I have decided to approach this project with some

quick initial research. This will start off with some

mood boards and images boards of themes and

movements. I have started off with some images

around the page of my first thoughts of forms that

might inspire me. So far I have been specifically

looking at geometric forms, I’ve been looking into

products, art work and sculptures that I’ve though has

had a relevant link to this theme. On the following

pages I have collected these images and presented

them so that I can gather motivation and inspiration

from these forms, structures, colours schemes and

materials when it comes to the designing stage.

For this project I haven't been given a specific brief and am in fact

given the opportunity to create my own project proposal. This will

allow me to demonstrate all of my design skills that have been

enhanced and improved during my development as a designer on

this foundation course.

I shall be collecting research in all potential aspects of this project

including mood and image boards, existing products which I’ve

found are linked to those boards and research on past and present

successful designers whom I could be influenced by.

I shall also be researching manufacture processes for a potential

design or existing product and material properties and uses. Finally I

will be evaluating my research to come to a final proposal and a

time plan for the entire project and each stage it will require.

Context

Visual Research For this initial research page, I

have gathered purely visual

stimulus i.e. colours, forms,

themes, styles etc. which I have

felt drawn to because if the

property's they possess, I have

found this to mainly based

around a geometric theme.

3D Visuals On this page I have based my research

on more visuals but photos of 3d

sculptures and products that I have felt

linked nicely to images on my previous

slide, this I think will also give me a

better idea of 3 dimensional forms that

I could work with and base designs

around.

Final Visuals In this slide I have collected a

large variety of different media

including photography, graphic

based art work, sculptural

structures and decorative

products. I have selected theses

as my final visual research

because they are all modern day

examples of current design and

art work which fit into my

chosen proposal. I shall select a

couple of designers/artists from

this page and look at them and

their work in more detail.

Existing Artist Barbara Hepworth

Barbra Hepworth is one of the most influential artist/sculpture

of the modern day, her designs are so organic and fluid yet with

such a strategic and organised structure and composition, it

makes it so easy to identify her iconic style and mark. With

working along side artist like Henry Moore and Richard Belford

she became a great instigator and leading figure into the ‘new

movement’ involving direct carving.

Since her horrific death in 1975 scholarly interest has focused

on her status as one of the few women artist to achieve

international prominence.

Existing Designer Antony Gormley

Existing Designer After doing some artist research I felt it more relevant to move on to

a creative man whom I consider more of a sculptural designer

dealing with more mechanical and realistically complex forms and

structures, so I choose Antony Gormley. Antony Gormley is a

British sculpture whom is best know for his work in the north east,

the angel of the north structure in Gateshead. He mainly based his

work on public displays inspired by the human body's shape and

structure and its relationship with the surrounding space. His work

raises the questions of our body's place and matter and its

relationship with nature and cosmos, I find his work to be very

enlightening with a lot more than just a figure to be revealed.

Existing Products

Here I have conducted several different mood boards based

on storage units. I have categorised each board to different

multi functional storage products with this one being mainly

shelving based for books and display items. I have collected

images of products all with a similar function but different

styles and materials mainly revolving around my original

geometric theme from my first image boards.

Existing Products

On this image board I have again collected images from

Pinterest of existing products that may be found on the market.

On this page and the next I have focused more on study desks

and the structure and storage that is provided with these type of

work space furnishing as I always find there's never enough

room on one desk for me to comfortably lay out all my work

and equipment so that its all easily accessed while working. I’d

like to take some inspiration from these to design my own.

Existing Products

On this page I have simply continued my collection of desk

furniture images from Pinterest and added some more

mechanical multi use ones to. So far there seems to be quite

a distinct light coloured wood theme running through so I’m

thinking about looking into using perhaps oak as my product

material as it is a wood I am already familiar with and in my

opinion has a beautiful grain and colour which when treated

can change to my desired colour.

Market Research

On this page I have some some new on the market design

research where I have found a number of functional products

that are storage and space saving designed, such products as

shelving, seating and tables, and multi purpose mechanism

products. Most design functions are presented in a number of

images to show the stages of use and environment which I think

is useful and a great self explanatory method of displaying and

explaining it. This might be a good way to present my product.

Product Research

Here I have researched products and concept on

Pinterest based around secrete storage with in home

environments that have either been home made or are

available on the market. This gives me a few ideas of

what is possible and practical, what already exists and

what I could develop and improve to make my own. I

think I’m looking more towards perhaps a secret

compartment with in shelving or similar storage unit so

that the pain purpose will be to provide more store

space for domestic items with perhaps another

function which would distract from any hidden

compartments, draws etc that can hide valuables.

Product Analysis The materials used in this product are

airoply which has been set at 2 opposite

90 degree angles to create a shelf a light

and a book mark. It has also used some

type of plastic as the matt effect reading

light. The matt effect filters the light to

allow it to come out softer and there for

not as bright and harsh to the eyes.

I think the Aesthetics of this product are

very simple, smart and clean cut, its all

very nicely rounded on each edge and

corner which I think gives the wood a

nice flowing effect. The only thing I’d

change is possible to be a bit more

creative on the light filter as I find it

quite plain and dull but nicely desecrate.

I think the safety aspect of this product is

nicely thought through, all the edges and

corners have been rounded and been

given a soft smooth cut, obviously the

owner can adjust the height of the

product depending on the rooms

environment and the shelf is at a perfect

angle so the books won’t fall off.

The environment this product

would/could be used in is most likely a

bedroom environment as shown in the

picture, it could be purchased for

domestic use or commercial, perhaps

for a hotel or hostel as it only takes up

wall space, it can be positioned where

ever desired making it easily accessed.

