“Cultivated Simplicity� ~ Jorgen Michelsen
“When a beautifully simplified solution develops out of what seems to be a large and complex problem. Cultivating is a process and simplicity is a solution, when the process is used to develop a solution it is called design.� - Group Definition
Tecknings Museet INTRODUCTION
The Tecknings Museet in Laholm is the only museum in the north devoted entirely to the art of drawing and illustration. The collection comprises over 15,000 by, among others, Albert Engstrom, Isaac Grunewald, Oscar Cleve, and Peter Tillberg. The museum not only displays works from their own collection but also the work of invited artists. Up until the summer of 2006 the museum is housed in Radhurst (City Hall) at Stortorget (the central square).
Past
Present
Future
Built 100 years ago this part of the building was formerly a firehouse.
Built 50 years ago this part of the building was still in use before it museum plans were fianlised
Currently under construction, this building represents Laholm’s growth.
New Location The move to a new location was a decision based on improving the museum and the city. The new location is literally a path through the town’s history, with each section of the building being constructed 50 years apart. The driving purpose for this project was to provide an exciting new art arena. It will represent the town’s growth and proud art culture in a physical environment. Architect, Jorgen Michelsen, was chosen to
design the buildings third section that is currently under construction. His philosophy is that an architects job is “to help and reflect life”. The new section will not be complete until winter of 2006. However, that does not mean that they can wait until it is finished to decide how the interior will reflect Laholm’s spirit. His guiding principal for this new section was “cultivated simplicity”.
Problem Statement: TECKNINGS MUSEET
The construction of a new museum created an opportunity for the Teckning Museet as well as the whole city of Laholm. The new building is a representation of the town and it’s history, as well as providing a reflection of it’s progress. As such, it needed to provide an experience that embodied the attitude of this growing culture. The new museum provides a place where the free exchange of ideas and critiques of that culture can proliferate.
Blair
Brian
Kevin
Marc
Nick
Peter
Reed
Ronny
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University Salzburg Marketing / Design
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University of Kansas Industrial Design
University Salzburg Marketing / Design
Who We Are Our team was brought together at Hogskolan University with the purpose of assembling design students from international programs. Two students are from Austria while the other six are from the United States. Under the direction of Hans Skillius and Lars Eriksson this group was given two months to develop a solution to the problem presented by the museum board.
Working on a group project of this size gave us an invaluable opportunity to learn from each others personalities and educational diversity. By blending philosophies and methodologies to create a truly unique perspective, we were able to apply those processes to a loosely defined problem and create a unified solution.
Project Methodology TECKNINGS MUSEET
Design is more about the process that you undertake during the course of a problem than delivering a final product. Every problem requires different considerations and processes. The strategy that is employed at the beginning of any project is not always the one that you end up with. As the group learns more about the subject and the parts involved, it becomes more apparent which tools and methods will be important. However, the basic steps are always the same: Research, Analysis, Ideation, and Realization. This is used as an early model that can be adapted as more information becomes known. Therefore the methods used for each stage vary depending on the nature and stage of the project. By starting with research we allow ourselves time to become familiar with the different aspects and themes that the project will encounter and incorporate. This section uses divergent thinking to take a focused problem and discover the issues that are involved. By broadening our understanding of these issues we can create more possibilities. Now that we have identified a large number of elements in this problem, we need to determine which ones hold the most importance. The analysis stage uses convergent thinking to narrow down the possibilities and focus on a few key areas. The result is a list of opportunities and values that will form the basis of what experience this museum should deliver.
The ideation process is defined by developing concepts. Using the opportunities and values from the analysis we are trying to come up with as many ideas as possible to achieve those goals. By exploring potential solutions in depth, from a few loose ideas we will have many chances to integrate the successful aspects from each idea. By utilizing and unifying the successful parts we create a group of objects and processes that will deliver the values and opportunities that we had previously established. Compressing this information into each piece will deliver a consistent experience. This diagram shows how we progressed through this project and the steps we took. By reading this book you will be able to see the process we used for developing a soultion from a loosely defined problem.
