Venus Cupán Óil by Tiger ChongSheng Guo is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Duais Iarainn A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Uidheam Fuine, Soithichean Bùird, Soithichean Dibhe agus Uidheam Còcaireachd Competition Category.

IarannUidheam Cidsin· 2020

Venus Cupán Óil

by Tiger ChongSheng Guo

Client: Victoria University of Wellington

Duais Iarainn A' Design Award Winner in Uidheam Cidsin Category

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The Design

About Venus Cupán Óil

Is cupán óil é Venus a bhfuil bonn ar leith aige, deartha lena úsáid sa bhaile. Tá an tacar déanta as dhá chruth simplí a thacaíonn le chéile. Is féidir an cupán a thógáil den bhonn le lámh. Mar gheall ar chruth agus meáchan an chré-earra, sleamhnaíonn an cupán isteach san áit cheart nuair a chuirtear ar ais é ar an mbonn. Priontáladh an cupán go 3T i meascán de chré-earra agus polaiméir, ansin dódh é in oigheann, cuimilíodh le gaineamhpháipéar é agus snasaíodh é. Priontáladh an bonn go 3T i meascán d'adhmad agus PLA, ansin cuimilíodh le gaineamhpháipéar é agus daitheadh é. Roghnaíodh monarú suimitheach chun an dá chuid a fhoirmiú gan aon dramhaíl ábhair.

The Recognition

About the Duais Iarainn A' Design Award

Tha Venus Cupán Óil air Duais Iarainn A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean math a choinnicheas ris na riatanasan proifeiseanta is gnìomhachais a thathar a' sùileachadh bho chruthachaidhean a chaidh an dealbhadh gu math. Tha buannaichean Iarainn a' nochdadh sgil mhòr, speisealachadh àrd, tuigse eòlaiche agus comas cruthachail an luchd-cruthachaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Venus Cupán Óil na chruthachadh air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach a tha practaigeach agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Iarainn A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr sa ghnìomhachas còmhla agus tha feartan teignigeach comasach aige ceangailte ri eòlas-dèanamh agus tàlant. Tha meas air Venus Cupán Óil airson a dhùrachd agus chaidh a dhealbhadh gus leasachaidhean càileachd beatha a thoirt seachad a chuidicheas le bhith a' dèanamh an t-saoghail na àite nas fheàrr.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Venus is a luxury homeware set designed to encapsulate the symbiosis between two forms, and the unique qualities of 3D printed geometries. Similar products traditionally implement subtractive manufacturing methods (taking away material through cutting, sanding, and thinning). These processes are imprecise, and produce immense waste, and lack any quality from the original material. 3D printing Venus allows the unique qualities of the 3D filament (mixes of materials) to be captured serendipitously, with no waste.
Dimensions & Packaging: 137 x 154 x 109
Cup alone: 112 x 125 x 101
Base alone: 137 x 154 x 35
Tags: venus, homeware, cup, 3d print, wood filament, luxury, victoria, vuw, design
Production Technology: The design was 3D printed at an external industry partner in a ceramic and polymer mix. The print was then fired in a kiln to finish the ceramic. The ceramic was then lightly sanded and polished. The wood base was 3D printed in a PLA and wood mix. The print was then sanded and stained.
Design Challenge: The most challenging aspect of this project were the restraints. The design needed to be simple, sleek, and elegant, comprising of no more than 2 independent forms. The symbiosis between the forms was critical. I aimed to make it a mutually beneficial one, with one supporting the other in radial forms, much like the celestial entities within a solar system. The requirement to use 3D printing and explore materials previously not printed was also challenging. I had never worked with ceramics before, let alone 3D print them.
Research: The project began by undergoing rapid concept ideation, aiming to explore as many forms as possible. This initially took the form of abstract form ideation, followed by iterative design, and finally volumetric design. These were all done via traditional mediums, but soon moved to digital ones. Ergonomics and anthropometric studies were undertaken with early prototypes to refine form, surface, and scale.
Inspiration: Venus was inspired by the alignment of the planets of the Solar System, and the age old notion of "the stars aligning". Celestial entities often create unique and beautiful visages, with many becoming constellations, lights, or other phenomenons captured in human history. These visages are often no more than a few simple forms in perfect symbiosis, celebrated by the serendipitous surface qualities of stars and moons. Venus was inspired by this and aims to capture the beauty of forms complementing one another in a manner of purity that also honours the serendipity of material quality.
To achieve this, digital fabrication was implemented. Venus takes additive manufacturing methods - such as 3D printing - and combines them with contemporary industrial design to celebrate the purity of materials reconstructed; much like celestial bodies.

Traditional manufactured methods we found, were not up to the degree of quality we pursued to achieve this goal.
For thousands of years; since the invention of the lathe in ancient Egypt; subtractive manufacturing methods have been implemented as the industry standard. Even today, many products are still manufactured by taking away material through cutting, sanding, and thinning. These processes are imprecise, often requiring multiple passes to compensate for flaws produced by the previous; and consequently, produce immense quantities of waste; many times the size of their products.

Venus aims to break this trend.
Digital fabrication introduces a new possibility; additive manufacturing; the means of production by adding material rather than subtracting. Chiefly amongst these means stands 3D printing. Whilst traditionally a prototyping tool, recent innovations in 3D printing have permitted it to become a fully-fledged manufacturing method. When combined with highly precise material quality control through a digital interface, allowing complex heterogenous forms to be created perfectly with no waste; 3D printing can produce marvels of geometry and interaction. Seizing this opportunity, Venus was designed to both captivate minimalistic contemporary industrial design, and celebrate the raw material quality through such a pure manufacturing method. After all, these same materials came from the stars millions of years ago.

Venus was designed by Tiger ChongSheng Guo at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Design.
Project Duration: The project started in July 2017 and finished in January 2018.
Project was exhibited at Victoria University of Wellington's RNDR 2018 Exhibition.
Reproductions have been since made using local industry, most recently in early 2020.
Operation Flow: The cup element can be lifted from the base. Due to the shape, the cup can be put on the base and itself will slide into the correct alignment due to the weight of the ceramic.
Patents: Copyrights belong to ChongSheng Guo, 2018.
Team Members: Tiger ChongSheng Guo - Designer
Zach Challies - Tutor/Lecturer
Joshua Felizardo - Assistant Photographer/Model
Image Credits: [ Example: Image #1: Photographer ChongSheng Guo, Venus 1, 2017. ]
[ Example: Image #2: Photographer ChongSheng Guo, Venus 2, 2017. ]
[ Example: Image #3: Photographer ChongSheng Guo, Venus 3, 2017. ]
[ Example: Image #4: Photographer ChongSheng Guo, Venus 4, 2017. ]
[ Example: Image #5: Photographer Joshua Felizardo, Venus 5, 2017. ]