What are future topics for design, designers and consequently design education?
In 1990 The United Nations have set a set of millenium goals for 2015. Some of them were achieved and a number of issues has to be addressed with even more force to prepare our society for a better future with a stronger social and sustainable climate. Among them the big five: energy, food, water, waste and well-being.

When it comes down to designing the future systems to live in and the products to live with, the word sustainable pops up frequently. But it also seems to be one of the most abused words that serves as ‘greenwasher’ once products consist of recycled, green or biological material. There is much more to sustainability and there are many questions to ask: What is the global or local impact and carbon footprint of objects that we produce? Do we need more stuff? Should our economy change? What can new technology do for a sustainable future? Can we design sustainable at all? Sustainability has many faces and for designers it is sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees and to know what makes sense and not.

This Summer Semester the Power House Project will end during the ‘Rundgang’ with a symposium on the sense and nonsense of sustainability. International experts and designers are invited. Some UdK students and graduates will present their projects as short intermezzos.

Location: designtransfer, Einsteinufer 43 Berlin
Date: 22 July 15:00 – 18:00 hours

Guests:

speakers:
Tejo Remy (designer)
Tjeerd Veenhoven (designer, material developer)
Melissa Ciardullo (circular design leader at IKEA)
Ed van Hinte (design critic)
moderator: 
Lucas Verweij

three minute intermezzo’s a.o:
Louis Bindernagel – Power House Student
Takuya Koyama / Kohei Kimura / Mizuki Tanaka – MA Students UdK Media 2018
Bastian Thürich – Power House Student
Sophie Stanitzek – Power House Student
Philipp Hainke– BA graduate UdK Product Design 2018
Rasa Weber & Luisa Rubisch – MA graduates UdK Product Design 2017

more info below…

designers (makers & shakers)

THeorists (facts & figures)

moderator:

19 juni, 2018
Room 202, 19.00

Philipp Weber graduated B.A. in 2012 from Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands and M.A. 2016 from UdK Berlin.
In his work he seeks to rethink human qualities within production processes. He cherishes original production processes and material knowledge that might get lost. Looking at hidden values and potential he tries to give new and relevant meaning to that. Philipp works with glass and old materials that he tries to give new life to.

In spring Phillip presented his work in the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin and he was awarded the German Design Preis 2018 für upcoming talent.
During the Summer Semester of 2018 the students at Design & Social Context from 4th Semester and up work on several projects for which Philipp’s work can inspire.

www. philippweber.org

5 April 2018
Raum 202

The Product Design department of ArtEZ – Arnhem was in Berlin on a study trip and visited us in our Project Rooms.
A number of short presentations by teaching staff and students from both sides gave insights in the differences and overlaps between the two Universities and openings for future explorations.
Conversations kept going afterwards with some informal drinks and pizza’s.

ArtEZ Product Design Arnhem

6 April 2018
Raum 203

In april 2018 UdK Produkt Design planned to present at SaloneSatellite in Milan during the annual Salone del Mobile.

Gunda Siebke is head editor of Design at Schöner Wohnen Magazine. Apart from writing about design she studied design in the past which gives her a unique blend in her profession. To prepare the exhibiting students and graduates for their presentation in Milan Gunda Siebke came for a day to Berlinand gave a workshop on design and communication.

Issues that were dealt with:
• how do you present yourself?
• how do you present your product?
• how do you communicate about your presentation?
• how to deal with the press?
• how do you get in touch with the visitors?
• how do you contact people that you like to come?
• how do you stay in touch?

Workshop impressions:

Almightyhanger

I have collaborated with Torsten Conradi, a spring craftsman at Jurgen Perleberg in Berlin and designed an almighty clip hanger. It can be clipped on to 3-5cm thickness horizontal surface allowing to hang anything under 10kg.
It could also be hooked to a pole when hanged the other way round. With its variety of usage, it can be used in workspaces at offices and schools as well as kitchens.

Ayuri Tsunoda, 5.sem WS 2017/18 (exchange)

process:

EFA: Eine Für ALle

A clamp with an amazing talent.
In the plate thicknesses of 1 – 20mm she keeps free standing in the room, e.g. Formflies for space division, cork composite as a Moodbord, slates for quick sketches or kappa for presentation, just to name a few.
Every project is different. Everyone decides for themselves.

Bastian Thürich, 5.sem WS 2017/18

process:

Tableau

In our studio there is a corner with a sink. On its left is a small shelf. On its right another one, a meter away a third one. Somewhere in between, the refrigerator, all of this in different proportions, materials and shapes.
In an attempt to organise the situation Tableau is a display element, proudly leaning against the wall, exposing the contents of these shelves in an orderly way. It is an easy to build element, allowing extension and modularity due to the multiplication of one shape lamella and an click mechanism which makes tools, screws, nails or glue unnessesary.
Plates, glasses, cuttlery and cups are being stuck into cut outs of the lamellas building a composition of geometric shapes on a slanted canvas.

