The intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics with Meldrum?s acid derivatives catalyzed by metal trifluoromethanesulfonates and other Lewis acids is reported. Meldrum?s acids are easily prepared, functionalized, handled, and purified. The synthesis of polysubstituted 1-indanones from benzyl Meldrum's acids was investigated thoroughly, and it was shown that a variety of catalysts were effective, whilst accommodating a diversity of functional groups under mild conditions. The scope, limitations, and functional group tolerance (terminal alkene and alkyne, ketal, dialkyl ether, dialkyl thioether, aryl methyl ether, aryl TIPS and TBDPS ethers, nitrile- and nitro-substituted aryls, alkyl and aryl halides) for a variety of 5-benzyl (enolizable Meldrum?s acids) and 5-benzyl-5-substituted Meldrum?s acids (quaternarized Meldrum?s acids), forming 1-indanones and 2-substituted-1-indanones respectively, are delineated. <br ><br /> This method was further applied to the synthesis of 1-tetralones, 1-benzosuberones, and the potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil. <br ><br /> Mechanistic investigations were undertaken to determine the rate-determining step in the acylation sequence using Meldrum?s acid, as well as to examine the role of the Lewis acid catalyst. Enolizable Meldrum?s acid derivatives can react via an acyl ketene intermediate under thermal conditions, while quaternarized Meldrum?s acid derivatives are thermally stable and only act as effective Friedel-Crafts acylating agents in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. <br ><br /> The total synthesis of (±)-Taiwaniaquinol B was completed. This natural product was the first ever isolated containing an unusual 6-5-6 fused ring system, and it also contains a hexasubstituted aromatic ring, and two all-carbon quaternary centers. This synthesis was accomplished via an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation/carbonyl a-<em>tert</em>-alkylation reaction that exploits the unique chemistry of Meldrum?s acid. This novel methodology can be used to access a variety of highly substituted fused ring systems of various sizes.

The aim of this study is to find out the reasons of progressive obsolescence and product non-use in small kitchen appliances and to examine the relation between the consumer&rsquo / s pre-purchase expectations and post-purchase experiences with these products to understand the deficiencies of kitchen appliances which cause consumer to stop using them. The reasons of progressive obsolescence and product non-use might be informative for further studies on this subject. Throughout the study, the general issues of need, want, purchase motivations, pre-purchase consumer expectations and post-purchase experience, satisfaction/dissatisfaction were discussed through the literature survey. Progressive obsolescence and product non-use were analysed both through literature survey and a field study which was conducted as in-depth-interviews among kitchen appliance users. It has been seen that progressive obsolescence and product non-use is mostly affected by usability of products, by the changing needs and changing life style and by the emerging of new technologies.

Users evaluate and assign value to products regarding several factors, one of which is design attributes. The attributes can provide certain consequences, which can, in turn, serve to users&rsquo / desires or ultimate goals in life. Value is attributed regarding the desirability of the sequential chain of attributes, consequences and goals. Considering value creation for the users as designers&rsquo / main responsibility / they should focus on how these chains are shaped while designing products. This study mainly concentrates on this relation between design attributes, the consequences these attributes provide, and the ultimate goals of users these consequences satisfy. Three main types of consequence and user goals, which are together called as value types, are identified in the literature: pragmatic, experiential and symbolic. How these value types can be provided by design attributes is examined both with literature review and a research on users&rsquo / pre-purchase value assignment to portable digital audio players. The research on portable digital audio players is conducted using laddering technique. After the interviews with 30 respondents, the value types identified in the literature review as pragmatic, experiential and symbolic value are supported by the data / and and an extension is suggested within the subgroups of experiential value. The salient design attributes that are valued at pre-purchase, and outstanding relations between designed attributes, consequences and user goals are identified.

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Der Kulturbund Landesverband Sachsen e.V. veranstaltete gemeinsam mit den Handwerkskammern Chemnitz, Dresden und Leipzig am 23. und 24. November in der SLUB eine zweitägige Vortragsreihe zur Geschichte und Zukunft des Handwerks. Dabei führte der Präsident der Handwerkskammer Dresden, Claus Dittrich, die Folgen des demographischen Wandels vor Augen. Sachsen als Land mit dem geringsten Bevölkerungswachstum in Europa könne den Wandel nicht als Aufgabe für die Zukunft sehen, sondern müsse sofort handeln: „Probleme, die man erkennt, sind Aufgaben!“

This report contains discussion of four design projects aimed to investigate the ability of handicrafts to communicate complicated subject matter. In this exploration, handicrafts are used to present the experience of recovering from a traumatic experience by challenging commonly held stereotypes about handicrafts. By breaking the trauma and recovery process into four distinct stages, each stage can be discussed in detail via the corresponding design piece. Consequently, each stage also allows for new opportunities to apply handicraft practices in new ways. Through this line of questioning, the four pieces expand upon the imagery, materiality, subject matter, and formal creation techniques typically used in handicraft projects. This collection adds to a greater body of work that intersects traumatic experiences with art and design and that explores the power of design as a communication tool. It opens the door for further investigation into the application’s potential as a teaching tool for trauma victims, nontraditional applications of the craft, its ability to aid in the recovery process, and the potential risk and benefit victims have from such work being done and from creating such pieces themselves. / text

