Modeling Series-01 is a minimalist storage piece created by Seoul-based designer Jiwon Son. In the blue glow of a computer screen, a cylinder morphs and distorts, its edges softening and bulging in seemingly random patterns. This moment of digital manipulation—so familiar to contemporary designers—becomes the generative spark for a collection that deliberately blurs the boundaries between virtual and physical craft. The Modelling Series begins not with sketches on paper or clay models, but in the sterile precision of SketchUp’s interface, where algorithmic randomness becomes a stand-in for the happy accidents of traditional craftsmanship.

What makes this approach so compelling is its inversion of the typical design process. Rather than starting with function and working toward form, these pieces emerge through playful digital experimentation. Simple geometric volumes—cylinders and boxes—are subjected to digital distortions until they suggest a potential use. Only then is function assigned, transforming what might be seen as digital “errors” into deliberate design features.

The resulting objects occupy a fascinating middle ground between the digital and physical realms. A side table’s asymmetrical surface creates unexpected spaces for objects of different sizes. A cabinet’s irregular gaps become intentional breathing spaces between storage components. What might appear as glitches in the virtual environment translate into distinctive functional elements in physical space.

This approach speaks to a larger conversation in contemporary design about reconciling digital tools with material reality. As the designer notes, the series began by “exploring the differences in sensibilities between creating in 3D software and crafting by hand.” This tension has become a central preoccupation for a generation of designers raised on screens but yearning for tactility.