FOREWARD Charlie Humble-Thomas We haven’t touched a single machine, had any face to face crits, or been able to sit in the artbar and wallow over a drink and reflect on the intricacies of life. We miss having casual chats about projects, we miss the technicians, the atmosphere. But given the circumstances, the design products course has bitten it’s lip and done a job. Keeping motivated, let alone creating good work during these times has not exactly been fun, but with help from the tutors we’ve all managed to keep our heads above water. It’s not been easy on them either, and we salute them on enduring gruelling zoom shifts and turning their homes into offices. With our Milan show cancelled and the work in progress show online only, it does seem reasonable that we might be deflated as a cohort.
But the resilience shown by students isn’t in vain. We know that there’s still a good chance we can get our projects in front of the public and that we won’t be in lockdown forever. We’ve learnt to get along with online shows to some extent and we know that even if a digital PDF isn’t the same as a printed publication, that it’s still got value. We hope you enjoy this issue of 2 Many Designers and that you get a taste of what Design Products are up to. Looking forward to the summer and putting together a showcase of our work, online or in person. See you soon.
Charlie Humble-Thomas DP 2021 c.humble-thomas@network.rca.ac.uk
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M AT E R I A L LIBRARY Sanna Emelie Ă…gren The materials I relate to have changed during the course of time. A piece of heavy iron have been replaced by thin sheets of aluminum. Wood has been exchanged for foamboard. Laser cut plexi glass have been abandoned for home made bioplastics. Instead of burning myself on a hot piece of metal, I burn myself on a hot glue gun. Some of my favourite materials have now become obsolete in my life, and other materials have taken their place. Due to the distance that has become too great. Sanna Emelie Ă…gren DP 2021 257383@network.rca.ac.uk 27, January 2021 Left - Materials library (2021) Right - Bioplastic (2021)
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BAKING CAKES CĂŠlia Marchessaux
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Baking kept me joyfull during isolation. It was a time for me to connect with myself, experiment, do things with my hands, bring fun to my routine. Food is a way to celebrate, even alone.Â
MAKING POTS Being away from workshops is tough. That is why I decided to practice ceramics in a neighbor’s basement in France before moving to London in the middle of October. I knew that I had to embrace every single crumb of time to enjoy manual experimentation before being stuck in a student flat. I found in clay a way to escape. I like seeing the way clay thrown into the wheel, it is like a dance. This is a time dedicated for me to breath. Those times of free practice are part of my design process and of my personal journey.
Célia Marchessaux DP 2022 248962@network.rca.ac.uk September 2020 5
MESTIZIA & THE DENTIST Giovanni Dipilato
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Considering the mere poethical mood of some of my past projects, I’ve always been in a struggle to show them in context outside a Pub or a fancy dinner with makers (when it was still allowed). Those that you will find in this publication are two micro briefs I’ve worked on during the first term of the first year in Design Products, and I personally loved them. For those who do not know what micro briefs are, I would simply say they are the best expression of yourself and I mean the true YOURSELF. The one without chains, the one who can express pleasures and interest without taking into account values, ethics and critiques. Micro Briefs were small projects we made in one week (the most of the time we ended up making them in two days).
I’m 26 now and when I was in my Art School, well… When I was a teenager, I was not only interested in Jewellery Design or Products in general. Another main interest that I was cultivating were mainly related to Graphic Novels and Painting. That gave me the reputation of an artist. And from the place I’m from “ARTIST” means Whitewasher, not too bad to be fair, but not exactly what I was… Anyway, those interests have always characterised some of my products from a visual point of view but not in their function nor the outcomes of course. For those micro briefs I really felt that I had to slightly go back in time and start thinking with an 18 years old mind, always remembering my interests of those periods. If I remember well, one of the Briefs we have got was related to the making of an object that in a way could measure something. Of course we could interpret the briefs in so many
personal ways, and of course I decided to communicate with the afterlife. Yes, I mean ghosts. I wanted to create a medium, an instrument that in a way could calculate the exact position of the entities in a space and eventually allow you to hear them. Occultism is often the synonyms of hope. Some individuals relate to palmists, some others go to mediums. The lack of knowledge towards the unknown is also a reason for entertainment and curiosity among people of all ages. Objects play a crucial role in this “field”, they are plenty of power even without an economical value. Some people have always tried to be in contact with deceased relatives in order to find the confidence inside them, but what they can’t figure out is that it’s definitely an exaggeration made by scammers. In other cases instead, teenagers or groups of friends sometimes spend their night sur-
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rounding a bonfire trying to scare the youngest telling horror stories. This is the context I wanted to explore, the one in which people, alone and not, can suggest themselves giving their own interpretation to the weird things happening in those moments. Having understood the weight of the topic, at least for some people, I have decided to play with it. It is true that some individuals give an incredible importance to these arguments... but there is also another side of the coin. It is all about suggestion, an entire experience designed for a fraud. I would like to measure the suggestion for those who do not believe and others who do. My idea was to investigate more the world of vintage products and instruments (used in order to have a contact with entities) producing an object/experience which gives the user an unforgettable understanding of the trick behind the magic. A sort of
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game for people who want to play and, on the other hand, an instrument for those who really believe in it.
