The Shoe Reform workshop, led by designer Michel Charlot and Siddhartha Berns, representative of AddiPole — a hub for reverse engineering and additive manufacturing — brought students together for an innovative exploration of 3D scanning technologies, in collaboration with Technopôle Sainte-Croix.
Workshop (2023) with Michel Charlot, Siddartha Berns
Over the course of a week, participants worked in pairs to reinvent existing footwear using CREAFORM 3D scanners. Starting from physical shoe models, students engaged in reverse engineering, digital modeling, and the creation of new concepts blending function and formal expression.
Using 3D scanning, they were able to capture the precise shape and texture of existing shoes and turn them into editable digital models. Some participants added ergonomic elements, while others redesigned the structure to explore new aesthetics or functions. This hands-on process allowed for a high degree of creative freedom in customization, rapid prototyping, and iterative design development.
Titled TECHNO WORKSHOPS, a series of workshops explored the creative potential of different technologies in the context of industrial design. Students were able to discover Additive Manufacturing with Rapid Liquid Print, Artificial Intelligence with the EPFL+ECAL Lab, and 3D Scanning with Michel Charlot and the Technopôle Sainte-Croix. These workshops gave them the opportunity to experiment with and reflect on the potential of such technologies, and to envision how they can be integrated into the design process — from early ideation and exploration to the tangible realization of objects and concepts.
Project
Project
BA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
with Philippe Malouin
In collaboration with the renowned cutlery brand, students from the Bachelor in Industrial Design drew inspiration from the iconic Swiss Army Knife to create original and innovative concepts.
BA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
with Elric Petit
Newspaper is an industrial design project whose objective is to enable a personal stance on a topic of one’s choice. The project is based on an article taken from a newspaper or a specialized magazine, used as a conceptual and critical starting point. Through the analysis, interpretation, and translation of this written content, the project invites the development of a design reflection, questioning the issues, forms, and uses related to the chosen theme.
BA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
with Adrien Rovero
Museum Trail is a project that explores Swiss museums in all their diversity. Rather than focusing solely on the large, well-visited institutions, the project explores what the term "museum" means today in a country that is home to over a thousand museums, one of the highest densities in the world.
BA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
by Abla Bolassi Owoussi
Mira is an interior lamp that explores modularity through a pulley system that allows for adjusting light intensity. The lampshade, made of veneer, subtly transforms depending on the position of the mechanism, playing on both light and shape. This project reflects a need for flexibility in the domestic space and reflects a personal research on the evolving object, halfway between discreet technicality and poetic expression of the material.
BA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
by Alexandre Li
Sport has become a key social driver in today’s society, with more and more city dwellers gathering downtown to practice together. Diego is an urban furniture concept designed to tap into this dynamic by bringing football back into the heart of the city. Designed for underused public squares and parks, this project invites people to come together and share public space through sport. With a simple tilt, Diego transforms from a bench into a football goal. Thanks to integrated wheels, it can be easily moved and rearranged to suit the users’ needs. A single module invites spontaneous play, while several combined form a real pitch with goals at each end and seatings for spectators on the side.