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ELEMENTS BA DESIGN YEAR 1 STUDIO PRACTICE MAT THEW EDGSON 33266636
In pulling my first year projects together, I considered the first year of Studio Practice as an entity. Each project became an “atom”, composed of different processes contributing to the outcome, which constitute it’s makeup. I then used the concept of “covalent bonding” from chemistry (where atoms bond through shared electrons) as a way to form these individual atoms into a molecule, where the bond is created through shared/ common process. This both draws the projects together in a coherent way, and reveals detail about the process of each project.
W
r
A World Record
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SO 1
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Looking at the shared processes in the illustration opposite (a lot of film, graphics, and textile/ costume design) combined with the concepts of my later projects— TEKHTM and SO2 in particular— there is a direction emerging in my design practice:
Visual Communication combined with using design as engagement/ activism/ an agent for change.
SO 2
The Super Ordinar y 1
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The Super Ordinar y 2
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r
K
a
Studio Practice
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The Phobea-holic
S TW E MP H O 2
PaH
T
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TE K H T M The Environment keeps Happening to Me
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H Hydrogen
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
PaH
pg. 46
SO2
pg. 33 SO1
pg. 22
S T U D I O P RAC T I C E TEKHTM
S TW E MP H O
pg. 56
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r
K
a
T
3
Film Graphics Wr
pg. 4
Textiles Performance design Product design 3
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
A WORLD RECORD THE MOST WEIGHT TAKEN BY A FOLDED PAPER BOAT
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http://searchconsumerization.techtarget.com/ photostory/2240179411/Top-10-consumerization-definitions-IT-pros-should-know/8/Dropbox-Storage-in-the-cloud-out-of-ITs-control
http://hdwallpapermania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/amazing-pink-paper-boat-1920x1080-hd-wallpapers.jpg
http://sailingonpaperboats.tumblr.com http://wallpaperhd.me/man-sailing-paper-boat-hd-wallpaper/
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http://underthearborbeams.wordpress.com/tag/paper/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesmathew/6260841793/
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
CONCEPT I chose this particular record for two reasons: firstly, my enthusiasm for origami and paper folding. Secondly, through my research, I found that images of paper boats had a link to the idea of accomplishing the impossible. That seemed like the ideal basis for a world record attempt. Beginning with listing the considerations surrounding the construction of the vessel made me realise how many variables I would have to take into account. * What shape should it be? * How will it be constructed? * What size of paper should I use? * What about the weight of the paper? * A solid or liquid weight? * Do temperature and hardness of water affect how the boat will float?
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MODELLING & PROCESS I used the traditional paper boat as a starting point. However after testing it with some weight, it was not the right design to continue with to achieve this record. The balance of it makes adding weight rather tricky and the low walls of it also mean that water gets into it very quickly, causing it to sink shortly after receiving any weight.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
Adapting the boat into a kayak style gave it higher walls, and allowed it to take more weight before sinking. But for a world record, it needs to take much more!
For the weight in the trials, I used two pound coins, as their weights are regulated and precise.
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Adapting the boat to give it a larger capacity and even higher walls allowed it to take double the weight. Increasing the paper size vastly increased the load, but it now need to be bigger to set this record.
Increase the paper size to A3
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
After several iterations and refinements, I produced the boat to help me set this record, I wanted to increase the size to even larger than A1, but the method of folding begins to tear the paper any larger than A1.
MADE FROM A1 WATERCOLOUR PAPER 11
STORYBOARDING & FILM PRODUCTION I wanted to make the film really well shot, and be very careful of where things were in the shots and how I captured them. I wanted to make the film quite dramatic, and put an emphasis on a narrative about the boat as it accomplishes the record.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 Typeface used:
A World Record
Avenir Book 58 point Using iMovie was purely because I hadn’t edited a film together before, and it doesn’t require much technical knowledge to use. I think that the titles I used are questionable, they need to stand out more, and lose the shadow.
