In our blog today we turn to the world of umbrella news for a bit of
inspiration. As part of her final project for her MA in Design Products
at the Royal College of Art in London, graduate Ayca Dundar has taken an
innovative approach to the redesign of the umbrella, which we love, and
we are sure you will too!
Ayca has simplified the structure of the
umbrella's canopy down to six parts, allowing it to recover from being
blown inside out and being inverted by the wind.
Her inspiration
for finding a new solution was the mass of broken umbrellas she found
strewn on the streets of London on a rainy day! So she collected a few
of the broken umbrellas, took them apart and decided that the problem
was a result of their intricate opening mechanisms and frameworks. She
notes:
"Their complex structure makes them fragile and
non-repairable,"
And adds:
"They are so rigid that they turn inside out
and break during strong winds."
Her innovation is the Drop
umbrella, which has a very flexible structure, allowing it to bend
during strong winds and quickly return to its original shape.
Using
a simplified structure of six parts, which are also easily repairable,
their flexibility and movement depend only on the properties of the
material itself, rather than hinges and joints. Furthermore, it can be
conveniently twisted to close the umbrella into a compact flat disk for
ease of portability.
A waterproof fabric is used for the canopy,
which is stretched over two plastic-coated spring steel strips. An
aluminium pole is then attached to a 3D-printed plastic handle.
Also,
as a result of its simple design, it makes its UK-based manufacture
more cost effective than traditional umbrella designs, which are
frequently made from parts sourced from the Far East.
All in all,
we think it is a wonderful design, and it will be interesting to see if
it is taken further into full-scale manufacture. What do you think of
the design? Would you buy one?
