New York’s High Line park has reopened to the public following coronavirus lockdown with 1,000 painted green dots graphic designer Paula Scher created as markers for social distancing.
The High Line reopened on Thursday 19 July over four months after it closed due to the pandemic with a one-way system starting at Gansevoort Street.
Scher, a principal at Pentagram, designed the spots to cover the benches, seats and ground of the public park in repeated intervals to mark safe distances.
Dots on the path, which was created along an elevated railway, are placed in rows that expand as it widens.
“The dots help users judge the way forward and how they should space themselves along the path as it becomes wider and narrower.”
Scher has also designed signage with symbols in dots that illustrate three key instructions: stay six-feet apart, wear a mask and move one way.
Additional measures have also been introduced to maintain the safety of users during the coronavirus pandemic.
Previously freely accessible from many entrances, the park now operates one-way starting from Gansevoort Street. Other former entrances are now used as exits points.
“The pattern of circles organises the space and makes the experience of social distancing as easy as possible for visitors, showing them where to walk and stand in line as they wait to enter on Gansevoort,” Pentagram added.
Visitors must also obtain free, timed tickets to enter in order to reduce the amount of people in the park – formerly an often packed tourist attraction – and also wear a mask.
The updates to the park joins a number of examples of ways that outdoor spaces have been adapted to meet social distancing requirements following the pandemic.
Scher joined New York graphic design firm Pentagram in 1991, becoming its first female principal.
She has designed graphic identifies for a number of well-known companies and institutions including the system for the New York’s Museum of Moden Art, the identity of the New York City Ballet and the logo for Microsoft Windows 8.
In 2000, she created the identity for Friends of the High Line, the organisation behind the park. Her firm Pentagram then developed the signage for the park, which was designed by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and opened its first section in 2009.
In a letter to Foster + Partners, climate activist group Architects Climate Action Network has called on the firm to pull out of its involvement with a new private airport in Saudi Arabia – or resign as a signatory of the Architects Declare movement.
ACAN said the architecture firm should withdraw its involvement with Amaala, a luxury resort on the Red Sea coast, where it is designing a private airport terminal and control tower.
“Maybe we should all just sit in a cave”
But commenters are divided. “Foster + Partners pulling out will not solve the problem,” said Tommaso Calistri. “Some other firm will take the studio’s place. If anything, governments should be asked to take action to limit developments or build them in a more sustainable way.”
Bubba10 agreed: “Any new building is environmentally damaging. Maybe we should all just stay home and grow beans. Wait, that requires fertiliser, which is bad for the environment. Maybe we should all just sit in a cave. Wait, we will need fire to stay warm which is bad for the environment…”
“Just like many environmental protest groups, ACAN suffers from being able to protest but unable to provide workable solutions,” continued Hello Peril. “It is clear that their intentions are good, but ultimately if one is looking for fundamental change one needs to be barking at the right tree – and that is by lobbying the government bodies who are able to have an influence on industries such as aviation.”
Instablographer backed the letter though: “The last thing this planet needs is more airports. Bravo to ACAN.”
“I cannot believe I’m this excited about PPE” says commenter
Petit Pli has created the Beta(MSK) face mask from recycled plastic bottles in a bid to help protect its wearers from coronavirus. Readers can’t get enough.
“This is gorgeous!” said JZ. “I cannot believe I’m this excited about PPE.”
“Such a great alternative to traditional masks,” added Florencia. “Sustainable, comfortable and way more stylish! Great job!”
You’re A Star agreed: “So happy to see a sustainably produced version of face masks. So many are being used it’s a concern about where they all end up.”
“Looks like a desktop PC on rails!” said Jean Claude.
Roland Harmer agreed: “There is very little colour on the exterior, bizarre seating – people generally prefer to sit facing the direction of travel – hard to read route signs and no advertisements. It doesn’t look as though it belongs in a street.”
Dezeen is the world’s most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.
