As a group we met up with our client Tony a few times to show him what we had been working on, to ask more questions and to double check that we were on the right track to creating something he can use in his house. Before our last meeting with tony we had emailed him our 4 chosen laser cut designs, in his email he included some feedback on a few of the tables and chose his favourite 2. His comments were fair and we each took them on board in preparation for him to see the full-scale tables. At this meeting he deliberated of each table and was surprised as how big they were. When he came to his final decision of picking Yasmin’ table there were a few things he suggested he would like to be changed. For example, the height of the table, we spoke this through and tried to work out a solution with for this however with the give size of the sheet metal and time frame we couldn’t make this possible. He appreciated how in his email he had suggested that the legs didn’t meet in the middle and when seeing the full-scale design this comment had been worked on and modified. Due to use not being able to change the height he decided that he might change thee use of the table from being a whisky table for him to a children’s table as it is the correct height and is shaped in a way that four grandchildren could sit perfectly around it.
Evaluation – Designing Monocoque Furniture
At the beginning of the project I was nervous and apprehensive as I thought that designing a table and using software such as solid works was really out of my expertise. I was worried that I was going to really struggle with the project and not produce anything that would be worthwhile. However I feel that I surprised myself a little, it took me a while to get started and to get my head round the concept of only cutting and bending but in the end I felt that I actually produced some ideas and table designs that would be worthy of being in someone’s home.
I enjoyed the fact that we were working with a real client and to their wants and needs. I feel that it puts more meaning into what you are producing. When you know that your designs are going to be used in someone’s home you feel more pressure into getting it perfect. I have not yet worked on a project like this before so was excited in that respect.
I went into this project having no idea how to use solid works and being told that it was super difficult to get your head around but with some guidance and a lot of time and patience I feel that I have learnt how to use the program very slightly. I have also learnt how to use the simulation tool and how to create a sustainability report which was interesting to see.
I feel that in the future I could take a lot from what I have learnt in this project and apply it to certain aspects of textiles. I have learnt that measurement and being very precise with your numbers is key to accuracy and to a successful table. Knowing this I can take this back in to my textile work to produce more accurate prints and patterns. I have also learnt a lot about structures and how things work in relation to being sturdy or weak. I feel that it took me a long time to grasp this concept of creating a robust table that also has curves in it. From using the simulation tool, it really helped me visualise this so I could see where I was going wrong with the placement of bends and legs.
The brief we were given and then the brief from the client meant that there were a lot of elements that we needed to consider in a very short time frame. I feel that this project has shown me that in the real world when you work for clients you need to think about there every need and work fast and consistently to get the best results. I think that it is important to be checking in with your client regularly to make sure you are along the right track.
Overall, I really enjoyed doing this project, it has been different to anything I have done before. Once I had become less worried about everything, I feel that I began to produce better work.
Week One – Designing Monocoque Furniture
Thursday
On Thursday we went to Dragon Laser LTD which is the fir who will be manufacturing our tables for us. We had a guided tour of the process and were shown how the equipment works.
They started off the tour in the office where we saw the designs being checked ready before they go to the machines. They make sure that before they send this information to the men who operate the machines that they are using every piece of the metal possible to ensure that there is not a lot of scrap wastage. This shows that they are being sustainable.
We were then taken over to this huge laser cutting machine and shown the basic elements to it. This machine was huge and impressive. After seeing this we headed to the bending part of the workshop where we saw a demonstration as well as shown the basics of how it all works.
Now that i have seen the equipment and the process I feel that I now have a better understanding of how the table we create will be manufactured. From seeing the demonstrations and through talking to the workers i have also learnt a few tips and tricks, what will be possible to make and what wont so hopefully i can take this new knowledge in to my design process.
Week One – Designing Monocoque Furniture
Tuesday
Todays brief was so daunting, the project sounds amazing but i feel so out of my comfort zone being the only textiles student in amongst all the product design students who are way more experienced than me. I am looking forward to be doing something really different than normal and i am open to take it all in my stride. i understand that from other students that using Solidworks is a difficult program, I believe this is were i may struggle as my technical knowledge on computers is great.
The project its self is so interesting as we actually have to make a table for a real client who works in the art school. We got chance to meet our groups client and interview him about what he wants the table to be like and its function, location ect. Anthony would like it to be a free flowing, modern, organic shaped, whisky table to have in his home which is grey meaning that the original metal look would fit in well.
Knowing this information we have started to create moodboards of shapes and tables that we think may be use to help us with this journey to creating the final table outcome. Coffee Table Moodboard
INTERIOR STYLING – The final EDITED photo and editorial
As the editing of the photo could only be done by two people due to workshop sizes I wasn’t the one who was nominated to do it. This is because there were people in the group that were more tech savvy than me and had the editing programs on there laptops already.
Here are the finished Edited Photos which I am so proud of I think they look amazing and my group members have done such a good job.
INTERIOR STYLING – Reflective Statement
Reflective Statement
Over the course of this project I feel that I have learnt so much about the industry, the process and most of all interiors!
Working in a group made up of people from all different disciplines can be so interesting as you get to learn how other people work and their subject area. However, this can also cause issues and disagreements as being artists everyone has strong opinions and wants things done to their taste. I found this difficult at times as being a textiles student I love pattern which my group weren’t so keen on. I found that as group overall, we worked really well on things with on slight problems which we overcame on the way. As a group we struggled with deciding on final ideas as we just had to many and I think nobody wanted to make the final decision.
