MA Portfolio - Sep '16| April '17 by Maria Vittoria Gandolfi

unit 1 | 2017

C o nt e n t s 5

1.1 Connections

1.2 Client project

CIP Theatre induction

CIP 1 Hack the city

CIP 2 Food and trans-culturalism

CIP 3 The augmented death

CIP 4 Near future

1.3 Product as a platform

Design Contexts Presentation

Visions

1.1 Connections The purpose of this f irst project was to familiarise with the wood, plastic and metal workshops. It was also an opportunity to create a working relationship with our classmates. Each student was given a number from 1 to 31 to def ine an order and create a chain reaction. The outcome had to be a mechanism connecting the one made by the person before us to the one made by the person after us. During this project each student had the impression of being a part of something. This project not only involved us to imagine our own mechanised element but to think about the whole connection. We had to create an element which worked, easy to use, quickly resettable and which was able to established at least two connections.

1.1 CONNECTIONS

Managing this project as a group, each student had to do some compromises and work with people coming from different backgrounds and skills. As a starting point I met Alexander and Zoe, the people before and after me, and we discussed about our main idea for the whole connection in order to create a unity also helped by the advices from Nigel Burge. The trickiest part of this project was not to imagine our own mechanism but to establish a connection with a group of 3/4 students. The basic principle of my idea was that of a cam, a rotating or sliding piece used in trasforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa. According to me it was really challenging to realise my mechanism: I had iterate several times in order to f ind the right shape of all of the components by prototyping them with different materials. During the realisation, my group and I continuously compared our model in order to give us suggestions each other and make our connection feasible. Having f inalised my model I realised that the connection with Alexander, the student just before me, did not release enough strength to make our connections worked. In this way we have worked together, as a team, to solve this issue just in time.

1.1 CONNECTIONS

We tested our connections several times in little groups the day before the submission to assure an operational functioning. I will remember this project as a time of sharing and also a pleasant moment celebrated in an inspiring place as the Heath Robinshon Museum. At the end we can not say that the connection chain entirely worked but we really enjoyed having tried and tried again. I have really appreciate the willingness and the patience of the technicians in the workshops which have always tried to help us giving advices. Thanks to this project we could confront our ideas, our know-how and make us familiar with the rest of the class.

1.2 Client project On 26th of October we have been introduced to the f irst brief of the 1.2 project. This concerned the accessorising technology: the interrelationships between the body, mobile technology and how consumption affords social capital. We were asked to design a new accessory for a smartphone in order to communicate its creative and luxury positioning. But at that point we did not know yet that our client would be the Huawei brand. Our teachers have divided us in groups comprising students also from MA Design Ceramics, Furniture or Jewellery. First of all, Nick gave us a lesson about luxury: we were invited to consider the meanings and roles of this term from a new perspective. It was interesting ref lecting on what this word can hide behind the main meaning of ‘comfort’ and ‘something that is extra’.

1.2 CLIENT PROJECT

At this point we decided to translate all the researches in some possible ideas. This was the f irst real opportunity for dialogue as a team. During the f irst meeting with Silas and Liz we exposed almost seven ideas but most of these were not so convincing. In addition to that the teachers noticed that we were a bit out of touch in sharing our ideas as a team, so they suggested us to get more inspirations from outside trying to work in different spaces. Our teachers announced us we had to work for the Huawei brand and right after we had the meeting with some people of the company. The second brief we received has talked about ‘the new artistic minds’: new cosmopolitan people with a positive, curious and creative personality. They wanted us to focus on the ‘new aesthetic’. Few weeks after Abigail Brody, chief user experience designer of Huawei, gave us a lesson about this theme clarifying our target users. It was useful receiving a supplementary brief directly from the clients: although we were a bit disoriented, since the word ‘luxury’ had been put aside, we addressed our f irst ideas in a more specif ic way.

We have started doing some research about how to def ine luxury we came out with some interests: -the concept of rituals involved in the slow design and living; -the value of the time as a promotion of emptiness; -the discovery of f idgeting -the way of raising awareness of beautiful moment

Later on we decided to proceed with the idea of f idgeting which could involve the concept of anger and stress. In addition to that, we were aware that we needed to go beyond the f irst topic we had discovered. We needed to force our mind out of schemes in order to produce more ‘magic’ ideas.

