design education – DesignApplause

pratt institute m.f.a. open studios.

Nov 12, 2016

on saturday, november 12 pratt institute will host its annual open studios in the new pfizer building location of its m.f.a. program in fine arts, allowing the public to witness the creative process of students firsthand. the program draws students from around the globe and offers concentrations ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture, printmaking, photography, and integrated practices such as public installation and performance art. open studios allows visitors to see the m.f.a. program’s new 33,000 square feet of brightly lit and freshly renovated space, including 81 student studios, critique spaces, and fabrication shops, while looking behind the scenes at the artistic activity of pratt’s brilliant student artists as they conceive and execute new works.

the program’s move to the repurposed pfizer building brings the many concentrations of pratt’s m.f.a. in fine arts under one roof, at the creative nexus of williamsburg, bushwick, and bedford-stuyvesant, bringing students closer to brooklyn’s vibrant arts scene.pratt institute m.f.a. open studios

risd furniture design & textiles present in xxi triennale in milan and icff in new york.

Apr 7, 2016

the departments of furniture design and textiles at rhode island school of design [ risd ] are presenting the narrative of making at the xxi triennale international exhibition milan 2016 (xx1t) and at the 2016 international contemporary furniture fair (icff) in new york city.

the featured work is based on in-depth, multidisciplinary materials research, with furniture design students partnering with peers in textiles to rethink the use of soft materials in furniture design. rather than using conventional techniques to cover furniture with foam and textiles, in this work students emphasize the inherent qualities of the materials through methods based on weaving, knitting, knotting and crocheting.

throughout the fall 2015 semester, students developed a series of models that led to a full-scale mock-up; these in-depth explorations provided a solid foundation for the construction of the final, well-executed prototypes for the shows.

xxi triennale international exhibition milan> 21st century. design after design | cathedral of the fabbrica del vapore | via giulio procaccini 4 | 2 april > 26 june 2016.

international contemporary furniture fair | the javits center | 655 west 34th street | 14 > 17 may 14–17 2016.

cooper hewitt high school student design challenge winner. #thinkoutside

Apr 6, 2016

and the winner is…claire christianson, a sophomore at providence academy, chose as her inspiration object a painted porcelain art nouveau vase. christianson explained, “i was inspired by the media of the art nouveau vase. my chair’s form was taken from the tons of little ribbons of clay trimmings that the potter cut off in pursuit of his masterpiece.”

cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum announces the launch of student design challenge #thinkoutside, its first-ever nationwide competition for high school students, inviting them to submit ideas for an outdoor chair inspired by objects from the museum’s collection. organized by cooper hewitt in collaboration with target, the challenge’s winning chair design will be manufactured by the retailer for exclusive use in the museum’s recently redesigned arthur ross terrace and garden.

above> vase, 1903; painted by samuel schellink (danish, 1876-1958); manufactured by rozenburg pottery and porcelain factory (the hague, netherlands); painted porcelain; gift of arthur altschul, 1994.

fellow [ finalists ] lauren schrempp (new york), valerie taranto (new jersey), ryan thompson (illinois), and tanner wall (florida), traveled to new york to participate in a design workshop at cooper hewitt with members of target’s design team and museum educators. on sunday, april 3, the finalists presented his or her design in person to the judges.

[ the judges ] cooper hewitt director caroline baumann was joined by a panel of creative experts to evaluate the finalists’ designs, including national design award winner walter hood, principal and founder, hood design; steven keating, head of performance footwear design, puma; rachel shechtman, founder, story; tana smith, youtube star “tanamontana100” and author; todd waterbury, chief creative officer, target; and tony whitfield, associate professor of art and design, parsons school of design. susanna sirefman, president of dovetail design strategists and competition advisor for the challenge moderated the panel’s deliberations. [ details ] #thinkoutside

Armin hofmann: farbe/color. A+D museum.

