PORTFOLIO A Selection of Product Design Projects by Katarina Rosker
Content 4 -5
Introduction
Curriculum vitae Skills and experiences
6 - 15 Vianna Hand Blender A project in collaboration with Bosch Slovenia Product design Ergonomic hand blender design
16 - 27 Stivalo Extendable Table A project for Kristalia Furniture design Nominated for NABA Design Award 2018
28 - 40 Ensemble Bathroom Collection A project for Shang Xia Bathroom design Introducing a Chinese brand to a western audience
Katarina Rosker katarina.rosker@gmail.com +386 41 681 505
3
Introduction
Naturally curious and constantly absorbed into learning new things, I have always been interested in untying difficult knots – solving diverse problems by applying creative thinking. Even though the modernist design tradition of my birth country (Slovenia) has instilled a sense of practicality and functionality in my design process, studying in Milano and meeting people of diverse nationalities made me realize the role of design in creating bonds and intimate connections between seemingly different communities. While balancing these particular aspects of design, I never forget about the role of beauty in the objects that surround us. After all, why not try to make our surroundings a little more beautiful by design?
Personal Information
Katarina Rošker
02. 08. 1990, Ljubljana, Slovenia katarina.rosker@gmail.com +386 41 681 505 https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-rosker-5ab473184/ https://www.behance.net/katarinarosker
Education
Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia Bachleor’s degree
Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milano, Italy Master’s degree
Software Skills
Solidworks Rhino Keyshot Adobe CC: Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects
Languages
4
Slovenian - native English - fluent German - fluent Croatian - conversational Italian - elementary Turkish - elementary
Work Experience
Wangan Product designer Designing furniture for interior design projects, animating video presentations, creating realistic renders. July 2019 - ongoing Istanbul, turkey
Hong Kong Old Blacksmith Ltd. Freelance product designer Designing a collection of architectural elements (space dividers, steel railings etc.) October 2018 - December 2018 Milano, Italy
S. Amore Freelance product designer Designing several collections of porcelain tableware. November 2017 - June 2018 Milano, Italy
Areca d. o. o. Showroom assistant Selling designer glassware, furniture and home accessories, working with customers and with the online store August 2013 - June 2015 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Honourable Mentions
Mitsubishi Electric Design Marathon, 2019 Winner of the Jury’s Choice Prize and runner up to the Grand Final Prize
Naba Design Award, 2018 Nominee and finalist
New Humanity Competition by Dalani Home and Living and NABA, 2017 3rd place and partial scholarship recipient
Certificates
IELTS: 8/9 March 2017
Specific Training for Workers Workshop Safety Training, Injury Prevention and Protection November 2017 5
a project for
Vianna
HAND BLENDER Brief
This project was born as a collaboration between Bosch Slovenia and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. The Academy gave us the task to explore the ergonomics of the hand but the client – Bosch wanted a new design of a hand blender, using their existing technology. The end product merged both the ergonomic and the aesthetic aspects which resulted in a unique look, unusual for the oversaturated market.
Client
Bosch Slovenia in collaboration with Academy of the Fine Arts and Design
Skills
Concept development Sketching Prototyping (foam and wood) Technical drawings Production research - ABS plastic injection moulding Graphic design - presentational skills
Mentor
Prof. Jure Miklavc
7
Exploration of the Form Immersion blender is typically a multifunctional device - can we use design to accomodate all of the functions?
8
The research brought to the realisation that the nature of the grip could change based on the different functions of the hand blender Several prototypes helped to explore this multi-grip concept and determine the final shape.
9
A slanted handle for more comfort An angle of approximately 50 ° keeps the wrist in a natural relaxed position as opposed to the straight handles which cause a constant radial flexion of the wrist and often lead to injuries.
10
Human Factors
Maximum simplicity with just one button
The analysis of the ergonomics of the wrist educated us about the importance of keeping the human wrist in a neutral position, especially when the grip is also combined with vibrations. Some functions of the device (using the blender or the masher attachments) require it to be in an upright position, but the control over the device is just as good even if the handle has an inclination. In the end, the elongated form with an inclined handle proved to be the most comfortable and intuitive way of holding the object and introduced a new aesthetic language so the device is easily destinguishable from a flood of other very similar looking blenders.
Press once for low speed, twice for medium speed, three times for top speed. Hold to turn the mixer off.
11
Multi-Grip Concept The end form incorporates two different kinds of grip: for the upright position of the device (mixing, chopping, mashing etc.) and for the tilted position of the device –whisking. To achieve a soft and fluffy mixture the whisk should be submerged diagonally and moved side to side to produce shear force. Our arm naturally makes this movement when we whisk the mixture by hand and now the gesture can be mimicked intuitively by the use of such appliance.
12
13
Technical Details Pantone Colours and Finishes:
3155 C
4975 C
silver
Body material: ABS plastic Mixing rod and whisk material: stainless steel
Prototype in a 1:1 scale
The prototype was made in wood, touched up with some primer and painted over with spray paint.
14
250
50
85
180
210
65
70
Estimated weight: 0,5 kg
15
Stivalo
EXTENDABLE TABLE Brief
Kristalia approached us with an interesting challenge: create a new extendable table design, to update their current besteslling items. The company is well known by their clean and modern looking objects which often contain technologically demanding but smart solutions. We decided to play with those aspects of the company but create a warmer and a bit more feminine feeling object.
