Semester Summary

STORY OF THE SEMESTER ID T EC H II - S PR IN G 2 01 8

JES S ICA S M ITH

CONTENTS I NTRODUCT ION

4

DOC UM ENTAT ION

6

P ROJ ECT PRO MPT S

8

LESSONS L EARN ED

10

THANKS

12

P ROJ ECT D OCUMEN TAT ION

14

M USIC & D ESIGN WEARAB L E ART FORM S & L IG HT S

PROJECTS M U S I C & D ES I G N

W E ARABLE ART

FO RM S & LI G H TS

3

HEY! I’M JES S I’m a graduate student in the Master’s of Industrial Design program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. I’m also a student in the ID Technology II course with Matthew Hoey and Henry Yoo, the work from which class forms the basis of this publication. Thanks for taking the time to read this and feel free to reach out with any questions!

jsmith22@pratt.edu

MY BACKGROUN D Before arriving at Pratt I was working as a project manager and creative technologist at a small digital design agency. While on the job I taught myself the basics of web design and development and eventually took over the role of front-end designer, as well as general fire putter-outter around the office.

As an undergraduate I studied environmental science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where I concentrated on the field of renewable energy technology and energy conservation.

While studying abroad in Thailand, I conducted field research on a microgrid system in the southeastern coast and had my research paper published in the journal Renewable Energy.

It was while living in Providence, Rhode Island that I discovered the field of industrial design thanks to my friends who were attendeding RISD. Working with an independent artist’s nonprofit, I built a portfolio largely out of laser cutting projects and wheel-thrown ceramics and began applying in earnest to industrial design programs. After getting into Pratt, it seemed like the perfect time to step out of my comfort zone and move to New York. Now that I’m here, I’m learning as much as possible as quickly as possible and working on anything that comes my way!

4

“ BUT I FIND THAT FOR MYSELF, WITHOUT E XCEPTION, THE MORE I DEAL WITH THE W ORK AS SOMETHING THAT IS MY OWN, A S S O METHING THAT IS P ERSON AL, THE MO R E S UCCESSFUL IT IS.”

~ MARIAN BAN TJES

W EBS ITE PL ATFOR M R ES E A R C H

S Q UARES PAC E

CARG O CO LLECTI V E

FORMAT

G I TH U B

WORDPRES S

S E M P L I CE

6

DOCUMENTATION

From the beginning of the semester, students were required to document the projects and upload them to a personal website. Coming from a background in development, I wanted to use a platform that would be robust enough to manage all the content we would need to upload, but be flexible enough that I could build off it and update it after ID Tech ended. For me, the best combination of those factors ended up being a Wordpress site using the Semplice backend service to allow for rapid, modular WYSIWYG designs.

RO BUST

E ASY

FLEXIBLE

S EO FR IE N D LY

CHEAP

U N IQ U E

CUSTO MIZABLE

S EC U R E

7

PROJECT PROMPTS

MU S IC & D ES IGN “The goal of the exercise is to help expand the imagination and capabilities of musical & performing artists and to bring about new experiences to the audience using the design process and methodology. New types of producing sounds (music), as well as new ways of producing the sounds (music) are valid parameters.”

For this exercise, students were required to make three musical instruments, one in each of the following categories: 1. Tonal 2. Percussive 3. Open

WE A RA B L E A RT “For this exercise, students must design and fabricate a highly original and well-crafted full-body wearable art to be worn by professional models for a stage theatre fashion show.”

The wearable art challenge required students to fabricate and submit a full-body costume to the international World of Wearable Art (WOW) competition in one of the official WOW categories.

Students were also required produce all necessary material for the competition -- including shots of the costume on a model as well as a sample runway video.

FORM S & LIGH TS “For this exercise, student must design and develop a new kind of lighting fixture utilizing a digital product development & manufacturing platform. A special collaborative project has been arranged with Gantri, Inc., who offers a platform consisting of a suite of technological, engineering, and manufacturing facilities and expertise.”

The Form & Lights challenge asked students to sketch, prototype, render, and 3D print a full-scale, functioning design for the Gantri lighting platform. The final model was presented alongside a poster in-person to Gantri representatives.

