Contents

Project Brief.............................................................................................................................................................................................4Research Similar Products................................................................................................................................................................................5 Current Textile Designers....................................................................................................................................................................6 Fabric Density and Properties..............................................................................................................................................................7 Structures.....................................................................................................................................................................................8-9Ideation/Development.............................................................................................................................................................................10Final Proposal.........................................................................................................................................................................................11Testing..................................................................................................................................................................................................12Evaluation..............................................................................................................................................................................................12

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Project BriefTutor Set Brief

You are asked to design and produce a domestic light for personal use in student-type accommodation. For the purposes of the brief, the light should be seen primarily as a piece of furniture which has both a sculptural presenceand the ability to change the ambience of the interior space. Further considerations:· Thelightshouldincorporatefabricelementstogetherwitharigidorflexibleframework· The light should have a strong sculptural/visual appeal whether switched on or off.· The structure may be free-standing, wall-mounted or suspended.· The fabric element may incorporate decorative surface treatments · The light source has to be a screw-thread/bayonet 11w Compact Fluorescent light (CFL) Youneedtoproduceafull-scaleworkingfinaloutcomewhichrequiresskillsinboththeTextileandGroundfloorworkshopstoproduceit.

Personal Understanding of Brief

To design and manufacture a full scale working lighting product, which is either suspended or free standing for use within student accommodation/halls.Thelightmusthaveasculpturalelementincorporatedintoitsdesignaswellasfabriconarigid/flexiblestructure.Thelightmustalsoaccommodate an 11w Compact Fluorescent Light bulb.

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ResearchSimilar Products

Task Lighting

Ambient/Mood Lighting

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ResearchCurrent Textile Designers

Name:ErnestoSaboiadeAlbuqurequeNetoBirth Place: Rio de Janeiro, BrazilDesign Style: Large, biomorphic sculptures which the public can interact withMost Famous Design: Léviathan Thot, which was exhibited at Panthéon in Paris

Ernesto relaxing in the studio Léviathan Thot, 2006 Otheranimal, 2006

Museum Art Aloisio Magahaes Mamam Recife, Brazil 2003

TheGarden,2003

Humanoids, 2006

Humanoids, 2006

The natural shape of a suspended form is very inspirational to me. I plan to try and incorporate a natural biomorphic shape into my own designs.

The Edge of The World, 2010

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ResearchFabric Density and Properties

AspartofthismoduleItisarequirementtousefabricsin the manufacturing of the product. Therefore, I have included research into the density of fabrics and how much light they let pass through there structure.

Rip-stop Nylon Lycra

Lycra consists of elastene which provides it with it’s strechy structure. Pulling thelycratightoverthelightsourcecreatedquiteavividglowwhichwouldbevery good for tasking. Whereas, when the lycra was drapped over the light source it created a more dull ambient glow, suitable for ambient/mood lighting.

Rip-stopNylongavequiteabrightlight,butseenasthelightemitted turned to red it wouldn’t make a very practical task light and it was too bright for a mood light. Layering of the nylon reduced the brightness of the source light and made for a more suitable mood light.

Yarn

Wrapped yarn around the light source created an unusual glow as the edges of the yarn let more light through than the centre. This created light and dark rings around the light which was a very good effect. This material is more suited to a mood light.

Khaki Denim

The khaki denim was very similar to the yarn as it blocked out most light creating an ambient light. However, the lighting effect was consistant throughout the fabric, apart from the seems. This would make for a good mood light.

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ResearchStructuresI performed experimentation with different fabrics and structures, to create sculptural and inspirational forms. Most of these structures were made from using rigid metal rods which were moulded into shape and then threaded through channels which were stitched into the fabrics. This mixture between flexibleandrigidmaterialsiswhatgavemethemostinspirationthroughoutthe designing stages. There were four workstations that I attended. These four consisted of ‘tents and canopies’, ‘kites’, ‘fans, screens and hinges’,thenforthefinaloneIusedamixtureofmaterialsfromotherworkstationstocreate.Eachworkstationhadadifferentcombinationofmaterials and textiles.At the ‘tents and canopies’ workstation I used a rigid foam board as the base, inserting dowels into it. Then stretching lycra over the dowels and pinned the fabric down to create a tent-like structure.

The materials included in the ‘kites’ workstation were ripstop nylon, flexiblerobsandstring.Rather than going for the tradition kite shape, I produced a woven tipi shape.

At the ‘fans, screens and hinges’ workstation, I opted to create a completely different from the standard shapes everyone else were producing. I stitched channels for the copper rods and moulded them into a form similar to a shoe.

ForthefinalworkstationI used a mixture of materials and fabrics from the other workstations. The end result was this structure with taught lycra, stretched over a copper rod frames.

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Ideation Using the research of fabrics, structures, existing designers and similar products for inspiration, I then went on to ideating some design concepts.

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DevelopmentI then chose these two concepts as the best designs to develop.

With the works of Enesto Neto (the designer in which I had to research) in mind, I took some inspiration from the biomorphic shapes which he uses in his contemporary art exhibitions. He inspired me to change from three suspended balls to 3 suspended biomorphic forms. Also whilst thinking about the suspended light fixing,Irealisedthatit wouldbedifficultto just have them hanging from a wire, so I decided to create a base plate for the light to be attached to the ceiling with.

With this concept I attempted to design it intoastarfishshapebutit looked too busy for what it was, an ambient mood light.

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Final Proposal

After much decision making and developing, I have chosen to manufacture the suspended ceiling light rather than the ambient mood light. I had to design allthefixingsofthechandelierandwireinajunctionboxsothatthethreelightbulbswouldwork.

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Testing & EvaluationTesting

Totestifmylightwouldbefitforpurpose,Isuspendedthelight and left it switched on over night, I am pleased to say the lightbulb did not burn through the fabric and it was still running the next day.

Evaluation

However during the manufacturing stages of the product, there was a miscommunication between the scale of the image created on the CAD software I used and the CAD software that is unstalled at the university. This meant that the materials were cut smaller than intended, meaning that the light would now fail due to the fabric being too close to the lightbulb. If there hadn’t have been this error then the light would be fully suitable for consumer use. If I was to redo this project I would have accounted for the scale error, or either install the same software which is used in the workshop.

Wiring three lightbulbs up was a pretty big task itself. I had tofindouthowtowireupthreelightbulbstoonecable.Eventually I found out that I would need to wire the lights toajunctionbox.Thiswasaveryfiddleystagetocompleteand it took a few attempts. Again, if I were to do this project for a second time, I would have left alot more time for the manufacturing and assembly stages as one week wasn’t sufficientenough.

Overall I feel as though this project went well and that I createdaveryuniqueandattractivelightfixture,whichhasmet the brief in most areas apart from the error which has preventedthelightfixturefrompassingbritishstandards.

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