peer comments: for postal presents

Valerie El Khouri

John Biet

Kiran Kashyap

Lucinder Waters

Sam Whipp

POSTAL PRESENTS

The idea to somehow make a tape dispenser from sheet material was a little spontaneous. I guess I liked it partly because it would be an object that was fully functional and not too hard to make.

I was also not confident that it would look especially good, so functionality was a priority for me on this project.

So basically my goal was to somehow celebrate sheet material qualities by focusing on how the 2D-ness of the material could be transformed into a totally functional 3D tape dispenser, aesthetics were secondary.

After tossing around concepts with chunky slots, hollow shapes and flimsy materials, I was given the idea of simply layering the material to create the 3d dimensional shape. I went with this suggestion because it would be stronger, thus more functional, and wouldn't require form-fouling slots everywhere, so would look better too.

The choice of clear acrylic was based on the need to see how much tape is left on the role, plus the strength and thickness properties of it. Perhaps a translucent colour would have fulfilled that need too. Nevertheless, I think the way the light bounces around inside the clear acrylic layers is pretty nice.

Ross Lovegrove: Organic Design.

Ross Lovegrove's designs are all about organic form and growth patterns. He also sees in nature a resourcefulness, 'fat-free', and constant self-refinement, and he uses these ideas to frame his work. Some of his designs are really quiet beautiful and sure designers should look to nature for inspiration. Our aesthetic sense is very responsive to nature, and is probably founded on nature. And, like he says, nature has solved a lot of design problems that we might do well to learn from when trying to improve efficiency, and sustainability. I remember a series on TV that was all about how nature 'invented it first', so his idea is nothing new there.

What I'm not sure about is his criticisms of other styles such as blobbism. I don't know what elevates his aesthetic over other 'funky' styles, except maybe his advocacy of resourcefulness, but he can't seriously maintain that he sticks to 'fat-free' design. If his designs truly are as practical and resourceful as he suggests than why aren't they selling all over the place? because they're damn pretty enough to. I think he's just trying too hard to justify his way of doing things.

peer comments:

http://fanruwang.blogspot.com/

http://stanleywong1.blogspot.com/

http://filpulido.blogspot.com/

http://julianides.blogspot.com/

http://z3255629christopherhui.blogspot.com/

Rationale

The pepper grinder idea was targeted at peeps in the city who wanna get closer to nature, but not too close. This consumer is attracted to the aesthetics and constructed ideals of nature rather than real nature with all that dirt and stinging nettle.

I tried to enrich the experience of using a pepper grinder by appealing to my chosen markets values. Firstly, on a visceral level, it's form is obviously derived from nature -- a weather worn pebble. It is pretty looking and nice to touch. Plus, I reckon there's a nice connection between the rock-ness of it and the action of crushing something.

However, Originally the item was not meant to suggest a rock. It was gonna be some kind of long levered device which split down the middle to accentuate the action of breaking something. The rock form won out because it was more ergonomic and pretty.

On a more reflective level my object is reminiscent of the times when people used stone tools for food preparation. Perhaps an age when meal times were more important social gatherings. Or simply when human life was not so removed from nature.

I had some thoughts about detailing the rock like a touch of metal or wood, or a little embossed Chinese character. But in the end I didn't trust my ability so I left it simple.