8

M Y A ESTH E TIC Coming from an environmental science background, much of my inspiration is drawn from natural elements and scenes from nature.

This semester I have noticed that much of my work revolves around notions of transparency and languidity, directly inspired by my love and longing for the ocean.

“It’s through mistakes that you can actually grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.” ~Paula Scher

10

LESSONS LEARNED

One thing I learned from all of the projects was how important high-quality documentation is when working on projects. While I took many picture after the prototypes were done, I realized that I hadn’t taken as many good process photos and videos as I had originally believed.

M U SI C & DES IGN The music & design challenge was the only group challenge I participated in this semester and I honestly think I learned the most about group dynamics from that project. I learned the importance of being able to understand how certain factors drive other group members and how to incentive each other to divide and conquer our tasks. I also realized the necessity in setting up a group calender with reasonable deadlines.

WEARABLE ART It was during the wearable art challenge that I realized the value of having a design process that can pull you through the rough times during a design project. After hitting a creative block with the form for the costume, it was turning to the 3D curriculum I learned at Pratt that gave me a path forward and helped me to narrow down my design direction.

FO RMS & LIGHTS The forms & lights project taught me the value of just jumping in to new technologies and teaching yourself the ropes. While I was never able to execute my original idea for the canyon lamp design, I was able to go from never having opened SolidWorks before the project to successfully modelling and printing a full-scale, functional lighting prototype.

11

THANKS Thanks for taking the time to check out my work! And thanks to my professors Matthew Hoey and Henry Yoo of the Pratt ID Tech course who pushed me to get outside my comfort zone.

If you want to reach out about any of these or just to say hey, you can find me at:

jsmith22@pratt.edu (980) 254-4074 jessleighsmith.com

12

13

14

O RGAN I Z E D N O ISE

A M U S I CAL I N S TRU M E N T CH ALLENGE

O RGA NIZ ED NOISE

I D T E C H II / SP RING 2018

““What is music but organized noises?” ~ Edgard Varese

p. 2

p. 3

C o n ten t s B A ND P O S T E R

4

PRO J E C T B R I E F

6

TI M EL I N E

7

THE T E AM

8

V ISI O N

9

PROTOT YP I N G

10

I NS TRU M E N T S

12

WOK & ROLL ........................................ 12 GOOD VIBRATIONS ........................... 14 XYLOSTONE ......................................... 16

CA D R E N D E R I N GS

18

WOK & ROLL ........................................ 19 GOOD VIBRATIONS ........................... 20 XYLOSTONE ......................................... 21

A NA LAGO U S I N S T RU MENT S

22

A NA LAGO U S M U S I C

23

B I L L O F M AT E R I AL S

24

PRO D U C T I O N

25

CRE D I T S

28

WET WILLIE & T Will Stafford www.willstafford.com hannah fink www.hannahfink.art jessica smith www.jessleighsmith.com p. 4

THE WHALES

p. 5

PROJEC T B RIEF

CLIENTS Henry Yoo, Matthew Hoey

CLASS ID Tech II

DATE Spring 2018

BAND NAME Wet Willie and the Whales

PROMPT “For this exercise, student must design and produce new types of musical instruments and create new capabilities of performing with the instruments for musicians and an experience of witnessing the performance for live audience. Three types of instruments to be designed are Tonal, Percussive and an Open type. The goal of the exercise is to help expand the imagination and capabilities of musical & performing artists, to bring about new experiences to the audience, using the design processes and methodology.

New types of producing sounds(music), as well as new ways of producing the sounds(music) are valid parameters.�

5

Wks

Timeline

$0

2

Budget

Field Trips

p. 6

p. 7

T IMELINE BRAINSTORMING

01

Group members brough in ideas and sketches for potential musical instruments.

PROTOTYPING

02 FEEDBACK

03

Feedback from peers and teachers guides further test prototypes and design adjustments.

REFINEMENT

04 PRESENTATION

05

Wet Willie and the Whales performed for an audience of classmates and professional judges.

Rough prototypes are made to test the acoustic properties of the initial ideas.

Instrument designs are refined and effort is put into presentation and display of instruments.

