On 17 January 2018, the Estonian Academy of Arts is organising the EAA Design Showcase, a public presentation of the freshest results that have emerged from cooperation between the EAA Department of Design and various enterprises. In the Luther Machinery Hall, concepts, prototypes and final solutions of new and innovative products and services will be presented, showcasing new developments in banking, energy management, the restaurant industry and other fields. All enterprises, EAA’s present and future cooperation partners, and enthusiasts of innovative design are kindly invited to attend the event. All presentations will be given in English.
Dean of the EAA Faculty of Design Kristjan Mändmaa said that cooperation with EAA is beneficial to enterprises: “We often ask our partners to start off by imagining 10 to 20 brilliant young people working intensively for months looking for solutions to your company’s problems. The teaching staff who supervise the students are internationally recognised specialists in their own fields. The future visions are explored in close cooperation with the partner enterprise: how will, for example, travelling, media consumption and commerce look in 5, 10 or 20 years’ time? Hitherto unforeseen products and services are developed, and new materials and technologies tested.”
Within the framework of the Powering Tomorrow project – a joint programme between the Estonian Academy of Arts and Tallinn University of Technology – Design & Engineering students, in cooperation with Skeleton Technologies and Alexela, explored changes that have taken place in energy consumption and the development of energy technologies. “In cooperation with Alexela, students analysed how to make the car-centred infrastructure more community-friendly and focus more on new modes of personal transport. In addition, shortcomings in outdoor electricity access were examined,” explains teaching staff member of the D&E programme, EAA design researcher Ruth-Helene Melioranski. “The solution proposals redefine service stations as community centres, visualise a charging network for electric personal transportation vehicles, and develop a recharging robot for electric cars.
The Estonian Academy of Arts wishes to thank and recognise its current partners: Tallinn University of Technology, Alexela Oil, Skeleton Technologies, Ribe Restaurant, Swedbank, e-Residency, Estonian Defence Industry Association, Bradley Paper, North Estonian Association of the Blind, North Estonia Medical Centre. We are always happy to work in cooperation!
The EAA Design Showcase will take place on 17 January 2018 on the 3rd floor of the Luther Machinery Hall, Vana-Lõuna 39/1. It’s possible to sign up until 15 January. The programme and registration form are available HERE.
The presentation topics:
- During the autumn semester, the EAA and Tallinn University of Technology Design & Engineering joint programme, in cooperation with Alexela and Skeleton Technologies, organised the Powering Tomorrow project to analyse how the developments in energy technology can influence our behaviour and how this, in turn, can influence the implementation of these technologies. An overview is given of solution proposals that change the meaning of energy, and the different possibilities to implement these solutions.
- The exploration journey shared by EAA ceramicists and Ribe Restaurant culminated in a set of new original dishes that reflect the restaurant’s brand values and enliven its general appearance. The dishes were produced with 3D clay printing technology developed at EAA.
- EAA interaction design students and Swedbank proceeded from the advances in everyday technology and society in general and discovered new opportunities to develop products and services in electronic banking.
- EAA interaction design students analysed the user-friendliness of the e-Residency service. As a result of the research, a set of different solutions were proposed to increase the satisfaction level of new e-Residents.
- The collaboration project between EAA’s Sustainable Design Lab, the Tallinn University ELU project and the Estonian Defence Industry Association looked for solutions, based on the concept of circular economy, for the problem of waste created by the defence industry. Innovative products and services were created with the help of upcycling, i.e., creative reuse.
- The collaboration project between EAA graphic designers and Bradley Paper gave a fresh look to a series of exercise books, which reached impressive numbers in sales thanks to a striking modern design.
- EAA graphic designers, in cooperation with the North Estonian Association of the Blind, developed a board game that can be used by all, including visually impaired people.
- The objective of the joint system design workshop, held between EAA product designers and the North Estonia Medical Centre, was to increase the number of blood donors and make sure first-time donors would become regulars. Various prototypes were tested and the e-Donor environment was developed further.
- Textile designer Katrin Kabun was seeking to find ways to use lambswool, a valuable resource that is annually disregarded in massive quantities. In collaboration with the laboratories of Tallinn University of Technology, a natural biodegradable furnishing material was produced that is based on renewable resources and, due to its ability to regulate the indoor air quality, is health friendly.
Additional information:
Mart Vainre
Communications Specialist
Estonian Academy of Arts
mart.vainre@artun.ee