THREE DIMENSIONAL DESIGN SKILLS AQUISITON: A VERITABLE TOOL TOWARDS SELF DEVELOPMENT AND ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME COTTAGE INDUSTRIES IN NIGERIA.

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Author: Dr Kashim Isah Bolaji

THREE DIMENSIONAL DESIGN SKILLS AQUISITON: A VERITABLE TOOL TOWARDS SELF DEVELOPMENT AND ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME COTTAGE INDUSTRIES IN NIGERIA.

By

KASHIM I.B. (Ph.D), Etsename L. E (MFA) Adiji B.A. (M.Tech)

Being a Paper sent for Publication in the

Journal of Art and Ideas Department of Fine Arts Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile-Ife.

ABSTRACT

Three dimensional designs has been a dynamic tool used in the creation of both functional and aesthetic objects that have been showing positive impact on human survival. The idea that objects can be beautiful as well as useful is certainly not new. Vases during the period of Ancient Greek were produced both for the sake of their beauty and containers for oil, wine and perfume. Industrial artists today are required to have a good knowledge of their materials and how best to convert these materials to three dimensional objects that would be value added for wealth generation. This paper is aimed at over-viewing how effectively students of Industrial Design Department of Federal University of Technology, Akure have been able to use cost effective materials of inconsequential value to accomplish some skills in self sustaining cottage industries such as shoe-making, lamp shades, shopping bags, furniture cabinet and other functional objects. This is in line with resent campaigns by the Nigerian University Commission and the ministry of finance's small scale industries attemting to encouraging the development of entrepreneurial skills in University graduates such that they can be job creators rather than job seekers.

INTRODUCTION

"Technology for self reliance" is the motto of University of Technology, Akure. Three dimensional objects are objects having three dimensions as the phrase connotes; that is, illusion of depth as defined by Longman dictionary (1989) while Microsoft Encarta defines three dimensional design as objects possessing or appearing to possess the dimensions of height, width and depth. Three dimensional arts can be viewed from the perspective of ceramics, sculptural ceramics, metal design in form of (blacksmithing and jewelry), furniture making, cane weaving, and bead making. Three dimensional creations are as old as the history of man himself. Lindbeck (1972) states that man's artifacts or three dimensional products had always been for work or pleasure, and that they were an indication of his level of intelligence and ability to form materials in response to function. They were also the indices indicating his aesthetic / religions value system.

Three dimensional products in early times were not easily duplicated, until the inception of industrial design. As it is on record, one of the earliest documented establishments for mass production of three dimensional materials like ceramics started with the opening of Mathew Boulton Soho manufactory 1762 (Klingender 1975). He further states that the complexities of mass production was not only in reproduction but also in getting supply of original designs, which were in the form of prototypes. Prototype, model or early version of a product, intended to test and develop the design. Before investing in the requirement to put a product in to mass production; a manufacturer must be confident that the design is safe and reliable. Designers and engineers use prototypes to achieve this. (Encarta; 2005). It is difficult to say whether Africans made prototypes before mass producing their products, but evidence abounds of mass produced utility products for household, farming, as well as products satisfying decorative efforts. These efforts were mainly product of cottage industries and guilds; Mac Donald (2005) in his article Ancient African civilizations posits that; The first complex society of the West Africa forest probably took root sometimes in the 1st millennium C. E. but their richness and artistic expertise have been well demonstrated at the site of Igbo-Ukwu (Nigeria), dated to about 900 C. E. from this site, a regal burial and a store house of regalia have been excavated, both holding superb brass castings made by the "lost wax" method and thousands of glass trade beads. The presence of such wealth hints at a well organized system of trade, craft specialists and wealthy elite. "Cottage Industry", according to Encarta encyclopedia (2005), is the non-factory production of goods, usually in the home. They were the mode of production before the industrial Revolution. A good example is the period from 1650 to 1800 which was of general economic stagnation in German lands, with most enterprises remaining small.

