Furniture made to measure

New project. New brief.

Another group project at Lessius in which we have to design the new STIPhuis. The STIPhuis is a place for students to go if they have any problems but is mainly used by international students who wish to voice any concerns and also do laundry. The current STIPhuis is too small for the functions it is required to perform and is to be located to a new, larger building 3 doors down the street. It's our job as designers to communicate and work with both the clients and users to best utilise the new space.

Using some of the techniques I learned last year as research methods we were able to gain an insight into the users of the space. Asking the STIP staff members about the STIPhuis they currently worked in, we asked questions such as what do you require from the space? What works within this current space? What would you like to see within the new space? Taking these results into consideration we took this forward when creating our space.

Group Storming

Promising to be a challenging and exciting year, the first assignment for Design Studies got me to think creatively and critically again. Last year we learned a lot of techniques that will prove invaluable throughout our lives but indefinitely this year. Using some of the skills that I already learned I applied these to the first assignment. Working within a group again and learning to communicate, we started the first task.

Each choosing a specific topic to research further, we all discussed our titles and debated issues surrounding them. Our wee group is made up with myself, Charles Stewart and Ross Lesslie over in Mechelen, Belgium.

Charles Stewart: Sustainability and Design

Rachel Laing: Crime and Design

Ross Lesslie: Education and Design.

After a hearty dinner of good old Scottish Mince and Tatties made by Charles we were all set for the 'Group Storming' session. To begin with we were a bit hesitant (I think we were out of practise) but as soon as we got the juices flowing we were off to a flyer. Originally just discussing one of the titles we soon scrapped this idea as we realised that all our topics had many of the same points that interlinked. Arguing on some issues but agreeing on others a good while later we had totally ripped apart our chosen subjects and given ourselves some food for thought...I was excited to get home and get things underway.

Individual mind map on Crime and Design.

Creating a mind map using some of the main points that were discussed in the group meeting, I soon realised that what we had discussed within our groups was only a scratch on the surface. Dividing my topic of Crime and Design in lots of subtitles I was able to research different parts in more detail which would aid me when writing the Wiki report.

The Accent of Fashion

Stephen Jones

Before his exhibition I did not know this name. Sounds pretty common, right? Wrong. There is nothing common about this man at all. Creating designs that have sent the fashion world into a flurry, Jones creates beautiful and outrageous hats that are designed specifically to portray a message. Whether this message be about a specific theme he has selected for a collection or the personality of a client, each hat is unique and extreme.
Creating hats for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Dita Von Teese, John Galliano, Christian Dior... he listens to exactly what the client wants and recreates an inspirational design. Each hat is a stimuli and is designed to provoke a response from the viewer but just like a piece of text, each will produce a different reaction for the individual. Some view the radical hats for their form, some for the colours and others for inspiration themselves but however you regard the hats I am sure you would agree also that the way in which he partners together all the elements only adds to the overall performance of what he is trying to achieve.

Drama.

Everything about the exhibition oozed drama, from the hats themselves right down to the set they had been placed in. Right on par with the colourful man himself, the exhibition screamed for attention. Undertaking a project last year about exhibition design, it was interesting as I was wandering through Jones' work that I found myself ticking things off in my head on the imaginary checklist I had also tried to comply to when creating my own exhibition; presenting the work so as to capture the viewer right from the start, check! Creating an atmosphere similar to the work itself being exhibited, check! Clearing conveying the theme the designer desires, check! For me, everything about the exhibition worked!
The over sized boxes tied in nicely with the hats and the way in which they are given to a customer similar to the way in which they were being presented to us here. Emphasizing the extreme proportions in which Jone's uses when creating his hats, the boxes lay strewn on the floor amongst some over-sized hats. There were four of these hats each representing a different chapter in Stephen Jones' life; Adventure, Science, Rococo and Glamour. Cleverly using these large hats to divide his design journey it was nice to see what had been created in each 'era' in what was for me a witty way to present things in a understandable way.
The overhead lighting that was used was an intelligent choice. Creating shadows and adding to the overall drama, the exhibits stand proudly from the lilac hat boxes. The light shines through the hats and generates delicate silhouettes onto the walls and ground. I enjoyed the way in which different forms were created with the effect of the lighting but a friend of mine criticised the lighting because they could not see all the detail. I think this only added to the exhibition as it required you to move closer to the work to see the detailing that may have otherwise been overlooked. Creating this element of interaction, you began to get a feel for Jones' designs and I found myself scrutinising the designs up close, noticing components I may have never have spotted had the lighting been different.

Overall, for me, I felt that the exhibition complimented Stephen Jones' work and the dominating and dramatic context in which the hats had been placed in created an exciting setting. Watching people wander around the exhibition, I was intrigued to see how they interacted with the exhibits and how each was responding differently to what was in front of them. I am sure that if Jones could see what I could he would be very pleased. Struggling throughout his designing life to create an impact, he has finally reached the point he had dreamed of. Still continuing to become more popular it makes you wonder when he will stop becoming more and more dominating...one thing that remains to be asked though, utter genius or completely insane?

Erasmus Exchange

Currently residing in my room, sitting on my bed, laptop on my knee, looking out the window, with church bells ringing in the not too far away distance…how different in comparison with my ‘normal’ life.

New surroundings. New chapter in my life.

Location: Mechelen, Belgium.

Researching the area before arrival, I was excited at the prospect of exploring and experiencing city life. Brought up in a quiet village in Scotland I knew this was going to be a great opportunity not only for me to experience a different culture but also surviving in a big city.

First arriving in Mechelen I could not have felt any smaller. Everyone around me moving with the flow of the city and me struggling up cobbled streets with two suitcases…not my idea of glamour! Trying to find my accommodation in the maze of narrow, intersecting cobbled streets was a nightmare (even with the prepared Google map!) and dodging bikes at the same time was a challenge in itself.

Now two days in, I finally have my bearings and have spent most of my time exploring as much as I can – and I have to say so far so good! The city itself is beautiful with lots of little treasures hidden amongst the tall, skinny buildings, the picturesque views and the canals that weave through the houses that hang over the water edge. The locals are friendly and they are even starting to understand the Dutch that I am speaking! Although as soon as they differentiate from the stuff I have learnt from the phrase book ,”Ik versta het niet” is becoming a very familiar reply (I don’t understand)…