Aquiloni

Aquiloni

ECAL Diploma Project
2015

As a culmination of my graduate work at ECAL I decided that I would create a product which I would self produce and would help me, as I prepare to open a studio. I knew that the item, whatever it was, should be not too large, easy to ship and would have to be manageable to produce.

I was drawn to the ingenuity of kites and camping tents, and this became my starting point.

My research led me through sporting equipment, textile supply and through an exploration of past works by people like Bruno Munari, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson.

I landed on the idea of using a minimal number of rods which would interact with a non-stretchable textile, each element holding the other in tension. This image shows my first ‘successful’ prototype, but it was actually my 11th prototype for this project. I would go on to create 24 total different variations and prototypes before coming to the final solution.

Through the process of prototyping, I landed on 2 distinct shapes each with 4 color variations.

Because my intent was to manufacture and sell these pendants, the design of the product went much further than just the physical elements of the shade. I had to develop a brand, and to do this I wrote a short business plan, and dealt with many of the logistical aspects from sourcing to distribution.
This culminated with a website that I built as a online shop, which is no longer operational.

I presented all of my work in June of 2015, at ÉCAL, in the setting of a ‘Pop-Up Shop’ where I had the Aquiloni available for sale, and demonstrated the ease of putting them together.

Set of 2 blue lamps produced in 2015 – Lit / Unlit