Design and Creation

I wanted to share with you some of the design and creation process that I go through to bring you each Vannucchi item of jewellery. This is from the origin of inspiration through to the final finished product that you all see.

A lot of work goes into each item and that’s why handcrafted items should cost more than mass produced and machine made products. It takes time, training and skill to navigate not only the design process, but also the making.

As there are so many parts to this process I thought I’d pop a blog together and give you a little glimpse into how I do what I do. I hope you enjoy your read.

Inspiration

My design and creation process finds inspiration from normal everyday life, such as architecture, nature or fashion. I log shapes, textures and colours when they bring inspiration and catalogue them for future projects. You never know when inspiration might strike, so historically this might have resulted in a permanent sketchbook/notepad being carried around. Now the joys of technology we can log these things with a simple click of a phone/ camera lens, a digital pad for notes and sketches. Each creative is different in their approach to logging, but be sure there will be bundles of sources stashed away for when they get home, that rainy day or sleepless night they decide to bring their ideas to life.

I often find myself most creative and receptive when out in the wild and love to embrace the smells, sounds, colours and sights around me. I sometimes collect small innocuous objects for reference and take multiple photos. 

First Stage

When I’m ready for a new project I take what I’ve gathered and sit down with a big mug of tea and doodle. This sometimes is without any clear aim and sometimes it has a definitive direction. Drawing out shapes in photos that I’ve taken, trying to imitate textures I’ve seen and felt, looking to contrast colours and textures for ultimate tactile and aesthetic impact. Often simplifying shapes down to simple line and finding the natural, even if somewhat irregular, geometry in them and seeing how this might translate into a piece of wearable art.

Second Stage

Through this next phase of design development I sometimes find that ideas need to be adapted. This can be because the materials need working in a certain manner, or because of a desired aesthetic, or other external factors.

Time and experience have enabled me to see most difficulties that could arise before I start the build. This has meant I can, adapt, be more prepared and reduce waste. It also means that any excess time that might have been spent navigating difficulties is massively reduced. Sometimes however you get a surprise and the materials or equipment decide not to play ball and being a lone maker it is down to only you to get yourself out of that situation. This takes expertise that training and accumulative experience can bring.

The various skills and techniques I use within my work will be dependent on the materials and the design. For example, working with metals is very different to working with wood. They need to be strengthened and bonded in very different fashions, which can also impact the final appearance of a piece. An example of this is that with metal you might use solder to connect two pieces, whereas with wood you might use an epoxy bonding agent or a bit of traditional joinery.