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FILM OUTCOME
PRESENTED ON 1st NOVEMBER 2013 The film that I produced was well shot, with some good moments, but it loses the essence of the brief— it needs to be about a world record. I feel that the combination of the music and some of the shots makes it overdramatic, and needs to be toned down. 14
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
REFLECTION The film outcome is well shot, but I feel that the communication of the concept is faltering— it is about a world record, and the film needs to bring more attention to that. It does need to maintain those carefully considered frames though. The text captions need to be looked at again— the placement and weight need to be better suited to the shots so that they can be read at all times, and the shadow behind them needs to be removed. I should also replace the music used with something less dramatic, as it makes the film seem less serious, almost like a spoof of another project. The research I have conducted is good, but it needs to influence the project more. There has to be clear links between the research and the progression made, this could be included in the video, but that may detract from the aspect of the world record. The film produced needs to reflect every aspect of the project, to make it feel like the research, modelling/ testing and refining is leading somewhere. I would like to try using stop motion clips to show how the project progresses, as I want to experiment with different film techniques to make the film feel more varied. 15
REFINING: STORYBOARDING
I wanted to improve the communication of the film, to make the project more succinct. Incorporating more of the developmental stages into the film will make it feel like it is leading somewhere towards a final act.
I need to experiment with a variety of film techniques and shots (high/ low, close/far, still/motion) to add the variety to the film. 16
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
Font used:
Avenir Black
To give me more control over how the film moves from one frame to the next, I produced the improved film in after effects as opposed to iMovie, which has a less sophisticated time line.
I used stop motion to illustrate the progression from the first boat model to the next, and to visually communicate my developments. This was a more playful approach and adds a more engaging aspect to the movie, and the much needed developmental steps. 17
REFINING: FINAL FILM
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 A World Record
REFINING: REFLECTION I am pleased with how this project has progressed, having altered the film to become a clearer communicative tool, thus making the concept of the project much clearer. It is now clear the film depicts a record attempt, through the integration of progression and trials. I still think that the research could have been developed and integrated much more into the final film, and that I could have worked more into the process to create, not necessarily for this record, a much larger vessel which could be used to carry much more weight. I maintained the methods of shooting from my last attempt, which resulted in a beautifully shot film, with several good moments. The inclusion of the stop motion clips adds a playful aspect which was missing from the first film, although this could have been even more playful, exploring more about the paper as a material— and how it behaves when folded, or use it to explore the motion of water. I could have pushed further regarding the designs position in the world— as I refrained from attracting an audience to witness any part of this project. This hindered it in the sense that I have no idea now about an audiences interpretation of it— besides when I screened the first film to colleagues who all praised the filming of it. This project has helped me in the sense that it has opened up my practice to include film— which I had never done before— and I use film as a communication tool as often as possible now, and I appear to have a talent for film making. This brief also introduced me to a way of thinking about any venture as a design project, and the process to work through to complete it. 19
Removing the Ordinary from it’s everyday context...
Context of ordinary/ everyday use Context of Super Ordinary use
...and applying it to a new context...
...makes it Super Ordinary. 20
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
THE SUPER ORDINARY THE ORDINARY IS THAT WHICH WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, IT BLENDS INTO THE NORMALCY OF EVERY DAY. THE SUPER ORDINARY IS EXTENDING THE ORDINARY BEYOND IT’S INTENDED USE/ CONTEXT.
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WE ARE BLINDED BY IGNORANT OF THE FUNCTIONS OF OBJECTS.
WE THINK WE KNOW HOW THEY WORK AND WHAT
THEY ARE AND WE ACCEPT IT.
COULD BE-
SO WE IGNORE ALL THAT THEY
ESPECIALLY MAN MADE OBJECTS-
SOMEONE SAID THEY WORK LIKE THIS BUT I SAY THEY
WORK IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
CHILDREN DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
THIS BECAUSE THEY QUESTION THINGS AND PUSH HOW THE WORLD WORKS.
ARE WE USING THESE ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF THE COINS TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL?
IS IT TIME TO RECONSIDER THE
PURPOSE OF THESE COPPER COINS IN A MODERN SOCIETY?
THINK ABOUT IT. PENNIES KILL BACTERIA.
WITH SOMETHING SO SMALL, MANOEUVRABLE AND CLOSE TO HAND AT MOST
TO INTEGRATE THEM AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS IN OUR ROUTINES, AND INTERACTIONS? IS THIS HOW WE LIBERATE THEM TIMES, ARE WE IGNORING THEIR POTENTIAL-
FROM
THEIR
CURRENT
WILL THIS 22 PERCEPTION
MUNDANE
AND
EXHAUSTED
CONTEXT?
REAPPROPRIATION CHANGE THE OF THE VALUE OF THE PENNY?
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
PART 1 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
My starting point of the ordinary was the copper coins of currency, which, in the UK, hold much smaller value compared to other coins. So studying it’s material properties was my method to uncover it’s hidden use/ context. The key was copper. Copper has antimicrobial properties— meaning that bacteria cannot survive on it’s surface, and this has been introduced in hospitals through touch panels, although no medical implementation for copper coins has been introduced. From that, my intervention point became clear— to integrate copper coins into an antibacterial context.
