Art and Design Commons^™

P-Lax : Toys For Adults, To Play & Relax, Zhizi Liu

Masters Theses

Adults don’t play enough. There is so much emphasis on working and being productive in modern day life, but this can have negative effects—for an adult this can lead to high stress and a sense of guilt when one isn’t being productive. My mission is to help adults de-stress and take a break from work by reintroducing play into their day-to-day interactions. Toys for children are often used for educational purposes and to help enhance their creativity and social abilities; toys for adults can instead used to improve mood, and to help release pressure that is built up from everyday …

Motivated Motivation : A Consulting Tool To Find New Platforms For Business, Xiaoxio Jin

Masters Theses

Consumption motivation is the drive to satisfy needs and wants. It is also a desire for a product, service, or experience. The continual raising of the consumption desire has brought us where we are today. When old needs are met, new needs emerge, then we can create the infinite desire in our modern society. As brands are in a market full of competition, they are aware that they cannot stay in the same place when others are putting effort on business expansion. Our customers are calling for new service, thus brands need to keep being energetic and innovative.

Understanding consumption …

Obsessed With Obsessions: Design For Obsession, Vara Yang

Masters Theses

Taking the notion of obsessions as the starting point for my thesis, I decided to investigate the daily rituals undertaken by a select group of people. I engaged myself in others’ idiosyncrasies, and found myself empathizing with their needs and desires. I found it fascinating how our obsessions vary so considerably. Yet, at the same time, I realized that each of the obsessions I explored was comparable in that the qualities that defined each obsession were essentially the same.

My thesis uses the obsession of Squeegee Girl as an example with which to demonstrate my personal concept of design. For …

Mealspace : Beyond The Table, Lauren Tedeschi

Masters Theses

This is a chronicle of a tableware enthusiast who set out to share her ideas by designing for the everyday eater. The quest began with questioning what an ideal meal experience is and why it revolves around a static, flat table. What are the aspects of present-day eating scenarios that could be improved upon? I considered the conventions of dining, studying traditional forms, materials and spaces related to this practice, and proposed new ways of eating. I designed props for establishing a new kind of mealspace, the objects and events paired together as performances. Each project or act is documented …