Just love the idea of slow design!

The Image shows a designer working digitally on a laptop and pad with a white and black cat sprawled across his lap too, both relaxed and comfortable in each others company. Slow design!

Why slow design?

Quote from Mark Weiser 'The scarce resource in the 21st Century will not be technology. It weill be attention. https://calmtech.com/

The principles of the Slow Design are part of the ‘Slow’ movement that originated in response to the fast-paced, consumer-driven culture prevalent in modern society.

Slow design is an approach that embodies the mind-set that recognises and prefers simplicity and applicability. This makes space to embrace non-complexity over excess. It allows for ‘flow’ and for serendipity to happen, both important for creativity and innovation.

There is a lot written about the need for mindfulness. This encourages us to consider the broader issues beyond ourselves, the social, cultural, and environmental implications of what we do. Slow design and making creates the mental space to consider and prioritise what is important to us, especially around environmental sustainability in both the designing and making process.

Slow design: this image shows a designer working on this laptop and digitising pad with a white and black cat comfortable lying across his lap too. Both are very relaxed and laid back! What a life!

Slow design for eco responsibility

This way of designing enables all facets of responsible practice to be integrated, such as designing for quality over quantity, product longevity in mind, sourcing materials locally and working with local artisans and manufacturers. Also this mind-set embraces the tenets of the circular economy for the full lifecycle of what we make, from knowing the provenance of materials selected and used, designing out waste, best practice for making, producing, and how things are assembled to encourage further reuse.

This image shows a diagram illustrating the principles of a circular economy. Slow design ethos enables us as designers to build sustainable practice to encourage responsible consumerism.

There is also the space for our clients to get fully engage regarding responsible consumerism anf the circular economy.  We can support this by providing the information that not only adds value to their purchase and keeps it loved and in circulation, but also at end of life, they know how best to deal with the materials to have minimum, hopefully zero, impact on the environment.

Image by Freepik

Why Anarkik3DDesigning helps with creativity.

The parent of slow design is ‘calm’ technology which I have already posted about here

I am so pleased that the outcome of the research that we did, investigating haptics (digital touch as force feedback) as a better interface for 3D digital designing, resulted in ‘calm’ technology. Anarkik3DDesign is haptic 3D modelling software designed for the way many of us work as creative makers and applied artists.

This image shows the non-compled interface of Anarkik3DDesign, haptic 3D modelling software designed for the way many of us work as creative makers and applied artists. This is an illustration of calm technology

This image shows the complete set-up of Anarkik3DDesign : Cloud9 software on laptop and Falcon haptic device attached. Haptics enables a designer to have a naturally intuitive, thoughtful and relaxed 'slow design' way to work.

It has a non-complex interface and uses a haptic controller for cursor movement in three dimensions (yes, 3D!). This allows for a naturally intuitive and ‘slow’ thoughtful way to design digitally in 3D. Plus it enables ‘flow’ and serendipity, both important for creativity and innovation. And serendipity is a default!

The software, bundled with the haptic controller, is enjoyable to use. It is affordable. It’s 3D touch and feel sensations make for a very accessible way of creating 3D models, which are 3D printable as the programme is optimised for this.

Intrigued and considering slow designing?

I run two levels of bespoke classes: one to learn award-winning Anarkik3DDesign and the other a masterclass for creative people who already have the programme for deeper immersion to benefit their practice or to teach. The classes and Anarkik3DDesign programme suit creative non-CAD using artists, applied artists and designer makers.

This is what Katja Prins, a jewellery in The Netherlands says:

‘Last October (2023) I did a Masterclass Anarkik3DDesign with Ann Marie and it was absolutely wonderful!
Ann Marie shared so generously her knowledge and took all the time for me.
She also anticipated on things that would benefit my practise but that I could not imagine myself since I don’t know all the ins & outs of the program, but of course she does.
I learned so much more than I thought I would!
Hence my designing has speeded up so much, all is going so much easier now since I now understand the program a lot better and know more all the possibilities.
Besides this I just had a very good time since she’s such lovely company!’ 

About Ann Marie Shillito and masterclasses

I am Ann Marie Shillito, Anarkik3D CEO, a designer maker, jeweller, and author of ‘Digital Crafts: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers’. I am sufficiently knowledgeable to adapt the course to suit participants due to my many years of experience in the creative and 3D digital modelling fields. With only 2 people per class, you are ensured a focus on what you need. I will organise a date that suits you too as you might want to spend extra time in Edinburgh and in Scotland.

Image of Ann Marie Shillito wearing a jacket. crocheted from waste red/orange carpet wool and interwoven with strips of waste and scrap fabrics left over from making her own clothes. She made this in 1979/80 and is now on another journey making waste plastic a precious mateial.

A wee extra that we can generate together are informal discussions on relevant topics., such as no-hype know-how on 3D printing, the importance for creativity and innovation of our tacit knowledge as makers. Other topics could be about serendipity, flow, play, mulling as well as developing an eco-responsible digital practice.

I can bundle class fees to include the loan of the software and hardware (a laptop, if required, and a haptic device). There is a special deal for Members of Applied Arts Scotland.

Classes and Masterclasses are held in Edinburgh EH9 2DG.  The fee for sole traders/freelances is from £60 to £120 a day based on ‘what you can pay’ as I want to reduce barriers to 3D digital tech.

For institutions and businesses, please contact me (a. m. shillito @ anarkik3d. co. uk) directly to discuss your requirements. I am not a sales person so no hard sell! More info and to book a place please contact me as above.