The aim of this thesis has been to develop and document a research project that takes the form of a strategic response by a furniture designermaker (Philip Koomen Furniture) to the challenging ecological issues raised by the Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and detailed in the document Agenda 21: Sustainable Development for the 21st Century. A Literature Review contextualises this research project in relation to issues around global resources and sustainable practices and considers various models of sustainable design in relation to the commercial mainstream but more particularly with regard to the role of the furniture designermaker in contemporary society. The thesis explores the rationale for what became termed the “Signed & Sealed” project and describes the development of an associated body of designs through the negotiation of the degraded state of the U.K.’s native woodlands and the location of three critical strands which together came to define the “Signed & Sealed” brand – strands identified by the terms semi-bespoke, local cycle and unique signature. These terms are illuminated in turn by discussion of the commissioning processes favoured by designer-makers and by consideration of the economic and aesthetic problems to be found in connection with the sourcing, development and use of local, noncommercial timbers. The thesis also describes the project’s formal presentation in the exhibition “Out of the Woods” (River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, 17 September 2004 to 7 January 2005) and the two conferences “Our Woods in Your Hands” (River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, 25 September 2004) and “Out of the Woods: Design for Sustainability” (River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on- Thames, 20 October 2004) and considers the peer reviews and responses which followed these events. Finally, the thesis offers a critical evaluation of the PhD research process which framed the project together with some discussion of further potential avenues of research and development.

This doctoral project develops an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to furniture designer\maker practice. At its core is a practice-based framework that can be used to assess and reflect upon the tacit, primarily visual nature of makers’ knowledge and the way that this can be communicated in order to develop design outcomes. The enquiry takes as its focus a two-year collaboration between the author – a British-based furniture designer/maker – and six indigenous Icelandic craft practitioners in which the ultimate goal was the creation of artefacts that, it was hoped, would be expressive of Iceland’s native craft traditions. During the ‘Iceland Project,’ as it came to be known, interaction between and among participants was grounded in a predetermined plan developed democratically through consultation and dialogue. The project successfully develops new knowledge through a contemporary reinterpretation of indigenous Icelandic craft-making knowledge and demonstrates this through the making of artefacts imbued with recognized cultural status. It also extends furniture designer/maker research by developing an innovative practice-based method of collaboration rooted in the multimedia archiving of the making process which can then be used to illuminate and facilitate future practice. The project is a scholarly display of makers’ knowledge: the process is shared democratically among peers; the decisions that articulate design and methods of making are reviewed; and inter-subjective outcomes are generated. To facilitate learning from designer/maker practice-based research, the creative narrative is necessarily partly articulated through visual media and artifacts.

The primary objective of this creative project was the exploration into designing and creating sculptures that combine various materials in a visually pleasing way. Could these sculptures emphasize excellence in craftsmanship and sophistication of surface? Could the inherent properties of these materials be manipulated and combined in an engaging manner, which would enhance the beauty of both materials?This body of work required a variety of metalsmithing techniques including forging, mokumegane, and metal forming. This body of work also required various woodworking skills such as lathe turning and wood joint construction. There were several materials used such as exotic and domestic woods, and ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This body of work challenged my technical and conceptual abilities making me a better artist and designer, not only in metalsmithing, but also woodworking. / Department of Art

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1980. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-43).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1984. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 29).

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-161).

To document the design, prototype and manufacture of a lounge, which stimulates communication and human interaction. The lounge will also question conventional seating arrangements, and redefine how two people can sit in relation to each other, converse, interact and exchange body language. The process began with an initial design sketch, and producing a prototype. This step was required, as it was the starting point for the major project. It provided me with an initial design to criticize and improve on. The major project is intended to test the validity of the initial design, analyse the markets, and improve the design in relation to ergonomic issues, material/manufacturing resolution and produce a marketing plan. The next stage of the process was the gathering and analysis of relevant information in order to redefine the design brief. This involved preliminary research into marketing, ergonomics, materials and manufacturing processes. With the design brief now established, concepts were prepared and compared against the products criteria. The design solution which best met the criteria was further detailed and developed. Finally, a business plan was put together to test the commercial viability of the lounge. The business plan was comprised of the viable markets, production cost, investment cost, discounted cash flow, and sensitivity analysis.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-86). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1981. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-53).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1980. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 35-36).