T HE T EA M

W I L L S TA F F O R D will.a.stafford@gmail.com Will Stafford comes from a fine art and construction management background, and brings a love of raw materials, the natural world, and found objects to the group’s eclectic makeup.

HANNAH FINK harofink@gmail.com Hannah Fink’s aesthetic is a bit of everything, and ultimately defines the groups harmony of opposites. Her material expertise in metal gave us the insight needed to work with our chosen materials. Moreover, her fabulous video editing gave us new opportunities to draft interesting musical experiences.

JESSICA SMITH jesmi423@gmail.com Jessica Smith is a digital maven, and a connoisseur of all things reflective, transparent and iridescent. Her broad experience in the tech world made it possible to expand the group’s library of sounds into the liminal space that exists between the purely physical and the entirely digital.

p. 8

All three group members are candidates in the Masters of Industrial Design program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

p. 9

VI S I O N

Our enthusiasm for natural sounds, white noise, and ambient music gave rise to an exploratory process that led us through a series of sound experiments--in the kitchen with household objects, and outside in the landscape. This magnetic pull towards materials, and natural resources, became the central modus in our search for interesting sounds.

To augment the soundscape we were developing, we decided to incorporate bone conduction technology--used by the hard of hearing to bypass the outer ear, and transmit the physical vibrations of sound to the bones of the inner ear. This allowed us to create a foil to our analog environment with electronic and digital technology, while maintaining a focus on physical vibrations. Eventually, our task became the art of layering these sounds into a musical environment worth spending time in.

However, our enthusiasm for water as a medium of sound was quickly admonished by the laws of physics.

As a liquid, too much water absorbs the soundwaves, deadening the vibrations we had carefully curated.

As a gas, much like the whistle on a kettle, the sound is harsh and unpleasant, and as a solid, it is difficult to create the conditions necessary for a transportable, and reusable, instrument.

Ultimately, water became our muse.

Our band began to call itself Wet Willie and the Whales, and continued to conceptually incorporate water into the experience. The Xylostone uses river rocks, we play whale song through Good Vibrations, and put tap water into Wok & Roll.

PROTOT YP I N G

p. 10

p. 11

Wok & Roll Tonal / Percussive Humble household objects can sometimes have surprising musical traits.

With this instrument, a simple wok and bocce ball become the palette for a variet y of noises. A contact microphone amplifies these sounds.

p. 12

WOK & ROLL

CATEGORY

PERCUSSIVE TONAL ELEMENTS

WOK BOCCE BALL PIEZO MICROPHONE

GUIDE TO USAGE With an inch of water inside, a piezo mic attached, and plugged into an amp, the Wok is ready to Roll. While it can be played intuitively, as any touch will create physical vibration that is picked up by the piezo mic, we have found that some techniques translate into a musical experience better than others.

The Roll: Place a bocce ball inside the wok with water, and move the wok in a circular motion. Slowly at first, then graduating to ever faster revolutions, the sound will change in pitch from low to high, creating a whoosh we used as the background layer to our created experience. A chip in the ball we use also adds a pleasant, random, rhythm to the tonal charge.

The Tap: Tapping the resting ball with your fingers will create a warble heard only through the amplifier. Grabbing the ball, and then tapping the ball on the dry part of the wok will give a sharp ping, while tapping the ball in the water of the wok releases a lush “Om,” like a yogi’s chant.

The Splash: Removing the ball from the wok and splashing your fingers in the water also gives a pleasant sound.

p. 13

INSTRUMENT NAME

INSTRUMENT NAME

GOOD VIBRATIONS

CATEGORY

OPEN ELEMENTS

METAL BOWLS AUDIO JACK BONE TRANSDUCER SOUND PRODUCER (smartphone / speaker)

GUIDE TO USAGE Since Good Vibrations is an experience as much as it is an instrument, it is difficult to misuse. Once the bone conduction transducer is placed on the roof of the main bowl, the listener simply needs to commence playing the sounds and stand or sit under the headpiece. By pressing one’s ear up against the bowl the music can be fully heard, otherwise the faint ghostly remnants of the song can be heard through the bowl.

