Lock in with BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design

Improve your drawing skills

Select a household object and produce three timed direct observation drawings. Try doing this for 30 minutes, 15 minutes and 5 minutes. Make sure you use the same position and media, and try to alternate between your pencil and pen.

Have a go at a two-point perspective drawing – draw a series of cubes or rectangular blocks using the string and pin method (we use the two-point perspective most of the time!). If you need some help and guidance in creating your drawings click here. 

Sketch

In your spare time, why not try sketching human interaction with the environment. Start by sketching seating positions, holding objects and garden tools – basically scenarios that help understand scale/proportion of object sin relation to the user. 

Analyse an object

Pick an object you like and consider the following: 

• What is it?
• Who is it for?
• Why is it needed?
• When is it used? 
• How is it made?
• How does it work?

Try to find out as much information about it including the designer/history/brand etc.

 Watch

• Abstract The Art of Design series (Netflix)
• Objectified (a feature length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and the people who design them)
• Rams (documentary portrait of Deiter Rams)

Add these to your reading list 

Icon Eye
Dezeen Online Magazine 
This is Colossal
Design Boom 
Design Milk

Listen to podcasts

• Material Matters with Grant Gibson (some great designers interviewed)
• Shared Planet (a few years old but fascinating)

 Get out (virtually)

Go to a museum or gallery! Click here to start exploring.