IO1042

Design & Experience

the Organic
Shape
Myron Wouts
4489659

Ir. Y. Nagtegaal
Studio 19

for the Design and Experience Course in 2016

Industrial Design Engineering Faculty of TU Delft

Project by: Myron Wouts

Introduction
Esthetic design, just like any other to the previous, rely less on compuform of design, always needs a starting ter modelling and Photoshop trickery,
point, or a method. For this, designers but on natural modelling. A big part of
can use several different techniques. In this project will be working with clay
our case for this course, we can choose to create organic shapes, as the shabetween two major form families.The- pability of the clay allows for easier
se most straightforward and most com- organic shapes than in any computer
monly applied approach types are the modelling program. Using the compugeometric and organic approach. We ter would not only slow down the protackled the geometric approach over cess but also restrict us in our freedom.
the previous project, but now it is time In this report I will try to illustrate my
to dive deep into the meaning of the workflow throughout the project, so that
organic shape. Coherent to its natural you can get a clear view of my progress.
essence, this project will, compared I wish you the most fun reading it.

Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................3
A tactile clay shape.................................................5
A more esthetic clay shape....................................6
Making a collage.....................................................8
Designing a shaver................................................10
Idea sketching.....................................................................10

More developed ideas.........................................................11

Concept 1: Less is more......................................................14
Concept 2: Asymmetry.......................................................15
Concept 3: Alien..................................................................16
Choosing a concept............................................................17

Evaluation..............................................................18

A tactile clay shape

The very first step in this project is per- looking, create a shape that is tactile,
haps the most (in)famous of the whole or tangible, something that feels nice.
Design and Experience course, may- And so I fulfilled this task. For about
be even of the whole Bacherlors pro- 45 minutes I kneaded the

clay, all

gramme for IDE at our Faculty. People while trying to find that perfect fitat for instance Civil or Mechanical En- ting shape. This turned out to be hargineering usually take this assignment der than expected. I did show the reas an example when trying to mock sult to myself once quite prematurely,
our study. Knowing this, I was exci- which turned out in disappointment:
ted for the first day: if all these people these tactile shapes really dont please
know about this activity, it must sure the eye in any way. This is however,
be remarkable at least. And so it was. completely part of the assignment:
The assignment at first was very simple After claying this shape, it is time
really: take a piece of clay that fits into to move to the next step: creating
both hands firmly and move your hands an
underneath the table. Then,

esthetical

ly

pleasing

abstract

without version of this shape. Follow me.

A more esthetic clay shape

The first step to get to the abstracti- views drawn from the tactile shape and
on was to try and document the tactile making abstractions of these. In more
shape on paper. This turned out to be common English, this means that we
rather hard for me. The shaping itself had to see where we could extend viwasnt too bad, but I had a very hard sible lines within our drawings. Where
time controlling the shadows well, es- did I see the possibility to draw interespecially since we were introduced to ting lines. Also during this step, I did not
new material: the pencil. Shading with waste too much time creating ideas, as
pencil is very different from using a I was set on the horizon. I knew exactly
Copic marker and therefore took quite what I wanted to make and how I wansome getting used to. However, I tried ted to make it. I saw the two stalacmy absolute best, but I also didnt al- mite-type parts of my tactile shapes.
low myself to take too much time, ex- They were to become the stars of my
perimenting with being more assertive abstraction. One was going to be poinwith my decisions. Moving onto the ty, the other was going to be more flatnext step, this relied heavily on the pre- ted in shape. There. My idea was there.
vious one. This step involved using the

More abstract
More pointy

Now onto the clay. This took way more almost through an impulse. It turned
time than expected, perfecting every out to be a good choice. It was that tiny
shape just the way I wanted it to be. The thing which brought together the whole
most notable choice I made in clay was thing. In the end, I allowed myself to
turning the disk-like shape over a right be inspired by the human heart. The
angle. Already during my drawing and shape is somewhat connected to the
also while claying I kept noticing that idea of perversion and disease, whemy shape was too much of a spheri- re the heart as sort of posessed by a
cal composition. I wanted it to be more demon, therefore turning its bloodvesstretched. Therefore, I turned the part, sels (the two stalacmites) into hornes.

