a portfolio of design

contentsphilosophy

product designproduct design :fashion

environmental designretail design

words

“growing up, I had two favorite toys -- a box of Lego’s and a drawer full of Barbie clothes.

today, design is my passion and fashion is my greatest interest. ”

Design enhances l i ves . H is l i fe . Her l i fe . My l i fe . Your l i fe . And our l i ves have changed.

Gone are the days where we walk through the front door, put our umbrellas in the umbrella stand, our coat on the coat rack, and our briefcase on the floor between the umbrella stand and the coat rack. Contemporary culture is represented by an active, on-the-go lifestyle. We like the option of wearing a different coat everyday, matching our handbag to our shoes that go with the outfit we bought for that job interview, and very rarely do we leave our work at the office.

As our modern lives have changed to reflect dynamic human behavior, so should the way we interact with our everyday products and environ-ments. To think linearly, we all know that the one-hundredth collision between your right hip and the console table can highlight the frustration of two-hour stint in traffic. Just as this experience can escalate our current emotions, a more favorable interaction with our everyday objects and spaces may ease our emotions while simultaneously creating attachments to those products as they adapt to the nuances of our modern lives.

My portfolio work has teetered between interior architectural design and product design, with a common element of modularity. I’ve chosen the concept of modularity as it demands at least some level of interaction. These kind of interactive experiences foster meaningful relationships be-tween users and products and like any relationship, user-product relationships need to allow for growth and change and the modular elements of a design allow that to happen. The more that relationship becomes dependable and reasonably flexible, the more value we place upon it and the products, in effect, become more sustainable. As the relationship grows, an inevitable emotional attachment develops and users are less likely to discard the item for a newer, trendier version, prolonging, if not saving, the object from obsolescence. While sustainability in design is reliant upon responsible material choices and manufacturing processes, I believe that it is the alternative initiatives for sustainability that will reach the broadest audience, and will ultimately become a realistic answer to the environmental consequences of a consumer society.

product design: domesticarco mailbox

modules wall tiles

slide modular storage

vigne vases

product: arco mailboxdimensions: 10”w x 48”d x 30”h

material: stainless steel, plastic

product: modules wall tiles

dimensions: 7”w x 6”d x 7”h

material: recycled cardboard

research

presentat ion

The study of modular storage...leads to the study of pattern...leads to the study of pattern and function in pursuit of interaction.

design

Sketched curves and extruded forms merge when cylindrical tubes are cut along a single curved plane in numerous study models.

modules

Modules are produced using an extrusion process. A die is made with the face of the desired number of conjoined circles. The material is pressed through the die producing lengths of the form restricted only by the size of the manu-facturing facility. The extrusions are then cut to 6” lengths. Finally, the cubes are cut along a curved plane creating one convex tile and one concave tile producing a single set of Modules.

produce

product: modules

prototype: pvc tubing product: modules

product: slide modular storage

panel: baltic birch ply, formica laminate

18”w x 1”d x 24”h

components: heat bent, laser cut acrylic

14”w x 5”d x 13”h

The slide modular storage system is designed for interaction. The wall mounted systems adapts to any

environment with interchangeable components that function both as storage and display. The laminated

panel simply screws into any wall and the components can be paired to suit the individuals preferences,

behaviors, or lifestyle. The interchangeable components are made of laser cut, heat bent acrylic that Slide

effortlessly into the wall panel. Designed for simplicity and function the slide modular storage system

makes any environment more personal and attuned to the individual needs of the user.

Sli

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Mod

ular

Sto

rage

design

RESEARCH

Components: Wine Rack Light Magazine Rack DVD Rack Bud Vase Stem Ware Rack

Panel:

presentat ion product: s l ide

prototype: mdf, acryl ic product: s l ide

product: vigne vasesdimensions: 1.5”w x 1.5”d x 7”h

material: anodized aluminum

product design: fashiona woven scarf

elle evening bag

fashion: a woven scarfdimensions: 84”w x .235”d x 4.5”h

material: die cut wool, embroidery floss

a woven s c a r f

a woven scarf is casual and modern, fashionable in its own right. Designed for simplicity, of production, of wear, and of handle, a woven scarf brings fashion to another level. A more personal level. A more sustain-able level.

In our increasingly eco-conscious culture, fashion can no longer be dependent on seasonal trends and the hottest new designer. a woven scarf challenges the idea of a seasonal garment by incorporating itself into a user’s existing wardrobe while affording more than just neckwear. Wear it alone or in multiples as a graphic fashion accessory, or weave your grandmother’s hand-knit scarf into a woven scarf for added warmth and a modern juxtaposition of old and new.

available colors: die cut wool, embroidery floss

presentat ion fashion: a woven scarf

research fashion: a woven scarf

sketch/ ideat ion fashion: a woven scarf

sketch/ ideat ion fashion: a woven scarf

fashion: a woven scarfproduct l ine: sold at handmade art fa i rs and onl ine at etsy.com

modules wall t i les as a retai l d isplay for a woven scarf .DeVos Gal lery. Marquette, Michigan. Apr i l 16 - May 2, 2008.

fashion: a woven scarf

product and packaging fashion: a woven scarf

fashion: elle evening bag

dimensions: 14”w x 1”d x 6”h

material: panel, 3d printed abs plastic

shell, molded leather

A night out.. crowded bars, loud music, and the min-gling of public and private space. And we do it in 4 inch heels, carrying a cosmopolitan and a purse containing all of our essentials for the night.

