In transit catalogue

communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communica tive communicative communicative com municative communicative communicat ive communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communic ative communicative communicative comm unicative communicative communicative c ommunicative communicative communicative communicative communicative communica tive communicative communicative communicative communicative communicative commun icative communicative communicative communica-

comm unica tive

progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progr essive progressive progressive progressive progres-sive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive prog ressive progressive progressive progress ive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive prog ressive progressive progressive progressive progres-sive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive progressive pro gressive progressive progressive progressi ve progressive progressive progressive progressive

progr essive

transformative transformative transformative trans-formative transformative transformative transform-ative transformative transformative transformative transformative transformative transform ative transformative transformative transformative transformative transformative transfor mative transformative transformative transforma-tive transformative transformative transformative transformative transformative transfor mative transformative transformative transforma-tive transformative transformative transformative transformative transformative transforma tive transformative transformative transformative transformative transformative transform ative transformative transformative transformative

trans forma tive

discursive discursive discursive discursive discur-sive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursiv e discursive discursive discursive discursive dis-cursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discur-sive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discur-sive discursive discursive discursive discursive dis-cursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursive discursi ve discursive discursive discursive discursive di scursive discursive discursive discursive discursi ve discursive discursive discursive discursive dis-cursive discursive discursive discursive discursive

discur sive

innovative innovative innovative innovative innova-tive innovative innovative innovative innovative in-novative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative inn ovative innovative innovative innovative i nnovative innovative innovative innovative innova-tive innovative innovative innovative in novative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innova-tive innovative innovative innovative in novative innovative innovative innovati ve innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovative innovativ e innovative innovative innovative innovat ive innovative innovative innovative innovative in-

innov ative

responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-sive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive responsive respon-

respo nsive

Sheffield Institute of Arts

2016

In Transit

Baoking Jiang 6

Bryan Liu 8

Cathy Pan Ming 10

Charllote Simmons 12

Elena Yang Liu 14

Igor Dydykin 16

Katherine Ying Zhan 18

Kelly Hennessy 20

Khue Ho 22

Lee Credgington 24

Lemon Gao 26

Megan Baker 28

Rui Bao 30

Sally Rutherford 32

Simeng Gu 34

Tom Liyui He 36

Xiwen Qin 38

Yang Zao 40

Yanming Yang 42

Yvonne Li 44

Zeqian Ma 46

Zoe Xue Hao 48

A collaborative journey

by students from MA Design.

3 4

IntroductionPostgraduate Art & Design at Sheffield Institute of Arts

Sheffield Institute of Arts offers a broad

programme of project based Masters courses

leading to MA (Master of Arts) and MFA

(Master of Fine Arts) qualifications.

The MA Design Programme brings together

students from 7 different design disciplines in

a collaborative cross-disciplinary and discursive

environment. It is this unique environment that

defines us and allows our graduates to operate

in the complex world that we live in today.

Our MA Programme is aimed at graduates

who have completed a degree and wish

to expand and challenge their understanding

of design as well as at professionals who wish

to enhance their knowledge base or provoke

a career change. MFA Design offers an extended

period of study that allows students to develop

their MA project work and present it to an

external audience, which for some might be

via a gallery or exhibition whereas for others

this may manifest through the launch of a new

business or by collaborating with an external

company or third sector organisation.

We have recently launched a new Postgraduate

qualification in MA Fashion Management

& Communication. This course provides

a collaborative learning environment where

students develop creative and strategic skills,

enhance their professional skills and improve

their understanding of how to manage a fashion

business from concept to customer. The course

is designed for students who have previous

experience in fashion design, management

or communication at undergraduate level

or within the broad fashion industries.

Our MA and MFA Fine Art course attracts

students whose art, ideas and ambitions

create diversity of thinking and purpose.

The interdisciplinary opportunities we offer

create an engaging professional experience

investigating the practice and discourse of fine

art. Students can choose areas of specialism

in drawing from the archive, art in space and

place and curating art, alongside their own

studio work. They are encouraged to create

experimental and innovative works and to

engage with the critical context of art in our

time. Dialogue with peers, practicing artists

and structured teaching throughout the course

enables students to ‘identify’ their practice

within the wider field of fine art to achieve

new goals, develop networks and find new

inspirations to enrich their creative ambitions.

