Peter J Zerillo

This course introduces Rhino as a form-driven, exploratory 3D modeling tool used widely in product, furniture, and spatial design. Emphasis is placed on using modeling as a way to think through form, proportion, and iteration, and how to utilize it within a production-focused process. Rhino is widely regarded as a standard professional 3D modeling tool in industrial design, supporting a form-driven approach commonly used in studio-based and consulting practice.
Students learn core Rhino workflows including curve construction, solid and basic surface modeling, transformations, and file preparation for visualization and fabrication. In addition to modeling, the course introduces foundational digital workflows, including exporting models for 3D printing, preparing 2D drawings for laser cutting, and using KeyShot to create rendered images that clearly communicate design intent.

Through approximately three design projects, students use Rhino to explore object form, refine ideas through iteration, and translate digital models into physical and visual outputs. The emphasis is on clarity of form, thoughtful revision, and understanding how digital models function within a broader design process.

When to take this course:
Students are strongly encouraged to take this course as early as possible. Rhino is used regularly beginning in Designed Objects Studio 2 (DO2) and is commonly applied across topical studio electives. Early exposure allows students to integrate modeling naturally into studio work rather than treating it as a standalone technical skill.

Who this course is for:
This course is ideal for students interested in form-driven design, iterative making, and exploratory modeling practices. Alongside SolidWorks and Designing Interaction, this course is part of the Designed Objects core skills group, supporting students as they move through the three-course Core Studio sequence. Completion of either Rhino or SolidWorks fulfills the core 3D modeling expectation for the Designed Objects program. Designers in professional practice often specialize in one primary modeling platform while developing transferable modeling concepts that apply across tools.

Recent advancements in digital fabrication, crowdfunding, and direct-to-consumer sales have enabled independent designers to bring their own products to market, challenging traditional designer-manufacturer relationships. This seminar explores emerging models of small-scale production and distribution, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to develop their own independent design practices. Through case studies, guest speakers, and field trips to local factories and fabrication workshops, students will gain firsthand experience with real-world manufacturing processes. Observing material production techniques will inform design exercises, where students develop original product concepts tailored to specific fabrication methods. After each field visit, students will present their ideas through detailed hand sketches. Guest designers and trips to local studios will provide insight into working with manufacturers, navigating funding sources, and executing marketing and distribution strategies. Instruction will also cover technical drawing, specification packages, and online presence as key tools for independent production. By the end of the course, students will have a foundational understanding of how to design, manufacture, and launch their own products, positioning themselves as independent design entrepreneurs.

This studio course is designed for design-focused students in their final year at SAIC who are ready to develop an independent, self-directed design project. It is ideal for those who have cultivated their own design pathway, integrating studies across the four design departments¿Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO); Fashion Design; Visual Communication Design; and Designed Objects¿along with studio art courses at SAIC. Whether pursuing a passion project, preparing a competition entry, revisiting an unrealized concept, or exploring a new design territory, students will engage in critical research, material exploration, and iterative making. The course emphasizes conceptual development, project planning, and execution, with outcomes culminating in a publication, exhibition, or online presentation.
Students will engage with a range of readings, case studies, and guest lectures that explore the future of design across disciplines. Topics will include independent design practice, sustainability, emerging technologies, speculative design, and strategies for professional longevity. Course materials will highlight designers and thinkers who navigate hybrid practices, create impact-driven work, or push the boundaries of existing fields. By examining these frameworks, students will develop a long-view approach to their own careers, identifying strategies for sustaining creative work and positioning themselves within the broader design world.
Students will develop a self-directed design project, guided by structured exercises in writing a design brief, envisioning outcomes, resource gathering, and iterative prototyping, culminating in a final public presentation.

Materials are the very substance of objects. This course will explore the nature of materials, their properties, exploration of new emerging material technologies and their application to the design and manufacture of products/objects. Concepts surrounding the environmental impact of material and process selection will be explored. Whether a low-volume object or a mass-produced product, the understanding gained should allow students to predict constraints, react to issues, and responsibly select the material and manufacturing processes that best suit their needs. Through research synthesis, students will also imagine possible futures enabled by emerging of material technologies.

The course will focus on the nature of materials and their chemical and physical properties. Current and future manufacturing methods will be studied as well as frameworks for employing responsible design including Life Cycle Assessment, Circular Economies, and ethical manufacturing. Readings will vary but will draw from historical, contemporary, and technical reference sources. Geographic and cultural contexts will be explored to best understand the many impacts of material use and selection. Students are encouraged to investigate topics and seek out information relevant to their current projects and design practice. Course discussions will be informed by weekly topical lectures.

Assignments include a forensic analysis of manufactured objects, visual information presentations of independent investigations, and an individual material or process centric speculative design project.