1.2 CLIENT PROJECT

During the initial review we had to present three ideas. The f irst concerned music improvisation. Based on the principle of the length of the notes, we thought about a tool which produced different types of sound pointing at objects and according to the distance between the person and the object itself. 16

1.2 CLIENT PROJECT

The second one was about sharing moments. We have imagined a second screen as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;partnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of your smartphone which could allow you to visualize images, f iles or maps in a more interactive way. In a social or a professional context, you could project the pictures from your phone in this second device and attaching each screens together you could obtain a bigger picture.

1.2 CLIENT PROJECT

For the second interim review we have been able to explore our ideas more deeply and for each of them we added much more quality in the visualization. We contextualised the concepts in short but effective videos which could be selfexplanatory. At this stage of the project the teachers chose one of our three ideas: the bigger screen idea. The feedback pushed us to focus on the physical social aspect of the concept: we had to imagine what could happen around the screen as a moment of socialization and good entertainment. We have also analyzed the technological part which had been simply mentioned so far. Thanks to this research we started to understand that our idea could be feasibile enough due to the EE-ink technology.

The last one resumed the idea of anger and stress. The main point was to create a tool which could let you aware of your anger and help you to f ight and release it.

For the last part of the project we had to def ine the design of our product: one of the hardest part was deciding whether to put the screen on the front or on the back of the phone, because this would have give completely different results. It was also tricky clarifying each other the different functions and layouts of the screen.

At the end of this f irst presentation our teachers gave us a critique: the ideas were not so well presented even if each of them could have a potential. We were asked to f ind out a meaning ful and creative way to show them. I was conscious that we have presented a lacking work mostly because of our different points of view.

During the last week we splitted up our duties and I worked only with one of my group mates building up the scenario of the concept. We designed two types of video: one more technical about the functionality of the product and the other positioning the accessory in different contexts.

1.2 CLIENT PROJECT

For me it was not so easy retracing this experience but at the same time it made me more consciuos about some aspects of the project. The most diff icult side was the collaboration in team. Unfortunately we were not so able to f ind out our connection in terms of exchange of views, sharing ideas and mutual support. However this has taught me that even if you cannot always f ind people to work with in a good way you should try to face the situation and do the best you can. The project has been challenging because we approached a real client and this taught me more how to meet different needs. I have also become more aware of my lacking in terms of 3D drawing and now I am really determined to explore and learn new softwares.

CIP Theatre induction On Saturday 28th of October students of MA Industrial Design have been initiated to a theatre class as part of the CIP projects. We had to share this moment with students from different courses : MA Material Futures, MA Furniture Design, MA Ceramics and MA Jewellery in order to learn how to work and collaborate with other students. During this induction Jon Martin, programme director drama and performance, taught us how to relax, how to express ourselves and be open to others. This induction, even if of few hours, has also been meaning ful for us in the sense we had to discover basic skills to realise our performances. It was a playful and ludic moment through which we learned how to focus more on our thoughts thanks to simple games.

CIP 1 Hack the city The project consisted in choosing a place, analysing people behaviour in relation to it, understanding its history and recreate the experience. This could be a service, game, guide, physical intervention as an interpretation of the “dérive”, a drifting through the city which enables the extraordinary to come to light. We have been divided into groups of different courses: my group was composed of Jeffrey (MA Industrial Design), Melissa and Soohyun (MA Jewellery) and Lulu (MA Material Futures) Being a team of students from f ive countries, the project revealed itself a useful way to benef it from different horizons which pushed us to collaborate since the beginning. As a f irst approach to CIP projects, we were a bit uncertain because we had to work only for three days and give a distinctive and engaging design response. According to me, this was a way to work I had never managed before.

CIP 1

First of all, we have been given a specif ic area of London from the Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s map. Our ďŹ rst visit to the B6 area was on Monday allowing us to see the city from a day and evening perspective. The initial de-familiarizing act of following cranes in the B6 area eventually led us across Barbican Centre.

