Technology
Research: Slow & Co-Design
Co-design allows the user to contribute towards the design and/or making process. Emergent technologies, such as 3D printing and laser cutting, provide the opportunity for customisation. Handcrafts also lend themselves towards user interaction, and techniques like hand knitting, crochet and macramé are considered therapeutic and can be done at home by anyone. When the user becomes involved it develops a sense of attachment, satisfaction and can slow down the process of consumption through participation in craft.
Research: Mass Production & Handcrafts
Handcraft around the world has been affected by the production of cheap mass produced goods and resulting in a homogeneous marketplace. Balance between mass production and craft, the fast and slow, is needed in order to move towards a more sustainable future. I want to embrace new technologies, but not forget traditional craft techniques; combining and contrasting the old and the new for innovative results.