Heidi Claridge
BA Product Design
As an aspiring furniture and homeware product designer, I am inspired by Scandinavian and organic forms. I take inspiration from nature, creating both fashionable and functional pieces. I prioritise being in the workshop, in order to develop new practical skills and further my knowledge.
Biomorphic inspiration
Folia is a free standing room divider that users can customize to their space with the addition of functional, rotating discs, giving users the choice between moss panels, plant pots and cork boards. The structures shape is inspired by the growth and structure of botanicals. I chose to investigate a room divider as a product to help people with small open plan apartments who have difficulty with separating their rooms. The room divider is designed to incorporate the use of plants as an encouraging factor, plant life is known to bring benefits to mental and physical health, making the room divider both functional and fashionable for users. The user can choose how many room dividers they wish to implement into their home, the free standing ability gives them the freedom to move the divider around to re-adjust their layout without the need to fix the divider to any structure for stability.
Pebble
The Pebble Lights are a set of three, USB rechargeable LED lights, with adjustability for light strength and colour, to allow for users to customise to a lighting experience. The light works on a timer system, giving users some peace of mind. Users can choose to have it set to turn off at night after they fall asleep, and to turn on before they wake up, helping those who struggle to fall asleep alone in the dark, or for a little more motivation In the morning. The idea came from the need got assistive lighting for people with astigmatism, who tend to have difficulty with bright lights. The stacking aspect of the design mimics the practice of Zen stacking stones, allows for users to interact with the light in a more playful way, and encourages the user to pick up the light. The light is made from a plastic casing and silicone sleeve to provide a softer and more comforting sensation when handling. The lights can be stacked together to make a one-of-a-kind statement, or put separately around a space to create a soft glowing environment. The Pebble Lights are the perfect focal piece for any room.