After graduating, I was faced with the choice of pursuing my own projects in a Master's programme or entering the world of work. This orientation phase was as interesting as it was intense, and when the opportunity arose to do an internship as a jewellery designer at Bottega Veneta in Milan, I knew which decision I wanted to make. One thing led to another and six months later, when my internship was over, I got the chance to work with Matthias Schneider on fashion jewellery for Louis Vuitton. This was followed by six incredibly educational months as a jewellery design assistant. About two months ago I started my first permanent job as a jewellery designer at Prada in Milan.
My current job is all about design, generating ideas and visualising them as if they were real. In the process I have learnt an incredible amount about design and have also had to test my skills and become self-taught in programmes such as Rhino and Photoshop.
Working for a brand is both incredibly fascinating and challenging. The interplay between your own ideas and the brand's specifications and guidelines can be demanding. What I miss most is not having the freedom to design and follow my own impulses. So I have started to devote my free time to my own creations and designs again.
As part of this design contest, I found it incredibly exciting to look back on my design process, identify weaknesses and examine what I would/could do differently and more easily from today's perspective.
This process of reflection has motivated me to revise my project on a professional level.
I have worked with various fabricators to refine my design process and to have a part manufactured off-site. My skills in 3D software have developed considerably as I use this tool on a daily basis in my work. For my own project, I found a way to simulate the volume of the balloon in the 3D programme and calculate it directly. This allows me to perfect the design so that the prototype is much lighter and more portable. In collaboration with an Italian workshop, I have the metal mould cast on the basis of my 3D drawing. This allows me to outsource a large part of the work.
This gives me the freedom and time to work intensively with the materials that are suitable for my balloon moulding process. I decided to use epoxy resin for my final year project. At the time, it was suitable for the scope of the project and was readily available at the school. At the moment, however, I am looking for alternative materials to epoxy. My whole design process is based on the use of recycled materials. So I want to make the final product more sustainable. Epoxy is not yet recyclable and there is currently no easy way to achieve this in the near future.
That's why I'm currently investigating the production of pet bottles, which are also vacuum moulded. Pet is recyclable and would be good for my project because it is also very light, perfect for hollow objects, transparent and offers a wide range of colours and qualities.
I have also begun to study the technique of "electroforming". This process is often used in the jewellery industry. It is used to create voluminous, hollow objects made entirely of metal. I am interested in this technique for my jewellery pieces, which will still be based on the volume of the balloon, but will be made entirely of metal.
I decided to take part in the Swiss Design Awards because I wanted to get to know other Swiss designers, make new contacts and exchange ideas with like-minded people. It would be a unique opportunity to present my project to a wider community in Switzerland. The idea of learning from this exchange and the input I receive and incorporating it into my own design practice is motivating. My goal and dream is to one day establish myself as an independent designer in Switzerland. I see taking part in this competition as the starting signal to pursue this goal.
