Preservation
Archives inhabit and reflect our temporal realities. To show us evidence of the past; to record this, here, now; to aid us in looking to the future. Archives show the very human construction of continuum. From an archival perspective, time and timelessness are a perpetual push-pull. We work to preserve the historical record in perpetuity, but we must balance that with the imperative and finite use of materials. We wonder what to save for an historical record that contains yesterday, today, and all the things we take for granted. We build metadata constructs to cement content and context for what we hope is a very long time. The human perception of the passage of time is deeply fluid, but waypoints, like summers or school years or decades or centuries, are vital to understanding our world. But in the deliberate marking of time, we often overlook the timelessness of process. The archive of the Metaproject work allows us to pause and engage with that–each thing must grow one step at a time, and like the archive that growth is ongoing. Designers seem to understand this particularly well. So we are proud to add some of the labor and imagination of Metaproject designers to the story of RIT.
Ella von Holtum, Assistant Archivist
RIT Archive Collections, Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Vibration
About
Metaproject 14
In collaboration with RIT, students were challenged to co-design unique permanent installations for the RIT Outdoor Hands-on Museum initiative. Metaproject 14 aimed to inspire positive change. The resulting archive collection showcases the intersection of technology, arts, and design through digital and physical process work.
Currently Processing
Designer
Shell Chair
About
Metaproject 13
In collaboration with Lazzoni, the students were challenged to design a seating element that embodied both the Vignelli "Design is One" ethos and the spirit of the furniture brand. This archive collection includes digital and physical process work.
Currently Processing
Designer
The Haven
About
Metaproject 12
In collaboration with Modkat, the students were challenged to design a pet product that fits within the companies values and procedures while considering the RIT Vignelli ‘Design is One’ ethos. This archive collection includes digital and physical process work.
Currently Processing
Designer
The New Statue
About
Metaproject 11
In collaboration with Staach, the students were challenged to design objects which deploy educational content through their function, demanding justice, empathy, sustainability equity and inclusion. This archive collection includes digital and physical process work.
Currently Processing
Designer
Stacking Reminder
About
Metaproject 10
In collaboration with the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, the students were challenged to create a product that incorporates their own definitition of timelessness. This archive collection includes digital and physical process work.
Currently Processing
Designer
Cloud Sweeper
About
Metaproject 09
In collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the students were given the task of addressing the 'Urgency of Play' in contemporary life. The Sumin-Petal Oh Metaproject collection includes digital and physical process work and eight prototype umbrellas.
Designer
Designing Dining
About
Metaproject 08
In collaboration with Goodluck Restaurant in Rochester, NY, students worked in concert to reimagine how dinner out can be interpreted through the lens of industrial design. The collection includes two Metaproject 08 booklets, 1 set off four cork coasters, and a digital file of the two-minute video created as a final deliverable for the experiential Metaproject 08 "designing dining" experience.
Designers
Limbo
About
Metaproject 07
In collaboration with Umbra, the students were challenged to create a design for small spaces. This archive collection includes research notes, preliminary drawings and models, full-sized models, prototypes created by the manufacturer, and a retail version.
Designer
Foot Pebble
About
Metaproject 06
In collaboration with Poppin, the students were given the task of rethinking office products into innovative objects that accent and improve the workspace. This archive collection includes research notes, preliminary drawings and models, full-size models, a full-sized prototype for her project, and digital files related to production.
Designer
Hoop and Hang
About
Metaproject 05
In collaboration with Kikkerland and Bed Bath & Beyond, the students were given the task of finding storage solutions for home or dorm rooms. This archive collection includes research notes, preliminary drawings, 1/4-scale and full-size models, and a full-sized prototype for her project.
Designer
Invitation Chair
About
Metaproject 04
In collaboration with Herman Miller, the students were given the task of building and enhancing relationships in the workspace. This archive collection includes notes, preliminary drawings, 4" models, 1/4-scale and full-size models, and a full-sized prototype.
Designer
Blockitecture
About
Metaproject 03
In collaboration with Areaware, the students were given the task of using wood as a primary material to define the meaning of Universal Toy. This archive collection includes notes, preliminary drawings, 1/4-scale and full-size models, and a full-sized prototype, and final to market product.
Designer
Desktop White Noise Generator
About
Metaproject 02
In collaboration with Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), the students were given the task of creating a product that takes advantage of glass as a primary material. This archive collection includes one prototype.
Designer
The Nodule
About
Metaproject 01
In collaboration with Wilsonart International, the students were given the task of creating seating prototypes that would make use of Wilsonart’s laminate surface material. This archive collection includes research notes, preliminary drawings, 1/4-scale and full-size models, a CD with photographs of the project, and a full-sized prototype.
Designer