Alternatives: To convert the installation from a personal into a shared listening experience, all one has to do is place the transducer onto a large, massive body that will transmit the sound vibrations. For example, a large metal sculpture can become a vibrating speaker through which multiple people can listen to music by pressing their ears up against it.

p. 14

Open

The only piece in the ensemble to be a speaker rather than an instrument, Good Vibrations presents an intimate yet immersive approach to listening to music. The unit uses bone conduction technology to transmit the music through contact with the listener ’s inner ear.

p. 15

good vibrations

p. 16

XYLOSTONE

CATEGORY

PERCUSSIVE TONAL ELEMENTS

RIVER ROCKS STEEL BARS SOLID ROCK BASE

GUIDE TO USAGE The Xylostone is primarily percussive, but is constructed with a tonal range of percussive elements, giving it an arbitrary microtonal scale. This range of capabilities gives it broad potential for musical use. Our experience suggests two main techniques.

Clacking: Clacking stones together across the tonal range offers many opportunities for pitch specific rhythm. The bending nature of steel also permits some pendular swinging, and repeating clacks.

Scraping: Using a stone to scrape across the base of the Xylostone gives a full bodied scratching sound.

p. 17

INSTRUMENT NAME

CA D R E N D E R I N GS

p. 18

p. 19

X YLO S TO N E

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

G OO D VI B R AT I O N S

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

p. 20

p. 21

W O K & RO L L

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

AN AL AG OU S INST RUMENT S

01

T I B E TA N S I N G I N G B O W L

WAT E R P H O N E

03

02

SONAMBIENT SCULPTURE

p. 22

GEORGE CRUMB

“In a broader sense, the rhythms of nature, large and small - the sounds of wind and water, the sounds of birds and insects - must inevitably find their analogues in music.”

EDGARD VARESE

“I was not influenced by composers as much as by natural objects and physical phenomena.”

JOHN CAGE

“If you develop an ear for sounds that are musical it is like developing an ego.

You begin to refuse sounds that are not musical and that way cut yourself off from a good deal of experience.”

p. 23

AN ALAGOU S MUSIC

B I L L O F M AT E R I A LS

DESCRIPTION

INSTRUMENT

QUANTITY

PRICE (USD)

smooth wok

Wok & Roll

1

~$15.00

bocce ball

Wok & Roll

1

~$15.00 (set of 8)

piezo microphone

Wok & Roll

1

$1.50

amp

Wok & Roll

1

~$60.00

surface transducer

Good Vibrations

1

$17.50

audio jack

Good Vibrations

1

~$10.00

metal cooking bowls

Good Vibrations

2 (nesting)

~$20.00

river rocks

Xylostone

variable

$20 (30 lb bag)

1/4” steel rod

Xylostone

3 rods

$7.50 ($2.50 / 48” rod)

flagstone

Xylostone

3 slabs

$10 each

TOTAL

~$176.50

p. 24

p. 25

P RO D U C T I O N

While the intent of the instruments we created was to reveal the hidden acoustic properties of everyday objects, there are still production and commercialization factors to consider.

COMMERCIALIZATION

PRODUCTION METHODS

01

02

03

WOK & ROLL

GOOD VIBRATIONS

XYLOSTONE

A mixture of found objects, Wok & Roll only necessitates the collection and assembly of a wok, bocce ball, and piezo microphone. For mass production one option could be to produce and sell these as an easy-to-buy kit.

Good Vibrations is also a collection of everyday objects.

While hand production was used to assemble the objects, it is reasonable to assume that specialized parts could lend themselves to mass production. No adhesive was used in the production of this object, rather the speaker was contained within the top bowl that remained in place due to the tension of the hanging setup.

A Hammer Drill was used to drill the stone for Xylostone.

E6000 industrial adhesive was used to adhere the stones to the rods. Drilling stone is time consuming, and labor intensive. It took 4 hours to drill the stones for the final product. For a professional mason charging $125/hr, this could cost around $500 to assemble. Unskilled laborers can produce same result for fraction of cost.

Wok & Roll could attract an audience that ranges from professional sound designers to children just beginning to learn about sound design and music.

Commercialization could occur either by selling a kit of all the necessary components or by selling specialized balls (similar to the bocce) designed to make different sounds when used.

