莫雅善

2010-4-1

銅線、麻繩和燈膽會令你聯想起甚麼？小鳥、鳥巢和鳥蛋嗎？本應棄置的「垃圾」其實可演繹成不同的生活家品，從物料應用開始摸索，繼而創造出環保「你想」生活。 17歲已設計自己的商標，把T恤及煲呔拍賣賺錢的香港知專設計學院HKDI(下稱知專)產品設計系學生翟嘉霖，就憑燈飾「鐵鳥巢」展示其對物料的嫻熟運用，獲香港美術教師協會主辦的「光之藝術」環保燈飾設計比賽冠軍。

課堂習作造就今日冠軍

知專講師尹仲昇解釋，該校同學參賽作品原是以「物料的應用」為題之課堂習作，目的是讓學生瞭解不同物料、工具的特性後，自己尋找物料轉化運用。吸引知專參賽的原因，是碰巧學校習作主題與比賽吻合，因此雖只得五星期準備比賽，仍有信心獲取佳績。

此習作動機為誘使新一代設計師關注物料對環境的影響。尹講師尤覺應從生產鍊上端的設計師做起，如蘋果電腦把再造物料鋁金屬用於機殼、美國戶外服裝品牌Patagonia把日本廠商回收的膠樽製成可做衣服的人造纖維等，對環境的關注和負責，正是未來設計師必須具備的設計觸覺。

把物料演繹成環保故事

翟嘉霖同學小時候已喜愛留意樹木。氣候暖化，花木早開，季候鳥可能死於不適應；光污染也可能導致雀鳥晚上無法入睡而仍叫個不停，這就是其環保故事的藍本。製作過程中，就發現燈罩透光度太高，須多圍一圈麻繩做成密度漸變，以免強光刺眼，又再一次印證了尹講師所講的「創意著眼點不在設計，而在如何理解物料，發揮物料長處」。

慳電燈膽之環保在於低溫低耗電量，此類燈膽運用之具體知識，則有賴某燈飾公司給予的專業講解和贊助。同學暸解各種燈膽特性，就能從或平或扁、或光或暗、戶外室內等各式燈膽中選取合宜。翟同學解釋自己作品中，鳥巢是保護家庭和孕育生命的意思，橢圓形燈膽代表鳥蛋，黃色燈光配合銅線，令整個燈飾金光閃閃，炫麗非常。

好設計必須考慮人文

談到好設計的定義，尹講師認為必須在經濟、文化與社會三大人文因素間取得平衡。經濟未必站在環保的對立面，尹更明言：「產生不了經濟效益的，並非設計。」 文化反映人的身分。設計又分別有實際和心理功能，實際如省電和好用；心理則如人們覺得身上衣服舒適，有自信感覺好。一言蔽之，以人為本。

物料可塑性高 演繹無限想像

尹講師覺得翟同學作品優勝處有三：第一是鳥巢用傳統編織，葉狀吊飾則兼運用最新鐳射切割技術，較其他作品衝突中有平衡美感；第二是編織工藝背後的耐性、技巧，及設展覽時的認真態度；第三，作品造型照富心思，用尹講師的話說，「若我是評判，一看到相，作品已或多或少在心裡留個位置」翟同學首聞尹講師這般讚賞，謙言「從來未想過」。

尹講師惋惜，部分入圍作品未能把一物完全轉化為另一物便停步了：「得咁大就咁大，但有否想過可轉變的無限可能？如切開再併合、換個方法再串起……」他稱想法、生活、機遇、配合物料應用和主題，就是設計的整合過程。

翟同學最近於眼鏡設計比賽奪亞，她透露現時正協助香港美術教育協會，舉辦中小學生美術展覽，推廣視覺藝術科，同時擴闊自己眼界。若想一睹「鐵鳥巢」之光采，就要親臨石硤尾創意藝術中心咖啡廳了，燈飾展示上需要較多地方，因為翟同學認為：「有樹木支架襯托的『鐵鳥巢』才最好看。」

Environmental Design 'Lightened Up' by Skillful Application of Materials

Reporter: Alice Mok

Translation: Kimmie Wong

What would you associate with copper wires, ropes and light bulbs? –Birds, nests and bird-eggs?  With the utilization of ‘rubbish’ materials, we can create artifacts which can reflect our own stories in life.

