SPECIAL THANKS>Sara, for coming through & sewing together my hood/scarf creation.

Graeme & Gary (technicians), for making sure I didn’t maim myself on the lathe.

EARL STEWART

an introduction3 columns, 3 categories and not alot of room..........

Coming to the close of one more project in a string of many is an event with mixed emotions, due mainly to the fact that this final project aims to be the culmination of many years of learning at the hands of professionals.

And that is how this process has been treated from the commencing of our final trimester as students of Design at Victoria. Our talents should be on display, it should be obvious to see the manifestation of many long hours spent at the drawing board. But then again it is just another project in a string of many, with more to come.

has been developed as an aid to ridding our lives from the invasive nature of the modern day city. Technology similar to digital hearing aids is the driving force behind this system of products. The concept originated from a study into the lives of people in some of the most congested cities in the world. The results led to discovering an interesting angle, trying to create a product that would address the increased stress levels in modern city dwellers by trying to calm their everyday lives.

This manual will take you through the processes that led me to create a system of products to calm a hectic world.

fifthVERSE/

research

”bring a quiet sense of calm into strenu-ous everydaylives.”muji

Approaching the topic of over population is not a new discussion, neither is the fact

that every city in the world is experiencing population increase every year, a trend

that doesn’t look to stop anytime in our near future.

Density of the worlds populace has been the “global condition” for many a year,

half of all humans have made the move into the urban environment, its in our nature

to congregate. As a species we crave social dynamics, we place ourselves into

some of the worst living conditions possible, just so we can be part of the bigger

community and the advantages it provides.

With an eye especially focused on TOKYO we find evidence of the price we pay

just to be plugged into the action centre. We choose to look at TOKYO due to it

being one of the busiest cities on the globe, & because ofcourse it was in the brief

to incorporate MUJIs flagstore into the design process. We have stress levels

topping out for those living in these mega cities, with little infrastructure to support a

“positive” form of relief from this stress, or should I say positive infrastructure which

is most desired by the inhabitants.

“The outdoor recreation scene has taken off in Japan with

parks & camping grounds being packed in the weekends.

The appeal being getting back to nature to

de clutter their minds from the fast pace of

city living.” www.web-japan.org/trends98

In order for mankind to enjoy the perks of an urbanized world, trend would have us

believe we have to sacrifice peace of mind to obtain it. What this study highlighted

was a need to hold onto a personal sense of calm when faced with such dominating

environments.

New Zealand is not exempt from the habit of congealing together either, with the

trends affecting every corner of the globe it is fair to say any NZ city can become

a behemoth covered in concrete. So with this said, how do we hang onto

what we have come to appreciate? These appreciations being one of wide

open spaces, leisurely weekends in the country, ,pleasant people, the little things

a humble nation of ours has maintained for decades. General enjoyment of urban

living within shouting distance of flora & fauna.

So for the reason of all of the above, this product needs to become the oasis of calm

we so desire, for a world intent on living in each others pockets.

photo by kevinpoh

CATEGORIES OF ADJUSTMENTNOT ALOT OF ROOM = MUJI, PONOKO, NZ lifestyle.

The parameters of designing for a company,

technology & NZ lifestyle, are tight quarters to work

within. But given enough time & motivation exciting

things can be wrangled from the most stubborn of

opponents.

The MUJI seed: MUJI is a very inspiring company

which operates from a strong brand philosophy of

creating quality goods that are not ridiculously priced.

The angle which has most heavily influenced this

project comes from MUJI. Specifically how MUJI has

produced products that will specifically bring a “sense

of calm” to the domicile. Growing from this philosophy

, coupled with the celebration of material well known at

MUJI, planted the seed.

New Zealand lifestyle is the next piece of the puzzle

that needs addressing. In terms of population density

New Zealand is still fairly new on the scene, as a fairly

new colony our cities haven’t had the time to become

bloated like other major hubs. We are a country

growing into our boots still, we have great cities

that provide the social necessity of closeness while

still having the perks of natural leisure outlets, e.g.

beaches, parks, fields, gardens, snow, etc all within

reach. The point being that with access to natural

environments away from the city, opportunities to

de-clutter our minds are readily available. We are able

to be a relaxed nation amongst the modern world.

So we have established the angle for MUJI & the

appropriate connection to our blessed New Zealand

lifestyle. Ponoko is the final piece of the puzzle that

needs addressing.

