Hand turning a sketchbook page with pencil studies of curved felt forms
Open sketchbook with pencil form studies and dimensioned drawings for the mould
Pencil studies of curved desk containers with dividers
Pencil sketches of oval and curved containers
Toolbox concept sketch: an arched felt holder for notes, ruler and pencils
Storyboard sketch of the felt toolbox opening and closing, with pens and colourful tools
Blue POMA press in the workshop with the MDF mould underneath
MDF mould clamped in a spindle press with pressed felt
Close-up of a layered MDF mould block with a concave curved surface and dowel holes
Tall layered MDF mould with a curved inner shell, the laminated plates visible as horizontal lines
Layered MDF mould block with a curved front, standing on a grey background
Front view of the closed MDF mould with an arched seam and rows of dowel holes

FOMO

FOMO – it's all about the form explores forming as a process. It was developed in 2020 within the semester project Container (Material X-pertise) at KHB, in which our team researched wire, moulded wood and moulded felt for a desk toolbox. My part was the moulded felt (Formvlies): a polyester felt whose binding fibres melt under heat, so the material keeps any shape it is pressed into while its surface stays soft and textile.

Starting from first sketches, the base shapes were laser-cut from the felt. The laser seals the cut edges, so small cross-shaped slits can hold a pen and spring back once it is removed.

A wooden mould built from layered MDF then translated these flat shapes into three-dimensional forms. Moritz supported me in building the mould. Heat and pressure shaped the material precisely while preserving its surface pattern. The result is a set of functional utensils whose form is defined entirely by the making process.

The project is inspired by the design approach of Becker Brakel.

FAQ

The laser-cut felt is heated, placed in a hand-made MDF mould and formed under pressure.

The mould defines the final geometry, so the step from 2D to 3D happens entirely in the making process.

Forming with heat and pressure shapes the felt without erasing its surface.

The pattern stays visible on the finished utensil and shows how it was made.

From the shaped material itself.

The utensils need no added parts: laser-cut slits hold pens, and the form and use follow directly from how the material was cut, pressed and formed.

Product DesignMaterial ResearchFormingLaser CuttingMould MakingPrototyping