I Persistent
Introduction
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“Architecture is a Sculptural Biography”
Extreme Emotion on Joy and Hate Truthful
The first challenge is to design an artifact that represents the most significant aspects and qualities of me.
Friendly
First and foremost, I brainstormed a list of adjectives that
W h o
describe my personality, and then I prioritized them in order
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of significance. Within all the adjectives, the word
Shy
Once I set up a goal, I would spend numerous times and
“persistent” represents the most important quality of me. efforts to reach my target. Meanwhile, as crucial as my
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persistence, my intense emotions lead me to either love or
hate something. There is no “gray zone” in my world. In my following iterations, I tried to keep these two qualities as my major objectives.
Insights: •The first thing I did is to find materials to represents my “Intense emotion”.
Black and white papers effectively express my mental world in which there is no “gray zone” within. •The square s forms the frame shape which represents my persistence. Like the frame, I demand myself to stick into one thing until I reach it.
Issues: •Less abstraction •Two of my qualities are not express equally. One weights over the other. Need to emphasis more on the quality of persistent.
Creativity “Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it” – Salvador Dali
During the design process of iteration 2, I faced a common difficult for which most of the designers have already experienced. I was running out of creativity, and I constructed some models which I considered those as unvalued. In result, I didn’t keep my second iteration. I admit I am a perfectionist, and I always try to keep everything looks well. However, I realized every design process is equally important for me. Each iteration shows a learning process and development which is valuable for a learner.
Insight: • In response to iteration 1 , I began to put in new elements into iteration 3 • Tried to create a three dimension model that has multiple aspects. •At the same time, I avoided to create base for the model, so it would be dynamic.
Issues: • The simplicity of the form makes it less entertaining for viewer. •Using the technique of repetition would increase the density for itself, and enrich the whole model. •On the other hand, the connection between each frame is randomly stick together. For a better advancement, It requires a precise and logical method to connect the edges of the frames.
How does the narrative inform our design process and solutions?
Through narrative, it conveys meanings and tells stories with others. In result, people would provide feedbacks and suggestions which might be helpful for designers to achieve advancement in their design process.
Discoveries: • In response to iteration 3, this iteration is successful to avoid the simplicity of
the forms by using the technique of intersection of frames. •Each frame is connect with each other by penetrate through at certain points.
Issues: • It fails to keep the balance to express both of my qualities. The “persistent”
quality seems to be more outstanding in this iteration.
Insights: • In order to recycle the idea from iteration 4, I kept the frame part in the new model. •However, I wanted some breakthrough to enrich my new work; I changed the shape of my frames. •In the design process, I gained inspiration from the picture on the left.
Design Language: •The linear forms create boxes to keep all the circles insides. It called “Box of persistence” •Meanwhile, the linear forms become the tangents of the circles. •Furthermore, the radii of the circles form implied equilateral triangles.
Issue: • Need to explore a deeper meaning for circles. •How do circles represent “intense emotion” between joy and hate? •Ho w does persistent and emotional communicate with each other.
Design language: •In response to iteration 5, I kept the frames and rotated them to create three dimensional aspects. • The new iteration has parallel and perpendicular linear forms. • The square frame rotates 90 degrees from the parallel quadrilateral. • There is a curvilinear stripe connects the edges of both frames. •The size of the model and the distance of each piece create density.
Feedback: •Keep the logic and ideas of this iteration and use it in the new model •Need to emphasis on the joy and hate feeling. •Try to think about any body movements or objects that can effectively express those feelings.
Working on Snap shot, it gave me a chance to play around for the proportion and ratio for the designs. Meanwhile, it created different perspectives for the iterations by changing the angles, directions and shapes. Without doubt, the practice of Snap shot provided opportunity to raise creativity.
What are the ways in which proportions explored through drawing can inform and enhance your design?
Through drawing, designers can use harmonic proportion, Golden ratio , Fibonacci series, etc to create various possibilities to design and organize the forms.
Inspiration: In response to iteration 5 and 6, I began to concern about objects and body movements that can express my extreme feeling between joy and hate. In result, I found out the dancing position (see above) gives people a sense of joyful and relaxation. The ballet dancer rises up her hands, and it seems like she is trying to embrace the thing or person she loves. On the other hand, I found out the shape of whistle and thorn can represents my hate. It is sharp and dangerous; just like I hate something or someone; it can hurt others and me.
