Week 2: Cooking with gas!
This word immediately stood out to me as I am interested in using ‘raw’ materials and processes. This could be about extracting materials from the source, using traditional methods and craftsmanship to preserve as much of the ‘raw’ history as possible. It could also align with understanding how products and materials come to be, to recognise the ‘raw’ process of manufacturing or making. Being transparent and ethical is an important value of mine, too.
Hot: high temperature or hot environment, filled with strong emotions like passion, excitement, or love
I related this to my practice, though interpreting ‘hot’ as a strong emotion like passion and love. It could also be connected to feelings of warmth, a strong connection, belonging, or comfort. These are all emotions I would like my audience to feel from my artefacts or the product that I design.
Ephemeral: lasting for a very short. amount of time, having short lifestyles
‘Ephemeral’ connects to my value of sustainable design. Everything in this world is ‘temporary’, but products with a shorter lifespan, for example, biodegradable products, are more likely to be less damaging than something that is on this planet for longer. Nature and the environment (very relevant to my practice) can also be seen as ‘ephemeral’ as life comes and goes in cycles.
This week was about understanding materials, limitations, and resourcefulness in design. It gave us a chance to explore different methods and facilities while deepening our research concept and hunch. Being prescribed limitations (e.g., time, spatial, material, conceptual) pushed me to design in new ways and produce unexpected outcomes.
Choosing three ingredients
From a list of words (raw, processes, readymade, hot, cold, porous, desiccated, solid, viscous, ephemeral, fermented), I researched and defined the words in relation to my practice. From here, I chose the top three that resonated most with the materials I wanted to explore and my research area.
Raw: not cooked, in its natural state; unprocessed, not analyzed or evaluated, a realistic depiction; undisguised
Time constraint: Yield will be rationed to….
12 @ 5 minutes
12 @ 10 minutes
12 @ 15 minutes
12 @ 30 minutes
3 @ 1 hour
Total number of postcard-sized artefacts to present next week in class time: 51
Brainstorming: 5 artefacts at 5 minutes
I started this exercise with brainstorms, which helped me to understand the topic and write down any initial ideas while allocating time (5 minutes) to expand on this thinking. It took me a while to really understand this task and its relationship with my research. Using brainstorms to break down the process and unpack the words I chose for the process helped. I study and design in a very logical and
Designer inspiration: 4 artefacts at 5 minutes
I briefly researched and identified designers working in a field similar to my research question. I chose the ones that were most connected or inspired me the most. They were all New Zealand designers with an interesting approach to materials. David Trubridge, Peny Sage, Fransis Upritchard, Kiri Nathan. Of these, Kiri Nathan especially caught my eye with the way she expresses cultural identity through silhouettes and texture. Respectfully using raw materials with pride is something I can learn from her and incorporate into my research.
Material Analysis: 6 artefacts at 10 minutes
Wood carving: 2 artefacts at 15 minutes
I hadn’t worked with wood for years, and wood carving was a new method for me. I often lean towards soft materials and textiles, so I wanted to challenge myself by exploring a relevant material, such as New Zealand native timber, which has significant cultural connections to Māori and the land. I started by understanding the tool and getting a feel for the technique and hand placement. I tried different shapes and sizes of chisels and carved in different directions (along and
51 Artefacts
Use raw, heat and ephemeral as conceptual prompts to make artefacts using a range of methods and skills. Follow the size and time constraints below to create work that relates to your research question/hunch. The aim is to trial new methods and media to expand the field of your creative practice.
Scale constraint: Postcard sized artefacts (A6) 148 x 105 mm
N.B. These artefacts can be 2 or 3 dimensional or a mixture of both. The artefacts may be displayed individually or composited into a small book (e.g. flip book), animation, or series of 3d artefacts.
Wood carving stamps: 1 artefact at 30 minutes (3 stamps), 2 artefacts at 5 minutes (paper and fabric stamp)
Sketching: 4 artifacts at 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes
Paper experiments (origami and cutting): 3 artifacts at 10 minutes and 15 minutes
Weaving with felted strong wool: 1 artifact at 15 minutes
Knitting: 1 artifact at 45 minutes
This was another method I had tried before. Unfortunately, my dry leaves and harakeke flowers did not produce bright colours or patterns; the dye blurred and spread across the whole canvas, leaving no traces of the original shape. I wonder if it was my fabric choice or the plant itself? I will have to research further to understand what went wrong. This is a method I would like to try again next week
Understanding the relationship between tools and soft materials was interesting to me. As the yarn has a delicate feel to it, while knitting, I was reminded of the importance of balancing and controlling the tools to adapt to the materials' handle and characteristics to ensure the outcome, tension, for example, was desirable.
