o f r e v e r e n c e k n o w i n g s o m e o n e w o u ld c r y
in f r o n t o f i t . ” T h e s t u d e n t s c o n s id e r e d it
a n i m p o r t a n t p r o j e c t a n d e s p e c i a l l y v a lu e d
t h e e x p e r ie n c e o f w o r k i n g w i t h a n a c tu a l
c lie n t . T h e fir s t s t e p w a s t o le a r n a b o u t th e
h is t o r y o f u r n s a n d t h e ir s o c ia l a n d c u ltu r a l
im p lic a t io n s —a n d t h a t o f c r e m a t io n in J u d a -
is m . “ T h e s e u r n s a r c in t e n d e d t o b e a p ie c e
o f a r t w o r k t h a t p e o p l e a r e b u y i n g ,” c o m -
m e n t s M ic h a e l K o l l i n s , a s s is t a n t c h a ir o f
t h e d e p a r t m e n t . “ T h e y a r e o b je c t s t h a t
r e f l e c t u p o n t h e v a lu e o f t h a t p e r s o n a s w e ll
a s t h e v a lu e o f t h e p i e c e .”
E a c h s t u d e n t m a d e 4 0 p e n c il d r a w in g s
o f u rn s h a p e s fr o m w h i c h o n e s k e t c h w a s
s e le c t e d f o r t h e d e s ig n p r o c e s s . T h i s w o u ld
b e t u r n e d in t o a s c a le m o d e l u s in g c la y —
a m e d iu m c h o s e n t o p r o v i d e t h e s t u d e n t s
w i t h t h e o p p o r t u n it y t o a c q u ir e c e r a m ic
s k ills . T u r n i n g n e x t t o t h e c o m p u t e r a n d
3-D
p r in t e r s , t h e s t u d e n t s w o r k e d o u t t h e
k in k s o f t h e ir d e s ig n s a n d m a d e th e s u g g e s t -
e d m o d if ic a t io n s in f o r m , s h a p e a n d d r a f t
o n t h e c o m p u t e r b y u s in g
3-D
m o d e lin g
s o f t w a r e , t y p i c a l l y R h in o a n d I llu s t r a t o r .
T h e s t u d e n t s u s e d
c a d - c a m /
r p
t o t r a n s -
la t e t h e ir c la y s k e t c h m o d e ls in t o
3-D
p r o t o -
t y p e s t o b e p r e s e n t e d a s t h e fu ll- s c a le fin -
is h e d m o d e ls o f t h e fin a l p r o d u c t s .
I n t h e e n d , t h e H ills id e e x e c u t i v e s w e r e
s o im p r e s s e d w it h t h e w o r k , t h e y u n e x -
p e c t e d l y c h o s e f o u r u r n d e s ig n s in s t e a d o f
o n e . W h e t h e r a c h ie v e d t h r o u g h h ig h - t e c h
o r lo w - t e c h m e a n s , w h a t m a t t e r e d m o s t t o
th e m w a s w h e t h e r th e a e s th e t ic s o f th e u r n s
c o u ld w it h s t a n d t h e t e s t o f t im e . I n a r g u -
a b ly , p r o d u c t d e s ig n s t u d e n t s w o r k i n g w i t h
c la y t o d a y a t O t i s a r c f a r a fie ld o f t h e
d ir e c t io n f o r g e d b y P e t e r V o u l k o s in th e
e a r ly 1 9 5 0 s a t t h e c e r a m ic s s t u d io . Y e t t h e y
a r e u t i li z i n g t o o ls a n d m e t h o d o lo g ie s o f
t r a d it io n a l c r a f t p r a c t ic e s , w h ile a d d in g t h e
a d v a n c e d s k ills r e le v a n t in t h e d ig it a l w o r ld .
T h e m o n s t e r o f a ll p r o d u c t d e s ig n c o u r s -
e s a t O t is is t h e c la s s o n “ h a r d - lin e ” d u r a b le
p r o d u c t s . F o r 2 0 0 9 -10 , t h e a s s ig n m e n t is
t o f a b r ic a t e a C a lif o r n ia - m o d if i e d c r u is in g
b ic y c le f r o m m e ta l a n d w it h w o r k i n g p a r t s .
“ I t t a k e s a v i l l a g e t o b u ild a f u n c t io n in g
b ik e in 13 w e e k s , ” in s t r u c t o r R a n d a ll W i l -
s o n c o m m e n t s . A n d t h a t ’ s e x a c t l y w h a t t h e
s t u d e n t s d o : t h e y d r a w , d e s ig n a n d s t y le
a r id e a b le b ik e .
U s in g t e c h n o lo g ie s fr o m d r a w in g s o f t -
w a r e t o c o m p u t e r iz e d m illin g p r o c e s s e s
t o h a n d f a b r ic a t io n , s t u d e n t s tr a n s la t e t h e ir
s k e t c h e s in t o f u l l y f u n c t io n in g b ik e s s h o w -
in g t h e ir u n d e r s t a n d in g o f e r g o n o m ic s ,
m e c h a n ic s , p h y s ic s , a e s t h e t ic s , c o n s t r u c t io n
a n d m o b ilit y . T h e y a c q u ir e t h e h a n d s k ills
o f b e n d i n g , d r illin g , c u t t i n g , g r i n d in g
a n d fin is h in g m e ta l. T h e y a ls o le a r n t o w o r k
w i t h in d u s t r y b y o u t s o u r c in g c e r t a in c o m -
p o n e n t s . O n c e t h e b i k e is b u ilt , t h e s t u d e n t s
a p p ly g r a p h ic d e s ig n a n d h a n d - p a in t in g
s k ills in t h e s u r f a c e d e t a ilin g o f t h e fr a m e .
W i l s o n f e e ls t h a t t h e p r o j e c t n e a r ly
d is p e ls t h e m y t h t h a t h a n d c r a f t s m a n s h ip
is n o lo n g e r n e e d e d i n o u r c u lt u r e . “ C o m -
p u t e r s d o n o t m a k e d e s ig n a n y e a s ie r ; th e
c o n t e n t h a s n ’ t c h a n g e d ; t h e m e t h o d o lo g ie s
h a v e c h a n g e d . B y u s in g a ll t o o ls —c o n c e p -
t u a l, p h y s ic a l a n d d ig it a l—t h e a b il it ie s
o f d e s ig n e r s a r e e le v a t e d ; t h e y a r e b e t t e r
e q u ip p e d to u n r a v e l, e x p o s e a n d u n d e r s ta n d
t h e s u b s t a n c e o f d e s ig n .” >
Bottom left:
Alex Hubbell
Rima: A Forever Vessel.
This student’s
R P
and
painted cremation urn
represents the loved
one’s inner radiance,
vitality of spirit and
vibrancy of heart. The
radiating pattern is in-
spired by rings of a tree.
Below:
Several of the finished
California-modified
cruising bicycles de-
signed by students in
a 13-wcek course in
which they used a range
of technologies includ-
ing drawing software
and computerized mill-
ing processes.
apr/may 10 american craft 055
