DSDN 141: EXPERIMENTING WITH MATERIALS
PROJECT THREE PART A: ACTIVATE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS AS A MATERIAL RESPONSE TO ACTIVATION Due Date: Presentation Wednesday 29th September 2010 ‐ 35% of Total Course
INTRODUCTION TO THE SENSORY EXPERIENCE The generation of new design ideas can have many starting points. However, the richness and diversity of materials, processes and technologies has always been a welcome catalyst in the generation of innovative design concepts – either in the form of new and unexpected uses of traditional materials, or as technology spin‐off; the timely and creative application of new technologies to purposes which they were not originally intended for. Within this context it is important to explore materials critically, and without preconception, applying lateral thinking and ingenuity to engage them from a fresh perspective and invite applications that are innovative from both the functional and the aesthetic points of view. This project introduces electricity and extracted technology (motors, lights etc) as a means of ‘activating’ materials. By applying our understanding of material properties and qualities we can enrich the interaction and response to the sensory experience. Be innovative in your use and experimentation of materials!
METHOD This project requires students to work in pairs, one will develop the input the other the output. Each student will produce their own responsive and dynamic stand alone composition, joined only by an electrical cable. Input = Human activity on materials; to switch on a current of electricity Output = Material reaction to a current of electricity “Interactivity is a form of touch. All interactive systems present some form of tactile relationship between the human body and the environment”. Derrick de Kerckhove: Television at the crossroads
DESIGN CHALLENGE Make a dynamic input or output composition using two or no more than three materials. A 3 volt electrical supply is your energy source.
The composition should be suitable of either being held or worn…. The input composition will become a switch; when activated through human interaction your simple electrical circuit will connect and a current will be passed to the output composition, resulting in a reaction. You will need to explore; Materials that conduct and isolate Materials and components that react to electricity This project will require rigorous investigation and testing. You are free to identify and choose your own DSDN141 Project Three A 10
1
materials. The input must be activated to switch on and off through human interaction. This will be tested in the final presentation utilising the voltage supplied (3v). Your final composition must have a positive + and negative ‐ wire (measuring approximately 600mm) that allows the connection of input to output (the LED bulb is only for testing and is not required in the final composition). The electrical current may be passed from input to output as; on, on off, random or staccato (rapid on off). The real challenge is to combine or modify your chosen materials in such a way that they fulfil both the pragmatic and emotional requirements of the project by engaging material qualities, structure, compositional considerations and aesthetic judgement to produce a 3D object that is functional, eloquent and expressive of your chosen materials and your prescribed human interaction or reaction, thereby applying knowledge that you have gained in the previous two projects.
PROCEDURE & SCHEDULE (Collecting Wednesday Studio) Week 1 1) Select a fellow student from your tutor group as a design partner (select carefully and quickly). 2) Define who will develop the Activation (input) and who will develop the Reaction (output). 3) Collect your ‘kit’ and connect using a soldering iron the provided components (note that the LED light requires the correct polarity and resistor to work). Cut the red wire and expose the bare copper, test materials within this space for conductivity. http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html 4) Start by collecting a diverse range of potential materials, these would include conductive or possibly conductive and non conductive materials additionally electronic components (lights motors etc) that may work from 1.5 ‐ 3 volts. N.B. you will not resolve this project successfully unless you explore a diverse range of materials and electrical components. Bring these Studio! You will conduct a series of physical experiments with your materials to establish how they could be modified or combined to become activated. 5) Present findings at the conclusion of Studio Present ideas/experiments as a team. (Develop working experiments) Week 2 1) Refine the human action and the sensory interactive experience that you wish to pursue. The physical touch of a hand can be contemplated in many ways, as could a breath of air. 2) Explore how through performance, form and composition of materials provide directives on how your input is activated and the output read. 3) Present as a team your prototypes a. Material and/or component selections for Input b. Material and/or component selections for output c. Composition precedents and/or narrative d. Concept models of both compositions to include sketches/photographs etc e. Defined method of interaction (demonstrate proposed qualities, tactile touch etc) 4) Define your objectives for resolution of project Development Presentation! (Develop the material interactions and response i.e. Week 3 develop the composition) 1) Develop the detail, relationships of materials in construction and dynamic movement or significant change in material qualities. Think about your compositions as elegant products DSDN141 Project Three A 10
2
that have no real scale, only a sensory experience! Work as team and Test Refine Test Refine 2) Revisit the composition, bring the interactions to a high level of design elegance and clarity. Formal Presentation Week 4 1) The final composition will be presented along with a notebook documenting your experiments with samples, precedents and contextual photographs. 1) This project will be rigorously tested during the final review! Power supplied 2) Celebrate your composition.
OBJECTIVES • • • • •
To encourage enquiry and exploration without preconceived notions of suitable or appropriate materials. To engage craft with a spirit of inventiveness and experimentation. To encourage lateral thinking and ingenuity in solving problems Using materials and borrowed technology to trigger the unexpected in design. To understand the process of combining and modifying materials.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The minimum submission requirements for Project Three part A are: 1) A final working model of your composition. 2) Keep a visual diary containing sketches, samples and contextual images of your experiments during the design process and post 2 examples, correctly named to the flickr 141 pool 3) 1 high quality composed image of your composition correctly named to the flickr 141 pool
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The paper is internally assessed by assignment work in the form of four projects. Assignments are assessed and graded A+, A, A‐, B+, B, B‐, C+, C, D, E, (where C is a PASS). The five projects all contribute towards the final paper grade. Project Three (4 weeks): Due Wednesday 29th September 35% In addition to the following criteria selected from the overall Paper Outline DSDN 141 you will also be assessed in this project on the following: 1) Evidence of lateral thinking, innovation, ingenuity and originality in engaging material qualities and technology to solve a problem. 2) Realisation of a design that is eloquent and expressive of your chosen materials. 3) Evidence of the exploration and understanding of material performance in function.
DSDN141 Project Three A 10
3
Â
Output composition (light motor etc)
Resistor
LED light
Input composition(switch)
9v Battery Simple circuits for testing your work independently 9v Battery
DSDN141 Project Three A 10
4
DSDN141 Project Three A 10
5