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PRODUCT DESIGN

Fogo Island Plastic Free Kites

with Camille Blin, Maxwell Ashford, Anthony Guex, Anniina Koivu

Fogo, nicknamed ‘a rock in the ocean’ is a small island situated off Newfoundland, Canada. As a part of a larger on-going semester project, 2nd Year Master Product Design students of ECAL, completed a short, fun, few day workshop, utilising one of the most abundant resources on the island - wind. Working in collaboration with the ShoreFast Foundation - an organisation working in numerous avenues to create a sustainable economy on the island, students developed plastic free kites. Fogo Island has the intention of becoming completely plastic free in the coming years and as their tourist numbers increase memorabilia of this special place are in higher demand. The developed kites are therefore to be made on the island and intended for the Fogo Island Workshop gift shop. Using Birch Wood, Ripstop Organic Cotton and hemp fibre string the students created a range of designs, taking reference from the unique features of the island.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x On 2040

with Christophe Guberan

Master Product Design students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have created, in collaboration with Swiss brand On Running, shoe soles of the future. Under the guidance of Christophe Guberan, guest designer of MA Product Design and support of Thilo Alex Brunner, head of design at On, students explored within the context of the year 2040, concept shoe soles. The outcomes range from exploring the use of new materials and processes, to reinterpreting and re-contextualising common place aspects of todays world, all with a focus on future performance. A select number of the designs were developed into elaborate prototypes and exhibited at On’s new headquarters in Zurich in collaboration with works from other ECAL MA’s photography and Type Design.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ON 2040 - MASTER PRODUCT DESIGN

with Christophe Guberan, Camille Blin

Following a collaboration with the Swiss avant-garde brand On, ECAL is proud to present the interdisciplinary work carried out jointly by the 2nd year students of the Product Design, Photography and Type Design Masters.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Ecal×Yamaha Sound Machines

with Camille Blin

Master Product Design students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have created, in collaboration with Japanese brand Yamaha and its Design Laboratory, new types of music players in order to meet new requirements related to listening to music. Under the guidance of Camille Blin, Head of the project, the students first investigated and documented different contemporary processes and ways of listening to music, specifically through photographs and videos. The aim was to create a cartography of these practises. In a second step, they transcribed and applied these findings to new music playback devices – relevance and innovation being essential in this phase of the project. Finally, with the help of specialists from the Yamaha Design Laboratory based in Hamamatsu (Japan) and Los Angeles (USA), they developed the formal and technical qualities of their initial concepts into prototypes. Six projects were finalised, with great attention to details and materials, which are now presented thanks to a scenography by Anthony Guex. Hence, the exhibition features a music player that offers musicians a new way to practise their instruments using artificial intelligence; an installation that responds to the growing demand for live concerts at home by using a combination of sound and light to mimic a real concert environment; ASMR instruments that offer listeners a soothing moment by playing the sounds of relaxing movements; a home speaker that allows for a smoother transition between the different music players commonly used in the home; a player that offers an unexpected experience by displaying the rotation of a vinyl record vertically on a pedestal, and a speaker that allows people to listen to their music using their favourite objects as a trigger.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Ecal×Mini Rethinking the Wheel

with Christophe Guberan

"Rethinking the Wheel" – a series of projets on steering wheels. Will we be controlling our cars through voice recognition in future? With a soft toy? How about a pizza box? The digital transformation and electrification of cars has opened up a world of possibilities at the wheel. MINI’s design team and ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have collaborated closely on a sophisticated design study to develop unexpected ideas for the future of steering wheels. Under the direction of ECAL tutors Camille Blin and Christophe Guberan, Master students in Product Design have addressed the topic and come up with spectacular designs, developing, improving and ultimately achieving their vision in ongoing consultation with Christian Bauer, Head of Interior Design at MINI. The result: nine innovative and surprising designs that question existing shapes and materials – and, as such, the way in which we might interact with our cars in the future – with a lot of creativity.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x RBM by Flokk: The Future of School Seating

