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Samsara Planter by Elliott Murray |
Home > Winners > Design #57191 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
EM: From the beginning, the purpose of Samsara was to get people talking, especially about the origins of its material. This begins a discussion on the wildlife helping to make Samsara and the issues they face. When the issues facing wildlife are mentioned even once, an impact is made. This unobtrusive approach makes individuals more willing to participate and be inspired. Awareness of an issue is the first step towards action, and further on towards a solution.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
EM: The main focus was always the form. I have always been fascinated by small ceramic planters for succulents. Just how simple and clean they look, but also how high end these objects can feel. This fascination, paired with the Fibonacci Principles, drove much of what Samsara is today.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
EM: I would love to see this project be implemented and allowed to start making an impact for the world's wildlife. This however, is met with a great challenge due to the material. Being able to manufacture and refine large herbivore poop produces a lot of logistical issues. So more than likely, Samsara will start out as a partnership with a local AZA accredited Zoo or Research center, and grow from there!
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
EM: From the start of the project, to the full visualization of Samsara, was about six months of development. This time frame includes the creation of the original problem statement, refinement of form, and the generation of all visuals.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
EM: Samsara started out as a challenge to myself as well as a skill building project. I wanted to create a product that for one, grew my skills as a young designer, but secondly, was fun to create! I love wildlife, and being able to tap into that knowledge base and create from it is always fun, and the form inspiration I chose for Samsara, pushed my skills not only as a designer, but as a 3D modeler as well.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
EM: I have always had a passion for wildlife and love for design. So when an opportunity comes around that I can combine those two sides of me, or have one benefit the other, I am all for it!
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
EM: I looked a lot at ceramics, and minimalist sculptures. Some of the more noted inspirations were Karl Zhan's Animal Boxes, Jaru Pottery out of California, and artist Michael Tatom. I loved how these artist and designers handled form as well as captured the essence of each animal through their style and treatment of the surfaces.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
EM: Samsara is all about reusing materials and the symbiotic relationship that plants and animals share. So what better name to call this cycle than Samsara, the Hindu term for reincarnation and the cycle of life. The term Samsara is the perfect encapsulation of the entire concept that drives this product.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
EM: In the beginning I used a lot a hand sketching to establish the basic profile and form of Samsara. From there I moved to Solidworks to really flush and refine the form as well as 3D printed multiple prototypes to really understand what I was seeing on my screen. Then when finalized in Solidworks, I used Keyshot to create and apply an accurate material to my model and render out all of my visualizations.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
EM: Definitely the most unique aspect of Samsara is the material. To say something is made out of poop, especially large herbivore poop, instantly creates interest in a person for the object. This reaction and genuine interest, whether out of disgust or wonder, propels them to come in closer and learn more. And it is through that engagement, that intrest, that Samsara is able to share its story about the world's wildlife.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
EM: Apart from the initial generation of the design, technology takes a backseat in the actual physical creation of Samsara. This is because you don't need a huge factory or complex machines to create Samsara. Using only basic processes and techniques are people, even in rural areas, able to produce and manufacture Samsara.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
EM: With abnormal materials like poo, you have to understand what it's made of. I first researched which feces are best due to multiple criteria. I decided on large herbivore waste due to make up, amount, and for containing less communicable diseases. When creating the manufacturing process I researched how elephant poo paper is currently made, since a lot of the processes are similar. Also I read a lot of research by artist Danielle Trofe and her use of mushroom mycelium as a material.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
EM: The biggest challenges were not the material but the form of Samsara. For one, the manufacturing process called for a very simple mold, especially if Samsara is to be manufactured locally. This resulted in that Samsara can be manufactured using only two part molds containing one insert. Secondly, to stay true to a Fibonacci form and proportion, took a lot of tweaking to get it just right. Samsara went through multiple iterations, both physically and digitally, to become what it is today.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
EM: As a young designer you are always looking for validation. Did I choose the right path? Am I making an impact? How can I get better? These are all questions that race through your mind and design competitions help to answer that.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
EM: I have a much better understanding of form than what I had when I started. Understanding of not only how surfaces are generated but how they interact with one another to create a simple form. Simple is not easy, and now I have helped to train my eye to find the issues that may effect the forms I can create and improve them.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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