Methodology RESEARCH
The museum will be a prospective hub for social events as well as display artistic talent from the region. Our position as foreign exchange students working on a Scandinavian drawing museum presented us with an interesting opportunity to learn about the design and culture of the region. To provide pertinent solutions for the museum we needed to explore, in depth, the essence of the municipality, the motivations for regional design, and the current trends in modern museums. Essentially we needed to be well versed in the environment that this museum will inhabit to create an environment inside of it. The return on our research was developed into the core values that this museum will convey to it’s visitors, and will be the foundation for all of our future concepts. By exploring trends and attitudes of each research topic we will also able to recognize opportunities for the museum to expand it’s value to it’s visitors. Every idea needed to genuinely reflect the expectations and needs of this specific situation.
KEY WORDS
Scandinavia To better understand this region and it’s design philosophy we looked into companies with strong design reputations, as well as individuals who excel in the field of design. Some of the research was in the form of news and magazine articles that talked about the business and individual backgrounds. While others focused on their use of design methods and how they are applied based on the individual’s philosophy. Other members of our group looked through images of the objects that these people produced and noted aesthetic commonalities. We talked about the findings and came up with some important images and words to define the regional approach.
+ Simple + Truth + Functional
Laholm RESEARCH
With a basic understanding of Scandinavian design trends and attitudes we next had to learn about the city in which this museum resides and represents. Using mostly web based information that was run through language translators, we pieced together some limited findings on the city and it’s residents: The city of Laholm is the oldest and smallest in Halland. Laholm recently embarked on a large campaign to lay broadband cable throughout the city. It wasn’t until our first meeting with the museum board that we felt like we had an understanding of Laholm’s personality. We heard about the history and attitude of the town, how it is a burgeoning center for the fine arts including dance and music. Interaction with Laholm’s history is encouraged through a path of historical spots in the city that are in walking distance. The statements that stuck with us were:
KEY WORDS + Growth + History + Nature + Community
How the younger generation looks outside of Laholm for entertainment by going to Halmstad or Goteburg for stimulation. The city is promoting and preparing for a growth spurt of population and creative activity. Since this museum is going to be a cultural center that aids in the growing arts and crafts community, we knew that this museum would have to provide an experience of excitement and energy for young and old alike.
Museums
The goal with this research was to look into trends of the museum industry and figure out how audiences view them.
“Over time, the public learns about the values, on which museums are founded, the heritage they collect, the knowledge they embody and the services they perform. In turn, with greater understanding, the public will use and support museums more fully.”
In this field we relied heavily on academic papers about audience interaction with museums. A common theme came up based on a lack of trust and engagement that visitors feel when they visit a museum. The opinion that the museum is a very stilted environment of “don’t touch” signs and limited communication is not uncommon. We knew that this must be avoided for a museum that centers on social interaction. Some insights into solutions were found in the research as well:
- American Association of Museums
Swedish museum organizations need to consider creating a NEW ROLE in their community in terms of audience value creation. This NEW ROLE could involve several avenues: Providing interesting experiences for children Integrating their unique value into social sectors Develop museum space into a meeting place for the community.
KEY WORDS + Value
By providing these opportunities to its’ visitors, the museum will be creating a better environment and culture for learning and communicating. While looking for information on this subject we came across this quote that shed light on our problem:
“Play is a universal need in learning, leisure, education,
and entertainment”
This information pointed towards opportunities for interactive environments and events to stimulate the creative culture.
+ Play + Experience
Marketing RESEARCH
The research provided us with plenty of information to analyze and helped narrow it down into a problem with clearer boundaries and goals. Relevant design is a product of accurately assessing the wants and needs of the people we are trying to provide for. By combining this information together, we are, in essence, painting a picture of possible opportunities. The evaluation of these opportunities creates a map to guide us while we search for concepts.
KEY WORDS + Simple + Truth + Functional + Growth + History + Nature + Community + Value
Core Values By looking at the competition for time and attention we identified some important themes and terms. These helped guide our development of an environment and objects that utilized the opportunities available. Each concept we develop should reflect these terms in order to maintain a consistent representation of the museums’ overall character. Establishing these unifying characteristics early on prevents the needless development of concepts that do not accurately represent our goal. To help personify exactly what feeling we were trying to achieve, we all gathered images of what we believed the terms mean visually. We talked about which ones worked and didn’t and then made a compilation to guide our ideas.
