AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

I went to the AAUP book show to get inspiration for an upcoming project. It is a traveling book exhibit of 94 books and jackets recognized for excellence in design and manufacture that were published by American university presses. Viewers of the display are encouraged to pick up and examine the books to better view interior design details. The exhibit was difficult to find. It also was poorly displayed, and didn't help very much in gaining ideas. In my opinion there was too much hype built up for a underwhelming exhibit. 

book cover art design : this design features 5 figures with one highlighted one. i feel that this is a good design for my book because there are 5 designers but i only wrote about one part

cover page design, each icon represent a part of the Eames life. when they come together they form a chronological life story, from birth to death

These are potential ideas for a logo for the publishing company

The Eames

For more than four decades, American designers Charles and Ray Eames shaped nearly every facet of American life. Together, the husband-and-wife team created some of the most iconic furniture of the twentieth century. Although furniture is what they are most known for, they also applied their talents to architecture, photography, interiors, films, and exhibitions. Charles and Ray Eames rejected labels like "architect," "artist," and "designer." They were simply interested in creating beauty, form, and products.

Charles was very interested in exploring new technologies and materials for his designs. In 1940 he began experimenting with molded plywood. He entered and won a furniture contest sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art with a molded plywood chair. A benefit of winning the contest was that several furniture manufactures considered producing the design, however they decided that the technology had proved inadequate. 

            Charles was not deterred by furniture manufactures misgivings. Together Charles and Ray began to design and produce equipment necessary to produce molded plywood in their small apartment in San Francisco. They built a mold press with scrap wood, a bicycle pump, and metal from a scrapyard. Their design would successfully create a molded plywood chair. They received and fulfilled a contract from the U.S. Navy to develop leg splints and aircraft parts. The endorsement of the Navy gave the Eames manufacturing ideas the backing they needed. This technology allowed the Eames to create lightweight, mass-produced, un-upholstered chairs that were fluid in form. It allowed designs to be sculptural and organic, allowing the Eames to create shapes in furniture never manufactured.

            The Eames started their own business, called Studio 901, and began creating domestic furniture. Their plywood chairs were marketed as affordable, multifunctional, and suitable for all modern households. They became so popular that it became a cultural icon. Known as the ECW (Eames Chair Wood) model, this chair is still in production today, and has exerted a profound and lasting impact on twentieth-century furniture design in America.

The Eames expanded their designs to include dining chairs, tables, and storage units. Their experimental approach to materials continued through the subsequent decades with the use of molded fiberglass for a series of inexpensive shell chairs, a collapsible sofa, an upholstered, molded lounge chair, a range of aluminum-framed furniture, and many other innovative designs. The furniture designs of the Eames were quickly adopted for both domestic and commercial use, and many of these extremely popular items are still in production today.

Charles and Ray Eames:

They were the design power couple of the 20th century. Their Eames Lounge chair for Herman Miller is one of the most recognized furniture designs in the world. The Eames pioneered new technology like plywood and fiberglass for household use. This innovations led to the ability to mass manufacture a high quality furniture experience. As Charles so often quoted, "the best, for the most, for the least."

Eames Lounge Chair

For over 35 years, Charles and Ray lived as husband and wife, but also as partners in a design practice.  They never felt limited to furniture design and explored their varied interests; photography, film, painting, sculpture, and theater. They even had a clown act at the circus.

For this process book I tried to improve the cover. I watched more adobe photoshop and illustrator tutorials and started to experiment with masking and layering techniques. For this cover I tried to connect it to the design of my vessel as well as how it was made.

Object

When starting this project I had difficulty choosing an object of significance to me. I brainstormed 5 objects and proceeded to narrow it down to one. I chose pencils as the object because they are of importance to me when designing or creating something. Recently they have become greater importance with studying Industrial Design and needing to draw on a regular basis. I received input that pencils in general were too broad of an object choice and that I should look for something more meaningful and specific. I finally choose a set of four drafting pencils that had belonged to my father before giving them to me. They are Alvin Draft/matic drafting pencils in assorted lead diameters. I have always loved used these pencils but was afraid to carry them around for fear of losing or damaging them. Thus creating a vessel to display, preserve, and protect this important object.

Pictured below are the four pencils. They have clean continues lines, metal parts, and a colored stem that denotes the lead size.  

