Through comprehensive research, analytical thinking,

collaborative insight, and user studies,

I seek to further explore the emotional, tactile, and poetic possibilities of objects and systems.

Stephanie Lewis // Desig n Por t folio Spring 2011Industrial + Interaction Design Student

Graduating in Spring 2011 (B.I.D. Thesis Program)

stephlewisdesign@gmail.com 216.534.7960stephlewis.net

{ Hello }

I am a 5th Year Industrial & Interaction Design student at Syracuse University. I will be

graduating this Spring with a Bachelors of Industrial Design and a concentration in Creative

Writing. I have worked on multiple research-intensive projects, as well as more traditional

form and product-based projects for both real and hypothetical clients. Through design,

I wish to create experiences and objects that are evocative and meaningful to the people

that use them.

Thanks for looking--

Steph

In the end we wanted to create an object

that allows memories to be experienced in

the places where they were created.

01PARTICIPATORY

DESIGN*group project

By redesigning the postcard, we sought to promote an active way of experiencing memories.

This object stores a recordable message that can only be experienced in a

specific location. Similar to a postcard, the message is first recorded, the location

is locked through a GPS, and it is then sent to someone else. The outside of the

object provides a map to mark the location, as well as clues and a compass to

find the place without external devices needed. Once the person returns to the

location, the map panel unlocks and slides to reveal the hidden message within.

compass

space for

written

message

speakers +

microphone

space for

written clues

map panel

FINAL MODEL

idea formation + first model by STEPH LEWIS + LIZ WEIL + HEIDI OLEAN + CAT KING

final iteration by STEPH LEWIS + LIZ WEIL

01PARTICIPATORY

DESIGN

Like a postcard shares experiences with a friend, we wished to created an object that

captured a story, and shared it with another person. However, we wanted to design

an experience that was more engaging for the person on the receiving end.

Over the course of the semester, we talked with 4 collaborators to provide insight

into our process and inform our design.

We sought to design an object that

promoted an active way of experiencing

memories

IDEATION

INSPIRATION

3.18.05

COLLABORATORS

Tanya LamotheAroma therapist

Alexander ManuStrategic Innovation Practitioner

Sean BraunShared stories about his late mother’s passing

Jamie WindersGeography Professor

How do we use all of our senses to remember?

How does scent affect memory?

How does a our presence remain after we pass away?

How is memory connected to place?

FIRST MODEL

Space for addresses and a stamp on

the front.

Sliding open the panel serves to trigger the

microphone to record when leaving a message, and

to reveal the space where the written message can

be inscribed or read.

By shutting the map panel (after recording), the

object physically locks the map panel in place,

only to be reopened when it once again returns to

the same location.

01PARTICIPATORY

DESIGN

The object becomes a physical reminder of the memories contained within.

Each object has a GPS location tracking device embedded inside. When one

slides out the map panel, the microphone is revealed and the recording is

initiated. The shutting of the device stops the recording. Upon returning to

the place where the memory was created, the secret recording is able to be

unlocked. Through these recordings, memories can live on in the spaces that

we experience them.

2006

2011

Jenna is able to record a word of advice for her younger brother Alex while in college.

Alex recieves the device, and 5 years later travels to the same location to unlock the message.

Storyboard of interactions.01PARTICIPATORY

DESIGN

02INFORMATION

DESIGN*group project

Our challenge was to interpret and synthesize a

complex problem, creating a series of tools that

would be used by a product design team.

For this group project, we did extensive research on the current food system

(of US and Canada). We analyzed and designed the information in a way

that made it accessible and useful, bridging the gap between the data

and the user. Our deliverable culminated in a box that housed informative

materials that could be easily mailed to the client.

by STEPH LEWIS + ERIK KREIDER + LIZ WEIL

02INFORMATION

DESIGN

In Troy, NY, we traveled from urban garden to urban garden, getting to

know the people who actively used these spaces. We talked to farmers

at the Syracuse Regional Market, and contacted local gardens. What we

observed from these different systems was that they all established a sense of

community. We focused our research proposals on the potential of urban and

community gardens to improve our food systems.

