n-e-r-v-o-u-s system

Nervous system creates rubber silicone jewelry using a water jet machine, the water is highly pressurized and mixed with sand this stream of water cuts the silicon and does not alter the material. Water cutting might be a better bet when cutting silicon because it is a cold cutting method, compared to laser cutting where heat will be involved. This process is also environmental friendly, it does not produce any toxins when cutting. Nervous system rubber jewelry is produced by Western Rubber a company located in California. They can supply CAD services, i think this means that they can work with CAD files. This could be a possibility for cutting silicone.

GlobalSpec (engineering search engine)

Everyone should check out Globalspec!

I am in the process of fully exploring the site, but it seems to be dedicated to providing engineers/designers with products and supplies that will help them with their endeavors. I signed up and now have my own personalized page with all the companies that i am interested in working with. It also has new current information on products and processes.

It could be useful for outsourcing companies, i will post more once i learn more about this site.

Silicone

For my next project in design and production i would like to work with Silicone rubber. I am creating pop up designs from 2d blueprints that will be laser cut. the designs will be assembled to create wearable objects.

Most of the work i have seen being made from silicone are flat table wear items such as placements, coasters and doilies. I would like to use this material and create 3d forms.
This is an example of current 2d uses of silicone, these are doilies made by Modern Twist.


New Silicone Jewelry


This is a broach made of silicone disks. It was once available at the MoMa store, it is made by an artist from Argentina but i could not find the name of the artist. if anyone knows let me know.

This is exactly what I was thinking about doing originally for this project, with a rubber type material. Squeezing it through fabric with holes and creating forms from what was pushed through the holes. The outcome was similar to these necklaces by Tzuri Gueta. These forms are beautiful and have a lot of detail, i bet they feel really nice as well. These forms are created by extruding hot silicone through silk tubes.I love these objects, they feel like they are alive and still growing.

climate of design today

Today’s design climate appears to be one of fun forms, clever ideas and the use of new innovative materials. A lot of the designs I am seeing are simple but not too simple where they become boring. They also seem to be functional in someway, but also have strong elements of design. The design is not sacrificed for the function but rather both elements are achieved to create a new objects.

These are index card cutting boards, designed to prevent cross contamination of food. They were designed by Damian Evans and are sold on the MoMa website. Its functional, helpful and cool.
This eco-friendly porcelain reusable cup, takes a familiar disposable object and transforms it into a reusable object saving paper cups from being used. designed by James Burgess and also available at Moma.

Tord Boontje created this whimsical lampshade from one piece of metal that was it laser cut. It can be wound around the light bulb however you like. Great idea, simple construction and good use of laser cutting.
Droog created this lamp made of milk bottles. Its soft glow creates a comforting feeling. it reminds me of coming home from school and my mom having cookies and milk ready for me as an after school snack. Its a simple idea which everyone can relate too. The use of recycled materials is also a trend that has come up a lot. There is now a new awareness of the environment and people are designing smarter because of it.

Silicone Placemats

Silicon Placemats designed by Modern Twist and available at Bluehouse. All the products sold here meet at least one of their environmentally friendly categories, these placemats fit two categories, they are made by hand and are durable and long lasting.

Creative Caffeine

These are some images of my creative caffeine. they helped me work with the material to see different ways i could manipulate it. I was working with a rod from a window blind.
Melted blind.
Tool Dip.
Felted.
Smashed with hammer.

Skills

This is a list of all the skills i have with in the field of making. Most i have learned threw my Interdisciplinary Crafts classes at Towson. It ended up being a lot longer then i thought it would and will continue to grow.

Mold Making
Working with Resins
Stained Glass
Printmaking
Casting
Enameling
Soldiering
Wielding
Wax Working
Rhino 3D modeling
Illustrator
Photo shop
Die Forming
Felting
Flocking

Upcycled Jewelry

At first glance the material Jiro Kamata used to create these objects is unknown. They are elegant and beautiful and they are also created form eyeglass lenses. After discovering what the material is and relating it to the original purpose,does its value change? Does it matter what the material is, or is it just a nicely designed object? The idea of upcycling opens many challenges and possibilities for designers. Weather the selling point should rest on this fact i'm not sure,but then again who knows. So maybe thats all thats needed a new creative use for old materials, that keeps people wondering.



