2IO.SimionVladut.Synthese

VLAMION
From sitting furniture
to audio device
by Vladut Simion
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Introduction
“Life itself is your teacher, and you
are in a state of constant learning.”
~ Bruce Lee
Greetings, my name is Vladut Simion. I’m a second year
industrial design student at UGent. In this brochoure I
will take you, the reader, on a design journey throughout
my think process and design styles. More specific we’ll
take a look at a project of mine and how I completed it.
Now let’s get started, shall we ?
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Brief
The assignment was to design a speaker which was inspired by the
Artemide glassfiber lounge chair, designed by Sergio Mazza. This chair
was revolutionary for its time because of the production methode. Which
implemented a glassfiber mold with a rather complex shape. Also the
addition of cushioning made the chair look rather flashy and eye catching.
Cushioning
Fiberglass base
Sergio Mazza was a
renowend Italian designer
from the 60’s. Born in
Milan he had the passion
of a true Italian. This drive
and love for design allowed
him to win several prices
and gain recognition
among designers across the
world.
Some of his most brilliant
work are the Artemide
Delta lamp and the
fiberglass lounge chair.
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Moodboard
One of the most eye-catching features of the chair is its
colour scheme. This has to be implemented in the final
design. Not only is the colour flashy but also the material
which is used. So a shiny plastic would be preferable.
Besides the flashy orange ,there is also a lot of black color
present in the chair. The surface here is a fabric with a
small sow. This also is a crucial component which has to
be implemented in the final design.
Finally there is shiny brushed metal. This was inspired
from the lamps made by Sergio Mazza, who frequently
used brushed metals in his design. As a token of respect
and a way of braking the scenery a small metal piece
could be used.
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Research
To honour the designer, an iconic part is being
introduced. Here brushed aluminium volume knob
would be the ideal candidate. This also breaks the strong
colour scheme of the chair, giving it an interesting touch.
The main element is the flashy orange fiberglass.
Reintroducing it in the speaker is both nostalgic and
iconic. Here a mold is used to cast the speaker in. An
initial layer is sprayed with a mix of small fiberglass pieces
and glue. Afterwards it is cured for several hours until
fully hardened.
With a few key features and moods in the back of our
mind an ideation process can begin, where designs and
possibilities are explored until an ideal solution is found.
It is clear that the colour and shape will play a major role
in the final design of the speaker.
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Ideation
Idea generation starts with a few basic concepts, exploring
different paths and frames. Here it is quantity over
quality, trying to find exciting and new concepts. Shapes,
sizes, colours and other aspects are loosesly explored.
After exploring some concepts, the second step
commences. Here a concept is further explored and gets
worked out in greater detail. Purposely trying to find
errors to improve upon. Also keeping count with the
mood and research from before.
Finally a preferable concept is chosen and is worked out.
The ability of casting it in a mold was highly important
for the case of the speaker. Matching the colour scheme
also plays a vital role. Finally the honouring of the
designer is also important in the final design. This all
requires a VISION of the final product.
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Concept
Here a bright orange frame is being used to hold the
whole speaker. This is made out of a fiberglass cast,
therefore the inside is rough while the outer portion is
smooth and reflective. Also mentionable is the shape,
which is an integration of the lounge chair curvelines,
mainly from the bottom part.
Next up there is an assembly of casing, electronics and
speakers. A large boxshaped case is used to store all the
parts inside. Here a matt black plastic is used to represent
the black colour scheme of the chair. Further a shiny
plastic plate is used to attach the high quality speakers
upon. In addition the iconic brushed metal accent is
implemented as a volume knob to break the scenery.
Finishing up is a nylon mesh to represent the fabric of
the chair. Everything is compressed together and is being
kept in place through an adhesive compound. Finding a
right balance between nostalgic and usabilty has been a
main challenge throughout the whole design process.
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Info
- Mail: vladut.simion@ugent.be
- Phone: +324 68 / 24 00 37
- second year industrial design @
UGent university, campus Kortrijk