A community is not just a term for a group of people. A community is a feeling. It requires a sense of belonging. We believe that this feeling is necessary for the future of our food system. People need to be able to take ownership of their food.Excerpt from Brief

STEP 2

STEP 1 Choosing Location

Ready Location for Planting

empty/vacant lots rooftop space

properly demolished (no

debris left behind)

soil testing for nutrients + heavy metals

wooded lots

pieces of broken glass, concrete, bricks, + other

debris left behind

ground still covered with

concrete/gravel

remove debris by hand

remove concrete

build up!(ie. container gardens, beds,

etc)

STEP 2 Removing Debris

remove trees

work to improve existing soil

> lime, crab meal, + green sand can be added to adjust the PH to a level that makes the lead unavailable to plants.> bioremediation to uptake/remove toxins from soil> adding 1/3 by volume of organic matter of composted leaves can reduce lead availability.

equipping garden with necessary tools, possibly inlcuding:

cover ground with compost and additional soil

fencing, designating plots

> shed> wheelbarrow> trowels/hoes/shovels> rotary tiller/tractors> composter> water hookup + hose> fencing

STEP 4 Soil Cover + Plot Design

STEP 3 Soil Testing + Remediation

STEP 5 Equipping Garden to Operate

soil amendments include:

make sure rooftop gardens are allowed in your building + city.

make sure rooftop gardens are allowed in your building + city.

check with architect/contractor to make sure building is safe to build on (to accomodate extra weight of soil + plants)

The Basic Steps to Convert an Urban Space into a Garden

General Facts from Capital District Community Gardens

> $15-16,000 to start a garden (includes top soil, fencing, sheds, tools, etc.)> Each member is charged a annual fee for their plot, which covers operation and staff fees. At CDCG, they charge between $15-45 per plot depending on its size, and are willing to work with members who can’t meet this cost.>They are often are able to solicit seed donations for the mem-bers to use. > Tree removal of lots is often more costly to deal with than a poorly demolished lot.>Target areas include: low income, less grocery stores, areas where people don’t have land.

A Brief History of the Past Hundred Years of Gardening

1900

2010+

Frederick Law Olmstead designed Central Park in New York1903 1904

American Horticultural Society established.

One American Farmer couldproduce enough to sustain 7 people.1910 1911

The term Permanent Agriculture is coined by Franklin Hiram King.

Many gardeners went off to fight in World War I, abandoning their gardens. 1914-1918

Large gardens were expensive to run, so many people were forced to divide them up.1933

Agricultural Adjustment Act signed in U.S. Started price supports for

farmers during Depression.

Lawns were dug up in World War II to

grow crops for rations1934

1918-1921

1938Food, Drug and Cosemetic

Act in the U.S.

Forty percent of all U.S. vegetables are produced in Victory Gardens.

1942

Thomas Church pioneered a ‘California style’, which included the use of raised beds and decking 1958

The main seedbank of the UnitedStates, the National Seed Storage Laboratory, was established along with 19 other seed banks around the country.

Environmental Defense Fund founded in Long Island, NY.1967 1969

Small urban gardens gain popularityfor entertaining.

Nobel Peace prize awarded to Norman Borlaug. He is considered to be the “Father of the Green Revolution.”1970

Permaculture ideas become widespread from Holmgreen and Mollison.

1975

International Federation of Organic

Agriculture Movements is founded. 19781980

Permaculture becomes a more fully holistic design process for creating

sustainable human habitats

One American farmer could produce enough to sustain 78 people.

1982

The ELCA established a container garden on the roof of a parking garage in Chicago. Proves the feasibility of growing vegetables in plastic wading pools, used tires and feed sacks. 1993 1994

First transgenic food approved for sale in the U.S. - the Flavr Savr tomato.

