F O L I O Maja Kaszuba - Product Design
ABOUT ME 07518588773 maja.w.kaszuba@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/maja-kaszuba-0002
I am fascinated by the notion that an idea which starts in my mind can become a physical object that has an actual impact on the everyday life of other people. As designers we create the world and that greatly excites me. I want to be part of creating a world that is considerate of the needs of people and our environment. I want to make an impact and I want to do this in a way that benefits our planet and all the people on it. I come from a fine art background and love to portray my ideas visually, both in 3D and 2D. In my spare time I enjoy experimenting with mixing different media, for example acrylic paint with biro or promarkers. I draw inspiration from nature, architecture and art. I love travelling when I get a chance, especially city breaks where I can appreciate different architecture and indulge in local culture.
CONTENTS sheet material stool.
brief intro and key research modelling sketching and CAD
milk side table range.
project intro and the problem research and material experimentation modelling and CAD (sofa saide table) CAD (coffee table and bedside table)
toy story.
brief into and key research sketching and photoshop render modelling modelling and CAD
pendant lighting. brief intro and key research sketching modelling and CAD
mobile communications. brief intro and key research modelling (card) modelling (3D printing) CAD
SHEET MATERIAL STOOL
In this project we were given the task of designing a homeware product using sheet materials. I designed a range of stools that embrace traditional manufacturing processes of sheet materials. The combination of ash wood and sheet steal and the graceful curves of the legs and seat, create a sense of sophistication which will add to any interior. The two heights ensure that it can be used at a bar/kitchen island and at a table.
key research. This mood board summarises the aesthetics inspired by the target consumer. The key points were simplicity, elegance and good quality as well as a muted colour palette.
SHEET MATERIAL STOOL
modelling. In this project I used modelling to inspire the design process. I explored how bending of a sheet material can lead to different forms and developed and refined the forms that best fitted the user persona. I also used modelling to adjust the dimensions of the final design and make sure that it is suitable for use as intended.
SHEET MATERIAL STOOL
sketching and CAD. Throughout this project I produced sketched embodying folding, I used images of origami as a source of inspiration, as well as furniture that uses folding and my own folding of a sheet of paper. My sketches derived from my models as much as my models derived from my sketches. Through the design process, my forms got simpler and
more refined to the point where I found myself developing a few of my favourite ones in most detail. Upon choosing my final concept and developing it, I created a Solidworkds and Keyshot render of the two stools which I designed.
MILK SIDE TABLE RANGE
The aim of this project was to design a range of products for the home that utilise bio-plastics, made from surplus milk, in their manufacture and promote milk waste prevention and smart use of waste. The range is made up of three side tables: a coffee table, bed side table and a side table for a sofa. Each one is inspired by a three legged milking stool: they use wood with an unfinished look for the legs and mortise and tenon joints like in a vintage stool. They also use milk bio-plastic for the table top and self.
Visual representation of the amount of milk wasted in the UK every minute (around 1070 pints).
the problem - milk waste. In the UK we waste around 330,000 tonnes of milk a year. This is 904 tonnes a day. 627 kg of milk wasted for every minute of the day. That is nearly the weight of a fully grown cow. That is approximately 608 litres. Above is a visual representation of this, every bottle holding 2 pints.
MILK SIDE TABLE RANGE
key research. This mood board shows images of cow milking done the old fashion way, vintage miling stools and Tessa Silva’s tableware made from a milk bio-plastic. I was inspired by the simplicity and funcionality of the milking stools, as well as the aesthetic of the joints used in them. Tessa Silva’s work was also inspiring as it was where I first came across the use of milk bioplastic in homeware.
milk bio-plastic. Milk contains a protein called casein which can be used to create a durable bio-plastics. Casein based plastics such as gallalith were once used to make jewellery, buttons and glass frames, amongst many other things. Now a days, 1070 pints of milk go to waste every minute in the UK and we don’t even try to utilise it. This page portrays photographs taken during the process of extracting casein from milk at home.
MILK SIDE TABLE RANGE
modelling. I created a full scale cardboard model for one of the side tables to figure out proportions, I then modelled all three on Solidworks and 3D printed them. These allowed me to explore their scale in relation to each other as well as proportions, in three dimensions rather than on a screen.
sofa side table. This is a Solidworks and Keyshot render of the sofa side table.
MILK SIDE TABLE RANGE
coffee table. This is a Solidworks and Keyshot render of the coffee table.
bed side table. This is a Solidworks and Keyshot render of the bedside side table.
TOY STORY
In this project we were tasked with designing a wooden toy that would fit in with the John Lewis wooden toy range, that was to be manufactured by hand or using basic machinery, in a factory in Lativia. The product also had to fit in a box 300x300x200mm to reduce shipping costs.
key research. I looked at some traditional and non traditional wooden toys and their aesthetics for inspiration, types of toys that are good for children’s development and the already existing wooden toys at John Lewis. Most wooden toys fall into the category of “pretending” toys which are good for child development. A lot of these toys were vehicles, of which helicopters where lacking in the John Lewis collection.