I wish I could work more on this project one day, not only for work but for fun.
Like the Ouija boards and vintage objects, also Mestizia is made out of metal. It reminds of an improvised and adapted object such as the ones that ghosts hunters adopt nowadays. Games, and fictional movies always refer to these products as a production of not expert people who everytime set up the entire instrument before a ritual or a game. I wanted to create the same experience and the same visual impression. Mestizia is composed of two Dowsing rods which aim to indicate the location of the entity to the user and an inverted stethoscope. The trick is in the inverted stethoscope (the participants don’t know about the inverted position of it), people will start augmenting the intensity of their own breathing until hearing something nearby. It is self-suggestion.
The second micro brief project is instead regarding a vague sensation which has characterised the life of everyone, that feeling you have when your body is changing weathern naturally or artificially. Well, I’ve spent almost eight years wearing dental appliances and I will never forget the trauma and sensations of going to the dentist. For this project, we were told to design an instrument of protest. We were supposed to express our dissent for something through an object… Would you like a project more metaphysical than that? When in a dentist studio you can feel really upset and uncomfortable sometimes. That sensation does not end in that moment. It would probably continue years and years. After having been
in that environment for more than ten years, like every single child in the world, I have been experiencing terrible feelings. The pain while eating, the insults from my classmates at school. Those are all factors of identity’s deprivation, a moment in which you are in struggle to recognise and express yourself. My purpose for this microbief was to explore in an adult period the same feelings a child could experience during those hard moments. The moments in which you feel in struggle with the world using a tooth brace. It is a torture and a protest as well. I would like to act in a daily life scene being in an uncomfortable situation. Feeling ashamed of what I am, wearing a tooth brace hiding my identity. A sort of protest against old tooth braces created without thinking at the mental impact they could have on people. It was all about function, without aesthetic precautions. To me, it is more important the functional torture than the
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final aesthetic aspect. The final picture of the project was the torture, a raw instrument which can really communicate the sense of pain to the users... only observing it. Something primordial and unexpected at the same time. All these concepts were expressed in a daily life scene like eating chocolate for children. It would show the pain and the uncomfortable feelings while doing normal things. Such as drinking from a glass of water. I hope you liked those conceptual, metaphorical, artistic, projects.
Giovanni Dipilato DP 2020 giovanni.dipilato@network.rca.ac.uk www.giovannidipilato.com 18, January 2021
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A HOME IN CHENGDU Feixue Song ‘The journey outweighs the destination’ is a colloquialism in China, which I believe has various versions in different languages. Unfortunately, I always find it hard for me to keep it in mind. I get anxious easily when things do not go well, worry about not working hard and sometimes feel guilty when spending time having fun (yet still spending it). It is not that I am a ‘workaholic’ but being unable to see the result or whether I can finish the work is just so terrifying to me.
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But it seems that I am better at enjoying myself now. Due to the COVID and remote teaching, 6 of us from DP programme rent a studio/ apartment together in Chengdu, China. Our initial consideration was that it might be easier for us to study and
work with each other’s help. However, personally speaking, I do not see much of improvement of my ‘professional skills’ because of studying together. But I do learn something more important, enjoying quality time of leisure activities. Cooking, exercising, playing badminton, watching movies, playing card games and board games together, these things are much more interesting than me just sitting in front of my computer to passively and anxiously avoid my work. Besides, this experience is precious and memorable enough itself, especially when the majority of our colleges are separated in different districts and physically distancing from each other. I truly hope that we can meet with all our colleges in London as soon as possible, so that we will be able to have much more wonderful memory then.
Feixue Song DP 2022 254611@network.rca.ac.uk 16, January 2021
Right Our Worktable (2021)
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CHASING SQUIRRELS Britton Kroessler I had obtained my first DSLR a few months prior to starting at the RCA with the intention of using it to better document my work. Since I had only done studio shoots with consistent lighting and subject matter, I felt the need to really learn the ins-and-outs of Digital Photography properly. My first day out with it was spent on a lake with my family up in Maine (NorthEastern United States). In the span of 20 minutes I had gotten the hang of tracking my shots to my father slalom skiing behind the boat. I was hooked.