Ecodye: 6 artifacts at 30 minutes and 1 hour
Sketching is a crucial method in industrial and fashion design. It is a tool that allows ideas and concepts to be communicated and iterated; hence, clear and realistic sketches are valuable. This is still a skill I need to hone; I want to be faster and improve on my perspective drawing. Doing sketches in a series of 5, 10, and 15 minute yields allowed me to warm up and slowly build my technique, and I found it kept me motivated to keep drawing even when the timer went off. I made a mistake with the shading in the coffee cup drawing, which shows I still need more practice with lighting.
Paper is easily manipulable, by cutting, folding, tearing and so on. I often use paper as a medium for prototyping and ideation as I can quickly visualise forms and silhouettes. Here, I looked at a traditional Japanese handicraft, origami, in which a single square piece of paper is folded into interesting shapes and textures. These flowers pushed the limits of the paper, folding and creasing to the point where the paper became stiff or nearly tore. I cut clean lines with a craft knife, which allowed me to create interesting texture.
Strong wool experiments: 8 artifacts at 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 hour
New Zealand strong wool is a material I am very interested in, stemming from my enjoyment of the ‘wool project’ of the industrial design undergraduate course. I enjoyed working with soft materials in an industrial design context, which was new to me at the time, and the continuous experimentation with a single material was also interesting. I saw many benefits of strong wool and was inspired by the variety and number of applications for which it is appropriate.
blueish hues, but this time it came out a beautiful bright purple. This is one of the reasons I enjoy this process, the unexpectedness and anticipation of bright colours excited me. Another reason is that it is a much more sustainable option for chemical dying. The textile dying process is extremely harmful to our waterways and contributes significantly to water pollution. I have proven from this test that natural dying can produce colours similar to, if not more beautiful (in my opinion), without the toxins and unethical practices of conventional methods. This is definitely a method I would like to explore further, especially to think about what other natural dyes I can extract, perhaps pigment from native New Zealand flowers or plants?
I was interested in the screen-printing labs, as I had rarely had a chance to experiment in that space, but due to time constraints, I didn’t get around to visiting them. Instead, I decided to explore something similar, stamps. I used my newly acquired carving skills and carved patterns, trying to create shapes that utilised different carving techniques (e.g., curves and lines). Using a regular stamping ink pad, I tested all three on paper and fabric. To my surprise, the paper printed
with visible wood grain and imperfections, whereas the fabric filled in the gaps better and showed a clearer pattern. I enjoyed seeing the wood carving more than the sculpture itself, and the patterns looked beautiful as well. Carving wood taught me patience and the beauty of imperfections, especially when the grain was inconsistent. I realised the nature of the wood could guide my making, and I felt more connected to the material and the craft in this moment.
Wood weaving: 2 artefacts at 15minutes
Here, I found some wood veneer pieces that I wanted to try weaving techniques with. I explored two types of weave: plain and basket. Ideally, I wanted to try weaving with harakeke flax because of its deep history, but unfortunately, I could not find any near me. Although the material is completely different, I thought I would give it a go with wood anyway, so I could at least grasp the concept. Next, I would like to search for harakeke elsewhere and try traditional Maori weaving methods.
Weaving with a soft material was different to weaving with wood; one clear difference was the thick, porous nature of wool, which provided a more bumpy texture to the weaving and gave a depth that couldn’t be seen with the flat wood. Weaving the wool made the structure feel weaker, unlike the wood, where the planes locked together to create a stronger surface. As mentioned before, none of my explorations has yet looked at traditional techniques or practices, so next I would be interested in looking into the history and trying it out myself.