TOY STORY
sketching. These are some of the sketches produced during the development of the toy helicopter. I experimented with various shapes of the body, windows, propeller and wheels/standing structure.
CMF. I decided on very classic muted colours that are often used in wooden toys. Research shows muted colours appear more to adults, who will be the ones actually buying the toys. This set of colours also appears to be quite gender neutral, making the toy more accessible for all children to play with. I decided to leave some of the wood showing to embrace that it is a classical wooden toy - this also fits in with the aesthetics of the other wooden toys in the John Lewis range. The toy uses ECOS semi gloss paint and wood primer as they are non toxic, thus it will be safe if children decide to put the toy in their mouth during play. The helicopter is made from beech wood, which is typically used for wooden toys as it is tough and durable. There are also steel axels in the wheels and propeller.
TOY STORY
modelling. During the design process I experimented with scale and shape using blue foam models. I had to consider what the object feels like in an adults hand as well as a child’s hand To decide what size was most suitable, I observed my 7 year old brother playing with them. I had to make the toy less chunky so that it was easier to handle.
The final model is made from beechwood and painted with acrylic paint. I used basic workshop equipment including: a band saw, jigsaw, drill and sanding disk. All of which would be found in a basic factory in Latvia.
TOY STORY
modelling. Alongside the product I also designed the packaging. This box is 300x300x200mm in compliance with the brief. It is the same style as the packaging on other John Lewis toy boxes.
CAD rendering.
PENDANT LIGHTING
In this project was a live brief from Deadgood, in which we were tasked with designing a pendant light that fitted in with the Deadgood range. Due to the nature of the company I decided to design my lighting fixture with a specific cafĂŠ in mind. This was a local cafĂŠ called Effy. Supporting local businesses is in the very nature of Deadgood so it is a good fit. The outcome is a pendant inspired by the historic lace industry of Nottingham, thus an emotionally durable design.
key research. In my research I looked at the history of Nottingham, in particular the lace and wool pulling industry. I created a visual mood board of this to draw inspiration from. I also looked at how this context has been used within architecture, when looking at the exterior of the contemporary art gallery in Nottingham, they use lace cast in concrete for decoration. I used this as a starting point for my design process.
PENDANT LIGHTING
sketching. I started sketching by exploring textures and shapes found in lace and wool. This helped me generate a variety of initial ideas all linked to Nottingham’s history. The quirky, irregular shapes didn’t really fit in with Deadgood’s collection so I explored possible pendant shapes that would be suitable and implemented my chosen design on them. I then chose the shape that looked the best after exploring it in 3D.
PENDANT LIGHTING
modelling. I explored the lighting effect of my pendant, I wanted to create a light that could be used for both task lighting and ambient lighting. The design of the lamp made this possible. I then explored different size variations of my lamp and how they would fit around the bulb. This allowed me to finalise the dimensions and come up with a design that is available in two different sized. After finalising my design I created a render using Solidworks and Keyshot.
MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
In this group project we worked as a team to explore the environmental impact of smartphones and designed 3 concepts for the year 2025. We looked at the sustainability problems mobile phones caused all through their life cycle and created three statement-making designs. Designers: Maja Kaszuba (me), Harjoat Kaur and Adam Wolstenholme.
key trends research.
extinction rebellion.
aesthetics.
CMF.
People are becoming more engaged with rebelling against the climate crisis. Whether it is through protests or small changes in their life style.
Trends in aesthetics of phones: Designs becoming simpler. Screen to body ratio increasing.
Earthy tones, clear and separate materials. This derives from extinction rebellion as design will need to ease disposal in the form of recycling which is hard due to mixed materials in current products.
MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
modelling. We created models for each of the concepts from card. The model of the transparent phone was planned by me and made by Harj, the durable phone was by Harj and the phone for disassembly was designed and modelled by Adam.
MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
3D printed model. We decided to 3D print the phone for disassembly concept as it was the most interesting without it’s intended materials. The model showed how the phone can be taken apart and put back together easily.
MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
designed by Maja, CAD by Maja
designed by Har
design for transparency. This design is focused on transparency. It is a visual metaphor for sourcing transparency and the journey the device has been on. The hardware is colour coded in a way that allows the consumer to track where their phone comes from. You can turn the transparency of the screen up and down. This phone makes a statement about the lack of transparency in the phone industry and will hopefully put pressure on other manufacturers to change their ways.
design for durability.
This designed focused on targeting planned obsolesce that cameras, batteries and screens were all big reason so we made the camera upgradable and the rest of th to fix. It also comes with a solid-state battery which ha device can be charged with heat due to its thermo-gen body.
rj, CAD by Maja
ence in smartphones. We found ns why people replaced phones, he phone really easy to take part as high energy density and the nerator and conductive copper
designed by Adam, CAD by Adam
design for disassembly.
The last concept looks at the end of the life cycle. It is made in a way that allows it to be easily disassembled and recycle as materials are kept separate where possible and it is very minimal. The phone is all screen, with an under-screen camera thus further minimising use of different materials. The all-round screen also means the phone is smaller than a traditional phone while still having just as much screen.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME