Tile Project: How QReative Are You?

It was our presentation for the Tile Project today, here are our boards:

initial idea and development

research and trends

field tiles with underlying pattern

main tile and room visualization

We started our design process by looking at plant life and cellular structure. Through drawings, models and research we developed an interest in Quick Response (QR) code technology. This came about through looking at the work of OP artists, specifically FrancoisMorellet and his piece Aleatoric Distribution. 

Already aware of QR codes in advertising, our research from WGSN and Trend Union led us to believe in the advances of this growing technology as a influence for trends over the next 18 months. We decided to design the tile with this techno-savvy market in mind and looked into the possibilities available with QR coding.

Our research also showed that kitchens and technology are becoming ever more linked. You only need to look at the ipad store for the array of kitchen accessories in the form of tablet stands and screen covers currently available on the market.

This got us thinking about how people might want to use technology in the kitchen and so we developed the concept behind the QReative tile range; where the code would activate an app/website/food blog/recipe bank that the customer would make bespoke to themselves prior to ordering the tile. This then makes the kitchen not only the heart of the home but the heart of hyper-real activity!

Whilst considering hyper-reality, we found additional research on the ceramicist Andrew Tanner. He has developed the first augmented plate where, with smartphone capabilities, it  comes to life with animals and birds on your screen. Advertising is already running along this route, with Aurasma technology being employed to the fronts of magazines so that it can deliver videos to the customer as well as the content inside its pages. This got us thinking about how to apply further developments to the idea (of the tile) and we saw that there were endless capabilities. From developing the applications that the code scans, to applying augmented capabilities amongst a tile range, approaching schools with inbuilt educational tools or developing the capability of sound so that these tiles could translate into the bathroom and possibly service radio use.

Through our research I came across this interesting exhibition utilising mobile, internet and facebook integration:

Tile Project

We are working in groups this term with a live brief from the company Johnson Tiles

The Brief:

To develop designs for a range of tiles to the new dimensions of 400mm x 150mm. Initially, a collection of four new colours is required which when produced on tiles includes an underlying pattern in a tint of the main colour. Care should be taken with the design to ensure that it can be used visually in both portrait and landscape format rather than in a single direction. To accompany the new range of patterned colours a single tile design is required which will be printed by using the inkjet process. The design is to be capable of being used in either landscape or portrait format and depending on the design should link left and right when placed together. The colours to be used to create the single tile design are the four conventional print colours of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black used in the inkjet process on either a white or cream background. Designs can be purely graphic, photographic or a combination of the two.

My initial thoughts have been to look at geometric design, and for a still life study yesterday I worked from a macrame style bag. Drawing in a more measured and meticulous way than I would normally I really started focusing on structure. This fits with the idea of geometry within nature so we'll see where this one goes...

macrame bag

look at all those little links!

I also found a brilliant book on Arabian Geometric Pattern so will be looking into how this could possibly be used within a design.