re.create
A one-time painting + memory preserving kit.
Spring 2019
14 weeks
Prompt: Second life challenge. The product needs to have a first life, and, transform into a second life after use. Both of the lives need to be important for this user scenario.
MoMA Design Store
MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art, is a place that celebrates creativity, openness, tolerance, and generosity. Since its establishment, MoMA has been strongly connected to architecture and design rather than traditional mediums like painting and sculpture. MoMA Design Store shares the same goal as the museum that advocates and celebrates modern designs.
User
Annie
A third-year economy student (2019). Enjoys travelling and visiting art galleries.
Recently Annie wants to paint something for her boyfriend because she believes her efforts and original thoughts would make the painting special. However, she has no idea about how to start the painting.
“……thinking about preparing all the tools, and after painting, cleaning up the mess, I just gave up the idea.”
“Also, I don’t know where to put it.”
Experiencing Painting Process
Painting Class
To better understand the beginners’ painting process, I signed up for a painting class in an art studio.
• Happy first
• Serves wine
• Teach tricks
• 2 hours’ projects
• Have sample paintings
What I learned
• Happy first
• Serves wine
• Teach tricks
• 2 hours’ projects
• Have sample paintings
Problems
Paint and water mess up the desk
Not confident to start
Use painting tools only for once
Don’t know what to do with the finished painting
NEEDS
Make it less messy
Give suitable instructions
Provide display methods
Give the tools a place to go when finish using it
WHAT IF?
Painting tools become the displaying tools?
Provide a layer of material to protect the desk top?
Embed instructions with painting tools?
FOR “WHAT IF”, HOW TO?
Brushes and palette turn into a stand.
A large sheet wrap up all the mess.
Provide instructions on the palette.
Testing Out Ideas
To get a deeper understanding of the painting process, I did the same painting one three different sizes, with timing.
What I learned
• Painting with a frame/board is more comfortable.
• 6”x 8” is the best size for beginners.
• 7 colors’ combination could help achieve better results easier.
FOR “HOW TO”, MAKE THEM A SET
User Validation
what i learned
• Unfolding process needs to be developed more (instruction, weight, 1st, 2nd, 3rd reads, intuitive of “stand”).
• How to add water in?
• Blank canvas looks cheap & “scaring”.
Final Function Decisions
Form Development
What does MoMA look like?
• Rounded corners
• Geometric forms
• Visually simple
Graphic Development
What’s moma’s visual language?
• Colorful
• Not too serious looking
• Using geometric shapes
Detail Decisions
BrUshes
• A bigger brush & a smaller brush
• Push end block - bristle pop up
Palette + paint tank
• Paint tank embed in palette
• Wood finish exploration
• Slot to nest used brush
Protect sheet
• With instruction on it
• Different fabric samples
• Print out testing
Wet pad
• Peel up to use
• Velcro on the back, could be placed on different positions on the sheet
• Different sizes and layout testing
Packaging
• Print testing
pop-up mechanism
• Canvas attach on the bottom
• Magnet embed
• Snap when lift up the canvas
• Peel off the canvas after finish
Final Design
This is what it looks like at store
from store to start painting
Get it from MoMA Design Store.
Unfolding it by simply pulling two corners out.
What it looks like while painting
painting To display
Enjoy your time of creating.
After done, transform the brush and palette into a stand.
What it looks like while displace
Great work!
*For The Future
Future improvements
• Sustainability
The idea starts with designing a less wasteful solution to replace an existing one-time painting kit. However, because the class is set up to make a “product-looking” mockup, I used fabric as the protective sheet, which would be thrown away in the end.
The fabric in this product should be replaced by a thin sheet of recycled paper.
• Recreate vs Starry Night
I named it Starry Night because this set (instruction I created especially) is for painting Van Gogh’s Starry Night. However, it should be introducing a series of paintings to the beginners. Thus, I’m branding it as Recreate later.