FMP: Cardboard Layering

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Research: Corrugated Cardboard

Other than it's purpose to transport and protect the products we purchase, what else does cardboard have to offer? It is often used with childrens crafts as it is lightweight and ideal for making strong items that can be painted and dropped without worrying about damage- not only because it is durable for it's cost, but because without reusing and decorating it, it would only be recycled anyway.

I came across these cardboard reception desks- unique in design not only for it's shapes and time consuming length of it's manufacture; but as it is made out of corrugated cardboard, you would not expect it to be on pride display as a first impression to a business, but in a recycling bin after a product had been received.

The interesting shapes are made with layers of cardboard stuck together and supported with a plywood shelving frame to the inside, allowing receptionist use with laptops and documenting appointments etc. I really like how this pushes the boundaries as to what we expect from display furniture- although it is elegant and appealing to touch and to the eye, we don't expect it to act this way or be strong behave as this product.

I like how large the scale of this idea is too, I think if it were half the size, it would be nowhere near as powerful as perhaps it is at this size- drawing attention from customers and engaging employers too. I would like to develop the idea of a large scale cardboard layered product as it is something we do not see in the everyday- adding something unusual and shocking into the design may also intrigue viewers, such as water or even glass to contrast with this industrial material.

This piece works in the same way (layering cardboard specifically shaped to create attracting work) but in this design, the layers are much more detailed and of a much smaller scale to make a woodland scene of thin wispy shaped trees. I like the idea of this but it doesn't create more of an impact than the reception desk project and for my own project to be successful, I want to show work that will make people stop and look.

The idea of a cardboard fruit bowl itself is quite boring, small scale and impractical for softer fruits like peaches that would ruin the cardboard with moisture.. but I really like this piece! The way it has been executed, with shaping almost moulded to the desirable fruit and helping enhance how we perceive small scale products.

The cardboard itself would have to be coated in a resin to ensure it is protected, especially if juicy fruits were to be in contact with the product. The precision of the circular design suggests a CNC process like laser cutting was used to produce an accurate piece over and over again, and it would be glued together against a flat surface to ensure the top surface is completely smooth and level for the user.

All of these following products have been designed in a similar way to the fruit bowl, but instead of every layer being different, these have layers of the same size. The furniture created by these layers are strong and sturdy and from a distance, they look like they are made from wood or a solid material rather than layered cardboard.

Although I think the different sized layers in the fruit bowl create a greater impact and more interest to the cardboard aesthetic; I also like the large scale furniture that has been made in these pictures, not only can we see cardboard being upcycled into something we would not expect, but it has been done by creating multiple sheets of one shape and layering them up together successfully.