UMBO
I knew I wanted to utilize living hinges in my design, as it opened up possibilities for more organic forms. I created my own living hinge pattern, but it sucked and didn’t bend enough. Instead, I tested free pre-existing templates until I found the pattern that bent the best.
MINE
what:
UMBO is a wooden lamp that ships flat-packed, and can be assembled with no adhesive. It utilizes the properties of living hinges to turn a brittle material like wood into a cascading, organic one. It follows a radial pattern, as well as a pattern in each piece, creating unique shadows.
why:
The intent of the project was to make a form-forward product that comes from a completely flat sheet. It offers a cheap and accessible solution for people to have unique and interesting product in their home.
who:
This was a solo project, taking place over the course of 4 weeks
I intended to create a lamp with an intricate radial pattern, emulating natural elements that create movement through spirals.
inspiration
living hinges
FUNCTIONAL
My initial sketches made sure to include different types of living hinges. They focused heavily on organic forms, copying structures from plants, fruits, and other existing lamps. I moved forward with the design shown at right due to its cascading form creating a strong sense of movement.
sketches
I made a mid-fidelity prototype out of cardboard before I starting working with the final material, birch plywood. After this, most of my prototyping focused on the frame and the “gear” pieces that would make up the interior of the lamp. This resulted in a myriad of failed attempts and subsequent tweaks.
prototyping
In order to achieve the goal of a flat-packed lamp, I had to create a net for a single sheet of wood. This would allow the pieces to be laser cut and assembled free of tools. The final net ended up being very complex, and uses rastered numbers and letters to indicate where each piece goes.
net building
