Product Design Project
Bauhaus Summer School, Weimar, DE
August 2023
During the Design Tools for Play programme at the Bauhaus Summer School, led by Matthew Burger and Sven Brandelius, attendees were invited to explore playful and interactive designs. I connected this project with my ongoing MA Design research, specifically exploring how pressure and weight can serve as an accessible and customisable tool for self-regulation.
The inspiration for this project came from The Learning Body exhibition at the Bauhaus Museum Dessau, with the project headed by Corina Forthuber. The exhibition featured various artists and designers investigating extensions of the body that alter perception and movement.
The final design features felt shapes filled with stuffing and connected by elastic, encouraging users to experiment with different configurations. By using their own body weight to pull, compress, and reshape the product, users can explore and re-connect with their body, reflecting on what configuration satiates them.
Unique Product Configurations: Each student uncovered unique and personal configurations of how the tool could be used.
Brittany Thorpe 