The College of Design is dedicated to advancing the educational experience of its students through excellent and distinctive teaching, research, and creative endeavors. One such creative endeavor was offered last spring, by the School of Art + Design's Departments of Product Design and Jewelry, with Kiersten Munchinger and Alida Bevirt co-teaching the class. With help from the annual Tinker Hatfield Award for Innovation, the two departments brought to life the 5Rings studio, a unique class combining a collaborative, interdepartmental studio with a unique, international sporting event: the Olympics. The studio challenged thirteen students to create wearable rings rendered into five distinctly produced iterations, a nod to the Olympic rings, varied by the materials and methods of production to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the students.
"The 5Rings studio was unlike any other studio I have experienced during my time at UO. This class had a very multidisciplinary and collaborative approach," explained Katrina Larrabee, PD '25. "All of the previous studios I have taken were individual projects and a few group projects. What made this class so special is that it included an individual project while at the same time working in a group and coordinating with other groups in the class. Being able to work on my own design, while at the same time being a part of a group, is something that I had not experienced in my product design education until this class. I loved every minute of it!"
In addition to showcasing the innovative manufacturing occurring within the Product Design and Art departments the project showcased how sustainable production practices can create beautiful objects while measuring the environmental impacts of each material. Each of the student designers conducted a rigorous ecological impact assessment to explore the different impacts created by the different production materials: enameled silver, powder-coated bronze, 3D printed stainless steel, 3d printed multi-color Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and dyed 3D printed Stereolithography (SLA) resin. This additional layer of research helped the designers understand how to better communicate and measure the environmental impacts through sustainable production choices.
Students worked individually and in small groups, looking to the Olympics and Track & Field (T&F) for their primary design inspiration in honor of the Track & Field Olympic World Trials hosted in Eugene. The students would then coming together weekly to show designs, sketches, and mood boards, helping other students evaluate, collaborate, and sharpen their designs. By engaging in this collaborative process, many students were able to see different angles from which to approach their ring designs.
"It was a highly collaborative class with small teams working together every week," said Anna Koebel, PD '25. "It was extremely gratifying [to work in this studio] as we could see what each group was working on. We [researched] Olympics iconography as a whole with folks, [drawing] inspiration from everything including moods board, New York Fashion Week, and jewelry [for their pieces]. Normally in studios, you don't really get to see what everyone is doing [week-to-week] so this experience was really incredible."
Concurrent with the ring creation, the class designed and constructed an exhibition for display at multiple venues, with the first exhibition hosted by Obie Companies, Eugene’s principal hospitality area manager, at the 5th Street Marketplace in Eugene in June 2024. The studio will exhibit in two different events in the fall, including Dutch Design Week, October 19-27, 2024, and the Greener Manufacturing Expo, November 13-14, 2024, thanks to help from their partner, Green Future Club.
"Without our knowing, The Green Future Club was also targeting Olympic references with the shows they were putting together," explained Kiersten Munchinger, Professor of Product Design. "The synergy of UO hosting the T&F trials, the inspirational excitement that the Olympics brings, and the funding provided by the Tinker Hatfield Award for Innovation to work with Jewelry was such a serendipitous convergence of things to come together. We utilized all of our assets and partnerships so that we could showcase that measuring the ecological impact of products can be zazzy."
The work, environment, and prompt simulated a professional environment and experience in a classroom setting and gave students an unbelievable, unique experience that might not be seen in a normal studio.
"This class really emulated a professional work environment. Everyone was so professional and respectful of each other and their time," said Larrabee. "It was amazing to be able to collaborate with my classmates and other departments at UO while also being able to work on my own design. I believe this class has helped prepare me for design jobs in the future by teaching me how to balance my own work while at the same time being able to connect and work in a group."
The studio was supported thanks to the generous gift from architecture alumnus, Tinker Hatfield, BArch '77. Hatfield is the renowned designer of Nike’s Air Jordan and has been the Vice President for Design and Special Projects at Nike for over 40 years. The Tinker Hatfield Award for Innovation was created as a reflection of his visionary spirit and to spur innovation at the College of Design. Each year, at least one award of $25,000 is designated for a project within the college to provide support for the creation and delivery of a major innovative and interdisciplinary design project. Thanks to his support, the College of Design will be able to continue supporting novel educational opportunities to help students achieve creative excellence and provoke change in the status quo.