Cups, Pots, and Lamps
Part of my Doctoral Reserach, the intention of this study was to challenge the often homogeneous nature of designed artefacts I encountered during a year-long ethnography in care homes, giving residents the opportunity to creatively impact the environment through choice and personalisation with a focus on exploring form to design their own custom Cups, Pots, and Lamps through artful asthetic experiences, with a focus on the moment of making over the final artefact itself.
[1] Cups
Designed for use by residents in care homes who are living with dementia, in this activity users can design a cup by pairing up cup-bodies with cup-handles. Finished cups are slip cast from 3D-printed forms, in porcelain.
The Cups activity is simple, and can be completed in seconds or incorporated into a longer creative process through imagination, storytelling, exploration, decoration and giving. The finished porcelain pieces generated from this study were made by London-based ceramicist and mould-maker Bridgette Chan.
Magnetic Cup Bodies and Handles can be paired together
Pieces are presented as an activity in a handmade case
Betty's finshed design. Final Cups are 3D printed and slip cast in Porcelain.
[2] Pots
Designed for People with Dementia living in residential care homes as part of my PhD research. Users can design plant pots by arranging paper shapes to form their unique outside shape. Plant pot designs are manufactured in Jesmointe after being 3D printed.
Sheets of paper and images of plants are arranged on a lightbox to outline Residents' design ideas.
Poppy's Pot design. Finished artefact is moulded from Jesmonite in a 3D printed form.
[3] Lamps
Users can design the body of a lamp, by building up disks on the holder. Finished lamps are manufactured in Jesmointe.
Pieces are staked-up on a stand to bring Residents' designs to life.
Pieces are presented on a board, as a group activity.
3 Final Lamps. Jesmonite, from 3D Printed forms. Designed by Betty, Alice, and Poppy.
The study is detailed in Chapter 6 of my PhD thesis:
Product Design to support Creative Ageing for People with Dementia: A Practice-Based Inquiry Collingham, H., 2021. (PhD Thesis, Northumbria University)
Research funded by AHRC