The new laws will allow developers to convert commercial and retail buildings into housing without making a full planning application extending permitted development (PD) rights that already allow office buildings to be converted.
“No evidence that the planning system is to blame for the shortage of housing”
“There is no evidence that the planning system is to blame for the shortage of housing, and plenty to suggest that leaving local communities powerless in the face of developers seeking short-term returns will lead to poor results,” Jones added.
“Even the government’s own advisors concluded that permitted development had ‘permissioned future slums’ – allowing sub-standard homes to be built with little to no natural light and smaller than budget hotel rooms.”
Law changes will also mean full planning applications will no longer be needed to demolish buildings and rebuild them as housing.
Property owners will also be allowed to add two more storeys of accommodation to existing residential units. These new laws will come into effect in September 2020.
“We are reforming the planning system and cutting out unnecessary bureaucracy,” said UK housing secretary Robert Jenrick.
“These changes will help transform boarded up, unused buildings safely into high-quality homes at the heart of their communities.”
“Permitted development conversions do seem to create worse quality residential environments”
However, an independent government report published today has revealed homes created through the current permitted development system are of a lower standard of quality than residential schemes that go through planning permission.
“Only 22.1 per cent of dwelling units created through PD would meet the nationally described space standards (NDSS), compared to 73.4 per cent of units created through full planning permission,” reads the report. “Studio flats of just 16 metres squared each were found in a number of different PD schemes.”
Over 70 per cent of homes in PD schemes had windows that faced in only one direction, and most were only one bedroom or studio apartments.
“Permitted development conversions do seem to create worse quality residential environments than planning permission conversions in relation to a number of factors widely linked to the health, wellbeing and quality of life of future occupiers,” concluded the report.
Homes built in converted offices or shops in business parks were particularly bad, the report found, as they were far away from amenities.
Developers and architects argue PD is cost-effective
Permitted development has existed in some form since the UK planning system was inaugurated in 1948. The most significant change to the law was in 2013 when converting offices to residential use without planning permission was introduced.
The report, which looked at case studies in towns across the UK and included interviews with planners and developers, said that the case for PD was “slightly more nuanced” than previous media coverage had suggested.
In interviews with developers and architects, the researchers found these groups appreciated current PD rules because they made the process faster and more cost-effective. Conversely, increased legislation could discourage developers from taking on these projects.
“Requiring higher standards (such as compliance with NDSS) could reduce the number of housing units delivered, particularly in those locations with the most marginal development viability,” said the report.
RIBA said it would be writing to the government to lobby for better space regulations.
“The extension of PD rights is not just damaging – it’s a missed opportunity,” said Jones.
“There are fantastic examples of high quality, low cost, sustainable developments across the UK, like the 2019 Stirling Prize-winning Goldsmith Street – but to ensure these become the norm we need changes to the tax and funding systems to incentivise investment in sustainable buildings alongside minimum space and environmental standards.”
A new material called Proteus made from “ceramic spheres embedded in a cellular structure made of metallic foam” that’s believed to be uncuttable could revolutionize security. Inspired by abalone shells—which are composed of an essentially weak material that’s arranged in a manner that makes the shells super-strong—Proteus may be used in various ways, from bank vault doors to bike locks. After being tested with angle-grinders, water jets, drills and other tools, Proteus proved itself impenetrable. Fast Company explains, “The ceramic spheres inside the material vibrate so much that it blunts the tool attempting to cut through. As some of the spheres also break apart into small, hard fragments, those pieces act like rough sandpaper, further wearing down the tool.” Read more about this fascinating material and its potential at Fast Company.
The talented painter’s tropical goop benefits three mental health charities
Artist Katherine Bernhardt—whose gestural, colorful and playful pieces feature a cast of nostalgic characters and iconography painted in a deliciously digestible way with drippy paint and broad strokes—teamed up with the Sloomoo Institute to make slime that ultimately benefits mental health organizations. While Gen X may lovingly recall the gooey substance from Nickelodeon shows like You Can’t Do That On Television and Double Dare, it’s had a recent resurgence via Instagram, TikTok and ASMR culture—thanks to the countless iterations possible and its stress-relieving nature.