Good Vibrations can easily be commercialized and manufactured as a single, holistic piece. The speaker can be incorporated into the headpiece and connected via bluetooth to create a “smart” yet sculptural speaker. The transducer could also be sold separately and marketed as a way of turning any large metal object into a shared speaker.

The Xylostone is unique in that it is both tonal and tactile. It could easily be used in a school setting to teach about rhythm and tone in a physical hands-on way. It could be sold either as a base and rods on which you attached your own stones and other objects or as a complete kit of parts.

Each of these instruments lends themselves to use as part of a music therapy program. Since they are each as much about the act of playing and the collaboration of making ‘organized noise’ as they are about the acoustic properties of the objects, they might be therapeutic and even meditative for those seeking solace in sound.

p. 26

p. 27

“I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry as I need it.�

- John Cage

CRE D I T S

THANKS This project would not have been possible without the help of all our classmates in ID Tech and our professors, Henry Yoo and Matthew Hoey. We would also like to thank the kind judges who offered their advice and feedback and took the time to come visit with us; especially Ken Butler and the management at D’Addario who opened their studios and factories to us as inspiration. Finally we would like to thank Peter Argondizza for his feedback and suggestions that helped us put our work into context and give us a vision for where to set our sights next.

PHOTO CREDITS Analagous Instruments Waterphone: https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=waterphone Tibetan Singing Bowl: http://developmentcrossroads.com/2011/03/singing-bowls/ Sonambient Sculpture: http://www.icollector.com/Harry-Bertoia-untitled-Sonambient_i8644211

Analagous Music George Crumb: https://www.discogs.com/artist/519766-George-Crumb Edgard Varese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgard_Var%C3%A8se John Cage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage

p. 28

ID TECH

2018

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CHALLENGE

ephemera

WORLD OF WEARABLE ART JESSICA SMITH

Contents 4 Prompt

7 Inspiration

8 Execution

21 Principles of Design

Prompt WORLD OF WEARABLE ART COMPETITION

As part of the Pratt Institute ID Tech course led by Henry Yoo and Matthew Hoey, students were challenged to participate in the World of Wearable Art (WOW) costume competition. WOW is an opportunity for both veterans and newcomers to costume design to push themselves out of their comfort zone and to truly test the limits of wearable art. As students, we were pushed to come up with a concept for a piece of wearable art and execute it within a month, to be submitted by the WOW competition deadline of March 28, 2018.

5

ephemera [ ih-fem-er-uh ] 1. anything shortlived or ephemeral 2. items designed to be useful or important for only a short time

Inspiration WE(AIR)ABLE ART

I was initially very hesitant when approaching this

my perspective and personal aesthetic. To do this,

challenge -- the aesthetic of many of the costumes

I started with a focus on material conservation and

from last year’s winners were much more dramatic

trying to push materials that would otherwise be

and over-the-top than most of my designs. I wanted

discarded to new forms. Specifically I wanted to

to tackle this challenge in a way that pushed me to

focus on taking temperary materials such as bubble

my limits and forced me to go for a more dramatic

wrap and plastic packaging and turn it into an eye-

design than I would otherwise go for, while still

catching costume.

ensuring the outcome felt like it was coherent with

7

Sketching

Material Experiment

ts

References HAUTE COUTURE

When looking for references in the fashion world on which I could build my designs, I searched for (1) designers who used upcycled materials, and (2) designers whose work had a material aesthetic that would work with humble materials such as bubble wrap

Some of the best references I found were the Armani Prive Spring 2010 collection, the Chanel Couture Spring 2014 collection, and various pieces by Iris Van Herpen, including her glass bubble dress. I was also inspired by a purse by Jimmy Choo that took the texture of a bubble wrap sheet and elevated it to the level of couture, as well as the more accessible but still playful example of the pink bubble wrap packaging from trendy makeup company Glossier.

