Product. Furniture. Design. [email protected]

Sam Marshall-Hardy
Product. Furniture. Design.
[email protected]
step.
Step. Ladder
Designed products create emotional responses within us on various levels; this refers
to our initial attraction to the physical attributes as well as the opinions we form due
to associations and past experiences. Certain designed products show consideration
purely to function and manufacture and disregard aesthetics and emotion from the
user; these tend to be the more utilitarian objects that we ʻstore awayʼ around the
house
Inspiration was taken from the work of Donald Norman, who believes that products
that have had their aesthetic appearance taken into consideration are considered to
be easier to use. Through enhancing the aesthetic appearance and paying attention
to detail, value and desirability can been achieved within a product that is usually
disregarded.
The final outcome is a stepladder that incorporates a bespoke mechanism enabling
the ladder to double up as a stool. This enables the product to remain within the
home environment as a cherished object and not to be stored away as clutter.
The mechanism uses nylon sheet to enable a smooth movement and the use of this
material gives a modern twist. The main body is made from solid Ash, which draws
inspiration from the material traditionally used for ladders.
step.
step.
Flatware
Flatware is the correct term for what we commonly know as cutlery and is one of
the few products that we all use on a daily basis. Function and practicality aside, the
production of flatware offers the opportunity to become immersed in subtle form
generation and material manipulation.
This project required thoughtful attention to detail whilst building an understanding
of materials and processes essential to the creation of a knife, fork and spoon.
Poise
The term task lighting refers to situations where the task light increases luminance
of a given specific area - perhaps the most prevalent being in a working environment
where it is used to enhance the lighting effect on the reading area.
The brief required the design of a task light with a focus upon functionality to
promote and support the act of reading. With a restricted selection of materials, the
project helped to further develop an understanding of materials and processes and
required the consideration of design for volume production.
Detail
Research into existing products uncovers the world of product language (semantics).
Studying this in detail presents more freedom to understand and utilise this visual
language in future design projects.
The brief required a detailed examination of a given existing product and to produce
an exact facsimile. Focus was upon accuracy of measurements and technical drawings
and the communication of function through model making.
Clamp
Everyday ubiquitous objects such as the paperclip, the clothes peg and the G-clamp
have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. These objects have acquired
iconic status over the years due to the success of their functional qualities and
longevity. By maintaining their original form with only minor developmental adjustments, these products have gained worldwide recognition and continue to hold their
position as successful, profitable products. With only subtle changes to their form
they have taken advantage of more appropriate materials and production techniques
as they continue to sell. However these objects often go unnoticed and are rarely
celebrated or receive the appreciation they deserve.
The clamp project aimed to investigate ways in which value and appreciation could
be added to these humble products that are regarded mundane. By combining these
everyday objects with objects of higher value and desirability, a new way of seeing
these products can be achieved.
The final outcome is a set of bookends that incorporate a clamping mechanism, which enables the user to re-position the product to suit the environment.
A minimalist style was applied to avoid drawing attention away from the clamp device.
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Technical Drawings - Bookends
Stand up component
NOT TO SCALE
Sam Marshall-Hardy
Product. Furniture. Design.
[email protected]