25.04.07
Design X bares all at Milan
From biodegradable brooches to edible lids for the ubiquitous
'coffee-to-go', students from University College
Falmouth's 3D Design degree course not only embraced
the course's ethos of design for sustainability and
community need in the creation of their products for this
week's Salone Satellite in Milan, but also in their
method of transportation. The whole show was transported in
a small, lightweight drum, with modest environmental impact.
Part of the Milan Furniture Fair, and one of the most prestigious
events in the design calendar, Salone Satellite hosts 500
designers and 200 students from 22 of the most prestigious
international design schools, and attracts 200,000 visitors
each year.
Thirty-three Level 2 students presented their work under
the Design X Studio brand – see www.designx.eu
for more information – and its launch exhibition, entitled
Naked Products, presented six products that were devoid of
concealment, pure, and sustainable. All were based on renewable
materials (plants/biomass) and the lifecycle of each product
was presented in a transparent way.
The six Naked Products on show included Bloom – biodiversity
seed pod brooches 'wear the brooch and plant the seeds';
Moderme – an edible lid in a choice of flavours for
the ubiquitous 'coffee-to-go'; Cornicore –
a new mouldable bio-degradable material made from locally
sourced pine cones; Slippitz – an environmentally sound
slipper that provides the perfect antidote to tired toes,
made from bamboo fibre, buckwheat, cork, rubber, honey, vegetable-tanned
leather and stinging nettles (believe it or not!); the Frequent
Flyer – a leather luggage tag that offers regular travellers
a fast track check-in via 'eco-lanes' at airports
if they sign over their air miles to charities that promote
renewable energy; and Soul Sock – a natural cotton sock
that stimulates reflexology zones made from natural raw materials
that carry antibacterial properties.
"The sustainable resource efficient theme ran through
the whole design of the show," explained Senior
Lecturer, Dr Yorick Benjamin, who masterminded the concept.
"The show was transported in a lightweight container
little more than 80 cm high by 50 cm in diameter; the exhibits
were presented on lightweight aero-ply plinths suspended from
wires, lit by rechargeable LEDs; the Design X Studio banner
was made from recycled felt, and we deliberately elected not
to print publicity material, choosing instead to email information
to visitors from the stand," he added. "Biodiversity
seed pod brooches and branded paperclips made from recycled
wood were used instead as promotional tools."
"This was a real team effort between students and
staff, with Course Leader, Su Vernon, and 3D Digital Production
Research Assistant, Drummond Masterton, providing project
management and support," Dr Benjamin concluded.
"The concept of the Design X Studio stand really
stood out at Milan, and attracted a lot of attention. Major
brands such as Marks & Spencer and Disney expressed interest
in some of our products, and the event was of great benefit
to the course and its students."
"Following on from the success of our Falmouth
Designs exhibition in London at the Design Museum last November,
opportunities like Design X and Milan provide our design students
with yet another high profile opportunity to showcase their
work to a national and international audience," added
Director of Design, John Miller.
University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the
Combined Universities in Cornwall, a unique initiative to
promote regional economic regeneration through higher education.
The CUC is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective
One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the
Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support
from Cornwall County Council.
For further information about BA(Hons) 3D Design at University
College Falmouth, please visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/3Ddesign,
email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk
or contact Admissions on 01326 213730.
For further information contact Jilly Easterby, Head of Public
Affairs, University College Falmouth on 01326 213792 or email
jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk.
The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the
Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities
in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through
the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European
Social Fund (ESF). University College Falmouth is a partner
of the CUC.
Editor's notes:
About BA(Hons) 3D Design at University College Falmouth
We believe that sustainability lies at the core of 3D Design.
It underpins your skills, enhances your problem-solving abilities
and fuels your creativity. For us, becoming a successful 3D
designer is about exploring and anticipating human needs so
that your designs reflect modern life.
Whether you're developing your computer-aided design skills,
or designing and making one-off pieces, you'll master all
aspects of the design process – from idea conception
to production. Learning through making, you'll be based in
our Design Centre where you'll create models, prototypes and
finished artefacts using a variety of materials from wood,
metal and plastics to bio-composites, glass, clay and fabric.
You'll experiment creatively with traditional craft and production
processes as well as 3D digital technologies like laser cutting,
rapid prototyping and computer-aided milling. You'll also
undertake a range of projects focusing on interior products;
furniture; lighting; jewellery and portable objects; toy,
leisure and sports products; and design for sustainability,
need, education and health.
We believe that to understand fully how to be a designer you
should get out there and do it, so during your course you'll
work on live projects with local and national organisations,
and community initiatives to learn how to apply your technical
and creative skills in a professional environment. The development
of your own personal creative style is also essential; we
want you to experiment, take risks and be inspired, all the
time knowing that we're there to support you and facilitate
your ideas. Our aim is to feed your imagination, whether it's
by inviting high-profile designers to talk to you about their
work or exhibiting at shows like The Milan Furniture Fair
– it's about opening your eyes to the possibilities
of 3D design and the difference you can make to the world.
Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439
cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk
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