Nervous System
Yesterday I received a beautiful gift to commemorate a special occasion, and I wanted to share the work of the designers with you. Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg founded Nervous System in 2007, and have been making jewelry and housewares using generative processes based on naturally occurring systems and patterns. Their designs are unique and individually crafted, and they also give their customers the option of creating further personalised products through their online store. The resulting items are refreshingly designed, using contemporary materials with fundamentally organic but digitally generated textures. I’ll definitely be purchasing more of their designs in the future; you can also follow developments on their blog.
We created Nervous System to explore a design approach that relates process and form in a context of interactivity and openness. Our trajectory focuses on generative design methods using both algorithmic and physical tools to create innovative products and environments.
Formally we are attracted to complex and unconventional geometries. Our inspirations are grounded in the natural forms and corresponding processes which construct the world around us. From coral aggregations to interference patterns, a study of natural phenomena is an essential ingredient to our design process.
To evolve such forms, we systematically engage in generative processes. Instead of designing a specific form, we craft a system whose result is a myriad of distinct creations. These systems are interactive, responding both to changes in specific variables and to physical inputs. There is no definitive, final product, instead the many designs created allow for mass customization.
Our studio exploits this possibility by releasing our work online as a series of interactive applets which customers can use to craft their own personalized products. We also release our source code under a creative commons license to encourage others to work in this manner.
Our products are designed to be affordably and ethically made. We use manufacturing methods that do not require large facilities or massive manual labor. Often we employ rapid prototyping methods by which all unique pieces can be manufactured at the same cost as cookie cutter ones. We use inexpensive materials and believe that the value of our designs comes from an intelligent and beautiful marriage of form and function, not the current price of currency standards.
Full Moon series (gold): Nervous System
Xylem Earrings: Nervous System