Sarah Sekles, 5.sem WS 2017/18

process & details:

Cordular

Cordular is a modular seat of which the arms – when needed – turn in and out.
If you have more modules this conceptsent can be placed in rows, when the arms are ‘in’ and becomes like a sofa. The idea is that with many modules different sitting scenarios can be made.
With the arms being able to turn 360º, the seat also becomes comfortable for two persons.

Nadia Sarges Rezaei,  5.sem WS 2017/18

Para Leiser

Para Leiser is a room divider made from the acoustic absorbing fibre composite Lanisor. By tuning the relation of density and thickness it is possible to absorb a certain sound frequency. The used material matches the frequency range of human voice. With regard to production reasons and esthetic demands, form and static strength are realized without any additional materials. Although the room divider has a overhanging structure it is possible to fold it for place-saving storage.

Due to its lightness and flexible structure, various applications are possible at home or at the office. In contrast to its sound absorbing properties Para Leiser is not a 100% sight protection. By means of the connecting loops of textile strap additional elements can be easily attached and removed.

Peter Paulhart, 5.sem WS 2017/18 (exchange)

process:

Adalbert

A stool for our workspaces. Easy to pick up and stackable. For a quick change of space, meetings, discussions, presentations and lectures.
The legs are turned and the woodchips that come off are casted into the sittingsurfaces. Both mould as well as legs are made and finished by the woodturner.
The casting mould can be used for small series and needs to be made only once.

Ayosha Kortlang, 5.sem WS 2017/18

process:

COffeetime

In this project I collaborated with Manufactory Berlin, this is a smallscale porcelain workshop that creates porcelain for artist and designers. It is also a space where people follow formbuilding and slipcasting workshops. Uta Koloczek founded the workshop in 2010 in Berlin-Wedding. In my project I wanted to use the knowledge that Uta has about formbuilding and showing the traces of handmade porcelain.

The idea of a coffeepot+filter  was created by realizing that the broken coffeepot in Room 202 was still being used.  When you want to have a break or you are tired and you need more energy, the answer is : coffee.  And those situation are often occuring in our classroom.

With the porcelain production processes in mind I started to sketch and built models.  Slipcasting gave me the possibility to create a double walled piece.  Porcelain gives normally a lot of heat off. What means that it is hard to hold a porcelain cup without a  handle. The empty space between the two walls does not only isolate but also protects you from the heat.

Laureanne Kootstra, 7.sem WS 2017/18

process:

Tancarville

Tancarville is a shelf made out of metal wires. By making it parallel some spaces between wires are created. These distances allow us to move a module that comes up on the shelf. Then each person that uses the shelf can organise his things as he wants to depending on how many blue modules he has. It also creates a landscape on your desk and can divide the office or the room thanks to the shelf’s length.

Jodie Bécard, 5.sem WS 2017/18 (exchange)

process:

Wrap ’n Go

“Wrap ‘n Go” is a mobile storage element that students can use to move to other Project-rooms each semester.
It stores your worktools but at the same time it works as a roomdevider that defines your personal space.
Wrap ’n go looks ate the needs of the ‚modern nomads‘: people that are aways mobile and often change their  whereabouts and workspace.

Jihye Kim, 7.sem WS 2017/18

TILT

TILT is a stool that enables you to sit in good posture. It uses the principle of the classic milkstool which forces you to balance on one chairleg. This results in constant minimal movement that is strenghening your back muscles without being exhausting. Instead it is fun and absorbs the bodies normal urge to move itself. Towards the classic thinlegged milkstool TILT has a special expanded leg that prevents the stool from falling over.

The stool is planned to be produced in a local workshop for disabled people. This means that the structure of it is pretty simple. Additionally all parts can be cut with the help of templates which help the peoble to work independently and also provokes that in serial production all the stools are the same.
To enable a production in open source I created a guide which explains how the build the templates and afterwards the stool.

Agnes Kelm, 5.sem WS 2017/18

process:

SUpine, for Power naps

burnout, lack of sleep and stress are one of the most devastating results of our perfomance – oriented working society…

We wanted to create an object that clearly communicates to take a regenerative nap at work! Supine is a mobile and flexible daybed for office spaces. It exists as an flat and an angled version. the objects gives the opportunity to recline, relaxe the muscels and take a power nap during long office days.
Supine can be easily set up and moved to different places in the office surrounding, while in its standing position it saves space. it is convenient, ruggedly constructed and easy to clean. the frame is made out of powdercoated steel, the wheels are made out of an mineral-plastic mix and the reclining surface is made out of mdf, coated with a thin evazote mat.