+ Play + Experience + Community
Methodology IDEATION
The term ideation refers to the process of conceptualization. This phase in the design process is easily the most ambiguous, due to the tremendous amount of possibilities. It is true that some times an idea or concept will work in it’s first incarnation, but ussualy it takes many revisions and explorations of possibilities. This is called the iterative cycle and it it is repeated throughout each conceptual stage. Most of the time, even if an idea is really good, it will need to be combined with multiple other concepts to evoke the personality we are striving to achieve. In the most basic terms, ideation is about the discovery of what is functional, beautiful and most importantly relevant. The methods for ideating any given project are numerous in their purpose and result. Each problem that a designer encounters involves different attributes and features. The most basic of which might include: the environment, the audience, the technology, and the interface. While some aspects can be as detailed as the drafted floor plans for the building. For each issue we encounter, different methods are utilized. Brainstorming and mind-mapping are a great way to generate ideas and relate them to each other. This was very useful in ideating how to exploit the opportunities we isolated in our research analysis, which ultimately led to how we chose to use the space in the new museum. The most common method for the ideation stage is the use of sketching and modeling. This is especially true in the case of objects and environments. We were visually trying to communicate a mood and personality through these objects, and as such needed to be able to analyze a possibility quickly. Sketching is the most useful tool for this.
Brainstorming More often than not brainstorming starts with a problem and thinking of ways to solve it. At this point we are just trying to generate a lot of ideas for how we can promote community involvement that allows citizens of Laholm to experience art and not just appreciate it. This often involves big rolls of butcher paper and sticky notes. Once we have generated around 50 ideas, we can move the notes around to group similar possibilities and see how they relate as a whole.
Sketching / Modeling Sketching allows us to quickly demonstrate an idea in meetings with the board or between group members. Emphasis here is placed on conveying a physical function or appearance. All of our ideas went from general to specific in terms of feasibility and detail.
Use of Space IDEATION
The first thing we had to do was figure out how to best utilize the space. Based on the research and analysis, we knew that it should have more room for meeting and interaction. Events within the museum were high on our list of needs. We essentially divided it into four areas, each with certain opportunities in mind. Traveling Exhibition
This area utilizes interaction and excitement for the new exhibi tions. Most museums with permanent collections suffer, due to the lack of new attractions. Permanent Collection
Since this museum boasts a collection of 15,000 drawings we knew that they could keep a steady flow of pieces in this area. Cafe and Social Area
The biggest opportunity we saw was for a social setting, that most museums ignore in return for gift shop sales. Most museum goers list the lack of excitemnt (interaction) as the reason they do not visit frequently. Terrace / Screening Field
While many museums have outdoor sculpture galleries, they often lack a place for sitting with other people. If visitors could interact with nature while enjoying a cultural experience they will appreciate it and therefore learn more.
Traveling Exhibition
This area would focus on what’s new in the museum. Placing it in the front room of the museum helps encourage visitors to see what is going on. This also provides a great location for the information desk.
Permanent Collection
The middle building provides quite a bit of display space for the extensive collection of drawings.
Cafe & Social Area
The new section represents growth and the cultivation of a simpler style. We thought this would be the most suitable place to serve as cafe and social environment. By setting up chairs it could also serve as a meeting spot for discussions or events.
Terrace
The terrace will serve as an extension of the social area when the weather is nice. Visitors will be able to have their coffee outside and enjoy the beauty of the river and hills beyond. It will also serve as the focal point for outdoor events such as movie/animation, barbecues, screenings, and public gatherings.
Exhibition IDEATION
The goal of the display was to create a versatile modular system suitable for three-dimensional pieces as well as the current collection of Scandinavian drawings. Functionally the system needed to be simple in construction to allow for quick exhibition assembly, rotation of the permanent drawing collection and minimal storage space. Aesthetically it needed to be simple, natural and subtle without sacrificing emotional or dynamic attraction.
Our explorations led us to favor two systems that utilized steel cable for structural support and aesthetic versatility. The cable created a perceived lightness that kept the space open and inviting. It accommodated the display needs of both a three and two dimensional object showcase.
figure one
figure two
Both of these ideas utilize flat modular pieces. We liked the labeling and glass system in figure one, while the concept for figure two had a lot less hardware and provided more options for display.
