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Simona Donzelli

BA [Hons] 3D Design Modelmaking + Digital Art

Hi, I’m Simona, an Italian 3D Designer and model maker. Design and Making have had always been my greatest passions. Thanks to these amazing academic years at IADT, I deepened my passion for digital, which led me to VR. This is the journey I want to pursue. I’m impressed by the impact that a VR experience leaves on the user who records the event as an actual personal experience with all the linked feelings; that’s why I want to combine this potential with an ethical design approach. I already had good digital knowledge, especially with software such as AutoCAD, Illustrator and Rhino. Since last year, though, I’m totally into 3d software like 3ds Max and Unity

The design of my VR Kitchen starts with a 3D model made on SketchUp. Here I've organized the space and had an idea of the dimensions. I've followed the directives of the Universal Design (UD) Principles, making it accessible to everyone, whatever needs or disability they can have

I've filled the kitchen with universal accessible tools, I've chosen them from a variety already available and approved by the UD policy. Selecting them, I have been focusing on the feature of being a one-armed person than needs to accomplish daily tasks in a kitchen. I've also added tools with same functionality (but not accessible) to suggest to the "industry specialists" to design and make items that can be used to a major, and varied, number of users, avoiding so changes or further models adapted to specific needs. Simply supplying to a wider target the same items, inclusion would be encouraged (yes, even in this way). Moreover, anyone could benefits even more from their features such as ergonomics, to mention one.

Here is the example of an ordinary kitchen knife. The model on the right, because of a few small measures, it's more comfortable and can be used by a major number of people. That includes the ones with reduced physical capacities. The function is the same. The look is very similar. The users' target is fair and non-discriminatory.

This is just an item that I wanted to mention because of the issues it caused me. From the modelling to the texturing to the adding it on the Unity's scene! I hate it, and I love it! :)

Here the render of the worktop you will see on the VR scene. This group of elements was the very last interaction I've worked on, and it made me crazy! It is a adjustable worktop, it can go up or down depend on you height, and I couldn't figure out how to trigger the animation by pressing the switch until the last 2 days before the deadline, it was an actual panic! But eventually I did it, and I'm very proud of it!

Here (on top) -the nasty pot and its colander, which can't be used by a one-armed person, but I like the rendering and I'm happy with the technique I used to model the colander on 3ds Max. -The good boys (below) As with the previous, I like the rendering and I'm happy with the technique I used to model the colander on 3ds Max. Moreover, I really like the idea of the colander's design. Every time I look at it I imagine how easy would be draining my pasta with it. Because, it has to be said, this task most of the time, is a challenging one, it would require the use of three hands!

I've enjoyed exploring the peculiar modelling of some of the objects, as well as texture them. Some of them won't be even noticed in the scene, they are the extras in my "film" (3ds Max and Substance painter)

This is a group of objects that I named "static" when I added them on Unity. They were a one piece-block, because, as the name says, the won't move nor interact into the scene. I also added textures on them as a block, Making a big and articulate UV unwrap, creating vertex IDs (all from 3Ds Max) in order to identify the various parts on which apply different textures once on Substance painter.. not easy to do, not hight-res, but very helpful for weight within the VR scene

My project was a bunch of big achievements, at least for me, such as the story of the Hand and the Prosthetic, which you wouldn't have even noticed if I didn't mention them! My controllers on the scene turned magically into them! From replace them (and in the right position, physically and technically), until make them functioning to adding the bones to the meshes, animated both and blah blah blah, It wasn't such a straightforward process, though. When I started my project I didn't even know if having two different kind of hands was even possible.. Another milestone has been making things reacting to a input through scripts. Who would have guessed that pressing a switch the light would turned on!? I will also never forget the feeling during my first steps into my project. It was thrilling!

This one is the last screenshot I've taken! At this stage Lighting is working, all the things are where they are supposed to be, objects interact, and everything is set to welcome the largest variety of users, whatever kind they would be (only requirement is, having Oculus!). The related video is a recorded tour into the VR scene, hope it can help you to have an idea! enjoy it

A Virtual experience (VR) of a physical impairment condition

This is intended as an ethical design project that aims to help the inclusion of disabled people in society, growing empathy by living an involving experience such as the VR. I intend to suggest this tool to professionals such as Designers, Architects, Engineers who design, think, make and shape the world we live in. As a consequence of having this "personal experience" (so as experts describe it), in the role of a person with physical impairments, their subsequent products will be affected by that feeling; hence, the access to them would be offered to a more variated range of people. I'd propose this tool to institutions that aim to find new ways to solve the inclusion issue and companies that want to increase their users and customers typology.

Thesis PDF Project document PDF

The importance of social inclusion of disabled people and the role of Design and Technology

Society has the main responsibility for the marginalisation of people with physical and mental disabilities who, due to an unwelcome environment and scarcity of policies, are excluded from social life; this also produces an alarming risk of poverty.
Design, whose core aim is to find a solution to problems, has to find a way to improve the situation.
If we consider that disability results from an inadequate environment, its correction should trigger inclusion naturally.
There are already successful models that can be replicated and spread to simplifying the process. Those involve the design industry (and its actual implementation) and the show business (that helps to build familiarity).
The workplace's inclusion is also a vital step forward to take; that is productive both for the worker and the employer.
Inclusion also means a growth of interaction and cultural development. Creativity is another field that can benefit from inclusion and vice-versa.
The main goal of inclusion is to create "Normality".
As opposed to the "hero" disabled figure, who fights to claim his/her rights, the "ordinary" disabled figure cannot or doesn't want to fight any war and aims to have an average life, made of normality.
Personalised and artistic prosthetics help the acceptance either from an able-bodied population (more inclined to approach a disabled that emphasise artistically the deficiency, rather than hiding it) and from the disabled themselves (who, due to a personalised prosthetic, feel more "unique" than "stigmatised"). However, wear a prosthetic should be a choice, not the strategy to be aesthetically accepted by society.
Technological progress makes it possible to regain functionality and accomplish tasks denied before, hence inclusion.
The growth of empathy and interaction, from society and professionals (as makers of the world in which we live), can benefit everyone in many ways. Virtual Reality is a tool that has a big chance to make this happens.

Thesis PDF Project document PDF

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