CIP 1

We spotted benches for one - essentially chairs positioned in line down a Barbican courtyard and we immediately questioned whether they were ever used. Building on this manifestation of being alone, we decided to explore how the image and idea of a solitary bench could be used as an association of loneliness in London.

Upon entering Barbican Centre,we noticed that it possessed a labyrinth-like quality, at times feeling like abandoned ruins, and we felt f irst a bit disconnected and alone as we wandered around a housing complex of its size with so few visible inhabitants.

CIP 1

We imagined that our â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bench for One: Sit With Meâ&#x20AC;? experience would draw attention to the problem of loneliness in London and make a visual representation of the statistical data collected on loneliness in this city. The intervention was an attempt to take loneliness as a concept or intangible feeling and physically manifest its presence in a bench all by itself. 34

CIP 1

Through the course of this derive and creation of the intervention, we learned to pay attention to the seemingly insigniďŹ cant material and elemental qualities of a place. Thanks to this project I have discovered how it can be challenging to work with students from different courses. We have had little time to discover the skills of each student and to get closer to them. Having different linguistic and cultural backgrounds made it interesting to see how each of us interpreted and created visualizations for how a chair embodies loneliness. If I were to do this project differently I would ďŹ nd a way of engaging people to participate in the experience of connecting with others, rather than just reďŹ&#x201A;ecting on the presence of loneliness in London.

CIP 2 Food and trans-culturalism The main topic for this project was food. Our job as a team was to design a meaning ful â&#x20AC;&#x153;trans-culturalâ&#x20AC;? eating experience drawing on the prof ile and expertise of our group. This meal experience had to be authentic and memorable in the sense that it ref lected a particular time, place and set of interactions. At the beginning of the three days, we have had the pleasure to hear Clare Patey, director of the Empathy Museum, talking about her participatory installations, performances and exhibitions. She gave us some inspiring insights of what creating outside interventions means.

CIP 2

The teachers invited us to organise a dinner as a group: Soohyun suggest us an asian fusion restaurant in Covent Garden, Inamo. We found that an interesting place where we could experiment an eating experience that was distinctive and resistant to standardisation. You can seat down there at an interactive table through which you can order, look at the kitchen via a webcam and play games. We really enjoyed the experience and the dinner was a pleasant moment in order to discuss about the brief and our aims.

CIP 2

Starting with the cliche, undeniably true, for which food brings people together, we intended to create the experience of “connection” in its most literal sense. As part of CIP we knew that we had to “make the invisible, visible,”

Passing along the Regent’s canal outside of CSM, we noticed that animals share personal bonds and food connections similar to that of humans. You see groups of birds chaotically ﬁghting for bread crumbs tossed in the waters by morning the passerby. In addition, on routine walks of the canal we began to notice the same birds, the same two swans, the same few geese and ducks and to realize the invisible neighborhoods, that these animals must inhabit in the canal.

We imagine that with time you might be able to have a reality TV show based on the animals of the canal: the friendship (perhaps romance) between the two swans, the bond between two docile geese, the aggressive antagonist alpha goose that barrels into the feeding frenzies. Using food, we wanted to design an eating experience that would help people see the secret lives that exists in the canal. After witnessing what and how the birds eat, we created a “peoplefood” menu that parallels the diets of the “local” canal birds. The meal would take place along the canal in the animal’s unique neighborhood.

CIP 2

At this point of CIP we have been able to familiarize even more with our group matesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills working together in synchrony. I have to admit that I did not feel the idea proposed as properly mine. According me, we have forced a bit the connection between the canal neighbourhood and the food experience. Even if we were quite ref lexive in seeing how the animals behaviour could be similar to that of humans sharing food, we have not been so able to get the idea which had to involve a communication and collaboration between the diners. Nonetheless, I have really enjoyed experiencing the outside place and observing social and environment contexts and then re-creating this experience inside a room. During the presentation, we have been divided in two sides: pros and cons. Every time a group has presented its project the teachers have chosen one spokesperson for each side who had to give some feedbacks to the group. This was really interesting because it pushed us to build a critique in a more theatrical way.