Whatever your interests, we hope that you

will find the Post Graduate Art and Design

exhibition stimulating and thoughtful,

provocative and valuable.

On our Postgraduate Design Programme we

seek to develop students’ understanding of

the complex evolving societal issues that face

designers across the disciplines. We challenge

our students to think differently about design

and creatively push boundaries, while devel-

oping the skills to become imaginative and

versatile designers who can be observant,

investigative ‘translators’.

Sheffield is a post-industrial city, something

students who study at Sheffield Institute of

Arts quickly recognize. The facilities we offer

students that embrace rapid developments

in technology allow them to realize complex

components using 3D software, scanning,

cutting and 3D printing. In addition, the

maze of skilled small backstreet workshops

and studios in Sheffield allows for further

experimentation and collaboration oppor-

tunities with artists, makers, designers and

engineers within the region. The university

together with the city provides a vast and

accessible workshop to students. The challenge

is to find original and workable methods

to weave the opportunities together.

A students’ time studying on our Postgraduate

courses is transformational – learning how

to improve and apply ones creativity, building

networks, understanding enterprise and

entrepreneurship, friendship building and

up-skilling. Sheffield Institute of Arts provides

a safe environment within which creative risk

taking can occur. This is very important as

it is rare that such places and environments

exist within the sector.

We are delighted to see our students transit

from Sheffield Institute of Arts into their

creative futures and we are immensely proud

of what they have achieved during their short

time with us.

Roger Bateman

Postgraduate Leader, Art & Design

Maria Hanson & Eve Stirling

Programme Leaders, MA/MFA Design


discur sive

5 6

Baoking JiangMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

BJ

Animal Remains:

Exploring ways contemporary jewellery

can be used as a device for social

and environmental comment

Wildlife hunting is most commonly engaged

in by humans for trade. Endangered animals are

still being killed for food, decoration, medicinal

purposes and for FUN! According to the World

Wildlife Fund (WWF 2011), poaching is second

only to habitat destruction as a cause of loss for

many species. Although more and more animal

protection foundations are trying to raise

awareness there are still many people who

do not pay attention.

As the title of this project would suggest;

Animal Remains explores the issues connected

to wildlife hunting. Key statistics connected

to the hunting and killing of Rhino and Sharks

have been explored through Contemporary

Jewellery making. Using three dimensional

data visualisation in the form of wearable

objects this MA project aims to communicate

a message about what has and is being done

to these endangered animals.

In order to raise awareness about animal

protection I have translated data about the

numbers of endangered animals being killed

by using material and visual metaphor.

The visual references have been drawn from

the section on the animals most prized;

The Rhino’s horn and the Shark’s fin.

I have combined materials and processes

in various ways to represent different numeric

statistics. Multiple forms, intricate textures

and surfaces and applied colour have been

used to symbolise the numbers of animals

being killed, the locations this takes place and

the length of time it takes for the prized horn

or fin to be transported to market after the kill.

For example each year 1200 Rhinos have their

horn cut off for trade; the the remainder of the

animal is left to die a slow and painful death.

In the necklace, ‘How many Rhino horns?’ clay,

metal and string are used in the construction

of 12 linked component parts, each representing

100 kills. They capture the aesthetic qualities

of the cross section of the Rhino horn and

through applied texture and colour express

the 5 different species involved in this

catastrophic wildlife damage.


respo nsive

7 8

Bryan LiuMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

BL

A Frozen Second

I am attracted by the dripping of science putty.

I find the movement of liquid interesting and

worth exploiting. I want to use my observations

and capture through Contemporary Jewellery.

A Frozen Second extends my previous expl-

oration Liquid’s Beauty. This project aims

to capture the moment when liquid becomes

frozen by human disturbances.

Natural conditions mean liquid flows and

the Chinese proverb states that ‘Water is the

course of everything’. In my project liquid is

used as a metaphor for nature’s resources and

by connecting fragments of ideas to the body

as jewellery represents the way that human

beings cause disturbances in the environment.

By physically capturing the moment material

turns from a liquid form into a solid form,

captured in jewellery, I am trying to encourage

the audience to reflect on the natural resource

of water.

My combining precious and none-precious

materials I am searching for ways to comm-

unicate something about value. This project

has opened my eyes to new possibilities in

Contemporary Jewellery and I hope to be able

to share this and the hidden beauty found

in daily life to others.

