New Projects

Check out new projects from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Core77

CUWA Catch Up with Acronyms

CUWA is a series of white Corian rings that act as stamps. The ink is completely invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions but glows when viewed under UV light.  The imprinted messages are directly inspired from the widespread use of acronyms and the abbreviated language used in conversations that happen over the Internet and through text messages.

SYMBIO 

Symbio introduces living plants into homes to help remove chemical pollutants. It expresses the restorative capabilities of nature and acknowledges that humans and natural systems are one. This informative project nurtures our sense of caring for a living plant and encourages more sustainable behaviors.

More photos of Symbio and CUWA will follow as I update my website. Stay connected.

 Karma 

Corian, an amazing material

My teacher, Jim Termeer, cleaning laser cut corian with toothpaste and a toothbrush.
It worked.

Studio Life

Spring is stressful for everyone ...
This is how my desk looks like right now at the studio !

Thesis Progress_Transforming a Plastic Cup

Today, I slightly modified a clear Ikea Plastic cup so it will serve both humans and plants.


Check out the process.

Karma

Spider Mites Season

Be careful English Ivy owners.
This is the season of spider mites.
My English Ivy was killed within a couple of days!
The way to prevent this invasion from happening is to routinely inspect for mites with a 10x magnifier and to wash the plant off before the mites have their way.

Laser Cutting Corian

Corian is a product produced and distributed by DuPont worldwide.
I am using it to execute one of my projects at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
This photo shows the laser cutter at our facility engraving and cutting the material.

What is Design?

This is a photo of the brainstorming and mind mapping we did this morning at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during "Design Ecologies", a class led by Visiting lecturer and designer Adam Kallish. Today's special guest was Nate Burgos from designfeast.
The discussion was focused, intense and purposeful.

Home Habits_Some User Research Results

Again, the point of my research is to understand a bit better how people behave within the home.

Following are some answers I gathered from women:

.Lipstick:
Before going out, not too many women worry about lipstick.
One person said that she would wear lipstick more often if she knew for sure that it prevented wrinkles.
.Home Keys:
Home keys are often placed in the foyer of the house especially if they are shared with another person.
The people who are most careful about where the keys go are the ones who are worried about causing a fight with their partner if the keys get misplaced.
.Charging the Mobile Phone:
Most women charge their phone in the same location everyday.
Some make sure that the phone is placed away from where they spend most of their time, away from the beds and away from the kids
.Others charge their phone everywhere and anywhere within the home.

Symbio_User Research

The point of the following questions is to understand a bit better the daily habits of people.
I am thinking that if I design structures that can hold houseplants and accommodate for the habits of the humans who live within the home, I could then create a domain within which both humans and plants could co-exist.

Here is a series of questions addressed to male bloggers:

1.a. do you wear a tie to work?
1.b. if yes, do you fix your tie while being in a standing position or while sitting down?
1.c. do you fix your tie just before you go out or while you are getting dressed?
1.d. do you need a mirror to fix your tie?

2.a. do you charge your mobile in the same location everyday?
2.b. if yes, where?
2.c. how many times did you forget your mobile at home?

3. what is your most important daily ritual within the home?
eg: watching TV, drinking your morning coffee, charging your mobile

4. where do you place/hide your most valuable letter/ precious memory?

5. do you pay your bills digitally or with checks?

6. do you like having photos within the home?

7. if you take daily medication, where do u keep the pills within the home?


Karma

My Thesis Research

I am calling my graduating thesis project Symbio because it aims to create a symbiotic relationship between humans and plants.

The following paragraph will explain in a few words how my thesis came to be and what it is about:

Symbio is a project that introduces living plants into homes and offices to help remove chemical pollutants. It expresses the restorative capabilities of nature and acknowledges that humans and natural systems are one. The challenge resides in creating an informative product that nurtures our sense of caring for a living plant with the goal of encouraging more sustainable behaviors.
Symbio offers a series of structures that bring together and accommodate for both humans’ and plants’ needs. The project touches on issues of ethical design and presents a setup where nature and mankind interact.

A couple of questions for the female bloggers:

1-do you wear lipstick before going out the door every day?
2-if yes: would you need a mirror for that?
3-Is there a specific spot in the house where u place your home keys?
4-Is there a specific spot in the house where u charge your mobile?

i will post photos of my first prototypes as soon as they are ready (soon I hope)

Karma

Ivy brown leaf tips

Is there a way to prevent ivy leaves from getting brown tips?

My plant was never placed in direct sunlight

I am careful not to overwater or underwater the plant 

I am also misting the leaves on regular basis 

What I am doing wrong?