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Historically impatient and occasionally dependent on thorough order (two of my many faults), Photography became a means of forcing myself to take pause and exist intuitively in the chaotic moment. As prepared as I can
be walking into a shoot, I have little idea what my efforts may yield until I’m staring at it on my screen during editing. This exercise of letting go has been an immense boost to my creative wellbeing, especially in the era of COVID Lockdown, where many of my usual avenues of my practice are constrained if not altogether shuttered. Photographing Wildlife magnified the benefits to my wellbeing considerably. The first time I waded through waistdeep water to capture a turtle sitting on a log without spooking it was unlike anything I had experienced before. Maintaining footing through the muck, being as quiet and slow as possible, keeping the camera gear protected, paying attention to your surroundings, steadying your breath, considering lighting, angle of approach, and composition, all while trying to keep the damn thing in-focus. It was exhilarating. Going even further, I was
able to adapt the same breathing and stabilization techniques I learned from Marksmanship to photography, bringing a semblance of familiar order to a chaotic, unpredictable environment. While I have not been able to get the full London experience since moving here in October, its green spaces have provided ample opportunities for exploration through my new lockdownappropriate outlet. This past Christmas I was not able to go home, so I embraced the solitude and wandered Richmond park with just myself and my camera—patiently searching for something to shoot. There were few Deer out that day, and the usual birds weren’t feeling photogenic. The squirrels were elusive; by the time I could get anywhere near them for a decent shot they would consistently wrap around the other side of a tree— breaking line of sight.
Under-dressed and losing light, I was about to call it a day when I saw a squirrel sitting at the base of a massive oak as if it was waiting for me. Cautiously, I set up behind the nearest tree. It darted to the right into some nearby cover, then reemerged on top of a fallen branch to have a little snack. “Thank you, little friend,� I said, before hopping back on my bike for the cold ride home. I am hoping to capture a fox this spring. Britton Kroessler DP 2022 246121@network.rca.ac.uk 25, December 2020
Left Eastern Painted Turtle Spread Richmond Park Squirrel has something to tell me...
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CHANNELING AT T E N T I O N Lee Hyunsong (Melody) The slow passing of time led to slow observation. Channelling the subconscious mind and senses to a specific point of attention, brought new insight and understanding of the imageries of the world. As I continued to observe, it became a way to escape from the current reality of time and space. Focusing the moment of attention to ways I react to the world, and expanding the time to rethink about the interactions that we have with space and objects. What do you see? Lee Hyunsong (Melody) DP 2022 246491@network.rca.ac.uk 18, January 2020 20
Right Moment (2020)
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THE PLAYGROUND Rowena Liangru Lu ME I come from a small town in the mountain area of China, where we didn’t have sufficient supply of objects, but every object was made full use of. Looking back to my own origin, I realised that real sustainability for me is not about recycling whatever I don’t want anymore, nor about using products made with “sustainable” materials. It’s all about how do we carefully looking after every object till the end of its life with empathy, love and appreciation. THE PLAYGROUND All the objects in this collection are telling one big story collectively. They speak to disposable culture, aim to create a dialogue with users about how should we take responsibility, as a designer, a manufacturer and a consumer, of the objects we human beings brought to the world. At the mean time, each object is telling an individual story by its own. I want to inspire my users to discover the stories attached to each object, thus dig up the emotional value of daily objects, of discarded objects.
ARTIFACTS What are artifacts? Artefacts are story-tellers Artefacts are information-carriers Artefacts are aggregations of modules Artefacts are never simply artefacts Artefacts are artefacts
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Above The Playground (2020)
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THE PLAYGROUND Rowena Liangru Lu SINK TABLE My friends Annika, Grace and I decided to celebrate 2020’s Valentine’s Day together. We had a walk in the neighbourhood after few drinks in a nice bar. The sink was lying on the grasses, the white surface that was once shinny was re-glazed by the tension between itself and the dark green grasses it was placed on. The tipsiness encouraged us to exclaim its beauty. We picked it up as our fourth Valentine. Grace said that Valentine’s Day is just a day to celebrate love, everyone should enjoy it even without a girlfriend or boyfriend, that was the best definition of Valentine’s Day I’ve ever heard. SCOOTER DRAWER I found this scooter in a corner of a value village (a local thrift store in Vancouver). The color popped out so much. I was really excited about finding him, I held him and walked back to school. “What can I make out of this…” I was thinking while I was walking, it was an ordinary rainy day of Vancouver in early spring. Everything was grey before the bright yellow jumped into my life.
