OUGD603 - Brief 6 - Research Brief - Indoor Gardening - Evaluation against the brief and Project Evaluation

Evaluation against the brief 

A series of four planters have been created that are suitable for indoor gardening. Each of the planters reflect a small area of garden with the elements within the designs representing the boundaries between hard landscaping and planting within a garden. The planters allow the user to tend to their own indoor patch of garden. The use of Jesmonite to make the designs creates a stone feel to the designs linking the material of the design to the hard landscaped elements. Patterns and texture within the designs reflect the qualities of hard landscaping materials used in gardens e.g. patios and paths.

The designs are functional for indoor spaces as they are compact and a regular shape making them suitable for small spaces. The square format allows them to be combined to create a bigger garden. 

The planters are appropriate for small houseplants with the sunken areas within the designs providing space for planting. Each design is sized tow allow two or more small houseplants to be planted inside with the depth of the planter based on the dimensions of the pots that the plants come in.

The designs are both contemporary and suitable for a design conscious audience. The geometric use of shape and form and refined use of pattern and texture to represent different hard landscaping materials creates a contemporary aesthetic. The use of Jesmonite also creates an industrial manmade feel to the hard landscaped areas which contrasts well with the natural  plants.

The planters are suitable for an 18 - 35 year old target audience who live with little or no garden space as the planters provide an opportunity for the audience to have their own small piece of garden despite potentially not having outdoor space, which creates a sense of ownership. The planters are suitable for small house plants such as succulents and cacti which are appropriate for people who are busy or have little time on their hands to look after plants. The designs within the set are all different allowing the audience to choose their own garden which makes them more personal to them.

The designs are appropriate for the gift market as the set has varied designs that could be collectible allowing people to choose a design that they would like to give to someone. The narrative in the concept makes them quirky and different from other planters on the market. 

Consistency is created within the planters through the use of the same square format and clean and minimal use of pattern and shape across the designs. Jesmonite is used to make all of the designs creating consistency in material. The use of a brick outline around shapes within the planters  creates a visual tie across the set, whilst balance is created between larger and smaller patterns / textures and curved and square elements within the set. 

The use of Jesmonite as a material is hard and strong and water tight making the planters suitable for indoor and outdoor use because the material is durable. 

Project Evaluation

For the research brief I found it particularly difficult to know which subject / idea to research further into as I wanted the outcome to be something that would enjoy and produce an outcome that I would be proud of. Initial ideas were perhaps too complex and vague, so it was suggested that I do it on something a little more lighthearted. I struggled to refine the subject matter down initially which I think is what made the brief take so long to get started on. Overall I struggled with not knowing what I was going to produce and defining the subject matter as something specific.

Within this project I liked the product design element of the final element and the fun and quirky concept that was developed for the outcomes. Originally the designs were to be made from concrete however this would have been a labour intensive process as the walls of the planters would have to be reinforced and the drying time was far longer than the time I would have to create the outcomes. At one point there were doubts I could make the designs out of anything that looked like concrete and that they might have to be made out of wood instead, however the technician in ceramics really helped me identify a process that would get the desired aesthetic in the time span left. Because of the processes used and the time they took this brief should have been started earlier to give me enough time to produce the outcomes, however it wasn't known at the beginning that the outcome would be as difficult to create. The use of Jesmonite was an effective substitute for concrete and was more manageable within the time span.