!Update to Part 2: It seems like the “Shelter Screen” was carried on into the final rounds for ICFF. See below.

As SCAD students of the Designed Conversation course created different bedding solutions for the clients of Growing Hope of Union Mission, one of the most challenging problems was a structure that actually provided shelter for the homeless living on the street.

This was the prototype presented at the end of April during critique. The canvas slip cover fits over a standard bi-folding lawn chair. Inside the flap was a layer of tulle to represent mosquito netting. There were conversations about how to secure the flap while preventing liquid from dripping inside, how to make the netting functional and convenient, and how to transport the entire structure on one’s back.

Above, a student demonstrates the room within the structure and possible issues with not being able to sit up.

It seems that a more dome-like silhouette was the group’s solution. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see this prototype, but it looks like the project really came together for ICFF.

At the end of the critique, I sat down with each groups “documentarians.” Rubi McGrory, a Graduate Fibers student, Alice Meiss and Kathleen Imig, both undergraduates in Fibers, were responsible for documenting the process of their groups, collaborating on the mission statement, and putting together the site for Designed Conversation.

(more…)

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The interdisciplinary course Designed Conversation at Savannah College of Art and Design started around a competition sponsored by the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

“Given departmental emphasis on community outreach and, increasingly, small-scale production, fibers program members explore conscientious design and sustainable, socially responsible studio practice as a matter of course. For the past two years, the program has worked with the Growing Hope Artisans Cooperative, which provides creative programming for the homeless. This year, fibers students are delving into the issue of bedding for Growing Hope clients. Issues confronting the students include the relationship of inside/outside, portability, and the difference between consumer-driven and community-oriented products.”

-from the ICFF announcement

The last post Front and Center: Designed Conversation at ICFF (Part1) covered a product concept for people in transitional housing. This post covers the second prototype that focuses on the needs of individuals living in shelters. When I attended the final critique, the prototype looked like a three panel room divider with fabric pockets.

Each fabric panel was 15 inches wide and attached to pvc pipe. The idea was to use found materials to create pockets at different heights of the panels for those sleeping on the top or bottom bunk. The screen would provide storage as well as privacy. Issues arose at this last critique on the construction around the stitched sleeves of the panels, the stability of the light weight pvc, as well as the inconvenience of repositioning the screen in order to climb on the top bunk. The students must have seriously evaluated these issues, because less than two weeks later their prototype looked like this.

Storage is given precedent with an expandable shelf, as opposed to fabric pockets. Contents can be kept out of sight, and there is a fold out shelf.

These are the latest photographs I have of the prototype, but Fibers professor Jessica Smith reported that the final prototype for ICFF incorporates over 10 yards of digitally printed polyester.
Here’s the front of their promo card. Return tomorrow for coverage of the final design which offers a sleeping solution for men and women who must live on the street and a few words from the students reflecting on how this project has affected them as designers and as people.

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Designed Conversation is a special topics course at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This Spring, a divergent group of students from the Fibers and Furniture departments came together under the direction of professors Jessica Smith and Sheila Edwards to collaborate on a proposal for this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair. I had the honor of attending the final prototype critique and interviewing a few students about the project.

“Designed Conversation represents a dynamic dialogue between Savannah College of Art and Design students and clients of Growing Hope of Union Mission in Savannah, Georgia. Union Mission aims to elevate the quality of life of Savannah’s homeless through housing, job training, counseling, and healthcare. Growing Hope, the arts and crafts cooperative within Union Mission, is a unique program which addresses the need for creative expression in this underserved population. Our goal is to create sustainable bedding solutions for people in non-traditional living situations. We address the needs of three specific demographics within Union Mission: those sleeping on the street, those sleeping in a shelter, and those living in transitional housing.

Through regular conversations at the shelter, our clients expressed their needs for comfort, security and privacy which we continuously integrated into our design solutions. We embrace a definition of sustainability looking beyond the green movement to incorporate a socially constructive practice. Using readily accessible materials and an ease of construction, we created functional items that can be replicated by clients within the Growing Hope Studios. In giving the design blueprints to Growing Hope and posting them on the internet, we aim to give our products a life in the community beyond ICFF.”

:: mission statement

This first post presents the work of the group that addresses those in transitional housing programs. Because physical shelter is provided, the primary needs are personal and psychological. Below, are the sleeping arrangements the students visited.

These “bed pods” were developed to provide privacy and a sense of ownership and control over limited personal space. The canopy like structure is secured to the bottom of the bed frame by simple straps and suspender clips. The pod can be folded back and snapped shut to signify that this person has left the dormitory and begun their day. Extended, the pod provides shade from the typical overhead florescent lighting, privacy from fellow housemates, as well as some storage. There are pockets on either side of the interior for small personal items. It’s light weight and compactability make it portable, due to it’s construction of fiberglass rods and basic fabric. I think it’s a very good way to begin to establish individualized space and a healthy sense of independence.

Here’s the final version to be presented at ICFF.