CIP 3 The augmented death Science and technology may be helping us to live longer and smarter, but how might they combine with cultural systems to provide an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;emotionally intelligentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; death? This was the f irst question to which we have submitted during the f irst meeting of CIP 3. At the beginning, we have felt a little disoriented and confused because we had to face a very delicate issue as death. I think this has been also the reason why we spent much time doing some researches and postponing our discussions about the topic.

CIP 3

Using digital technology it would be feasible to create a 360 degree simulation of the desired environment that is present in the background of this monumentally personal event. We imagined a ‘Resting Place’ that could add a major degree of personalization in the time of death. Not only would the ‘Resting Place’ create a meaning ful visual environment, but assuming that time permits, personal affections could be added to the room that would reinforce the sentimentality and physicality of place and time. By no means do we intended to fool the dying person into believing that this simulated environment was real, but we imagined that there would be a subtle appreciation for being “removed” from the sterile conf ines of a hospital room. Of course, we have been admitted that without extensive user-research we could not truly understand the emotional impact of place in the moments surrounding death.

During our research, a statistic came up: this has showed that 55% of people die in hospitals while just 8% of people prefer to die in hospitals. This disproportionate reality between what is desired and what actually happens showed us a design touch-point. So we started to think about whether how we could design a better hospital death using technology to orchestrate a familiar or desired environment and transport the dying person to a comforting place of their choice.

In our imagination, a hospital room should have walls and ceiling displaying a life-like simulated environment that transports the person out of the impersonal room into an idealistic setting f illed with personal signif icance.

In my opinion this CIP project have been pretty compelling as for the topic we faced and the research we did. At the same time it was not so challenging as for the methods and the process we used. We did not interact with the outside world and this did not allow us to meet and discover any kind of social psychology. According to me the main reason why we have not engaged people and received any feedback from them was the sensitive theme of death: it would have required moderation from us and it would have been a bit complicated in a short time. I have to admit that perhaps we have not been enough ‘courageous’. Anyway the feedback we received from our teachers after the presentation was quite positive: thanks to their comments we have been able to recognise in our vision of death also a new potential form of funeral.

CIP 4 Near future For the fourth and last CIP we could choose if develop to a new level one of our earlier projects or engage with a new issue drawn from a Sthephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list. In all cases we were expected to demonstrate an understanding of fundamental causes in order to create a scenario and produce a short f ilm designed to be governed by an editorial position and a narrative structure. After a short discussion in team we decided to explore a new topic from a list of media discourses that we found interesting as a new stimulus. In order to achieve this last CIP project the teachers gave us more time comparing to the others: this has allowed us to go more deeply to the brief and give a complete future concept responds.

CIP 4

We started our research scrolling through some of the references we received. In particular we found interesting an article of David Chandler about big data and posthumanism. “Big Data transforms our everyday reality and our immediate relation to the things around us. This ‘dataf ication’ of everyday life is at the heart of Big Data: a way of accessing reality through bringing interactions and relationships to the surface and making them visible, readable and thereby governable, rather than seeking to understand hidden laws of causality.” (Chandler, D (2015) “A world without causation. Big data and the coming age of posthumanism”)

CIP 4

Starting from this statement, we realised that, since we have a continuous access to a lot of big data as social media, advertisement, email, etc., we are directly surrounded by them. In a deeply side/aspect, the big data can follow us but also give us a direction. The big data can decide what we can loot at. By doing this video we wanted to make us aware of how much space can let to our collecting data. We wanted to show a ref lection on some questions we have asked: how much power do we want to give to big data? how much do we want them decide for us? how much do we want to protect our private sphere? Shooting the f ilm we have pulled out the data collection in the environment: as an advertisement, we have imaged them projected outside a building, along the underground stairs, inside the tube...

CIP 4

By doing this video we have wanted to criticise an actual social context describing it in a comic tone. For me, this was the main aspect of our representation that teachers appreciated mostly. This teamwork has been really efficient because we knew how to use our own skills in order to work properly. Through this project I had the opportunity to improve my video making skills receiving also some helps from my group mates. Everyone took part of the project and it has been a real pleasure to work as a team and to create relationships with them.

