PROJECT ” 1 + 1 “

ABOUT

Project “1+1” is a symbiosis of fashion art and photography. This project got known for it’s comparison of fashion to nature. But there also different comparisons, like fashion to art and architecture. This project got shown on social media and then it would say ‘Fashion inspired by Nature’, the joke is that the pictures are so well combined that it could be, but in reality the pictures are searched together.

CREATOR

Liliya Hudyakova

RULES

She picks designs of fashion shows from different designers and looks for/photographs nature/art that has a direct link to the fashion design.

COMMENT

I did doubt if this was a good example of open design. She did use rules and made a collection which is amazing to see. What I thought was very interesting is that this way of research could be used for actually making a design. For example people do only get their inspiration from nature.

Of Instruments and Archetypes by Studio Unfold

 

ABOUT

A range of wireless digital measuring instruments; a calliper, measuring tape and protractor. Measurements of physical objects are transferred in realtime to an on-screen digital 3d model on which it needs to fit. Through this project, measuring becomes something without numbers, but with accurate precision; measuring becomes making. These instruments can then be used in an application where archetypical, parametric objects can be customised with exact measurements and materialised by digital production techniques such as 3D printing.

CREATOR

Studio Unfold is a design studio from Antwerpen witch ask a lot about the future role of a designer and how is it changing in a time when design and manufacturing become increasingly more digitized? This question is key to understanding the work of design studio Unfold. The studio, founded in 2002 by Claire Warnier and Dries Verbruggen after they graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven, develops projects that investigate new ways of creating, manufacturing, financing and distributing in a changing context.

RULES/RESTRICTIONS

One of the typical ways/ rules how unfold is working is the fact that they often collaborating with a vast network of kindred spirits and specialists, so the collaboration is the most important thing in there projects. The try to merging aspects of the pre-industrial craft economy with high tech industrial production methods and digital communication networks which makes them to a perfect example for a innovative and experimental open design office.

COMMENTS

I really like this project because they try to make a bridge between old craftsman tools from the past and new digital production ways like 3D printing. The Idea to create a digital measuring instruments; a calliper, measuring tape and protractor is really clever because in future we will need this kind of tools to manufacture our own products etc. Unfold  is also nominated with this project for the prestigious Designs of the Year award issued by Design Museum London!

LINKS

http://unfold.be

Hong Hao Things

ABOUT

Hong Hao starts with scanning objects and goes on to reconstruct the whole image using his PC. Though the chosen items (what he calls “My Things”) can be common object from our day-to-day life such as money, trash, chocolates, medicines, and things in a round shape, and there is hardly any specific meaning in each, the unparalleled enumeration of cumulated objects in his works brings a strong impact on us, and we can not help feeling the sense of awe. As is often the case, the assembled and repeatedly used objects in our everyday life tend to be catabolized when it comes to their functions and meanings, yet this is not the case for the works of Hong Hao. While money, chocolates, and books, all these bring happiness into our life, we all know that teetering over the edge leads us to facing misfortune in a pit on the way.

CREATOR

Hong Hao was born 1965 in Beijing and made his first education 1989, at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing where he was studying print-making. Typical for the work of Hong Hao is that he’s collecting day-to-day life objects which are not really special for the normal user, and ask with his work what the function and meaning of these things are for us. He shows also how people deal with waste in big cities like Beijing where he also lives. In his work is the chaotic state in which he lives and also the outcome from the sensibility of the experience of the dramatic change in and around him.

RULES/RESTRICTIONS

the essence of Hong Hao’s work is basically the technique that he’s using (scanning) and the fact that he use the visual strategy of quantity to make is arranged pictures powerful. This small and for us not worthful  things became in this way  more importance and make the picture to one big thing witch is also a bit frightening if we think about how much waste we produce.

COMMENTS

Even this project is not untypical Opendesign Project it is still very interesting to see how Hang Hao put’s the views on a important problem of wasting stuff that we not even perceive in our big city lifes. Hao shows how interesting it is that we collect unworthiness thing without even knowing it in the way we waste them witch is a fact that with is part of our biology development.

MEMORY

ABOUT

‘Memory’ is an interactive installation and consists of merely a tablet equipped with a camera, custom software and a wooden frame. Programmed to recognise human faces, the installation saves the faces of its spectators and then superimposes them endlessly. The displayed result is an ‘average’ face, calculated from all the faces it has seen and thereby a visualisation of the history of all the people that stood still to take a look at it.

CREATOR

The maker and creator of the project is Korean studio SSBKYH, consisting of Shin Seung Back and Kim Yong Hun. Their collaborative practice explores social and cultural impacts of technology.

RULES / RESTRICTIONS

There is only one interactive portrait which captures the results, but everyone is allowed to participate. The only requirement is to look at it with your face. In order to be able to create the ‘average’ face, the ideal approach would be to let people participate only once; however, it is unclear if this is an official rule for the project.

COMMENTS

Intriguing and funny; but I would like to know in which countries the portrait has been exhibited. It would be interesting to understand which regions are responsible for creating the ‘average’ face. What if every continent had its own ‘Memory’ portrait?

Volvo // YOU INSIDE

ABOUT

In order to become a more ‘human-oriented’ brand, Volvo has launched a Facebook application called You Inside.The crowdsourcing application enables fans to post images of the things they keep inside their cars along with info about their vehicles and lifestyles. Volvo analyses the information and delivers a personality profile, with users able to dip into other’s You Inside profiles too. Data gathered by the app on the social network will be fed into research for vehicle development at Volvo.

CREATOR

The campaign/platform has been launched by Volvo itself on Facebook, where the users contribute to the collection by sharing data. Volvo uses the data to create a collective collection.

What makes Volvo Cars unique in the automotive world is its focus on human values in life. Caring about yourself and others; the safety concept encompasses not only the passengers of the car, but also passengers in other cars, and pedestrians. Environmental care goes beyond legislation – and consideration for customers shall imbue the entire company.

RULES / RESTRICTIONS

The user data is limited to their own lifestyle and physical or practical automobile assets, usage and information. The platform operates on Facebook only, so the users need a Facebook account and must agree to their data being shared with others and being used by Volvo for their market and research goals.

COMMENTS

Certain privacy questions arise with this project and it makes me wonder what kind of policy Volvo manages when processing user data. However, I like the philosophy of Volvo for focusing on the personal human experience and their willingness to be actively involved with improving this.

Cancer patient hair jewellery by Sybille Paulsen

ABOUT

Sybille Paulsen is a Berlin based designer who right now focusses on the creation of jewellery made out of hair from cancer diagnosed patients who undergo chemotherapy. Women cut off their hair before it slowly falls out and give it to Sybille to transform it into jewellery within two weeks in which she also gets closer to the patient. It can help patients and their families during this transformation and helps as a starting point for difficult conversations with family or friends.

 

CREATOR

The collection of jewellery is created by the artist Sybille Paulsen in cooperation with the client, which is the patient (and family).

 

RULES/RESTRICTIONS

The collection is in her own hand because she is the only one who actually makes them. The jewellery is only made for female cancer diagnosed patients but it is not made entirely of hair. Some pieces also include precious metals like brass, silver or gold or made of cast-resin pieces in colours that have value to the wearer.

 

COMMENTS

I don’t know if this counts as open design. It is more like a normal project with customer and producer, but then specifically on hair but it might as well be a client buying a table from a table designer but I really like the idea of the project because the designer works closely with the patient and the result is an emotionally precious product made from their own identity.

 

LINKS

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/03/07/sybille-paulsen-cancer-patients-hair-chemotherapy-jewellery-tangible-truths/

http://www.sybille.me/