The majority of manufacturing was performed by local guilds and cottage industry. In Africa manufacturing is an under developed activity with modern industrial activities revolving around processing of raw materials entirely for export. Other African manufacturing output consist of consumer goods such as textiles, footwear, beverages, and soap using sedimentary tools with an under-estimated impact on national economy. The modern day Nigerian economy has revolved on an import driven drive, cultivating a taste for foreign goods and services. This has weakened the locally produced goods and services. Past Governments have relied on the oil and gas industries to move the economy with 90% expertise both in technology and services hinged on foreign technology and experts. Over time this style of economic operation that is import base has done so much damage to local entrepreneurs to compete in other area of the economy. Development of cottage industries is likely to make significant contributions to the economy as this industry can generate employment in the rural sector, meet the need of local markets and utilize locally available raw materials. The area that requires serious attention has to do with level of yearly turnout of hundreds of thousands of graduates. The acumen of graduate with industrial design and fine art background would be most homely in the cottage Industrial sector.

As undergraduates in the Industrial Design Department in Federal University of Technology, Akure, courses such as Basic design, and three dimensional design production techniques are offered. These course enable students develop abilities for conceiving design concepts in line with the basic design principles.

Some of the following have been sources of design concept and techniques adopted over the years which the trainers have exposed their students to;

(1) Organic and in-organic objects such as, animal, floral and edificial objects.

(2) Geometric shapes

(3) Nature e.g. color of a plant at various stages of its life and death

(4) Training on the creation and use of 3D drawings, which serve as working drawing or blue prints in three dimensional productions.

(5) Various reproduction techniques in graphics, textile and ceramics.

Caborn et al (1989) recommends the under-mentioned format as the international standard for design creation

State one; Statement of problem

Stage two; Design brief

Stage three; Investigation

Stage four; Solution

Stage five; Realization

Stage six; Testing

According to Talabi (1979) three dimensional designs training in schools gives scope for the development of manual dexterity since man made objects in European countries are more valued than machine made products. 3D Design in Textile Application (Quilt) Design has long played an important role in Nigerian Social and economic life. Recent socio-political changes in Nigeria are influencing the traditional art and attire of the people. The traditional textile crafts and designs are still alife despite complex societal changes and acculturation affecting people the world-over. The teaching of creativity at three dimensional levels in textile is highly exhibited in the making of rug and Quilting. Quilting from a Latin word "Culcita" meaning stuffed mattress or cushion is defined by Crowther (2001) as a warm thick cover for a bed, made of cloth, filled with something (materials or objects), such as feathers. And Bonesteel (1985) explains further the handcraft interpretation to mean the joining together of layers of fabrics by summing stitches using sewing machine or hands.

Over the centuries there have been a number of different fibres used by Nigerian producers of textiles. In the Jos museum Plateau State, Nigeria, there are examples of Augas bags with design in beige and black using tree bark fibres which historically are an essential part of every adult Augas male's dress attire. Other tree fibres such as those from raffia palm trees in South Eastern Nigeria are also used to produce fabrics with beautiful designs. In the Northern part of the country the fibres from fronts of the palm are also woven into mats as well as the indigenous foldable rain coats used by the nomadic Fulani. For the making of Quilt according to Danneman (1960), such materials as plain cotton, cotton mixture, cotton lining or poplin could be used. The materials should not be too thick such that they could be used as bed covers, coverlets, table mats, bath rope and so on. For students who work on quilting, a sewing machine is usually used to run the shapes. The ends of the material are fastened off, on the wrong side and the tacking lines are then removed. Zig-zag sewing is done on the fabric. Although borders can be pieced, appliquéd or plain fabric, designing them is optional and left to the discretion of the designer's creative acumen. Designs are made to echo a motif in quilt. Final steps in quilt making can be achieved in three ways; Whip - stitching the edge, quilt or bias finding. Materials used regularly by students and their cost are highlighted below: Sewing machine N8, 000 Needle N 20 Thread N 100 Fabric-cotton N2, 000 A pair of Scissors N 100 Lining fabric N 100 Foam N2, 000 Pins N 50 Total=#12,470k Quilt could be made into traveling bags, bed covers, shoe racks and photo frames. They are designed to meet the contemporary design styles of the day. They colour raw cloth to improve the aesthetic values and make interesting decorations on textiles.

Manufacturing quilt consisting of cutting, sewing, fusing, but a few alternative methods of joining fabric and pressing the surface imagery of the quilt material done by these students are achieved by various method of printing and dyeing. Their use of batik and printing method allows for spectacular narrative patterning on a large scale while their straight forward technique of stitching and appliqué allows for a range of pictorial illustrations which they apply to three dimensional structures like furniture.

