This week, we started our 3D Design rotation – not a subject I knew much about at all before Foundation. Our theme of the week was Crisis and we had to design 3D pieces in response to a particular crisis.
On our first day, we researched existing pieces of design in response to crisis and I discovered 5 separate pieces of design. One of my favourites was a table called the Goliath Table by Resource Furniture. It’s a table that can stretch from a very narrow size to the size of a dining table. http://resourcefurniture.com/product/goliath/ I think it’s a great piece of design in response to a space crisis. On the Resource Furniture website, there’s a really good variety of space-saving furniture that is functional whilst still looking really modern.
After researching these items, it was our turn to design our own pieces. I found this part of the week really challenging and I struggled to come up with designs that were functional, original, imaginative and inventive. Every idea I came up with seemed to be already invented. Eventually, I settled on the idea of modular seating – a sofa built up from cubes that could be rearranged to create a chair, a bed, etc.
Sketchbook page
On our last day of the week, we had to build a model/prototype of the design. I began to create my furniture idea out of cardboard cubes, until I was told by the teacher that my design wasn’t original after all. After failing to think of something new to add to my furniture design, I decided to return to one of my other initial ideas – a non-slip ladder. At this time, I had about an hour left to create something and so I didn’t have any in-depth research about my ladder idea. Even so, I made it out of cardboard, adapting the idea as I went.
This is a picture of my final model I created out of cardboard. I eventually settled on the idea of a hollow ladder frame that you could fill with water or sand to weigh it down. Overall, I wasn’t particularly pleased with my work this week and I think that this was the most challenging task yet. I have to say that this isn’t my area of expertise.
My Foundation Year 