I believe that our final set really fitted in with the trend that we were studying and our client persona. I feel that we were brave and bold in our colour choices which paid off as the colours all complimented each other so well.
I found the process in which we gathered and collected our resources difficult to start with as I just couldn’t see us finding what we wanted or being able to make items however I was really surprised with how well we did with getting all the paint delivered finding the wood for the shapes and the shelves and all the props.
Putting the set together was a really fun process when we saw it for the first time it was such a pleasing feeling that we created our vision. The process in which we actually took the photo with the photographer I found really frustrating as there were so many ways you could change the look and tweek things to make it look perfect. It amazed me that when you look through the camera it looks completely different to when you look at it in person.
Overall I have really enjoyed this project and I feel that it has opened my eyes to a different side of interiors that I wouldn’t have seen before. I would definitely be interested in doing projects within this subject area again as I enjoyed the challenge.
INTERIOR STYLING -Week Four
Tuesday was such a busy but exciting morning as we got to shoot the final photo of our set. The process that you under take to get the perfect picture is very long and almost frustrating as you have to keep moving and adjusting everything. Just when you think it is perfect there is something else that needs to be adjusted and changed. Although i didn’t necessarily enjoy the long process i understand completely why we would do it as if you look at he first picture and we took and then the final picture they are completely different and you can see that all those changes we made were defiantly worth it.
I am looking forward to seeing the final edited image.
Thursday
On Thursday we spent the morning putting together our presentation and finalising everything. Our project has come together so nice and neatly and i am very pleased with the process and out come.
INTERIOR STYLING – Week Three
TUESDAY
Week three was by far our busiest week so far, on Tuesday our group divided allowing us to get lots of things done. Some of us helped out with putting up the boards for the sets, others painted the chair and then Harleigh and myself got started on working out how we were going to cut out the shapes that were going up on the wall. We started off by getting thin cardboard and cutting them out, we thought this would be easy and light to put up. Once we had done this we took a step back and looked at them and thought that to get the best look we would need to cut them out of wood.
We took our now templates down to the woodwork room to try and source some would and got turned down, due to the woodwork room not having any spare wood allocated for our group. However we struck some luck when we found out one of the set design boards was faulty and they couldn’t use it, so we quickly claimed the wood. After getting the wood we now needed to cut the shapes out, this was when we came up against another problem. Neither of us had had an induction on the band saw and the tutor was not prepared to give us one. W e went to our group for help but none of us could use it. This was a big issue for us and we were wasting time trying to find some one kind enough to help, eventually we found someone in another group that was willing to help but when they saw the shapes they weren’t confident in cutting them. We were very stuck at this point but luckily with help eventually from the woodwork tech dem the shapes got cut out and we were ready to paint them.
By this point we had accumulated a lot of things that needed painting so me and Harleigh began painting, the shapes and the shelves. Whilst painting the shelves we realised we didn’t actually have anything to put on them apart from one vase. This lead us to going down to the ceramic workshop, where we found so lovely items that were free for us to use and paint.
WEDNESDAY
As our boards got put up late on Tuesday is meant that we needed to go in on Wednesday and paint them otherwise there just wouldn’t of been enough time for the paint to dry if we did it Thursday.
Lottie and I spent the day painting the boards the colours we had chosen and trying to add pattern to some of our items as we felt that we needed to break up the block colours. The boards turned out amazing and we were so happy with the colour. Wednesday evening i spent making a front pattern for the cushion i was creating.
THURSDAY
Thursday morning i went in with the fabrics for the cushion. Harleigh and i spent the morning assembling the cushion and trying to come up with some new ideas for the hanging ceiling lights. We were successful however when we put the light shades in front of the wall we decided that they didn’t work as the fabric colour wasn’t correct. By lunch time our set was all up and ready and we only had a few things to finish off.
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
I feel that this week was stressful in the respect of there was a lot of obstacles and problem solving to do however when it came to Thursday and seeing our set nearly complete it was very rewarding. We work okay as a group and things come together in the end there are obviously some frustrations when it comes to making decisions as i feel that we just go round in circles, but towards the end i think we got better at this and from looking at what we have achieved this week it shows that we can all cooperate together as a team and get the job done.
INTERIOR STYLING – Week Two
This week we have been really trying to narrow down our ideas and come up with solutions to how we are going to pull everything together.
We have started to gather items, objects and fabrics that we feel interest us and could tie in with our final colour pallet. As a group we work really well together we just struggle to make a final decision due to us have so many ideas.
We have picked up a chair and a small coffee table which we think once painted could look really stylish and fit it to our scheme really well. We also managed to email a local paint supplier to see if they would be willing to donate any paint for us. This was a huge success and we now have every colour we could of asked for.
We have also been creating lots of visual moodboards so we can see our ideas and what looks good next to each other. We have been looking in to lots of materials and methods of how we can create what we want.
Here are some of our mood boards, ideas, the chair and table and our colour pallet.
INTERIOR STYLING – Week One
Week one was a busy couple of lessons filled with loads of information about what we would be undertaking in these next 5 weeks leading up to Christmas.
We started off by being put in small groups, theses groups were a mixture of people across the art schooling meaning that we can all use each others knowledge to create something amazing.
My groups theme is to create a living space which is in keeping with the WGSN Trend Empower Up! This trend is very bright, bold, with statement features or objects. It is very maximalist meaning that it is very busy and almost clashing but it is tidied together very neatly with slick clean finishes.
I am looking forward to getting to the making and creating of the project and seeing the final outcome.
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