Nov 13, 2013

silkscreen

Just in: The A+D museum was kind enough to send images. Detailed captions coming. I met Mr. Hofmann in 1972, at the height of the ebb of the Swiss USA invasion. Seems like 10k AH images through the years. You couldn’t avoid them if you needed an inspiration, taught design and presented his typography / color explorations, went to gallery openings, etc. I’m absolutely not sure that I’ve seen the images in this post though the architectural graphics are new to me. Hope to see this installation in person. The internet is misleading and almost a disservice. Nothing even close to experiencing some things in person.

disentis high school | architects hermann and hans peter baur

color sketch

b/w sketch

More information from an exhibition at Galerie Susanna Kulli (30 August – 28 September 2012  )
“It has always seemed to me that there must be a life of color as such, divorced from any object.” (Augusto Giacometti, Die Farbe und ich, 1933)—Until now, the reception of Armin Hofmann’s oeuvre has focused on this renowned Swiss graphic artist’s posters, which are largely in black and white. The exhibition at Galerie Susanna Kulli now offers the first in-depth look at his intense engagement with color. Its centerpiece is a portfolio of silkscreen prints that is unique in Hofmann’s oeuvre. The silkscreen portfolio is complemented by writings and sketches from Hofmann’s private archive and problems he assigned in his classes.

Recollections of four of his former students—Philip Burton, April Greiman, Aki Nurosi, and Moritz Zwimpfer—open up new perspectives on Hofmann’s close engagement with issues of color. Each of the twelve plates in the portfolio, created between 1989 and 1999, shows four triangles arranged in a square. By eliminating light-dark contrasts, Hofmann was able to focus on color as such and the contrasts specific to it—cold–warm and luminous–dull, as well as contrasts in hue and quantity. As Hofmann emphasizes, the twelve plates should not be regarded as final results; they are guideposts in a process, and their order is variable. The reduction to a single problem held constant led him to a more nuanced vision and a growing awareness of the sensual qualities of color: “When you work in this manner, you become ever more refined, more sensitive.” In his teaching, too, Hofmann sought to raise his students’ sensitivity for the qualities and effects of color.  He had no interest in imparting an authoritative system of color, striving instead to accommodate the individual element in color perception.

Of particular interest in connection with the silkscreen portfolio, which Hofmann describes as “a sort of account of my pedagogical activities,” is a problem he assigned in a class in 1984. The extant sketches produced by the students and their final results bear considerable compositional and chromatic resemblance to the twelve plates in Hofmann’s portfolio.  Two case studies—of the former PTT-Areal in Arlesheim and the high school in Disentis—further illustrate Hofmann’s use of color in three dimensions. Both buildings were designed by the architects Hermann and Hans Peter Baur, early advocates of an “integration of the arts” into architecture; during the almost six decades of their collaboration with Hofmann, they frequently involved the artist in the planning process from the very outset. Art for public spaces was the only field of his practice in which Hofmann employed color as a defining artistic element. As in the silkscreen portfolio and in his classes on color, the study of the relativity of chromatic values was central. The critical examination of the role of the mark in its context pervades Hofmann’s entire oeuvre. The engagement with color added another layer to this complex issue and may be seen as bringing further nuance and elaboration to his teaching of form.

venue> a+d museum | 6032 wilshire boulevard los angeles | 323 932 9393
opening reception> 14 november 2013 | 6p
open to public> 14 november 2013 > 19 january 2014 | los angeles

about ron kovach

20th student design competition. International home + housewares show 2013.

Mar 13, 2013

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The Student Design Competition turned a proud 20 years-old this March, paying homage to IHA and the 125 winners who launched their careers via this event. IHA said that in 20 years there were over 4,000 entries and 160 industry professional judges. All have contributed with a common goal in mind: to encourage and recognize young designers and raise awareness in the design housewares market of the value of design. Out of the 256 entries received in 2013, six top winners (below) were chosen along with five honorable mentions. BTW, this is Vicki Matranga’s, IHA Design Programs Coordinator, 20th trip to this dance. She founded the competition 20 years ago.

l>r breanna, heman, yutong, yungi, cole, juan and vicki matranga

heman au

DesignApplause talks to the first place winners:

[ First Place $3,000 ]
Duo Kitchenware by Heman Au | Arizona State University, junior

[DesignApplause] I am interested in hearing how you got the inspiration to develop this product, Duo Kitchenware. Can you tell me your name, age, school and major?
[Heman Au] My name is Heman Au, I’m a Junior Industrial Design student at Arizona State University, 31 years-old. The idea came from my aunt who owns a restaurant out in Palo Alto, CA.