9 10

Cathy Pan MingMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

CM

Nest Office:

Enhancing employees interaction and

communication.

A wall of digital screened hexagonal boxes

make up a large information screen which

can be used as a whole or individually. The

honeycomb like structure is matched with a

mobile phone app to create a synthetic online-

offline system to enhance employees’ interaction

and communication. Its functions include:

distribution of information, documentation

of employee (assessment, attendance

or selling record), staff rewarding, and

company/personal messaging.

The core concept can be regarded as the

substantiation and materialisation of an

existing e-managing system coupled with a new

function and mission to link a whole company

together by encouraging interactive behaviour.

This product helps and enhances interaction

and communication among a company’s

employees, thus helping staff to know each

other and share together creating favourable

conditions for a company to build its culture

and working environment to achieve higher

levels of success.


trans forma tive


progr essive

11 12

Charlotte SimmonsMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

CS

Ergonomic Cookware:

For individuals with minor hand

disabilities or low hand dexterity

Generally speaking we now live and remain

independent for longer than ever before. The

fastest growing age group within the population

is those aged 80 years and older and there

is a clear link between age and reduced hand

dexterity. My research explored different

aspects of user interaction with pans from

social barriers to coping strategies in the

kitchen, observing how users with low dexterity

and strength manage to lift and use pans

on a daily basis.

Much of the cookware available today

is designed for those without reduced hand

dexterity. This project identifies cooking as an

activity of daily life that should be maintained

for a variety of reasons. By making common

tasks less painful my cookware aims to promote

cooking with dignity and independent living.

The cookbook I have created brings therapeutic

benefits to cooking, translating this everyday

activity into a gentle and accessible form

of exercise.

This ergonomic cookware takes advantage

of the inherent strength in a straight and unbent

wrist joint to make a range of products that

are attractive and non stigmatising something

so many assisted living products struggle to

do. The design of the handles make for a more

comfortable and natural ‘holding position’

transferring the load away from the wrist and

taking advantage of the overall strength of the

arm. By designing easily removable handles

I have been able to include natural materials

to add tactility and allow for the possibility

of both standard and bespoke handles that can

be made to measure or upgraded if required.


comm unica tive

13 14

Elena Yang LiuMA Design (Graphics)

22

03

16

EL

Inclusive Design:

Children learning braille

The purpose of the project is to create

an inclusive future where both sighted and

visually impaired children, are educated to

assist one another and share educational

experiences. It focuses on an alphabet-learning

tool, which encourages the children to learn

together and have a greater understanding

of braille. By introducing a basic knowledge

of braille to children it will develop a stronger

understanding of the challenges for visually

impaired children and encourage a more

supportive and inclusive society.

The project intends to:

• To facilitate the development

of a more inclusive future.

• To provide an opportunity for sighted and

visually impaired children to learn together.

• To explore an effective way to introduce a basic

understanding of braille to children aged five.

• To develop a learning device that allows both

sighted and visually impaired students

to work together.


progr essive

15 16

Igor DydykinMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

ID

A System of Creative Activity (SOCA)

My MA project aims to help those working

in teams to create connections between the

multifaceted activities of a project development

process by highlighting different factors that

influence the creative process and the various

skills of a creative team or individuals.

SOCA aims to increase the quality and speed

of a projects development. In modern market

conditions, when production rates grow and the

competition between manufacturers grows even

harder, one of the key factors for successful and

sustainable existence becomes creative thinking

and the speed of solving tasks creatively.

As a consequence of this there is growing

discussion about the organisation, usage

and evaluation of creative activity such as

what does the term of creative activity mean,

how to be a creative, can creativity influence

the efficiency of teamwork, what are the

opportunities creative activity could open-up

for business? This MA project aims to research

creativity in the context of product design and

the development process, collect and describe

different aspects of creative activity, systematise

and represent this in a clear understandable

format. The ultimate goal is to find ways of

increasing the efficiency from creative activity

in professional design and business fields.

It is important to clarify that creativity and

being creative does not correspond to any

profession, but is ‘owned’ by different fields

and evidenced in many ways.

SOCA is designed to systematise and

improve the process of achieving creative

goals, represent common steps for self-analysis,

giving recommendations about possible oppor-

tunities in various fields and supporting

personal development of creators.


comm unica tive

17 18

Katherine Ying ZhanMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

KZ

Conversation with Objects:

Communication of cultural folklores

through contemporary jewellery

The aim of this project is to explore the

potential of wearable objects as provocative

vessels that evoke memory and stimulate

discussion. It examines the preciousness of

jewellery beyond its material and decorative

value and how through symbolic and visual

triggers it can be read and understood

by the audience.

