Light Bulb Process Book
By Krissy Mayhew
SO, I HEARD YOU LIKE LIGHT BULBS For the Fall semester of 2011, the Introduction to Multimedia Systems class explored over a hundred different solutions for a single object. The object I chose was a light bulb. This book records the process of the various explorations of the light bulb while offering brief explanations of each experiment.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND At the very beginning of this process, we were told to pick three items that we would want to work with for the rest of the semester. Then, as a class, we would assist each other in narrowing the three objects down to one. There were limitations as to what kind of objects we could pick, but ultimately they typically equated to average every day items. In the end, I decided upon the light bulb due to it’s interesting curves and the intricate filament found inside.
MIND MAP When the item that we wished to work with the rest of the semester had been chosen, we were required to come up with various words and phrases that related to the object itself. At the time it was not clear what these would be used for, but it helped open up a narrow perception on an ordinary object.
COLLAGE EXPERIMENTS This process helped us with experimenting with the various words and phrases that were produced in the mind map exercise. Each image represents a selected term and constructed with various images found on the internet. These collages were not to be put together digitally. They had to be crafted by hand in order to see how well an image can be put together without the help of technology.
DOTS This process helps to oversimplify our chosen items so that it is clear that “more” does not necessarilty mean “better”. At first I was unsure as to how such a simple exercise would help, but it became clear when I saw the final product. The solution that uses the most dots is not as iconic as, say, the experiment in the bottom center that uses a smaller amount.
DRAWING WITH SHAPES Instead of individual dots, we were now given the oppurtunity to use geometric shapes. The first two boxes serve as a visual of a sillhouette and a more realistic view of the item. From that starting point we had to try and replicate our items using a set number of geometrical shapes. Again, this process shows that “more” does not necessarily equate to “better”. It became more difficult as the number of shapes rose to place them in places that seemed necessary.
CONSTRUCTION PAPER SHAPES The construction paper process is similar to the previous drawing process, but it limits the designer in regards to the intricacy of the design. Where a trapezoid within a triangle may be easy to draw, it is increasingly more difficult when you are limited to construction paper and an x-acto knife. Ultimately, this process helped show the difficulties that may arise when a different medium is used.
PHOTOGRAPHING SHADOWS One aspect that can easily be forgotten is the shapes created when examining an objects’s shadow. Of course, the outcome of this process can end up producing a great deal of expressive content, but it also helps simplify the object’s shape.
DRAWING STUDY Previously we experimented with the different shapes that make up a drawing. However, this process broadened the spectrum and allowed for a more in depth exploration. We looked at isometric, orthographic, and various other solutions in regards to our chosen item. In the end, this process helped me look closer at my chosen object and observe all of the details that I might not have noticed before.
SUPER PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE The super photography challenge was a process that helped us imagine different scenerios with our chosen project. Although this process seems as if it is only involving photography, it also required an investigation into creating copies of an image. This process seemed to help the most because it showed that you can achieve different looks by not resorting to photoshop.
SUPER IMAGE CHALLENGE The super image challenge pushed us to even further investigate our item and the image making possibilites. Some of the outcomes don’t even slightly resemble a light bulb, but the process itself helped me understand how to problem solve when presented with an obstacle. The experiment also helped me further understand what makes something iconic. Sometimes a simplification does a better job at communicating than a wealthy amount of detail.
ICONIC SOLUTIONS After several different processes involving the light bulb, it was now time to take everything we had learned and create an iconic solution. I had a hard time deciding how to address the filament, and ended up not using any of the solutions shown to the right. Even though I didn’t use any of the filament solutions produced to the right, it ultimately helped me refine it to a more simplified iconic version.
FINAL ICON
This is the final solution after months of examing my object and the various processes that we were assigned. It holds a simplified form that does not hold a complete realistic correlation to an acutal light bulb. Of course, I could have come up with this solution without going through the processes, but that is not the point. Each feature of this light bulb has been considered after a great deal of research about this particular item.
LIGHT BULB FONTS After achieving an acceptable iconic solution, the processes now addressed font creations. A good place to start when creating these fonts is the mind map that was established earlier in the process. It helped achieve ideas for fonts that may not have been possible if I did not have a list to refer to.
FONTS AS IMAGES This process was similar to the previous process in the sense that it helped tremendously to refer back to the mind map. I think that this process allowed for a greater exploration in the creative functions of an image. This exercise would definitely be useful when exploring logo ideas and the different fashions in which a company could be represented.
CLIPPING MASK The exploration with the clipping mask takes us back to the final icon created a few processes back. Now that we have a fully iconic depiction, we must crop it in ways that are interesting yet still hold the iconic qualities of the object.
COMPUTER TRANSFORMATIONS Previously, a great deal of this process book contained image solutions that were not produced on a computer. Computer transformations aimed to allow an even deeper exploration of the processes through digital manipulation. This process allowed for experimentation that you typically would not think to apply to your images. Ultimately, it helped a great deal in furthering the understanding of perspective as well as manipulating specific features of an image to create a feeling.
COLOR STUDIES At first glance, this process may just appear to reflect different color applications. While they do show different color applications, the colors were decided on based upon different words chosen from the mind map. Words such as “explosion� were matched with bright yellows and oranges to compliment the feeling. This process really helped in the consideration of color palletes and the connotations that come with them.
Published in St.Petersburg, Florida Intro to Multimedia Systems Fall Semester 2011