Summary and Reflection

This project challenged me to use a bandsaw in a variety of new ways. It difficult to make straight long cuts and dado cuts. The nature of the bandsaw leads to the blade drifting from side to side when making a cut. I learned how to reduce drifting by adjusting the blade tension from Richard in the Architecture shop. Sanding these long straight facets was also difficult because it can only increase the dips and waves of the cut. If I were to do the project again I would consider a design with more organic curves and less straight lines. This would allow for drifting in bandsaw cuts, less precise measurements, and easier concealment with sanding. However I was very pleased with the geometric nature of my vessel. I thought that it represented the object well.

I started the project with a very different direction with a hexagonal pencil cup design. I was resistant to considering other designs and input during critiques.  I eventually took the input of my peers and professors and sought to redesign a new vessel to a specific set of objects. The final vessel turned out well and I am very glad that I made the change. In a way that I learned how to let go of a design that emotionally attached to in order to create something better. The end result is much better.

The vessel has great deal of precision in its craftsmanship and design. It has strength in how well the lid hinges and how smooth the action is. The lid also sits at an exact 90 degree angle which compliments the strong vertical edges.  The angled exterior holes are a very unique aspect of the vessel. They provide a beautiful pattern as well a functional mount that is wonderful for use.

The weight and color of the wood also lent itself to the design. Despite lacking a great deal of width, the vessel remains stable do to its weight. I carefully choose highly steepled pieces of walnut with end grain that I could line up. This gives the final block an appearance closer to a solid block at a glance. The magnets used to secure the lid were also carefully placed and calculated. They have enough strength to keep the lid exceedingly secure, while not too much that two hands would be required to open. The magnets were calculated based on the weight of the base.

Weaknesses with the design exist with the pencil holes. The four exterior holes do not line up with the interior holes. The interior holes had to be more compact to fit within the dado lid. The exterior holes looked odd when compressed to line up. I choose to thus offset them. If I were to do the project again would not dado the lid but instead drill holes into lid. This would allow for both the exterior and interior holes to line up and be evenly spaced.

I am very pleased with the vessel. It has strong design to last the years and has been nicely finished. The vessel will hold a treasured possession over the years and will likely become a treasure itself. I can see having this a desk piece throughout my career; reminding of where I have been and where I am going.

Construction Process

1.       Forming the block

Selected, cut, and glued wood

Used Reclaimed Native Dark Walnut

 Covered working surface with paper

 Glued 3 lengths together, spread even layer of wood glue

Clamped with Rockler wood clamps every 4 inches

 Squared off with clamp

Let dry 1 hour

Removed clamps

Recut edges to be square

2.       Cut the box

Marked wood block with pencil to indicate cut lines

Took block to bandsaw

Cut overall box shape/sides

Cut the lid from the base (1/2” blade)

Made dado cut with bandsaw into lid

Cut beveled compound angles around the lid

3.       Glued cut sides back on

Took the removed material, cut 1” long segment

Glued segment to one end of the lid to cap the end

Glued a second segment to the base to form male hinge side

4.       Drilled

Mounted base in a machining vise

Placed vise onto drill press

Drilled counter sink and counter bored holes (4.5” depth)

Used 1/8”, 1/4”, and 1/2” drill bits

Forstner drill bits were used to avoid chip out

Drilled hinge hole (1/4”) and magnet holes

Switched base for lid

Drilled hole (15/64”) for dowel hinge

                                Used Kreg pocket hole jig plan to create angle exterior holes in base

5.       Mounting

Lined up dowel hole on base and lid

Clamped in place

Spread glue in lid holes

Peened dowel rod in place

Let dry for 1 hour and then removed clamp

6. Sand and smooth

Used electric orbital sander for 60 – 100 grit

Hand sanded with 150, 180, 220, and 300 grit.

Buffed with Emery cloth

        7. Finishing

Oiled with Danish oil

Applied Wipe-on Poly/Miniwax

Used in a well-ventilated paintbooth

Buffed after each coat, applied 3 coats

Concept Statement

A walnut vessel to display, preserve, and protect a set of four drafting pencils that belonged to my father. The dark walnut wood is reclaimed from where I grew up and connects the vessel to my past in a similar way to the object. A series of four holes hold the pencils internally and can be accessed by a hinged and magnetically clasped lid. When in use, the pencils can be set into a second set of holes angled into the side of the vessel. Each of the corner edges is rounded to a different radius to reflect the different diameters of each pencil. Long vertical and horizontal lines, as well as highly steepled grain, are used on the overall form to represent the art of drafting. The magnets and dowel are the same size as the shaft of the pencils. The faceted top represents the multifaceted purpose of the vessel; to display, to protect, and to preserve.