Client
Kristalia in collaboration with Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti
Skills
Initial ideation and concept develompent Sketching Prototyping Technical drawings Production research - aluminium moulding Graphic design - presentational skills
Team Mentor Honourable Mentions
Katarina Rosker Basak Oguzalp
Prof. Terri Pecora Nominee and finalist for NABA Design Award 2018
17
A New Table
Smooth, modern and elegant could be the words to describe the style of our client – Kristalia, an Italian company known for their collaboration with acclaimed designers and production exclusively in taly. Our team had our own take on that description which led to a table that is compatible with Kristalia’s portfolio but also has our own personalities – softer, feminine, but with a twist.
18
19
Inspiration
Matt soft touch surfaces in bitter and pastel colours combined with light wood in a non-glossy, natural feeling finish. Kristalia’s own designs like the Sharky chair on the one hand and classic Scandinavian design on the other. These are the fragments that influenced our imagination while designing the Stivalo.
Kristalia’s Sharky chair inspired us with its joints and material combination
Modern or vintage?
Classic Scandinavian sideboard, with iconic tapered legs and a geometrical shape is a piece designed in the 50’s but could still fit in a contemporary environment.
20
“Stivale” - noun [masculine] /sti’vale/ a commonly used italian word for a high boot.
21
22
A Simple Extension
Simple, comprehensive and made out of standard elements. Our mechanism is easy to use and needs no upkeep. Move the halves of the table top aside, take out the extensions and place them on the rails. Eccola, the table is set!
23
Details and Craftsmanship Aluminium and wood converged in a very versatile table appropriate for a use as a dining table or a piece of office furniture. It works well with a wooden table top indoor or with a Fenix coated top outdoor.
Soft but strong The metal support that runs all the way down to the floor keeps the table strong, but the wood tha covers it adds warmth and softness.
Classic shapes achieved through new technology The joint between the metal support and the wooden “boot� of the leg, is our strongest detail that gives our table its name. 24
25
Techincal Details Fenix finishes (Pantone):
350 C
Cool Gray 11 C
Wood finishes:
4685 C
Prototype in a 1:1 Scale
We created a prototype of a quarter of the table, made entirely out of white styrofoam.
26
750
900
1660 / 2660
27
Ensemble
BATHROOM COLLECTION Brief
Shang Xia, a luxury sister brand of Hermes, has a mission of translating traditional Chinese crafts into modern functional objects. They asked us to do just that by creating a product with an Asian identity which would appeal to a worldwide market. Our team decided to explore some new fields and entered the bathroom – an intimate space not yet covered by the brand.
Client
Shang Xia in collaboration with Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti
Team
Mentor
Aishwarya Menon - intital ideation, final prototype Jiayu Zu - initial ideation, concept development, final prototype Katarina Rosker -initial ideation, concept development, rendering and photoshop, technical details, public presentation for the client, Sofia Franchi - initial ideation, concept development, presentation design, public presentation for the client Yuezhen Liu - initial ideation, final prototype
Prof. Dante Donegani
29
Company Moodboard
Shang Xia is a Chinese brand backed by Hermes and led by Jiang Qiong Er. It is known by their way of translating traditional Chinese craftsmanship – bamboo marquetry, eggshell porcelain production, kesi embroidery and others – into modern objects that appeal to a wider market. Their collection ranges from furniture and smaller decorative household products to clothing, jewellery and leather goods. Shang Xia’s visual language is very simple, but with a great emphasis on details which add a decorative touch to otherwise functional items.
30
Entering the Bathroom We recognized the bathroom as one of the rare spaces Shang Xia has not entered yet but where their soft and clean visual language could add a touch of comfort and beauty. 31
32
Inspired by the Materials
The collection takes inspiration from the materials which have a very strong connection to the Chinese culture, but translates it into the final products in a very gentle and subtle way.
China in one word
The word “china� is often used to describe a valuable painted porcelain dish – something delicate, fragile and charming.
Bamboo bending
We found an innate elegance in the simplest of bamboo joints created by slicing and bending. The simplicity of it evoked an idea to achieve the same result but with another material.
33
34
Timeless Relaxation
Speaking to Shang Xia’s creative director revealed the brand’s idea of luxury: “Luxury is time. When we have the time to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, when we are able to enjoy the moment we inhabit, that is the real luxury.” What else to embody that better than the time we take to relax and focus on our wellbeing in the most intimate space of all – the bathroom. We designed the pieces to hold the precious self-care items that nourish our body, but doing so very respectfully without hiding the objects themselves.
Lightness and Softness
These were the keywords that we always held in our mind while developing this collection. The precious porcelain is held by the brass frame so softly, it could almost be floating.
35
An Abundance of Options
Even though the main chosen materials were brass and Ming dynasty painted porcelain, the collection was consciously designed in a way which could incorporate several other materials to give it a look that can fit into any home. All of the proposed materials have a connection to the Chinese tradition, which is very important to Shang Xia, but look very contemporary and work well as timeless pieces.
We chose bamboo and natural inkstone as the alternatives for the shelf material and powder coated steel for the frames, which enables numerous colour options. 36
37
38
Hidden Technology
The choice to show the construction of the pieces was made very selectively. The bends in the brass may reveal the inside of the pipe, to directly reference the bamboo inspiration, but the joints between the shelf and the frame are almost invisible, to create an illusion of weightlessness. Similarly, we hid the elements, which connect the pieces to the wall and the mirror light which is almost concealed until it is turned on.
Prototypes in a 1:2 Scale We created the prototypes using a vacuum forming technology, plastic tubes and acrylic glass.
39
Technical Details Shelf Materials:
painted porcelain
natural inkstone
Support Finishes (Pantone):
bamboo board
black 7 C
7608 C
2309 C
brass
1000
500
230
1200
40
700
250
Invisible Wall Joint
600
500
150
230
30
500
41
More projects available on:
https://www.behance.net/katarinarosker
Contact information:
katarina.rosker@gmail.com +386 41 681 505 42