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Above Sink Table (2020)
Above Scooter Drawer (2020)
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THE PLAYGROUND Rowena Liangru Lu BARBIE COAT RACK For years, barbies has been seen as a perfect image for female body, an image been created and put into young girls’ mind. Seems like we never treat artefacts only as objects, they are subjects of informations. Barbie, a representation of perfect female body, has been influencing generations of young girls unconsciously. During the disassembly of barbies, I also wanted to disassemble the information behind the objects. Come on! It’s just a thing. TELEPHONE / POT LID CABINET • “It used to be a telephone, my daughter broke it.” • Yes, it was a telephone, and it was broken. But the handle was a handle and it still is a handle. • “My pot was retired because my mom over-cooked it.” • But the lid survived, and you can see through it, and you can hold it!
Rowena Liangru Lu DP 2022 248863@network.rca.ac.uk 18, January 2021
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Above Barbie Coat Racks (2020)
Above Telephone / Pot Lid Cabinet (2020)
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FOLK CRAFT of BLUEPRINTING Dominika Opalena After over 6 years of living in London, in the summer of 2020, I decided to move back home to Slovakia due to COVID-19. I had worked on many amazing projects in London, but suddenly my work life was on pause. I knew I had to use this opportunity to reconnect with home, to slow down and do something I would otherwise be too busy to do.
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When I left for London 6 years ago, I was certain I wasn’t coming back, with the teenage mindset that bigger, greater things were abroad. I don’t regret leaving, but I can now say I’ve learned that it was foolish to think that there is nothing here. I found a new appreciation for my heritage that seems to grow stronger the more I engage with it.
Fabric blueprinting ‘indigo dyeing’ represents the commnon ‘folk’, their village, their social standing and their spiritual values, individual creativity, perhaps also the need to bring beauty into their lives in simple ways. The oldest designs are carved out entirely out of wood, newer designs include the use of brass, sheet metal or nails.
This craft is very rare these days, but I have learned all I know from a fifth-generation practitioner who has dedicated his studies to keep the craft alive in his family. I am currently collaborating with him to create modern articles for wear to introduce blueprinting to the modern ‘folk’.
The block with the pattern is pressed onto the natural fabric, applying a slurry cover layer, called the reserve or “papp”, and subsequent indigo blue dyeing on the entire screen, using a cold dye called “kypa”. The fabric is soaked several times, and then placed out to dry, allowing it to oxidise, which effectively binds the indigo to the screen. After the final dyeing step and oxidation, the fabric is washed in an acid solution to dissolve the “papp” and better fix the colour.
Dominika Opalena DP 2022 248776@network.rca.ac.uk 17, January 2021
Photos from Modrotlac TRNKA Workshop Top-Right Image from book Ludova modrotlac na Slovensku by Jozef Vydra
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GUITAR BUILD Tian Gao For me, DIY is not always an economical way to solve problems. On the contrary, DIY can be very costly and time consumed. However, compared to pure economic reason, the production process, the joy of the results, the unlimited imagination are the meanings that DIY makes me obsessed. Applying and collecting tools, learning a craft and technique, design, testing, even injury and failure are beautiful experiences and story, and this story is so exclusive, abundant, and that experience is something that money cannot buy and is it is worth to celebrating and sharing.
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Something about musical instrument making has always fascinated me. Besides the beautiful sound they could make, the figures and curves, the surface treatment, colour matching,
materials, and production process are also very charming. It is easy to get hold a well-made guitar from any music shop with a fair amount of price, but compared to the pleasure of swipe credit card, the production process and the freedom of deep customization are much more fascinating. I used to think that there is a lot of hinders when I am trying to do something in this crowded modern city, noise, dust, limited space…but now I found that these are all excuses rather than problems. “I can’t use a chainsaw in my flat because it’s super dirty and noisy; also I probably would never use it again after this project…” These for me were the problems stopped me for doing, but the truth is, with an alternative combination of a Japanese pull saw. A wire saw, an exhaust system modified with a vacuum cleaner, A nice lunch with my
neighbours solved all my ‘problems’. Quitting is not the solution, but time and knowledge are.
Tian Gao DP 2022 tian.gao@network.rca.ac.uk 25, December 2020
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QUARANTINING THEM Shiwen Wang I’ve stopped taking any photo for a long time, which is rare for me. One day when I looked back on my photos in the past few years, printed them out to decorate my room, trying to recall the thrill and energy for each of the shots, suddenly I had a feeling that I started to comprehend the image in a different way, with a currently new state of mind. Sometimes, I capture the image that I resonate with intuitively, but hard to describe the initiative, like these photos I select, of plants situating in manmade environments. Although my city is not in quarantine and I am lucky enough to live a ‘normal’ life, I still feel in a way ‘quarantining’ in the city center, and constantly dreaming of my escape from urban life. 34
Intensive manmade structures are distancing people apart from real nature and simultaneously humans are, as the virus, isolating system of other living organism into fragments. Will they be lonely? Will they be frustrated? Will they need a zoom yoga group? Will they need a hug machine? When street trees gently sweeping each other with their leaves, will they be asking, ‘When will we be back to normal again, or will it be forever?’