Architectural Ceramics

Ceramics is practiced in virtually every country of the world. According to Foulds (1995), its vessels forms are rooted in the basic concerns for survival and rituals, its sculptural forms, a commentary on society's pre-occupation at any given time. The students find it convenient to apply the simple principle of design and elements such as texture, balancing, tone rhythm, contrast and line in accomplishing ceramics productions. These basic products design concept are formal devices they adopt to realize construction of themes in order to realise a desired effect. According to Martin (1991) the breadth and ambiguity of clay allow it to cover wide spectrum from the traditional to the invented and from functional to the abstract. The craft of pottery and ceramics are well displayed by the students at inter playing of traditional symbol on the surface of ceramics objects of basic forms. The final prototypes are on most cases mass-produced. Examples of work embarked upon are traditional huts, traditional shoes, hunter's bags and use of traditional hairstyle as base for lampshades. Just like the Bauhaus theory of craft puts manual and material understanding back to an effete drawing board, so three dimensional designs in the Federal University of Technology, Akure is taught as innovative idea that can be channeled toward self sustainability in craft areas such as leather work, furniture and clay products that satisfy societal value and interest. Examples of work produced are table cabinets, simple shoe design, shopping bags, lamp shade, table pen holders and memo pads, three dimensional landscape models and host of other creative ideas that are functional.

Finally the country's plans to cultivate indigenous small scale industries will find good materials in the graduates of design schools all over the country. It is therefore recommended that the existing apparatus of funding the small industry should have special focus on this class of Nigerians, believing that it would go a long way towards reducing the employment figures in the country.

CONCLUSION

It has been realized over the decades that while conventional academic programmes in Nigeria may prepare people to become managers of large business and government establishments, they hardly equip students for entrepreneurial life. If the nations effort and vision is to be realized for accelerated industrialization, the curriculum in Nigerian universities must meet up with technology-driven that is within the global context and of highly competitive economy anchored on such effort like teaching of three dimensional design skills for self-employment and realization as embedded in industrial design curriculum in the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.

RECOMMENDATION

The drive to develop local technology by various administrations in Nigeria so as to pave way for industrial growth and development has continued to be the pin-point toward encouraging the use of available local resources in the country. The aim of this ideal is to improve the standard of living of the people, bringing about breakthrough in industrial revolution and discourage the idea of relying solely on foreign goods which eat in to large part of the nations external reserve. This paper therefore recommends introduction in to the industrial design curriculum courses that boarder on Computer Aided Design (CAD) through the use of packages like AutoCAD and digital three dimensional designs. It would enhance creativity per excellence and produce graduates that are computer literate for the twenty- first century ICT world.

REFRENCES

Bonesteel, G (1985) More Lap Quilting: Great New Techniques and Design for Making, Piecing and appliqué. Alabama Oxmoor House Inc. Cabom C., Mould 1. and Cava J. (1989) Design and Technology, Survey, nelson and Sons Ltd. Danneman, M. A. (1967) Art and Interior Canada, Van Nastrand Reinhold Ltd. Foulds, J. (1995) Small-scale Textiles: Dyeing and printing Handbook Lough torough, U.K Intermediate Technology Publications pg 8. Guiness, E. G. (1988) Thewi Creative Guide to Machine Embroidery. London Unwin Hyman Ltd. Harold C. and John P. (1992) Fashion Design and Product Development. Blackwell Pub Ltd. Pg. 95 Klingender F. D. (1975) Art and the Industrial Revolution. Frogmore; St. Albans, Paladin pub. Lindbeck J. R. (1972) Designing- Today's Manufactured Products McKnight & McKnight Pub. Co. Bloomington, Illinois Longman Family dictionary (1989) London Chancellor Press. MacDonald K. (2005) Ancient African Civilizations Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005. Martina, M. (1991) International Crafts London themes and Hudson Pg. 14 Mcknight & Mcknight pub. Co. Newman J.L., Mehretu A., Shillington K., Stock R, (2005) Africa, Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005. Talabi G. (1979) Art Teaching in African Schools, Ibadan, Hememann Educational Books (Nig.) Ltd. Pg. 17