universal hand form by mary beth janssen ms. from usa

there are several points of interaction with constructed environments that cause one to touch; to sense the environment by feel. the door lever is a good example; it is an invitation to touch. the ‘formed by hand’ series of door levers looks to that aspect to inform the shape of the lever handle. each version was formed by the grip of the hand in clay first and then further modified, stylized, and simplified to achieve the quality fit and touch that one senses from a door lever handle. the feel is beauty just as the visual is beauty.

the process of this design is best summed in a quote by bucky fuller: when I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty. But when I am finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

the submitted work is a preliminary exploration into the formative nature of the lever handle.

this submission is the final evolution of the previous studies in form generated by the hand. while it was also generated from molding clay in the hand, this one simplifies the form such that it is not so specific to a hand print while maintaining the comfort aspects. It also has the benefits of meeting the comfort of many hand types, large and small. the design is such that it is not handed, which could impact a simpler method of production. in a further study, the scale of the handle is increased as the general comments were in favor of adding more width to the handle. this is reflected in the drawing of the handle.