Karyn Crosswell
University of Tasmania
I love the idea of using mother nature as a source of inspiration for design. She is, after all, the ultimate designer. Just consider her use of form, colour, evolution, and purpose, to name but a few. A lot of materials we, as designers, use come from nature so it seems a natural avenue for consideration and exploration.
This semester we have spent a lot of time researching this island we call home and so what better place to seek inspiration?
Geoff Marshall is an avid surfer, and so some of his design ideas are inspired by the ocean and its many inhabitants – specifically seashells, waves and the conical shark egg in his latest ranges. He is also inspired by other designer’s interpretations of the ocean (see Pliessnig’s ‘Drift’ below). I studied the form of waterfalls and rainforests initially, as Tassie is pretty synonymous with both, however it was the tessellated pavement that struck a cord. This is a place I visited a lot as a kid and its natural form has always amazed me. All 3 sources have inspired the project in shape, texture and colour.
I find that I look at the environment around me with a different perspective now, and I certainly see glimpses of nature in everyday objects that I perhaps didn’t consider before.