with Camille Blin

Innovative architecture, technology and design are shaping the future of education, challenging the norms for those creating learning spaces more than ever before. Danish furniture manufacturers RBM by Flokk have embarked on a semester-long design project with students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne (Switzerland). “What a great challenge for the students to collaborate with an important brand in order to create future experiences based on their experiences from the past! Back to school and to the future!” says Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL. Based around the title, The Future of School Seating, the 1st year Master Product Design students worked with course leader and designer Camille Blin, assisted by Margo Clavier, to explore alternatives to today’s traditional school chair, specifically for children aged 6–12. “We tasked the students at ECAL to reimagine traditional school chairs and to design a product that fits seamlessly into the operating culture of future learning environments. We know that ways of teaching and learning are more diverse than ever before and we are excited to show off some great concepts from the ECAL 1st year Master Product Design students – the next generation of super talented designers,” explains .ystein Austad, Design Manager, RBM by Flokk. Located inside Konstnärshuset, a stunning and historical art gallery based in Central Stockholm,Education Reimagined invites visitors to experience an interactive exhibition of inspiring concepts presented by the students themselves. Visitors to Stockholm Design week can enjoy a fascinating glimpse into how young designers envision education spaces of the future.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Lausanne Jardins 2019

with Wieki Somers

From 15 June to 12 October at Lausanne Jardins 2019, discover some thirty gardens, including three projects created by ECAL Product Design Master students following a workshop with the Dutch designer Wieki Somers . The three projects presented on the Terrasse de Bellefontaine are: Le Point (Timothée Mion, Fabien Roy, Leonardo Vianello):  Perched atop the roof of a car park above the level of the street, The Bellefontaine terrace is inconspicuous and little-used. To attract the attention and incite passers-by to discover this hidden garden, a sail unfolds every time the car park’s air vent is activated, like a landmark up in the sky. The blast that comes from the bowels of the earth propels the piece of fabric that twirls around in the wind. Air is the invisible link between all the layers of this place and Le Point makes it visible. The Nocturnal Garden (Jeffery Lambert, Lorenz Noelle, Mathilde Lafaille):  Sculptures during the day, stage directors at night: a series of lampshades bring the Bellefontaine terrace to life as night falls. They transform the park, diverting the rays of existing lights onto natural elements for a new experience of the garden. Each reflector creates little scenes with a dramatic interplay between light and nature that varies according to the wind and the rain. Entrance (Samuel Lodetti, Benjamin Bichsel, Jingxiang Zhang):  There is something fascinating about gazing into water. Through the transparency of this element, hidden worlds appear and one can get lost in their infinity. Entrance plays on this fascination. Thanks to an optical effect, the park is connected to the various levels of the car park. The small fountain transforms into a bottomless abyss of stratified storeys, and visitors are invited to dive into this endless world. https://lausannejardins.ch/en/

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL + Foscarini

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

In partnership with the Italian lighting company Foscarini, ECAL Master Product Design students worked on new lamp projects developed around the concept of portable light. ECAL and Foscarini, an Italian company of reference in the field of decorative design lighting, present an exhibition of projects by students of the second year of the Master Product Design programme at Palazzo Litta. This selection of works was developed at ECAL on the basis of a brief provided by Foscarini, with the aim of stimulating creativity and design thinking. The students were asked to work on new ideas for lamps, starting from concepts of portable light and mobility, imagining how light can accompany our movements through space. Foscarini has supported the ECAL students throughout the design process: from the understanding of the brief to intermediate reviews, all the way to interventions to address problematic issues and stimulate alternative solutions. Nine lamps creating nine different moods were finally selected, each with its own features related to its shape and aesthetics as well as to the use of distinctive materials, ranging from cast aluminum to silk, including wood or ripstop nylon.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x QWSTION

with Christian Paul Kaegi

A joint project between Swiss bag brand QWSTION and ECAL students of the Master Product Design programme, exploring ways of carrying and using the new sustainable and lightweight material CottonShell®. In the project led by Christian Paul Kaegi, Swiss Designer and Creative Director at QWSTION, the sustainably produced CottonShell® was the starting point for an extensive research. CottonShell® has so far been used for clothing only and its unique construction makes it wa-ter-resistant without the use of any coating. Questioning the norm, using straightforward materials and integrating functionality in effortless ways are the core brand values of QWSTION which completed the brief. «A good answer is the result of the right question. I think it’s a really important part of studying to keep questioning the status quo, of society, technology and their relation.» mentions Christian Paul Kaegi. The student’s engagement with both the QWSTION brand as well as the new material resulted in interesting new ideas and concepts going beyond the ordinary: a scarf with hidden pockets aims to challenge airline staff, a new method of protecting contents inspired by bubblewrap makes for minimal carry, and a backpack with integrated rain coat tackles unpleasant weather surprises.