And here, clients of Growing Hope of Union Mission look at the prototype.

coming soon. Front and Center: Designed Conversation at ICFF (part 2) - a storage solution for shelters

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In the spirit of our Puzzles & Games 10-Day Challenge, I thought I’d highlight one of my favorite game genres, the Constructible Strategy Game. First marketed by Wizkids with the game Pirates of the Spanish Main, this new game has you building miniature three-dimensional sailing vessels from styrene cutouts that fit together with simple slots. Wizkids trademarked the name PocketModel and continued the concept with a Star Wars miniatures game and the decidedly less successful Rocketmen. Wizards of the Coast, another massive games company, added their hat to the constructible game ring with the Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game, which was wildly unsuccessful, but had the interesting twist of having each figure being able to be constructed as a robot or a vehicle, with each form having different powers, woo! (more…)

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Since we’re talking about puzzles and games, I thought it was worth pointing out Lee Krasnow. Lee is a puzzle-maker from San Francisco, and creates some awesomely perplexing objects! There is a great interview with him over at makezine, in which he talks the viewer through some of his puzzles and introduces us to his method of working.

Lee Krasnow (above, makezine) and one of his puzzles, 2-in-1 (below, pwdbp.com)

Perhaps the most incredible thing is that Lee’s tool of choice is a table-saw. Using a jig of his own design, he manages to cut highly precise and tiny parts – he has posted an instructable describing how to make some jigs and ten of his puzzles here. It’s daunting, but highly inspiring stuff and makes me think that there’s no reason why a laser-cut puzzle should be just a 2D affair.

In fact my favourite Ponoko project of late has been Carbon by ckharnett (a recent product of the week) – a game-like geometric construction of simply hexagons, pentagons and triangular connectors. The constructions possible with this system are endless!

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In the spirit of Ponoko’s latest 10 Day Challenge, myself and the other writers are diving deep into the theme. Here are a couple of images of traditional games by puzzle creator and academic Jacques Haubrich.

This sleek board would also be great with a set of die cut and ornately engraved checkers.

I love how the classic tic-tac-toe frame is a separate puzzle in itself.

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Animob is a beautifully simple jigsaw puzzle designed by Mobilet.

Produced in laser-cut acrylic featuring a series of interlocking animal shapes, the Animob is a great example of what can be achieved with stylized illustration of 2D forms.

The french-australian team that make up Mobilet are Tanguy Le Moing and Antonia Pesenti. Industrial designer and architect, Tanguy and Antonia were based in Paris until 2003, working for the likes of Jean Nouvel and Philippe Starck. mobilet was established after their arrival in Sydney in 2003.

So why not take up the Ponoko 10 Day Design Challenge, and design your own puzzle,
$5,000 is up for grabs for the hottest games and puzzles.
Enter your designs between May 1st and 10th.
Get details here

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Our 10-Day Design Challenge - Games and Puzzles is now well under way. We hope that you’re getting your designs into Ponoko. But if you’re looking for that inspiration to get to work on it we have it in the announcement that Ronen Kadushin will be the Guest Judge for the Challenge. Ronen has a degree in industrial design from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, is a winner of numerous design awards, and is well known as a design leader in creating open designs. You can check out his portfolio to get an idea of his own work.

One other point to keep in mind for the Design Challenge, our Guest Judge will not be the only factor in deciding the winners. Due to popular request we will be adding a fan voting system for the latest 10-Day Design Challenge. This gives you an opportunity to really encourage your friends and family to get behind you and give you the votes you deserve. We’ll be announcing the voting system on the blog as soon as it’s ready so watch this space and get ready to start campaigning like Hillary and Barack.

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Dimension 3D Printing Group announced nine finalists in three categories for the Extreme Design Contest, a competition to highlight the talents of young designers and highlight the power of 3D printing’s ability to solve a great variety of problems. The finalists were chosen from 800 entries worldwide entries, with three finalists in each of the three categories; University, High-School, and Arts & Architecture. Entrants in the University and High School categories were encouraged to produce designs that redefined an existing product to improve that product’s function. Submissions to the Arts & Architecture category were expected to produce original designs with an emphasis on aesthetics. (more…)

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- image via Flickr

We want to make it easy for you to do cool stuff. And with the fantastic response we got from our first Design Challenge we’ve decided to run another one showcasing Games and Puzzles. So this is another chance to show off your design skills, get your creations made and delivered to your door for free. Oh, and win $1,000 in cash plus several thousand dollars in other prizes.

Design brief

Games and Puzzles can educate and entertain. They can be a solitary exercise or a group activity and when you have memorized how it goes together, you can pass it on to friends or family.

Your challenge is to create intriguing and entertaining games or puzzles on a laser cutter – within 10 days!

Laser cutting brings a new angle to games and puzzles. The ability to create incredibly intricate detail means the games and puzzles can be as simple or as complex as you like. The traditional jigsaw shape can now be designed with much greater variety and intricacy.

Laser surface treatments can be a graphic in nature or a texture. How these are used is essential in the design of your puzzle. Every mark or line on the material becomes a clue on how to put the puzzle together.

Your creations need not be 2D. You could make a 3D puzzle using layers or shapes connected in an interesting way. Think about how multiple pieces can be combined to create an interesting design.

