Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition

Design Museum
Saturday 14 September 2019

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition, tells the story of one of the greatest film-makers of the 20th century, exploring his unique command of the creative design process of film making, from storyteller to editor to director.

Image: Stanley Kubrick during location shooting | Image credit: Warner Bros Inc.

The Exhibition

On the 20th anniversary of his death, this exhibition at the Design Museum explores Kubrick’s extraordinary career and his unique creative process. This exhibition reveals a unique insight into the work and methods of Kubrick’s vast archive, focusing on the design stories behind his iconic films; from his work with set-designers such as Ken Adams to his collaborations with composers and cinematographers.

This multisensory tour explored Kubrick’s films and focused on Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The access tour concluded with discussions on some of Kubrick’s soundtracks and the influence music had on his films narratives.

Stanley Kubrick

Born in New York City in 1928, Kubrick had a good middle-class upbringing in the Bronx as his father was a doctor. He did not like the process of traditional learning and skated through high school with low grades. His poor grades were not for lack of intelligence but actually because of boredom, and his disdain for the classroom setting.

With a camera as a gift from his father at the age of 13, Kubrick began seeing the world through the lens and quickly became obsessed with the camera medium, picking up skills and becoming self-taught to the point that he started selling photographs, prints, eventually getting a full time job at Look Magazine at the age of 17. The magazine paid Kubrick $25, the equivalent of £350 today for a photograph announcing the death of President Roosevelt (FDR) in 1945.

Stanley was a filmmaker who broke the mould, followed his own rules and was always waiting for a new path to take as he planned his next film. If you thought his films were complicated, deep and full of meaning, just imagine what the whole production was like.

A movie directed by Stanley Kubrick is often described by mentioning him; it’s a Kubrick film; or, it’s Kubrickian! Stanley Kubrick was one of the most innovative, visually appealing and illustrious directors.

Accessibility

The number of visually impaired visitors to the Design Museum has increased in the last few years and museums, in general, have a duty to make provisions for people with a wide range of needs. Museums have traditionally been a place where disabled people have felt excluded because most objects and artefacts are usually held behind glass cases and displays but there is now an increased evolution of museum public programmes creating access for their disabled audiences, a very welcome and valuable development.

Image: Andrew and visually impaired visitors at the meeting point to introduce the Stanley Kubrick exhibition at the Design Museum | Image credit: Ryan Prince

At MaMoMi, we create accessible events that enhance the experiences and expand the possibilities available to blind, visually impaired and those at risk of exclusion. We do this by facilitating the interpretation of art and design using a variety of tools and methods. We use visual culture as the platform for engagement and our motto is to engage, explore and educate. Design allows us to explore the function and ergonomics of materials and objects. Experience and research continue to show the value of visual culture and we believe it is important that these values and opportunities are open and inclusive to all.

“Our multimodal approach augments the experience of our participants, exploring the senses as we interact with visual culture and the world around us. We facilitate the interpretation of design and visual art by using various tools and processes, including the touch of original works, use of handling objects, exploring tactile images, audio description, and a mix of multi-dimensional interfaces.” – Andrew Mashigo, Founder, MaMoMi.

Read more about MaMoMi’s programme and approach on the website at www.mamomiinitiative.com

The Design Museum access programme includes the multisensory tours run by Andrew Mashigo of MaMoMi, and the BSL tours facilitated by a variety of trained and experienced BSL users. Starting with audio-description of the display and adding innovative approaches such as handling objects, tactile exhibits and 3D printed objects, the museums’ multisensory tour programme is increasingly becoming inclusive and accessible. We also run sensory trails and building tours that invite an immersive experience of the immediate environment and natural spaces.

The access tours are run bi-monthly and a full programme of events at the Design Museum can be seen on their website at www.designmuseum.org

Image: The film Spartacus is been discussed here, with the support of Lynn Cox, a visually impaired facilitator | Image credit: Ryan Prince

On the tour of the Stanley Kubrick exhibition, our road map took us through a discussion of the rug at the entrance of the exhibition, which is a replica of the rug used in the hotel corridor scene from The Shining, the one-point perspective, with installed screens showing a 49 second montage and compilation of clips from Kubrick’s movies, with the 5 screens installed at an angle to depict the One point perspective. We also talked about Kubrick’s large archive and the Napoleon library, the location scouting process, the cameras and tracking dolly, and the editing table, before exploring the pre-selected films.

The workshop session was devised to review a range of movie soundtracks from the films Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. To enhance the experience of the music from the soundtracks, we partnered with SubPac, a revolutionary wearable technology audio unit, with which participants were able to feel the music.

Production and Process

Image: The One point perspective corridor at the entrance to the exhibition | Image credit: Ed Reeve

The One point perspective is a drawing method that shows how things appear to get smaller as they get further away, converging towards a single ‘vanishing point’ on the horizon. 14th-century Italian architect and designer Filippo Brunelleschi was credited for the development of the mathematical technique of linear perspective in the art which governed pictorial depictions of space. He is most famous for designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, the cathedral with the world’s largest brick dome.

The Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It mechanically isolates the operator’s movement, allowing for a smooth shot, even when the camera moves over an irregular surface. This was key in filming The Shining. The options were to hold the camera or be mounted on a dolly.

Spartacus

Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical film inspired by the life story of Spartacus, a gifted Thracian slave who leads a revolt against the decadent Roman Republic. Kirk Douglas played the lead role of Spartacus who brought a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC.

Image: Leather armour with tunic worn by Lawrence Olivier as Marcus Licinius Crassus. The original costume

Kirk Douglas brought in Kubrick to direct the film after the first week of shooting. It was the only film directed by Kubrick where he did not have complete artistic control.

The film won four Academy awards and in 2017 was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically and aesthetically significant.

Some highlights

Kubrick found working outdoors or in real locations to be distracting; he believed the actors would benefit more from working on a sound stage, where they could fully concentrate.

To create the illusion of the large crowds that play such an essential role in the film, Kubrick’s crew used three-channel sound equipment to record 76,000 spectators at a Michigan State – Notre Dame college football game shouting “Hail, Crassus!” and “I’m Spartacus!”

The battle scenes were filmed on a vast plain outside Madrid. Eight thousand trained soldiers from the Spanish infantry were used to double as the Roman army.

The original score for Spartacus was composed and conducted by six-time Academy Award nominee Alex North. It was nominated by the American Film Institute for their list of greatest film scores.

Image: Exiting the Stanley Kubrick exhibition, on the way to the workshop session | Image credit: Ryan Prince

The Workshop

This workshop session allowed us to further reflect on key elements observed on the tour, with a special focus on how the soundtracks impact the nature and narrative of his films.

“A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.” – Stanley Kubrick

“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it. – Stevie Wonder

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universes, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” – Plato (Greek Philosopher, 427 BC to 347 BC).

Using the SubPac was a key tool to enhancing the experience of the truly iconic music Kubrick used in his movies. We listened to and discussed soundtracks from Spartacus (Main theme and Formation songs by Alex North), A Clockwork Orange (Singing in the rain, by Gene Kelly) and The Shining (The Shining Main Title score, and The Awakening of Jacob).

Image: A VI participant listens to Kubrick’s soundtracks via the SUBPAC S2, the seated SubPac installed to her seat | Image credit: Ryan Prince

The SubPac created such interest among our visually impaired audience and interestingly, we had a lady who was hearing impaired on the tour. For two of the participants who had never experienced sound at the range made possible by the SubPac, we initially got a mixed reaction. But after a few minutes, the intensity of the vibrations was something they were able to relate to and enjoy, with one person saying it felt like an orthopaedic chair with a massage inserted to it.

The overwhelming response was that the SubPac allowed participants to hear the sounds in ways they never felt possible, with one person suggesting this would be a great investment for both its artistic and therapeutic qualities.

The SubPac provides a deeper, more intense connection with your music.
Your body resonates with the music, as if you were in the prime location:
live at a festival, a concert, club or theatre. Using the SubPac, you feel the vibrations pulse through your bones to the inner ear and sensed as hearing.

Feeling is believing – SUBPAC

The SUBPAC comes in two types; the SUBPAC M2 wearable model, which is the model Andrew wore while delivering the multisensory tour within the Stanley Kubrick exhibition tour, and the SUBPAC S2, the seated model, used by the visually impaired participants at the workshop session. The S2 is the most powerful and accurate seated tactile bass solution on the planet.

Feedback

“My experience with the SubPac was very positive because I am hearing impaired and sometimes it is very difficult to perceive sound, but with the image and vibrations together, I felt all the sound and the rhythm, and I felt been part of the music played, and it was amazing! I now look forward to hearing the birds, the sea waves and the rainfall.” – Mariana Ramos (Hearing impaired participant at the Stanley Kubrick exhibition multisensory tour)

Image: Mariana, a hearing impaired visitor, is sitting and using the SubPac S2, which is out of view | Image credit: Ryan Prince

For any enquiries about the SubPac or to have an opportunity to trial one of the units at one of MaMoMi’s events, please write info@mamomiinitiative.com to state your interest. We may be able to arrange a demonstration or give you information about events where the SubPac is currently being used.