Fabian Haarbeck / SH, 7 / 5.sem WS 2017/18

Film credits: Sound – Claro Intelecto / Peace of Mind, Set Design – Antonia Herting, DOP – Julius Krappe

supine flat version – 1200mm x 700mm x 360mm
supine angled version – 1100mm x 700mm x 340mm

process:

Maggie, stacking bench

Maggie is a stackable bench to sit on in a cosy way with two persons. Her focus lies on a sustainable plug in system without Andy nails, dowels, screws or glue.
Maggie is flexible in storage and transport. By simply setting up or by stacking new place is fixed easily.

Lisa Böhm, 3.sem WS 2017/18

The idea to design a bench raised from that we have a lot of group meetings and discussions and we also hear many presentations and lectures. I found it interesting to design a practical and flexible seat option for these situations.
For me, benches symbolize the coming together of a community. That’s why I chose to make a bench.

For me also the construction was Important, it consists of a six-component plug-in system. The connection doesn’t rely on nails, screws, dowels and glue.
Inspirations wear traditional plug and play furniture. I want to make these plugins doable in a CNC- maschiene.
That’s why Maggie is quick and easy to integrate into a room in case of use. After using Maggie you can create space again, by simply stacking or easily disassembling her.

process:

Planted Space

A study from Harvard University in 2011 show that women that surround themselves with plants have an improved mental health and live longer. Plants in spaces also enhances creativity and concenration, which would improve the atmospehre of our workspace.
Therefore, I created room dividers that merge with plants. These enable changeable spaces within the room, a chance to come together by caretaking of plants and enjoying a stimulating working space.

Elise Mattisson Chue, 3.sem WS 2017/18 (exchange student)

process:

Gert_rud, bock

The trestle Gertrud by Dani uses the full potential of plywood:
Precise lines and uncompromising reduction are not only due to the aesthetic attitude but also to the sustainable way of production.
The springy material allows a screw-free construction and facilitates assembly and disassembly as well as transport.
Gertrud adapts to various situations, whether as a stylish table leg or an elegant everyday helper – ideal for the urban nomad in the workshop, living space or the style-conscious home office.

Daniel Tratter, 3.sem WS 2017/18

process:

Schaukel Hocker

The chief aim of this project was to design movement into a traditionally static workplace. Designed using Open Desk production and material standards, the Schaukel Hocker offers the potential for play in the pose wrongly associated with our work places; sitting. In the modern office, sitting is the new smoking. Aside from being detrimental to our physical health in the long term, sitting still is just simply quite boring.

Sergei Saraiva, 3.sem WS 2017/18

process

FLEX

New semester: new course, new situation, new space and above all, new demands on the workplace. It is every time a new to transform the empty space into a workspace with specific benefits. Here meet the requirements of little space, shared workplaces and the individuals to meet each other, which it is necessary to reconcile. The solution lies in the vertical. It offers all possibilities to create its „own space“. Flexible use promotes spontaneous and thus creative work.

Laura Laipple, 3.sem WS 2017/18

process:

Dilop

How does social interaction influence the design process?
While once rarity and uniqueness were the assessment standards for the quality of a product, many different aspects are currently open, considering the digitally networked society.
The draft, which is made available through open source software, is intended to give consumers access to their independent production.
The stool can be produced cost-effectively and in cooperation with local workshops in a material-saving, location-independent and transport-free manner. The consumer becomes part of the manufacturing process. This ensures economic, ecological and social sustainability.

Anna Koppmann, 3.sem WS 2017/18

design in a social context
The digital transformation has greatly influenced our private and professional lives in recent decades.
Our communication, daily routines and fundamental features of our work have revolutionized this. Equally, this opens up new perspectives for the professional field of the designer: While once rarity and uniqueness were the assessment standards for the quality of a product, many various aspects are currently opening up, considering the digitally networked society.

The demand for a high-quality design is no longer unexceptional based on a draft and the production of an identical origin respectively the exquisite customer base, which may come to enjoy such. Equally elemental is the free accessibility and sustainability of a design, which is reaching a valuable milestone through advancing digitalization and increases in open source content.
The project presented is based on the theme „Design in a Social Context“ and shows how a sustainable triad of ecological, economic and social components can be achieved through open handling of design drafts.

perceptions
A seat furniture item can pursue different intentions and aims with its performance purpose as a seat opportunity.
Diverse types of arrangement generate just as diverse discussion cultures: a chair circle with its democratic character promotes communication and interaction, while a parliamentary assembly can provide a stage for a presenter.
These different regulations of a room should be considered in a piece of seat furniture item. A stool, due to its characteristics, takes these requirements into account and can create a place where teamwork and flexibility are elementary components of projects.

