product design

semester two has started of with a design brief for the design and manufacturing of any kind of product design or range of designs that will be incorporated into our space

product design is by far my most favorite element when it comes to design as a whole. there is something about a WELL DESIGNED item that just makes my whole body tingle. i find that simplicity in the design details and joinery of materials are what separates a product to a very poor product.

for my product design i have been back and forth and forth and back to design a product that will work well within my community center. it is important for me to design a product that is not only sustainable but also a product that can be used adequately by the masses of people that will be making use of the community center.

i am wanting to design a furniture piece (a chair) that can be found in the reception area of the Abantu community center. the chair will be a combination of both clay and traditional basket weaving.

Traditional fibers used in the production of weaving baskets reflect the local habitat. They include illala palm, sisal leaves and fiber, raffia (African bamboo), fibrous tree and plant roots such as makenge, vines, leaves (banana and fan palm), cane, bark wood and papyrus.

i made a very conceptual model  of what i was thinking for the design of my mix between contemporary and traditional basket chair. working with the materials that will be used as well as to see how the materials react to one another as well as to solve joinery details. my weaving skills are not up to scratch so the chair didn't come out as rounded and podgy as i would have like but it is all about trial and error at this stage of the design process.

additional information and joinery details will follow as the design develops into something more real. i will keep you update !

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