Source: http://www.kme.com/assets/uploads/files/ brochure/kme_antimicrobial_en.pdf
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In trying to understand the antimicrobial properties of the coins, I washed my hands substituting the normal antibacterial agents with pennies. The routine had changed, but the container was inappropriate— it needs to be deeper to accommodate an entire hand in a submerging type of manoeuvre. This is a successful reappropriation, as it depends solely on context to define it’s use. 26
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary In hindsight, going about designing the container was a problem for me. I started afresh and should have begun with the plastic container from before, modifying that shape and bringing that to a more suitable form.
PROTOTYPING I made mistakes with prototyping these ideas as well, as I started with paper modelling, whereas I should have continued my material explorations from the plastic container. I jumped very far from what I tested and this led me to make a big mistake in my process.
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In making, I was so hasty in wanting to make a highly finished product, I completely neglected the process again— I made another large leap in materials without any tests to justify it. Despite that, I believe that I utilised several processes to produce a highly finished article (mainly through the use of a buffer).
MAKING & OUTCOME PRESENTED ON 6th DECEMBER 2013
Forming the base of the container (right).
Inserting a foam membrane into the inside makes the tactile interactions much softer, but the flaps do not really feel necessary, they do not add anything to the design. This was not a successful product, as when the coins are inserted, it is very difficult to get your hand into it.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary I also wanted to open my explorations to other types of social/ routine interactions where these coins could be substituted...
...such as a cleansing handshake (above), or sneezing into a handful of pennies as opposed to a tissue (right).
This could change the way we think about receiving one pence as change, as a cleansing ritual?
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So to include these additional interactions and to accompany the product, I laid out all of my findings, speculations and proposals into a manifesto of sorts. I think that this was a necessary addition to the project, as the product alone does not communicate my intentions sufficiently enough.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
REFLECTION This was an interesting project for me. Despite the production of a design which was not tested properly, this was probably the project that I learnt the most about working process on— that a design needs to be exposed and tested in the world it is designed for, and that this testing is integral to how to develop and take that idea further. The project itself is well researched, I have gone into some depth concerning the material properties of the ordinary objects, and used this research to focus my intentions into a design. The booklet is well produced, it serves as a good communication agent for the project and also shows that I have considered applications for the coins beyond what I have explored through material design. While it is well produced, I would have liked to maybe make it longer, and to be more experimental with the layout and design of the booklet, to push myself further than what I feel comfortable to create a really interesting bit of graphic design.
I was not critical enough in my production process— the way I produced an assessed prototypes was flawed, in that I did not truly learn from my experiments. I made huge, unjustifiable leaps in design decisions such as form and material. I do not think that I was truly analytical in the tests that I did do, and with product design I need to be really focused on what does and doesn’t work. What I am disappointed with on this project is my use of modelling, for all of the reasons above, and because I didn’t use it as a way to progress ideas— I made something, and then furthered my ideas through drawing because I was more comfortable with that. In my next product design venture, I need to throw myself into modelling and not be afraid to go out of my comfort zone. This project was an eye opener for me, and was one of the motivators for me to throw myself into a project and not be afraid of mistakes and errors (see TEKHTM on pg. 56).
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
PART 2 NO MORE FORMALITIES (ADDITIONAL SELF DIRECTED PROJECT)
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WEARABLE TYPE I am very interested in graphics, and visual communication— so, in this self directed project, I wanted to create super ordinary typography. My initial step was to take the Gill sans “g”, known for it’s resemblance to spectacles, and transform it into a wearable item. Although this was a good starting point, the purpose needed to be more focused, and so I began to consider what it means to “wear typography”— in order to create a design which is more ontologically aware.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
What I notice about typography which we are exposed to everyday is that there is a formality about certain aspects, such as the TFL typography or the graphics which tell us what to do, such as advertising or cautions. So this would be a really interesting thing to break through super ordinary type.
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So if Ordinary Typography = A Manipulator of People 36
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
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MODELLING With this project, I really wanted to exercise the material side of my practice, and to do this with creating super ordinary type would be a challenge. Beginning with a typical form of typography designed to control, harvesting the typography from it was a slow process, and needs to be quickened.