The upcycled material within this necklace is very obvious. The artist Beate Klockmann doesn't alter the material at all just attaches the chess pieces together. Does this open explanation of what the materials is, make the piece less intriguing?

Blinds can bw Beautiful

This is a window blind designed by Ella Doran she has many different designs available...even a brick wall. Why not create art that fits in this space, everything should be beautiful, why get an ordinary white blind if you can have one of these.

Timeline

Timeline
Project Green Object

Design Brief: To Design a green object. Format and materials are open.

Week 1
Tuesday 9/2
Visit Blue House.
Explore green objects.
Online research.
Sketch/ Design.
Explore concept ideas.
Thursday 9/4
Continue design research.
Peer Review.
Explore possible materials.
Develop sketches.

Week 2
Tuesday 9/9
Heidi Lowe: multiples lecture.
Rebecca Dortzbach: rendering demo.
Render material in use.
Explore material/ creative caffeine
Maquettes.
Construct model possibilities.
Thursday 9/11
Work in class.
Finial design review.
Model review.
Finishing touches.
Chain.
Presentation.
Visit The Store Limited/The Shops at Cross Keys.
Tuesday 9/16
Project Green Object: Critique.

Stack pg1-61

I really am enjoying this book. Last year Jan had copied some pages out of the Stacks book for us to read and for some reason I found it really difficult to get through the photo copied pages, maybe because of the dull black and whites of the image compared to the brightly colored ones found in this book. Whatever the reason, I found the info with in this book very useful when doing design research for Project Green Object.

When trying to design a product the designer needs to look at the audience for which the product is being designed. What are there needs? How can the object better suit their life style? Designers need to know what’s going on in the world to better create their object to fit the group of people they are aiming their product at. “They (designers) should identify clearly the relationship between the past, present, and future, and the potential effects of political, social and emotional influences within their environment” (Stacks page 6) All of these things influence design.

Currently there is a green movement going on in society. Everything is marked as organic or environmentally friendly. Consumers are becoming more aware of their purchase, where goods come from and how it will help the sustainability of the planet. Green products are becoming more popular and this is a good thing for the Earth as well as for designers. It opens a whole new playing field. The challenge now exists to design with the Earth and its people in mind.

This is a great example of green/moral design found in the Stacks book,it is a lamp created using recycled styrofoam cups. The designer, Paul Cocksedge, uses styrofoam a material that is filling up our landfills fast. Styrofoam is a chemically made material that can not be eaten by any organism and there for can not be decomposed.

my favorite part of last year

My favorite part of last year was by far going to Savannah, Georgia for the SNAG conference, I had never been to Georgia and this was a new and exciting experience on many levels. I didn’t know at all what to expect but i learned a lot about the field and became aware of some of the issues surrounding the arts community.

The entire SNAG conference was educating but the part that I enjoyed the most was visiting Working Class Studio, located on the Savannah Collage of Art and Design campus. This design group is made up of faculty, students and alumni that run a design and production business, creating household items such as pillows, notebooks, plates and picture frames. Their products are available online and in some retail locations on the east coast.

We were able to see how the design studio was set up and talk to some of the students and alumni involved in running the design studio. we even got to visit while they were having a trunk show, so naturally everyone stocked up.

This whole operation was such a great idea, it offers students the opportunity to develop designs and be hands on with the production of objects.

m o d e r n t w i s t

PJ POCKET PILLOW

Very cool idea from Modern Twist this is a bag/box/pillow, the bag folds up in a spiral design to create a origami inspired box/pillow. The box is soft and can be used for a pillow, that's three uses for one object, not to mention its pretty and it organizes.

Green is SEXY

Going Green seems like the IT thing to do today. Walk through the mall or turn on the tube and every other advertisement for all kinds of products will claim to be “green” or
“organic”. Even Victory Secret has made some steps in this “green” direction. But are these claims true or is it an advertising gimmick designed to help you feel better about purchasing products. Greenwashing is the term for this bending of the truth. Companies that claim to be green might not meet the set standards for being labeled green companies will claim to be green to benefit there sales by acting environmentally friendly and not for environmental or social reasons. Green is sexy!(only if its for real)