This week I made my own periodic table to sort out all the elements of my MA-project. It is made out of small plywood boards that are colored to make different groups of information. I hope the table can be a tool for me to map my visual referenses, written referenses, own visual and written work, materials and etc. The boards can be taken away, worked with and put back up again in a different place. I will take photos of the board to keep track of my process.
The Folk Futures seminar in Sandnes Norway, presented a look into the new global folk-trend in craftmanship and design wich applies a more handmade and crafted approach to commercial products. The presenters dicsussed new concepts for production, marketing and businesses in relation to this trend. What I found interesting was the open, transdisiplinary approach to creative medias wich made me more aware of the boundaries between disciplines in the norwegian design, architectural and art scene. Amongs the presenters were Li Edelkoort, Natalie Chanin, Hella Jongerius, Tord Boontje and the Campana brothers.
Nature’s examples on sponging constructive structures fascinates me. Could the idea of sponging on other structures inspire and translate into an urban context? Nature’s light-weight constructions has also caught my interest for some time because of it’s beaty, constructive potential and material efficiency. Picture: Ruck-A-Chucky Bridge, Auburn California, T.Y.Lin
Frei Otto has inspired me to experiment with nature as a design tool. The picture shows a suspend model for form finding of the arches for the new train station in Stuttgart, Germany, 2000. I tried to play and push the idea even further in my m-theory project by letting the natural laws work directly on my design framework. 
I made this chair/lamp out of an asymmetrical set of ribs and covered it with shrinking plasticmembrane. When heated,the plastic shrinks and reorganizes in the most effecient way over the ribs. I made a framework and let the rest of the design in the hands of the laws of nature. The membrane applies the necessary stiffness and functionality to the construction. An eyeopnening and fun experiment to do. The chair was exhibited at Stockholm International Furniture Fair, 2008.
Nature has already gone througt an amazing designprocess over millions of years, where can you find a better mentor? I’ve been looking at nature before in a more or less concient way, to solve problems and get inspiration. Now I want to use it as a tool in my designprocess.
