Overview
The "One Tool, One Stool" exhibition, presented by design products master's students from the Royal College of Art (RCA), showcased stools conceptualized and constructed using a singular tool. This initiative formed a core component of the students' academic curriculum, culminating in a public display at the London Design Festival.
Research Context
The exhibition served as the culmination of a mandatory exercise for every design products master's student enrolled at the Royal College of Art. The underlying principle of the exercise was to impose a specific constraint: the creation of a functional stool using only one designated tool. This methodological restriction aimed to foster an approach characterized by restraint in design and material manipulation.
Approach
Students were tasked with designing and producing stools, with the fundamental constraint being the exclusive use of a single tool for each creation. While specific tools or the range of tools allowed were not enumerated, the source highlighted outcomes such as stools crafted from chiselled acoustic foam, items incorporating hand-bent metal, and structures featuring interlocking rulers. These examples exemplify the diverse material and structural responses to the singular tool constraint.
Findings
The exhibition displayed a collection of stools resulting from the stated design exercise. The observed characteristics of these stools included:
- Stools fabricated from chiselled acoustic foam.
- Stools incorporating hand-bent metal components.
- Stools featuring interlocking rulers in their construction.
These varied material and construction methods underscore the adaptability within the defined single-tool parameter.
Why This Matters
The "One Tool, One Stool" exhibition at the London Design Festival provides a public platform for the dissemination of student work originating from the Royal College of Art. It presents a tangible outcome of a specific design exercise centered on material and tool-based constraints within a master's program.