1.3 Product as Platform About people and behaviour. In this project we were asked to think about small interactions of everyday life, all those small problems which people have to face often unconsciously. The main key of the project was to think small, focusing on those actions, movements, habits and interactions with things and the environment in order to facilitate and improve them.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

At the beginning, we were introduced to a ref lection on the Agile process applied to the industrial design and how this has changed in the digital era. The “double diamond design process model” assumes that we operate with production and the product itself, so with something manufactured, physical. According to that we have to follow f ixed steps: discover, def ine, develop and deliver. However with the advent of digital era we are witnessing a change of implications for the industrial design process. The Agile Manifesto gave us a lesson about what our aim as a designer should be: “uncovering latent wants and prototyping user experiences”. At this stage, I started to understand how much importance we need to attach to the insights from users out of the world in all the design process. The main request made by our teachers was to apply new methods we have been introduced to into the project: Cultural Probes, Dreamscaping and Design Improvisation.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

The results were unexpected. We were starting to discover new sides of simple objects and some fantastic properties of those were coming to our mind.

For the f irst step of this project, we decided to work in a small group of 7 people in order to test the Dreamscaping method. We have chosen some random objects and we have asked each other some questions about them: How would you describe the personality of your object, if it was a person? What are its interests? Could you describe a list of situations in which your object could get lost, as a person, and at the same time could get around using its amazing quality/power?

However this has been only a f irst approach to the method. According to me, even if I enjoyed playing with our emotional relationships with products, I did not received so many insights so I could not transform them into a design response.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

Furthermore, we started to familiarise all together with the design improvisation technique. The improvisation session proposed us to feel free to express our ideas starting with a relaxing moment.

With Giorgia, Elora, Zoe and Yineng, we started to think about an object in order to build a scenario and Yineng proposed a scale. Having shared different ideas, we aimed to focus on a tool which could detect your everyday moods and feelings in order to suggest you the best way of facing the day.

At the beginning, we have shared with our classmates a playful moment in which we expressed our body language. In groups, we had to choose one object in the room and f igure out three different functions in addition to the primary one.

This session of few hours helped us to force our creativity and ourselves to manage an idea, and to understand that “the f irst idea is enough”, as the teacher said.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

The week after, we were free to work independently in order to put what we had learned into real effect. At that point, I was feel a bit lost because I had not had in my mind any kind of topic or area to explore yet.

Right now I am not really sure why I focused my questions mostly on the house environment: perhaps I would have been able to think more about the external spaces where people are used to spend the other half of their day.

Anyway, I decided to write down some questions to ask to some users following the ethnographic methods.

I interviewed different users outdoor, one or two along the street and most of them around the Imperial College.

The questions were about the people’s everyday habits, rituals, and relationship with objects in the house: What is your favourite/worst object in your ideal house or place? do you remember a great moment with it? what is your favourite/worst activity? what gives you a feeling of happiness/ frustration at home?

Unfortunately, even if I learnt how to get in touch with different kind of people, the feedback I received from them was not so exciting because I did not get so many suggestive insights to focus on for my project.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

Surprisingly, one idea came by chance. I was conducting a technological review when I decided to explore the RFID f ield. I have noticed that one of the most application for this type of technology is around the payment but also the collection of a lot of data in the supermarket logistic. Focusing on people needs, why not facilitate how to do shopping in a smart way taking advantage of the RFID communication?

My concept consisted in creating a service which involved the whole process of doing shopping, from the supermarket in house. A service which could speed your shopping and at the same time avoid to waste food at home thanks to the food data collecting .

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

Through the improvisation method, I tested my idea with some of my classmates. Thanks to that, I f igured out in my mind some details of my concept: which type of tools you would need to do shopping at the supermarket, the user movements at home, the double checking from the fridge, the feedback from a new domestic device, etc. This helped us to experience our ideas comparing each other and receiving useful suggestions.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

We have been introduced to Physical Computing workshop by Jeremy Keenan. During these three classes he taught how to create an interactive system using the electronic platform Arduino. The brief consisted in designing a prototype using Arduino with two inputs and on output. Being a part of the 1.3 project, we was free to choose whether prototype the same system for the two project or not.

