Project Documentation by crudari

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP Project documentation

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NORMAL - Kat Holmes, Mismatch

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP A cooperation with workshops and services for people with disabilities in Vinschgau SS 2022 Prof. Klaus Hackl Prof. Riccardo Berrone Prof. Giacomo Festi Project by Carlotta Rudari

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

ABSTRACT

“There is no such thing as normal” I read this sentence and immediately thought “well, that’s a given!”, it’s a sentence that we’ve all heard before, and in the end, we all agree. Instead, maybe no one has ever really understood it; maybe we don’t take a minute to understand the real meaning or maybe we don’t really know where and how to apply it. I decide to read on to analyze this chapter of Kat Holmes’ book ‘Mismatch, how inclusion shapes design”. To understand the meaning of that phrase, one must start from the beginning, with the concept of ‘normal’ and how it has evolved in our society. The Belgian astronomer and statesman Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet (Ghent, 22 February 1796 Brussels, 17 February 1874) conceived of the ‘average social man’. Quetelet thought, therefore, that he could apply statistics to the human species, considering the individual human as random, to derive general results valid for the entire species; he theorized the ideal perfect man as one who reflects average characteristics. The individual was thus assessed according to the degree of error in relation to perfection. The power of this thought influenced not only society but

also design, the point of interest of which is an average group of people, to cover as many people as possible. What if the perfect average man is just a myth? If I analyze the people around me, I find different elements in each other; I can also find common elements in some people, but I will never be able to match two individuals with the same characteristics. By visiting Prad and Latsch’s workshops, I was able to learn many things, especially by applying them to the sphere of design. The focus was not so much on how not capable a person was but on how capable they were, their skills were the focus of the workshops and they also became the focus of our project. The moment you focus on abilities, disabilities fade away or become irrelevant. In conclusion, the key to the inclusive design is empathy, imagining how others would relate to the object, and how they would feel about using it. In other cultures, the concept of empathy takes on a very precise meaning. In Mandarin for example it means to reason with heart and total situation, I think it should be like that everywhere.

-Carlotta Rudari

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

CONTENT

PAGE 5 PAGE 8-27

PAGE 28-55

PAGE 56-65 6

PAGE 66

abstract design sprint 1 -EXCURSION -DESIGN PROCESS -MATERIAL -FINAL PROTOTYPE

design sprint sprint 2 -EXCURSION -DESIGN PROCESS -MATERIAL -FINAL PROTOTYPE

additional project bibliography

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

DESIGN

The first part of our semester project was focused on the idea of simple and daily products, first by doing research or reading and then also thanks to the excursion. After researching a lot into different categories of products of everyday use, we started to develop some ideas. It was important to understand how to create a project suitable for our client, so thinking about the steps of the production and what was the innovative concept behind it

SPRINT 1

RESEARCH/CONCEPT

- Theory of Supernormal The book Super Normal: Sensations of the Ordinary by Jasper Morrison was the key concept of our first product the focus is on simple and long-lasting objects -Craftsmanship/tradition Since the workshop is in a valley where tradition is very important, I wanted to focus on the wickerwork technique -Integration/rehabilitation Another concept is understanding their abilities and helping them to feel more integrated 9

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

EXCURSION

Our project started with a trip to two places in Venosta Valley, in South Tyrol. The aim of this trip was first to be in contact with our clients and discover who they are and what they can do and also to get inspiration for our projects. The first one we visited was the Latsch workshop, a sociopsychiatric work rehabilitation facility, it offers them work and also stability, they get to know their capabilities and also boundaries, feeling more integrated. Latsch has different facilities: a garden, wood workshop, and kitchen.

WERKSTATT FÜR MENSCHEN MIT BEHINDERUNG UND ARBEITSREHABILITATION LATSCH

The workshop for people with disabilities in Prad, instead, is a daycare facility, where the clients are thought to be independent and learn to work or do social activities. The workshops to train skills and creativity are a lot and various: ceramics, knitting, wicker weaving, wood, and music. This trip was very inspiring and emotional, it was helpful to understand what to design for them but also that there is no such thing as normality, we are all unique. 11

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

TYPOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Having decided on the topic of interest for my project, I started to do detailed research about what already exists and typological analysis of the different types of wood log holders. Through a plastic reading about the objects, I divided the object into different shapes, different materials, and different locations. For example soft- rigid, plastic-wicker, for outsideinside, etc.

FOCUS

What I found interesting and innovative is trying to combine different types of bags/baskets to create the ideal object. In this case, I wanted something similar to a net bag, which is flexible but cannot carry heavy stuff, and a plastic basket, which instead is very rigid but resistant to storage. So, in the end, Werk has a similar mechanism to the net bags and the rigidity of the plastic basket.