digital production
With the provision of a CAD file, it is possible to cooperate with every workshop. The data record is checked and translated into the milling program.
At this point, the user becomes part of the production process.
Afterwards, the plate dimension is checked. This can lead to differences in the plate thickness. Since the stool is based on connectors, the file must be adjusted to the panel thickness. After approximation of the plate dimensions milling can be done.

local production
By reducing to two milling axes, production is possible with any cnc milling machine. This offers not only time – but also cost savings.
Recourse to a local production site is also a social unique selling point in view of the increasing mass production.

independent post processing
The design is as simple as possible for further processing. After milling, only the parts need to be ground. This is the only postprocessing process required. In the course of sustainable production, the longevity of a product is fundamental, which is why the parts can be optionally oiled and glued together.

connector
In the last production step, the individual parts can be assembled intuitively via plug-in tunnels.
By eliminating screw or dowel joints, the section connections are easy to solve. The exact milling of the sections guaranteed a stable and fixed construction.

accessibility and sustainability
The draft, which is provided via open source software, is intended to give consumers access to their independent production.
By orienting to international standards in the choice of material dimensions and the associated design orientation, there are many advantages in terms of production: The stool can be produced cost-effectively and in cooperation with local workshops in a material-saving, location-independent and transport-free manner.
Thus, an economic, ecological and social sustainability is guaranteed.

A design product such as the presented stool can not only promote a certain culture through its characteristics as a flexible seating element: Due to our digitally networked society and the open source provision of all production parameters, an accessible and sustainable product can be created for everyone. Social interaction can therefore happen on different levels and even start with the production.

Leanonme

Die Idee war es eine Garderobe zu gestallten, die möglichst einfach auf und abbaubar ist.
Eine der klaren Prinzipien dabei war es, die sonst so unattraktiven CNC-Verbindungen möglichst gekonnt zu umgehen.
Das sich „abstützende“ Design ist gerade bei voller Auslastung besonders stabil. Durch die minimalistische  Bauweise lassen sich fünf Garderoben aus einer handelsüblichen Multiplexplatte generieren. (sustainability & cost)

Tizian Heinsohn, 3.sem WS 2017/18

process:

Where have you bin?

Prototyping in workshops often create waste in various sizes, some larger ones can be difficult to fit in the dustbin container, especially materials that came in sheets. On the other hand, smaller pieces of waste are often ignored, and  left on the tables or floor. As time passes, they could accumulate and contribute to the mess.

‚Where have you Bin‘ features a sheet holder at the back and two lids integrated with dustpan on the top, providing all the necessary tools for a cleaner, more organized workspace.

Shao Chuan Lin, 3.sem WS 2017/18

Scarlett San Martin of Opendesk

23 January 2018
Room 202, 19.00

During the Wintersemester of 2017/18 the 3rd Semester students design for Digital manufacturing  and the 5th Semester focus on Analog production with Berlin workshops, but both emphasize on the opportunities of local and global manufacturing.

Scarlett San Martin has worked at high-end design and manufacturing companies, working closely with skilled craftsmen and CNC machines. She has a deep fascination with the relationships between humans and objects and design that can help to solve social problems.
In the last three years Scarlet has worked for Opendesk in London that is changing the way furniture is made, by connecting customers to local makers. Through digital downloads furniture can be made where and when needed. Scarlett worked o.a. on the Fin lockers and the Vine storage systems.

In the autumn of 2017 Scarlett moved to Berlin to work on a workshop plan for teaching design for CNC manufacture in FabLabs and maker spaces. Scarlett will speak about:
• her experiences with Opendesk and CNC manufacturing
• the backgrounds and set up of opendesk and open source production
• and the links with local manufacturing and opportunities of local manufacturing networks today

www.opendesk.cc/designers/scarlett-san-martin

Hermann Weizenegger at Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Foto: Bonss/ momentphoto.de

21 November 2017
Room 202, 19.00

• In the 90’s Hermann August Weizenegger set up DIM: Die Imaginäre Manifaktur, together with his collegue designer Oliver Vogt. With blind people in Berlin they developed products and invited upcoming international young designers such as Sebastian Bergne, Matali Crasset, Konstantin Grcic, Arik Levy to join. In a short time they achieved international prestige with DIM.
• In 2002, Hermann was one of the first in Germany to make an important project with laser sintering and involvement with digital production.
• In 2006 he was one of the initiators of DMY / Design May Berlin and was later associated with State of Design Berlin 2016/17. All were important events for design in Berlin.
• At the beginning of the semester we made an excursion to the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Where students were very enthusiastic about the presentations and how such a design week was carried out.

Herman Weizenegger is a.o. Professor Design at Potsdam University nowadays and will talk about his experiences with DIM, digital production and he shares his experiences in organizing Design in Berlin.

www. hermannaugustweizenegger.de