Branching Currents
Andersen EV, the UK’s leading provider of premium home chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) launched a competition for University of Creative Arts students to design new fascia concepts for the luxury A2 home charger, conveying the societal and environmental benefits of electrification through their design.
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My design entry "Branching Currents" was selected as one of the top 10 entries to be displayed at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour during London Design Week 2024.
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Below is a glimpse of my design and the production process for the exhibition.
“Branching Currents” is designed to be a subtle call to action, falling under the theme of connectivity/technology.
When I think of connectivity, it takes me back to the images we were shown at school, with lines and circles connected around a globe. This was my original inspiration for the piece, with the aim of creating something simple yet meaningful that would make sense to the public. However, I did not want to just show the ability for devices to connect, I wanted to showcase that through this evolving world of technology, we can change our methods of daily living and use this to the benefit of our surroundings. Hence, the central focus of the piece is the stylised tree, which is constructed using simple lines and circles to replicate the intricate network of connectivity. The roots at the bottom of the tree keep the feel of nature apparent, while the incorporation of subtle elements like the plugs dangling from the roots and a socket in the middle of the branches illustrates the technological element associated with charging. The aim here is to highlight the overall relationship between nature and innovation and allow the stylised tree to speak for itself.
I hope that this design can advocate for the benefits of electric vehicles over petrol cars, encouraging the general public to reflect on the positive impact electric charging may have on our environment moving forward. Therefore, even without visually incorporating the negative effects of petrol cars, one may automatically wonder why would an electric charging point be more beneficial than my petrol car?