REFLECTION

After doing a lot of research I had clearer ideas about different types of wood log holders in the market and their characteristics. That was important for my starting point since I wanted to create something innovative. So finally, I came up with some ideas for my project and where to start.

plastic basket

net bag

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

DESIGN

PROCESS 14

Carrying wood is an action that requires an effort, is not always willing to do, since the wood log holders are bulky and occupy both hands, making it difficult to move. The characteristics sought are comfort and lightness.

FIRST CONCEPT

What I want to achieve with my project was to create a wood log holder that facilitates the transport of the wood and that could carry also different types of wood logs. After asking some people about their approach to the wood log holder, I understood what is needed to improve the already existing ones.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FIRST IDEAS/SKETCHES My first idea was to create a closing basket, more similar to a bag so that you could open and close it easily. The problem was linked to the material: rattan. It’s not that flexible and couldn’t hold that much weight of the wood logs.

So, I decided to change completely and design something more suited for the material and innovative in terms of function. This new idea has a matter of fact two open sides, to be filled with wood logs of different lengths. Another interesting point is the two handles that make it easy to be grasped and make it folds around the wood logs when picked up.

MODEL

The model scale 1:1 in cardboard was really helpful in understanding if the shapes worked and how it was in real scale. This kind of shape was proportional to a human body and also comfortable to carry. I also tried to fill it with real wood logs and as a result, the open sides worked, the long wood logs were stable coming little outside on the sides.

storage capacity

average weight wood logs: 350 kG/m3 for one log: 0,0023 m3 weight of one log: 800 g for 10 logs: 8 Kg

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

project realization

shape development •

SHAPE

I started by doing a sharper shape with straight lines, but then to have the folding mechanism around the wood logs it was better to have a curved shape, getting smaller on the top •

HANDLE

For the handles, I first thought about wooden handles, outside of the shapes. However, I realized that by doing an “inner handle”, the object is more coherent and elegant.

wooden base

The wooden base was added after visiting the workshop in Prad for a review. The people with disabilities in the workshop are used to starting to wicker from a wooden base, so it is easier for them.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

MATERIAL material used by the workshop in Prad

C.I.M. Import Export di Giunco, Rattan midollino ed affini

Midollo Piatto mm.10.00, Midollo Tondo Extra SM mm.2.50, Midollo Tondo Extra SM mm.5.00, Midollo Spianato mm.5.00/6.00.

TRADITION/CRAFTMANSHIP

The craft of wickerwork is very ancient, it is the oldest making furniture method known. It was first documented in ancient Egypt by using pliable plant material. The word wicker is believed to be of Scandinavian origin: vika, which means to bend in Swedish, and vikker meaning willow. Natural wicker is well known for its strength and durability, as well as the high level of beauty and comfort that an expert craftsperson can create.

MATERIAL

Wicker is traditionally made of material of plant origin, such as willow, rattan, reed, and bamboo, but synthetic fibers are now also used. Rattan is a very good material, mainly because it is lightweight, durable, and, to a certain extent, flexible and suitable for outdoor use.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

350.00

200.00

460.00

150.00

200.00

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS SCALE: 1:10 UNITS: mm

70.00

120.00

10.00

350.00

200.00

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FUMAGALLI VIMINI For the creation of the final product, I relied on Fumagalli Vimini, a company in the province of Como that boasts a long handicraft experience that has been handed down for 4 generations in the processing of wicker, rush, rattan, wicker, strictly handmade. It produces outdoor and indoor work, including baskets, cradles, and straw work/repairs. Thanks to a visit to the company, I was able to understand on a professional level how this type of material is processed.

FINAL PROTOTYPE 24

1. the suitable material is chosen according to the project (e.g. midollino, rattan, rush) 2. the material has to be wet to make it flexible and workable 3. weaving on a support or frame 4. finish by allowing it to dry and strengthen

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

WERK

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

DESIGN 28

For the second part of the semester, we had to create another project starting from the source material. The idea was to get inspired by a detail or a function of an object and translate it into our object. For doing that we did an excursion in Innsbruck/Dietenheim. It was really interesting to see how I changed the way of looking at the object, in a more detailed and imaginative way

CONCEPT

-Source material 2014 by Jasper with Jonathan Olivares and Marco Velardi presents objects and keepsakes that have had a pivotal effect on the work of the designers/artists. This book was very important for us since we also found our source material. -innovation in the design process After we analyzed our starting object then we researched to create something innovative and new.

