Issie Bickerstaff
Industrial Design
I'm passionate about design for emotional connection and immersive experiences.
Final year project
Oculo - encouraging visitor engagement with artworks in galleries
Oculo, a structure combining mirrors and digital technology to inspire visitors to learn about artworks in galleries
Oculo offers an innovative approach to visitor engagement in art galleries. It enables those who don't typically engage with academic or written content about art to explore for themselves the stories and processes behind different works. By creatively blending traditional artists' tools with modern technology, including a mirror-cum-digital touchscreen, this device provides curators with an expanded toolset with which to surprise, delight, enthral and inspire their visitors.
The Hub for Roots, a community-driven food and recipe sharing service, at Loughborough Station
Roots is a service which builds emotional bridges between the two disconnected halves of the Loughborough community - students and local people. With its Hub based at Loughborough Railway Station, it meets students where they are (returning home to an empty fridge after a weekend away) and invites them to open their eyes to the vibrant community of local growers, sellers and proud recipe creators around them. By ordering and collecting ingredients sourced from this community, students economically and socially support the town as well as reduce the carbon footprint of their meals. As a design project, Roots presented an opportunity to use a refreshingly broad range of skills, from user experience and service design to product design and even architecture.
Bud, a smart plant pot for young environmental activists, with the WWF 'call to action' logo glowing
Bud takes young plant-lover's enthusiasm for their own small pieces of nature and inspires them to get involved in climate activism. It logs and notifies users about water levels, light levels and temperature to help out 'plant parents' and uses the same notification light to let them know when they're needed to help the WWF fight climate change. Bud syncs with users’ calendars, monitor their plants and offers care tips, as well as alerts them to community activism events.
Recipe ingredients ordering point for Roots, a community-driven food and recipe sharing service
Roots celebrate and empowers the people of Loughborough. It spotlights diverse local characters and platforms their stories, passions and talent. It is convenient and attractive to students and helps them to feel at home in the town they live in. Co-design with Loughborough residents was central to Roots through its conception and development and it's designed to enable an ever-evolving Loughborough population to determine the future growth of the service.
Water reservoir for Bud, a smart plant pot for young environmental activists
Bud's internal electronics are powered by the sun like the plants and earth it supports. The rice husk used for its casing components is made from agricultural waste and fully decomposes if crushed and buried at the end of its life. This is perfect for a product related to raising environmental consciousness.
Flow, a device to assist with pouring actions whilst looking beautifully sculptural
Flow is a pouring aid which challenges the clunky, chunky aesthetic of design for physical disabilities. It utilises 3D printing’s unique capability to create complex curves in its sculptural form and the flex potential of RigurTM, an advanced simulated polypropylene photopolymer when tipping the last drops of liquid out of a bottle or carton. It is a visual centrepiece rather than something to be hidden away or ashamed of, offering a valuable step towards breaking down the stigma surrounding physical disabilities and the use of disability aids.
Bowmore 50, a box and bottle concept for Bowmore's rare 50-year-old whiskey
Bowmore 50 is a packaging and branding project celebrating the heritage story of the Bowmore brand, culminating in a unique box and bottle concept for their rare 50-year-old whiskey. The form and unique fastening methods are inspired by the rugged Scottish coastline that the iconic distillery calls home.
A closeup of the logo on top of the large mirror of Oculo, a structure combining mirrors and digital technology to inspire visitors to learn about artworks in galleries
Oculo is designed for galleries to use in ways which best suit them and their audience. Rather than prescribing a single solution to a challenge which looks different for every exhibition and every gallery, it equips curators with options with which to tackle visitor engagement. It is a service meant to evolve with its client base, from aesthetic and functional options at purchase point to dynamic UI templates which can be filled with the gallery's own content.
Issie Bickerstaff
Final year project
Oculo - encouraging visitor engagement with artworks in galleries
Awards
Roots, a food and recipe sharing service celebrating and bringing together the local communities of Loughborough, was shortlisted for the RSA Design awards 2022. It was an honour to be recognised for a project focused on co-designing with and supporting the local community.
Work Experience
I spent a year as part of the design team at Lumsden. This was a fantastic opportunity to work on projects for high-profile international brands, museums, and attractions. It was working with Lumsden which catalysed my passion for designing immersive, holistic spaces and experiences that delight, surprise and tell stories.
A shorter placement with deVOL Kitchens was a creative playground for me to learn about being a craftsperson, with opportunities to learn from experts in the ceramics studio and metal workshop as well as spending time in the design office. deVOL values beautiful simplicity and attention to detail, qualities which I've been inspired to bring into my own work.
Two short architectural internships with Pick Everard taught me industry-specific techniques such as how to conduct site analysis. I feel very fortunate to have experience in multiple sectors of the design industry, both through my University course and work experience. I really enjoy projects which allow me to draw on the diverse skills I have developed as a result.