As individuals, we have our own ideas of personal style, and within that single notion is a range of styles relative the social environment. Jeans and a T-shirt at a dive bar, a chic cocktail dress at the opening of the new-est downtown restaurant. But our essentials remain. The mass customizing capabilities of the Elle bag chal-lenges users to thoughtfully consider their lifestyle and actions while making their individual design choices by committing to products that are normally driven by changing trends and brand names. Just as our thoughts and actions are divided by the hemispheres of our brain into left and right “brained” decisions, so to is our interaction with the Elle Bag. The two hemispheres of the evening bag separate our ac-tions into those of a logical and personal nature, which is further indicated by the different colored interior pan-els. User product interaction, becomes second nature, thus allowing full awareness of present thoughts and actions.

lle evening bag E

Step 1: Select your essen-tials.

Cab Fare Credit Card Cell Phone Lipstick Personal Space

Users selected entries are used to determine structure and layout

of interior panels.

presentat ion fashion: e l le

concept evolut ion through sketch models fashion: e l le

elle evening bag: exploded viewa: exterior shell, leftb: interior panel, leftc: removable mirrord: interior panel, righte: exterior shell, leftf: pivot pins

a

b

d

f

c

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technical drawing fashion: e l le

prototype: high densi ty model ing foam 3d pr inted abs plast ic

fashion: e l le

environmental designfusion outdoor table

modular interiors public seating

environments: modular interiors public seating

dimensions: bench, 7’w x 3’d x 3’h

chair, 3’w x 3’d x 3’h

material: plastic

Modular InteriorsP u b l i c S e a t i n g

Each piece of a Modular Interiors environment stands alone on a single platform, giving the user the choice to

use it on its own, or connect it to other components to cre-ate a private environment within a larger, often impersonal

public space.

Inspired by a remote control, the form of this piece came from the layer of remote control buttons held within. A single

surface of rubber molded into a pattern of geometric shapes. Each button serves a different purpose in the entertaining

experience, just as each piece of the Modular Interiors group serves a different function within it’s environment. The con-cept of the piece, it’s modularity, was derived from the pos-

sessor of the remote control’s desire and ability to control their environment with ease, comfort, and convenience.

environments: modular inter iorspresentat ion

sketch/ ideat ion environments: modular inter iors

environments: modular inter iorsprototype: high densi ty model l ing foam 1” = 1’-0”

environments: modular inter iorsprototype: high densi ty model l ing foam 1” = 1’-0”

environments: fusion outdoor tabledimensions: 7’w x 7’d x 2.5’h

material: corian

retail designelan retail storage and display

v.i.p. retail fixtures

retail: elan storage and display

dimensions: 2.5’w x 3’d x 6’h

material: acrylic, stainless steel

elan

A retail shopper is seduced by a window display featuring the season’s latest fashions. The window display exhibits a clean presentation of product, but in the retail space, she struggles to locate the items on cluttered store floors. The Elan Storage and Display system eliminates this stress, creating an environ-ment within the store that is as clean and alluring as the storefront.

Inspired by the concept of window shopping, the Elan Storage and Display system, provides an interesting view of product, and semantic solution to stor-age. Stylized silhouettes of clothing items mark both the front and back of each unit providing the consumer with clear indication of the contents of each unit. Searching for the perfect top becomes as carefree as window shopping

elan retail storage. storage meets display. display meets fashion.

presentat ion retai l : e lan

elanOf a distinctive style.

prototype: acryl ic, a luminum 1” = 1’-0”

retai l : e lan

retail: v.i.p retail fixtures

dimensions: 14”w x 5” x 6”h

material: anodized aluminum

Fashion is an outward expression of the self. With that defini-tion, and the uniqueness that is human personality and behav-ior, no two persons will have the same sense of style. Similar tastes, undoubtedly, but never the same idea of personal ex-pression. Cluttered racks of identical garments in retail stores do no justice to such expression of the self. The VIP storage and display fixture, conversely, highlights this concept.

Each ergonomically designed fixture holds only four identical garments. A computer- chip is installed in each fixture indicat-ing the current inventory for the featured product. Consumers are able to immediately recognize value in the products, value that is inherent, not merely marked by a particular brand.

V I P retai l f ix turesalue n roduct

presentat ion retai l : v. i .p.

render retai l : v. i .p.