Abstract
This research explores innovative methodologies in bicycle frame design through the ongoing Frame Story project, a twelve-year-long design exploration that evolved into an academic studio course titled “The Human Machine.” The project emphasizes sustainability, regenerative design principles, circular economy concepts, parametric technology, and digital craftsmanship. Combining traditional fabrication with parametric design and additive manufacturing, Frame Story chronicles the creation of 21 unique bicycle frames, each embodying distinct narratives of material innovation, personal adaptation, and technical refinement. Early project phases embraced improvisation, using natural materials such as bamboo, cork, and flax fibers, and makeshift jigs from everyday objects. The progression into digital fabrication integrated precision parametric modeling and 3D printing, enabling complex structural and aesthetic developments otherwise unattainable manually. Methods involve iterative prototyping, rigorous material experimentation, and hybrid collaboration between human intuition and digital tools. The project demonstrates digital technologies’ potential to transform traditional frame-building practices into regenerative, accessible, and sustainable processes. The academic studio format encourages student engagement through hands-on frame construction, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and resilience through iterative learning. Additionally, the project examines the role of customization, upcycled materials, and decentralized manufacturing methods, contributing to an enhanced understanding of sustainability in industrial design. By documenting detailed development phases and outcomes, Frame Story positions itself at the intersection of technology, tradition, education, and personal growth, shaping designers capable of dynamically responding to contemporary environmental, societal, and technological challenges.
Presenters
Atar BroshSenior Lecture, Inclusive Industrial Design, The DAN Department of Creative Human Design, The Jerusalem Multidisciplinary Academic College, Yerushalayim, Israel
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
PARAMETRIC DESIGN, BICYCLE FRAME, DIGITAL CRAFT, SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