For the collaboration, Bernhardt incorporates some of her favorite colors and motifs: watermelon slices, half-peeled bananas and fuchsia-hued goop. Dubbed “Hot Summer Sandía,” the slime (available in an edition of 1000) drops at Sloomoo Institute later today and 100% of the proceeds go to charities that focus on mental health: Sad Girls Club, Love is Louder, and NAMI. We spoke with the talented artist ahead of the release.
How did your collaboration with Sloomoo Institute come about?
My son and I were walking down Broadway one day and we saw the Institute. It looked attractive and fascinating, and so we walked inside to check it out. We then realized that Karen [Robinovitz] owned the place—and we knew her already because she’s an art collector. But we initially entered the building entirely by accident because it looked fun!
Can you talk about the everyday objects in your paintings and how you arrive at choosing them?
I tend to choose objects that are basic and essential. I am attracted to overlooked items—but things that we are all familiar with, recognize immediately and use on a daily basis. Toilet paper and cigarettes are classic examples. I also am attracted to painting things that convey a sense of humor. If an item has an interesting formal shape, intriguing curves or an interesting color scheme, it catches my attention too.
You lived in Guatemala for some time. Did the experience of living there affect your artwork and lead you to be inspired to this collaboration?
Guatemala was a wonderful place to spend time. It is colorful, natural, healthy, historical, has great weather and the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming—and many of them are inspirational artisans making amazing objects like huipils. Anyway, a local tienda in Antigua was selling original kinds of homemade helado, including ice cream in the shape of a slice of watermelon on a stick. So I was inspired for the slime project from the design I admired one day as seen in a local natural treat. And because watermelon has always been a theme in my paintings, it fit into this project as it seemed like a natural extension of my artwork.
Did you use paint or markers to make the label for the slime? They are so identifiable as coming from your hand.
I painted them on watercolor paper, but with acrylic paint. They were painted large and then reduced down to the label size.
You mentioned your son has visited Sloomoo. What are his thoughts on sliming?
We have been to Sloomoo tons of times. At the institute we have tried to experience sliming in every way possible. We have had a huge quantity of slime dumped on him. We love the different slime stations, and we have spent time creatively examining their potentials. It’s so fun and creative and artistic how you can custom make your own slime: you get to choose the consistency, the color and the scent so you can make whatever you want. It’s also relaxing and therapeutic to play with slime. Sliming is fun, and Sloomoo is a fun place to hang out. It is located right in the middle of SoHo on Broadway so it’s a convenient spot to go when you are out and about in order to do something totally different for an hour or two.
Your slime, “Hot Summer Sandía,” smells like Hubba Bubba watermelon gum—it instantly transported me to my childhood. Can you talk about nostalgia and your work?
Well, I grew up on Hubba Bubba and tons of other stuff from that era too. I like the ’80s and grew up in the ’80s. I like the aesthetic of the ’80s, and the ’80s thoroughly permeates my work. In a way a lot of my work is about my nostalgia for my childhood, and you could say that my work has certain childlike facets to it too.
What do you have coming up next that we can share with our readers?
I have a show coming up in Borinquen (ie: Puerto Rico) at Embajada opening 8 August. There is another show of my work opening in Margate (England) on 18 September at Carl Freedman, and I am in a group show at K11 in Hong Kong now too.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, companies across the globe have been forced to reflect and rethink how they operate, communicate and trade. As Europe’s lockdowns start to ease, it’s time for brands to review their approach to advertising and marketing, and consider the environmental impact of their creative campaigns.
Many companies are already taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, but one thing that is often overlooked is the impact that the production of advertising content has on the environment. Setting an example for the industry,Vogue Italia recently made a statement about sustainability when it decided not to include photo shoots in its January 2020 issue – highlighting the significant environmental cost associated with globe-trotting fashion photography.