PRODUCT DESIGN

E15

with Camille Blin

Marking the twentieth anniversary of modern design classic BACKENZAHN™, e15 invited Master Product Design students of ECAL to develop own interpretations for furniture and accessories utilising the same materials available to the company’s co-founder Philipp Mainzer when he conceived the iconic stool. With a focus on sustainability, the BACKENZAHN™ stool was created using wood offcuts from the production of celebrated table BIGFOOT™. For its signature form and detail, seasoned heartwood is used, resulting in characteristic cracks, which make every stool unique. Under the guidance of designer Camille Blin, the students produced a series of 14 objects that reflect everyday functions, such as book shelves, children’s toys or paperweights. HD Images Brochure with explanations Photo ECAL/Maxime Guyon

PRODUCT DESIGN

PUNKT.

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

We are more dependent than ever on electronic devices. There’s the fancy phone, watch or tablet, constantly vibrating and begging for attention; but let’s not forget the simple tools of everyday life. Those basic objects that help in your daily routines: waking up in the morning, connecting the power plug, or talking to someone with a good old-fashioned landline. How can we make these better, more intuitive, or get rid of any unnecessary functions and simplify both their use and formal language? Thilo Alex Brunner, head of the Master Product Design programme, provides some possible answers to theses questions: “To cooperate with both Petter Neby (Punkt founder/president) and the Jasper Morrison Office for Design (Punkt. art director) means a great deal for us, since we share many ‘Swiss’ design values such as efficiency and simplicity – but always with an element of surprise.” Under the guidance of designer Augustin Scott de Martinville, the students product ideas are diverse and range from weather stations to wall printers, and torches to projectors. HD Images Brochure with explanations Photo ECAL/Younès Klouche

PRODUCT DESIGN

Appartement 50 Cité Radieuse

with Thilo Alex Brunner, Augustin Scott de Martinville

Apartment 50 was restored by two enthusiasts, Jean-Marc Drut and Patrick Blauwart, as close as possible to its original condition. Listed as a historical monument, the venue occasionally hosts exhibition projects. World-renowned designers have already exhibited there, such as Jasper Morrison, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic and Pierre Charpin. Thus, under the direction of Thilo Alex Brunner, head  of the Master Product Design at ECAL, and of ECAL professor Augustin Scott de Martinville, a series of objects was produced over one semester by the Product Design Master students. The project began in September 2014 with a three-day workshop in the Cité Radieuse, allowing students to experience life in the building. Based on their various observations, they created objects to “inhabit” Apartment 50, focusing particularly on the following features: The specific climate of the apartments: the fan creates an air flow on the mezzanine and the cushions are designed to fit both on the living room’s indoor parapets and on the loggias’ tables. The flexibility of interior spaces: the large rotating lamp serves to light either the dining room or the living room in turn, while the small model can be used either on a desk or a bedside table. Tours of Apartment 50 which take place regularly: the carpet, crafted with the support of the Ruckstuhl AG manufacture in Langenthal, displays a map showing how the Cité Radieuse blended in with its environment at the time of construction, while the “unit” metre provides a simple tool to explain the Modulor system. Life in the communal areas, especially the roof terrace which serves as a meeting place: the chair and folding table are designed to facilitate migration from the living room of the apartment, while the  picnic box allows to comfortably carry everything you for an aperitif. In addition to the projects around the above-mentioned specificities, half a dozen other objects can be discovered on the spot or in the related publication. In March 2015, the students of the ECAL Master Art Direction were invited to attend a four-day workshop to experience and document everyday life in the building with a view to editing a publication. Through the architectural spectrum across 52 pages, this editorial project includes portraits of residents or fictional characters inspired by the Modulor system, as well as still lifes and original typefaces echoing the building’s proportions.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Axor WaterDream: a Conceptual Study of Glass Spouts

with Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard

In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, Axor, the design brand of Hansgrohe, has given the ECAL Bachelor Industrial Design and Master Product Design students the opportunity to design a series of interchangeable glass spouts for the bathroom using the innovative U-Base system. Vanity Mirror by Thomas Elliott Burns The connection between water and our reflection has existed long before the invention of the faucet or the mirror. This piece combines the faucet with a mirror and a small shelf space, changing our expected landscape of the bathroom. Bend by Stanislaw Czarnocki & Katarzyna Kempa Starting with a standard tube shape and adding a single cut, the spout portion of the faucet is bent away from the main body of the faucet. This elegant solution speaks towards simplicity in production methods. Vidéo www.axor-design.com images: ECAL/Axel Crettenand