Informed by contemporary narrative

jewellery it focuses on ways that cultural

folklores can be communicated using

interchangeable components within the

wearable objects to stimulate an active

and participatory way of storytelling.

The Nian Beast from Chinese folklore has

been selected as the focus for this first series

of works. This well-known and mystical story

from China connects to important cultural

festivals through the multiple layers of visual

and material metaphors. It relates to the

abundant use of the colour red, traditional

paper cutting and the importance of light

through the Chinese lantern. These metaphors

have been used within the creative development

process. Using precious metals (silver and gold)

combined with cold enamel, this work draws

upon traditional processes and material values

but uses a contemporary aesthetic in terms

of form and graphic language as a way

to transcend what is usually recognised

as traditional.

The distinctive value of Contemporary

Jewellery as a specific genre of practice lies

in the narrative objects that are intentionally

made by creators who believe jewellery can

be used as a means to explore self-expression

and communicate far beyond its monetary

value. It is undeniable that the development of

Contemporary Jewellery in China is far behind

western countries despite its huge population.

Not only because of my nationality but also as

a new contemporary jeweller, I have a strong

sense of personal responsibility to help establish

an understanding of this field of creative

practice within China. I believe it is important

to challenge the value of making and wearing

jewellery in the modern world and to provide

other possibilities for body adornment.


respo nsive

19 20

Kelly HennessyMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

KH

Inclusive Dining:

Crockery series for bedridden individuals

Research shows that there are increasing

numbers of people being given ‘hospital care’ at

home. As a result of this there are opportunities

to design for a better quality of living for those

people who are restricted in their homes.

Through deeper research it became evident

that individuals who are being cared for at

home can become stigmatised through the

eating devices they use which are unattractive

and function poorly.

Previously assistive living eating devices

are normally made from plastics which tends

to communicate a cheap, untrustworthy and

unappealing aesthetic. The aim of this project

was to produce a ‘fine-dining’ product and the

use of ceramics was chosen to imbue a sense

of permanence and stability in the hope that

a strong relationship can be built between the

user and the object. Ceramics have functional

and manufacturing qualities which support

the proposal such as the tactile ‘feedback’ that

ceramics offer and the desired fine-dining

quality element for the user.

Dining is frequently seen as the time to share

your day with the people you love. When an

individual is restricted to their bed this dining

time is stripped away, causing isolation and

unhappiness. Through this project I want

to offer people the opportunity to bridge the

gap between the previously isolated individual

and their loved ones. The inclusive dining

crockery series offers people a safe social dining

experience in a bedroom environment.


innov ative

21 22

Khue HoMA Design (Interior)

22

03

16

KH

Sheffield Town Hall:

Where old meets new. Interventionist approaches

to celebrating the heritage of the city.

The economic downturn on the UK High

Street has resulted in many heritages and

listed buildings being left vacant and derelict.

The focus of this project was to explore the

concept of interim interventionist approaches

and apply these to a historic building as

a solution to vacancy.

The project investigates how, The Old Town

Hall building in Sheffield, that has been vacant

for the last 20 years, can be transformed into

an active social site within the developing

Castlegate quarter in the city. The proposed

design programme takes an approach, which

is a combination between a temporary urban

intervention and the historic preservation

of the building to ensure that the innovation

becomes a solution to the revitalization and

preservation of the existing built environment,

sustaining the heritage of Sheffield.

In order to solve these issues, I propose

to build a temporary structure outside of the

building which includes periscope tubes, pods

and platforms – that allow passers by many

opportunities to experience the Town Hall

through playful observation at many levels.

The chance to have dinner on a platform

alongside the building while viewing

the architecturally significant interior

details through a window will be central

to this experience.

The overall aim is for the project to offer

users the opportunity to enjoy the heritage

of the building in a vibrant city environment.

At the same time, I want to contribute to the

area through adding more activities after

business hours whilst generating income.

This will encourage the public to engage

with the building and ultimately influence

the pres-ervation and future development

of the building.