The next multisensory tour

The next multisensory tour, the Sound in Mind tour of Yuri Suzuki’s exhibition at the Design Museum, will hold on Saturday the 9th of November 2019, from 10:30 to 12:30.

What to expect

Join this Multisensory Tour to gain a unique insight into the work and methods of sound-artist and designer Yuri Suzuki. Drawing on the different technologies shown in our atrium display, Sound in Mind: Yuri Suzuki, we explore the interplay between design and sound.

Booking

To book a place on this free tour, please email access@designmuseum.org with the title of the tour, your name and number of places required.

You also have the option to call the Design Museum’s access team on +44 20 3862 5937 between 10 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Visit the Design Museum website for online booking via www.designmuseum.org

See our website event page for more details at www.mamomiinitiative.com

Credits

Tour facilitator: Andrew Mashigo

Tour co-facilitator: Lynn Cox

Photography: Ryan Prince

Wearable Technology: SubPac

SubPac Partnerships: Steve Snooks

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David Adjaye: Making Memory

A Multisensory Tour. The Design Museum 9 March 2019

Image: Entrance to the Making Memory exhibition.

MAKING MEMORY

This exhibition helps us discover the work of celebrated architect Sir David Adjaye (OBE), with the tour focusing on his use of story-telling to create unique monuments and memorials, from the Smithsonian Natural Museum of African American History, to the Sclera pavilion.

Adjaye’s landmark structures in this exhibition explore the design, role and use of contemporary monuments. These monuments and memorials show how he uses architecture and form to reflect on history, memory and record human lives, answering questions of how buildings can shape our perception of events – past, present and future. Visitor’s will experience the storytelling power of architecture through an exploration of seven monumental projects.

The exhibition also uses soundscapes for each display, in response to the narrative and context of each display. The tracks for the soundscape were written by Peter Adjaye, David’s DJ brother. This soundscape, including the use of dark grey colours on the wall in the first 5 rooms, gives the overall display an immersive and emotive feel, something a few in our VI audience were quick to mention.

THE GWANGJU RIVER READING ROOM | 2013

Image: Gwangju Pavilion| Image Credit: Kyungsug Shin

The River Reading Room sits on the embankment of the River Gwangju, connecting the street level above with the grassy planes below. Completed in 2013, the pavilion’s design was influenced by traditional Korean pagoda. The memorial was inspired by the 1980 Gwangju uprising, also known as the May 18 Democratic Uprising, where local Chonnam University students demonstrated against the governments martial law practices. It was reported that 200 people died, though other records state that up to 2,000 people lost their lives during the uprising.

The pavilion consists of two primary materials, concrete and timber. The concrete base takes into consideration the maximum level of the river and is designed so that it could be submerged in water at high tide. Steps are carved into the concrete to form seating areas and viewing platforms on which to sit, read, contemplate and reflect.

Four pillars around the perimeter house the books. When the concrete is submerged, the timber structure appears to float above the water. A 1:20 scale wooden model in the middle of the room is placed on a waist high plinth. On the wall are 8 LED light box photographic displays, and on the left is a recreation of one of the 4 bookcases from the memorial, filled with a selection of books chosen by the writer Taiye Selasi.

SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE |2016

Image: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture | Image Credit: Brad Feinknopf

The Smithsonian is dedicated to telling the story of black American lives, from slavery to the present days. Built over 8 floors (4 above ground and 4 below ground), the building itself is a monument to the stories told inside, with the architecture actively contextualising the memories represented. The museum’s three-tiered structure is covered in bronze panels.

The museum was inaugurated by President Obama in September 2016 on the last available plot at the National Mall in Washington D.C. and was a long-awaited symbol of the African American contribution to the nation’s history and identity. Adjaye’s approach created a strong conceptual resonance with America’s longstanding African heritage.

The Smithsonian was 100 years in the making, with black civil war veterans first proposing a national museum of African American History in 1915. Even with a successful fund-raising campaign, it took 100 years for this project to come to fruition, first influenced by President Bush, and then completed during the Obama presidency. The 1:100 scale model in the middle of the room is made of wood.

Next to the model of the museum is a wooden sculpture of a Yoruba Veranda post by Olowe of Ise, circa 1910 – 1914. This Nigerian sculpture, made out of carved wood, stands at just over 5-foot tall and is placed on a 12 inch tall wooden plinth with black metal barrier. The museum’s stacked shape takes inspiration from the top portion of this early 20^th century Yoruba craftwork. Olowe’s wooden sculptures were created for use as columns, holding up the porches of shrine houses and traditional dwellings.

UK HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL AND LEARNING CENTRE | Proposed

Image: UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre | Image Credit: Adjaye Associates

This memorial honours the millions who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust and will be built close to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. It seeks to inspire visitors to strive to draw meaning and purpose out of tragedy.

The new landmark – to be completed by 2022 – aims to be “a living place, not just a monument to something of the past”, offering visitors an “immersive journey” and “sensory experience” throughout the site. It will be a place to reflect upon, remind and learn from the genocide of Europe’s Jewish population.

The Memorial is embedded within the landscape, and the Learning Centre is embedded within the Memorial. Entrance to the memorial features 23 imposing bronze fin structures, with the gaps between the fins representing the 22 countries where the Holocaust destroyed Jewish communities. The striking memorial will have a modern, minimalist feel, combining a striking architectural memorial above ground that leads to an engaging, reflective and powerful exhibition below.

Visitors can expect different experiences along each pathway between the fins before the walks culminate at a cavernous main hall (known as the Threshold), intended to be a place for contemplation before moving into the adjoining Learning Centre in the level below ground.

The sound in this room is a lot quieter and sombre than the previous room, with the sound of the trombone providing a soothing and subtle presence. In the middle of the room is a 1:200 model of the centre.

SCLERA PAVILION | 2008

Image: Sclera | Image Credit: Leonardo Finotti

As part of the London Design Festival in 2008, David Adjaye was selected to create a spectacular outdoor temporary structure to challenge the public perception of everyday materials. He created the Sclera Pavilion, in collaboration with American Hardwood Export Council, using tulip-wood presented as the prototype of a new material that had never been used as an external building material.

This project is the only one in this exhibition that is not a memorial as such. It was designed as a public space that could be ultimately calming and uplifting whilst in the centre of the city. The work is characterized by an innovative design that explores the possibilities of designing a unique space from a simple design element.

The shape was inspired by the human eye and is a small, simple structure that best exemplifies Adjaye’s use of architecture as a dynamic space for experience. He chose the name to make reference to a “space from my point of view.” In that sense, Sclera is a monument to slowing down.

The pavilion consists of two circular chambers. The lateral entrance to the first chamber leads into the second and larger chamber, creating a strong sense of space. The entire interior offers visitors an experience of spatiality transmitted by the elliptical shape of the wall and the floor, and the ceilings dimensional and smooth curves. The clarity of the wood and the shapes and spaces provide an intense sensory experience as the visitor moves through the work.

A 1:20 scale model of the Sclera is installed in the centre of the room, with a 1:1 scale fragment of the pavilion installed to the side. We are allowed to touch the sclera model and getting close reveals the pinkish yellowish or slightly yellowish brown colour, and light refreshing scent in the wood. It almost smells like it has a very light perfumery smell.

NATIONAL CATHEDRAL OF GHANA | Proposed

Image: National Cathedral of Ghana | Credit: Adjaye Associates

Based in Accra, the National Cathedral of Ghana will be a unique 21st-century landmark where religion, democracy and local tradition are seamlessly and symbolically intertwined.

The Cathedral’s main architectural concept draws on both contemporary Christian architectural principles and motifs from traditional Akan culture. The building also references several ancient symbols, materials and processes still in use in Akan culture today.

Situated within 14 acres of landscaped gardens, the proposed design will house a two-level 5000-seat auditorium which, with the addition of two podiums designed for standing, can accommodate a congregation of up to 15,000 people. In the middle of the room is a 1:250 wooden scale model of the cathedral.

Installed in the ceiling above are 5 brightly coloured ceremonial Asante umbrella’s. Handmade in Kumasi, they are used at weddings, funerals and other ceremonies but they are also partly functional because they are used to provide shelter from the rain and sun. Only Chiefs and senior members of the Akran clans used the larger umbrellas as they are a symbol of STATUS and POWER.

There are also 5 Asante umbrella finials installed vertically along a side wall. The ASANTE umbrella finials are hand carved finials intended to sit on top of the ceremonial umbrellas. The form and subject of the finials are based on proverbs that reflect certain characteristics associated with the AKRAN clan and respective chiefs.

