Atlas Obscured Collection
How can an object evoke a sense of place as strongly as a building?
PROFESSIONAL
2023 – 2026
EMPLOYER – GALANTE DESIGN STUDIO
ROLE – INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
The Atlas Obscured Collection was conceived by Architect and Creative Director Ted Galante to define a place, while also articulating its evolution. The Collection features furniture and home goods products composed of four layers of laser cut maps, stacked together to create an historical narrative for any city. My role involves translating concepts and direction from the Creative Director into production-ready consumer goods. I also work on developing the brand, leading web and graphic design.
Four layers of city maps stack upon each other to tell the story of how a city has evolved over centuries. For example, the graphics below reveal how London has evolved over the last six centuries.
Each map layer is from a different significant date, with with present day as the top layer, and each subsequent layer decending further into history. Every layer is researched, geo-referenced, and digitally traced in Rhino. These specific maps show how the streets of London have evolved through the plague, the great fire, the construction of the Tube, through to present day, telling the story behind the city's development.
Aluminum Chair, London on Millennium Bridge
COLLECTION PRODUCT LINES
Aluminum Chair
The Aluminum Chair features full aluminum construction. Both the frames and the laser-cut map layers are meticulously heated and bent by hand to achieve a dramatic form. CNC machined stainless-steel brackets provide reinforcement and are engraved with the city name. The chair is powder-coated and can be used for lounging indoors or outdoors.
Wood Chair
Designed as a dining chair, the Wood Chair features solid wood frames precisely milled on a CNC machine, and inlaid laser-cut plywood map layers. The top map layer seamlessly bends around the front of the chair and a significant location in the city is inlaid into one of the back legs.
Wall Map
The Wall Map is crafted from high-quality plywood with a hardwood veneer. The map layers are stacked together and edge-banded to create a single unified form that is offset from the wall with hidden mounting hardware.
Acrylic Wall Map
The Acrylic Wall Map is composed of individual transparent or frosted layers that are held together by 3D printed mounting hardware that clamp the maps together. The acrylic material allows the lower historical layers to shine through as the color and transparency of the map changes depending on how the city evolved.
Mapkin
Mapkin is a napkin holder created from four nested layers of laser-cut mirror-finish stainless steel. The individual layers are formed and seamlessly joined with adhesive.
Mapkin, Boston
PROCESS
As an industrial designer, I lead the design process from concept to production for each product in the collection. I established the map tracing process and utilize laser cutting and 3D printing to rapidly iterate prototypes. I create all the production-ready CAD files and collaborate with manufacturing partners. I assist with in-house production and developed procedures to improve efficiency and manufacturing accuracy.
POP-UP GALLERY
The Galante Design Studio Atlas Obscured Collection Pop-Up Gallery was in a Harvard Square storefront from October 2024 to February 2025. I designed and installed window and interior wall graphics, created gallery labels, and assisted in developing the gallery layout and selecting wall images.
E-COMMERCE WEBSITE
Home Page
Home Page
Collection Page
Collection Page
Product Page
Product Page
Product Page
Press Page
I spearheaded the effort to create an e-commerce website for Galante Design Studio, and lead the full design process utilizing Shopify and working within the established brand guidelines. It was essential to ensure the concept behind the Atlas Obscured Collection is clearly communicated and that the story of each city is presented to engage the viewer with the meaning embedded in each product.
PRODUCT BROCHURE
Designed to physically accompany each product in the Atlas Obscured Collection, I created product brochures, working within the established brand guidelines, to provide the origin-story of the collection. It clearly communicates the historical narrative of the specific city represented in the product, incorporating historical images to enhance the storytelling.