23 24

Lee CredgingtonMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

LC

Sporting Habit for Life-Reminiscence:

Tools and techniques for those

living with dementia

To aid and support those affected by Alzheimer’s

a reminiscence kit was created using sport

as a tool to evoke memories.

A reminiscence kit is a non-pharmaceutical

product that promotes social interaction for

those living with dementia without the use of

medicine. Its purpose is to improve interaction

with carers and those living with dementia.

It’s a concept that encourages participation in

activities and creativity from each individual

using the six senses. The design of the kit uses

sports themed multi-sensory triggers to improve

the well-being and social interaction of those

living with dementia as well as promoting good

reminiscence practice for those who care

for them.

There is a growing number of the UK

population being diagnosed with dementia.

Britain has an exponential growth in the

numbers of those living with Dementia.

Alzheimer’s society (2014) states 225,000

people every year develop symptoms of

dementia; accumulating to one person every

three minutes. NHS (2013) estimated around

800,000 people within the UK are living with

Dementia. Alzheimer’s Society (2014) predicts

this figure would increase to 1.1 million

people in 2025 and over 2 million by 2051 this

figure equates to the population of Liverpool,

Manchester and Birmingham. Dementia care

alone costs the UK £26.3 billion. This kit

is designed to provide a sustainable and

locally managed resource that has real

power to engage those affected by dementia.

The product is made from ‘authentic’

materials, textures, sounds and smells

associated with a specific sports.


trans forma tive


progr essive

25 26

Lemon GaoMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

LG

FabricTense:

Using waste fabric to create an

exhibition, which encourages people

to change their wasteful habits

Many overseas students when they leave the UK

throw away much of their sheets and bedding

as it is too heavy to carry home and too personal

to donate. My project proposes using this fabric

waste created by students, within exhibition

design to illustrate the impact of waste on

society and to educate and change the behavior

of students to recycle their fabric and not throw

it away. The project is a call to abandon modern

models of exhibition design that are based upon

using new materials and to embrace a new

genre, which reuses and repurposes.

There are three parts to the design system:

Firstly, a small tensioned fabric structure/bin

is designed to collect waste fabric and is posi-

tioned in student halls. The second part is made

of many of the small bins and is positioned

in a centrally managed indoor public space.

The exhibition/installation is configured as a

flexible tower structure. This aims to encourage

students to recycle their waste fabric. The third

part of the whole design is then “re-used”

after the exhibition within students’

halls of residence.

I hope that through my design system, my

design concept could circulate for a long time,

and increase the use of functions, through

re-use and re-purpose. It will encourage

students from diverse backgrounds to pay

more attention to the issues around fabric

and clothes waste.


discur sive

27 28

Megan BakerMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

MB

The Uncanny Object:

Challenging preconceptions of ‘clean’

and ‘pure’ aesthetics by applying

it to an uncanny form

The uncanny is explained as a form that

causes unease due to the feeling of repulsion

alongside familiarity. Sigmund Freud explains

The Uncanny as “that class of the terrifying

which leads back to something long known

to us, once very familiar” (Freud, 1919.)

The aim of this project was to discover the

semiotic signs of the phenomena of purity and

how it could be juxtaposed against an uncanny

form. The semiotician Charles Sanders Pierce

explained that “we think only in signs” (Peirce,

1931), suggesting that semiology is the way in

which we decipher our personal associations

with an object. This idea is explored through

the production of a series of wearable artefacts

that appear inviting and clean but upon closer

inspection have an uncanny quality.

Studying the complex organic forms of

brassica, I have concentrated on their bulbous

and almost flesh like appearance. Stripping back

the aesthetic qualities by using plaster casts as

the primary medium combined with precious

metals requires the viewer and wearer to study

the form and question if it is of a pure quality

or whether it causes intrigue or repulsion?

The removal of familiar colours and textures

of the body also sparks questions of whether

it is the familiarity we are more afraid of or

the uncanny form.

Deformities such as growths are a prolific

example of the uncanny; the skin and flesh we

are familiar with is stretched and formed in an

unsightly way. By creating a dialogue with an

audience, my project attempts to influence

questions about the relationship of jewellery

and the body. Is jewellery an extension of

ourselves and why are we ashamed of a natural

extension of ourselves such as deformity?


comm unica tive

29 30

Rui BaoMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

RB

Can Contemporary Jewellery Reinvigorate

Traditional Chinese Culture?