Shiwen Wang DP 2022 799978@network.rca.ac.uk 15, January 21
Right Snapshots of Plants (2018-2020)
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DON QUASAR SPACE COWBOY & THE FUTURE OF FASHION J Saint-Claire
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“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with. . . .
The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” I think this quote might relate to my project, but I’m not entirely sure - I’ve just always liked it. I wish I liked writing as much as I like having written. Anyway, to the topic at hand. I predicted the “cowboy” trend of 2019 (Old Town Road, Post Malone & Diplo’s AMA outfits, etc.), 6 months before it began. This is my next prediction. I see motocross becoming an inspiration, particularly in womenswear. I see the padded jackets covered in logos and done up in bright colours, especially a combination of royal blue, lime green and white. I see complementary padded leather trousers and heeled motocross-esque
boots. As for when, not much is happening in fashion at the moment, Covid & all that fun stuff. So I’d say 2022 - which is where I positioned all my work on this unit. Post-Covid I see masks staying around as some (if not many) will maintain a state of heightened hygienic awareness, but some will don masks solely for the look. Sneaker culture is certainly not going anywhere, but the bar for what makes a cool shoe will continue to rise. We’ve seen shoes with tear-away panels, 3D printed soles, stacked soles, and virtually every possible iteration of a swoosh. Designers will be forced to think more creatively, as all that is obvious, has already been done.
J Saint-Claire DP 2021 joshua.jensen@network.rca.ac.uk JSaintClaire.com
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DON QUASAR SPACE COWBOY & THE FUTURE OF FASHION
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Like most people, I found myself with loads of spare time during the UK’s first Covid Lockdown & wanted to turn it into something productive. One of the ways I did this was by cofounding a design consultancy called Cafe Cosmo with the purpose of creating understanding between generations through design & creative communication. The way that has played out so far is through several branding projects, helping companies, especially those aimed at younger millennials, get off the ground. Our website is pretty... um... unique? We invite you to go explore it! 40
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THE REVERENCE
Bring People and Food Closer
Yanjiayu Liu When we talk about food waste, people always pay more attention to how to solve the problem, such as improving the way of food transportation and food packaging, reusing wasted food resources, etc. When I saw these kinds of projects, I felt happy, yet powerless. I was very relieved that these efforts made for better use of resources. But because the underlying behavior of wasting has not changed much, Design feels small in comparison to humanity. But is Design really small? In addition to fixing problems, can Design also prevent them? I think Design can lead people to feel Cherishing, thereby affecting their attitudes and behaviors towards food. 42
I conducted in-depth interviews with 39 interviewees, and I asked them: Is there anything in your life that makes you feel cherished? What kind of feeling is this? How do you treat this thing? These conversations provided me with a range of opinions. The answers that touched me the most all have a similar characteristic: they were rich in minutiae. The interviewees earnestly felt a process of having a relationship with this thing. That is the reason why when they tell the story of this thing, I can always feel their emotions are earnest and powerful. Therefore, I concluded that their description of Cherishing is "careful, serious, and grateful."
Right Some pieces of Cherishing from the 39 interviewees. (2021)
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One of my interviewees, Yongxin Lai, is a designer based in the countryside located in Hangzhou, China. Her practise GELI involves sharing the countryside food experience with participants from the city, helping them experience their own picking, processing and cooking process. She has observed a change in the participants’ perceptions: They think these foods are more delicious than usual, and even a small number of people start to try cooking daily after returning to their homes, even if they didn’t know how to cook before.
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These findings made me realize that someone’s sense of cherishment and awe of things comes from both distance and connection. We can assume that farmers are probably the people who cherish food the most: they live with food all the time. From sowing to harvesting to storage, they celebrate food-related festivals, and know countless simple and effective ways to treat food. They don’t need to be told how to cherish food. It comes naturally for them. People living in cities do not have the opportunity to live with nature every day, so how can they get closer to food and have more connections with food?
Left “The connection in food, food and us”, Geli (2019) Right “How famers use soil to store chineses leaf”, Geli (2019)
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CRAFT EXPERIENCE Yu-Chi Wang In the summer of 2020, due to the pandemic, I took a little pause to learn about arts and crafts. My background is in industrial design, so I thought that learning some fundamental skills using one’s hands may foster a new perspective on design and give me a few fresh ideas on a future project.