Moodboard

Materials

Execution DETAILS

Since I chose to work with mostly plastic materials,

could easily be molded to add darts and seams while

the traditional costuming methods of sewing

on the mannequin. To create the iridescent sheen

fabric together was not a very viable solution as

on the bubble wrap, I attached dichroic cellophane

the plastic ripped once the thread was sewn in.

gift wrap to the flat side of the bubble wrap with

Instead, after some experimentation with different

contact adhesive spray. Finally, the closure to the

fabrication techniques I discovered that through

dress was created by using industrial Velcro strips

the use of a Coverite Trim Sealing Iron I could heat

with 3M adhesive backing that was attached along

seal different swatches of the material together.

the underside of one of the back seams of the dress.

Through this method I also learned that the costume

15

Prototyping

17

On the Model

CONSIDERATIONS

One of the benefits of using lightweight materials such as bubble wrap and plastic sheeting is that a lot of volume can be created without weighing down the model. Through conversations with cosplayers and professional models, I discovered that one of the biggest considerations to the model’s comfort when designing a costume is creating a solid bodice that can help distribute the weight of the outfit. Especially when working with large skirts or trains, they told me that the weight from that rests largely on the model’s hips. To help combat this problem, I created a strong belt-like structure made of packing tape on the interior of the dress around the model’s waist to help the dress “rest” on her hips.

Visual

Elements of

Design

3D PRINCIPLES

When focusing on the final form of the dress, I

those axes, I began constructing the rest of the dress

wanted to use the challenge as a chance to apply

form. By sealing the bubble wrap with different

the 3D methodology taught at Pratt to a the field of

textures -- pleated, ruched, and random -- I

fashion. I decided to use a particularly compelling

created sections within the dress that constituted

moment in my 3D construction final that occurred

different volumes and visual elements. I used the

between two passing planes and try to convey the

seams where those elements met to represent the

visual intrigue in my costume design. To do this I

two main axis, and then used varying materials

began by sketching out where the axes might pass

and textures to convey subordinate elements such

in charcoal first, then took wire outlines and pinned

as a spiral pin or a chaos-like element of plastic

them to the form where the axes would fall on the

sheeting.

model. Once I was satisfied with the placement of

21

“If you can’t make it more beautiful, what’s the point?” ~ Rowena Reed Kostellow

23

Hey there!

My name is Jess and I’m an industrial design graduate student at Pratt Institute. I studied environmental science as an undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill and am currently working on products with minimal resource consumption and waste production.

If you want to reach me, you can find me here:

email: jsmith22@pratt.edu phone: (980) 254-4074 website: jessleighsmith.com

Thanks!

C A

N

Y O

JESSICA SMITH

N

Table of Contents 4

Inspiration & Ideation

8

Prototyping & Rendering

2

22

Presentation & Progress

3

Inspiration

What inspired this design?

This design was inspired by the rolling faces and geological striations of a canyon wall. It was also partly inspired by the 3D printing technology that Gantri uses. As someone from an environmental science background who is new to 3D printing, the first time I saw the texture it creates I immediately thought of sedimentary rock and the layered effect caused by sediment deposition.

I wanted to create a design that really leaned into the medium of 3D printing and turned the natural texture into a desirable quality.

ANTELOPE CANYON, AZ

LEARNING CURVE Luckily, Gantri provided ample resources via Solidworks for 3D modeling references for their technical parts. That said, I still needed to learn the basics of CAD modeling and 3D printing in order to execute a working prototype for the presentation. In the course of the project, I learned the basics of working with Maya, Solidworks, KeyShot, and Magics.

6

7

PROTOTYPING How does the form relate to the purpose, user, and environment?

The form is directly inspired by the surface of a canyon and is intended to bring that memory and nostalgia to mind when the user experiences it. Beyond the emotional connection, the lamp should be beautiful when in use and produce enough light to be useful as an area light. I wanted to make the form more oval in shape than circular to create the impression that it is stout and sturdy, like a rock.

8

The highly textured and variable surface of a canyon wall.

The final version of the Canyon lamp would ideally have a similar profile view.

GEOMETRIC

ORGANIC

COMPOSITE 10

Form Explorations When choosing a form for the Canyon lamp, I explored a ranged of underlying shapes that the corrugated canyon texture would enhance. I spanned the range from an abstract geometric hemisphere to a highly organic form. In the end, the organic form offers the most potential to be enhanced by the 3D printed texture.