I have always been fascinated by traditional

Chinese art, especially the history, heritage and

aesthetic of blue and white porcelain. In ancient

times many traditional arts were considered

vulgar and as a result of this many traditional

arts and crafts are now only taught in families.

Due to the explosion of new digital techn-

ologies the younger generation in China prefer

fresh high-tech products and gadgets with little

knowledge or appreciation of China’s unique

traditional art treasures. Traditional arts and

crafts are faced with the challenge of becoming

lost due to globalization, the market economy

and changes in modern society.

The aim of this project is to explore ways

that contemporary jewellery might have a

positive effect upon the reinvigoration of some

of these traditional values. In my opinion, the

porcelain culture has a vital position in the

minds of Chinese people and could be viewed

as a prominent national symbol. Its use can still

be seen within many daily eating and drinking

rituals as well as in architecture and interiors.

However since the commercialisation of this

traditional craft the uniqueness of blue and

white porcelain has diminished.

Contemporary jewellery is not only about skills

technology but is a vessel for telling an inner

story. As a craft maker there is an opportunity

to create special emotional exchanges that can

be understood by the audience. This collection

of wearable objects draws upon the traditional

forms, colour and patterns found within Chinese

blue and white porcelain vases. They capture

the essence of these by rethinking the ways

that forms can be interpreted and hopefully

provoke a thoughtful appreciation by combining

silver and paper with blue ink. I hope that

this work will reawaken a new appreciation

of traditional culture amongst the younger

Chinese generation.


innov ative

31 32

Sally RutherfordMA Design (Packaging)

22

03

16

SR

The Grizzly Food Company

Reducing food waste through the positioning

of a new eating experience.

The project proposes a street food brand that

produces popular offal dishes from around the

world, with a focus on creating a memorable

eating experience. It will encourage tasters

to consider the value of offal and whether

it deserves a spot on our plates and menus.

With one third of the world’s arable land

used for meat & dairy production, and the UK

wasting the meat equivalent of 110 million farm

animals per year, how can we help to get the

absolute best output from the gallons, hectares,

tonnes, work hours and lives taken to produce

our food?

189 million kilograms of edible offal is

produced in the UK each year, just from cows.

Lack of demand means that meats celebrated

in cuisine in other parts of the world is, in the

UK, ground into pet food. By creating a demand

for less popular cuts this project aims to reduce

food waste and ease the drain on our resources.

In order to maximise the chance of success

the brand is targeted towards a core audience

of ‘millennial-foodies’ who tend to place value

on trying new culinary experiences and

enjoying food socially.

The street food platform allows for an honest,

personal approach that can offer a novel

fast-casual eating experience whilst taking

advantage of low set-up costs and the freedom

to travel to events up and down the country.

Dishes have been selected based on ingredient

availability, ease of cooking and providing

a varied range of interesting eating formats.


trans forma tive

33 34

Simeng GuMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

SG

A Different Kind of Workspace

I am interested in the nexus between interior

design and furniture design. I wish to combine

furniture design and interior design using

furniture as a connector between space, interior

environment and users.

My MA project investigates how combining

interior design and product design in the

design of office furniture can create an

inspiring environment through the provision

of a ‘different-kind’ of work space.

My research revealed that 84% of workers

poled reported that their work environment did

not make them happy and that giving workers

a say in the design of their workplaces increased

productivity by 30%. In addition research shows

that over 80% of the workforce has admitted

to feeling stressed over work. How can design

help employees to get their work done in an

efficient manner while allowing them to enjoy

themselves? This project explores how the office

can be a space that makes people feel motivated

in their work. The solution I present mixes

furniture with installation art allowing the user

to be the co-designer of their office resulting in

a place they can transform into an exciting and

inspired venue.


respo nsive

35 36

Tom Liyui HeMA Design (Graphic)

22

03

16

TH

The Improvement of Public Spaces:

Through the introduction of art

into decaying environments

The aim of the project is to encourage the

application of temporary artwork within public

spaces. The art will infiltrate the urban decaying

environment, where often spaces are perceived

to be intimidating and forgotten. The project

attempts to beautify what is perceived to be ugly

by using recycled materials as a means of filling

and mending the defects within these spaces.

The project also attempts to enhance our

experience of the city and wellbeing within

these spaces and brings colour to our city

as well as a vehicle to encourage discussion.

