DDES2101 Studio 4 / 2021

Project name: “Loveisier”

Develop an individual design response to your Project Proposal that clearly demonstrates integration of your disciplines. You will need to refer to your Design Objectives from Assessment 1 to show a clear relationship between your Project Proposal and your design outcome. 

Brief reflection on the project:

For this project, the community group I chose to research on and create designs for are elderly pet owners. In my research, pet loss has the most adverse impact on elderlys’ health out of all age groups. Studies have found that elderly’s routines have been critically disrupted and symptoms of depression and anxiety are also apparent when facing the loss of a beloved animal companion.

The "Loveisier" is a jewellery collection which aims to provide emotional support for the elderly who are affected by pet loss. This collection also promotes a more sustainable alternative to funeral rituals. 

 “Loveisier” is named after the French chemist who established The Law of Conservation of Matter, Antoine Lavoisier. This project is based on this law and the idea that matter cannot be created or destroyed. An optimistic view of life after death in which the energy that once flowed through our bodies is simply rearranged rather than disappearing into thin air. 

My collection reflects and underpins Lavoisier’s ideology by creating a nurturing and positive grieving and healing process which users can hold onto the jewellery as an emotional support piece during times of sorrow. After the individuals have processed their grief, the necklace can be nurtured into a plant representing their pets, achieving the Long-termism philosophy. 

Through prototyping, material experimentation, form understanding, and tactile dysfunction, my design outcome combines object design and 3D visualisation to provide a soothing experience for grieving elderlys and is beneficial for the environment. Although I was still relatively new to 3D designs, I was able to refine my design through in class activities with my peers and receive informative and helpful feedback through weekly drop in sessions with my tutor Gerhard.

The outer shells of "Loveisier" are made of biodegradable material that can only be broken down using our provided solution. This ensures that users can go about their daily lives without causing harm to the piece. After being submerged in solution, the necklace would deteriorate. The necklace then left with the honoured pet's cremated ashes, seed of the chosen plant as well as sustainable fertilisers and magnetic powder. These materials provide magnetic therapy to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression while also encouraging plant growth.