David also selected several artists to adorn the buildings interiors. An example of this are the 2 ADINKRA textiles from 1960 hanging on the wall to the left as you walk into the display. They are handwoven and stamped cotton Adire African textiles and have Adinkra symbols printed on the textile. Traditionally, Spiritual leaders and Royalty wore them but nowadays anyone can buy and use them. 

MASS EXTINCTION MEMORIAL OBSERVATORY | Proposed

Image: Mass Extinction Memorial Observatory

To be built along the Jurassic coast on the isle of Portland in Dorset, this memorial is a project designed to raise awareness on extinction. The observatory is designed as a continuous spiral walk wrapped around a large central atrium. Lining the interior of the MEMO will be stone carvings of 860 extinct species. The building will be on the site of the old quarry that the limestone of St Paul’s Cathedral was quarried.

The spiraling form of the building is based on the gastropod fossils commonly found in the quarry. Floors inside the building will follow the corkscrew shape.

To the right of the room is a stone carving of the Gastric Brooding Frogs. The brooding frog are ground dwelling frogs native to Australia, and was discovered in 1970 and classed as extinct in 1983, a tragic loss to biologists and environmentalists.

Fun fact: The brooding frogs were known for their ability to incubate or brood their young ones in their stomach. The gastric brooding frog were known to swallow its eggs once it had laid them, to keep them safe, with the baby frogs hopping out when they were ready.

CORETTA SCOTT KING & MARTIN LUTHER KING JR WALL | Proposed

Image: Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr wall

This is the first opportunity to see an in-depth display of the proposed Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Boston. Featuring Adjaye Associates proposal for the memorial, it will be placed at the highest point of Boston Common, the city where the Kings studied and met, serving as a place for discursive action and assembly.

The 1:1 model shows how the King’s speeches will be carved into the stone walls of the memorial. This wall is made out of Valchromat, a wood fibre panel which is coloured throughout and engineered for high physical performance. The fibres are individually impregnated with organic dyes and chemically bonded by specifically developed resins that give the panels their special properties.

The depth of the digital carvings corresponds to the rhythms and volume of the original speech so the louder the spoken word, the deeper it is carved. The King monument taps into this and instead of focusing on events, movements or specific acts, it remembers speeches and words.

Wearing powder free latex gloves, we were able to explore the depths and crevices of the text imprint to better understand the speech to text typography used.

IMAGE GALLERY

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On the top row, the first image shows the entrance to the Making Memory exhibition, with VI participants looking upwards towards the wall display as Andrew describes the photographs.

The second image shows VI participants having a close look at the Mass Extinction Memorial Observatory, a white gastropod shaped monument.

The third image shows two VI participants touching the Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr memorial, while wearing polyethylene gloves.

On the second row, the first image shows the design of a base structure for a memorial made by a VI participant.

The second image shows the upper structure of a memory box made by a VI participant.

OUR NEXT TOUR

STANLEY KUBRICK
The Design Museum
SATURDAY 4 May 2019
10:30 – 12:00

Join this multisensory tour as we step inside the world of Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition, will offer a unique insight into the director’s vast archive through original props and costumes, set models and rare photographs, while tracing the design story behind Kubrick’s body of work.

His fascination with all aspects of design and architecture influenced every stage of all his films. He worked with many key designers of his generation, from Hardy Amies to Saul Bass, Eliot Noyes, Milena Canonero, and Ken Adam.

Note: This tour will start at the earlier time of 10:30 to give us the best opportunity to view the exhibition at the quietest time.

http://www.mamomiinitiative.com

Home Futures: Living in Yesterday’s Tomorrow

A multisensory Tour at Design Museum

Saturday 12 January 2019

Image: The Bocca Sofa, 1970. Designed by Studio 65 for Gufram.

HOME FUTURES Exhibition
The home of the future has long intrigued designers and popular culture alike and this Home Futures Exhibition Immerses us in a series of dreamlike passages and rooms exploring yesterday’s visions of the future.

We know that the home incites an emotional world and is not just a physical place or space. It is a place that can also define us. It is also not something that we own but it has actually become a commodity that few can really own or afford. The changing values of people in our society also express itself in how we are now more interested in access rather than just ownership. And by access, we refer to access to power, influence and recognition.

Walking through avant-garde speculations displayed alongside many contemporary objects, more than 200 objects and experiences in this exhibition that trace key social and technological aspirations that have driven change in the home.

The walls are painted white, with ceiling lighting and spotlights above and good lighting throughout. On the morning of our visit, there was an issue with the lighting levels been a bit low, but that did not impact the experience of the space. Some displays were set in wall units and plinths while many are installed independently on the floor. The rooms did not have any distinct smell other than the warmth of the installation.

Acoustically, this space was a myriad of sounds and digitally sourced conversations. Sounds coming from video installations in different rooms seem to converge in the space as we moved through it, but the sound bleed was only a concern when we congregated close to or between the sound installations.

The exhibition was set in 6 different themes, exploring different focuses on various concepts, domestic behaviours, design ideas and modular furniture systems.

Below is an image of the Gufram Cactus, 1972, designed by Guido Droco and Franco Mello. This is a green cactus shaped coat hanger standing at 7 feet tall. On the top of the Cactus is Andrew’s Fedora hat. That photo shoot request was by one of our visually impaired visitors.

Gufram was once a small production company responsible for the most iconic pieces of Italian radical furniture and is now famous for merging art and design. Their Bocca Sofa or Red Lip sofa, the featured image for this blog, was based on the artist Salvador Dali’s original design, itself inspired by the lips of iconic beauty Marilyn Monroe. This is a kaleidoscopic fusion of pop art, conceptual art and modernist design.

GUFRAM CACTUS, 1972. Designed by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello

Living With Others
This section explores the way in which we negotiate privacy in the home and the impact media has on domestic behaviour.

Living On The Move
We see how modular systems merged furniture with infrastructure, using simple forms and muted colours to frame furniture as a tool rather than a possession. An example is a modular toilet that can be easily converted to a bathroom or bedroom!

“Design comes from the heart and the brain, to cuddle the soul of people and improve life for the best, the livelihood of people.” – Alex Iberti, CEO Gufram.

Living Smart
This section traces the modernist ideal of the ‘home as machine’ and pairs it with the contemporary vision of the ‘smart home’. We see the principles of labour saving by using connected devices that use our data to deliver function.

Living With Less
One recurring ideal of the 20th century was that housing shortages could be solved with fully fitted home units and micro-living solutions. Less space in urban areas resulted in the emergence of hybrid furniture like the sofa bed, folding tables and integrated storage.

Andrew explains how the minimalist metal installation works. Next to him is a VI having a closer look at the installation.

Below is the Bench, After Judd, 2014, with visually impaired visitors standing around the bench and a few sitting on the bench. This bench confuses the role of the horizontal surface because at 12 cm high and around 4 foot wide, it can function as a seat, a table and a flooring unit. The rug on the bench is a multicoloured rug with blocks of colours in a geometric form. This gives it a mondrian-like look.

The wooden bench was at room temperature but the metal support was a little bit colder but the overall object retained its warmth. The rug was soft, with the stitching along the coloured patterns providing a tactual ridge.

BENCH, After Judd, 2014. Designed by Andrea Zittel

Living Autonomously
This section explores self-reliant models of domestic life that are environmentally responsible and often anti-consumerist. The idea was that an open-source system allowed anyone to make furniture and basic household appliances with parts and tools that can be reused.

Below are the VI visitors touching and sitting on the Single Bed designed by Enzo Mari. In this image, Bernard from the Design Museum explains an aspect of this easy to assemble furniture that can easily be converted to tables, chairs, bookshelves or wardrobes.

The single bed had a well-finished surface, without the worry of splints. the mattress was firm and felt well-constructed and durable. The plant in this image is artificial, with a smooth feel to touch.

VI visitors sitting on the Single bed by Enzo Mari. Bernard, the producer of Adult Learning at the Design Museum, can be seen here explaining aspects of the bed design.

Domestic Arcadia
Some designers emphasise the home as places of irrational and emotional needs, and surreal interiors conjured idyllic landscapes, bringing natural, biomorphic forms and landscape elements into the home.

Below is the FRAME 03 from 2017 and designed by SO-IL. This stainless steel bench with a metal ring chain or mesh structure that is the sit can sit up to 7 people. The industrial material used to make this frame furniture does not reveal its function, at first sight, leaving it open to the imagination.

The mesh structure that creates the sit almost feels like a cobweb that cradles, and though it is cold to the touch because it is made of stainless steel, it feels like a piece of outdoor furniture that will work well in the garden in the summer.

The designers call it an exploration into aporetic architectural furniture, which we can interpret as characterised by an irresolvable internal contradiction or logical disjunction.

The FRAME 03, 2017, by SO-IL.

THE WORKSHOP
After the tour, we went up to the Creative workshop to discuss the exhibition. The workshop activity included exploring some samples of objects from the exhibition and we also took the time to share ideas of what we want the home of the future to be like, for us as individuals and people with specific access needs.