Information Desk IDEATION
Typically the info desk is merely a place to pay the admission, but we wanted it to become a place where visitors could gather information on the museum and the community as well. It seemed like a perfect place to promote local culture, upcoming community events, future exhibits, lectures, discussions and classes. The placement had already been determined and helped us gauge size considerations.
The museum board decided that our early ideas were too bulky for the ammount of floor space avialable. They prefered that we design a lighter desk, that shows off the new wood flooring. From this feedback we were able to focus on designing a desk that did not crowd or distract from the surroundings.
Bar IDEATION
Due to the nature of the museum, a multi-functional bar seemed to be a perfect idea. It gives the museum the ability to meet the customers changing needs that arise from events held in and around the building. Portability and ease of travel were key factors for this object. It also needed to carry certain equipment safely. Some of the items it might contain: cash register, mini refrigerator, coffee machine, and cups/napkins.
As the design progressed we began to realize that if our mobile bar was to be successful it needed to meet certain criteria; mainly fitting into the elevator and allowing enough storage space so it could operate relatively independent of the cafĂŠ indoors. These images show how the bar can go from a compact travel case to a fully functioning bar counter by simply opening two doors and locking them into place.
Security was an issue as well, because it would contain items of value. With these concepts, it would be very easy to close the bar and lock it up when not in use.
Coffee & Event Seating IDEATION
The need for basic furniture that would provide seating was a goal from the beginning. These chairs would be used in multiple applications, such as meetings, museum events, and day to day cafe usage. To meet these needs a couple features were required. Stackability and the ability to be arranged side by side for events was crucial. Several of our early ideas focused on modularity and the ability to use the pieces for stools and display as well.
Sometimes we get excited, as designers, about a certain idea. It is then worked over extensively only to realize that it does not fit the need or is impractical. This happened during the chair development. Once we realized that a modular chair was unnecessary, we refocused our efforts on simplifying the form to only achieve the required functions: stackability (figure one), and a one piece mold (figure two).
figure one
figure two
Bar Furniture IDEATION
In Michelsen’s plans for the new section of the museum, he included a bar counter that would look out over the river. This brought about the need for a bar stool that could comfortably accommodate visitors while they are enjoying the view. Some of our earlier ideas emphasized stackability and a smooth form.
We thought these two models had the most potential. The one on the left had a playful quality. While the one on the right fit our simple and functional values. It also had a nice stackability feature that would conserve room when necessary.
figure one
figure two
Tables & Counters IDEATION
The intensive ideation on seating allowed us to move quite smoothly to the topic of tables and counter space. Since there is a cafe and an area for a bar counter, we had to address how these objects would relate to our seating ideas. Borrowing features from some of our better seats allowed us to create mini families that share characteristics.
At this point we were really starting to notice features that should be utilized in all the furniture. Most notably is the use of bent plywood with simple but beautiful radii. The ideas that required many parts or complex cuts in manufacturing have been pushed aside. The furniture was starting to become a system instead of sparsely related individual pieces.
figure one
figure two
Outdoor Furniture IDEATION
The idea for outdoor furniture actually spawned from an idea to have furniture that can work indoors and outdoors. We found that it was not necessary to do this if we could develop some seating that stayed outside permanently. In these ideas you can see portable furniture for sitting on the hill as well as the heavier terrace furniture.
From these ideas we picked two directions. The first being a permanent seating system that would be placed on the terrace (figure one). The other direction utilized a portable seat that can be oriented in multiple positions and can adapt to the terrain of the hill by the terrace (figure two).
figure one
figure two
Graphics IDEATION
Since the museum is moving to a new building, and creating a new experience, it is important that every point of interaction is unified. The graphical parts of the museum need to match the feel of the furniture as well. There are three key parts of a graphic identity: the mark (symbol/image), the typeface (font), and the logo. Each of these pieces can represent the museum by itself, but are often employed together to reinforce the connection. Eventually individual parts can be identified by visitors on their own.
