For our final History of Design project, "The Past is Present," our team was challenged to use historical design movements as a precedent to create a contemporary exhibition space and a set of original everyday objects for a 2025 audience. Tasked with designing a specific residential environment , we conceptualized a dynamic Home Bar.
Drawing deep inspiration from the geometric abstraction of De Stijl and the functionalism of the Bauhaus, our exhibition, playfully titled "Grids, Games & Gin," reimagines iconic 20th-century aesthetics for modern leisure. The final scale model features a dedicated bar area for casual drinks alongside an interactive social space anchored by a custom piano. By developing a cohesive design system unified by a strict primary color palette and bold, structural typography , our team successfully bridged historical theory with modern utility.
How might we translate the rigid geometric grids and primary color palettes of De Stijl and Bauhaus into an inviting home bar that encourages modern socialization?
⋆ ────────────
[Group Project]
Tools: Miro, Adobe Illustrator, Laser and Vinyl Cutter
Materials: Wood, vinyl, mosaic tiles, air-dry clay
Members: Shriya Atreya, Dominik Puente, Joy Deng, Leslie Looi, Angela Garcia
My role: Researcher, layout and graphic designer (Piano & Poster design)
Course: History of Design, DES 336
Instructor: Dr. Monica Penick
Timeline: 3 weeks