What should the home of the future look like, for me?

Several VI’s reflected on the exhibition and explored ideas of what they would want to have as functional ideas for future home furniture. Today’s future thoughts and ideas can easily be an experience of tomorrow.

VI visitors can be seen sitting around the table and having a discussion in the Creative workshop

A VI visitor explores one of the sample materials from the exhibition.

A VI assisted by a companion explores the material sample from the exhibition

The Home Futures exhibition continues until 24 March 2019.

CREDITS

Multisensory Tour Facilitator: Andrew Mashigo

Tour Programmer: Bernard Hay, Producer Adult Learning

Large Print Guide: MaMoMi Initiative CIC

Copyright © The Design Museum 2019

Andrew Mashigo. MaMoMi Initiative. January 2019

Sustainability and Materials: a DOTY 2018 Exhibition Tour Extract

Beazley Designs of the Year 2018
Design Museum, London
Tour date: Saturday 10 November 2018

The Design Museum’s Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition annually celebrates the best of design and its practitioners. Grouped under twelve “headlines”, this 11th edition of the exhibition highlights the immediacy of design and shows how designers are tackling new technologies, generating new visions, and responding to social trends and global events, sometimes with a sense of ambivalence, but always with optimism about our ability to shape the present and the future.

On this multisensory tour, we explored a range of projects from six categories, selected from Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphics, Product and Transport design. This tour concluded with a workshop activity that included discussions and a handling session.

Sustainability was the theme that ran through a majority of the exhibits selected for this tour, particularly the first three displays, and we felt it would be valuable to share some thoughts and findings from research for the tour. This blog focuses on those first three projects presented at the tour.

Sustainability and Materials: an Introduction.

There is a rampant global growth in the way our society is currently treading the road to the extinction of mankind, something that we all have a responsibility to fix. There are now more people on the earth living off it’s depleting resource and we all have to think about and plan for new and sustainable ways of living off the earth. The question is, what are we going to do about it? What changes and adaptations are we willing to implement and what measures are we going to put in place?

Here are a few projects from the Beazley Designs of the year exhibitions tackling the issue of environmental waste and pollution.

The Plastic-Free Supermarket Aisle

Image: The plastic-free supermarket aisle | Category: Graphics
Designed by A Plastic Planet and Made Thought for Ekoplaza
Image credit: Design Museum

Recyclable or biodegradable materials like glass, metal and cardboard are used to create sustainable materials for our daily use. This goes a long way to create a more sustainable environment, tackling serious issues like the deluge of plastic waste that is currently threatening our environment and the ecosystem.

Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza has opened the world’s first plastic-free shopping aisle, with a plan to expand the programme to all of its 74 stores by the end of the year. The aisle features more than 700 products packaged in recyclable glass, metal, cardboard and biodegradable containers, all clearly signposted by the “plastic-free” logo designed to be clear and simple.

In order for a product or material to be truly described as sustainable, it has to be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. These aspects are known as the Three Pillars of Sustainability.

Discussion points:

Sustainable materials are derived from eco-friendly resources

Eco-friendly resources include sustainably grown fibre crops

Eco-friendly also refers to how these materials are made.

The Ecologically Responsible Denim Jacket

Image: The D-Staq RFTPi denim jacket | Category: Fashion
Designed by G-Star RAW

Denim brand G-Star RAW has developed the world’s first Cradle to Cradle certified GOLD G-Star denim fabric which is made out of 100% organic cotton. During production, the cleanest indigo dyeing technology was introduced, using 70% less chemicals, no salts and producing no salt by-product during the reduction and dyeing process.

The most sustainable and responsible washing techniques were developed to ensure that 98% of the water will be recycled and re-used, and the other 2% will be evaporated.

Discussion points:

This is made out of 100% organic cotton

It uses the most sustainable and responsible washing techniques

98% of the water will be recycled and re-used.

ZOA™, a Bio-Fabrication Project

Image: ZOA leather t-shirt grown from collagen
Designed by Modern Meadow
Image credit: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York

Zoa™ is a new collection of products made of bio-fabricated leather, which replicates the texture and suppleness of natural leather without using any animal products. Instead, the material is grown from collagen, natural leather’s main component, but in this case, derived from yeast. As well as eliminating the slaughter of cows, and the environmental impact of raising them and tanning their hides – an often toxic process itself – Zoa’s bio-leather opens up new design possibilities, including shapes, densities and other properties not previously possible.

This solution is a whole system design through innovation and a bio-diversity approach. A small part of the innovation is creating designs using liquid leather that can be moulded into the desired designs, without the need for stitching. Liquid leather provides the ability to morph designs, to take any shape, and combine with other materials.

Discussion points:

Bio-fabrication unlocks the power of nature to offer new design possibilities

A pioneer of bio-fabrication, Modern Meadow believe that the multidisciplinary collaboration between design, biology and material science can lead to smarter ways to make evolved materials

Leather is unique for its strength and stretch, and its aesthetic appeal but the process of creating leather is still dependent on animal skins

Businesses involved in the production of leather have long complained about the problems with the supply chain, the fallibility of the material, waste in the process, and unpredictable weather can also lead to price volatility.

A lot of the waste is due to the irregular shape of animal hides, coupled with scars and insect bites, meaning up to 30 percent of animal skins regularly goes to waste.

Image: A close up of Modern Meadow’s bio-fabricated leather
Designed by Modern Meadow
Image credit: Courtesy

In the early days, Modern Meadow grew skin cells to create leather but the company has since refined its approach. They now use a fermentation process to brew collagen directly. Their scientists have bio-engineered a strain of yeast that, when fed sugar, produces collagen, which is then purified, assembled and tanned to create a material that is biologically and perceptibly almost indistinguishable from animal leather.

Today, the global leather goods business is worth over $100 billion a year and produces everything from car seats to luxury handbags but the process of creating leather is still dependent on animal skins. Leather is unique for its strength and stretch, not to mention its aesthetic appeal and links to powerful cultural archetypes from cowboys and aviators to bikers and rockers. And yet raising and slaughtering the billions of animals whose skins feed the leather supply chain each year is inefficient, cruel and comes with huge environmental impact.

The irregular shape of animal hides, coupled with scars and insect bites, can mean 20 to 30 percent of animal skins regularly go to waste. Bio-fabrication meant dealing with reliable quality material in a reliable shape and size — and that is beneficial for business. Modern Meadow’s technology also allows customers to bring processes like dyeing and finishing into the formation of the material, unlocking additional efficiencies.

But while Modern Meadow plans to bring a finished good to market within two years and might one day compete with traditional leather suppliers on cost, its product — still in the research and development phase — is currently far more expensive to create than traditional leather.

“I don’t think we’ll ever look to compete with the commodity end of the spectrum. This is not about price competition,” explains Andras Forgacs, Modern Meadow co-founder and chief executive. “I think our materials in the near-term will be competitive at the luxury end of the market.”

For the rest of the multisensory tour, we discussed the Mobike, a minimalist bicycle for sharing; the Quicksee, a portable eye test kit designed by PlenOptika; and the new pound coin designed to be counterfeit-proof.

The new Pound Coin

The Mobike

The Quicksee designed by PlenOptika

Images: The new Pound Coin, the Mobike bicycle, and the Quicksee kit.

The workshop session at the end of the tour was our opportunity to further discuss the tour and explore some handling objects from the museum’s handling collection.

OUR NEXT DESIGN MUSEUM TOUR
Exhibition title: HOME FUTURES
Date: SATURDAY 12 January 2019
Time: 11:00 – 12:30

What to expect:
Explore today’s home through the prism of yesterday’s imagination. Are we living in the way that pioneering architects and designers throughout the 20th century predicted, or has our idea of home proved resistant to real change?

The Design Museum
224 – 238 Kensington High Street
London W8 6AG

Contact the Design Museum on +44 (0)20 3862 5900 or the Bookings Office on +44 (0)20 3862 5937
Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00

CREDITS
Text for Zoa™ leather: © 2018 The Business of Fashion
Multisensory Tour Facilitator: Andrew Mashigo
Tour Programmer: Bernard Hay, Producer Adult Learning, Design Museum
Large Print Guide: MaMoMi
Copyright © The Design Museum 2018

#designmuseum #DOTY #tour #access #sustainability #materials

Ferrari: Under the Skin, A Multisensory Tour.

Venue: The Design Museum, London

Date: Saturday 17 March 2018

Image: Visually impaired participants can be seen exploring samples of upholstery materials used in the making of Ferrari car seats.

The Tour

The FERRARI: UNDER THE SKIN exhibition commemorates Ferrari’s 70-year history and explores Enzo Ferrari’s inspirations, original photography, hand written letters, original drawings, and some cars from this iconic car brand. This tour for visually impaired visitors was an excellent opportunity to understand Enzo’s inspirations and to see the design and development processes that went into creating some truly remarkable cars.