Mark
Typeface
Logo
During ideation we started with manipulating the existing “eye� mark so it would be more in tune with our core values. We tried a couple approaches for the logo, some including modified versions of the old mark, or leaving it out all together. The typeface needed to be simple but not plain. We wanted the type to be unified with the mark and not seen as separate entities. Some of the fonts were playful and ornate. Even the decision of a serifed or san-serifed font was taken into consideration. Original Mark
Specific REALIZATION
We soon realized that the “eye” was a very important part of the museums’ history, which we are trying to preserve and cultivate. It needed to be included in the new museum. It was at this point that we realized we could unify our experience with a simple shape. The form was developed from several curves that had been popping up in the ideation for various furniture applications. By pointing one corner of a rounded square, we took a simple form and cultivated it. By using this shape in conjunction with the “eye” and the typeface, Futura, we had enough pieces to develop a basic language. Futura was chosen because of it’s simple line, and ability to match the weight of the “eye” mark. It also has several variations that can be utilized for a number of different situations.
Past
Present
Future
Methodology We further defined the language of the museum, by deciding on materials for the furniture and colors for use inside the museum and for marketing purposes. The new logo uses the eye in a playful interaction with the “cultivated square�. By having the eye peek around the box, it invites a curious eye to visit the building to see what is new. Between these materials, colors, and logo, along with the shape and typeface we have a group of tools that can be used to unite the experience that this museum provides.
Applications REALIZATION
The application of the logo and mark to items inside the museum will give it an origin. The cafe and bar should not be an extension of the museum, but a part of it. Therefore the items that it uses and provides need to be in line with the museums image. These images show how a possible logo application can unite the two parts.
Identity Thorough and consistent use of these tools is crucial to the visitor’s understanding and must be used carefully. Many points of interaction will come outside of the museum. One of the most common will be stationary and envelopes that get sent to officials, partners, guests, artists, and other museums. Often times these letters will be that persons first contact with the museum, which effects their initial impression of the teckning museet. If they get a fun and consistent feel from this contact, it will greatly effect customer opinion.
Signage REALIZATION
Applying the forms and fonts to the signage is an important step. The signs needed to be visible and easy to find, but shouldn’t distract from the art. Basic symbols were used to convey important information, this is reinforced with large text. This allows visitors in different mind sets to easily find and understand the desired information. A light blue background was used to make them easier to read.
Sunscreens & Wallpaper The cultivated square lends itself to pattern application very easily. These would further continue the identity and be used to attract attention to certain areas. By using it behind the information desk, it will be the first thing visitors will see when entering the museum. By drawing them to the info desk, they will be greeted with new exhibit and event information. The patterns can be used on other items such as sun screens to provide a transparent overlap of color through the big sunny windows in the cafe.
Outdoor Furniture REALIZATION
The shape was easily applied to earlier ideas for the furniture that will be used permanently on the terrace. The choice to use concrete for the outdoor furniture had been thrown around for awhile. We decided it would be necessary to deter theft and to fit the aesthetic of the stone terrace.
Kids Furniture While working on applications of the form to our furniture ideas, we thought it would be good to have some interactive furniture for children as well. It needed to be soft and modular so that kids could stack them up. These shapes would be sewn out of clothe and filled with a durable foam to increase safety.
Cafe and Event Seating REALIZATION
The final design for our cafe chair used the simplified forms from our previous sketches and combined them with our cultivated aesthetic. This provides a durable chair for relaxing with some coffee. They can also be easily set up side by side for event seating, such as meetings and speaking artists.
Tables We decided to create two tables, because they could be produced in the same mold and then cut down. The shorter one is more for the cafe area, and enjoying a cup of coffee. The taller could be used throughout the building wherever an elevated surface of standard height is needed.
Stool REALIZATION
We settled on a modified version of our earlier idea to use a hydraulic system for raising the stool. It’s simplified form was easily adapted into our visual family. Turned on it’s side it can also be used for three dimensional display or in a cafe setting.
Bar counter Some of our pervious ideas for the bar counter used removable pieces that could be used as lap trays. We realized that this was not necessary for a permanent bar counter. The form is very similar to the tables that we developed and would fit nicely with the stools that would be placed with them.
