New Blog

Hello Everyone!

There is a new Master of Design for Services Blog that I am now using.

Please, feel free to follow : nataliamazur.wordpress.com

Thanks and Enjoy!

The Pill Bracelet - Popping Pills Like Candy.

One of my degree show pieces, made out of silver and paracetamol, this bracelet creates an aesthetically pleasing form with a lot of meaning behind it. It suggests that painkillers should be treated with the same respect as precious stones, mainly because over-dosing causes severe liver damage and other conditions.

My jewellery addresses to medical issues which normally would not be related the typical jewellery designers interests.

With the degree show just around the corner, it is about the time to post a few things about my up-coming collection!






"The Destruction Series", electroformed paracetamol tablets, which show the process of destruction of one's body if addicted to pain killers. Self medication is an extremely big issue for our society and this series of precious objects visualizes this problem.

Group Meeting 3

The outcome of our 3rd meeting, post consumerism poster, above.


The poster was created by myself and my lovely design studies group. We discussed what post consumerism meant to us and then went onto illustrating the modern day post consumer. Some fantastic examples were found in the Word of Celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Price Charles and Russell Brand.



In the next part of the meeting we brain stormed for ideas and suggestions for what "our" future business could be about. Many different routes were considered and all of us tried to refer, firstly, to our specialisations and secondly to the wider picture of the outside world and it's job market.



Finally, we seemed to have agreed that community design alongside with recycling are the areas which interest us the most and our task for the next group meeting is to specify and create a range of solutions for the future business.

I consider today's group meeting extremely successful in terms of both, the quantity of creative ideas and the quality of our finial area of interest.

Assigment 1 - Group Exercise

My group had a meeting last week and it's about the time for me write about it. It was very interesting and extremely funny like always...

We discussed our VARK test results and got to some pretty good conclusions. Most of the group is either activists or reflectors and there's also a few people who have a mixed profile which is even better.

A group with a varied personality test result will preform stronger in any task given, as all aspects of the project will be considered from different perspectives. Each member of the group has unique ideas and ways of dealing with the problem and after a bit of a debate a consensus will be reached smoothly.

Overall, I am really glad my group is varied and quite honestly I think our task will be very well done. Just a shame about me going away a week before the presentation... I am going to have to miss it. Obviously, I will be working really hard to develop our group project when I'm still in Scotland. I have to add that a Skype or some other kind of a video conference has been suggested and will be taken into consideration. I just cannot picture this happening, I mean, me in Italy, everyone else in Dundee, a little screen or maybe a massive projection of my face... hmmm... highly interesting!

Anyhow, we had another meeting, which was more of a coffee break really, after the last week's lecture and a decision about starting our Post Consumerism research was reached.

The plan is: tomorrow after our lecture we are going to create the poster. It is going to be full of bright and bold images and all essential information. I'm already excited about our first proper group task. Team 13!

3rd Year, Semester 2, Assignment 1

After discovering that I am mostly an activist due to the VARK test I realized a few things about my personality and the way I work as both a designer and a student.

It was very interesting looking into aspects of my personality that I do not often get a chance to consider. How your internal instincts affect the way you relate to given tasks. I wish my personal profile was a little bit more varied but being a "very strong" activist and a "moderate" theorist and reflector is not that bad. Only the pragmatic aspect of my way of learning seems weak or rather as the test calls it "low".

The results I got open my eyes up and pushed me into debating whether or not my day to day choices and decisions I make and their consequences are/have been directly influenced by my activist's approach.

I was looking for a real life example to illustrate my VARK profile and I did not have to look far. The best example of my activist personality is applying for the International Student Exchange Erasmus. I got really exited about the idea of going away for a semester to some place new, some bright warm Wonderland, full of inspiration and artistic atmosphere. So, I applied for Politecnico di Milano. I applied for it but have not thought about how this choice could affect all aspects of my university and personal life.

Just a week ago I found out I got it. My excitement was unreal. I was breathless. The day after a sudden realization started following me around though... How on Earth was I supposed to have everything organized in less than 4 weeks?

A week on and most things are starting to fall in their place again. I looked into all my options and have made some crucial, risky yet informed decisions. My theorist and reflective sides kicked in and helped me to sort out many possible issues. Life's great again!

I am finally getting to know my way of approaching all projects. Acting before considering consequences seems like a great idea at the time but then going back and reflecting upon major life changing decisions isn't so much fun.

This assignment turned out to be truly helpful to me. More personality tests please!

Further Research : Meaty Fashion

After a lot of consideration about my own final piece I have started experimentingwith raw meat.

Here is a few examples of the use of meat in today’s couture fashion.

Looking at the organic forms and textures created by Bauer I wondered about an equally organic material to express that kind of inspiration.

Meat seems to be perceived as controversial but it is slowly gaining popularity.