Design Language: • Using a group of triangles to create a sharp feeling. Giving an illusion to people for which they might get hurt if they touch the vertices of triangles. •All the triangles are right triangles with 30, 60, 90 degrees. •The curvilinear stripes imitate the body movement of dancing. It gives people hope and joy.
Issues: •I forgot to put my quality of persistent into this iteration. •Not three dimensional. It only looks interesting in the front view.
Insights •In response to iteration 7, I put my persistent quality back into the new model. •This model composes by three parts: the bottom (frames), the middle (chipboards), and the side(curvilinear stripes) •Once again, I use frames to represent my persistence. •Those three parts are equally important. There is no specific part stand out from the others.
Transforming my previous model into frames is a new challenge for me. At first, I was confusing because I worried the technique of framing would lessen the intension and focus on the chipboard part. However, the result turned out to be better than my expectation. All three parts of the model are balanced well with each others. They all carry a certain traits and style to express my qualities.
In iteration 10, we were asking to use sectioning approach to construct our models. During the design process, I was struggling on how to apply sectioning in my new model. My previous iterations were all about . forms and planes. They do not have defined volumes and shell forms. In order to breakthrough from the confusion, I tried to experiment the sectioning approach using papers. Papers are good tool to work on sectioning because of their flexibility.
Design Language: •In iteration 11,I increased and decreased the size of triangles to satisfy the sectioning approach. •Creating the illusion of dynamic by having a group of triangles rotate in different angles. •Some triangles are horizontal and others are vertical.
Issues: •Have to define the purpose of the feather-like forms on the top . •Need to create a bigger space in the center.
Insights: •In response to iteration 11, I tried to enlarge the size and scale to create greater space for the model. • Using the technique of slotting to connect individual pieces of triangles • Using the papers to create patterns in order to replace the feather –like forms.
Issues: •Need to figure out how to sectioning the paper part in a better way.
This was my last iteration, and we were asking to create spaces for the model. I created spaces between the triangles and the curvilinear shapes. Air can go through the model from left to right, right to left, or bottom to the top. Spaces within the model can be various.
Can space be so flexible that anything can happen there? How do you achieve this?
In the modern worldview, space considers to be everywhere. Through the expansion in all directions, designers can create greater and more flexible spaces in their models.
Conclusion Reflection of the learning process
In conclude, there are many positive outcomes come along with the learning process. First, I have a new definition for the word “Creativity”. In fact, creativity comes from our daily interactions with ideas and achievement of other people. In every class period, I have chance to talk about my work with others. Through discussion, I often inspire by others’ work. To generate a better iteration from the initial inspiration, I would first figure out the strengths of others’ work and would try to apply those qualities in my model. The second thing I have learned is that quantities lead to quality. By continuously making new iteration, I have developed a set of logical thinking on how to group different elements together; how to organize them concerning with the hierarchy. Through the making process and experience, I am gradually developing my language of design.
ARCH 101: MIDTERM & FINAL GRADE ASSESSMENT of STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (for both student and instructor use) X = instructor; 0 = student Student Name: On Kei Kwok Semester: Fall 2012 Midterm/Final Grade: Design Process Development (4: Mind and Hand are in charge of Ideas; Modes of Individual Process leads to Evolution of Refined Work vs. 0 : No effort to think and do on one’s own, no individual design process is employed) 0
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Architectural Concept Development (4: Consistently defined, explored, questioned and effectively developed with rare lapses into weak intentions vs. 0: vague or unreasoned with no definition, exploration, questioning, and development, intentions are weak or non-existent) 0
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Successful Representation Skills (4: Writing, Drawing, Diagramming, Constructing, and Verbally Presenting are employed effectively to identify, analyze, explore, decide, and communicate vs. 0: tools of design are rarely used fully and in timely ways within an iterative design process) 0
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Body of Work: Quantity Leads to Quality (4: Quantity of Work demonstrates a commitment to thoughtful effort accompanied by well-crafted work with rare lapses in to weak production vs. 0: Fails to show effort; work illustrates a lack of craft with a sustained absence of and/or weakness in production) 0
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Creative Content: Avoiding the Obvious and Familiar (4: Consistently well reasoned with high levels of intellectual and expressive excellence; embodies scholarly creative content vs. 0: Infrequently reasoned with little thought or expression; creative content is lacking) 0
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COMMENTS: Midterm: Instructor: Student: On Kei Kwok Final:
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