[DA] And what’s it called?
[HA] Ada’s Cafe. And the entire restaurant is staffed by people with disabilities. She trains them and staffs them to help them become a productive citizen. So a couple years ago she came to me telling me how the knives that she has at her restaurant don’t really work, and since I’m a design student- you know, help her come up with something that would work for her staff members. At the time, I was only a freshman and I told her, “You know, give me a couple years while I develop my skills as a designer and I’ll come back and help you out.” So, a couple of years passed. I heard about the Housewares competition, so I decided to use this opportunity to design a knife for people with disabilities. And you know, from my research I found out that there’s over 800,000 Americans with one form of disability or another, and also through my research I found that there really is a lack of knives for people with disabilities. There’s a lot of spoons, cups, you know, forks- but no knives to help you cook. So I decided to take the opportunity to design something for kind of more the home use instead of the restaurant use. And that is where the idea came from.

[DA] You said it took 12 weeks to conceive and execute your idea. Four weeks of that was research and testing by two people? Now, going forward, you’re looking for a manufacturer to produce this for you?
[HA] Yes. Mmhmm.

[DA] Would you consider doing Kick Starter?
[HA] Yeah.

[DA] Are there any designers who really inspire you or that you aspire to be like in your work?
[HA] I really admire Joseph Joseph’s design aesthetic.

[DA] Right. OK. How did you select your materials for it? What is it made out of?
[HA] Actually drawing a blank so…The knife uses a high carbon stainless steel blade, and I picked that not because of its – I mean, it’s durable, but at the same time it has a stark [appearance], so it contrasts with the white cutting board. So it also helps with people who have kind of visual disabilities or spatial disabilities. The handle is just injection molded polypropylene with over-molded TPE, just for comfort. Kind of like the OXO Good Grips. OXO is kind of like another inspiration, just their focus on ergonomics and comfort. And the cutting board is made out of high density polyethylene, just because it’s very durable, but at the same time it won’t damage the blade’s sharpness. So it will keep it sharp longer and it’s great for harsh chemical cleaning or chemicals, it will withstand that. And again you’ll have over-molded TPE for the handle and the back side just for grip.

[DA] What’s the expected lifespan of this product? Did you come up with a way to sharpen this knife yet?
[HA] Yes, so I tested it out. I mean, I didn’t actually test it out, but I tried fitting it with a lot of knife sharpeners out in the market, and it fits in a lot of existing knife sharpeners. So it doesn’t need any special sharpening tool.

[DA] How many times did you actually have to go through the physical process of creating it before you got it right?
[HA] What do you mean?

[DA] Did you know which materials to use right away before you actually created a prototype version or did you have to make a couple of them before you got the right mixture of materials, process, etc?
[HA] Well, the materials are kind of hard because I don’t have a functional prototype to actually see how long the cutting board material lasts. But from the design aspect, just the form and function of it, I went through at least four or five design revisions before kind of settling on what this- what you see in front of you.

[DA]Is there anything else you’d like to say about Duo Kitchenware that you think people should know?
[HA] I actually want to add that besides it being a good tool for people with disabilities, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback telling me that it would be great for kids as well as seniors, who have maybe arthritis or just low strength. And even everyday moms, dads would love to have something like this in their kitchen. You know, that was kind of one of the things that I was trying to keep in mind in my design, was to keep it nice and simple- at the same time, making it look like an everyday, household item. Because obviously people with disabilities, they’re already very self-conscious of their short-comings and they don’t want to use something that’s kind of branded as, you know, of disabled equipment. You know, I’m just pretty excited to see it out in the market, because I think there’s definitely, you know, a group of people that really need something like this. And it would be great for the younger market. I know a lot of times people don’t design for that group, because there’s not a lot of them. You know, it’s better to design for like 7 billion people versus only 700,000 people, but I feel like by making my design more universal to fit, you know, all different sorts of people- it could really help bring it out to market because people want to pick it up.

[ Judges’ Comments ]
>challenging problems solved with consistent design language
>careful research with physical therapists and user group
>clearly defined problem, process well conducted

juan jimenez

 [First Place $3,000]
Smart Measure by Juan Jimenez | University of Houston, senior

[DesignApplause] Can you tell me your name, age, school, major?
[Juan Jimenez] My name is Juan Himenez, from the University of Houston. I am 23 years-old, and I’m majoring in Industrial Design.

