Traditionally the industrial design students participate in a Glass Design course at the end of the first year. The course culminates to an overnight trip to the Nuutajärvi Glass Village.
During the course students get familiar with drinking glass design and explore their own preferences in the field. After exploration students make 3D models from different glasses and learn to understand the solid of revolution. The design of ones own glass starts by getting familiar with the subject. After the subject is fairly familiar, students get to design their own drinking glass. They create a 3D model of it. The mold is manufactured based on the 3D model. At the end of the course the students get to see the mold in actual use.
The experience of designing a product of your own and getting the actual prototype to your hands is incredible. On the journey there were success, sweat, long drives and a few surface scratches.
The course is executed in co-operation with the Nuutajärvi Glass School. Glass blowing itself is quite tricky, so the students of the glass school blew the glass into the molds.
Nuutajärvi Glass School started operating in 1993 after initiative of Oiva Toikka. Nuutajärvi has a lot to do with the history of Finnish Design. Some big Finnish names like Kaj Frank have been working here during their time. Also the roots of Stockmann corporation have their connections to Nuutajärvi. You can read more about Nuutajärvi and its history from their website.
I think it might be even needless to say that it was super to finish the first year in the footsteps of Kaj Frank.
Text: Pirita Paananen, industrial design