Reading Summary:

The Nature and Design of Aesthetics - David Pye

Pye proposed that largest factors of a product or design is the economy and access. He also points out that design is limited by economy not technique. Technique far outstrips affordability. We are limited by the dynamics of the material. I think that a point he does not mention is how economy is associated with technique and how developments in technology often changes the dynamics of a material. The economy has always been a major influence on the designs that people make.  Often when speaking about products, the term “better” refers to what is “cheaper.”

Pye also makes a variety of distinctions between materials and how we view them. He separates our concept of materials into two camps, the concept of material and an actual piece of a material. Materials can be in a variety of states, forms and shapes. With Heat the very formation of the electron bonds within a material can be changed. There are thus an indistinguishable amount of ways that a “material” could be divided. Materials have varying characteristics like the hardness, size, shape, and malleability. When materials are used in man made products, we are altering their natural form and characteristics. As we invent new ways to alter a material we create a large amount of subgroups within the realm of the material.  In terms of with materials, all design is a tradeoff and to that extent a failure. Where that failure is allowed to enter in is an arbitrary result of the process of designing. He points out that much of design proceeds under the assumption that tools can bring us happiness but in his opinion tools can only avoid unhappiness. 

Inspiration

When starting to consider the form of my vessel, I sought inspiration from the way the way my family has chosen to display, preserve, and protect objects that were important to them. I talked to both immediate and distant family to see the vessels that held their beloved items and held them as they were passed down from member to member. Many were made out of wood and were shaped to the geometry of the object. My favorite items were aesthetical beautiful but remained a functional addition to the object.

The piece that inspired me the most was a box that opened to form a writing desk and held letters. This box had angled holes for a pen or quill to sit in.

What is a Vessel?

The Vessel Project was to design and build a vessel that holds something of special meaning. The object was to be small and have a connection, memory, or symbolism that is personally important.

                                   

After choosing the object, a wooden vessel was to be constructed to hold it.  The vessel was to be cut from a block of wood with only a bandsaw. The block was formed by plying (gluing) together thin sections of wood. Negative space, lids, side walls, and other parts of the vessel were to be subtractively formed from the block. The depth of the container was to be determined by how many wood sections the design required to be glued together and the overall size of the object.

                                     

Vessel Definition

The vessel to hold the object could take on a variety of forms. The following definitions were used for the project to describe these forms.

                                   

Vessel:  a hollow or concave utensil for holding something

  

Box:  a rectilinear form

  

Bowl:  a curvilinear form

  

Container: a holder of something

  

 Thing(s): an entity, idea, or quality perceived, known, or thought to have its own existence.  The real or concrete substance of an entity existing in space and time, an inanimate object.

Vessel Project!
I was assigned to design and build a vessel that holds something of special meaning to me.  I needed to choose a small object that has a connection, memory, or symbolism that is important. I chose a set of drafting pencils. 

When starting this project I had difficulty choosing an object of significance to me. I brainstormed 5 objects and proceeded to narrow it down to one. I chose pencils as the object because they are of importance to me when designing or creating something. Recently they have become greater importance with studying Industrial Design and needing to draw on a regular basis. I received input that pencils in general were too broad of an object choice and that I should look for something more meaningful and specific. I finally choose a set of four drafting pencils that had belonged to my father before giving them to me. They are Alvin Draft/matic drafting pencils in assorted lead diameters. I have always loved used these pencils but was afraid to carry them around for fear of losing or damaging them. Thus creating a vessel to display, preserve, and protect this important object.

Pictured below are the four pencils. They have clean continues lines, metal parts, and a colored stem that denotes the lead size.  

Resources

For this project I used the KU’s Library of Art and Architecture to research the design of vessels. I found great books there on woodworking and how to make the project technically proficient. There were also books on bandsaw boxes, fine woodworking, and blueprint design. The book that I found the most interesting was called 500 Wood Boxes: The Fine Art of Containment & Concealment. This book, as easily inferred from title, documents 500 wood boxes of great quality and form. The boxes range from traditional to wildly contemporary. The wonderfully wide variety of styles includes traditional jewelry and keepsake, turned, and tool boxes; miniature treasure chests; and sculptural work. Each work in the book was chosen by renowned boxmaker Tony Lydgate. Many of the boxes also come with detailed images that reveal important construction techniques. This book also led me to further works of Tony Lydgate.