Monsanto develops a genetically altered potato with a BT gene that kills some insects.1997 2000

Nearly 50 % of the world’s labor force is employed in agriculture.

1948

Definition of Terms:

Permanent Agriculture- The early beginnings of what is now called Permaculture.

Victory Gardens- Vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences in US, UK, Canada, and Germany during WWI and WWII to reduce pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort.

Seedbanks- places that store seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed.

Permaculture- an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimics the relationships found in natural ecologies.

ELCA- the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Transgenic- a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species.

It is estimated that by 2030 AD nearly 50% of the world’s population may live in urban areas

PROFILE {Anthony}private garden owner

Anthony has a private garden next to his house. He has an abundance of collard greens which he says are great throughout the winter months. Along with a small greenhouse, he uses blankets during the winter months to protect his plants. He also believes that the vegetables he grows in his garden are fresher and more nutritious than those he would obtain from corporate producers. As an admirer of compost, he built a make-shift compost bin constructed of a shopping cart, a screen, and a large stone. This compost would not be turned, as his reasoning was based around it obtaining more nutrients. He specifically mentioned the mandatory compost systems in Seattle and Toronto as sources of inspiration. He was the first person to describe the process of collecting piles of leaves to later use as fertilizer in his garden.

steph erik liz+ +

compost binEquat, commy nit lan er sim dolenit in ea alit, se feu feum-mod ex ea am dipsums andit, si blandit vullam volessequam iure consed tatummod do.

All gardens had some sort of water access, usually consisting of a water spicket like this one, and an attatchable community hose close by.

water access

GARDEN PROFILE {Morningside Community Gardens}

Syracuse, NYCommunity Garden

This garden is tucked away behind Ed Smith School in Syracuse, NY. It seemed a little overgrown and there were quite a few plots that were clearly not being utilized. There was apparent vandalism on the signs, and many of the tools were broken and appeared unused. Still, some plots had plants growing. A defining feature of this garden was the amount of personalization for the plots, as well as being the largest garden we encountered in terms of space. The garden itself was not locked to the public, but most plots were secured on their own.

steph erik liz+ +

Theft of plants can be an issue in gardens. The lock and graffiti are evidence of this.

security

One friendly gardener showed us his version of a compost: shopping cart, metal screen, and a rock. A job well done.

shopping cart compost

02INFORMATION

DESIGN

Below are examples of various information tools we created which

would provide designers with the necessary insight and context to

design for a finished product.

DESIGN BRIEF 1 of 2design for the other ninety percent.

current situationWe are to design for the other 90% (essentially, everyone). This will be a pilot project implemented in Northeast US and Canada. The design should take into consideration that food needs to be readily available and affordable all year round. The Blackout of 2003 acted as a leveler for everyone. No matter class or status, everyone affected was without power. Using this as an insight into the problems surrounding our food systems, the solution to be designed needs to be for everyone. In this sense, everyone is a stakeholder.

The Blackout helped us to understand the frailty of our food systems in congested areas. Cities are not self-sufficient by nature. As more people in Northeastern United States and Canada move from rural areas to cities, the separation from food sources poses a problem. Without the invention of steam power, electricity, and eventually petroleum and nuclear power, the quality of life in cities would still be horribly low. These innovations have allowed for the increase in mobility of food, as it has to travel from rural areas to cities. However, this solution is only temporary; there are a finite amount of fossil fuels available. In the event of a crisis, as exemplified by the Blackout, the lack of a viable energy source could cripple our current food system.

our philosophyWe believe everyone has the right to quality fresh produce all year round, and that it should be affordable so as to not exclude anyone. With winter months, this can seem daunting. But we believe by utilizing and improving upon winter harvesting techniques, this can be possible, while still staying local. Within a community garden, there are numerous opportunities for design related improvements, making it more accessible and affordable for everyone. The 2003 Blackout proved that not only does our food system need help, but our reliance on it needs to be diminished as well. We have become severely disconnected with our food. We buy it packaged, pre-washed, and seedless. We believe people need to be reconnected with their food. The lack of knowledge on growing food is just as crippling as our dependency on fossil fuels. The process should be circular, from planting to growth, growth to consumption, consumption to waste, and waste to re-planting and growth again (Lawrence A. Parker).