SPRINT 2 29

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

EXCURSION 30

ADAMBRÄU

The building was originally a brewery, built in 1927 by the Tyrolean architect Lois Welzenbacher (1889-1955), and is considered one of the most significant industrial buildings of early modernism and one of the few preserved structures of the important architect. Today it contains spaces for Aut.architektur und tirol, which makes the building an architectural center of great professional and public appeal in the city center. It hosts exhibitions, conferences, debates, and guided tours. The aut aims to create a meeting and contact point for the architectural scene in the Tyrol. The other part of the building is dedicated to the Archive, which contains the works of more than 71 architects and engineers from South Tyrol and the Tyrol.

VOLKSKUNSTMUSEUM INNSBRUCK Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum is a museum dedicated to Tyrolean cultural and historical heritage. It houses a large collection of handicrafts from the European region of Tyrol-South Tyrol, which have been collected since 1888 and have been open to the public since 1929. The collection lies at the intersection of art, everyday culture, handicrafts, and mass production. Thanks to the collection of these objects, importance is attached not only to history and tradition but also to handicrafts and everyday life.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

SOURCE MATERIAL

I photographed this object immediately in the museum of Innsbruck. I came up with a lot of ideas because it is a very harmonious object, with a handle in the middle that is the main feature of the object.

FOCUS

Having decided on my starting point, I focused on some details and characteristics that I wanted for my object. For me, it was interesting the handle which was also a divider. Normally the handles are at the sides, but like that it gives balance to the object. Then I also took into consideration the fact that the object was symmetrical and done with wood strips. So, I decided to transpose it to my object, too.

REFLECTION

After researching similar objects, I had clearer ideas and I started to imagine a fruit bowl with the same characteristics. The object reminded me of a fruit basket used by farmers, however, I wanted to create a more elegant version to be placed at home, on the table, or in the kitchen for fruit storage.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FIRST CONCEPT

What I wanted for my fruit bowl was to be elegant, proportional, and functional. So, the handle was very important to carry the object around and to divide some types of fruits that shouldn’t be stored together. Then I kept the idea of wood strips, that composed the shape.

Good design is as little design as possible. Less but better. A return to purity, a return to simplicity - Dieter Rams

DESIGN

PROCESS 35

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FIRST IDEAS/SKETCHES

These sketches are a consequence of the research about different types of handles, base shapes, and wood joining techniques. I started with round shapes, but I also research more complex ones, especially for the decision of the handle. 36

MODEL 1

The first model was very rounded, this gives a slightly swinging movement to the object. The wooden strips were without any joining system, just the handle was inserted into the side parts. The handle was very high, a very visible detail and the space for the hand was oval. 37

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

MODEL 2

The second model was completely different, we can see a height difference and also in shape. Here we have more sharp shapes, giving the idea of stability. The handle is lower, still visible, but not rounded. The handle’s space follows the shape of the handle and also of the sides. The wooden strips are inserted into the wood with an easy joining technique.

MODEL 3

I did a lot of tries to see how big my project should be. Since the model before was a bit small, I changed it. However, the object now is too big and maybe the handle is too visible. After doing some revision I understood that less is more. So, a proportional but simple and organic object would be a better solution, rather than a bigger and not homogeneous one.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

MODEL 4

Thanks to the 1:1 models with cardboard, I define the concept that I wanted my object to have. First, proportion. I tried to find a way to have the same thickness of the wood and to use the same wooden strips also for the handle. Second, simplicity and functionality are given by the fact that the divider is also a handle but in an indirect way.

MODEL 5

In the end, my model was almost done, continuing to find the perfect match in proportion between the strips and the space between them. The handle was completely done using the same wooden strips of the base and everything was thought to be joint by two dowels per each side of each strip. This technique is the same for the handle.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

project realization

shape development

The main concept of the shape is proportionality, using one module and repeating the same shape everywhere. This gives harmony and organicity to the product

details

The divider is a crucial element of the project, indirectly it is also a handle. It is created by using the same wooden strips of different lengths.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

MATERIAL FRUIT WOOD

I wanted my project to be as organic as possible. So, since it is done for containing and dividing different types of wood, I thought that fruit wood would be suited for this project. Fruit wood is the wood of any fruit tree, particularly hardwood from species such as pear and cherry, that is valued for furniture, woodcuts, and other applications.

