Project Description

Ciclo is a design exercise that encourages people to think creatively about multi-functionality within the domestic landscape. It integrates configurable components in one product to reduce quick-paced product replacement.

The over-exposure to material goods has desensitised consumers from finding meaning through things.Ciclo’s intent is to softly recondition consumers to think differently about the things they already own, and through multi-functionality, encourage consumers to exercise their creativity.

The end goal is to promote more mindful consumption.

Line drawings of some of the different configurations you can create with Ciclo
Ciclo (in mild steel) configured into a shelf
Ciclo configuration in Aluminium
Ciclo in Mild Steel and Aluminium

The design of Ciclo has four main components. Two cubes and two ‘U’ extensions are produced in 3mm mild steel. These are joined by nuts and bolts. The overall configuration system was designed to be straightforward and simple.

The final artefact requires at least two people to configure due to its weight. One individual cube weighs almost 25kg. The weight is a vital aspect of the design to convey a sense of renewal between configurations. Because of the significant weight, I produced a 1:3 scale model in aluminium. This material is more costly but is significantly lighter than mild steel. This would make an individual 1:1 ratio cube weigh 8kg, making it easier to configure.

The title of the project, Ciclo means cycle in Spanish. This term refers to the cyclical nature of consumers’ desire for renewal, meaning that in using this product, each configuration represents a new cycle.

Ciclo components in aluminium
Ciclo components in aluminium
Close-up of Ciclo (in aluminium)
User configuring Ciclo
Close-up of Ciclo produced in aluminium
Close-up of Ciclo produced in aluminium
Ciclo as chairs
Ciclo as chairs
Ciclo configuration as a bench
Awards
Second Prize for the VIII Edition of Versiona Thyssen, a competition organised by the Thyssen Museum in Madrid (2020).
Skills & Experience
  • Web and Product Designer for ACME Estudio; 2021-Present
  • Summer internship with Tornasol Studio; 2020
  • Internship with Miguel Leiro, Office of Design; 2020-2021
  • Software fluency: Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Blender, Rhinoceros, Cargo

Related student work

My design practice is currently focused on guiding people back to the ‘essential’. Ciclo was jumpstarted by a need within myself to feel grounded amidst the over-exposure to mass-produced objects with built-in obsolescence. This over-stimulation of images, products and advertisements has led consumers into endless cycles of desire and an ongoing search for renewal through material goods.

By practising creativity and redefining the things we already own with Ciclo, not only does it give a sense of renewal that we often seek, but it encourages us to have a different outlook on our everyday experience.

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Product Design - BA (Hons)
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