Elevator Speech · 2018. 9. 11. · Elevator Speech Abbie Miller Honors 2001 January 17, 2016 Hi! I’m Abbie, and I’m a third year Industrial Design student at the University of

Elevator SpeechAbbie MillerHonors 2001January 17, 2016

Hi! I’m Abbie, and I’m a third year Industrial Design student at the University of Cincinnati, originally from Leawood, Kansas. Don’t tell my mom, but Cincinnati is pretty much my home now, which makes it extra special to be back on campus after two out-of state co-ops this year. In the spring I was co-oping in Rhode Island at Hasbro toys, and this fall I co-oped with Allegion security solutions in Indianapolis. At Hasbro I worked on the girls team doing brand and entertainment development for my little pony and littlest pet shop. As you can probably imagine, it was very fun-centered experience, but I also learned a lot about manufacturing, marketing, and meeting distributor’s requests. And so I went from ponies and rainbows and magic to doorknobs and levers at Allegion, which was a bit of a shock but ultimately a very rewarding co-op as well. At Allegion I did extensive trend analyzation, which I really enjoyed, and greatly improved my sketching and modeling skills. So I’ve had two fantastic co ops, and some really diverse experiences, which is exactly how I would like it to be. As a young designer I’m always looking for the opportunity to broaden my skillset and understand different points of view. Ultimately I would like to be involved in design research – I’m a thinker, and I’m very interested in the psychology behind user needs - but we’ll see how this goal has progressed after my next co op, which will be this summer, location to be determined!

Abbie MillerHonors 3001January 22, 2017

Art has taken on a different meaning for me since entering design school, and even craft has begun to fall out of practice as I progress into the latter years that focus more on ideas and concepts, rather than physically producing something yourself. This isn’t bad, necessarily; the foundation se-mester at DAAP makes sure that no student ever forgets or neglects the value of craft. It’s just a different – more realistic - way of approaching design. It’s no longer practical to manufacture a product myself when it could be done in less time by some-one with more skill. Regardless, making something with your hands is still a whole lot of fun, and the skills developed – familiarity with process and material, freedom for artistic exploration - can only help when designing similar products later on. At my fall co-op I felt extraordinarily wealthy, so I signed up for a pottery class at the Indianapolis Art Center. I took pottery classes in high school, and they were very enjoyable. I liked the smell of clay and the feel of it wet in my hands. Throwing, as it is called, is a highly physical experience, involving breathing, posture, and intense haptic focus. As a result, the process of throwing is almost meditation-al, but still pretty darn difficult. I was eager to get back in the pottery zone. I was also interested to see how my experience in (basically) art school would affect my experience of taking art classes for fun. I was in the class with four other adults. Adults! It was a shock to realize that I am no longer a teenager, and thus cannot take any teenage art classes. All these other students in my 3-hour Sunday afternoon class had real working jobs, significant others, actual responsibilities, etc. As a student on co-op, I felt a sort of corporate kinship, but as a student, I felt isolated, and like I was usurping something that didn’t belong to me. I also had different expectations and understanding of ‘studio.’ My ceramics teacher actually had to ask me to leave because I would stay so late after class, used to the endless work ethic of DAAP. I went in extra days for open studio, and I sketched out ideas for my designs before I attempted to throw them, albeit with extremely limited success. Ceramics is really hard. You start with a hunk of clay – I can’t throw anything bigger than 2 pounds – and center it on the wheel. If the clay isn’t centered, your pot will be all wobbly. Once the clay is centered, you enter from the top, pushing a hole down to about a half-inch from the wheel. If you make it too deep, your pot will not have a bottom, which is not ideal for basically any normal function. You then bring up the walls, and use pressure to make a bowl, vase, cup, anything your heart desires! Unless you do not have the skills to execute it! Then you are stuck with millions of mid-sized cups. Your bowls flop and your thin, elegant vases collapse. Wobbly edges limit the height of what is intend-ed to be a coffee mug. It is frustrating to be limited by no other limitations than your own lack of skill. As a high school student, my artist vision always kept pace with my ability. As an industrial designer, it is a necessity for vision to go beyond personal grasp, and sometimes even understanding. This pottery class provided a glimpse into my artistic past, and indicated to me how much I’ve grown in the three years I have been in school.