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During my bachelor’s studies I accumulated a lot of deep knowledge in the theory of design and how to frame a design narrative. I am always seeking experiences to advance my knowledge of design and develop my passion. I cannot wait to get my hands dirty to explore new methods and learn new techniques. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to learn two
different unique crafts, weaving and Kintsukuroi. Design through making crafts provides a totally different design approach from what I had been exposed to before. Learning through this kind of traditional craftsmanship is very exhilarating and has helped me grow as an aspiring professional. In both of the projects I worked on I was trying to find something new. I tried to take a step back to think about how to redefine the craft, and come up with not just a typical piece but also something that manifests a deeper meaning.
Highlighting the smell of Taiwanese rush (a type of grass) and strives to bring the flavor back into our daily lives. With a huge branch of rush inside the chair, it not only provides functionality by reducing indoor humidity, but also gives the user a completely unique sitting experience by introducing a pleasant odor.
THE SMELL
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The reconstruction of broken porcelain, extending the traditional process of repair with modern digital printing technology. Under the interlacing of straight lines and arcs from the pattern of a traditional Taiwanese iron grill, I turned broken porcelain into something totally unique.
THE MEMORY
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The process of making something with your hands is fascinating. I really have learnt a tremendous amount practicing a different type of design. The first lesson is to be patient. Although many techniques in crafts are not complicated, they do take time to complete, and even longer to master. Secondly, the way a craftsman treats the material they are working with is worth emulating. A true craftsman pours their emotions into the material and creates a form that evolves from the material. Discovering the characteristics of different materials is what makes a master craftsman. This can only come about with time and experience. One thing I noticed in this new design experience is that a true craftsman also really cherishes the materials they work with. Traditionally that is because materials used to be so hard to come by. Of course, in modern times
supplies are just a few clicks away on the internet, but there is something to be said for the value that one attaches to the materials they use. It makes the thought process more deliberate and careful. Ultimately, I ask myself how I can revere and carry on the traditions of craftsmanship, but at the same time depart from convention to design for the 21st century? Although my foray into craftsmanship was due to a devastating situation, sometimes out of crisis comes a great opportunity.
Yu-Chi Wang DP 2021 yu-chi.wang@network.rca.ac.uk 16 January, 2021
Left Sitting Flavor (2020) Right Window view on table (2020)
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COOKING DURING I S O L AT I O N Jiajia Zhang After coming to the UK in November, I almost always experienced isolation and lockdown and stayed at home. I gradually fell in love with cooking. In the time outside of study, cooking becomes a relaxing thing. Let my brain be in a more relaxed state. I also started to look for design inspiration in the kitchen, including egg shells and coffee grounds. The lockdown prevented us from using the school workshop, but we could explore our side to find inspiration and make projects by hand without machines, even in the kitchen.
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Above Dinner (2020) Right Breakfast (2020)
Jiajia Zhang DP 2022 251581@network.rca.ac.uk 16, January 2021
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A+B IS NOT A AND B Yihe Zhang I have a hobby, fashion design. I have a girlfriend, fashion designer. We talk, argue, discuss, appreciate things about fashion. Personally, I hate people named garments with “jacket,” “vest,” “hoodie,” and even add another words to tag a thing, “bomber jacket,” which is really annoying me.
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After watching many of videos, reading articles and asking people questions about buddhism, I realized that the world in these people’s mind is different from mine. I mean, huge difference. One more thing impressed me a lot is the lecture gave by Shi Hengyi, a master. He told a story about how to investigate both a thing and ourself.
I weekly draw something about fashion to please myself. I draw them with different inspirations, visual arts, fairytale, tech, post-humanism, cultural shifting and etc.
In buddhism, a garments is more like a symbol, to deliver the level, attitude and character of the one who wear it. The way they wear is also fresh my mind, the process is so long and complicated, it looks like people are communicate with the garment more than just put them on.
Recently, I am interest in one thing, Monk. I really love the garments they wear. It looks so different from any other clothes in the world. I am curious.
Although the process is so complicated. The garment it self is extremly simple. It is just a square fabric. Of course, I call it a suqare
fabric cause I judge it from my perspective, a chinese, a young person, a male, a MA student, an atheistic, a dog lover, a baller, a Beijinger... Usually when I judge a garments, I would look at the fabric, printing, style, brand and price. They, the monks, judge a garments, must from a perspective I can never know. except I become a monk. New question, I, Yihe Zhang, everthing made me is A. They, monks, everything they have experienced is B. If I become a monk from now, am I gain both A and B? I probably said no. That’s may explain the difference between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.