Present-day consumers demand sustainability and want to engage with brands that live up to their environmental promises and policies. This is especially important for younger generations. As Forbes reported in February this year, 93% of Gen-Z believe brands have an obligation to take a stand on environmental issues, and 88% of consumers want brands to help them make a difference by offering more sustainable options.
Visual from Ferrari 488 Spider project, recreated in full CGI by Saddington Baynes’ in-house branch SBLABS
So far, most of the discussion around brands reducing their footprint has focused on transportation methods, shipping and manufacturing. But companies can also make an impact by changing their approach to image creation.
At Saddington Baynes, we set out to compare the differences in environmental impact between the same number of automotive shoot productions versus CGI productions over the course of a year. When considering just the flight emissions of an average crew of ten people travelling from New York to Los Angeles to work on around 22 shoots, the result would be approximately 75 tons of CO2. In comparison, 22 CGI projects per year would generate 33 tons of CO2 emissions (a figure we have calculated by totalling the CO2 generated from using the energy of 100 computers working eight hours a day).
Based on our research, CGI is more than 50% more carbon-efficient – and that’s only when factoring in airline travel. If the creation of prototypes as well as car transport, production vehicle emissions, catering, accommodation and waste are also considered, that percentage difference is even higher.
Traditional advertising photography is constrained by the physical environment, whether it’s a product, a location or a set, with the end result dependent on lighting, weather conditions and other factors. If the product is still under development or hasn’t been manufactured yet, then one – or usually several – physical prototypes will need to be produced, often at great cost and over a long period of time.
Alongside reducing the carbon footprint linked to travel, CGI removes the need to construct and ship physical prototypes or specialist sets, both of which can have a significant impact on the cost and environmental impact of a campaign. And with CGI production making it possible to create photorealistic images using just a computer and 3D software, brands can create impressive artwork without needing to assemble a vast team of people in a far-flung location, something that has become increasingly difficult under social distancing measures.
The use of CGI presents huge opportunities for brands. Automotive companies, for example, can now choose any type of space or location in which to feature their cars, and simply drop in a 3D model of the vehicle. Location images can be gathered using a much smaller crew, who can capture multiple backgrounds and viewpoints in a day. When you add techniques like photogrammetry, this gives the flexibility to use the same environments across different platforms such as AR or VR , and offers, added control over weather conditions, angles, products and scenes.
Image from SBLABS’ self-initiated project, Redefining Beauty, which explores how CGI and VFX can modernise the way beauty is portrayed
There is also a longer-term benefit to CGI. Once brands have created still or motion assets, it is very easy to update and adapt them to suit regional market tastes, without holding a whole new shoot and incurring substantial production costs.
CGI content creation has proven itself to be a powerful tool for not only facilitating and inspiring a broader and more creative array of marketing concepts, but also for developing more efficient campaigns that can be easily customised to different channels, markets and demographics. With absolutely seamless, photorealistic CGI work, marketers can overcome the need to shoot with a physical prototype, which increases time to market, and ramps up the cost of producing a campaign. The US car brand Lincoln has been creating computer-generated images for several years now, and cosmetics brand Jo Malone has switched from photography to CGI to showcase its product ranges around the world.
Saddington Baynes has been creating a range of computer-generated imagery for cosmetics brand Jo Malone London
Advancements in CGI have also made it possible to create campaigns featuring realistic digital humans. Over the past few years, advertisers and film companies have digitally aged and revived celebrities ranging from Audrey Hepburn to Robert De Niro using hi-res photo scanning and digital imagery. While this is still an expensive and time-consuming process, it can be useful when working with celebrities who have limited availability, allowing brands to reuse or relight their image without having them present.
CGI offers a chance for brands to go beyond what is possible in physical shoots. You can design your own locations and sets, play with light in ways, and even construct alternate realities. But to make the most of CGI, brands need to be aware of what’s possible. Companies often create concepts from a position of current knowledge, but speaking to experts before devising a campaign can lead to more exciting and innovative ideas.
