A Morning with Peter Sheehan: The Art of Slowing Down and Connecting with Nature in Design

On Thursday, for our CDC class we had the pleasure of receiving a talk from Irish multi-disciplinary designer Peter Sheehan, followed by an exciting, hand-on workshop in traditional furniture making.

Sheehan started his talk with a physical storyboard. On the table he laid out a selection of varied objects. There were natural materials, like wood accompanied by mass manufactured objects like clocks and computer mice. It served as a way to story tell in a more analogue way, without digital aid. I also thought it was a great anchor point for visual cues during the talk. For example, Sheehan referenced the form of rocks on the shore from the visual storyboard inspiring a project he did for PA consulting in Bray. 

What I found most interesting about Sheehan was his ‘unconventional’ design philosophy. His values lie in things that are made local, from natural materials, grounded in Irish landscape and designs that are ambitiously simple, whilst also being unconventional. I think it was refreshing to hear a design philosophy rioted in analogue and traditional practices, in a world where design be mainly focused on efficiency and relied heavily on computers.

After a lengthy and insightful talk, it was then time to get out in nature and create. Sheehan had kindly precut hazel for our class so we could get making immediately. He demonstrated the crafting of the traditional Irish sugan chairs with hand tools.

An auger was used to make drill holes, and a paring knife to turn the wood.

Luckily there were three of us to carry the load, I underestimated the physical demand of making furniture without the help of any machining.

By the end the class had made finished frames for a stool.

 It was a lesson in teamwork, traditional furniture making techniques and making something of place. I particularly loved how every group’s finished stool was different. Whether it was result of the slight differences in the wood thickness or even the angle at which the holes were drilled. I found it gave them all a sense of personality, and it was obvious that they were make from people hands.

It wasn’t unlike skills that we ha learned in our workshop in college. However, it felt much more considered, making something grounded in the landscape with local materials and connecting with the outdoors. It felt like we were serving nature in a way.

 The main takeaway from Sheehan’s lecture for me was to slow down.

I think that this advice is useful for anyone in any profession, but especially in design. He emphasised the importance of iteration and making mistake, but most of all thinking.

I often find myself try to come to a design solution as fast as possible, so that the following drawings and models can be more refined, especially with tight college deadlines. However, I want to take part of Sheehan’s philosophy going forward, thinking more, and therefore making my designs more considered.

‘Give yourself as much time to think as possible’ – Peter Sheehan.

I highly recommend checking out peter Sheehan’s work on Instagram as well as well as some his collaborators Muck, and Joseph Walsh.

Peter Sheehan: @Petersheehanstudio

Muck: @nonviolentcutlery

Joseph Walsh: @josephwalshstudio

Sources:

https://www.oldchairs.ie/irish-sugan-chair/