The Process of the Experiment: ABS and Wax

3D printed parts

Abstract


The way things are manufactured is changing as people become more concerned about the environment. Newer designers are moving away from the traditional mass-production methods and are instead using small-scale production methods with machines that they've designed themselves. These machines reflect their own sense of beauty, the Maker Movement's spirit, and their commitment to environmental protection. This has transformed the traditional perception of high-skilled production and has resulted in experimental designs. These designs are not just market-driven but are also influenced by the designers' own self-will and environmental considerations.


To explore this trend further, I've collected several projects from the art and design field and categorized them into two parts: "Machine in Design" and "Experimental Design Process." By analyzing the differences between these projects, I've established my philosophical statement and experimented with my own design process. I've attempted to adapt experimental processes into the product design field by designing machines with a systematic approach instead of directly designing the final product.


To achieve this, I've built four sets of machines that melt materials like wax, ABS, PE, and paper using solar irradiation focused by Fresnel lenses. I've experimented with different focal length settings to achieve different results, which I then used to create a series of lamps called "The Lamps of The Day," including "Morning," "Midday," and "Afternoon." By observing the features caused by the sun's movement and the machines in these lamps, readers can gain insight into the non-market-oriented design thinking and philosophical perspective behind my work.


Through discussions with professors and designers, I've developed a conclusion that provides insights and a new point of view on design. This includes an experimental mindset-driven design process, visualized willpower as an explicit tool in the process, and contextualizing the final result. By critiquing market-oriented design methods and pursuing a design process rooted in philosophical thinking, I hope to push the boundaries of design and inspire others to explore new possibilities for progression and transcendence.




摘要


在傳統生產體制外，當代設計師持著自造者思潮及環境保護意識，解放工廠中印象冷硬的專業製程，實現具有藝術性與個人特色的小型製造機器；個人創作性結合近人的製造意象，重新詮釋機器製品對於環境與人的關係，得以讓設計師的意志與哲思構想成為產品的主要意義。


承襲此時代脈絡，本研究針對「機器」的意義以及「實驗性」兩部分，搜集當代之設計與藝術作品為案例。藉由不同案例間的比較進行思辨，發展論述並向前推演，以展開後續的機器設計創作及實驗。試以於德國科隆完成之實驗性創作成果「The Heaviest Record」應用於產品設計領域，經由可調整太陽照射的機器加熱材料，促使材料質變，並探討其產出。以產地當天的日光變化特色強化生產的意義，並直接附加於物件上，使時間與地點的抽象概念成為產品的主要內涵。可視為一種非既有體制內的設計品開發實驗製程：系統性地看待機器設計及環境，而非直接設計成品。


依據數次小型材質實驗結果，先後建置四組不同構成特色的機器。使用菲涅爾透鏡聚焦陽光，對蠟、ABS、HDPE、紙等等材料進行測試。不同的焦距設定產生相應實驗結果，從中挑選出可發展的元素。最後，以紙製十邊型圓頂及十邊型柱造型，產生一組三件之作品：分別以早上、中午、下午三個時段的太陽光強度與大氣交互變化為表現的「日光紀錄燈具」（The Lamps of The Day）。


以此系列創作，讓觀者理解機器設備與天體互動的設計過程，藉以傳達本研究之非市場性思考脈絡與哲學性觀點。並對市場導向的設計與觀看方法提出批判與檢討，以探求哲學思考作為發展主軸之設計過程中的進步性與超越性。最後，針對四位屬性不同的教授與設計師進行開放式的討論，並綜合實際設計經驗與創作過程，交互歸結出具有進步性之設計方法：1. 具實驗性的創作意志；2. 外顯化創作意志；3. 脈絡化創作成果供群體使用。



examiners/

林銘煌 教授 

Prof. Ming Huang Lin (Institute of Applied Arts, National Chiao Tung University)


官政能 教授

Prof. Cheng-Neng Kuan (Shih Chien University, Industrial Product Design Department)


丑宛茹 教授

Prof. Wan-Ru Chou (Shih Chien University, Industrial Product Design Department)



special thanks/ 

Prof. Dr. Andreas Muxel (based in Cologne, Germany)



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In today's consumer society, objects are often created just to fill a gap in a product catalog, leading to a loss of meaning. As a designer living on a factory-filled island, I believe it's time to reconsider our production model.


After researching  projects from many outstanding artists and designers(On Kawara, mischer'traxler studio, Desmond Paul Henry, and many more..), I came up with a thought: 


We could try to make products with the meaning of a day.


Instead of simply following the supply-demand rule, we should strive to reach the maximum amount of "meaning" in our production process. This could mean producing a certain number of sets of lamps based on the amount of sunlight that day or the significance of the date. This new model could be called Meaning Production Quantity (MPQ).


Experimental design processes are not yet widely used in Taiwan, but I believe they hold the key to creating new forms of self-expression and discovering new design languages. During my career in industrial product design, I often questioned the limitations of my own ideas and intuition. However, today's technology allows us to create thousands of designs in seconds using algorithms, which can help us explore new possibilities.


My graduation project at SCID in Taipei, "Lamps of the Day", explored these ideas and aimed to create a new standard for production that prioritizes meaning over mass production. You can also refer to my previous project done at KISD in Germany for further examples: The Heaviest Record.