The exhibition is dedicated to detailing the remorseless drive of Enzo Ferrari to create the perfect driving machine for track and road. There are 14 cars in this exhibition and our road map was to focus on a few models that carry a distinctive thread through the Ferrari history, allowing us to discover Enzo Ferrari’s passion and the continuing development of the Ferrari brand.

We looked at the 125S, the F40, an original 1:1 scale model of the J50, and the LaFerrari Aperta. This tour was also unique as we were able to deliver two tours on the same day, a testament to the popularity of the Ferrari exhibition.

Image: Ferrari 125 S | Image Credit: Design Museum

The 125 S was the first Ferrari, an extraordinary achievement in an Italian economy devastated by the 2nd world war. This is the only existing official replica, built in 1987.

FerrariFact – Enzo Ferrari was 49 years old when this car was created.

Image: Clay Model of the Ferrari J50 | Image Credit: Design Museum

Displayed here is an original 1:1 scale hand-crafted clay design model of the J50 which was made in 2016 in a run of only 10 cars to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari in Japan.

Experimenting with special modelling clay was first discovered in the United States in the 1920’s. Unlike normal clay, the water phase of the material was replaced with waxes and oils so that it remained soft enough to work with but firm enough to keep its form, an essential property which meant it did not dry out or harden too quickly.

The clay is initially built up more thickly than the dimensions given so the final shape is generated by a process of subtraction. Modellers continually work closely with the car designers, adjusting and appraising the car’s form as it develops.

An additional advantage of clay is that it is also possible to add material back on after it has been removed, so the process of creating a perfect car is both iterative and collaborative.

Image: Flow line visualisation | Credit: Design Museum

Wind tunnel testing is the traditional method for developing racing car aerodynamics. Tunnel testing helps to visualise airflow over the bodywork, providing design solutions that reduce drag. Potential flow instability issues can also be resolved as accurate modelling of real world track conditions can be mimicked, providing opportunities for design solutions that can bring high-speed stability.

Fine detailing of aero sensitive areas of the car can produce substantial gains in performance and the Ferrari full scale wind tunnel test facility in Maranello allows the aerodynamicist the best opportunity to fine-tune geometry without the worry of scale effects.

Image: Andrew can be seen describing the flow line visualisation

Image: Ferrari logo | Image Credit: Ferrari Corporate

The Ferrari logo with its iconic Prancing Horse symbolises Italian luxury, exclusivity, performance, design and quality the world over.

According to Enzo Ferrari, after he won the 1923 circuito del Savio in Ravenna, he met the famous Count Francesco Baracca, father of the world war 1 Italian ace pilot Francesco Baracca, who had died in 1918. Ferrari also met the pilot’s mum, Countess Paolina Baracca, who suggested that he should put on his cars the prancing horse that her son had used on the side of his plane, as she thought it would bring him luck.

The original “prancing horse” on Baracca’s airplane was painted in red on a white cloud-like shape, but Ferrari chose to have the horse in black. The black color signified the grief of Baracca’s squadron after the pilot was killed in action. Ferrari’s engineering department adapted the horse so that it balanced on one leg with its tail pointed upwards.

The letters S F (Scuderia Ferrari) was initially engraved at the bottom but by 1947 the letters S F had been replaced by the Ferrari name. Then Ferrari added a canary yellow background as this is the color of the city of Modena, his birthplace. The logo is crowned with green, white and red strips, which symbolize Italian national colors.

The font of this logo is stylish and effective, highlighting the brand features of the manufacturer.

The featured car, the Ferrari F40

Image: Ferrari F40 | Image Credit: Ferrari Corporate

The F40 was conceived as a special car to commemorate 40 years since the very first Ferrari – the 125 S. Enzo Ferrari suggested that the company did something special ‘the way we used to do’.

When the F40 was eventually announced in 1987 its Pininfarina designed body took everybody’s breath away. It was raw and mean, a car that looked like a racing model. The F40 model title was derived from “F” for Ferrari and 40 represented the fortieth anniversary of Ferrari car production. It was also the last new car presentation attended by Enzo Ferrari before his death in August 1988.

Image: Andrew describes the unique features of the F40 to several visually impaired participants. The image shows the rear of the car and it’s distinctive rear wing.

Image: LaFerrari Aperta in production | Image Credit: Design Museum

Designed for Ferrari’s most passionate clients, the LaFerrari Aperta is the new limited-edition special series model, and just 350 models of this spider version of the acclaimed LaFerrari supercar will be built.

This hybrid combines an electric motor and battery system to give a striking performance boost as well as a reduction in fuel consumption. The LaFerrari displayed in this exhibition is a white one. We normally associate all Ferraris with their trademark red colour, called “Rosso Corsa”, but buyers nowadays have a multitude of different finishes to choose from.

The workshop session.

For the workshop session, the Ferrari F40 was our model of choice. Workshop participants were able to take some of the ideas and thoughts from the tour into this session. We also had vector drawings and a 1:18 scale model to help with our attempts to create clay models of the F40.

Understanding how to convert drawings, the 2D phase of design, into more complex 3D one is key to judging volume and proportions on a real model. It is also useful for determining the car’s surfaces and for the insertion of fine details like the lights, doors and rear wing.

We were able to create a good number of clay models which looked great, especially as many were made by first-time clay modellers. We had tools like Surform blade, slicks and spatula to help clean up the surface but not really enough time to fully benefit from their use.

What was quite remarkable is the way all visually impaired participants were able to partake in the making process and how we could feel the surfaces and intersections in the clay models, observing the harmony of the shapes and the quality of the surfaces.

Image: Visually impaired participants at the creative workshop waiting for modelling clay to be used in the making session. Andrew is assisted by two sighted guides.

Image: A sighted guide and artist helps to mould the modelling clay into round palm size shapes.

Image: Another sighted guide helps Andrew prepare the modelling clay for the making session.

Image: Image: Visually impaired participants at the start of the workshop session.

Image: A visually impaired participant uses the 1:18 scale model of the Ferrari F40 as he makes his clay model at the workshop session.

Image: A visually impaired participant uses the large vector drawings to determine the scale and dimensions of his clay model Ferrari F40, at the workshop session.

Some Testimonials:

“A fascinating exhibition and fun activity after rounded off the event very well. The volunteers were excellent, and the guides were friendly and patient.” – Ema P.

“We were impressed with how much thought and preparation Andrew put into making the exhibition and its ideas accessible to the children.” – Peter W.

“The museum volunteers were excellent.” – Jessica B.

“Impressive!” – Mihay I.

Credits:

Tour Guide: Andrew Mashigo

Tour Programmer: Bernard Hay, Producer Adult Learning, Design Museum

Photography: Ryan Prince Art

Large Print Guide: MaMoMi

Copyright © 2018 The Design Museum. All Rights Reserved.

The next tour:

MULTISENSORY ARCHITECTURE TOUR

Saturday 12 May 2018
11:00 – 12:30

The sensory trail will stop at interesting features along a tour designed to explore specific physical features and a tactile walkway around and within the museum.

This is a free tour and early booking is advised.

http://www.mamomiinitiative.com

Beazley Designs of The Year Exhibition Multisensory Tour

The Design Museum
Saturday 18 November 2017
A Multisensory tour | Blog

Beazley Designs of The Year exhibition

Every year, the Design Museum recognises worldwide excellence in design through its Beazley Designs of The Year exhibition. This year, the tenth year in the series, showcases some of the most original and exciting products, concepts and designs from the following six categories; Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphics, Product and Transport.

The tour provided our visually impaired participants with valuable insight into many of the thoughts and criteria behind current designs and concepts, and ended with the unique opportunity to explore a few original objects from the exhibition in our handling session at the end of the tour.

A Visually Impaired participant explores the Paper Mache wall by touching with her palms and then finds more detail by rubbing the wall with the tips of her fingers. She is supported by a sighted guide.

Design is all around us and affects everything we do. Will designs be the brilliant breakthrough expected, or are some just absurd experimentations? Are the expectations of some designs realistic and valuable enough for the amount of development and time put to them? Underpinning MaMoMi’s multisensory approach are a focus on the interpretation of the available information, as well as collective participation, and we continue to express and demonstrate these values in our practice.

The Tour

For this tour and workshop session, we explored four exhibits; Meet Graham, Scewo, Gita, and Nike Pro Hijab, and toured the Play Space.

Meet Graham is an interactive lifelike sculpture demonstrating human vulnerability and the bodily features that would be needed to withstand a car crash. This is partly an educational tool and partly an unforgettable public service announcement.

Meet Graham was not installed as part of the exhibition but a short film demonstrated the making and workability of the concept. It is a grotesque depiction of how a human body would need to be formed in order to best withstand a car accident. It’s features include a flat, flabby face, tough skin, a barrel-like chest and a torso like an airbag.

