Personal Research Project

This project pushed me to think more critically about the relationship between design, the body, and the assumptions that are often built into everyday objects. While Pelva exists as a conceptual bicycle seat, the process of researching and modeling it helped me better understand how design decisions can have real physiological consequences, especially when certain users are treated as secondary or overlooked entirely. Women’s bodies are frequently not the default reference point in product design, and this shows up across many fields, from cycling equipment to automotive safety. Car crash testing, for example, has historically prioritized male body data, leading to higher injury risks for women. That pattern strongly informs how I approach design work, and it is often why I gravitate toward projects that question who an object is actually made for.

From a technical standpoint, this project gave me additional practice working in Blender, particularly in refining form, symmetry, and spatial relationships while modeling a functional object. Translating research and anatomical considerations into three-dimensional geometry was a valuable exercise, and it reinforced how much intention is required even at the modeling stage. However, the project also made clear that the core argument of Pelva cannot be fully evaluated through a 3D model alone. Bicycle seats are highly material-dependent objects, and realistic prototyping would require proper materials such as a rigid shell, localized gel, and a silicone stabilizing structure. A simple 3D print would not behave in a way that meaningfully reflects pressure distribution or anatomical interaction.

Ultimately, this project strengthened my interest in design as a form of critique. Rather than creating an object for novelty’s sake, Pelva allowed me to use design as a way to question normalized discomfort and highlight how inclusive thinking can reshape even the most familiar technologies.