[DA] Can you tell me about the inspiration and thought process that lead to your actual final product, Smart Measure?
[JJ] Yeah, so the project when we began, it was to design a kitchen utensil. And the way I began to do research was really just to print out a bunch of recipes and follow them to try to use as many utensils as I could. And what I began to do is to take pictures and document the different problems I found with different products and just narrowing it down until- to something that I felt had a good opportunity. So eventually I narrowed it down to measuring spoons. So from there I began to really just think of how can I solve these problems simply? And I basically just started sketching, making models and stuff like that.

[DA] OK, cool. So do you have a lot of personal experience with faulty measuring spoons or ways you can make it easier?
[JJ] Yeah, I really didn’t start cooking that much until I was given this project. But I think in a way that gave me a little bit of an advantage, because I was immediately like, “this isn’t working” or “this doesn’t work.” I wasn’t someone who is more experienced who would probably be like, “oh, that’s just the way it is.” So I think that actually gave me a little bit of an advantage.

[DA] And how did you decide on the material for the measuring spoon?
[JJ] For this material really what I did was- usually the way I go about it is I think: OK, what properties do I need this to have? So it needs to be- it needs to have a certain amount of flexibility, it has to be strong, and it has to be food-grade safe. So with that I just think, OK what other products have these same properties? And then I look at those products and say OK, what are these made of, and then I use that as kind of like a foundation to begin my material research.

[DA] How long did it take you to complete this project, from conception to completion?
[JJ] A year overall to refine the measuring spoons. The project itself took two weeks, but I went through a lot of different versions as the idea remained in my head.

[DA] OK, so now what’s next? You’ve won this award. How are you going to try to take this idea further?
[JJ] Well, the idea is to try to- I’ve taken it as far as I can with my knowledge of manufacturing. So I’m trying to meet other people who can help me develop it further and possibly take it to market.

[DA] So are you going to try to do, like Heman mentioned Kick Starter, or are you looking for manufacturers that are specifically looking to carry this product?
[JJ] Yeah. There’s a few companies that I like that have this similar, I guess, design style that I’m interested in. But it’s also a possibility to do something on my own, like a Kick Starter project or something to have it still be mine [IP] and just take it further.

[DA] Awesome. Have you ever submitted to this design contest before?
[JJ] No, this is the first time.

[DA] Well, Congratulations.
[JJ] Thank you very much.

[DA] Just another question I had was, are there any particular designers or brands that you really admire that influenced, you know, your desire to do this?
[JJ] I’m a really big fan of OXO. I think they have really simple solutions to problems, to everyday kind of things that maybe you wouldn’t think would be a problem. But they’re just simpler ways of doing things, and that’s definitely a big inspiration to me.

[ Judges’ Comments ]
>simple, novel offering in a crowded product category
>thorough and well-communicated market research
>logical design process, good sketching and mock ups

Grants to the winners’ schools | Each school receives a $415 grant for each winning entry.

about angela evans

best design graduates of 2012.

Jan 28, 2013

Here’s a link to freshly minted design graduates. [ #26 > Ploypan Theerachai ] The word “play” is becoming synonymous for creativity and problem solving. Theerachai uses “play” as a methodology for her design process and argues that concept and personality have become more sellable commodities today.

CONST > the main idea behind the desk lamp CONST are three basic components; base, body and shade. Keeping in mind these simple elements and their role, Theerachai playfully combines expression with function. The concrete and marble base keep the octagon-shaped wood body balanced and the same time one can adjust the angle of the shade by rotating it.

Hide & Seek > consists of a series of three space-dividers | Tree – separates space into three parts for one’s privacy | Bush – divides and groups space into spaces | Nest – allows you to have privacy underneath it while making a phone call for a couple of minutes.

Young creations award: upcycling. Heimtextil 2013.

Jan 11, 2013

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Young Creations Award: Upcycling competition announces winners. Design students are asked to focus on sustainability in thie first competition at Heimtextil 2013. Four teams of young designers received awards for their creative effort. The winners were chosen by trade visitors and exhibitors of the fair. Two design teams both grapple with the bathroom. First place gets lots of points for a concept that can potentially be taken to market. Third place could easily go to market too.

[ first place ] above ‘Medusa’s illuminating revelation & Poseidon’s bubbling oracle’ – by Aachen-based designers Tobias Bast, Christina Jansen and Daniel Tsveikov. A dimable shower fitting LED lamp.

[ second place ] Sergius Kowalski, Julius Hüttner and Sophia Hälterlein of Coburg University with their ‘Take of a ‘working’ bath’ project, for which they converted an old bathtub into a desk.