A computer-generated imagery of luxury watch brand Panerai
Specialist studios know what CGI can offer, and can provide fresh new ways to approach a brief. CGI is a versatile production process that can adapt to any visual approach, whether it’s fully illustrative, photo-realistic – or anywhere in between. The beauty of the process is that concepts can be created and modified as quickly as pitch visuals, and both the technical and creative aspects can be explored before showing concepts to a client for the first time.
As we move towards renewable sources of energy for electricity, and computers become faster and more power-efficient, the gap between the environmental impact of digitally produced images and a traditional shoot will only become larger. So, as countries open their borders and airports welcome travellers, it’s important that brands don’t revert to old habits. Virtual conferences, meetings and shoots are the future. So it’s time brands embraced their potential.
Saddington Baynes is an award-winning integrated production studio, creating visual content for broadcast, print and digital advertising for the UK, USA & Europe; saddingtonbaynes.com
Sitting at home for months has pushed many of us to make more content than usual – it could be as simple as making banana bread (and posting it without an overused joke) or starting your own podcast, content creation has knowingly or unknowingly become a bigger part of our lives. We have also quickly learned one of the most important parts of making good content is lighting, even if you are just someone who takes selfies you know lighting is EVERYTHING. Quarantine means we can’t just go out and catch the golden hour as carelessly as we did, so we have the next best thing that will make life easier and your content more ‘lit’ – the BIGSOFTI portable soft-light!
You don’t need a huge ring light with a stand or an expensive studio lighting set up to get the perfect shot. Designed by Australian film professionals, BIGSOFTI provides high-quality lighting anywhere, on any device. It is a mobile, high quality, bi-colour LED soft panel that delivers stunning diffused lighting for better photos, videos, and video calls across all your devices. It fits devices both with or without cases thanks to the bowed flex of the universal clip and the over-molded rubber edges that give additional grip without any scratches. The accessories are easy to swap in and out with a simple sliding mechanism, no screws or tools involved. BIGSOFTI (like the name suggests) is a soft light that mimics the one used by cinematographers for professional shots. Soft light is preferred when shooting beauty shots of people because it evens out skin tone and diffuses any hard shadows, making bumps and creases disappear.
BIGSOFTI comes with a universal clip that fits all leading smartphone, tablet and laptop brands. It also has a shoe mount with 1/4″-20 thread to fit all cameras, tripods and light stands. And lastly, if your needs revolve around webinars and zoom calls, then this handy light also has a 3M Adhesive Mount for computer monitors and other general surfaces. You won’t need two hands to hold your device because the light only weighs 75 grams which makes it portable without strain. Control your lighting angle by up to 45 degrees with the rotating barrel connector built into all accessory mounts. BIGSOFTI runs for 95 minutes at maximum brightness in one charge – portable AND powerful! Good lighting not only makes for the best selfies (hello quarantine dating) but it also makes you and your content look more professional. Be it for personal needs like a FaceTime/Zoom calls or for your videos YouTube/TikTok/Instagram; if they look better and you go viral, you will be thankful to BIGSOFTI!
BIGSOFTI is meant for everyone right from beginners to professionals. I mean take it from the big names in the game, Australian DOP Peter Eastgate ACS (Netflix “GO”) was using BIGSOFTI as an eye light on a recent FOXTEL TV commercial. Built with high CRI, photography grade, LED technology, it has 3 color settings for you to choose from – Tungsten, Daylight, and Clean White. It has 2 simple capacitive touch controller buttons that let you choose between 9 different light settings – selecting the right color and adjusting the brightness according to your environment. “Match the lighting in your surroundings with the variable color temperatures. Cooler daylight for scenes lit by the sun. Tungsten for indoors with warmer light globes. Clean White for when there is a mix in the scene or those times when you’re not quite sure,” advises the team. Since it’s super lightweight, it makes it easy to balance on a gimbal which is an arm workout in itself. Whether you’re a cinematographer on an Arri Alexa or an influencer shooting content on your iPhone – BIGSOFTI will help brighten up your frames even without the golden hour light. This really is your time to shine – literally and figuratively, so win half that battle with good lighting.