The function of this product is to

provide easily accessed storage space

for a book, magazine etc. while also

providing a reading light for the space

underneath the shelf. I think it is an

extremely effective design and a great

special resolution for the common bed

time book worm.

The manufacture process involved in

this product would have included the

obvious cutting and sanding of the

wood and steam bending it which

would also require a jig to get the

desired shape and angles. The lamp

might have been made by a vacuum

form which would then be cut to size.

On this page I have decided to conduct a

short basic product analysis on a product

I had on my mood board, this allows me

to dissect the product in preparation for

analysing my own to fit my critic.

Material Research

Oak wood, shown on the left. Oak is a hard

wood, light in colour with a very tight grain,

it also comes with some beautiful markings

from the grain. Its easy to work with a very

commonly used for furniture with a

beautiful finish and when treated can come

out in multiple different colours.

Beech wood is another hard wood, also

commonly used for furniture, toys and tool

handles, its quite a light pink coloured wood

and is generally just waxed rather than

treated to look darker. Its very strong but

can warp easily due to changes in

environment.

Mahogany wood is an extremely hard

wearing, rich dark red wood. Excellent to

work with but is mainly found in antique

furniture, its seen as quite a traditionally old

wood. It can also be quite expensive to buy

but its durability makes it good value for

money if you plan to keep it forever.

Walnut wood is another hard wood, it

normally has quite a straight running grain

but can be irregular, it’s a beautiful deep

brown colour and is extremely durable in

terms of decay resistance. Its quite a heavy

wood so is generally used as a veneer for

work tops or is used for carving.

Teak wood is very well know for its resilient

properties, strength and superb stability. Its

very commonly used in India and is very

resistant against such problems as rot. It is

again commonly used for veneers and

carvings possibly as it can be very expensive

due to its fantastic properties.

Rose wood better known as Brazilian rose

wood is quite a rare wood making it

extremely expensive to buy, it is a hard

wood and has a beautiful deep, rich red

colour with a very defined grain in a darker

shade. It does have a slightly wider grain but

still strong and easy to work with.

Manufacture & Material Here I have decided on a potential proposed material for my

designed product. So far in all my research it seems that light

coloured woods either alone or combined with darkened ones

are the most popular, they are fresh and clean and depending

oh how they are treated have a variety of different tones. So far

I’ve found the most popular wood on the furniture market is

Oak. I have displayed around the page a couple of images of

its use in a potential home or commercial environment and

some finishes and different types of oak and how they can look

with different treatments so that I can get an idea of the

potential range of finishes I could get from different types of

oak to use for my final product

I have also included images of potential joints I

could use to manufacture my product all also

made from oak. I have access to a wide range

of machines and tools in the college work shop

to help with the production of my final

product. I have shown the use of finger joins,

dovetail joints and dowel joins in the

surrounding images to show the visual effect

they all have in case the joints on show on the

product

Initial Concept

So for my initial concept statement I have decided to design…

“A domestic or commercial suited storage unit with hidden compartment/s for

valuables”

I have tried to make my first concept statement as brief as I dare, to allow myself

some room for creativity and to expand and edit it with out it being to drastically

different from the original. I have displayed some images from the internet and

from my own initial sketches of the type of product rout and function I would like

to take this project down. I have dene some sketches below of a potential

mechanical resolution to a hidden panel in perhaps a shelf that would be pushed

in one side and rotate on a metal pivot that would run through the wooden ‘door’.

I intend to expand further on this idea in my initial and developed design stages.

Plan Of Action

My plan of action for this project is to first of all:

• Print off all of my research from this project proposal

and add to it where I see it fit, to then cut, present and

stick into my sketch book so that I can have it on hand

in the front of my book to refer back to when it comes

to my designing etc.

• Next I am going to expand upon my current research

with some primary research that I am going to conduct

in some well know furniture stores such as IKEA,

Fenwick's and Barker and Stone house to collect

research such as visual sizes, materials, professional

finishes and prices.

• I would then like to create and conduct some

questionnaires to ask a large variety of people about

the concept and their opinions on different proposals

with in that. I shall then record, print off and stick the

original questionnaire and results sheet into my book.

• Then I intend to dedicate a couple of double pages to

initial design ideas inspired my colours, forms and

concepts from my mood boards.

• The next thing I’d like to do is using my initial ideas

combining and developing each design to improve

them and solve any structural or composition issues.

• I would then like to narrow down all the developed

designs to about 2 or 3 and conduct further research

into some potential suggestions of improvements to the

designs, materials I could use and other such relevant

information.

• After that I will refine the designs and make some

miniature models probably using card and glue gun so

that I can get a structural and 3D visual idea of what

the product would look like and the dimensions that

I’d have to work out for a final design.

• I will then select a design from the final few and draw

up all the products angles and views in colour, I will

then conduct another questionnaire where all the

questions will be based on gathering the peoples

opinions of the final product so that I can get an

outside view of the product, if they would buy it and if

they could what they though would need improving

before doing my final concept board.

Time Plan

week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4 week 5 week 6 week 7

Final Research

Initial Design Ideas

Developed Designs

Design Research

Final Design

Model Making

Material Prep

Manufacture Prep

Production Stage

Final Product Crit

On this final page I have created a time plan for the 7 weeks I have for this project to allow

me to visually record and keep on top of each stage and make sure I don’t fall behind on

work. This will help me to use my time more sufficiently as I have set myself targets for

each week and what I must have done by the end if I am to give myself a good enough

chance of finishing on time and to the best quality and standard I would like to.