Leslie Meldrum (they/them)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Bicycle Maintenance
This is an example of the Column layout. As a product design engineering student at the Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow I have acquired a range of skills in the fields of both design and engineering that have been and will continue to be very valuable in my career. The interdisciplinary nature of this degree has provided me with the ability to tackle problems with an open mind and considering a wide range of factors.
Throughout my degree I have also had the opportunity to intern as a product design assistant at SA Equip, a market-leading company in portable Ex equipment for extreme environments, for two consecutive summers. Whilst there I was able to apply and further develop the skills acquired during my studies to industry specific engineering and design problems.
My masters project is a bicycle cleaning and maintenance project in which I have designed a self-contained bike stand and bike mat for indoor use. Bicycle cleaning and maintenance are essential aspects of owning a bicycle. Performing these tasks without access to appropriate tools, space or infrastructure can be difficult, particularly when living in a flat. Hence, I have developed a self-contained bike stand and bike mat that offers its users a simple, easily stored and easy to use device that eases the process of cleaning and maintaining a bicycle indoors.
Project Development
A collapsible and extendable bike stand holds the rear wheel of a bike above the ground by supporting the bike using hooks that are placed on the seat stay and chain stay of the bicycle frame. Wheel size variation has been accounted for by offering both stand and hook height adjustment. The surface of the floor is protected by a durable, waterproof mat, dimensioned to accommodate all bicycle sizes. The chosen materials for the components of the product have excellent durability to water and organic solvents, ensuring cleaning solutions used will not cause damage. After use, all components can easily be wiped clean and stored within the base of the product, which in turn fits in a standard-sized cabinet.
My masters project is a bicycle cleaning and maintenance project in which I have designed a self-contained bike stand and bike mat for indoor use. Bicycle cleaning and maintenance are essential aspects of owning a bicycle. Performing these tasks without access to appropriate tools, space or infrastructure can be difficult, particularly when living in a flat. Hence, I have developed a self-contained bike stand and bike mat that offers its users a simple, easily stored and easy to use device that eases the process of cleaning and maintaining a bicycle indoors.
Diaspora Typeface
This is an example of the Grid layout. Diaspora is a display font representing Italian immigration to Scotland between 1880 and 1920. Indeed, a diaspora emerged to such an extent that the Scot-Italian became recognisable as a fully fledged persona encompassing characteristics of both cultures. Therefore, Diaspora expresses the hybrid identities of Italians who immigrated to Scotland. This is translated by the addition of seven alternates for the letters A, E, M, N, T, U, V and W. To underline the concept of immigration by the means of type-design, the traditional and iconic aspects of lettering from both countries are emphasised. While having their own characteristics, Diaspora’s letters are designed on a single basis structure, helping to create a harmonious set. Each user can develop their own identity of the font using alternates.
To underline the concept of immigration by the means of type-design, the traditional and iconic aspects of lettering from both countries are emphasised. While having their own characteristics, Diaspora’s letters are designed on a single basis structure.
Basic Structure
Form of the Dreamscape
This is an example of the Flowing 4 Column layout. Philosophy, Ancient History, Classical mythology and fictitious tales are core interests in Douglas’ practice. Combining and recontextualising a range of historical symbolism and personal symbolism, Douglas seeks to neutralise the impending social political origins of classical narratives by referencing pre-existing polysemic vessels and placing them in compositions detached from their original environments establishing a space for new narratives to take place. The somehow significant symbols of dreams and their strange narratives become pseudo myths in which we become attached to in search for a greater hidden meaning. Sequencing imagery, symbolic figures and gestural mark making in painted works and illustrated stories represent an ambiguous and curious form of the dreamscape; the space upon the borders of reality.
Hydro-City Stories
This is an example of the Flowing 2 Column Layout. It’s Glasgow 2050, sea-levels have risen submerging Glasgow Airport and rainfall is at a record high. With water being one of the last abundant resources, bringing both devastation and new opportunities, the city has reinvented itself as a Hydro-City.
In the age of the Anthropocene, the geological time period where human activity is the dominant influence on climate and the environment, humans have become disconnected from the systems of nature our survival depends on. Decision making often happens within the confines of the artificial world where business, economics, war, crime, discrimination, religion and politics soak up our attention and we neglect the natural ecosystems like pollination and the water cycle.
‘Hydro-City Stories: Glasgow’ is a project which is exploring the potential of using transmedia stories for public engagement on environmental issues in the city. Glasgow currently faces the threat of sea-level rise and increased flooding over the next 50 years. This project seeks to prompt public engagement with imagined futures for a Glasgow that has adapted to these risks, making the issue tangible and relatable. Now, more than ever, we need new ways of facilitating progressive discussions unencumbered by the constraints and preconceptions of the present.
Polar Ideologies
This is an example of the Flowing 2 Column layout. The artist considers the idea that culture could replace religious scriptures as a moral compass for achieving self-actualisation. The works explore the role of ritual and meditation throughout history which is expressed through the environment in which the work is made. In a personal battle between the romantic and the classical, Charlotte Elizabeth considers these two polar ideologies and how through her practice she can merge the two to create the post-romantic culutral era that lies ahead of us.
Her most recent work has explored the role of the bartender as a raconteur. In creating a bespoke cocktail menu that provokes intrigue and reminiscence, the aesthetic, taste and smell, gives the bartender the ability to create an atmosphere of their choosing.
Balloch Public Pier
This is an example of the Full Width layout. Sistema Scotland transforms the lives of vulnerable young people through music. My aim was to provide a safe and inspiring environment for these students. The Stage 3 project addresses both the practical and the poetic aspects of placemaking while creating a residential retreat and performance hall. My intention was to link past, present and future by placing my proposal on an old, existing public pier in Balloch, on the shores of Loch Lomond. The buildings needed to be responsive to the local and cultural context of their setting. By using the old pier the buildings are already ingrained within the existing framework of the village and provide continuity, a connection to history and a sense of place. The creation of a ‘retreat’ as a place of rest and nurture was paramount. Incorporating the Maid of the Loch prompted my decision to extend the pier over the Loch in order to take advantage of the spectacular scenery and enhance what already exists. Level changes heighten the sensory experience: the performance hall descends towards the water, adding drama and establishing a visual connection to the outside; the viewing platform ascends, showcasing the landscape. The idea of duality was important to my concept: the need for private and performance spaces; and the natural and built environment co-existing in harmony.
Balloch Public Pier
Sistema Scotland transforms the lives of vulnerable young people through music. My aim was to provide a safe and inspiring environment for these students. The Stage 3 project addresses both the practical and the poetic aspects of placemaking while creating a residential retreat and performance hall. My intention was to link past, present and future by placing my proposal on an old, existing public pier in Balloch, on the shores of Loch Lomond. The buildings needed to be responsive to the local and cultural context of their setting. By using the old pier the buildings are already ingrained within the existing framework of the village and provide continuity, a connection to history and a sense of place. The creation of a ‘retreat’ as a place of rest and nurture was paramount. Incorporating the Maid of the Loch prompted my decision to extend the pier over the Loch in order to take advantage of the spectacular scenery and enhance what already exists. Level changes heighten the sensory experience: the performance hall descends towards the water, adding drama and establishing a visual connection to the outside; the viewing platform ascends, showcasing the landscape. The idea of duality was important to my concept: the need for private and performance spaces; and the natural and built environment co-existing in harmony.