Eco-dye is a familiar process to me, as I had previously explored it in the ‘wool project’. I remember enjoying the process and wanting to produce more different and vibrant colours. Eco dye is a process in which natural dyes are extracted from a source, such as vegetables or spices, and boiled together with a material to transfer the colour. In my previous research, I found that strong wool fibres readily grasp and retain dye particles, so I continued to use wool as my material. I experimented with red cabbage, avocado pits and skins, and beetroot, all foods that could be leftover scraps. I also experimented by adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to each vegetable to see how altering the acidity would affect the colours. Two times were recorded, 30 minutes and 1 hour. I was extremely satisfied with the results, as they were all strong in pigment and showed different colours with baking soda. The red cabbage especially surprised me, as previously it had resulted in
methodical way; brainstorming is one method I use to clarify my design intentions and ideas. This also helped me expand on the words I chose and think beyond their definitions. For example, heat can be interpreted as not just a high temperature; I understood it as having strong emotions and being expressive, such as with passion or love.
Here was where I really felt that this task was beginning to connect to my research. It is important that I understand the material and its properties to exploit them in a product. I collected materials from my surroundings, like strong wool and beech timber from the labs, and I visited my local beach to find dry harakeke flowers and seashells. A quick Google search and a couple of questions to ChatGPT helped to collate the brainstorm. It made me realise that some of the obvious properties were important to note down at the top, and that each material has many uses and varies in characteristics, especially strong wool.
against the grain), and once I got the hang of it, I tried carving patterns and practiced consistency. This was just about me familiarising myself with wood-carving tools, so I have yet to look into traditional Maori carvings or sculptures; this would be my next step. Although consistency and control were difficult, I enjoyed the learning, especially getting a feel for working with raw beech wood.
Working with fabric has always been a strength of mine, and hand sewing is one of my favourite methods. I enjoy the slowness, intentionalness, and craftsmanship that can only be seen through hand sewing. Manipulating the fabric to get texture through the traditional technique of smocking was new to me. I am happy with my first attempt and would consider it successful. I am not sure how yet, but I am interested in incorporating my love for hand sewing in my future artifacts or products.
Hand sewing: 2 artefacts at 30 minutes
Eco printing: 2 artifacts at 1 hour
Presenting my artefacts
The visual presentation and layout of my artifacts were done with a purpose: to display my process to draw people in and to clearly communicate the process I followed (from planning and research and material analysis to experimenting and learning into creating). Laying out my artifacts this way brought my making and thinking together, highlighting the progression and development throughout the week. The feedback sessions were extremely beneficial. I received positive, constructive feedback outlined below, but I also asked a question I needed help with. Which was “I am working with Maori cultures and New Zealand materials, but I am struggling to navigate the balance between designing with Maori influences or designing with my own
cultural influences (Japanese, Chinese). Not being Maori myself, I would love to understand and appreciate New Zealand history, but I am unsure how far I can go responsibly and how much of myself I should put into this too”. My group started a discussion, and most said I could blend the two. Seeing connections and similarities between the two could be interesting as well, as there are overlapping traditional practices, such as wood carving. This would bring an element that only I could bring into the design world. Another mentioned that, as the designer, I will always be part of the product, as my background and values will influence how I design.
Group feedback
I was advised to lean into the methods of making I enjoy most, like handsewing and eco-dyeing, as I sounded very passionate about them. My next step would be to combine methods and practices to see the in-between and further develop techniques and materials. An
interesting feedback was about mixing cultures and combining traditional practices, for example, how could Maori weaving be combined with Japanese origami methods?
Reflection
This week was filled with discovery and fun. Making 51 artefacts in a week seemed impossible at the beginning, but I soon realised that good making can come from setting constraints or limitations, and that rapid prototyping is a skill in itself. Going straight into practical making was difficult and took some getting used to, as it is not a process I am used to. Previously, I often researched and planned before starting on physical prototypes. So I was not surprised when, even in this task, I found myself planning out each prototype and method thoroughly before starting to create. This is typical of my design style, but I understand it may have defeated or restricted the exploratory nature of this exercise. Sticking to the assigned time limits proved to be a challenge as well. I felt like each artefact needed to be finished and look presentable, I recognised that this came from my bad habit of not knowing when to stop. In saying this, I still kept it experimental by exploring a mix of familiar and new techniques.
Currently, my research topic is still very broad. This made experimenting feel like there was no end goal, but instead of confusing myself, I took this opportunity to engage with new processes and materials to find what I enjoyed and valued. Eco dying, wood carving and hand sewing stood out to me. After some reflection, I realised that these processes all require you to really engage with the material itself. For example, I enjoy the slowness and intentional craft of handsewing and woodworking, allowing you to feel the material and understand its characteristics, whether it's the grain of the wood or the weight of the fabric. I would like to carry my findings and processes I enjoyed to further experiment next week.