Attention to detail, material combinations, connections, production feasibility and quality will be key to making your design stand out.

Prizes

Up to $5,000 in prizes are up for grabs:

Open Round
Everyone is invited to submit a product design – the more times you enter the more opportunity you have of winning:

* The top 15 designs will be made for free – that’s materials, making and shipping to your door.
* Plus they’ll be invited to be submitted into the Invitation Round.

Invitation Round
The top 15 designs from the Open Round will go head to head:

* The top product will win $1,000 cash.
* The two runners up will each win $500 cash.
* The ‘People’s Choice’ product will win a $500 Ponoko voucher.

Design requirements

* It must be possible for Ponoko to make the main component of your design.
* Designs must be new (i.e. not already hosted on Ponoko).
* You can only use materials in the Ponoko materials catalog.
* You can use extras such as fixings in your design (supplied and assembled by you).
* If you submit multiple designs, they must be unique. Please don’t just submit iterations of the same design.
* Designs may be as simple or as complex as you want.

Judging

There are two phases to the judging process:

Open Round – Submit your product design idea to win up to 15 prizes

* The first round will be judged on a graphic representation and a description of your idea uploaded to your Ponoko Showroom. (See ‘How to enter’ below for more information about submitting your design).
* Entries will be accepted between May 1st and May 10th 2008.
* 15 designs will be selected by a panel of judges.

If your design is selected among the top 15 entries, we will make it and ship it to you free of charge. We will also invite you to enter your product into the Invitation Round …

Invitation Round – Submit your finished product to win up to $2,500 in prizes

* This final round will be judged on photographs of your assembled product and a description of it uploaded to your Ponoko Showroom. (See ‘How to enter’ below for more information about submitting your product).
* Entries will be accepted up until May 30th 2008.
* 4 winning products will be selected by a panel of judges and community voting: 3 products will be selected by the judges and 1 will be selected by the community. If a product selected by the community has also been selected by the judges then the next best as voted by the community will win the ‘People’s Choice Award’.

People’s Choice Award

Community voting for the Invitation Round will be held on our blog between May 15th and May 30th 2008. We will post the top 15 on our blog for the community to vote. So tell your friends and family to head over to our blog to get voting for you!

Judging criteria

Entries/finalists will be judged on the following criteria, in no particular order:

1. Innovation in design concept.
2. Clarity and resolution of design and final product.
3. Originality.
4. Presentation and photography.
5. Interesting use of material(s).
6. Attention to detail.
7. Production feasibility and quality.

Judging panel

The judging panel is made up of representatives from Ponoko along with the Ponoko community – people you give a nudge to come and vote for you on our blog for the ‘People’s Choice Award’.

How to enter

There are 2 rounds to enter:

Open Round –

May 1st to 10th 2008 – you’ve got 10 days to enter!
Go to your MyPonoko account and upload the following elements into your Showroom:

1. Product design .eps files;
2. Photos/images representing the final product;
3. Up to 200 words describing your idea;
4. Enter the tag “PuzzleChallenge”.

Tip: The key here is getting your idea across. The images need to show what your design looks like (sketches, renders, photos, 3D drawings) plus you need to include a description of up to 200 words that communicates your design concept. 3D sketches and photos of well-crafted cardboard models are great ways to show what something will look like. Remember, your entry must be submitted between May 1st and 10th. This means you have just 10 days to come up with an idea and upload it into your Ponoko Showroom. This is the challenge – we want to see how good you really are!

Thursday May 15th 2008 – we announce the winners of the Open Round

Congratulations! The top 15 entries will be made and shipped for free and go through to the Invitation Round. We will post these top 15 on our blog for community voting to commence. So you can tell your friends and family to get voting to win the People’s Choice Award.

Friday May 23rd 2008 – we will have delivered the top 15 products to the Open Round winners

If you’re one of our Open Round winners, we’ll be busy making and shipping your stuff to you. Once you get it, you will have about a week to assemble your product, add any finishing touches, photograph it and upload the new photos into your Ponoko Showroom to be eligible for the Invitation Round prizes.

Invitation Round –

Friday May 30th 2008 – entries close for the Invitation Round

Go to your MyPonoko account and upload the following elements into your Showroom:

1. Photos of your final assembled product;
2. Put your product or product plan on sale in your Showroom, with a price to buy it;
3. The tag “PuzzleChallengeFinalist”.

Tip: Photos on a plain white or black background look best. Use a tripod if possible and avoid using a flash. If your camera has a macro function using this will help with any close up photos or detail shots. And remember to get your friends and family voting for you!

Tuesday June 3rd 2008 – we announce the winners of the Invitation Round

Congratulations! The grand prize winner will receive $1,000, the top 2 finalists will get $500 and the People’s Choice Award winner will receive a $500 Ponoko voucher.

Some important details

For those who are interested in the fine print, here you go - Ponoko 10-Day Design Challenge – Games and Puzzles terms, eligibility, intellectual property and copyright

Please contact us if you need help with any aspect of this challenge.

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