Bertha and Beatrix

I apologize for the lack of posting this week. A mixture of not having internet in the apartment (which is a whole story in and of itself) and pouring EVERY EXTRA MINUTE into my internship journal has left me absolutely no time for myself. My closet is also suffering a bit, with the monstrous pile of clothes inhabiting one of its corners. Buuut, I'm making up for it with pretty pretty pictures of what I've been doing this week.

Firstly, I moved into Studio! I'm loving the digs. And so is Bertha (my monitor) and Beatrix A. Macbook.



Secondly, the internship journal is well under way. In a previous post I mentioned my idea of writing a book entitled "Things They'll Never Teach You in Design School." Well, I'm going through with it. I spoke to my "professor" (I put quotes because Vicky's just grading our journals and posters), and she seemed very enthused about the idea. Here are a couple sample pages and the cover of the book:

[Note: The text is just filler text, taken from the journal's criteria sheet and is the same on each page.]



The book is 7"x7". The cover is a wrap-around image and will be changing before print. I will add redlines onto it, handwritten in red ink of course. The title will also be handwritten, but will be in the same font and size. I haven't decided if I want to scan the final cover into my computer or take a picture of it, with the red pen resting on the sheet. It would be neat to have the pen on it, so that it looks like you're looking down at a desk when you view the cover. I may test both options, post both the pictures and get a vote.







And now, furniture design studio. I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED for this year's furniture studios. I've been sketching like crazy, and yesterday I finally bought some model-making materials and went to town.

This semester, I want to work mainly with wood and upholstery/fabrics. I also want a simple, classic look. I've taken a lot of my inspiration from Hans Wegner and Danish mid-century modern design. This fact alone has gained special interest from Rod, who I will ask to be my major mentor for next semester's furniture capstone. He not only specializes in chair design, but he is the resident genius on upholstery and is a HUGE fan of Wegner.

For this studio, we are allowed to design either a casegood (TV stand, coffee table, night stand, etc.) or a chair. I'm keen on the chair idea. And we only need to create one piece. Of course, I'm wanting to make about three or four. I may have to settle with making two or three of the same piece with minor differences, such as materials, finish, or high/low/no back.

Here are two initial studies. The first is a stool. the main idea is the separating of the base legs from the seat, creating a simple, flush look, but with about an inch-long gap. You'd have to look under the seat to figure out the structure. Right now, I know it wouldn't be structurally sound, and there are ideas in the works on how to fix that, possibly with steel.

The fabric is woven straps, stretched and mounted.







Next is simply a study on proportion. The actual look of the chair is a bit "hospital waiting room" for me, and with one bad choice in upholstery, could look hideous. This model is more of a statement on how I want my final piece to be detailed. I like the flush-ness in the transition from upholstery to wood. The angles are simple and attention to human proportion is important. It doesn't really deal with joinery at all (because the pieces are too small to detail that well), so it's not a "true" miniature, but it's definitely got the aesthetic down.







So that's what I've been wasting my time on this week. I would love to build other pieces this semester, and I've got some ideas I've been kicking around, including a modern head board that integrates hinged lighting. Sketches posted when I make them.

Now, it's time to ask my peoples for a favor. I'm taking a product design studio, and we've been given free reign to design ANY KIND OF PRODUCT WE CAN IMAGINE. Everything from egg beaters to jet plane interiors. I've been doing some research in the library, trying to brainstorm a bit, but I need some input. If any of you have any ideas whatsoever, vague or specific, I want to hear them. I'd like to get as many ideas as possible down on paper and then start narrowing my scope.

These next few weeks pretty much determine how my last year at KSU will go, so it's been a bit stressful the past couple of days. As soon as I have current/future projects worked out, I'll be able to settle into the groove a bit and start using those wonderful time management skills that I've spent the last 8 months honing. I'm still feeling a little out of place back at school, like I'm a "continuing education" folk, but I'm sure I'll feel right at home in no time.