Octoplay Octons

Following the interlocking light design i looked into an old childhood game of ‘Octons’ the shapes are octagon and they all interlink to make one large shape i decided this was a good bases to start from.

Octoplay is a simple interlocking construction system based on an 8 sided shape which encourages creative play, providing an exciting starting point for learning about shapes, relationships through patterns and problem solving skills for young children and children with special needs.

As well as octons there are Polydroms which is another educational toy.  With a 60 degree isosceles triangle instead of the octagon shapes, it can create different shapes like stars as shown below.

 

 

 

Main Influence

                                                  

The image above has been my main influence throughout the project.  I found this picture in ‘Crafts’ magazine unfortunately it didn’t have the designers name.  The design is fantastic how everything has been specially designed so that it all interlinks.  I found the design very inspiring and like how the light is a floor piece.

From this design i want to experiment how this could be developed, how i could relate this kind of building idea to my own designs.

Colour

                                                    

Colour of the piece can sometimes be just as important as the design, and the colour can depict where the light will be displayed.

Colours i find are very important as they have an immediate impact when they are seen.  Different colours can have different meanings.  An interesting link that talks about this is http://www.sibagraphics.com/colour.php ’ The meaning of Colours’. 

For my design i want to be using reds, as i feel they have a strong impact on the viewer, they have an intensiveness to them.  They also are a warm colour.

Mood Boards

Feminine Colours was the over favoured colour in the questionnaire.  Feminine colours can be reds, pinks, pupil, etc, they are often colours that have a pale tinge to them.

Mood boards.

Tranquil colours:

Different designs and different colour samples make up the mood board with the theme of tranquil.  Having done a questionnaire i found out that people preferred to see these sorts of colours.  Images will help in drawing a relationship to my designs.

Existing Designers: Brylle & Jacobson

         

The designs are from a series called Knapper, by Brylle and Jacobsen which were created for Ikea superstore.

All the designs are very similar and they work really well together.   They are made out of Polypropylene Plastic.

Existing Designs: Riccardo Raco

   

The lights are designed by Riccardo Raco made from Opal-flex plastic.  Some of these designs have a molten look to them because of their flowing lines.  They have a aesthetically pleasing look to them, I feel because of the tranquil colours used and the forms which have been created.

Existing Designs: Guglielmo Berchicci

                                                                                    

The designs are made mostly of plastics, with metal inner structures.

The name Extraterrestrial gives a big clue of where the influence comes from for the designs.

 They are a very modern design, with the use of neutral colours.

http://www.designaddict.com/design_index/index.cfm/fuseaction/designer_show_one/DESIGNER_ID/236/

Specification

• Modern free standing light design.
• Ergonomic.
• Aesthetically pleasing.
• Interior lighting for a living or dining room.
• Made from Plastic, but could also incorporate metal.
• Colour theme is tranquil/feminine.
• Be made to a high standard.
• Comply to Health and Safety guidelines.

(Points of the specification have come from results of the questionnaires).

Design Brief

To design and create a modern lighting designing using new technologies to do so.  The light should be able to turn it self on when the light levels drop down as well as off when the light levels come back up again.   Research is a main factor in this project in order to be able to set up a circuit that suits the required needs.

Think about current designers, what kind of lighting they are creating, how you could relate this to your designs.

Research into materials and processes need to be carried out.

Think about the aesthetics for the design when designing, in order to create the best possible design, ergonomics should also be taken into consideration.

The light is to be designed for an interior environment.

Use questionnaires to see what people want to see in modern lighting designs.