Artist Statement

Taking a pottery class is difficult to rationalize. Pottery is not any sort of survival skill, I am not re-markably talented; I essentially spent $200 for ten pieces of very average assorted tableware. But despite all of the logical reasons working against it, potter still is an area of passion for me. It has important meaning to me in my pre-professional development, and I thank my developmental work in ceramics for a high understanding of spacial reasoning and increased ability to sculpt digitally. It’s good messy fun, a connection to history, and a wholesome, practical art. In the future I hope to do a project that incorporates more high-tech ceramics - it’s a great conduc-tor, a very strong material, and definitely has a place in the electronics industry. I would also like to improve my throwing skills even further, so I can actually build the things I want to make without com-promise. Even though it would still remain a hobby rather than anything else, I am eager to get back at the wheel!

I felt very rich over co-op, so I decided to take a pottery class, something I had tried in high school and greatly enjoyed. Art has taken on a different meaning for me since entering design school, and even personal craft has become less relevant as I progress into the latter years that focus more on concepts and mass production. It was fun, then, to enter a non-school art class with my DAAP work ethic and expectations of craft. The pieces I have today were not what I wanted to make – we all want to throw pots that are taller, thinner, nicer - but my artistic vision has significantly outpaced my artistic skill. Pottery is very hard! Throwing, as it is called, is a highly physical experience, involving breathing, posture, and intense haptic focus. It’s also a highly enjoyable process, and success is directly related to the amount of time spent practicing. In a complex world, it is refreshingly simple. For me, as someone who is not highly skilled, it’s more about the practice than the physical prod-ucts. If I want to design and produce a line of dishes, I would hire a more practiced maker. But despite the logical reasons against it, pottery is still an area of passion, and it feels satisfying to indulge in a skill that is relatively useless but still good, messy, and fun!

Taking a pottery class was difficult to rationalize. Pottery is not any sort of survival skill, I am not remarkably talented; I essentially spent $200 for ten pieces of very average assorted tableware when a more skilled maker could have done it much better. But despite all of the logical reasons working against it, pottery still is an area of passion for me, and it feels satisfying to indulge in a useless pas-sion. It is good messy fun, a connection to history, and a wholesome, practical art!

Additionally, it has had important meaning for me in my pre-professional development, and I thank my developmental work in ceramics for spacial reasoning and digital sculpting.

Artist Statement (Continued)

Cover LetterGarminW 151st StOlathe, KS 66062

7 February 2017

To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Abbie Miller, and you may not remember me, but I visited Garmin and shadowed de-signers there about three years ago, hoping to figure out if this would be the job for me. I am now a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati, and with extensive experience from two previous internships, I am looking for a third this summer at Garmin! As shown in the resume and portfolio attached, I have experience sketching digitally, modeling in Zbrush and Solidworks, and creating renders in keyshot – all expected of a young designer. I also, however, have a keen interest in design research and consumer trends – senses that have been honed while doing trend research at both of my previous internships, Hasbro Toys in spring 2016 and Allegion Security Solutions in fall 2016. The wearable industry is rising in prominence, and I am eager to be a part of it, identifying trends in order to design the future. Additionally, my own history of cross-country running, hiking, and skiing helps me to be not only well suited for the job, but excited to leave my impact on Garmin products.

Given my keen interest and qualification for this position, I would greatly appreciate an interview or further communication. Please do not hesitate to contact me for more information or for further elabo-ration on my skills, portfolio, and references!

Thank you very much for your time!

Sincerely,

Abbie Miller

[email protected] of Cincinnati | DAAPIndustrial Design | Class of 2019

Photos From a Fancy Dinner