This study examines the work of Elwyn Stuart Richardson, director and teacher of Oruaiti School between 1949 and 1962, an experimental school in Northland, New Zealand and places it with the context of the history of art education in New Zealand. After documenting the historical and educational reform contexts of the first half of the twentieth century, Richardson’s philosophy of art education is framed through an analysis of moments of his early life, schooling and teaching experiences. Richardson (1925-) is best known for his book In the Early World published by the New Zealand Council of Educational Research in 1964. The book describes his work as a teacher at Oruaiti and highlights his pedagogical belief that the most powerful learning arises out of children’s own lives and experiences, that learning through the arts raises students’ potential for self-knowledge, critical discernment, imagination, understanding, awareness and empathy for others, and that the arts have an important role to play in the fostering of community and social reform. The administration of art and craft education in the New Zealand primary school during Richardson’s years at Oruaiti was shaped by early advances in manual and technical education. The development of these reforms and the varied educational doctrines school officials used to advocate for the inclusion of these subjects in the curriculum are examined from 1885 to 1920. As well, significant educational policies and events in the 1920s provided exposure to progressive education ideology from abroad. These initiatives contributed to the great interest in child art which grew out of the New Education movement of the 1930s. New ideas about the development of artistic ability in children led to innovative policies in art and craft education that transformed teaching practices and the place of art and craft in New Zealand schools during the 1940s and 1950s. The newly formed Art and Craft Branch of the Department of Education in 1946 reorganised the administration of art education to change public perceptions of art, create contexts of art appreciation and develop community education in tandem with primary school art education. Examining Richardson’s educational biography is another lens used to understand his philosophy and pedagogy. Oruaiti's status as an experimental school is explored through the unique relationship of Oruaiti School to the Art and Craft Branch of the Department of Education. Further, Richardson’s developing educational philosophy, in particular his ideas about artistic ability in children and the growth of aesthetic standards, is explored relative to the teaching practices of his day. The study also uncovers the critical role that science played in Richardson’s educational pedagogy and curriculum and the profound influence Richardson’s early educative experiences were to have on the development of his educational philosophy. Locating Richardson’s work within its historical context demonstrates both that he worked in an environment which was hospitable to educational experimentation in the field of art and crafts, and that, on many levels, he transcended the educational practices of his times.

This dissertation examines alternative economic practices and regional economic development strategies in the Appalachian region. First, I deconstruct regional economic development policies and practices. I argue that policy documents produced by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the State of Kentucky have often limited economic imaginings through the perpetuation of regional stereotypes and short-term, decontextualized strategies. Then, I explore the existence of alternative economic practices as well as the contradictory role of the state within the context of Eastern Kentucky’s craft industry. Using a mixed methods approach, I investigate how the state simultaneously supports cooperative craft production by perpetuating a geographical lore pertaining to crafts produced in the State of Kentucky, and yet fosters a discourse of self-sufficiency via entrepreneurial workshops that often alienate cooperative craft producers. Finally, I highlight alternatives that have emerged in this industry in an effort to document economic diversity and redefine development.

I mötet mellan händer och lera har en serie skålar i stengods tagit form som är riktade till den som yrkar ensamätandet. Arbetet är en strävan efter att ta fram emotionellt hållbara produkter där funktion kombinerats med interaktion för att utmana ätandet och ge en annorlunda matupplevelse.   Skålarna med sin runda botten kan behöva lite hjälp att hålla balansen vilket medför att du måste ta hand om skålen och maten du äter.  Tanken är att användaren enkelt med en hand ska kunna hålla skålen och om du vill ställa ifrån dig får du göra det försiktigt. Min önskan är att skålarna ska vara så pass tilldragande att användaren knyter an till skålen och gör den till sin egen. / Hold me is a project that aspires to bring out emotionally sustainable products were function has been combined with interaction for an altered experience of eating. The meeting between clay and hands has resulted in a series of bowls which are designed for people who eat alone.   The bowls with their round bottom may need some help to keep their balance which means you care for the bowl and the food you eat. The idea is that you easily, with one hand can hold your bowl and if you want to set it aside, you do it gently. My wish is that the bowl will be so appealing that the user connects to it and makes it their own.

This thesis gives a voice to the call for a holistic approach to the preservation of commercial and particularly domestic architecture. Interior architecture is an important piece of the whole in need of consideration. Arts and Crafts interiors in the state of Indiana are considered in reference to this fact and the case studies chosen exemplify the connection between cultural history and the interior architecture and design.The Arts and Crafts Movement's philosophy worked to integrate the entire design with the surrounding site. The interior was the focus of the synthesized design and it is this emphasis that must be captured. The Midwest played an important role in the development of the Arts and Crafts Movement and central Indiana's interior residential architecture gives evidence to the movement's influential philosophy as well as social changes in the early twentieth century.An introduction to the Arts and Crafts Movement briefly discussing its history in England and the United States is provided as well as a discussion of the Movement's philosophy. Following the history is a chapter concerned with the Arts and Crafts influence in Indiana. Manufacturers and retailers are identified as well as products marketed. Architects and artisans are discussed. Next, a chapter identifies significant interior elements, furnishings, finishes and floor plans. Finally, four case studies are examined ranging from a self-built bungalow to an architect-designed estate. Floor plans, architectural features, and finishes are covered. / Department of Architecture