D e s i g n B y R u t h

D i c t i o n a R y

t w e n t y - s e v e n t h e D i t i o n

D e s i g n B y R u t h

D i c t i o n a R y

Fig. 1 - “One is an advertising campaign aimed at the company you wish to seduce into buying into your ‘product’.” [image: Ruth and Rachel, Auckland, 1989]

D e s i g n B y R u t h

D i c t i o n a R y

Editor, R. M. Sumner, B.Dsn (Wgtn.)

Twenty-Seventh Edition

A ready reference of the Design by Ruth language for the home, office, and

library

Published in 2011 by Ruth Sumner PressA Student of Industrial Design at Victoria University of Wellington.

www.designbyruth.wordpress.com

A Comprehensive record of the work in this book is available from the above website.

The Editor desires to express her gratitude to readers of the twenty-sixth and earlier editions for their criticisms and suggestions.

Alterations and additions have been made as a consequence and future correspondence is welcomed.

All images and text by Ruth Sumner, unless stated otherwise.

PH: +64-21-162525-9

Frontispiece: Lost in Concrete, 2008. Photographic Print, 210 x 169 mm

First Published 1983

Printed and Bound in New Zealand by Ruth Sumner Ltd.,Te Aro, Wellington

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S.

As the creator of my own ‘dictionary’, I have developed and nurtured my design language with passion, commitment, humour and attention to detail, that can only be described as a case of shadow autism.My obsessive nature rubbed off on the following talented people, who de-voted equal passion and dedication to the projects:

Firstly, I would like to thank my Fiance, Andrew Mitchener for his ear which although may have sometimes been un-tuned, was always there to listen to my arguments with myself about hurdles in the projects, and also his unending support and unfaltering care.

A very special thanks is reserved for my amazingly talented family, whose skills with the written word turn my dyslexic banter into a logical stream, and of course for all their constant love and support in any far-fetched project I throw myself into.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to the tutors at Victoria University school of Design, who provided invaluable assistance and inspiration, with extra special thanks to my tutor Bettina Neu for her support, dedication and enthusiastic creative input.

C O N T E N T S._______

acknowleDgements, - - - - - 5 PReface, - - - - - - 9

fiRst section.inDustRial Design PRojects

The Archives of Authenticity, - - - - 12‘Say ahh’ MP3 player, - - - - - 22Selph, self cell phone, - - - - - 28Absorbism Manifesto, - - - - - 34

seconD section.extRa cuRRiculaR activities

Photography, - - - - - - 18Life drawing, - - - - - - 20Textiles, - - - - - - - 22

thiRD section.Design theoRy anD PhilosoPhies

All Objects are Prostheses, - - - - - 18Experience Nothing, - - - - - 20

glossaRy, - - - - - - 5DescRiPtion of Plates, - - - - - 9inDex, - - - - - - - 11

Fig. 2 - Virtual External Sensory Experience, The Archives of Authenticity, 2010.

P R E F A C E.______

The purpose of this book, as conceived by the author, is to influence the Design world by documenting her own particular design language, pro-vided in a form convenient for reference and study the designs that are used in the formation of the Design by Ruth Language. Leaving it to those who consult its pages to determine for themselves, with the aid of a true dictionary if neccesary, which designs supply the informa-tion they are looking for or express most accurately the thoughts in their minds they were at first unaware of having. The questions, therefore, that were constantly on the author’s mind while she was preparing the manuscript were not, is this design good? nor should it be good? but is it a design that some one may want to experience or that which gives expression to some thought? When the design in question seemed to be one that would be of service it was given a place in the collection to which it belongs. Believing the book would be consulted by students and designers in special fields, the author incorporated into it many designs, including some theoretical design, that might, in the case of a work of more restricted useful-ness, have been omitted.The author spared no effort to make her work as complete as possible; and she believes that it will be appreciated for its comprehensiveness, modernity, and creative usefulness. She will be pleased to recieve from those who use this book any design suggestions and/or offers. She may be addressed in the care of the publishers. [ref. attached business card]

R.M.S

f i R s t s e c t i o n.

I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N P R O J E C T S.

the A R C H I V E S

of AUTHENTICITY

The Archives of Authenticity con-sists of five consecutive parts, based on the resulting idea of what a new workplace culture could be. This was taken literally and the bacte-rial cultures harbouring in the work-place were swabbed and ‘cultured’; this prompted an intense look into the material qualities of which allow for such bacterial growth. The mate-riality research uncovered truths and forgotten norms, asking ones vision to gaze backwards, to the past, where doorknobs were made from brass for reasons greater than mere aesthetics.