continued..

steph erik liz+ +

Mapping of an urban garden Gardening timeline

Design Opportunities

Cultural ProbeCreative Brief Diagrams Futurecasting

Garden Profiles

User Profiles

03ELECTRONIC

DRUM

This project aims to design the craft and

artistry of tuning and manipulating of sound

back into the electronic drum.

• Move the bottom button up and down to select which area of drum head to “tune.”

• Each tuning band controls different aspects of sound: resonance, vibration, and attack/ring of drum.

• Drum head has different areas designated for different drum sounds (percussive & non-percussive sounds)

By utilizing the current technology of electronic drums, I sought to create a

drum with a physical, tactile, responsive interface that integrated tuning into

the performance.

FINAL MODEL

03ELECTRONIC

DRUM

Instead of using a digital interface, this drum

allows the musician to have complete control

over the manipulation of sound through a

physical interface.

There are many advantages to the electronic drum set: unlimited sounds,

programmability, ease of transport, & headphone adaptability. This project

seeks to redesign the electronic drum by incorporating tactile elements of

traditional hand instruments (such as the tabla drum or the glass harp).

move panels & bands to tweek

sound

interchangeable bases

ability to prop on its side

marked areas on drum head

for different sounds

INSPIRATION

IDEATION

FIRST MODEL

PROCESS

04THESIS

PROJECTmid-progress

This past semester, I conducted extensive research on how our memory

works, and how our ability to recall past experiences shapes our identity. I

then synthesized this information and compiled it into a book format.

I became interested in both the comfort of personal artifacts, and the

ability of scent and smell to conjure memories.

“We find it familiar to consider objects as useful or aesthetic, as necessities or vain indulgences. We are on less familiar ground when we consider

objects as companions to our emotional lives or as provocations to thought...We think with the objects we love; we love the objects we think with.” Sherry Turkle // Evocative Objects

Through objects, the past becomes tangible, physical, and tactile. They offer a feeling of connection to that which cannot be with us, either because of time or distance or death.

04THESIS

PROJECTmid-progress

As I continue my thesis, I will be designing objects that evoke important

and meaningful memories to the person. These objects will promote new

habits that use sound and smell to capture precious memories. With use,

the objects themselves will reflect the person using them, and become

meaningful artifacts.

BELOW ARE EXAMPLES OF MY THESIS RESEARCH

EVAN H.

“I picked this teabowl out in my Design History class Freshman Year. It’s broken a few times and everytime I glue it back together with crazy glue. I still use it. I see it as a veteran bowl with scars- I think it is more beautiful when it breaks.”

ALEX P.

“These are letters from my Great Grandparents who immigrated from Korea. I can’t read them, but will hopefully get them translated this year. They are valuable because they contain cultural memory from the past- history of my family.”

“WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OBJECT?”

Object Studies

Example Spread

Peer Interviews

In the same way that we use a camera to

remember, I am utilizing scent and smell to

experience our memories.

Dr. Helen Kim RallClinical Psychologist

“Identity is shaped by what you are in

the moment... it is more comprehensive

to think of memory as an individual

construction. In terms of designing,

the idea of fluidity is important, as it is

memory’s nature to change.”

Surveys for Peers

Professional Interview

05 Examples of fine art.

Commissioned Paintings for Clients (Oil + Watercolor) Original Oil Paintings Screen Printing (w/laser cutting)

Screen Printing

Stephanie Lewis

143 Redfield Pl // Syracuse, NY 13210

stephlewisdesign@gmail.com 216.534.7960

click here to go to my portfolio site for additional work: www.stephlewis.net

THANKS!