More specifically PONOKOs emphasis on production

through digital means & the ability to let the users

have some say in how they can customise it. This

aim of letting the user have control over certain

factors of the production phase compliments the

previous mentioned factors. Allowing the designed

system to become fully personalized will add to

the user enhancing the experience of creating a

personal bubble unique from the world.

In summary previously mentioned categories will be

applied from the following angles:

MUJI - The seed of the concept, “creating a sense of

calm” for the city. The requirement of simplicity, & the

celebration of a materials natural qualities.

PONOKO - User customisation e.g. allowing the user

to participate in aesthetic choices. The application of

having certain parts 3D printed.

NZ LIFESTYLE - In response to the congestion

of the human species, taking the relaxed natural

atmosphere of NZ to create a direct contrast against

the major urban hubs of the world.

Highlighting these specific angles will allow you,

the reader, an understanding of all the embodied

elements in the system.

AUDIOGASMHow do you give the people a reprieve from the

constant distractions of the city?

The answer; create an environment that can

become a portable haven from the city. More

specifically, a wearable item that induces a sense

of calm by filtering out the noise of the densely

populated urban environment, replacing the

filtered noise with ones taken from a more peaceful

setting. NATURE

THE URBAN FOREST

Filtering the obtrusive racket of the city through

the calming influence of nature is the aim of the

game. Conceptualizing how I could package all

3 philosophies into one system brought forth a

solution which would be, both, an extension of

the experience & provide direct relation to the 3

categories.

So the design direction has established a need

for a portable, wearable garment that can block

the outside world through the way it is worn, also

applying the technology in a way that filters out the

noise of the city and replaces it with sounds from

nature.

The answer best suited to fit all requirements

comes in the form of a fashionable hood/scarf

arrangement, with the technology acting as

buttons to be transitioned in when the wearer

pleases.

is therefore a wearable garment that houses

advanced audio filtration technology to aid the

experience of a city. An experience that induces a

sense of calm rather than one of stress.

So the scene is set....................

V E R S EV E R S Efifthfifth /

VERSE

A TIME TO RECOVERCreating a range of interconnected

products that will enhance the experience

of the city, rather than the un-filtered

experience of a confronting habitat.

fifth has been developed as a complete

system of products, specifically designed to address the specific

issue previously mentioned.

The product range contains 4 parts. HOOD. FILTER. HORN &

CONTROL. HOOD & HORN function as the housing units for

FILTER & CONTROL.

FILTER & CONTROL will button into HOOD, allowing you to have

filtered audio experiences whilst travelling through the city.

HOOD is the travelling comforter, offering protection from the world

when embracing your cranium.

HORN is the domestic protector, filtering out the audio intruders

coming through the window, keeping the calm while functioning in

unison with FILTER.

/

AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.....

HORNIs the domestic realization of the FIFTH/VERSE system.

HORN stays in the home, preferably on the window sill,

the best place to capture sound coming in from the

outside world. Creating a personal audio void that fills

the home with the sound of calm.

HORN is the docking station that allows FILTER to

recover lost energy. Induction coils are powered

within HORN to allow FILTER to be reenergized. Whilst

plugged into the dock, FILTER also has the opportunity

to be reloaded with audio tracks through the bluetooth

device housed in the casing, allowing you to adjust your

filtering tracks.

HOODHas been designed as an extra barrier from noise

whilst out in the chaotic world of the modern city.

Designed as a hood/scarf combination to provide a

psychological comfort to the user, enabling them to

determine how closed off from the world they would

like to be, extending the experience from auditory

calmness, to the physicality of security. Aiding the

separation from the public realm is the pattern which

is chosen when purchasing the system. HOOD allows

you to chose a pattern that is laid between the outer

& inner surfaces, this pattern is a noise dispersion

barrier that enhances the refraction of sound both

within & without, giving a crisper auditory experience

to the user.

HOOD is a combination of composite NZ merino with

a middle layer made from felt. Button holes for FILTER

& CONTROL are sewn into the garment, giving you

the options as to where you would like to place the

technology.

FILTER & CONTROLThe two most technical elements of the whole ensemble.

Designed as buttons to be inserted into HOOD or HORN

when in need of charging or uploading of new audio.

FILTER is the beating heart of FIFTH/VERSE. It is the audio

filtering technology which drives all aspects of the system.