Designers: Al Morrow & VERT Design (Andrew Simpson, Charlie Payne and Tyran Lechner)
BIGSOFTI – A Portable Soft-light for Better Photos & Video
BIGSOFTI is a mobile, bi-colour LED soft panel that delivers diffused lighting for better photos, videos and video calls on all your devices (phones, tablets, laptops, cameras & more).
Before & After
Shot on iPhone X with front-facing camera. The big light wraps gently around features on the face, and a soft light evens out skin tone and diffuses any hard shadows – so bumps and creases disappear.
Shot on iPhone X with front-facing camera.
Shot on iPhone X.
Look your best on video calls. Good lighting helps you standout and look more professional.
For Any Level of Photographer
Do you shoot handheld on a gimbal? They can be tough to balance. BIGSOFTI weighs just 74 grams (2.6 oz) – it’s so lightweight, you’ll hardly feel it.
Aussie DOP Peter Eastgate ACS (Netflix “GO”) on a recent FOXTEL TV commercial using BIGSOFTI as an eye light.
Whether you’re a cinematographer on an influencer shooting content on your iPhone – BIGSOFTI will help brighten up your frames.
How to Use BIGSOFTI
Simple 2 button function – for a combination of 9 different light settings:
Button 1 – Power On & Brightness Adjust – LOW – MID – MAX. Button 2 – 3 Colour Temperature Setting – DAYLIGHT – CLEAN WHITE – TUNGSTEN.
Match the lighting in your surroundings with the variable color temperatures. Cooler daylight for scenes lit by the sun. Tungsten for indoors with warmer light globes. Clean White for when there is a mix in the scene, or those times when you’re not quite sure.
Control your lighting angle by up to 45 degrees with the rotating barrel connector built into all accessory mounts.
Easy to Use Anywhere
Easily attaches to mobiles in seconds via the bowed flex of the universal clip. Over-molded rubber edges for great grip that will never scratch your devices.
The design of the Universal Clip has been created to fit phones both with cases and those without. Flexible and resilient to fit all leading smartphone, tablets and laptops.
Cutout designed into Universal clip allows BIGSOFTI to be simply placed directly above the webcam on laptops – for even, front lighting.
Cold-shoe attachment designed to fit traditional cameras. Plus 1/4″ 20 thread mount in base allows for use on tripods and light stands.
The Autonomous LDR came about as an idea to Luke Mastrangelo during the quarantine. Over the following days and weeks, Mastrangelo fleshed out his idea for an enclosed, safe, self-driving two-wheeler and the Autonomous LDR was born. Designed to be as comfortable as a car but as compact as a motorbike, the Autonomous LDR comes with an enclosed cockpit between two wheels… sort of like a Tron Light-Cycle for current times.
The Autonomous LDR (Long Distance Rover) seats one person inside its spacious cockpit, providing enough leg-room for a comfortable journey. “LDRs use a vision system of front and rear-mounted long-range and wide-angle cameras, radar, as well as circumferential proximity sensors to navigate road conditions and traffic”, says designer Mastrangelo. Designed to be less of a sporty, in-your-face two-wheeler, the Autonomous LDR assumes a slick, cocoon-like design with a matte finish, balancing a modern aesthetic with a design that feels safe, secure, and doesn’t scream for attention – it just gets you safely and efficiently from A to B while looking pretty classy.
Natural colours and beach textures from a Canadian surf town informed the design of this Vancouverrestaurant by local studio September.
Kit’s Burrito Bar is located on West 4th Street in the city’s Kitsilano neighbourhood. It is the latest outpost of Tacofino, a Mexican restaurant that serves tacos and burritos in a Californian style.
September took cues from the “natural features” of Tofino, a small beachside town on the coast of Vancouver Island to outfit the 2,000 square foot (185.8-square-metre) space.
