Let's get to work: Project Development

During todays class, we were assigned to create 5 sketches developing one piece of our work. However, I did not start my initial ideas yet as I was focused on adding a lot of research to inform myself on a topic I barely know. 

Therefore, I decided to use a previous sketch I created based on research and then develop that one. 

The first design was the one I took inspiration from in order to design the rest.

I tried to use different style of lamps in order to see which one suits stone the most. I quickly realised that a table lamp would be more efficient for stone. It tends to be bulky from nature so creating something bigger like a floor or ceiling lamp would take up a lot of space. Therefore, I think it is ideal to make it into a table lamp. 

The second design I looked at was a ceiling lamp. Using stone does not really allow you to be delicate and create detailed objects. I realised that it was not suitable for a ceiling lamp and it would even perhaps be a safety hazard. I do not like the block shape of the design and I do not think that it would look flattering in an environment.

The next design was the standing lamp. The bulky stone bricks contrast with the slick and tiny base of the lamp. Even though I can see potential in this design, I still do not feel like it is suitable using stone. It would be too heavy and unrealistic to design.

The design which is next to the standing lamp is my favourite one. Although it is simple, I really like the way it emits the light. It could be used as a desk lamp if made to a smaller size or perhaps a night lamp. I like the transparent material in the middle and I also like the broken piece at the top. The broken element originated from the first design i made (top left) and I really liked the impact it had on the designs, making them more interesting and unique. Therefore, I decided to add it to the rest of the lamps.

The next lamp was inspired by the 'stacked rocks'. I tried to use blocks of stone, some of which have light inside and some are solid blocks. I think that this is definitely not a visually pleasing design. It is too bulky and a waste of material. I ended up not liking this design at all. I think it is very childish, kind of reminds me of stacked ice cubes. I could never envision this being in a mature adult room.

I have mixed feelings regarding the last design. I do like the lamp base as it is broken and imperfect. However, the lamp being exposed so much can definitely be a safety hazard. It can be too bright to the users eye, perhaps causing headaches. Additionally, the bulb is exposed which can be knocked down accidentally at any point. I do not think that having the light bulb exposed is a good idea as it just makes it more fragile. 

Conclusion:

It is evident that I am not happy with any of the designs created except one. However, this is part of the process. I tried to sketch out ideas that came to mind without researching or thinking too much about it. I am glad that I did not like most of these designs as I am now more aware of what makes stone look nice. 

I am also aware that stone will be used for my desk lamp design in order to try and make it more compact and less bulky as it is already very bulky. I realised that I need to play around with the shape of it and see which one complements it the most. 

I also realised that the imperfections and the cracks make the rock more beautiful and unique as it promotes how imperfections are beautiful.

In the next blog posts, I will start my initial ideas and hopefully form a general idea of how my designs are going to progress.