PRODUCT DESIGN

#Photobooth

with Camille Blin, Nicolas Haeni, Vincent Jacquier

The ECAL students of the Bachelor Photography and Master Product Design present a series of interactive installations showing how mobile phone cameras and the selfie phenomenon changed the way we look at ourselves. How can one create objects and installations around the portrait theme in this digital age? What means are available to disseminate these? How can one make visitors interact with the exhibits and turn viewers into the main actors in the exhibition? Over a semester, 1st year Master Product Design students and 2nd year Bachelor Photography students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne worked on these issues with the aim to present their findings as part of an exhibition. Under the watchful eye of Vincent Jacquier, Head of the Visual Communication Department, of designer Camille Blin and photographer Nicolas Haeni, the students were able to understand, using various approaches, how current – material or virtual – technology alters our traditional relationship with portraits, be they selfies or pictures of others. Using modern media as well as more run-of-the-mill devices, exhibition visitors are invited to directly experiment the processes imagined by the students, allowing them to discover new interactive and fun ways of having their picture taken 3.0 style. Based on this principle, the exhibition stages an installation playing with the visitor’s shadow; the combination of a mirror and scanner to create realistic or distorted self-portraits; an image which is altered through song; a tribute to famous departed designers through a system of filters placed in front of a smartphone; analogically merged faces; a 180° portrait produced by a range of reflective surfaces; a trompe-l’œil projection on a mask; a family of objects able to hijack the smartphone camera function to create original images; a poetic reinterpretation Instagram; and finally, self-portraits captured by the photo itself. Video Images: ECAL/Nicolas Haeni

PRODUCT DESIGN

In Wool We Trust

with Camille Blin, Ronan Bouroullec

With the kind support of The Woolmark Company and Mover Sportswear. Workshop led by Ronan Bouroullec and Camille Blin, assisted by Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard. Result of a one week workshop with the students of the Master in Product design, these installations are celebrating the numerous qualities of Merino wool in an unconventional way. Wool is a material that is part of our everyday lives. It has a particular meaning to everybody without having any specific shape or colour. Our goal during this workshop week was to give shape to those references we all have towards this product. It started without any preconceived idea on what the end result would look like. By experimenting and playing around with the different states of this material, the students designed some unexpected installations. Each one of them acts like a little story, using movement as a way to express itself. Information The Woolmark Company Information Mover Images: ECAL/Axel Crettenand

PRODUCT DESIGN

The Iceland Whale Bone Project

with Brynjar Sigurðarson

Each year some fifteen whales get stranded on the coasts of Iceland. A whole local tradition is being kept alive around the bones of these gentle giants, often used in their raw state but rarely worked on by designers. In January 2013, 17 ECAL Product Design Master students went to the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik to attend a workshop led by Icelandic designer Brynjar Sigurðarson. According to him “the idea was to collect various types of bones on the beach, but also shark skin or teeth, or even bits of plastic waste. From this starting point, the ECAL students who had come from all corners of the earth were supposed to draw on the atmosphere of this particular environment to create objects”. From the skull of a Minke whale repainted like a car body to cutters using shark’s teeth, via ship models whose centreboard is made from whale vertebrae, masks put together using the remains of marine animals and contemporary materials, and including a geometric decorative object made of bone and placed on a pedestal, this surprisingly poetic selection is the fruit of a reflection on contrasts between the old and the new and the meeting of the primitive and the progressive.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Low-Tech Factory

with Tomas Kral

For its 14th edition, Langenthal Designers’ Saturday offers carte blanche to the ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. It provides the setting for the ECAL to present its exhibition entitled “Low-Tech Factory”, a selection of machines designed by Bachelor’s and Master’s students of Industrial Design and Product at a workshop led by designers Chris Kabel and Tomás Král. At Langenthal, factories are omnipresent.For this carte blanche, it seemed to us natural to ask students to look at showcasing the manufacturing process of an object, from the machine to the finished product. They therefore experimented with simple and ingenious shaping methods such as moulding, thermoforming and knitting to obtain finished products. “Low-Tech Factory” tackles the subject of automatic production beloved by designers, bringing together six entertaining machines which throughout the exhibition produce mirrors, hats, sacks, toys, lamps, and even popcorn!

PRODUCT DESIGN

EWO

with Tomas Kral

LEDs, steel and aluminium are the materials of the lights designed by the ECAL Master’s in Product Design students during the project in collaboration with ewo, based in the Alto Adige in Italy. This was a real industrial project around the desire to present new ideas public lighting, a field ECAL had yet to work on. It was also a quick project that lasted only about 3 months. A project made by 1st year students of the Master in Product design, overseen by Alexis Georgacopoulos and Tomas Kral.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Hidden Carbon