Project Overview

Poligon is a collection of flat foldable metal sculptures inspired by the animal kingdom which the user sculpts into the final form themselves. We have created the project as a Kickstarter campaign which runs from the 10th September 2014 to 24th October 2014.

Organisation

Poligon

Team

Matthew White
Rodrigo Solorzano

Project Brief

Poligon has created a set of animal sculptures inspired by some of the most wonderful creatures on earth, taking their form and simplified it whilst keeping their identity. The metal sculptures arrive in flat sheet form which are then sculpted into their final form. Magnets are already fixed onto the sheet so that the individual elements of the sculpture are rapidly assembled into the final piece. This can be achieved by hand with no additional tools and the final results are stunning metal sculptures which last a lifetime.

Project Innovation/Need

We have created a set of user finished sculptures which have an excellent finish and enduring beauty. We use chemical etching to achieve this. The range begins with small thin metal pieces and extended to large multi-component pieces which use thicker metal. Thin etched hand finished sculptures are known but are often overly complex or little more than pop-up style objects. We have developed an understanding of the process and materials to be able to achieve substantial parts and very accurate results even with thicker materials.

Our results are unique, large solid sculptures which arrive flat and can be made by hand with little user skill. The result is a desirable sculpture but also the user has had involvement in its creation which only enhances the experience of ownership. It is rare to have such stunning objects, let alone ones which arrive flat and are then self made.

Design Challenge

The key design challenges were to overcome limitations in the material, the etch process and also enable most users to be able to create satisfying results.

We had to test many material in development, especially the correct grade of stainless steel. We finally found a grade which allowed folds which do not spring back during assembly.

The etch process is also a key aspect of our solution. various forms of the process exists and we had to developed an understanding of the nuances of the processes to be able to finish and accuracy we needed. We worked with three different suppliers before settling on our final partner. With this partner we produced a series of test pieces which determine correct lien thicknesses for folds, thickness of materials and correct tolerances.

During the whole project we have had a loop of design, refine and re-make to produce numerous prototypes and test pieces. We tested ourselves at each stage and asked others to help. This rigorous refinement has create the final designs which allows anybody to create perfect results.

Sustainability

We have been keen to keep manufacture in the UK. Thankfully the UK is very strong in the chemical etch field. We are also sourcing the packaging within the UK.

Chemical etching is very efficient in it's material use if you are focused on this. For production we fill the sheets of metal to reduce wastage. We have also created useful components from areas which would not be used for sculpture - for example the small fold tool for insects allows us to use space which would otherwise be wasted.

The packaging will be minimal yet protective. We will be using recycled material and ensuring it is strong enough to prevent metal damage thus reducing waste.

Of course one of the key principals of Poligon is that the pieces use minimal space and transport as they are kept flat right up until the consumer sculpts them. And these products are intended to be life long due to their perceived value and the users investment in their creation.

We are also researching new metals to etch, such as aluminium, which open up the possibility of using more sustainable recycled metal.