The project reuses old CDs, which are broken

and fixed into the spaces by the artist. Members

of the public are encouraged to get involved

and produce their own interventions within

the city. Social Media is used to collate where

the work is taking place so that a community

can be developed to share locations. The

initial audience for the project focused around

Sheffield city students, so locations were

identified around the universities and student

accommodation. The project encourages

members of the public to take responsibility

for their environment and to encourage the local

community to take part in the transformation

of these spaces to encourage more meaningful

relationships, discussions and to improve the

general wellbeing of an area.


respo nsive

37 38

Xiwen QinMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

XQ

Rebirth:

An exploration of the value of craft

in a technology driven age

“With the development of mechanization this

craft is on the verge of extinction.”

Within the 21st century there have been huge

advances in technological developments in

design and manufacture and with this comes

the loss of individual identity. As thinking

structures have changed and with artificial

simulation becoming more prominent, objects

within the world can feel unnatural and fake.

Many craft practitioners have suggested that

craft making faces challenges in economic and

social survival as a result of these advances.

The focus for my MA project is the rela-

tionship between handcrafts and digital

technologies. Many people consider handmade

works as tasteful products, from which we

can feel the “heart” of the maker. However

these traditional hand skills are being lost

due to digital technologies. However except

for psychological satisfaction and superiority,

one might wonder what the advantages of

manual products are? Like vinyl records and

physical books, handmade products will become

a kind of feeling that no longer bears any actual

application values.

During creative explorations into the use

of 3D printing I have investigated how since

many machine production processes are

controlled by hand, which can produce errors,

how these failed trial items could be used to

have a dialogue about these issues. Through

testing I have attempted to control the errors

that can be created when combining the digital

and the hand and using this creatively to create

a kind of hybrid object. This has been explored

through the production of a series of silver

rings that use casting to translate a 3D printed

model into a decorative component which at

certain stages in the making has been purposely

modified by hand, giving each an individual

quality and identity. I hope these works

challenge the viewer and wearer to consider

the relationship between digital technologies

and the hand.


discur sive

39 40

Yang ZhaoMA Design (Interior)

22

03

16

YZ

High Street = Shop + Eat + Exhibit:

Conceptual model, reinventing

retail in the high street

Sheffield city centre has many functions.

It is a place to learn, work, live, relax and

shop. But we know that many people who

live in or close to the city only use parts of

the city centre occasionally. People living in

Sheffield have more choices about where they

shop, the shopping centre, Meadowhall or

other cities close by. This, along with online

consumption becoming more popular due to

its convenience and ease means that in the

heart of the city centre there are many

vacant commercial spaces.

My project explores the relationship between

people and the retail. It provides a conceptual

service model - not just simply shopping, but to

increase the interaction between people and the

vacant spaces within the city.


progr essive

41 42

Yanming YangMA Design (Product)

22

03

16

YY

Talk to me:

A celebration of time off

Research shows that in many countries

including the UK many people spend their

workday lunch hour hunched over a computer

and on their own. ‘Talk to me’ aims to break

this cycle of isolation and raise awareness

about the importance of taking a lunch break

and promote communication between colleges.

Taking a real lunch break can reduce

stress, increase happiness and help people

to be more productive. ‘Talk to me’ is a comm-

unication device that allow colleagues to know

information about your lunch time plans

encouraging them to join you and share

in a enjoyable out of office experience.

The individual ‘key’ contains digital infor-

mation about each owner including birthdate,

favourite foods, anniversaries and restaurant

choice. The digital screen use the latest shape

free screen format and NFC to allow seamless

comminication between other ‘keys’ and

a ‘hot-wall’where ‘keys’ can be placed

and rendevouz created.

‘Talk to me’ means lunchtimes never need

to be boring, stressful and isolating, ‘Talk to me’

gives those who work all date advocay to take

a break, to laugh and smile with those they

thought they knew.


trans forma tive

43 44

Yvonne LiMA Design (Interior)

22

03

16

YL

The body and accommodation

My project focuses on student accommodation

and how to make it feel more like a home; the

concept of ‘home’ and its physical and psych-

ological aspects such as internal layout, features

and behavior. Home can be interpreted in a

number of ways. The family house and paren-

thood are the obvious connections, but I would

also like to consider how working from home

impacts on space and how rental property can

be transformed into a space that feels like home.

How we use and ‘appropriate’ our domestic

space is a symbolic practice and there is a

cultural difference between ‘house’ and ‘home’.

