Welsh designer Hefin Jones decided to create a space suit design that was made entirely using old-fashioned, artisanal skills and techniques. Employing a plumber, clog maker, stained-glass artist and a wool mill, Jones put together this astronaut suit with the help of local craftspeople in Wales.
First, the inner space suit design had to functionally keep bodily fluids liquid in zero gravity and for this Jones worked with his brother. Using his heating and plumbing knowledge, his brother was able to create a compression suit. For the outer suit, some of the oldest wool mills in the country created a tough enough material that both protect and looked beautiful. The space boots were an adaptation of wooden clogs, while the over-sized helmet was designed by a stained glass expert.
The designer's interest lay more in the social aspect of space than the scientific. Collaborating with others, he was able to make an impressive futuristic finished product that employed old-school design techniques.
Handcrafted Space Suits
This Welsh Space Suit Design Was Made by Experts in Clogs & Stained Glass
Trend Themes
1. Handcrafted Space Suits - The trend of creating space suits using traditional craft skills and techniques presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the aerospace industry.
2. Artisanal Collaborations - The trend of collaborating with local craftspeople to create innovative products, like this Welsh space suit, opens up disruptive innovation opportunities across various industries.
3. Social-focused Design - The trend of designing products with a focus on social aspects rather than just scientific functionality offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the space industry and beyond.
Industry Implications
1. Aerospace - The aerospace industry can benefit from disruptive innovation opportunities by exploring the use of traditional craft skills and techniques in space suit design and development.
2. Fashion - The fashion industry can find disruptive innovation opportunities by incorporating traditional craftsmanship into futuristic designs, as demonstrated by the handcrafted space suit.
3. Art and Design - The art and design industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by combining old-school design techniques with futuristic concepts, as exemplified by the collaboration in creating the space suit.