Capstone Design Studio
Rebekah Hilton
My design philosophy is to "refine the chaos". Design is the crossroads of numerous schools of thought. It understands the intricacies of politics, culture, psychology, and commerce by using technology, research, and creativity to produce elegant solutions to often convoluted problems. The "chaos" is all the unknowns at the beginning of a project. I branch out collecting every bit of information that I think might be helpful to find the best solutions. Yes, solutions. Rarely does a real-world problem have one perfect solution. One piece of information leads to another which leads to two or three more. Before I know it, I have created a diverse web of research. "Refining" is the act of going through this web, which by the end of the project will hold market research, user research, prototyping experiment outcomes, and all other manners of learning, and picking out the solution patterns I feel best match the project brief. Similar to the mathematical chaos theory, these patterns are not readily apparent until a full picture is visible of the entanglement. In short, my philosophy is to create a network of chaos throughout my design process that I refine down into a series of solutions that I discern are the best to address the problem at hand.
Project Process Book
My goal when creating Nova was to make a shoe for children ages 4-6 that sacrificed none of the functionality of a traditional shoe while reimagining what a shoe can be once it is inevitably outgrown. After Nova has lived through its usefulness, it can be shamelessly discarded. Why? Because the unique composition of Nova enables it to degrade fully within a year when exposed to a composting environment, unlike traditional shoes that take 30-40 years on average to decompose in a landfill. No harmful substances. No parts disrupt the delicate ecosystem. Only all-natural materials that break back down into natural nutrients. The final outcome is a shoe that does not try to change our disposable lifestyles. It compliments it by overturning the harmful repercussions of throwing objects away with beneficial effects for us and the future of the planet.
About Me
Rebekah Hilton
I am a designer driven by my passion for solving everyday problems with an evolving perspective. I love finding and researching unconventional technologies and envisioning ways to apply them in real-world scenarios. My strengths lie in coming up with out-of-the-box ideas actualized through sketching, low fidelity prototyping, CAD modeling, and final product visualization.
Most of all, I want my designs to make a positive impact. To accomplish this, I center my process around user needs and desires. I continually learn by hearing each person's unique perspective. My purpose as a designer is to listen, learn, and grow with every new challenge and project that comes my way.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to reach out. I hope you enjoy my work!