My method for reclaiming type from institutions and wearing it was initially double sided tape— but this was too strong a bond, and damaged the type when removing it, but the concept of harvesting typography and forming an opinion/ response from it is interesting. 38
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
Producing the letters from self adhesive labels really advanced them in both aesthetic and function. The act of peeling away the type and applying it to myself added a playful aspect— which goes someway to breaking the format of this type of lettering. The transition that occurs during the transfer from a formal message to an informal message is an interesting contrast, which I would like to follow.
The way that the letters distort and wither, and do not fit back into the original arrangement as they once did is interesting. Almost like a conversion from which there is no return.
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An interesting thing to come out of this project was the way I developed this mapping technique to illustrate my progression of ideas and my thought process. I was really grateful to have evolved this process, as it really helps me to focus my ideas surrounding the concept of my ideas, especially.
BA Design
Drawing out plans for the prototypes of the signs I want to exploit allowed me to analyse the letter count and variation to make sure that there was a vast coverage of letters to allow for a range of responses to each. I would like to make more types of sign, to establish a larger series.
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
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MAKING Replicating the parking sign was fairly simple, after printing the letters onto sticker paper. I wanted to make the signs as interactive as possible, so I made all typographic elements on the signs removable and sticky— which allows for many variations and iterations of response. I think that I could have been more precise with the lettering, perhaps through use of a vinyl plotter to get the exact shape of the letters.
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When removing the letters, it is a great contact so that they stay on the sign, but can be removed easily— but some forms, such as the “s” were fragile, and began to break when removed.
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
The finished signs have a sense of formality about them. The slight misplacing of letters and inconsistent leading hints that there is something more to them— something playful.
One important aspect of my practice that this project improved was how I approach and use material properties of objects— which was lacking from some of my other projects. 43
Testing the design was fun— the process of looking at the words and isolating the letters to use to form a sentence, but simultaneously disrupt the typography of the existing notice.
The transition from a formal message to an informal one— that perversion of the intended message is an exciting prospect, which I intend to develop further. I also like the way the design breaks down the formal barriers between the typography and the viewer, but these signs now need to be placed on site, strengthening the contextual side.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Super Ordinary
REFLECTION I have enjoyed this project, as it gave me the chance to exercise and develop the array of techniques and processes I have learnt throughout the year, but also allowed me to develop a project which had typography at it’s core— which I was keen to do, but all my other projects took me down different paths, with different concepts at their core. The project questions and interrogates the idea of typography and instruction via typography. Through breaking the formalities and the barrier between the design and user, the project explores the idea of reclaiming typography from the institutions that try to control us with those letters. It also questions the passive nature of typography, and the way that designers use typography to engage with the public. The sign prototypes that I produced begin to ask these questions, but there are still many improvements to be made; such as exhibiting them in the world to establish their context, to improve the production of them— incorporating higher quality materials and processes, and to explore other examples of these formal typographical barriers.
I am pleased with the evolution of my process, as I was able to develop this project in a way that incorporated a much more coherent approach to a material method of designing, which wasn’t so successful for me in previous projects. An interesting process which developed during this process was a visual mapping technique, through which I could clearly illustrate my thought process and progression of ideas. I have made extensive use of this throughout this project and it is helpful as both a communication tool and for me personally to review and focus my ideas. The concept of this project is not only fascinating to me due to it’s typographical roots, but also for this application of Questioning the Institutional Nature of Design, which I have learned about through the contextual lecture series Histories and Theories. This process of interrogation has been evident in my two most recent projects; this one and TEKHTM (see page 56). This, along with my graphical and film preferences is becoming a core part of my process. Despite needing more development, this project has been a revelation for me, as it has helped me realise the core elements of my design practice.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
THE PHOBE-AHOLIC PHOBIA: CHRONOPHOBIA THE FEAR OF TIME
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RESEARCH
Monochronic cultures Belorussian Danish
Egyptian
English
Filipino
Finnish German
A mono chronic culture can be defined as a culture that structures various activities based on the notion of time which is believed to be linear and universal and as such, is expected to be complied with by the other party.
Japanese Korean
Indian Indonesian
Norwegian
Mexican
Russian
A poly chronic culture can be defined as a culture that structures various activities based on interpersonal relationships with people and views time as cyclic and relative.
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Chinese
Canadian
Leading on from chronophobia and fear of losing time, I investigated management of time, which lead me to chronemics.
