We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Elliott Murray about their original and creative Planter design work. Elliott Murray is an award-winning creative designer, that makes our world a better place with their original planter works.
Elliott Murray ("EM") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Samsara Planter. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
EM : From the beginning, the purpose of Samsara was to get people talking, especially about the origins of its material. This begins a discussion on the wildlife helping to make Samsara and the issues they face. When the issues facing wildlife are mentioned even once, an impact is made. This unobtrusive approach makes individuals more willing to participate and be inspired. Awareness of an issue is the first step towards action, and further on towards a solution.
EM : The main focus was always the form. I have always been fascinated by small ceramic planters for succulents. Just how simple and clean they look, but also how high end these objects can feel. This fascination, paired with the Fibonacci Principles, drove much of what Samsara is today.
EM : I would love to see this project be implemented and allowed to start making an impact for the world's wildlife. This however, is met with a great challenge due to the material. Being able to manufacture and refine large herbivore poop produces a lot of logistical issues. So more than likely, Samsara will start out as a partnership with a local AZA accredited Zoo or Research center, and grow from there!
EM : From the start of the project, to the full visualization of Samsara, was about six months of development. This time frame includes the creation of the original problem statement, refinement of form, and the generation of all visuals.
EM : Samsara started out as a challenge to myself as well as a skill building project. I wanted to create a product that for one, grew my skills as a young designer, but secondly, was fun to create! I love wildlife, and being able to tap into that knowledge base and create from it is always fun, and the form inspiration I chose for Samsara, pushed my skills not only as a designer, but as a 3D modeler as well.
EM : I have always had a passion for wildlife and love for design. So when an opportunity comes around that I can combine those two sides of me, or have one benefit the other, I am all for it!
EM : I looked a lot at ceramics, and minimalist sculptures. Some of the more noted inspirations were Karl Zhan's Animal Boxes, Jaru Pottery out of California, and artist Michael Tatom. I loved how these artist and designers handled form as well as captured the essence of each animal through their style and treatment of the surfaces.
EM : Samsara is all about reusing materials and the symbiotic relationship that plants and animals share. So what better name to call this cycle than Samsara, the Hindu term for reincarnation and the cycle of life. The term Samsara is the perfect encapsulation of the entire concept that drives this product.
EM : In the beginning I used a lot a hand sketching to establish the basic profile and form of Samsara. From there I moved to Solidworks to really flush and refine the form as well as 3D printed multiple prototypes to really understand what I was seeing on my screen. Then when finalized in Solidworks, I used Keyshot to create and apply an accurate material to my model and render out all of my visualizations.
EM : Definitely the most unique aspect of Samsara is the material. To say something is made out of poop, especially large herbivore poop, instantly creates interest in a person for the object. This reaction and genuine interest, whether out of disgust or wonder, propels them to come in closer and learn more. And it is through that engagement, that intrest, that Samsara is able to share its story about the world's wildlife.
EM : Apart from the initial generation of the design, technology takes a backseat in the actual physical creation of Samsara. This is because you don't need a huge factory or complex machines to create Samsara. Using only basic processes and techniques are people, even in rural areas, able to produce and manufacture Samsara.
EM : With abnormal materials like poo, you have to understand what it's made of. I first researched which feces are best due to multiple criteria. I decided on large herbivore waste due to make up, amount, and for containing less communicable diseases. When creating the manufacturing process I researched how elephant poo paper is currently made, since a lot of the processes are similar. Also I read a lot of research by artist Danielle Trofe and her use of mushroom mycelium as a material.
EM : The biggest challenges were not the material but the form of Samsara. For one, the manufacturing process called for a very simple mold, especially if Samsara is to be manufactured locally. This resulted in that Samsara can be manufactured using only two part molds containing one insert. Secondly, to stay true to a Fibonacci form and proportion, took a lot of tweaking to get it just right. Samsara went through multiple iterations, both physically and digitally, to become what it is today.
EM : As a young designer you are always looking for validation. Did I choose the right path? Am I making an impact? How can I get better? These are all questions that race through your mind and design competitions help to answer that.
EM : I have a much better understanding of form than what I had when I started. Understanding of not only how surfaces are generated but how they interact with one another to create a simple form. Simple is not easy, and now I have helped to train my eye to find the issues that may effect the forms I can create and improve them.
