Grad Student-Led RISD Studio Explores Designed Objects

One of the nice things about RISD’s Wintersession term is that it gives graduate students the opportunity to develop and teach courses as they consider future career paths. Furniture Design grad students Nino Chambers MFA 25 FD and Jennifer Choi MFA 25 FD are taking advantage of that opportunity by co-teaching a course called In Situ: Design in Context that explores the ways that objects interact with their surroundings, shape narratives and define spaces. 

“We’re focusing on the importance of context in relation to the design of objects,” the duo explains. “Our goal is to build an understanding of objects as markers of their contexts, whether that be atmospheric, historical, regional or fictional. Additionally, we are examining the dynamics between color, material, finish and form, emphasizing how these choices influence our perceptions of objects.”

The class is working through a series of assignments using such materials as paper, fabric, acrylic and plywood, which they are transforming into 3D objects. Choi and Chambers are encouraging experimental approaches and hands-on making but also urging the students to get comfortable with digital tools like Adobe Illustrator, 3D printers and laser cutters in order to enrich their studio practices. 

At an interim class critique in mid-January, the students presented objects that hold other objects, feature slot-and-tab connections and were created using a laser cutter, quarter-inch translucent acrylic and quarter-inch Baltic birch plywood. Sophomore Sarah Chen 27 IL, an Illustration major (see top photo), created a small stool whose legs were inspired by the human rib cage. “I did a little laser cutting last year,” she explained to the group, “but we worked primarily in Rhino. Using Illustrator is new for me.”

Furniture Design Professor Lothar Windels BID 96, who served as a visiting critic, turned the piece over and examined the acrylic support structures at the bottom. “I like the fact that the piece is not perfectly symmetrical,” Chambers noted, “and the bifurcation detail on the top is really nice.”

A playful piece by junior Ryan Scott 26 GD is intended to hold just one object: a container of Old Bay seafood seasoning. Inspired by a toy skull made of stacked elements he had as a kid, Scott created the crab-shaped shelving unit for the kitchen, using acrylic for the frame, claws and eyes. “The claws are so expressive,” Choi noted as she examined the piece, “and the functional details are nicely done.”

Architecture major Michael Tan BArch 28 also created a piece meant to hold something specific—his Pokémon card collection—and took the opportunity to focus on joinery. “There are multiple levels of storage with both shelving and flat display,” he explained during his presentation. “I used acrylic on the bottom to create stability.”

Chambers was impressed by the work. “The shape is unique and interesting from all angles,” he noted. “And these radiused edges are a nice touch and something the whole class should consider for the next assignment.”

Fellow Architecture major Cris Gao BArch 28 responded to the prompt with an abstract, rounded piece. “I like circles,” he said simply. “I didn’t use any glue, but I did encounter a problem with the joints cracking. It should be an exact fit based on my Rhino file, but somehow it isn’t.”

Despite the imperfections, the group was drawn to the piece and its elegant connections. “This is a good way to take advantage of the properties of the different materials,” Chambers noted. Windels examined the sphere from every angle and imagined it as an architectural window element.  

As the session came to a close, Choi and Chambers reflected on the wide range of projects the students created. “What we’re seeing in each project is a gestalt, a kind of organized whole that is more than the sum of its parts,” Chambers said. “And that’s exactly what we were hoping for.”

Simone Solondz / photos by Kaylee Pugliese
January 30, 2025