Furnishing Creativity

Some of the students’ designs will be put to use this academic year, with one design selected to make its home in the IT department. The Year 10 product design course is taught by Director of Community Service, Co-curricular Clubs and the IBDP Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) Program John Sweetman, and Faculty Chair of Design Paul Miskew.

Students consider furniture design in terms of both form and function, analyzing structural and formal aspects. There is an emphasis on sustainability, with students using affordable and available materials for their prototypes, keeping global production and impacts top of mind. Their designs are inspired by researching related product examples currently on the market or from the past.    

Students utilize Autodesk FUSION software to create their 3D designs, which are converted to 2D component drawings on Adobe Illustrator, and then a cardboard scale model is cut with a laser cutter. A full-scale fabrication made from a 30” x 30” piece of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is produced with a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine. The students then evaluate their work, testing for functionality and capacity. 

Four Year 11 students shared their experiences last year in product design. Those who wish to pursue design in their postsecondary studies already have a key item for their portfolios. 

Ethan Leung: I made a three-legged chair inspired by mid-century modern design (MCM). And that’s because three points create a plane, therefore the chair wouldn’t wobble or shake, which I find an annoying aspect in furniture now. I connect with MCM, an interesting era that used rounded shapes. It has value in uniqueness.

I’m looking to go into either medicine or dentistry, which both use product design. Scanners and 3D printers are being applied in dentistry. The skills I’ve learned these past four years relate really to almost any field of work. 

Lachlan MacGregor: I chose to make a small stool. My research included analyzing products I liked — ones with curved seats, which I think are more comfortable and look cooler. I looked at how they’re held up, and usually it’s by posts, but with the flat piece of wood we were given this would have been difficult to do. I decided to make it so all the pressure was put on two different slabs on either side with the pieces overhanging. 

Overall I was proud of my product. The product design course relates to what I want to continue studying. I’ve looked into a couple of universities with good design engineering programs. 

Sasha Radewych: I like fixing and rebuilding stuff, and learning how mechanical things work. 

I built a small chair with a backrest. I went for a lighter design with strategically placed holes, which also made it look cooler. Many chairs are rigid and square with sharp edges, which doesn’t appeal to me. I opted for a more organic shape with curves. That was more challenging and made the unit more interesting.  

Engineering is my goal for university and maybe my future career, and I’ll implement some of these creative design skills that I’ve learned.

Ryan Sun: I made a stool with a level below to hold small items, such as phones, pencils and erasers. For inspiration I looked at many examples online, where there are many unique structure designs.  

 

I didn’t want to do something too basic. I was thinking of a design inspired by a tensile string where you can hold up an item and it’s balanced by another item. So I would have a leg and then a separate one under it supporting it.  

The class opened my eyes on how the software works, and doing the drafts and drawings. After UCC, I want to go into something design-related. I’m looking into architecture.