This project explores how design can improve

student accommodation and the use of both

private and shared space. Specifically in relation

to International students how their different

cultural backgrounds impact on the use of the

space and its different functions. Through my

project I intended to design a space to encourage

students to socialize with one another and share

their cultural diversity as well as providing

private space for studying.


trans forma tive

45 46

Zeqian MaMA Design (Graphic)

22

03

16

ZM

Easy Remembering:

Addressing the issues Chinese children face when

learning the piano, through synesthetic and other

interesting methods

In China, most children start to learn to play the

piano through parental persuasion when they

are five years old. Learning the piano is seen as

a valuable stepping stone in a highly competitive

educational future, rather than learning for the

love of music. Not only does it make learning

the piano a struggle, it also makes them

gradually lose interest.

My project is aimed at five-year-old children

when they are starting to learn the piano. The

hope is to solve three specific problems — the

difficulty of recognising and remembering the

direction of octaves on the staff, the direction

on the keyboard and the duration of different

notes. They are resolved through development

of characters (designed according to the

solmization of notes) and colour analogy

(synesthetic method).

The ‘Grasper’ is a teaching material

comprising a physical game and card game.

The physical game aims to alleviate the

difficulty of understanding and memorizing the

duration of different notes. By using the visual

analogy of ‘cutting cakes’, children may find it

easier to know the number of beats in five notes.

Also, children can strengthen their memory

and practice finger coordination.

The card game hopes to solve the challenge

of recognising and remembering the direction

of notes both the staff and the keyboard. Whilst

playing the card game, not only should children

pair the three types of cards according to the

characteristic of them, but also play the correct

notes on the keyboard and sing them. This could

is a method for them to quickly grasp each

of the octaves.


progr essive

47 48

Zoe Xue HaoMA Design (Jewellery & Metalwork)

22

03

16

ZH

Re-Create:

An exploration of ways to re-value

waste materials through contemporary

jewellery making

“What initially did not appear in the slightest to

be ‘jewellery as we know it’ is, all of a sudden,

precious and becoming.”

This project explores ways that waste materials

can be given a new value by transforming,

combining and re-creating them into contem-

porary jewellery. These precious jewels aim

to stimulate awareness about environmental

issues through the act of making and wearing.

Value in jewellery is often only considered

in terms of precious materials such as gold,

silver and gems. This work challenges the way

we might consider value through the use of

strong and powerful forms and by sensitively

combining discarded materials with precious

details. Inspiration is taken from everyday

objects, re-using and beautifying through

craft-making with a hope that they surprise and

inspire people to love and respect the ordinary

things in life.

I have taken what I have discovered in

garbage cans, the street and in my daily life

and recreated them into new objects. If we do

nothing about such waste each one of these

materials would have a long-term detrimental

impact on the environment.

Chinese knotting is a traditional weaving

art in China that uses colourful silk threads

to creating hanging ornaments for decorating

the home especially during the Chinese Spring

Festival. People in China believe that the

art of knotting red thread can bring people

fortune and happiness and embodies individual

personality. This very traditional form of

expression has been used within my creative

design work to give a recognised form to these

objects that use waste material.

Roger Bateman

Postgraduate Leader, Art & Design

[email protected]

Maria Hanson

Joint Programme Leader

[email protected]

Dr Eve Stirling

Joint Programme Leader

[email protected]

Claire Lockwood

Deputy Head of Art & Design

Andrew Robinson

andkylrob.com

Gemma Milne

gemmamilne.com

Joe Rolph

joerolph.com

Evolutionprint

evolutionprint.co.uk

Alan Rutherford

Digital Print Specialist

Andy Buckley

Digital Print Specialist

2015 –16 MA/MFA Design Staff Team

Design Team Printers

Richard Evans

Glyn Hawley

Toby Lyons

Ranbir Lal

Frazer Hudson

Chris Knight

Anna Wiggins

Professor Paul Atkinson

Melanie Levick-Parkin

Dr Claire Craig

Julie-Ann Weissenborn

Professor Daniela Petrelli

Dr Alaster Yoxall

John Kirkby

Sheffield Institute of Arts

shu.ac.uk/sia

Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Sheffield Institute of Arts (SIA)

Sheffield Hallam University

Flat Street

Sheffield

S1 2JH

Documents

In transit catalogue