Evanne Kok

Evanne Kok is a Singapore designer, a recent graduate in MA Design Products at the Royal College of Art, London.

While pursuing her Bachelors in Design at Goldsmiths College, London, she found her work sitting in between disciplines of Experience and Product design. Realising that product and experience are interdependent, Evanne's practice encompasses processes of prototyping and collaborations with experts within different fields to realise her designs.

During her time working at an Architecture firm in Singapore, Evanne had the experience of working on furniture collections and spatial projects. Contributing significantly towards ideation, design development, construction and completion phases of projects exhibited at MaisonetObjet Paris and SaloneDelMobile Milan.

Evanne's diverse experience in product, furniture, spatial and experience design has led her to a multi-disciplinary approach. Creating work that remains rooted in fundamental traditional values of what makes design true to itself – the human connection.

Education

MA Design Products, 2021 - Royal College of Art, London, UK

BA Design, 2016 - Goldsmiths College, London, UK

Apart In Sync

Apart In Sync is an on-going project that explores the interdependent relationship between dancers, beyond physical distance. The design is a system consisting of a locating device and a wearable. Apart In Sync is currently looking for partners and collaborators for future development.

Please get in touch for more details.

Statement

Designers hold the responsibility of shaping, how we people live, work and play.

The emotional connection between people and object is where I envision my designs to exist. I strive to establish associations beyond simply aesthetics, creating projects that encompass a greater ideological connection between people.

I believe that design is a medium between what people know at present and what they will come to know of as, their future. A means to a way, at which human experience is the center of it. Through my work, I aim to redefine human connection with design, tackling issues of present and future.

Apart In Sync System

Apart In Sync Dancers

Apart In Sync Performance

The pandemic have moved performing arts online, being mostly screen-based, professional dancers find it difficult to connect with one another at a distance.

Apart In Sync is a tool for dancers to achieve movement awareness of another body, despite physical distance. It aims to overcome difficulties of improvised collaboration faced by dancers beyond physical boundaries. Born out of a digital format, borrowing Heider Simmel movement theory and motion-capture technology, it aims to enable a new sense of connection between dancers in rehearsal. The design is a system consisting of a locating device and a wearable.

The design focuses on the spontaneous creative process of dancers and their relation to each other. It is hence important to note that it does not aim to replicate fully technicalities and movement of a full human form.

It is envisioned as system supported by devices that enable dancers to dynamically respond to each other’s movement in real-time despite physical distance. With possibilities to collaborate beyond boundaries of physical space, it opens up the performing arts scene to new sense of movement with technology. Extending this collaboration beyond two people.

Special thanks to project mentor Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad for his guidance and support, artist Huijun Lu, choreographer and dancer Laura Tham, and dancer Joshua Lim for their help in realising the project.

Medium:

Film, 3D Printed, Technology

Design Elements

System

Locating Device and Wearable

Code Collaboration Experience Music Objects Performance Product Design Senses Sound System Technology User Experience

User Research and Design Guidelines

Current Technology and Movement Theories — The design takes inspiration from current technologies and movement theories.

User Research and Validation — The locating device here eliminates the use of a screen. In an attempt to test possibilities of the locating device and validate the system, the drone’s movement is programmed. Dancers were then asked to respond to the movement. Various methods of tempo and timings were tested. Such as haptic feedback, sound as an indicator and just syncing music itself.

Locating Device Prototyping — To further ease understandings of facings of their partner, a structure is attached to the drone to explore possibilities of envisioning movement and creating an enclosure for the blades for a safer performance. 2 types of structures were tested.

Concept Dance Experience design Film Performance Process Product Design Sound Technology User Experience User Testing Validation

Manufactured Heritage

Manufactured Heritage - Story of the Detached Culturist

Manufactured Heritage

Architectural Juxtaposition

Manufactured Heritage is a reinterpretation of the modern tea and coffee mug in Singapore. Born from the era of fast-paced modern living, the mug is a product of mass production and minimalism. This contemporary take fuses traditional Chinese patterns, known as Qing Hua, with the modern mug. With intricate patterns etched on to a mass produced mug, it aims to reconnect Singaporeans to their Chinese roots, questioning processes of handcraft vs. machine made, authenticity and value.

Medium:

Glass, Laser-Etching

Architecture Craftsmanship Culture Furniture Glass Handcraft Home Lifestyle Product Design Storytelling Tableware Technology

Evanne Kok

Medium:

Medium:

Social

About

Royal College of Art