Since I chose the technology involved in my 1.3 project, I was determined to test it as the physical computing prototype. My platform involved an RFID reader, one RFID tag, one LCD screen and one led light. First of all I needed to decide what I wanted to obtain from my system. Basically, the list of the product I potentially bought with my RFID tag had to appear on the lcd screen, simply swiping the tag on the rf id reader.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

So, I started to code with Arduino software all the words or phrases which had to appear on the LCD screen. In the meantime, I have built the system in the Arduino breadboard and I have connected it to the software. I had to iterate many times in order to f ind out the right balance of the times.

1.3 PRODUCT AS A PLATFORM

At the end of the project, I realised that I did not develop so deeply my idea. I was able to f ind a small problem to solve and a daily situation to improve and I have f igured out a technological system that could actually work. Nonetheless, I had to admit I did not analyse all the possible situations and I should have adopted a more questioning method. During the interim critique my teachers gave me a feedback: they could not recognise on my project a real product design. I totally agreed with them also because I was not so able to express the potentiality of the idea. I really would like to re explore the insights and extend them into more accurate scenarios.

At the same time, I found this project really challenging mostly because of the new methods we used. We have conducted a journey from confusion, one of the most intrinsic part of the creative space, to the epiphany of something unknown. I have also understood that I should get as much insights as I can from people I have never met before, and if this should not happen, I have to iterate and trust in the process again. The main thing I have learnt from this project was the fact you have to trust in the process without any preconceptions, doing things you did not expect.

Design Contexts Presentation As a student of industrial design, we were asked to identify a designer, agency or movement to research. The aim of this project was to make us understand of key design precedents, movements, ideas, and contemporary concerns in order to inform our practice. The research had to be structured in such a way as to cover the following topics: -key ideas or concerns of the practitioner/movement/group -motifs -their f inest moment -historical precedents for their practice -my rationale for choosing the designer and lessons for my own practice My choiche has fallen upon Raw Edges Design Studio composed of Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay.

DESIGN CONTEXTS PRESENTATION

During their studies at RCA, Ron Arad has been the head of their course. Under his guidance, they began to experiment with new typologies, by thinking how everyday surroundings might be enriched by the products we use and the objects we own. Yael and Shay ref lected themself in his gender: he taught them that a person needs to focus on what he/she is interested in, going deeper and deeper As I have noticed from their works, they are constantly inspired by a large circle of architect, artist and sculptor and they do not limit their practice around the sphere of design.

This couple of designers met eachother in Jerusalem, where they studied together at the Bezalel Art & Design Academy and then they moved to London to study at the RCA. I came across them since I saw one of their project for Mutina, an italian tile company not far from my home-town. I have been so attracted since the beginning by their complex and multi-coloured collection inspired by textures from the world of textiles.

I had the opportunity to interview them directly in their studio located in the north of London. First, Yael wanted to talk about Endgrain, one of their examplar project that engaged them on several occasions. I was really impressed to discover the particular technique they used and to see how much time they took in order to improve it.

DESIGN CONTEXTS PRESENTATION

Their studio, established in 2007 after their graduation, has become a place where the experimentation would be the prevalent factor of their designs, where the ideas are aimed to f ight against boredom. Playfulness, colour, dynamism, and texture can be considered the main motifts of the two designers.

DESIGN CONTEXTS PRESENTATION

After having interviewed Raw Edges, I tried to identify which f inest moments can outline their carrer. For me the f irst pivot moment was after their graduation: in a show curated by Martino Gamper, they had the opportunity to present two products later manufactured by Established&Sons and Cappellini. This helped them to open their studio.

In my opinion, they are like craftsmen of fun!

Another challenging moment they constantly face is represented by the beginning of a collaboration: for example when Mutina asked them to work with them, they never thought that they would design ceramic tiles.

Their projects are the result of the synchronization of two way of working: Yael likes to fold slim layers of all sorts of material as if they were paper, creating curved volumes and functional form, while Shay has a passionate interest in the way the things move, function and interact.