11

WHY THE DESIGN PIVOT? When trying to execute the original design of variable wall thicknesses, the first step was to create a viable CAD model to be 3D printed. I was advised to use Maya and pursue a realistic texture via displacement map, but given technical difficulties and the short timeframe for R&D, ended up pivoting for the working prototype to a simpler organic form using Solidworks.

12

When learning how to use a displacement map in Maya, the canyon surface texture seen in the image on the right was used to create the surface distortions.

Technical Issues The final blow to proceeding forward with the design in Maya was the size and complexity of the mesh required to execute the design. The decision to switch to Solidworks was made after the computer crashed repeatedly in the act of trying to slide the top and bottom faces to ensure the print would come out even.

13

RENDERINGS

14

The organic form of the Canyon lamp was created by creating a lofted base comprised of various ovals and hexagons in Solidworks.

15

WORKING PROTOTYPE: NIGHTTIME

What is the purpose of this design?

The purpose of this design is to create a beautiful and functional area light that users feel an emotional and nostalgic connection with. It is to create a quality of light that feels unique and special to 3D printing, an effect that distinguishes it from regular lighting methods. Once on, the glow of the Canyon lamp should also ignite user's memories of the beauty of a setting sun against a rock face. It should remind them of the warmth of that rock against their skin, a respite from the chilly desert air that descends once the sun has set.

I see the Canyon lamp as a connection between the user's life outdoors and his/her life back at home. I would also hope that by inspiring fond memories of the outdoors, the Canyon lamp might serve as a reminder of the responsibility we have as individuals to take care of our natural environment. To that end, it might serve as a good opportunity for Gantri to highlight their plant-based plastics.

16

17

18

WORKING PROTOTYPE: DAYTIME

Who is the intended user?

When I envision the type of user who is purchasing and using the Canyon lamp, I imagine that he/she is an active, natureloving person. Whether an individual, couple, or a family, the user(s) value being outdoors and are invested in protecting the environment.

Specifically, I could envision a young mother of an active family using this light in the living room when reading or drawing with her child. The back wall of the living room is largely windows with some scenic backdrop, likely a western landscape like a mountain range or desert. They've just gotten home from a hike and are taking a well-deserved break after a healthy dinner.

19

high-fidelity render of the Canyon lamp

20

CONTEXT

What is the intended environment of this design?

I envision this lamp in a living room or on a book shelf as part of an assembly of collect objects. The users taste isn’t minimalist, but is highly curated. Objects aren’t purchased and consumed just for the sake of it; each has an emotional attachment or memory associated with it. I specifically imagine the Canyon lamp on a shelf or bookcase surrounded by other collected items: a cairn made from river rocks, a succulent or fern, a collection of polaroids from a road trip. Even more poetic might be a scene of the lamp juxtaposed with climbing gear and a snapshot of a climbing trip out through the canyons.

21

FINAL PRESENTATION The working lamp prototypes were presented to Gantri representatives on Pratt Institutes campus on the evening of April 25, 2018.

22

24" x 36" vertical poster for the April 25th Gantri presentation

CANYON AREA LIGHT

01. CONCEPT The Canyon light grew out of a collaboration between the ID Tech course at Pratt Institute and Gantri, a lighting company that uses 3D printing technology. It is inspired by the rolling curves and undulating walls of Antelope Canyon, Arizona. Rather than shy away from the striated texture caused by 3D printing, the Canyon light leans into the texture to mimic the sedimentary layers of a canyon wall.

02. IDEATION During the ideation phase, a range of forms ranging from very geometric to very organic were investigated. In the end, the most organic form best resembled the curves of a canyon.

03. PROTOTYPE The working prototype for the canyon lamp is a form study to determine the best shape of the lamp. The wider base and shorter height are meant to resemble the formations that arise from canyon erosion around a river.

Moving forward, the ideal final prototype would also use variable wall thicknesses from 2.4-2.6mm to create a corrugated texture, mimicking the outline of a canyon wall and creating a pattern as the light shines through it.

CROSS- SECTION OF WALL OUTLINE

DESIGNER: JESSICA SMITH

“The extreme clarity of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of desert life forms.� ~ Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire