DESIGN
PROCESS
CONCEPT EXAM
The Louisiana Museum of Modern art is a leading museum of modern art and attracts visitors from around the world. The museum houses a design shop, which promotes Danish and Scandinavian design at large, whether that be interior design or fashion design.
For this project my interest was how I could design jewelry for the Louisiana museum shop, inspired by Roy Lichtensteins Endless Drip in such a way that the jewelry can function as both a souvenir and a design item.
Thus, the design proces for this project was centered around Louisiana’s visitors and rooted in the identity of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The project is based on the principles of the Design Thinking Process, going through the phases of emphasizing with the target group, defining my insights and the users needs, ideation, prototyping and testing.
To better understand who I am designing for - the Louisiana brand and its customers - I conducted a brand analysis with the use of basic principles of marketing theory and methods, such as Brand Brief-analysis and SWOT-analysis.
EMPATHIZE
In the initial empathizing phase, through the brand analysis, I found that Louisiana is more than an art museum, but a brand that fans out as a cultural institution, where art, design, culture, food and nature come together in the experience. The design shop is an important component here.
The focus on mainly Danish design selected by Louisiana, in addition to specific products designed especially for the museum shop, gives a high sense of quality and exclusivity.
The branding creates symbolic and emotional value to the products; it allows consumers to express identity and social membership as the products tell the story of the experience and of cultural engagement.
DEFINE
Based on the findings in my brand analysis regarding Louisianas target group, I created a persona for whom I targeted my design. From this persona I pulled my design drivers to create mood board and a POV to guide me in my design process.
IDEATION
I found my inspiration in the artwork Endless Drip by Roy Lichtenstein, exhibited in the sculpture garden at Louisiana.
I chose this work of art because with it Lichtenstein refers to the wild drips and splatters of the Abstract Impressionists; the spontaneous drip is removed from the canvas and stylized into controlled sculpturing.
By placing Endless Drip in Louisiana's sculpture garden it can be seen as an abstraction of the modern art that Louisiana represents and thus of what visitors can experience at the museum.
Therefor I found it very fitting and inspiring for jewelry that should function as a reminder of a visit to the museum, in addition to letting the wearer express passion for art.
PROTOTYPING AND TESTING
Prototyping was done both physically in clay and digitally in Rhinoceros.
The final prototype is a direct translation of Endless Drip. The prototype was then printed in resin. Two prototypes where printed, one that was bended to follow the curves of the ear, and one that was straight. Through testing the prototypes on several potential users, I found that the curved prototype sparked the most interest and was considered more feminine and beautiful.
The print was casted in 925 sterling silver, and renovated by hand in the jewelry workshop. Finally, the polished earrings where partly gold-plated on the indented faces, referring to the yellow color in the sculpture.
The result is the Endless Drip Earring. It is thought to be available in two variantions; one in 925 polished sterling silver with 18k gold-plating; and one in black rhodium plated silver, also with gold plating, for a more edgy look, to really bring to mind Lichtensteins sculpture.
The chosen production method is done with casting to optimize production and keep prices at a level suitable for the Louisiana museum shop.
The earrings are to be sold in pairs or individually.
Prices are 500,-DKK for a silver earring and 550,-DKK for a rhodium plated earring.