“The client had requested a fresh space that made reference to Tofino, the Canadian Surf town where the clients live and started the business,” the studio said.
“To do this we focused on using the minimal amount of materials necessary to make reference to the natural features the area is known for.”
Exposed electrical wiring is strung across the white ceilings and walls in patterns intended to mimic the shape of ocean waves. Streaks of green paint curve up the walls in similar shapes.
A banquette constructed with pale green cedar slats wraps around the water tap to form a wall of seating. The sculptural paneling also hangs above the all-black service counter fronted with black rocks and is used at the check-in desk at the entrance.
To accent the plain walls and the black furnishings the earthy colour is also used on the countertop, bathroom door and bathroom wall.
Each of the rectangular dining tables is topped with black and white beach stone terrazzo slabs designed in collaboration with a local artist. Black chairs with slender wire backs from Afteroom Studio are arranged around the tables.
Asymmetrical menu boards with black text display the eatery’s offerings. In the bathroom, an irregular, oval-shaped mirror by local designer Kate Richard attaches to the vibrant green wall.
“References to water and natural forms appear in the wall menu, ovoid mirrors, custom beach stone tabletops, and artwork,” the studio added.
To brighten the dark restaurant, which is situated partially below grade, a series of bulbs attached to the round sockets fasten to the curving electrical conduit that meanders throughout the space.
September is a residential and hospitality design firm led by Brendan Callander and Shiloh Sukkau.
The Royal College of Art and OPPO have teamed up with Dezeen to host a live panel discussion about how design students from the RCA are making technology more human. Tune in from 4:00pm UK time.
Technology brand OPPO has collaborated with students from the RCA’s Design Products MA programme on an exhibition of projects that explore how technology can be further integrated into everyday life.
Responding to the exhibition’s theme of “Humanising Technology”, students worked closely with OPPO London Design Centre, the brand’s design hub, to develop projects that allow technology to “flow seamlessly into one’s life”.
RCA students responded to the brief of Humanising Technology with projects such as Eric Saldanha’s clothes hanger that cleans garments using a UV light
“It is an opportunity to explore, question, and analyse technology to make it more human, familiar, comfortable, and intimate, through developing people-centric designs and products,” explained Jintong Zhu, head of the OPPO London Design Centre.
Moderated by Alon Meron, Design Products tutor at the RCA, the panel will discuss the philosophy behind the brief and the benefits of technology brands and the educational sector collaborating to push the limits of design.
Panellists will include Paul Anderson, dean of the RCA’s School of Design and Ashley Hall, professor of Design Innovation and head of postgraduate research at the RCA’s School of Design.
Matthieu Muller’s project aims to introduce technology as a means for children to express themselves creatively
Also on the panel is Zhu who is an RCA School of Design alumni, and Roberto Ruffoni, design research manager at the OPPO London Design Centre.
Matthieu Muller, a graduate of the Design Products postgraduate course this year, also joins the panel, as well as Anne-Marie Heck, who graduated from the programme in 2019 and took part in the first collaboration between the RCA and OPPO.
This is the second year that OPPO has collaborated with students from the Design Products masters programme.
Lilin Jiao’s project imagines that your phone can harvest energy from other electronic appliances in your home
The first collaboration saw the students’ work exhibited in the Ventura Future exhibition during Milan design week 2019, which led to Heck being offered an internship at the OPPO London Design Centre.
Projects from this year collaboration include a clothes hanger by Eric Saldanha, that uses UV light to clean and kill any secondary bacteria left on garments.
Among other projects in the exhibition is Animate by Matthieu Muller, a set of electronic building blocks that allow children to create moving objects and figures and aims to introduce technology as a tool for self-expression.
Also in the show is Nect by Lilin Jiao, a conceptual project that imagines how groups of home appliances could form electronic networks that can be used to charge other devices like mobile phones.
The projects designed by the students are included in RCA2020, the Royal College of Art’s graduate show which was brought online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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