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This workshop will revolve around objects that students regard as fundamental and indispensable to their lives. The idea is for participants to come up with their own individual classification of items from all areas of daily life. They will be asked to prepare a list sorted by theme: sleep, hygiene, eating, communication, clothing, transportation, work… This list will be illustrated with a selection of images representing the articles utilised by the students. The next step is to eliminate all “superfluous” objects. We will document the process and present the arguments that influenced our decision, producing a “manifesto” of the ethical basis that guides each designer… From the remaining items, one (or more) objects will be selected that we will redesign from scratch.

The result does not have to be definitive (prototype) but can also consist of various study models (approximations). What does have to be produced, however, is a briefing stemming from the process of carrying out the project. Students who have a digital camera should bring it along to the workshop as well as paper, pencils and any other utensils that make up a designer’s basic equipment.

Gala Fernandez (ES)

Gala Fernández was born in Madrid in 1969. She studied art and design at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and industrial design at the Istituto Europeo de Design in Milan, where Gala also taught while working as a freelance designer. After that, she was employed by Fabrica, Benetton Group’s communication research center, and worked as the 3D design department’s coordinator for four years. She was also in charge of the project “Fabrica Features”. She has lectured at the Royal College of Art, London, the Goldsmith College, London, and the Nederland Architectuur Instituut, Rotterdam, among many others. Presently, Gala works for her studio GalaFM in Madrid and she runs the master course European Design Labs at the IED Madrid.