PEAR WOOD

I choose for my final prototype pear wood. The pear tree is a rather common tree that is mostly found in middle and eastern Europe. You will mostly find pear tree wood ranging from the pinkish or light red in the heartwood to the paler colors of the sapwood. The texture of the pear wood is quite fine, making it suitable for many different uses. The grains are normally straight which provides an advantage when creating furniture or other objects where straight lines are important. Pear wood is considered quite easy to work with and it has a flexible nature.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS SCALE: 1:5 UNITS: mm

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FINAL PROTOTYPE 48

STEPS

The final prototype is done with pear wood. The steps of production weren’t that complex. - First, we need to cut long strips with the same width and thickness. -Then I did a small sign where I wanted to do the holes for the dowels. The holes should be very symmetrical on the two opposite sides. - After doing all the holes, I need to cut the dowels (6 mm thick) and glue them with the wooden pieces. - I let it dry for some time and then after smoothing everything, I chose beeswax as a coating.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FRUITY

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

VETRORICERCA

Some people of the project had the amazing opportunity to do an additional workshop at Vetroricerca. Vetroricerca is a glass processing workshop. It was founded in Bolzano in 1996 on the initiative of Alessandro Cuccato and a group of young craftsmen, united by a deep love for this material. The workshop included a theory part on the history of glass, the various types of glass, and how it is still working in the world today. In addition to the theory, we had the opportunity to try it out in practice. As a project, I wanted to recreate a fruit bowl, reconnecting with the DMH project. It was my first time working with glass and it was very interesting to discover this material and how I could experiment with it.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

For my project, I used a sheet of black opaque Murano glass. The various steps of my project were: - Cut the sheet into the shape - Bake it for the first firing, with the oleander leaf underneath to recreate the texture of the leaves on the glass - Once the first firing is finished, the Sheet is sandblasted (leaf burnt) - Finally return it to the kiln for final firing with a plaster mold underneath to give the concave shape

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

ADDITIONAL

PROJECT 57

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

FIRST IDEAS/SKETCHES research

My idea was to create a project using the tiles the workshop in Prad already has. I imagined the tiles as a coaster and how to sell them together, so I started to research and do the first sketches and models.

MODEL

This is a model 1:1 in plywood. It was useful to understand if the shape worked. The opening side is very functional: you can take the six coasters without any problems. This kind of shape doesn’t allow the square coasters to slide

outside. The joining technique that I used is very simple and common, but the workshop Prad is free to decide that shape depending on their possibilities. The same goes for the type of wood. The project is indeed meant just as a proposal.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

PAINTING WORKSHOP IN PRAD The project is created for the painting workshop in Prad, especially for giving a function to the already existing ceramic tiles that they paint. The main feature is that each person in the workshop can express themselves through their different painting styles, like an explosion of colors. For me, it was important to highlight the individuality of every collection that can be created. For this project, the painter is Monika Frank, whose style is very abstract and characterized by continuous shape and pattern.

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS SCALE: 1:5 UNITS: mm

60.00

52.00

119.00

112.00

102.00

7.00

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

MATERIAL

• For the painted coaster the material is ceramic, the workshop Prad bought them already and they paint on it • After the painting process, a color fixing spray is applied on the top to keep the painting fixed • Underneath the coasters, there is a cork sheet for giving the stability • The coaster holder instead is done in wood, in this case, larch, and afterward oiled

OUTCOME

In the end, Explosion is a very simple project, a collection of six coasters in a wooden holder. The interesting part is the collection that can be created thanks to the different styles of the painters of the workshop in Prad.

PACKAGING

The packaging is a very important detail, it is, as a matter of fact, the explanation of the project, giving credit to the authors. On the top, there is the name and something about the people of the painting workshop. For not throwing the label away once the object is bought, the material is adhesive, so you can stick it wherever you want (ex. on the bottom part) to not lose the information about the workshop and painter.

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

EXPLOSION

DESIGN MEETS HANDICAP

BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

p.4 Photo By Laurenz Werb Photos by Carlotta Rudari Mismatch: How inclusion shapes design Kat Holmes , 2018 Supernormal, Jasper Morrison, 2008 Source Material, Jasper Morrison, Jonathan Olivares, Marco Velardi, 2015 https://www.livesimplybyannie.com/category/interiors/ simply-interiors/ https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicker http://www.fumagallivimini.it/ https://www.uibk.ac.at/archiv-baukunstgeschichte/dasadambraeu/index.html.de https://www.tiroler-landesmuseen.at/haeuser/tirolervolkskunstmuseum/ https://www.vetroricerca.it/it/ https://woodthrive.com/pear-tree-wood/ https://www.bzgvin.it/de/Sozialdienste/Menschen_ mit_Behinderung/Werkstatt_fuer_Menschen_mit_ Behinderung_Prad_am_Stj_

FRUITY

WERK

EXPLOSION

Free University of Bolzano Faculty of Design and Art SS 2022 Project documentation of Carlotta Rudari Prof. Klaus Hackl Prof. Riccardo Berrone Prof. Giacomo Festi