VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS Student Journal
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
MODULE ONE: Ideation
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
MATERIAL SYSTEM: panel and fold 1
2
3
4
This module delt with the systems of both panel and fold (initial system) and then inflatable (secondary system from group work). To begin with, I drew analytical drawings of my system, to better understand the mechanisms of the system (seen in pictures 1 and 2). Panel and fold is created by a simple joining of two or more flat surfaces. The reading, ‘300 years in Industrial Design’ (2000) also greatly informed my final measured drawings. The drawings in this text were precise and did not represent the typical sketches I would create when being asked to draw a still life. I then created my own panel and fold object, using the information I learnt already about the system and its properties as seen in pictures 3 and 4.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
MATERIAL SYSTEM: inflatable
Analytical drawing of floatie, Abby Zaplan, 2013
The second material system was inflatable. After we did measured drawings of our seperate objects we were able to evaluate the systems in more detail than just observing them. Some of the information we learnt from the systems included:
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
Analytical drawing of floatie no. 2, Abby Zaplan, 2013
Inflatable: The template varies from the final object and it is difficult to create curved edges with and inflatable system.
NOTION OF PERSONAL SPACE: as a group
The reading, ‘Personal Spaces’ by Sommer (1969) helped us to examine our own perceptions of personal space in our lives and in society. What we individually viewed as our own personal space may not be considered so in other people’s minds.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
According to Sommer, ‘personal space refers to an area with invisble boundries surrounding a person’s body into which intruders may not come’.
From one of the group member’s perliminary idea, we began to explore the notion of personal space in relation to the arms and hands and how this can change movement around a person.
MODULE TWO: Design
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
BRIEF AND INITIAL IDEAS The brief for the design is to: ‘Work in groups to design and develop the idea of a second skin. During this module (Module 2), students will focus on the effects that the second skin will produce and explore ideas of personal spaces. Students will use 3D scanning techniques to digitise their body and use the digital model as the context of their design. Students will focus on specific Rhino modelling tools and technique appropriate to their design. At the end of the module, students will make a prototype of their design to test out the effects.’
We were primarily concerned with the following issues: - SENSITIVITY - PROTECTION / SELF DEFENCE - HANDS / ARMS AND THEIR ROLES - FORM - MOVEMENT / FLEXIBILITY - INFLATABLE AND PANELISED
http://www.abbottdiabetescare.ca/adc_ca/url/content/en_CA/20.10.30:30/general_content/General_ Content_0000321.htm
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
An aspect of personal space, which we were told to consider, was the fact that it can shift and change depending on the body part and side of the body in focus. Other considerations included the idea that the body is static and that we may want to design a second skin that encloses sound or space.
FIRST DESIGN
Sketch design, Yingli Liu, 2013
First design idea, Yingli Liu, 2013
This is our first design, the dimensions are 20 cm by 20cm. We decided that this scale is too small and would not have a dramatic effect on the audience. Furthermore, we were not incoporating both systems to a high enough level and thus we weren’t adhering to our own brief and the key elements we chose to focus on.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
PRECEDENT STUDY: panelling
The pavilion could be described as a triangular enclosure with a folded sky. The form of pavilion is derived from the structure of a tree. The paneling is comprised of isosceles triangles. And a triangular footprint connects the 'branches' together, and with crisp planar walls begins to unfold at the roof plane into a series of pleats.
The Bloomberg pavilion, Akihila Hirata, 2011
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
PRECEDENT STUDY: sleeve types and further Rhino modelling These sleeves were created to protect young women’s modesty thus protecting their own personal space and morals. This idea is also communicated in our own design.
http://www.elizabethancostume. net/gallery/1569.html
http://faybruno.blogspot. com.au/2011/02/18thcentury.html
Here are other examples of existing inflatable designs related to clothing (sleeves and other areas). They further gave the impression that sleeves needn’t be a single, uniform form – that it could be composed of visually separate sections but still be one system.
(left) http://pinterest.com/pin/268456827759104763/ (right) http://pinterest.com/pin/268456827759104732/
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
We decided in order for us to further explore our first model in Rhino, we had to explore both the paneling system and inflatable system on their own. However, we are unsure of the final effect. We find it to be too large, clunky and not representative of our ideas as much.
(all above) 2nd Rhino model, Yingli Liu, 2013
REFINING DESIGN IDEAS: and further Rhino modelling
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=70284
After we were told to reconsider our design idea for our final proposal we bgan looking at organic objects that can represent our first design. This was a pinecone consists of layers, that worked together harmoniously to create a shape similar to our own first design. However, one limitation to this new design was the fact that the systems were seperate and didn’t work together to create a new integrated system.
(2nd from left) 3rd design sketch, Yingli Liu, 2013 (2nd from right and far right) 3rd Rhino model, Yingli Liu, 2013
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
PROTOTYPING 1
2
3
4
This is the first model we created (see figures 1-4), it is an exploration of of the inflatable component in our design. After creating the triangular shape, we learnt that making a template for a desired shape may be difficult, as when it is inflated (see second picture) the shape is warped. 5
6
Figures 5 and 6 show the second prototype. We were unsatisfied with the final effect.We find it to be too large, clunky and not representative of our ideas as much. We decided to use a clear plastic instead of the black plastic, to better represent our ideas. Also, we realised that our joining systems were not adequate and that the second prototype represented a clumsy and clunky exploration of one form.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
MODULE THREE: Fabrication
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
REFINING DESIGN
The Lisa Iwamoto (2009) article, ‘Digital Fabrications’ clearly showed the importance of CAD or CAM and other 3D modelling software in the digital age. These softwares, like Rhino used in this project, have helped me understand the scale and relative size of the designs that I have been exploring.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
Our design responds directly to our brief of personal space, whilst also encompasing various things we have learnt in both modules one and two.