DESIGN CONTEXTS PRESENTATION

I chose Raw Edges for my research because I appreciate their approach to projects. Even if they like collaborating with brands, since the beginning of their professional career they have always dealt with a personal experimentation on materials, creating limited edition and self production. I really appreciate the phylosophy of their work: “...we don’t like the obvious route, because we think that obstacles coming by chance are more inspiring...we look for accidents in the process...we feel that if we expect the result, it won’t be good enough” (Shay Alkalay)

Visions Vision classes aimed to familiarise us with particular values and signif ications which have evolved over time. Even if these sessions may sometimes seem abstract and not entirely easy to be followed, these helped us to ref lect on how people see the world and their environment as they do. The way Stephen Haywards has analysed objects and their impact in our past and actual societies should take part of our design process: “Products and environments are the shapers of a consciousness”. Manipulating hidden neologism has led us to be more aware of the evolution of our society and it has encouraged us to produce a series of thought experiments useful for our practice. The title for Visions of this year was “An Archaeology of the Present” and it delivered its argument from two angles.

VISIONS

In the f irst part of Visions focused on the reality that is possible to f ind in the fake. We started to ref lect upon a place and a memory which could be discovered in a 70’s shopping mall. In this sense we understood an emergent consumer type of today.

This exercise has led us to think Chindogu as a brainstorming tool to generate ideas, sometimes in a frustrating way. Managing this concept we have wondered if we can f ind a more ‘sensible use of it: why not produce Chindogu in the context of a co-design workshop, expressing different positions by drawing up a list of principles?

If many people now prefer to shop on-line, what is to become of these spaces? Dan Bell is an exemplar personality who was able to understand the modern, Western condition by visiting a shopping mall.

Our discussion about objects f lowed into another question : what is your relationship with wonder and uncertainty in contemporary design?

In his vision, human beings are the products of a material world and the dying shopping malls are considered our ancient ruins. We were pushed to ref lect on how the capitalist systems tend to create consumer fetishes and how this can support rarefied forms of behaviour.

For the second part of Visions were focused more on the product and the service, than a hypothetical consumer. The main question we had to ask to was: How is it possible to reinvigorate the mundane, to develop objects that reenchant everyday experience? At this point we were introduced to the concept of Chindogu, the Japanese art of inventing ingenious everyday tools that seems like useful but they are actually unusable. We discussed in group about this meaning and we tried to give an example of our personal idea of Chindogu. Can a kitchen towel be the extension of a dress to put on the table while you are seated ?

We were asked to think about three objects which illustrated our response to the question. During one of Visions session each students have brought at least one “extraordinary”object: we seated around a table and we started to discuss what this property of objects could represent for us. Extraordinary object: object which give you confusion, sometimes lie, because you cannot expect their function. How can I handle them? Why a book lamp must be a book lamp? What is the goal of having a light coming from inside the book?

Drafting this portfolio let me think again to the projects I have done during this f irst Unit, their progress, their strengths and weaknesses, the things I would have done differently... It allowed me to gain perspective on my own practice. Before I joined this school I did not know exactly what to expect from the course apart the fact I wanted to discover a new culture, a different approach of design. In my previous school in Bologna the learning has involved theoretical examinations and group works based on different disciplines. As our head teacher always used to say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design is a compendium of scientific and humanist subjectsâ&#x20AC;?. Thanks to that I am pleased to have acquired different types of basis which are proving useful in this my f irst path here at CSM. As for the projects, they were more about answering to the brief, from a precise requirements specif ication to an accomplished design response. After we received different feedbacks but at the same time we were not used to push ourself to a proper questioning ref lection. During the previous three years of my degree course I have learnt how to work in sync in group. At the beginning at CSM, I had lost the stimulus to work in a team well.

During this Unit I have discovered really implicated teaching staff. They introduced us to new methods and helped us to apply them into our design process. It was really stimuling to familiarise with different workshops and discover new materials and tools which I never worked with before. In addition to that, this experience is making me aware of how to use a ref lective approach to the projects: I am continuously learning to ref lect upon everything I do and every choiche I take. And this portfolio proves it. I am really determined to improve my technical skills and my knowledge of different softwares and f ind out new ways in order to express my ideas. Following the writing of this portfolio I expect to precise my interests for a particular area of industrial design I would like to explore through the realisation of my graduation project.

But when I slow down and I take a minute to think about it, I realise that it is important for me to collaborate with other people in order to discover a new vision of design. I think that this represents a challenging change for me.