Yes we can : ready made in design

Abstract

In a world where everything tends to be new instead of something with a story, where one’s junk is another’s amenity, the content presented in this paper is the result of an 8-week project developed by first year students of the Product Design course, at Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. By understanding the birth of Ready Made art concept, during 1910s, and analysing ready made products made by well-known designers, since the 1950s until nowadays, the purpose of this project was to call to action towards a more sustainable lifestyle. In this sense, the aim of this project was, in addition to stimulating imagination and creativity, the transformation of common objects, mass produced, into extraordinary design products, where common objects are easily recognized and integrate an original design piece. Besides that, the final solution should be innovative, respond effectively to a problem presented by the student and, at the same time, have stimulating characteristics for a wider universe of users.