Meet Graham, an interactive lifelike sculpture

Image: Meet Graham
Credit: Transport Accident Commission

Scewo is a futuristic looking wheelchair. It is a self balancing mobility device designed by a group of students and it enables wheelchair users to reach locations that were previously inaccessible. It is designed to sit up like a regular wheelchair and has a joystick and controls attached to the end of the handlebar. The user can also use a shift in body weight to control the chair.

It has two large wheels to drive around on flat ground and an extra pair of wheels at the rear of the chair allows users to raise the chair up so that they can engage with others at eye level. It also has rubber tracks that can be lowered to the ground for increased traction, allowing it to smoothly go up and down stairs safely, even on spiral stairs. Transitioning on and off the stair is automated and accomplished by the push of a button. The design also allows for many adjustments in the seating position. Scewo is still a prototype and under active development and was viewed via a short film.

Scewo is a stairclimbing mobility device

Image: Scewo
Credit: Scewo

Gita is a robotic personal helper that carries your belongings. The company behind the Vespa scooter have made its first move into autonomous transportation with this robotic personal helper that carries your belongings for you. The two-wheeled Gita is a cargo vehicle that can track its owner and roll along behind them. It looks like a drum with two bicycle wheels attached to the outer parameter, allowing it to roll along as it navigates space.

Access to the storage compartment is via a small secure and lockable lid at the top which can be opened by a slight touch, and with a tap of a button, Gita can follow you. It is approachable and communicative, using lights, sounds and a touchscreen interface to stay in touch. Gita is tracked at all times and has a 360 degree camera.

Gita is a robotic personal assistant that carries your belongings for you

Image: Gita
Credit: Piaggio Fast Forward

Nike Pro Hijab is a performance hijab by Nike that will potentially change the face of sport for Muslim women. Over recent years, meetings with top-flight athletes illuminated performance problems associated with wearing traditional hijab during competition. Specific issues with previously used garments included the garment’s weight, the potential for it to shift during action and the lack of breathability would usually disrupt the focus of the athletes during competitions.

Nike’s design team combined this information with existing Nike innovations to create the initial prototype hijabs. Equipped with the feedback and collected insight from Nike elite athletes, Nike’s design is constructed from durable single-layer Nike Pro power mesh, a breathable lightweight polyester fabric that features tiny, strategically placed holes for optimal breathability but remains completely opaque, and a soft touch. The mesh is also stretchy, so when combined with an elastic binding it allows for a personalised fit that adapts to both the wearers head and sport. Fluff threads used at the neck eliminates the rubbing and irritation that can occur when an athlete sweats. It was unveiled two days before International Women’s Day.

Nike Pro Hijab is a performance Hijab by Nike

Image: Nike Pro Hijab
Credit: Nike

The exhibition tour ended with a visit to the Play Space where Nimuno Loops is installed. The Nimuno Loops tape was developed to allow Lego builders to place their creations on the walls, the ceiling, furniture and pretty much anywhere. It can be cut and can bend sideways as well. It is an extension of playing with Lego and allows for an even more creative engagement with an abundance of possibilities.

Participants were able to deconstruct, rearrange and reconstruct the play space, and this very tactile experience was truly useful as it provided opportunities for play. This also initiated the discussion around creativity through responsive design. Interestingly though, the Nimuno Loops was not developed or even officially sanctioned by the Lego company, and it is a curiosity to see how Lego responds to the increased creative functionality this sticky tape offers the Lego bricks and it’s other components.

Visually Impaired participants and sighted guides at the start of the tour

A VI participant having a closer look at a monitor showing the Scewo stair-climbing wheelchair

VI participants listening to a description of the Nike Pro Hijab

A closer look and examination of the Nimuno Loop sticky tape

VI’s at the Play Space and with the Nimuno Loops tape

A VI with the Nimuno Loops tape, allowing for greater creative engagement with Lego bricks

Image: The six images posted show visually impaired participants and our sighted guides visiting the Beazley Designs of The Year exhibition.

The Workshop

The workshop session was an opportunity to physically explore some objects from the exhibition. Our handling resources included a sample of the paper mache wall, the Nike Pro Hijab, the Nimuno Loops and a few Lego brick objects.

The Nike Pro Hijab is exactly what it says it is. Constructed from durable single-layer Nike Pro power mesh, it is a breathable lightweight polyester fabric that features tiny, strategically placed holes for optimal breathability but which still remains completely opaque, and soft to the touch. Visually Impaired participants explored the hijab’s stretchy mesh which, combined with an elastic binding, allows for a personalised fit that adapts to both the wearers head and sport. At the request of the athletes, the designers placed a signature Nike swoosh just above the left ear to highlight the hijab’s pinnacle performance nature.

The paper mache wall has sustainable and recyclable qualities, and also meets the design criteria for the exhibition, exploring forward thinking methods for exhibition design and installations. This neutral coloured paper mache is a composite material consisting of paper pulp and bound with an adhesive. The sample we explored was a cut out from the actual installation and was evidence that though the exposed surface felt a bit fragile, it would actually withstand a good amount of physical handling. The rough surface felt like it would chip off easily but it remained firmly fixed on the wall. The composite material has benefits that include sound and heat insulation, and its sustainability and recyclable qualities means that when the exhibition finally closes, it will be easy to recycle. You may also perceive a soft fragrance in the paper mache, depending on the make up of the pulp.

We began to deconstruct and reconstruct the Lego brick objects, using the Nimuno Loops to create interesting variations of the objects, and making use of the tactility of the sticky tapes to rearrange the orientation and usability of the Lego bricks. This provided a really fun experience for our visually impaired participants.

A Visually Impaired participant can be seen trying on the Nike Pro Hijab, with the assistance of a sighted guide

Exploring a section of the sample of paper mache wall.

A closer look and examination of the Nimuno Loop sticky tape

Visually Impaired participants deconstructing and reconstructing Lego brick objects using the Nimuno Loops

The Next Tour

The next tour is the DESIGNER MAKER USER Tour: the USER experience.

This tour and workshop session will hold on Saturday 13 January 2018, from 11:00 – 12:30.

We will continue our exploration of the Designer Maker User exhibition, and investigate design and the user experience. One question is, how does design interact with our senses, as users? A workshop session will allow participants to co-design new objects that respond to the themes discussed.

This is a free tour but booking is necessary. Please book by visiting the Design Museum website, via the link here Designer Maker User tour.

Please meet in the atrium at 10.45am.

Credits

Multisensory Tour Facilitator: Andrew Mashigo.

Tour Programmer: Bernard Hay, Producer Adult Learning, Design Museum.

Large Print Guide: MaMoMi.

Image credits: MaMoMi Images, except where mentioned otherwise.

Photography: Ryan Prince Art, for MaMoMi Images © All rights reserved

Copyright © The Design Museum 2017

Design and Play: Exploring Designer Maker User

The Design Museum | 9 September 2017

The Design and Play tour of the Designer Maker User collection at the Design Museum was our opportunity to review the impact of play in design, taking a view of creative play and concluding with an opportunity to design and make unique objects.

Taking a tour of Design Museum’s permanent collection, the Designer Maker User exhibition, you note that the almost 1,000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design objects on display viewed design through the angles of and the continuing interaction between the designer, manufacturer and user.

Image: The meet and greet prior to the tour, and start of the tour at the entrance of the Designer Maker User exhibition
Image credit: MaMoMi images © All rights reserved
Photographs: Ryan Prince Art

The Timeline of Design
The pre-industrial era was a period when everyday objects were made by craftsmen in a process shaped by skill and precedent. The rapid growth of Industrialisation from the 18th century introduced greater possibilities for creating designs in great volume but many observers and users still wanted to protect the dignity of craftsmanship.

Rejecting Industrialisation gained momentary drive in the mid 19th century but the opportunity to deliver mass-produced products, made in less time, and meeting standardised specifications with the use of machine production realised through batch production, made business sense and encouraged the modern designer to embrace the idea of machine and industry.

Creative Play
Many experts believe that a child’s early experience of play have a formative effect on their motor skills and on their psychological and emotional development. This tour draws on the benefits of play in the design process, particularly highlighting traditional crafting and making processes, using elements of creative play that explores our senses as we explore various materials and different elements of creativity.

Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul” – Friedrich Froebel, Designer (1782 – 1852)

Image: At the Creative Play display, Designer Maker User exhibition
Image credit: MaMoMi images © All rights reserved
Photograph: Ryan Prince Art

The Creative Workshop
The design of a product involves a range of steps that can include goal setting, research, getting a design brief, fabrication, testing and implementation. This tour and workshop helps us better understand the uniqueness of traditional craft-making methods while sharing the benefits of mechanised mass-production methods. But we will make sure it is also about play and having fun.

Play is an important part of the growth of a child but as we develop into adults, we stop playing so much. We get so bugged-down by work that we forget the value of play. During this workshop led by Lynn Cox, a visually impaired creative practitioner and freelance disability and visual equality trainer, we use craft-making processes to create several objects of design.

