Collaboration ITERATE Exhibition, a showcase of the design postgraduate students' research

Te Kura Hoahoa—School of Design Innovation is proud to announce the ITERATE Exhibition, a showcase of the design postgraduate students' research.

20 August 2024

Work and research from Master of Design Innovation, Master of User Experience Design and Master of Design Technology programmes, as well as our Master of Design and PhD students.

"ITERATE" will be open to the public between Monday 12 August and Friday 23 August.

Weekday hours will be between 9 am and 5 pm, and weekend hours will be between 2.30 pm and 5 pm.

This year’s exhibition is titled ‘ITERATE’, capturing the process of design-thinking as a part of the creative practice  that students have undertaken.

Nan O'Sullivan, Head of the School for the School of Design Innovation, says, "ITERATE is a wonderful celebration of the diverse and rich post graduate studies that our students and their supervisors undertake. It reflects the manaakitanga and collaborative spirit central to our post graduate community and is worthy celebration that we love to share widely each year."

Experience a sample of the students’ work below.

'Cat Hair Allergy' - Qinxing Yang, Quinn Dacre, Caitlin Hall, and Johnny Lyu

In 'Cat Hair Allergy' by Master of Design Technology students Qinxing Yang, Quinn Dacre, Caitlin Hall, Johnny Lyu, a young student named Lexi is grappling with the loneliness of living in a new country, adopts a cat named Long.

This newfound companionship triggers a chain of allergic reactions, compelling Lexi to ultimately put Long up for adoption. As Lexi's reality is upended, her one-room apartment transforms - becoming a conduit to a cosmic world.

'Layers of Fun' - Evan Vallender

Layers of Fun' by Master of Design Innovation student Evan Vallender aims to make voxel printing, a specialised form of 3D printing, accessible to more people.

Evan says, "Layers of Fun was done by simplifying and automating as much of the process as possible, through procedural modelling methods.

"Central to this project was allowing people as much creative freedom as possible when using the developed systems.

"During the design process several procedural creature generators were created, culminating in a final insect generator.

"The methods that were designed are capable of being reimplemented for the creation of any kind of creature, or organic structure.”

'Under Pressure: Voxel Materiality of 3D Printed Auxetics' - Julia Sasse

'Under Pressure: Voxel Materiality of 3D Printed Auxetics' by Master of Design Innovation student Julia Sasse explores how 3D printing offers new opportunities for designing and manufacturing auxetic materials.

Julia says, "This research explores volumetric material 3D modelling at the voxel level, enabling precise control over material properties during printing.

"Utilizing the Stratasys J850 3D printer, this method enhances auxetic materials, allowing for tailored material gradients and customized products.

"A procedural workflow is used for the design and fabrication of a customised bicycle saddle and handlebar grips, using personal pressure mapping data to define material design."

'Journey of Cooking' - Qingyi (Echo) Sun, Daline Taing, Jacob Karam, Niranjan Kottukkal, and Nan (Gyro) Jiang

Experience the 'Journey of Cooking' by Master of Design Technology students Qingyi (Echo) Sun, Daline Taing, Jacob Karam, Niranjan Kottukkal, and Nan (Gyro) Jiang.

Thrilled by the prospect of fresh, delicious food, a robot couple relocates from a dystopian city to a vibrant forest. However, their excitement is dashed when they discover that all the food they've bought with their remaining money has gone mouldy. This leads to a culinary revelation.

‘Surface Driven Design’ - Marsha McQueen

When describing 'Surface Driven Design', Master of Design Innovation student Marsha McQueen says, "The surface of a product serves as the initial point of interaction, engaging users through sight and touch".

'Surface Driven Design' explores how specific geometric features of parametrically created textures can evoke emotions and optimize its integration into the design process for enhanced user experience.

This approach enables designers to elicit targeted emotional responses and enhance user experience through texture design.

'Augmented Text: A New Frontier in Comprehension' - Jon Bell

A close-up of a bookmark Description automatically generated 'Augmented Text: A New Frontier in Comprehension' by Master of Design student Jon Bell explores the experience of reading a novel with the power of comprehension-aiding software tools.

Jon says, "Consider reading an engrossing novel on a beach. Compare that to the feeling of having 127 browser tabs open while trying to research a complex topic.

"On one hand, it's hard to find flow when you're being bombarded with information, which is where novels excel. On the other hand, it’s hard to comprehend dense content filled with jargon, which is where comprehension-aiding software excels."

'SensorEase' - Samantha Meads

'SensorEase' by Master of Design Innovation student Samantha Meads is an affordable and customizable sleeve for the WanderSearch location device, a radio frequency device commonly worn by people with dementia and children with autism.

Samantha says, "My research showed that some autistic device wearers did not like wearing the device due to stigma, discomfort and aesthetics. Autistic wearers often fidgeted with the device, such as biting and picking at it.

"Sensor Ease sleeves are sensory toys that can slip over the WanderSearch device, allowing the wearer to fidget and bite on the device without causing any damage. Furthermore, these are made from silicone to prevent skin irritation.

"The sleeves come in a range of colours and fidget types, such as spinners and chewables. The sleeves give the WanderSearch device a second function that focuses on the children’s needs."

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