In the present resides the conclu-sion; a solution to both past forgot-tens and future outlooks. Through the Archives of Authenticity, the user will retain knowledge and understanding of the make-up of everything around them, and eve-rything to be created before them. The Archives most importantly act as a comparison tool, to discern be-tween what is assumed as authentic, and the real thing, perhaps to even create future materials that retain the qualities of the authentic.

Fig. 3 - Microscopic sitting on the archives of Authenticity shelf system.

Opposite page: Fig. 4 - Workplace ‘culture’ harvested and grown from a computer mouse.

Fig. 5 - The change in materiality of a computer keyboard’s keys from its original plastic to that of cast bronze can be likened to the feel of writing great prose with a biro pen versus a fountain pen.

Opposite page: Fig. 6 - A Poster demonstrating the content of a book on the geneology of Glue, from the Archives of Authenticity.

Fig. 7 - Oligodynamic keyboard made from copper.

The archives of authenticity are to enable the comparison of material emulations in the future. The belief system is embodied in the intrin-sic nature of ones surroundings, it’s about sensory experiences, and the reassurance of authenticity, [of a knowledge to the true origins of the material at hand] in the future land of the synthetic. Designed to keep up with perpetual knowledge expansion, the archival shelving system grows at the same pace as the data accumulated within you. The growth of information is re-corded through the size of the ex-pandable ‘accordion’ books, and the ease of simply adding more shelves, more pages, more books and more insight into the office. A timeline narrative pulses through the archives, from the linear wall mounted bracket, with the means of adding more shelves as time ac-cumulates weighty wisdom, through to the accordion books that un-fold to reveal the true origins of key ma-terials that surround our lives.The archives of authenticity act as both an archival tool and a mes-sage of the companies solid foot-ing through ones understanding of the past, sending a clear message of developmental evolution to visiting clients, and unleashing new visions for the future.Fi

g. 8

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Fig. 9 - Part of the Animation sequence; as the scene unfolds, a hand easily affix-es a shelf to the bracket and places their archival books on the shelf.

SAY AHHM P 3 P L A Y E R

‘Say Ahh’ is an MP3 player concept that fits onto the users tooth, to allow the natural reso-nance of the mouths chamber to amplify the sound inside your head, or simply open your mouth to share the mu-sic with your friends

Fig. 10 - Say Ahh advertising poster

These teeth were gradu-ally collected by my mother and thus stored in a bedside drawer for the past 26 years; wrapped in a ball of cotton wool, and mul-tiplying at a rate slightly faster than the children shedding them.

Every cherished object has a story to tell, let your say ahh wireless speaker system reach the heights of warranting stories to share.

Fig. 12 - Teeth collection

Opposite page: Fig. 11 - Ttile page to the ‘say ahh’ documentation book.

The transmitter has conno-tations with parasites, and the use of up-cycled tools (tweezers/pliers etc) con-nects it with the dentistry founding’s.The splaying of the pliers out from the jack port is to bring in the tooth root struc-ture, which in turn houses the nerves which the inter-nal wiring of the transmitter is in this circumstance. The design incorporates the

siphon action of the jack port on its host, be it a record player, an ipod or even a computer, the trick is to suck out the innards (sound) which will ultimate-ly benefit the parasite and its offspring; in this case, thewireless speaker.

Fig. 13 - ‘Parasite’ transmitter.

Opposite page: Fig. 14 - Packaging distortionFig. 15 - The MP3 player on a dentist mirror.

The wireless speaker will find a sanctuary to house itself and re-charge on the body of the transmitter, which in turn draws charges up from the power produced by its host.

The Selph is a conceptual mo-bile phone design, where-by the phone is utilised for essen-tially talking to oneself. This phone allows the user to confirm ideas and create new ones, as when you verbalise something, you consciously ar-ticulate it.

Fig. 15 - The Selph. in it’s docking station

Selph.

Fig’s 16, 17 & 18 - dire user scenario of Selph.

Fig. 19 - Sectional drawing of Selph.

the aBsoRBism manifesto

Fig. 20 - two metre long ‘listening’ installation.

Fig. 21 - sponge packaging advertising the Absorbism Manifesto.

Opposite page: Fig. 22 - Poster for the Absorbism Manifesto.

“It is necessary to begin with the concrete relationship between an I and a world, the world, foreign and hostile, should, in good logic, alter the I.” (Levinas, 1979)

The Absorbism Manifesto’s main theory is of observing and absorb-ing our surroundings by being aware of the outcome. Being in tune with the resonance of ones surroundings is the key, to harmonise your internal organs in-cluding the mind.Steps also include filtering ab-sorbed information, much like a sieve filters liquid, to refine and deliver appropriate concepts.

s e c o n D s e c t i o n.

E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S.

PhotogRaPhy

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DESIGN by RUTH

f i n e.