When we created the prototype, we decided to use less spikes to
The spikes decrease in size the higher up the arm you go. This symbolises the hand’s sensitivity the further down the arm and closer to the hand.
Black was not the colour we wished to move forward, as it looked too emotionally dark, mysterious and perhaps too threatening.
a) see if using less spikes would still create an effective shape and b) to be more efficient with our prototype
We encountered issues with the soldering iron when we first tried to use and therefore used tape. We found the outcome to look clumsy and unfinshed and resolved to no longer use the type of soldering iron (or heat press) that we were using and instead buy one with a thin needle end.
PROTOTPYE (NO. 4): materiality 1
2
3
4
Fourth prototype, Abby Zaplan, 2013
We decided to use clear plastic to create the inflatable. We chose to do this for several reasons; firstly, the clear plastic reveals the arm inside, symbolising the vulnerability yet also the protection that the inflatable offers. Also, the clear plastic is a metaphor for a barrier that can’t be seen all of the time, like personal space, yet is ever there.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
The plastic used in this prototype is book cover plastic. This plastic was too rigid and as seen in Figure 1, the deftlated design still replicated the inflated design (see Figures 2-4).
PROTOTPYE (NO. 5): materiality and scale
Fifth prototype (centre and far right), Abby Zaplan, 2013
In this prototype, we resolved that there were too many panels, creating a bubble shape, which didn’t fit our organic form. Here we used 6 panels and therefore decided for our final model that we should only use 4 with 5 spike on each.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
The plastic that we used here was celophane and was much lighter and deflated and inflated better than the book cover plastic. However it was too small for a larger model so we decided to search for another type of plastic.
Furthermore, the scale of this prototype was larger than we had ever created before. However, we knew that our final model would be larger by 1.5 times, to create a better impact on the audience.
FINAL
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
FINAL: Rhino modelling
Isometric drawing no.1 and no. 2 (right), Yingli Liu, 2013
DIMENSIONS - 1200 MM X 600 MM WIDTH OF OPENING - 7CM Exploded Rhino model no.1 and no. 2 (right), Yingli Liu, 2013
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
Our final design has four panels, with five spikes on each panel.
FINAL
Using Rhino to roll out the final model, we were able to create a template off which to trace our final panels from.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
FINAL: process
We began by cutting out the panels of the template seperately and then joining the panels together with a soldering iron.
Joining the triangles together to create the spikes. Using MDF board ontop of the plastic to create the edges.
Some issues we encountered: Using the soldering iron at times was difficult as the one we used to try and attach the triangles was too hot and temperamental. Therefore, the next time we create our prototype we will use a smaller soldering iron to ensure we can attach all of the triangles properly and not have to rely on tape to attach the last few triangles.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
FINAL: how to inflate? 1
Using a handheld fan (seen above), we were able to inflate a thin plastic tube (seen in FIgure 2) that had two arms that attached to both inflatable second skins on either arm. This small tube was fairly unoticable, indiscrite and allowed for movement.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
2
FINAL
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
REFLECTION I began the design process in a solo manner and explored a panel and fold system by drawing a coffee filter. I was unsure at this point of the benefits and the characteristics of this system, however I soon realised that panel and fold systems consist of two flat surfaces that are attached by a fold or a joining of some sort. After I became accustomed to my system, I was introduced to two other team members, one of which who explored inflatable systems as I had done with panel and fold. Together, the three of us were given the task of incorporating our systems and making a ‘second skin’ that reflects the notion of personal space. We began by analysing our own notions of personal space and creating sketch designs that reflect this and our system. We decided to move forward with one particular design that focused on the arms as they are a sensitive part of the human body. We found that with our first proposed design, we did not incorporate both systems at a high enough level and thus our design was flawed. Our tutor reflected that by placing a paper panelled system on top of an inflatable, we were restricting movement and furthermore not exploring the full potential that both systems have when working together. To try and combat this, we created several other designs, where the form and scale changed, however we were still not incorporating both systems. Finally, we decided to create panel and folds using plastic, which would then be inflated. Thus we were exploring both systems at the same time. The outcome was a small scale arm floaty with spikes for defence. The floaty would increase in size toward the bottom of the forearm, to represent the increased sensitivity of the hand. In our final design however, we decided to increase the scale to 1.2 m in order to have a greater impact on the audience and we chose to use clear plastic as our material as a metaphor for the boundaries of personal space existing yet they can’t be seen. We were pleased with the final outcome, as it represented our notion of personal space, focused on the hands and their importance, and the materials and scale reflected the themes and ideas that we wished to imprint on the audience. If I were to complete this task again, I would perhaps create more prototypes to better understand the system, I would also perhaps explore our design on different parts of the body because although having a focus early on helped us to create our design, we could have pushed ourselves further. The final design is an excellent representation of our hard work and prototyping throughout the Semester however, and we are very pleased with our resolved work.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG
BIBLIOGRAPHY Digital fabrications: architectural and material techniques / Lisa Iwamoto. (2009). New York : Princeton Architectural Press. Heath, A., Heath, D., & Jensen, A. (2000). 300 years of industrial design : function, form, technique, 1700-2000 / Adrian Heath, Ditte Heath, Aage Lund Jensen. New York : Watson-Guptill. Sommer, R. (1969). Personal space : the behavioral basis of design / Robert Sommer. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice-Hall.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS S2 2013 HARRIET CRAIG