Info / Bar REALIZATION
The ideation step for our information counter led us to develop a simplified station where visitors could get all types of information about the museum and Laholm. The curved counter embraces visitor, while the white counter tops provide a clean look to personify the town.
Bar Much of the hard work for the portable bar was laid out in the ideation phase. This shows that sometimes the refinement cycle can be remarkably short when you start with the right idea. The final bar features the same counter top as the info desk and has storage for a mini fridge, cash register, and shelves for shakers, liquor, coffee cups, coffee maker, and other essentials.
Flatwork Exhibition REALIZATION
The exhibition system was one of the more extensive development cycles. It required many technical developments for hanging, sketch placement and security, as well as ease of installation. It is based on a modular system of flat wood peices that are curved on the end. These can be secured and combined in numerous configurations. The curves are all the same, so they can be stored without wasting valuable space. The system can be setup with minimal hardware and effort.
Object Exhibition The ability of this system to switch from a vertical, flat, display to one that can support three dimensional objects was very important. With traveling exhibitions, the flexibility to switch between the two states will give the museum a unique and consistent feel of change and growth.
Stickers for Exhibitions REALIZATION
We needed a way to display basic information on the exhibits that could be easily changed when new ones go up. We figured that if you use stickers instead of plaques you could change them quicker, and modify the information easier. Just load the labels in your printer and fill out the template. Then print and apply to surface.
Human Figure
CHALK
BY: Trenton Akniska 198 7 The basis for Trenton’s work is to expose the true beauty of ever yday people. He uses charcoal and chalk to achieve a rough mental palette
ticket
logo
signature
events
(S)tickets As long as we are using stickers for display we figured we could use them for an iterative experience that promotes frequent visits. Each time you check out the museum and get your ticket, you will have a little sticker on it. In your museum handbook there will be a place to collect them. This engages the visitor as well as keeps track of what they have seen.
Merchandise REALIZATION
We were told that there is going to be a gift shop in this museum, so there needed to be consideration made for the packaging of the items it sells. This can once again use the stickers as a way to label and identify items. White boxes of varying size will be available for customers to transport their purchases. A label will be printed out and placed on the box to keep with the simple and cultivated feel. It will be like labelling a memory or point in time.
FRONT
BACK
Memory Game As a way to promote active memory of the exhibits, we thought that a card game could be developed using images of drawings and artists. These would be turned over so that only the backs are visible. You try to match them by flipping one over, then trying to find its pair. It promotes memory and application of exhibit information.
Conclusion REALIZATION
We hope that through our design process and realization we have developed ideas and concepts that are relevant to giving the Laholm Museet its own unique character and identity. The ideas that we have presented are based off of a system that can be built and expanded upon. This system should give guidance and direction when developing new concepts in the future and should allow for a strong identity to be developed in the minds of users. All of these ideas, although simple in their basic forms, come together to form an experience and brand that is unique to one of the most unique museums of its kind, the Teckningsmuseet i Laholm. The next three pages represent the future of the Laholm museet. This is a place where visitors get filled with excitement and intrigue, because of the interaction that it promotes. The objects and systems that we designed merely convey a feeling, it is the towns resident that give the environment life.
Entryway in the oldest part of the museum.
Bar and exhibition section of new building.
Outdoor terrace and hill.
THANK YOU
Through working on this project we have been able to learn a great amount from each other and all of the people involved. Most importantly we got to know another culture. There exist many long nights and frustrating days when working on a project of this magnitude. We could not have done this without the help of so many. We would like to thank Hans Skillius and Lars Eriksson for the project and their guidance through it. They were the ones driving us from Halmstad to Laholm every week so we could meet with the museum board, who we also owe a great amount to. Rarely do you find “clients� so interested and involved in the process of design. They even accompanied us on field trips to furniture manufacturers. We appreciate all of the conversations we had with them over the course of the project. Finally, a big thanks goes out to Jorgen Michelsen, who gave us a building to fill with new ideas and a design statement that defines a town . . .
Brian Devine
Blair Donovan
Kevin Sykes
Marc Moilanen
Nick Devine
Peter Schreckensberger
Reed Schmidt
Ronny Sandmayr
Notes
CULTIVATED SIMPLICITY