Making a collage
Done with clay, now comes the computer magic. I knew that the next part of
the assignment would be to design shavers, but before being able to design
such an item, it was necessary to create a collage first. This is exactly what I
did. So I searched online to find pictures
of organically designed products. From
the previous project within this course
I learned that collages need some sort
of coherence in order to become one
picture instead of a collection of several. I searched online for some example
and notced that a lot of people create a facial shape within collages. I liked
this idea, but I wanted to create one of
my own. So, since this project is about
organic design, I created this little fellow on the right. An organism as such.
The spikes on the bottom seem to resemble the grass he is standing on and
the rock-like structures in the top part
resemble clouds. Especially the latter I
knew were definitely going to help me in
designing my shavers later, as they already somewhat look like a shaver. Notable also is the speaker which makes
up the little mans body. This speaker
was originally designed to resemble an
owl. It was not that which interests me,
but the sort of bridge existing between
the owls eyes. This shape also showed
up in my abstraction, and I liked it a lot.

10

Designing a shaver
Idea sketching

The abstraction and collage were of I started sketching based on two idecourse not maid to stand for them- as from my collage and abstraction
selves. The were made to help me in mostly, already visible in the first sketthe next stage of this project. The as- ches I made: the three underneath.
signment here was to design shavers Firstly there is the vertical bridge-liwhich could be sold at stores like Blok- ke shape visible in the sketch on the
ker, MediaMarkt or Marskramer. In es- left below. The two sketches on the
sence, this means that the designs right are more based on the clouds.
should be contemporary and certainly not too artistic. The main restriction was that consumers would still
need to want to use the product, so it
had to connect to cultural references
when it comes to the product type.

11

More developed ideas

These initial ideas immediately seemed to work for me. I wanted to explore them more fully, which is exactly
what I did. Spread across this and the
following two pages are a selection of
my sketches, with connections or more
development shown by color groups.

Bridge

More developed cloud

Pointy like abstraction

12

Based on

13

14

Concept 1: Less is more

The first concept was derived from the
blue cluster on the previous pages. It
relies heavily on its pointy nature. I
got the inspiration for it from the pointiness in my abstraction, as well as the
pointy grass from the collage. The
strongest part in my opinion of this design is its simplicity. It has no

unne-

cessary additions. And I really do mean

unnecessary: it doesnt need anything
more than it has. When it comes to details, I particularly like the rhyme seen
around the power button: the trench
created around it has a similar shape.

15

Concept 2: Asymmetry
I got the idea from the second concept
from trying to reach a boundary. With
this design I wanted to see how far I
could take the artistic approach to design. See how far I could get from the
archetype. The basic shapes for this
design came from the green cluster.
I didnt, however, just leave it at this.
Inspired by the choice to twist a whole surface when claying my abstraction, I took such a choice once again
and actually got to the final concept:
I cut out the symmetry from this model. The pointy part which was supposedly going to follow the action line
across a linear axis now takes a turn
to the right as seen in the front view.

16

Concept 3: Alien
The third and final concept was a complete derivative of the orange cluster.
I wanted to work a lot with the bridge
I spoke of earlier. This was going to
be my more complex design. I turned
the bridge into somewhat of a spine
and added ergonomic lining on the
back, which really turned the shape
into somewhat of an alien-like body.
I manipulated this effect by making
some edges less rounded: the design
became more masculine this way.

17

Choosing a concept

After having evaluated the three concepts, the choice was easily made. The
second concept dropped off easily, as
it was just a bit too weird for me. Also,
its assymetric design made in incompatible for left-handed people, which
means the product would require to
have two versions. This doesnt seem
productive. The third concept turned
out to fail as well, it seemed like it had
some unnecessary details. The first
concept, however, was at least as effective as the third one. I expected that
the third concept would be better ergonomically because of the dented back,
but this turned out forced and actually
not too nice to hold onto. The first concept held just as well if not better. Since
it was way simpler and not less effective, I choose that one. With some minor additions made to make it more arche-typical but also less boring, as well
as some color, this is my final design!

18

Evaluation
Now that everything is said and done, had not procrastenated as much during
this project wasnt too much of a disas- the two weeks given for the project, I
ter. Im content with my designs and I would have gotten into a lot less trouble,
am happy that I, compared to the pre- and I would have also gotten a lot more
vious project, have done some effort as feedback through the course of these
to becoming better at taking decisions weeks. Other than that, I would not have
responsably. However, I did have a ma- been so demotivated. Now, every time
jor time allocation issue during this pro- we were getting feedback, and I saw
ject. Because of the perilous family si- everyones amazing work, I was angry
tuation requiring most of my attention at myself for my own designs being so
throughout the two weeks given for this shitty. Now I really stopped caring as
project, I got into some trouble. My clay much about the other peoples work,
concepts are not dry as I made them and I am proud of my own work. Its not
during the christmas holidays. If only I as bad as I thought. I am actually happy.