Class Assignment in the Old Day Becomes Today’s Design

Chak Ka-lam, the student from the Product Design Department of the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) who ran the business of auctioning T-shirts and bow-ties with self-designed logo when she was just 17, and the HKDI Lecturer in Department of Design Jeff Wan, explained that, students were expected to look for the materials and decide how to utilize them on their own during the competition.  Chak got to know the properties of metallic, timbered and plastic materials in 15 weeks, and she managed to win the competition with preparation of only 5 weeks.  The reason why the HKDI entered the competition was that the class assignment coincidentally matches the theme of the competition.

Telling Stories about Environmental Protection with the Materials

The theme of Wan’s class is the relationship between materials and design, that includes tool usage. The assignment calls forth the young designer’s awareness towards the impact of materials to the environment.  Wan concerns about consumption and production markets.  It’s a kind of social responsibility if a computer manufacturer produces MED cover with advanced recycled materials (like aluminum).  In Japan we can see factories recycling plastic bottles; in the U.S. plastic bottles are turned into synthetic fiber for garment manufacture (e.g. Patagonia).  That’s the sense the future designers should have.

Chak paid attention to plants when she was young.  Due to the global warming, flowers bloom earlier, and migratory birds may be over-fed or die because of migration to other places.  Light pollution may cause insomnia of birds at night.  In the process of design and creation, Chak encountered lots of difficulties and problems and she sought help from Lecturer Wan (like adjusting the level of transparency when making the lightshade).  According to Wan, creativity values the understanding of the material properties and demonstration of their advantages; the design the comparatively less important. Wan also expresses special thanks to a Lighting Company for their illustration that environmental-friendly lighting should be low in temperature, watts and power consumption.  They also inspired the students by explaining the different shapes, brightness, colour, outdoor/indoor usage of the lights.  Chak said ‘nest’ carries the meaning of protecting families, breeding and nurturing lives’, whereas ‘lighting’ represents bird-eggs. Using yellow lights instead of white lights will give a glistening and shining effect; Wan also approves the pairing of yellow lights and copper wires.

A Good Design Should be ‘Human’ Enough

To give the definition of ‘good design’, Wan thinks that products should achieve a balance between economic, cultural and social factors.  Economic concerns may not stand against environmental concerns.  Wan said, ‘it would not be a good design at all if the product brings no economic benefits.’  Culture reflects one’s identity, and designs serve as both practical and psychological purposes.  Practical purposes includes energy saving and convenience in usage, while psychological purpose can be exemplified by the self-confidence affected by the comfortable outfits.  To put in short, designs should be human-oriented.

Capability of Materials Boosts Creativities

Lecturer Wan gave three main favorable traits of Chak’s work.  Firstly, she applied both traditional weave and new laser cutting techniques in the Bird’s Nest and the leave-shaped accessory respectively.  Secondly, Chak’s weaving craft reflects her patience, skills, and seriousness.  Thirdly, her refined design of the work’s appearance is impressive.  Chak was greatly flattered when she heard Wan’s comments.

Wan feels a great pity on some short-listed works, as the candidates did not see any possibility of transforming one object into another with the use of fragmentation and remerging.  He regards ‘design’ as a process of thinking, experiencing life, searching for possiblities, and utilizing materials according to their properties and the theme of product.

Chak recently won the second prize in an eyewear design competition.  Now, through assisting the HKSEA in organizing arts exhibitions and promoting visual arts, she finds her horizons broadened.  If you wish to have a look of the ‘metal nest’, please visit the café of the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) at Shek Kip Mei.  More space is needed of lighting exhibition, as Chak said, ‘the metal nest looks the best with the wooden stand.’