in-time” decisions.” -Banny Banerjee
Before coming to Stanford I worked as a semiconductor process engineer. Perhaps as a result, my design work tends to be practical and process-driven. The desire to master a particular fabrication process was the inspiration for several of the pieces shown here. The rocking stool was my first foray into the use of bent plywood, and the “Foodcycle” lunch box centered around vacuum-formed plastic. From the beginning, the direction and form that each of these objects took on was closely linked to the fabrication process that I worked out to create them.
Thinking about process extends beyond fabrication. My second-year personal statement, a series of furniture pieces built around freebies found on Craigslist, was largely about following a structured design process: to start out with the constraint of obtaining a free “found” object, and then to build around it. As a newly-minted designer, I see the world much differently now than I did two years ago. But the influence of an engineering background will forever be part of my personal design process.
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1. “Sun Day” sofa made of new pine, plywood, and steel, and recycled sod obtained for free from Craigslist. 2. A twelve-use disinfectant disc for a first-aid kit. 3. My early thesis work centered around the wear and tear of objects and how design can be used to change how wear is perceived. This guitar case protects the instrument’s functional parts while leaving the rest exposed to acquire a natural patina. (A collaboration with Dave Evans.)
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4. An exploration of combining natural materials and modern technology: A wood veneer overlay for a 13” MacBook. 5. Later in the year, my thesis work evolved to include bridging physical and digital worlds. This is an early rapid (but functional) prototype of a device for monitoring prescription drug compliance remotely via text messaging.
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6. ”Un-tied” chair made of new birch plywood and walnut, and recycled neckties obtained for free from Craigslist. Along with the “Sun Day” sofa and a chair made from a cast-off satellite dish, it was created for the second-year personal statement. 7. A rocking stool made of laminated birch plywood and steel rods. 8. A fruit bowl with panels made of laser-cut birch plywood and acrylic.
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9. The “Foodcycle” bike lunch box addresses the problem of the over-stuffed messenger bag or backpack by enabling a rider to transport food on the frame of their bike. A versatile mounting system enables off-the-shelf accessories – such as insulated drink bottles – to be carried on the frame as well.
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10. The “Enhabit light controller” is a switch that provides its user with tactile feedback about the amount of energy being used either within their household or by the electrical grid as a whole. The typically mindless activity of flipping a switch is gently disrupted, making the user more aware of how much energy they are consuming. (A collaboration with Brendan Wypich.)
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BRENDAN WYPIC H
TORON TO, O N TA R I O B. C OMM. HO N. : QU EEN’S UNIVERSIT Y B FA N E W M E D IA : RY E R S O N U N I V E RSIT Y
1 1. KBD-1000 BOOMBOX (Hi-Fi Wi-Fi) Features wireless connectivity (802.11g) that allows the user to stream audio to the device and play it through a high quality, portable sound system, while preserving the classic aesthetics and high quality production of the vintage machines.
I consider myself fortunate to have been exposed to electricity’s potential as an expressive medium early in my development as a creative professional. While studying New Media as an undergraduate, my electronics instructor, Norm White, would always refer to printed circuit board designs as “artworks”. He encouraged me to employ a behaviorist outlook towards my creations, to look beyond functional optimization and consider the broader social context of my work. He challenged me to find the soul in the circuitry. Only now, while collecting the highlights of my work over the past two years, do I fully realize how this be-
haviorist approach to artistic production has inspired my design explorations. I consider my role as a designer to be synonymous with that of a systems architect. Design is about creating a set of initial conditions which frames experience in a way that leads to a better understanding of oneself, of others, and of one’s environment. I spent my thesis year exploring ways to stimulate behavioral change in people’s energy consumption habits. I focused on creating novel ways for people to relate to the electricity they use, developing new metaphors and systems of meaning around power generation, energy storage and consumption.
Brendan will change our world one light switch at a time! Brendan's work focused on "mindful" interfaces that brought conscience and heart to the usability of ordinary household interactions. These concepts spanned a range: from the elegantly simple to the technologically complex. Brendan's fluid use of cognitive and physical design tools gave his projects an unusual breadth of imagination and pragmatic functionality. Brendan engaged us on many levels and compelled us to rethink the possibilities of our product environment.
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- Michael Barry
3 2 & 3. SMARTSWITCH Equipped with a network connection and a brake pad, the switch provides its user with tactile feedback about the amount of energy being used either within their household or by the electrical grid as a whole. (Collaboration with Peter Russo.)
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4 & 5. SUN LAMP System includes a miniature solar panel and rechargeable battery unit. The system explores the notion of enabling a person to “grow� their own light.
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7 6 & 7. WALKABOUT A mobile utility that turns a person’s daily physical activity into social currency. Users can dedicate their steps to a variety of different participation modes - each mode defined by different degrees of social engagement and competitiveness. Developed in collaboration with Carissa Carter & Ryan Mason. 8. EARCANDY Personalizes the experience of music exchange by allowing the user to customize the device and attach a personal audio message to the player. 9 & 10. MACHINE FOR LISTENING & REMEMBERING v0.2. The machine performs the acts of listening and remembering by manipulating the spatial and temporal characteristics of its sonic surroundings. 11 & 12. VU An interactive art installation that uses a stereo’s volume meter circuit to visualize the projection of a person’s voice. When two participants simultaneously speak loudly enough through the microphones a central light “explosion” is triggered.
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JEFF YOUNG
ATL A N TA , G E O R G IA BFA D I G I TA L M E D I A U N I V E R S I TY OF GEORG IA
“Don’t let Jeff’s humility fool you. His imaginative ideas are always executed to perfection. His passion for craft and attention to detail make Jeff the kind of designer I would want on my team. I am consistently impressed by the subtlety, simplicity, and strength of his designs.” -Nicole Kahn
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It must have started with two cavemen right? I don’t mean everything under the sun… just everything else. I am talking about the important stuff like the wheel, special edition DVDs, and those little colored candy things glued to accounting tape; it all had to come from somebody. One could even argue that all of science, technology and the inventions of man were created in pursuit of something as
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3 simple as better oral hygiene, after all, if we can’t eat or attract mates, what hope do we really have? While this hypothesis may be a gross simplification of the creative and technical accomplishments of our species it begs to find relationships between seemingly disparate objects, circumstances and their functions. How do the things we have created, surrounded ourselves with, and developed dependencies or relate? I have found my work deals with the exchange and
1. Single serving birdseed carrier 2. Shampoo bottle boat 3. Flexible dart case 4. Bottle opener: a bull
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simplification of the aesthetic, functional, and anthropological qualities inherently associated with existing objects. Through play, humor, and more than a bit of indulgent defiance, I hope to create and reshape the objects and experiences we live with. Sure, there are those that would say preventative tooth decay practices could never have led to modern science, digital home entertainment, and everything we consider something, but then‌ they probably have bad breath.
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5. Birdhouse 6. Face masks 7. Lego head bracelet 8. Hidden paper-football pad 9. Ghostbusters Kleenex box 10. Personal statement: fiberglass masks 11. Puma pen 12. Hotel reliquary 13. Wall light
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LOFT LIFE