When in HOOD it feeds off all sounds within range through

the receivers, which then projects the newly modified audio

throughout the closed off world inside HOOD. FILTER listens

to its environment, singling out the most obtrusive noises,

matching the sounds in its database, and then plays the

newly chosen audio instead of letting you hear the obtrusive

noise. Switching a stress inducing sound for a preselected

sound that will create a personal bubble of calm. Uploading

audio is simple when FILTER is docked in HORN. When the

2 are 1 the bluetooth capability is recognized, ready to be

synced with any laptop or computer.

CONTROL is the exactly what the title implies. 5 buttons

that take care of volume & which preselected audio you

would like FILTER to use as its database of choice. Assign

any of the play buttons a season to categorise your

choices. WINTER. SUMMER. SPRING. AUTUMN. Bluetooth

compatibility with FILTER allow CONTROL to pass on the

requests, powered by batteries.

A PROCESSIN DESIGN

AUDIOTECHNICSThe system is a real time conversion/filtration of sound.

Think of a digital hearing aid. The modern digital

hearing is able to convert the outside world into audible

sound for the deaf. With the processing power being

able to adjust the noise in real time for the user.

Technology used in FILTER will feed off the surrounding

city, taking its cues on what is played through the flat

flexible speakers, by what it is hearing. By listening to its

environment, it will determine what is the most relevant

sound to reproduce from the extensive list of natural

sounds, stored in the database.

As the receiver gathers from it surroundings, the

information gets fed through the micro amp, cleaning

the audio. This refined audio then gets used by the

micro processor to find parallels with the pre-loaded

audio, resurrecting what is stashed in a way that

breathes new life in the data. This newly reconstructed

audio then gets pumped through the speakers, to

your auditory appendages. ( well that’s how I imagine

the technology to work, in reality the engineers &

audiologists will have to be wrangled for the job)

When placed into the HORN, the FILTERs batteries

are refueled, due to the HORNs housing of induction

charging coils. Enabling the FILTERs to still be in use in

the home while topping up there much needed energy.

nature out

receiver

microprocessor

rechargeablebattery

4gbSSHD

microamp

databank

technicalstuff

city in

COMPONENTRYHarmonious relations.

Buttoning & Unbuttoning.

HOOD will be made from light NZ merino with

wool felt for the pattern inserts. This process

will be sewn by seamstresses.

FILTER will be plastic moulded housings, or 3D

printed housings, dependent on the market.

Plastic used will be solid colours. Electronics

can be fitted by engineers.

CONTROL will be plastic moulded or 3d

printed also. Electronics can be fitted be the

engineers.

HORN will be CNC lathed from pacific

mahogany, often used for its natural acoustic

qualities. The inner surface will be painted to

help reflect the sound further. The docking

caps will be moulded from rubber and

attached in place after induction coils are

placed in & wired.

FILTERx2

HORNx2

HOOD

CONTROLx5

24mm

14mm

SPECS

CONTROL

165mm75mm

rubber end caps ensure the

FILTERs fit snugly, while keeping

them close to the induction

charger.

170mm long

HORN

65mm 55mm

outer circle = 32.5mminner circle = 27.5mm

10mm

10mm

flat flexible speaker

FILTER

TRAFFcrowds CARS pe

LAUGHING horns ANGER talking RUSHING slam BAM

noisePOLLUTION engine BRAKES

screeching YELL-

IN

yobbosFREAKSjostling

PainCRAZINESS

receiver goes here

fabric goes inbetween here

all the natural sounds are played back through the flat flexible speakers. Into your ear

PATTERNMAKINGAll patterns were developed for the purpose of providing

comfort, shelter & a barrier from the elements of the city.

Providing a hood for the user which could be pulled over

the head, extending the act of shutting ourselves off from

our surroundings, or telling the people around us that we

want to be anti social.

The extended material falling past the hood provides

an anchor, so the hood will sit on your shoulders without

slipping from your torso. This also extends the act of

blocking out the world by allowing it to wrap around the

neck.

DISPERSINGNOISEThe inside layering of hood

is an important element,

due to its need of helping

to create a sound proof en-

vironment when the hood

of the garment is placed

over the head.

2 patterns were decided

upon which were both

structurally rigid, yet

flexible enough to sit

correctly on the shoulders.

Felt is the material of

choice for the inserts.

END