Workshop facilitator Lynn Cox, kicks off the creative workshop activity with Kasia, a VI participant, as she creates an object using copper wire

Lynn supports Peter, a VI participant, to create a unique object

Lynn discusses the creative brief and shows participants the materials available to work with

A view of the workshop activity. This session was unique as we had VI and sighted participants working together

A Fish, made by Kasia

A high heel shoe, made by Lynn Cox

The School Cap, made by James

A Sheep, made by Peter

The Dog, another object by Lynn Cox

An Egg on a bowl, by Lin, a sighted participant

A Pompom pin, made by Emily, a sighted participant

Image: Workshop activity in the Creative workshop
Image credit: MaMoMi images © All rights reserved
Photograph: Ryan Prince Art

Closing Note: Advocating for social Inclusion
An important goal of an access programme is to provide accommodations that enables individuals with a disability to participate fully and independently in social life, and the museum encourages its disabled visitors to participate in its public programme.

One way of approaching this, from a personal point of view, is to enhance opportunities and encourage an environment where able and disabled visitors can together participate in public events. The idea that events or activities should be reserved only for a particular audience causes or promotes marginalisation, or put in another way, social exclusion. Social Inclusion challenges barriers, values and behaviours, and by creating an inclusive learning environment, we actively support the goals of an inclusive society.

Social Inclusion is the process of improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of people, disadvantaged on the basis of their identity, to take part in society.” – World Bank, 2013

The Design Museum’s multisensory tours are a key event for our disabled visitors but we also encourage other audiences to participate in our tours and events, especially when it does not deny a disabled visitor the opportunity to participate in the said event(s).

This Design and Play tour had its highest ratio of sighted participants to date, making up approximately half the number of participants, and is something we will continue to monitor and advocate. It is important to us that we continue to be an agency of positive social change.

A huge thank you goes to Bernard Hay, Producer, Adult Learning, Design Museum, to Lynn Cox, our workshop facilitator, and our sighted guides for their continued support.

Our next tour:
The next tour at the Design Museum is on Saturday 18th of November and will visit the Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition, taking a snapshot of the very best in innovative and contemporary design from the past year. More information to be published soon.

Andrew Mashigo
Founder and Freelance facilitator
MaMoMi

The Designer Maker User: A Design Museum Tour

This was an Introductory tour of Designer Maker User, the Design Museum’s permanent exhibition. The tour explored the exhibition’s displays and exhibits and was designed to provide an introduction to contemporary design, looking at the ways in which we engage with design.

On what turned out to be a really beautiful sunny day in Kensington, London, on the morning of Saturday 10 June 2017, we met our blind and visually impaired Design Museum visitors at the museum entrance and went up to the second floor where the DMU exhibition is installed.

Some Curiosities And Thoughts.
Design has evolved over time and this session was designed to provide a discourse around the continuing interaction between designers, makers and users, and the development of the role of design. Some of my questions were;

• Have our human needs helped shape our design needs?
• Have all design inventions been of a necessity or out of a desire?
• Have we (users) shaped design or has design shaped the way we live?

The Tour.
Our participants were taken up to the entrance of the DMU, noting the timeline that graces the entrance to the exhibition. The earliest entry on the timeline was from 1759 with Josiah Wedgwood and the birth of design, following three different industrialisation periods through to the 3rd Industrial Revolution of the 21st century, with 2012 the last entry on that timeline.

As the DMU features almost 1,000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design, I decided we would view a small selection of objects. The Anglepoise, the wooden Kitchen model, Olympic torch, Phonosuper SK5 record player, the Juicy Salif and BigRep One 3D printer were our stops along the tour of the exhibition.

The Anglepoise Lamp by George Cowardine

Image: The Anglepoise Lamp by George Cowardine.
Image credit: The Design Museum.

I enjoyed viewing innovative designs and the 3D printer. I learnt a lot more about the origin of design and the processes – James Hallam

Our final stop on the tour was the BigRep One 3D Printer. Not surprisingly, this was a really big winner, providing real-life examples of 3D objects that could both be handled and tested. Additive manufacturing, the process in which 3D printer layer and produces items, has brought a transformation of the 3D printer from laboratory equipment into a consumer product.

3D printed objects produced by the BigRep One 3D printer

Image: Some 3D printed objects produced by the BigRep One 3D printer.
Image credit: MaMoMi.
All objects property of the Design Museum.

The Creative Workshop.
The workshop gave us an opportunity to review the introduction to DMU and discuss any observations identified on the tour. We explored some objects in the museum’s handling collection, helping to enhance the limited exploration during the tour. Products like the Anglepoise Original Type 1227, designed by George Cowardine, with its unique spring based aluminium arm mechanism, the Juicy Salif by Philippe Starck and its sleek and abstract design which was unfortunately only a triumph of form over function because of the several issues with steam from the sprout scalding the user, and therefore discontinued, to the Lilliput Salt and Pepper set designed by Stefano Giovannoni for Alessi, were all great items to have lengthy discussions around.

As users, the participants left with a really valuable knowledge of the design processes, and some of the criteria designers and makers have to iterate over in the decisions to create, design and manufacture products.

It was really good looking at the different iconic design items and also lear how design came about and has changed over the years – Ramona Williams

At the 3D printing section, we observed the BigRep 3D printer at work. In the foreground are two of our participants just to the front of the printer, and in the background is another participant to the side of the printer.

This is a view of handling objects, 3D printed objects, writing materials and notes on the desk in the Creative Workshop.

Here is a group photograph of the participants, companions and tour facilitator in the Creative Workshop.

Images.
Top left: Participants next to the BigRep 3D Printer.
Top right: At the Creative Workshop.
Bottom: Participants, Companions and the facilitator Andrew Mashigo in the Creative Workshop.
Image credit: MaMoMi

Credits:
Multisensory Tour Facilitator: Andrew Mashigo, MaMoMi.
Tour Programmer: Bernard Hay, Producer Adult Learning, Design Museum.
Banner Image of Designer Maker User Exhibition: Luke Hayes.

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Bike-Ability: The Cycle Revolution

In an era when cycling has become one of the main ways of getting around, and for many, a way of getting around the city cheaper, it is clear that the cycling boom is here to stay. The increase in the last decade, with some statistics claiming it to be as high as 60%, has seen bicycles make up 25% of the vehicles in the morning commute. That’s an outstanding figure!

Bike-Ability: The Cycle Revolution, was held Saturday 9th of April, and was a multisensory tour in response to the current Cycle Revolution exhibition at Design Museum, London. The exhibition runs from 18 November 2015 to 30 June 2016, celebrating the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition, and looking at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.

The Studio Session:

Image: A participant exploring a Cycle Wheel and it’s Spokes.

The tour started in the 1.5 studio with a discussion around current accessibility issues and some of the implementation of reasonable adjustment by institutions and other work places. Our focus on this tour was to explore materials and function, and how these materials used in the design of bicycles affects their function and usability. The history of bike-making itself reveals a host of materials, from steel, which is very tough but very heavy, to aluminium which is a lot lighter and will not rust, unlike steel, to the carbon fibre bikes which are almost 4 times stronger than steel but a lot more expensive, to the bamboo bikes, which have been quoted as been stronger by weight than steel.

So my question, to get us started, was to ask what memories we have of our first bicycles as kids, and what that experience was like?

Image: A participant handling the Bicycle A-frame.

We compared steel, aluminium and carbon fibre frames and quite evidently, it was clear that the aluminium frame was a lot lighter than the steel frame and it also does not rust like the steel frame will, but the carbon fibre frame was much lighter than the aluminium frame but also a lot more expensive.

Almost 4 times stronger than steel, the lightweight carbon fibre frame can be woven into shapes that metals cannot be made into, and where metals need welding at corners and joints, carbon fibres can be woven in one complete shape. Its durability makes it the choice of Olympic and all tour de France cyclists.

Image: A participant holding the loopwheel close to her and running her hands around the wheel.

The Loopwheel is a bicycle wheel that looks very much like a wheelchair or pushchair wheel and it uses an alternative to spokes to provide a more comfortable ride. The loopwheel springs which are the blue parts of the wheel positioned to replace bicycle spokes are constructed from carbon composite strips developed in conjunction with an archery bow manufacturer. These provide massive shock absorption so that what would have been a bumpy rides becomes a perfectly smooth ride. They are a lot more expensive than the regular wheels but do not need the maintenance that spokes may need.

Image: Participants holding the UltraBike as Julie from UltraCane explains how the technology works.

The UltraBike is an ultrasound kit designed to allow blind or visually impaired riders to cycle independently. The kit fixes onto the centre of the handlebars on any bicycle and is completely detachable.

The kit contains two ultrasound sensors that are positioned on the front, and these sensors point directly forward but also angled slightly outwards by 5 degrees. This ensures that the sensors can detect not just what is in front of the cyclist but also what is on either side of them.

Image: The tactor button on the arm of the UltraBike kit vibrates when the sensors detect an obstacle.