Doggism
Fisherman
X i Yo u
Buddhism
Post-sportswear
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A+B IS NOT A AND B Yihe Zhang
Back to my hobby, I tried to make a garment people can not tell which category it belongs to. By mixing different factors from different categories. I dont know am I right or not, but I know I know A+B is not A and B
Yihe Zhang DP 2022 yihe.zhang@network.rca.ac.uk 18 January, 2021 56
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EXCHANGING DATA VISUALS Supreetha Krishnan Over the lockdown period, my friend and I were exploring alternate ways of keeping in touch. We both were finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with each other on conventional social networks and messaging apps, perhaps due to screen fatigue or maybe it was the routine conversations we were having with everybody. We were inspired by Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec’s Dear Data, and their exchange of data drawings postcards across two countries for a year. We decided to record our behaviour in the form of data visuals and exchange this with each other. Each week we picked a new theme to address.
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Over 7 weeks we covered a variety of themes; people, food, worry, dreams,
excitement, and even our localities. The open-ended themes allowed us to interpret the themes differently. At the end of each week, we had a unique drawing that emerged from the conditions we set at the start of each week. In all honesty, it was difficult to constantly take notes throughout the day. I would often forget to record what I was tracking and would have to recall what I had observed. There were points where I felt that I wasn’t being all that honest with the exercise. It was also hard not to control the outcome through the design of the key. However, it was interesting that my thoughts and behaviour could be categorized in different ways and visuals and that patterns were emerging in my behaviour. It was fun to begin each week by setting up different conditions and deciding what aspects of my day to record. It opened my eyes
to a lot of the details I was missing. The exercise also brought two people, interested in data visualization, living across the country a lot closer. Supreetha Krishnan DP 2022 249490@network.rca.ac.uk 17, January 2020 Top Postcards I received (2020) Right Postcards I sent out (2020)
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SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHY WORKS Juanjuan Mona Jia
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As a designer, cultures always inspire me; this is triggered by my personal experience living in very different and diverse cultures. I have still been thinking about my identity, which stimulates me to eliminate the barriers and borders I encounter. With the development of technology and globalization, people seem to be connected like never before. But culture and discipline barriers still exist everywhere; good communication needs to be built to bridge such gaps. From special needs that different regions have to re-examine and understand the research methods, market demand, amongst other factors, and lead better communication and collaboration. The idea of inclusive
design also plays a vital role in my design philosophy, because in fact, each of us is disabled at some time in our lives. Not only those who are called disabled. I have been paying attention to the ongoing present and the lost past. During my journey, I chase the traces of human existence. I observe as a bystander, bring some new understanding from my perspective to those ordinary daily lives. Water—an element that appears a lot in my photos. We are born from amniotic fluid, and our body is made up of water. No matter where you go around the world, even though the water is different, the water will always fall on everyone indiscriminately, nurturing everything.
Photos are taken during 2018-2019 In Tibet, London, Florence, Berlin, Jinan, Kamakura, Monaco, Nice, Chaohu, Ogijima, Tokyo, Naoshima
Juanjuan Mona Jia DP 2022 246134@network.rca.ac.uk 18, January 2021
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power-level Kamila Izykowicz
A set of playful wooden spirit-levels made from ice cream sticks and recycled pieces of jewellery. Inspired by handshakes, power distances and inequalities. Created for play with two users or just by yourself. Find your centre and mental balance through physical action. GOAL Place the bead in the centre by balancing both ends of the powerlevel using the tips of your fingers. IMPORTANT *remember, it’s not a power game, too much strength will make you lose! **only a true dialogue between two fingers can make it work, focusing on one end only will not end well... ***practice taking and giving, have fun and good luck!
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Kamila Izykowicz DP 2021 kamila.izykowicz@network.rca.ac.uk @kaizykowicz kaizykowicz.com
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2m Kamila Izykowicz I was 2 many too many times distanced from you my nature I am way 2 much into you when you’re running away from me boy Was it 2 meters long or wide this time I spent just with you at home It takes 2 minutes to become a poet’s dream or a police nightmare I was 2 months there eating salty rice with you the smell of sea water Once I was 2 mum remember me this way please that will never change
2 billion bright stars trees and leaves didn’t notice one human virus 2 million moments behind us trees are waiting smelling so damn good Much 2 many thoughts much later air is as golden as a coin once was I was 2 many too many times distanced from you my nature
Published in Stillpoint Literary Magazine on 6th July 2020
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BIOSPONGE An Alternative Kitchen Sponge Design (Eddy) Shuzhan Yuan How green is your kitchen sponges? These sponges are typically plastic-based and crafted from polyurethane, bleach, assorted sulfates, chemical, and synthetic foam materials. Sponge is undistinguished stuff but common in our daily life. Due to the easy-to-consume property, the kitchen sponge is extremely shortlife and should be replaced periodically. As a result, we can see thousands of discarded sponges in London are difficult to degrade and eventually become plastic waste flowing into the ocean and land.
