Graduate Work

The first reading with which to start the semester off is the preface to the the book Once Upon a Chair- Design Beyond the Icon. It basically is a call to arms for the design community. It states that we are at the other end of a period of design that sacrificed idealism and ethics and was removed from addressing real issues in favor of simply being a flashy response to existing work. With star designers being celebrated for their celebrity and prototypes going for incredible prices at auction, design was being categorized like art and was viewed through that lens.

The recession has helped to bring about a reassessment of design’s true essence while it flounders about in various directions. The author claims that the time of design’s death and reincarnation is at hand and should reemerge in the form of sustainability. The author states, “Sustainability could be become the new guiding principle of design, the new ethical foundation of our creative efforts.”
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Today I officially moved into my studio. It faces south and, like many of the studios here, has a beautiful view into an overgrown courtyard.

I am feeling equal parts excitement and fatigue (getting our house set up was no small task). I am look forward to getting going with the prototyping phase for some of the more resolved pieces that I am currently working on. I am also looking forward to getting some feedback about what I have been designing so far. My goal at this point is to get 3 objects fully prototyped and manufactured by the end of this school year. This sounds like such an achievable goal…

I think the Cylinder Light is up first for the Rapid Prototyping machine that prints in ABS. New this year at Cranbrook!

The Charmed Light will feature a bit of articulation which allows the light source to be angled as well as rotated in an circle relative to the base. I have been looking at ways to rotate and angle the light so that the angle is maintained once a person positions it. So far the most compelling solution for testing is to use lifting magnets at the end of the light head and slightly recessed within the metal tube that meets the head. The magnets have a vertical hold strength of 6 lbs. They also have mounting holes in the middle which, in my case, is perfect for passing wiring for the LED strips through.

This is what I have so far for the head:

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I have not been entirely happy with the form that I gave to the head of the light in the first iteration. So I’ve gone back to refine it a bit more and give it a sleeker form. I think that it makes the light look less top-heavy. I think I should make the head even smaller…more to come as far as that is concerned.

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As I began to add hardware connections to the 3-sided Table project today, I needed to know what tapped hole measurement matched which screw. I found this chart to be very helpful.

Invariably there is a part in most design work where a certain detail takes up a disproportionate amount of time to resolve. So far with the Dome Light, this would be the geared dial mechanism. Having no background in engineering, the entry into gear design was a bit more involved than I thought. What did I know about Diametral Pitch and how to properly calculate it? Thanks to my buddy, the internet, I was able to find gear formulae (here). But so far, this has not resulted in perfectly crafted and meshing gears. Part of the problem is that my gear variables do not result in Diametral Pitch values that SolidWorks likes (I keep arriving at ’7′ and it wants ’6′ or ’8′). I have tried to fiddle with different dimensions to make this work, but so far no luck.
Here is a rough, semi-functional assembly that I have been working on:

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Both the Dome and Cylinder lights that I am designing will benefit from the use of gear trains in order to rotate the dimmer switch 360 degrees to achieve full brightness. I’ve been looking into how best to design gears in SolidWorks and, in the process, came across some cool videos on YouTube showing all sorts of different gear assemblies, Gevena mechanisms, etc.

Here is an example:

Continuing with the design ideas from the Dome Light, as well as inspiration from Barber Osgerby’s amazingly beautiful Lanterne Marine vases, I am working on a table lamp that is essentially a cylinder with an aluminum armature and glass shade. The light switch will use the same dimmer dial idea as the Dome light but will be flush with the base except for two raised buttons on opposite sides from one another, that one pinches with thumb and middle finger to rotate. This idea was the result of fumbling for the a traditional light switch on my bedside lamp in the middle of the night. Feeling the surface of the Cylinder light for the dial should be much easier.

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I am working on a design for a tall, adjustable lamp. The design inspiration is an image of a snake rising from a basket in response to a snake charmer. I love how this translates into an open round base with the main tubing appearing to defy gravity a bit as it emerges from the base. A possible design evolution would be to have an actual basket as the base with the lamp emerging from that. I would need to investigate the possibility of having baskets woven to spec, possibly from India. I have done a little research into this and have found a company that works with the disabled to produce baskets. If I get closer to a prototyping this lamp, I may contact them.

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Thinking about different routines that might occur between rooms like in a hallway, mud room or entry, I came up with the idea for a row of coat hooks that are obscured by a mirror. This way the items are more neatly held down rather than sticking out into a hallway. It might make for an interesting visual point as the tops of coats, scarves, and bags are chopped of. Also, it allows for a quick assessment of one’s hair, coat choice, make-up, etc before one heads out the door or upon their return.
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