The tactor button is like an antenna that is used by touching, and the word tactor itself comes from the latin word tangier, which means to touch. The tactor buttons will vibrate when the sensors detect the boundary of the cycle track that is ridden around, giving ample warning so the cyclist is able to steer away from obstacles and stay on course.

Future Bike: Live Challenge:

The future bike live challenge explored the future of bicycle building and the Bamboo Bicycle Club with the Autumn Yard Design Collective were at hand to show our participants some of the processes involved in making a bamboo bike. This session was not just about building a bamboo bike because the challenge pushed the limits of their bamboo bike frames with the unique addition of 3D printed, carbon fibre reinforced lugs.

Image: A participant holds 2 bamboo frames together, smiling as she feels the texture and strength of the bamboo.

Bamboo is said to be stronger by weight than steel, which means 5 kilograms of bamboo gives you more strength and tensility than 5 kilograms of steel. That is why we hear of bamboo bridges and multi-story scaffolding in places like Vietnam.

Building performance bamboo bicycles is an intensive and lengthy process but when done properly, the rewards can be great, producing bicycle frames that are both stiff and durable, nimble and confident, and lively and smooth.

Image: A bamboo bike displayed at the entrance of the Design Museum.

Bamboo Bicycle Club conceived the idea to combine high-tech, open-source 3D printed components, with low tech, naturally sourced bamboo tubes. Teaming up with Oxford Brookes who specialise in the testing and analysis of 3D printed technology, vital expertise has gone into the realisation of this project.

Using 3D printed, carbon fibre reinforced lugs and bamboo frames, the goal is to prototype an open source bike that can be easily replicated by anyone.

The UltraBike Demonstration:

Image: The UltraBike kit mounted on a bicycle and ready to use.

We had a demonstration of the UltraBike with our participants and got to understand how the technology works in real life situation. The sensors detect at a range of 8 metres though this setting can be changed to suit the specific requirements of a cycle track.

On this occasion and as we were at the museum’s premises, we did not have a cycle track to test the full range and capability of the UltraBike but we did give all participants the opportunity to test how the kit feels to the touch, how easy the controls were to use, and how the various range settings allow the cyclist to detect things well ahead of themselves. This is a biomimicry of how bats and dolphins use sonar feedback and echolocation to find their way around.

Image: A participant about to have a short trial run on the UltraBike.

By giving the rider the ability to detect obstacles well ahead of themselves, the UltraBike range detection will allow the cyclist time to turn into a bend without cycling too acutely into or off the side of the track. The nearer you get to an obstacle or the boundary of the track, the higher the level of vibration. An understanding of the intricate feedback from the sensors helps the rider define the layout of the space around and this is what gives the rider the manoeuvre-ability to ride around a supervised cycle track, and in cycling clubs.

Cycle Revolution exhibition runs from 18 November 2015 to 30 June 2016.

Credits:
Handling objects property of the Design Museum
UltraBike kit, by UltraCane
Bamboo Bike, by Bamboo Bicycle Club

Note:
The Design Museum will be closing its current site on 30 June 2016, and will relocate to the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington, to open on 24 November 2016.

MaMoMi. All rights reserved 2016

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Displacement and Migration: mapping and soundscape

Designers in residence is a core part of Design Museum’s programme. Now in its 9th year, it reflects the museum’s commitment to providing support for designers in the early part of their careers.

The 2015 exhibition focuses on the theme of Migration, with four designers selected for their innovation and original thinking. Stephanie Hornig, Chris Green, Alexa Pollman and Hefin Jones were the Designers in Residence 2015.

The plan:

The Displacement and Migration multisensory tour was held on Saturday 9 January, and to have a good opportunity to investigate the narrative and critical nature of this exhibition, we divided the tour into three areas; Migration and Displacement, Migration and Mapping, and Migration and Soundscape.

The subject:

Migration and Displacement.
We can’t really talk about Migration without making a reference to what has been described as probably the world’s worst human tragedies, the current forced migration of people affecting parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. There is an argument against such a major displacement of people but research reveals that human migration has happened throughout history:

▪The biblical Exodus of the Israelite’s in the Old Testament records that “about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children” left Egypt. –   Exodus 12:37

▪ In Quebec history, 925,000 French Canadians were said to have left for the United States between 1840 and 1930, mostly due to political and economic reasons.

▪One of the greatest waves of immigrants to the USA was during the 1820’s to 1890’s, when more than 5 million immigrants arrived in America from Ireland and Germany.

▪Between the 16th and 19th centuries, about 11 million Africans were forced into slavery and brought to the Americas.

▪The Jewish Exodus from Arab and Muslim countries saw the Jewish migration include nearly all the 140,000 Jews from Algeria emigrating, mostly to France after Algerian independence in 1962.

Migration involves movement, mobility and transition and we can explore that idea with several objects, systems and processes. Objects are ideal for exploring spatial displacement and this tour uses definitive elements like form, shape, texture and density to explain its day-to-day manifestation. One question we asked was; do you know animals like the Caledonian bird use flexible thinking to solve multi-stage problems? When tested, a crow knows that dropping stones or gravel into a half-filled jar of water will cause the water level to rise to the top, making access to the water easier.

The Hourglass is another excellent object to explore elements of the cause and effect of material displacement. You clearly hear the sound of the sand travelling from one part of the hourglass to the other.

Migration and Mapping:
Chris Green’s Aerial Futures display shows 2 four-engine and 1 three-engine drone each mounted on metal stands. Chris’s practice forges new relationships between people, place and the city and this display was a main part of our interrogation of movement, mapping, surveillance and tracking.

It is worth noting that though most drones are 4-engine, Octocopters or eight-engine drones are more efficient for high-risk or longer range use so that a possible failure to the first set of engines is not terminal, allowing for extraction of the device from its operation.

Image: Chris Green’s  4-engine drone.
Copyright Chris Green, Drone 2015

Drones have become increasingly popular with flying enthusiasts but are also famously and excellently used in extensive and long-range research and activities like monitoring, surveillance and exploration. Because they are silent, precise and can be operated from a distance without detection, drones have excellent use during war, for exploring space and researching volcanoes. They are also used in farming and for mapping terrains.

A good example is the use of drones during the investigation of Katla, Iceland’s most active and dangerous volcano. Scientists are able to monitor seismic activity by capturing aerial images which detail 3D maps of the area. They also place monitors as close as possible to the core of the eruptions so GPS tracking systems gather data, which they feedback in real time.

Using Telematics is key to the work that goes on during mapping. Telematics are devices that merge telecommunications and infomatics and this includes anything from GPS systems to navigation systems. We see them featured in anything from vehicle trackers to hands-free mobile calling, and our mobile phones are an example of a Telematics device.

Animals also have very sophisticated processes and tracking abilities that help with mapping. An example is how bats use echoes from clicks to convey not only their distance to a target, but also the size, shape, speed, and vector of the objects movement. The bloodhounds ability to track game, the humpback whale’s ability to migrate from Antarctica to eastern Australia to give birth and mate during the winter and spring, and the rattle snake’s ability to track its prey after striking are among varying elements of tracking and mapping that are constantly used by animals and in wildlife.

Echolocation allows dolphins to tell the difference between types of fish, and can identify size, shape and weight by the echo that comes back to them. They can also easily discern the difference between objects that are different in material composition, even if visually identical, by their different densities.

Alexa Pollman’s Indivicracy display is about the concept of a future nation where a new form of government for the 21st century is created, in which societies exist without borders or territory. Allowing for free movement, the citizen’s are constantly moving between places, with governance in place to protect individuals who choose to migrate borders of settled societies.

Image: Alexi Pollman’s Trackpack.
Copyright Alexi Pollman, Trackpack 2015.

Alexi also challenges the current notion of “wear” and her display suggests ideas for future garments like the super-insulated gloves called Typers, the masks, the Jumping-jackers shoes and the Trackpack, what i can only describe as a one-piece raincoat attached to a back-pack and constructed into a shopping trolley on wheels.

Migration and Soundscape.
Sound is transmitted from a source to the surrounding air when particles vibrate or collide, and this vibration passes the sound energy along to our ears. Without any particles to vibrate, we would not hear the sound. With this knowledge, our activity explored various sounds and recorded our responses.

Using the learning studio, our Soundscape activity involved the use of six different sounds. Participants listened to and identified various sounds at intervals, and were asked what each sound represented to them. They could either draw or name their response, whether as a visual representation or an emotion, and the results were really interesting. Participants said they experienced various emotions, from elation, nostalgia, happiness to soothing relaxation.

The next tour:
The next multisensory event will tour the current Cycle Revolution exhibition at the end of march. This tour will examine the revolution of bicycle design, and investigate material and function. It will also include a demonstration of a bicycle for the blind and visually impaired.

More information, date and booking details will be uploaded to Design Museum’s website shortly.

MaMoMi. All rights reserved 2016.