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Besides, because most of the kitchen environment is humid and muggy, and the sponge is porous, and easy
of to absorb water, once the sponge is not replaced timely, a large number of bacteria can breed and eventually endanger our health. It has often been said that your kitchen sponge hosts more germs than your toilet.
During the process, I was thinking about the alternative material that could replace the sponge or something that could remind the user to change their sponge regularly, or combine. As we all know, if the potato sprouted, it is poisonous. It is a fantastic natural design without any redundant functions. It gives the user clear feedback and never make any mistake. Potatoes give me inspiration and guide me to continue my idea. Next, I experiment with some materials that could replace foam sponge and make some changes in the use naturally.
Peat
Moss
Hemp
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I call my final project Biosponge. Biosponge is an alternative kitchen washing sponge consisted of terrafibre hemp and biological seeds. I selected terrafibre hemp as my final material due to its superb water absorption and air permeability, mixed with bean seeds covered by gelatin capsule. When we starting using Biosponge, the internal seeds began to absorb water and germinate into green plants one to two weeks later. Seed germination reminds people to replace a new sponge, thus avoiding bacteria growth. The user can place the discarded Biosponge on the window sill as a potted plant. Also, the terrafibre hemp made sponge is 100% biodegradable and compostable that could add to garden soil to help break up clay soils and increase water absorption.
I pretty much love sustainable design because designing them is not just trying to solve typical problems but demonstrating the product’s dynamic aesthetics. These products naturally contain vitality and vigor, using them is like gestating a life, accompany them to grow and leave. (Eddy) Shuzhan Yuan DP 2021 Shuzhan.yuan@network.rca.ac.uk 20, January 2021
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LOCKDOWN DESK Alon Meron Lockdown no.2 had landed and I had to turn my home, which was already a work place of two, into a school as well. Much as my boy was happy with doing his home learning from a bean bag on the carpet, the proximity of home learning and napping was becoming a problem. So one night around 10pm, way past bedtime, we went into the garage to see what we can find that would make a desk. The brief was: “do not come back in the house without a desk”. The outcome is not really designed, it is more just put together, the bits and pieces doing the best they can. 80
The top is a piece of ply, cut to be a shelf in a wardrobe in a previous rented flat. The legs are bed slats, not sure where they came from. Some have holes in them, evidence they’ve already been something else once after they ceased to be bed slats. The inspiration is from a fifties school desk that was sitting in the front porch of a house opposite my sister in law’s place. We were admiring it over the Christmas break and she was too shy to ask if she could have it, but after I sent pictures of my version she did ask and they did give it to her. The most satisfying bit was making the little leather pads for the wheels of the chair, to stop them from destroying the floor. They are cable tied around the wheels and the thickness of the leather is just the same as the thickness of the plastic arch around the wheel. They form a perfect circle; a tingle of satisfaction.
Now the chair looks like an office worker that showed up to work in sandals. My boy thinks I’m a legend :)
Alon Meron DP tutor alon.meron@rca.ac.uk January 2021
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ABOUT 2MD Too Many Designers (2MD) is a publication by Design Products students at the Royal College of Art. We would like to give you a glimpse of what we are thinking, not just making. This issue marks the introduction of a new year of students that are starting their journey at the RCA with extreme distance from each other and the institution that brings them together. As if the complexities of design are not challenge enough, to have to work on our own, to be a ’studio’ together across all time zones, that’s tough. That’s a lot of thinking time, here is some of what we’re thinking.
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THE 2MD TEAM
Purva Kundaje DP21 purva.kundaje@network.rca.ac.uk
Natalia Triantafylli DP21 natalia.triantafylli@network.rca.ac.uk
Britton Kroessler DP22 246121@network.rca.ac.uk
Purva is an Indian Architect and Designer who enjoys working with people across different disciplines, allowing her to explore and bring in a multidisciplinary mindset into her practice.
Natalia Triantafylli is a Greek designer and maker. Valuing the importance of the epiphanies experienced throughout the creative process she is interested in exploring means to enable such personal narratives to be shared.
Britton is a multidisciplinary Artist and Designer from Providence, RI, USA with a background in Graphic Design Sculpture, and Technical Production. His love of Typography and bringing people together through Design made him spring at the chance to work on 2MD.
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IN THIS ISSUE Emelie Ågren Célia Marchessaux Dipilato Giovanni Feixue Song J Saint-Claire Britton Kroessler Melody Lee Hyunsong Lu Rowena Liangru Tian Gao Wang Shiwen Wang Yichuan Yu-Chi Wang Zhang Jiajia Zhang Yihe Supreetha Krishnan Juanjuan Mona Jia Kamila Izykowicz (Eddy) Shuzhan Yuan Alon Meron Cover by Lu Rowena Liangru 86