20192708 Portfolio Kaya Lovelock-Charles

Hello, My name is Kaya and I am a Product Designer (first class MDes). As a designer I utilise my creativity to create change, changing the way we see, feel and sometimes even be. I have a particular passion for sustainable, ethical and craft design. This portfolio highlights some of the projects I have worked on whilst at university and on placement. Kaya Lovelock-Charles



“Did you know that fruit and veg shouldn’t be stored in the fridge? They are susceptible to chilling injury that makes them lose vital nutrients, have poor sensory quality and perish quickly.”

01 Eden “Eden is a modular storage system that optimises the freshness of fruits & vegetables in the home.” Materials: Plywood, glass, Terracotta, linen. It is common to assume that fruits & vegetables ‘die’ once they are harvested. However, fruits & vegetables continue to ‘live’ postharvest, their biological clock keeps ticking and still respond to environmental changes in very complex ways. The cold, dark, dry environment of the domestic fridge is unnatural to fruits & vegetables causing us to consume suboptimal produce. “Methods of freshness require a counter intuitive mode of preservation. Instead of preventing decay or contamination through environmental isolation, keeping things fresh and “alive” (Tam et al. 2016). Eden was developed from three key insights; storing fruits and vegetables in 12 hour day/night cycles to increase shelf life and nutritional value, storing produce in the correct orientation to reduce energy lost and providing roots or stems with water to replace any lost through transpiration.















Sand storage keeps root vegetables fresher The fruit hammock reduces pressure build up for longer! and bruising by spreading the loads weight. Bananas produce high amounts of ethylene which causes other produce to rot, Eden prevents this by keeping produce separate.



Keeping produce fresher for longer.



“Fruits & vegetables are considered ‘alive’ postharvest, by storing them in environments which are more natural to them, we can optimise ‘freshness’ to improve quality and reduce food waste. ”

02 What’s the cost? “To meet the ever increasing demand for food we need to adapt our mindsets, food production and handling methods.” Materials: Research (lots of it), A5 book. What’s the cost of the food industry on both our health and planet? This book provides insight on the extent of the problem we face and how we can begin to create change through making the food industry more sustainable for both our health and our planet.



03 Banana Leaf Bow Tie “Ethical fashion with a tropical twist, eco - textiles made from banana trees.” Material: Ashi banana paper (70% banana fibre and 30% recycled plastic bottle fibre). They produce a banana leaf material that is water resistant, durable and handmade. Ashi make their stamp on the market with a quirky eco-friendly bow tie made from banana leaf and waste plastic, a huge problem in Southeast Asia and worldwide.



@Kaya Lovelock-Charles

“Craft has an essential role to play in building a more sustainable future, by exploring the use of recycled and sustainably-sourced materials as well a new pioneering, low-impact alternatives. ”

04 de Bijenkorf bookshop “Renewed book department in de Bijenkorf.” Materials: Interior. The new AKO book department in de Beijenkorf is more than just a bookshop and certainly in with the latest tropical trend. The design has living walls, neon lights, sofas, plants in every corner, spherical pendant lights and a giant tropical rug. The new department aims to encourage customers to invest more time in looking at books to boost sales.





“I have worked on an international basis on a variety of projects ranging from fashion, interior and product design. Working abroad pushed me to become an even more open- minded designer.”

05 Saikou installation 1 “An izakaya is a type of informal Japanese pub. They are casual places for drinking and eating.” Materials: Neno light. Inspired by the iconic neon lights of Japan in the form of Japanese food inspired shapes. These are preliminary Photoshop designs used in early meetings with the client.



05 Saikou installation 2 “Inspired by the The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Mount Fuji.” Materials: Rose wood and brass. Inspired by the famous Japanese mountainous landscapes and nautical art work. I designed this art work to have a different feel depending on the position you look at it from. From the front there is a more fluid feel to the art work inspired by The Great Wave. From a side view it is more rugged and uneven like the icon Mount Fuji. Here are the Keyshot renders, sketch 3D models and final art work being installed.



05 Saikou installation 3 “It is not about perfectly matching form or colours, but conveying the subject’s ‘liveliness’ or ‘essence’” Material: Steel. This installation is inspired by Japanese ink wash paintings. Ink wash paintings are simplistic and uses single brush strokes to portray the ‘spirit’ and ‘liveliness’ of the subject in focus. This installation is a representation of the art form itself, the use of repetitive single brush stokes built up to evoke simplicity, spontaneity and self-expression.





06 syuti “Connecting socially conscious consumers with beautiful artisanal products that change lives.” Materials: Rattan and natural plant powder dye, 100% sustainably and ethically sourced. SYUTI is a rattan bag that can be worn two ways, a perfect accessory for that summer look. This bag stands for ethical and sustainable fashion.





“At MANAVA patterns are inspired by traditional Kabach symbols, the SYUTI GEO bag is a modern twist of the ‘FishTooth’ and ‘Chakachan’ Symbol”



01 Eden 02 What’s the cost? 03 Bow tie 04 de Bijenkorf 05 Saikou installation 06 Syuti kaya lovelock-charles [email protected] 07983674513