[ third place ] Lisa Weinfurtner and Sarah Lüthke, also from Coburg University, for weaving tights into the seat of a chair called ‘Frame Chair’.

[ fourth place ] Julian Reuter and Jakob Landes of Aachen University of Applied Sciences find new uses for skatboards. Their ‘SkarabÄuz’ project, for which they turned innumerable plastic bags and car wheels into artistic luminaires.

The competition for young designers will be repeated in 2014. “This subject has a great future”, confirmed Prof Jan Armgardt, designer and lecturer at Aachen University of Applied Sciences. “Hand-made and individual products are extremely ‘in’ and many of the projects presented have the potential for really good business ideas.” Heimtextil visitors can draw inspiration from the student’s ideas until the fair closes on Saturday. The creative projects are to be found in a special exhibition in the new ‘Design live’ area.

This competition is a great idea. The students are experiencing working on a team and competing for top concept and execution. They’re also exposed to the trade fair arena. The professionals are inspired too by the young unfettered imagination. [ heimtextil ]

Design thinking for educators.

Jan 3, 2013

educators, want to put design thinking into your curriculum? download the toolkit and workbook. [RK]

Design student winners. International home & housewares 2012.

Mar 20, 2012

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photo: back l>r alex broerman, patrick fiori, vicki matranga: h/idsa, design programs director iha, samuel cheng | front l>r jeannette ralyea, mariel z. piña, elizabeth reuter

2012 marks the 19th year that the International Housewares Association has been recognizing design students. The winners, the judges, the awards are listed below. DesignApplause has asked the winners to present their winning effort and we would post it. If you wish to contact the students, please contact Vicki Matranga at IHA or DesignApplause. [ international housewares association ]

[ 2012 student design competition winners ]
First Place $2,500
Samuel Chen
Cyclone Kitchen Fire Extinguisher
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, junior

First Place $2,500
Mariel Z. Piña
Ambos—A Greater Colander
University of Houston, senior

 Second Place $1,500
Patrick Fiori
Heart Start Infant CPR Assistant
Purdue University, junior

Second Place $1,500
Jeannette Ralyea
Visio Home Safety Guides for the Visually Impaired
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, senior

Third Place $1,000
Alex Broerman
Slivr Home Meat Slicer
University of Cincinnati, senior

Third Place $1,000
Elizabeth Reuter
PoshPaw Pet Nail Clippers
Purdue University, junior

[ grants to the winners’ schools ] $415 to Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
$830 to Purdue University
$415 to University of Cincinnati
$415 to University of Houston
$415 to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

[ honorable mentions $250 each ] Richard Beien
Edge Adjustable Cane
Purdue University, junior

Jennifer Clark
Leverage Door Knob Lever
The Ohio State University, junior

Laura Cioffi
Beck Cutting Board with Measuring Flute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, junior

Michael MacLean
Safe Step Ladder
The Ohio State University, junior

Breanna Stachowski
Winturn Ergonomic Snow Shovel Handle
University of Notre Dame, senior

Evan Trickey
ZipCord
The Ohio State University, junior

Michael Young
The X-Zip Cord System
Columbus College of Art & Design, senior
 Kevin Wu
Tilta Garden Cart
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, senior

[ 2012 student competition judges ]
David Angel
Technical Design & Product Innovation Manager: Hard Home
JCPenney Corporation

Barbara Ayon
Vice President, Product Development and Sales
Tabletops Unlimited

 Thomas M. Edwards, IDSA Chair, Industrial Design Kendall College of Art & Design
 Maury Fredricks  Fredricks Design, Inc.

Michael Kahwaji, IDSA KitchenAid Brand Studio
Global Consumer Design
 Jonathon Kemnitzer, IDSA
KEM Studio

Jon Lindholm, IDSA
Director, Business & Product Development

Furniture revolution gallery. Neocon 2011.

Jun 13, 2011

In keeping with the NeoCon tradition of opening its doors to well-seasoned and fledging designers alike, we are excited to announce the second running of the Furniture Revolution Gallery. The Furniture Revolution Gallery will provide a platform for student design and up-and-coming recent grads.

Antonio Larosa, a highly regarded designer, educator and recognized authority of bthe furniture industry, is the Project Chair of the Furniture Revolution Gallery. [ location: 7-2014 ]

[ sponsored by herman miller ] [ facebook | RFG ]