Second Update!

Okay, I last updated in February so I guess I'm due another one. Let's talk about my self directed project shall we?

The whole idea spawned from my own interest in Pop Art and it's impact on the culture of the 1960s and everything after. Despite how important a movement it was, I couldn't help but feel that it was being communicated in a bit of a gimmicky, kitschy way of late so I basically decided to prove that the values and styles can be applied to modern culture and that it hasn't phased out.

My initial approach throughout semester 1 was looking at particular items that seemed to be cornerstones of modern popular culture and I came to portable audio devices, games consoles and the evolution of the ghetto blaster (or boombox - apparently you aren't allowed to say ghetto blaster anymore...)

After researching into the foundations of what Pop Art is all about I started concentrating on the flaws of modern technology and how they are just as easily recognised as the items themselves.

However, this proved to be much more challenging than I initially expected and eventually came to realise that the electronics I was looking at were too new in society to poke fun at yet, so I changed direction and focused on something a little more substantial than just the objects themselves.

Let's think about today's society for a minute; everything is disposable and as a result, pretty much everything has a cheap nasty version available. Turning this towards product design, the area that stands out most for me is kitchen appliances - most of which can be picked up from supermarkets for around £5.

It's this attitude that I am targetting with my project, taking the most mundane and boring objects with the simplest functions and using the simplicity to make them more beautiful.

Update!

Here's a much needed update, I set this up before Christmas and haven't touched it 'til today so here it is!
Okay, the story so far with my uni projects:
In semester 1 we were given two briefs - the self directed one and the RSA one.

For the RSA I chose the design against bicycle theft brief which challenged me to improve security in some way or another, with regards to public or private security.
After thorough research throughout Aberdeen interviewing shop owners and photographing what the city has to offer in the way of public parking.

My findings led me to redesign the standard D shaped public bicycle stand, not by changing the shape but by chaging the materials and the foundations allowing the shape to flex slightly and the whole structure to move back and forth, dispersing the enegry exerted whilst prying apart locks and chains.

This project was amongst the few chosen to be sent to the RSA for assessment so we just have to wait for further news from Jon.

Help!!

So I'm about to start 4th year and I have no idea what to do for my project. I need help!! I'm currently doing concept art for a friend who's starting his own tabletop board game (due to my contract I can't really say much else but Jon or Geoff can ask me more in person if they're interested). So that's ideal, it's setting me up for what I'd love to do after uni. Thinking about it, I can apply product design to this project as I can think about molding processes and modelling and bear it in mind as I do my concepts. Thats one good thing. But I can't think of any way I can translate my interests into a good project for 4th year.
I'll give it some thought...
Ideas on a postcard to my email! (top of page)