MONOCHRONIC BEHAVIOURS
Polychronic cultures
Pakistani
Swedish Ukrainian
Saudi Arabic
POLYCHRONIC BEHAVIOURS
* Do one thing at a time
* Do many things at the same time
* Take time commitments seriously
* Put the relationships first
* Concentrate on the given task
* Borrow things easily, if needed
* Emphasize speed in achieving results
* Tend not to separate work and personal life
* Try to avoid borrowing things
* Change plans often
* Do not mix work and personal life
* Consider time to be flexible; they do not set dead-
* Set up a plan and follow it religiously
lines.
* Tend to form short term relationships.
* Tend to build lifetime relationships
http://blogonlinguistics.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/chronemics-monochronic-and-polychronic-cultures/
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Phobe-Aholic
THE USER DAILY ACTIVITIES
Male.
• Awake at 6:30am
In a relationship, lives alone
• Travels to and from work via train • At work from 9 to 5, works at a computer • Lunch at 1:00pm • Archives files at 4pm • Usually eats ready meals
29, concerned about turning thirty. Although not chronophobic, he is worried that time is running by very quickly Leads a monochronic lifestyle
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
• Works out every Tuesday and Thursday • Team meeting every Friday • Shops for the coming week every Saturday • Does washing every Sunday
LONG TERM GOALS
• Own his a home to share with his girlfriend
Works in an office in a 9 to 5 position, which he is not content with. Would like to begin taking control and progressing his life.
AMBITIONS
• To learn about his family history
• Get married
• To undertake a digital detox
• Have kids
• To learn Italian
• To get a job he enjoys/ get promoted to a posi-
• To be a writer
tion which he feels happy in
• To learn to cook, mix flavours e.t.c.
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INTERVENTION MONOCHRONIC MIND SET THE USER’S CURRENT TIME OUTLOOK
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POLYCHRONIC MIND SET WHAT QUALITIES SHOULD BE INTEGRATED
T H U R S D AY 2 7
MARCH 13th week M O N D AY 2 4
F R I D AY 2 8
T U E S D AY 2 5
S A T U R D AY 2 9
W E D N E S D AY
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S U N D AY 3 0
A service to let people take control of present and future through a combination of monochronic and polychronic attitudes.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Phobe-Aholic
Following the performance workshop and testing, this led to thinking about characteristics- what the object wants and it’s interactions with the user.
What does the diary want?
1. Wants to change how the user manages his time 2. Wants to communicate to the user that “Hey, you’ve done alright up til now, but you’ve got to think differently now if you want to move on. 3. To know how the user is coping- so should it have a way to document thoughts/ feelings/ progress of a certain task to open a deeper interaction between object and user.
If with the injected tasks there were opportunities for the user to record what progress the user has made, their thoughts and feelings about the particular task and their next steps to take, there would be a dialogue created between the user and the object.
THOUGHTS? PROGRESS?
WHAT NEXT?
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Through testing,whilst I didn’t get very far in terms of the goal, the process of following my schedule for such an unusual task- almost as if it was telling me to, was quite surreal and fun.
Whilst the colour variation created a distinction between two voices, there needs to be a larger difference as it still looks like me writing in two colours.
After choosing the diary to use to create an imaginary user’s schedule within which to intervene, I need to create a schedule for an imaginary user within which an intervention will occur.
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BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Phobe-Aholic Isolating the font from the book will allow me to use software to precisely match the typeface, so that the goals appear to be written by the diary in the same font.
Using WhatTheFont.com allowed me to establish that the typeface used is either URW Latino Medium or Melior Pro Medium.
Handgloves 53
OUTCOME
PRESENTED ON 10th FEBRUARY 2014
The outcome is not to the standard I would have liked— it would be much better as a custom printed artefact, but the time constraints on the brief, I could only create labels to be inserted into the diary. 54
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Phobe-Aholic
REFLECTION This is my weakest project, and the one I enjoyed the least. This was partly due to the shortness of the project— which made me rush much of the process, and mainly because I didn’t explore enough in my developments meaning that I produced a design which I didn’t believe in. The concept of combining these two mind sets is an interesting. There is much to still be clarified through development about the concept, such as the way that this information is gathered about the user and whether the delivery is too heavy handed— should there be a more subtle direction towards the change in behaviour? The outcome I produced needs to be improved to be a more confident design, but is also the first movement of a much bigger programme, it needs to be branched out into other platforms— such as seeing if it works in any digital formats such as smartphone integration. There are much bigger design issues to be addressed— such as how the diary is tailored to each specific user? The production of the diary needs to be improved, to be custom printed (if so, by what system?). This was not my favourite project, but it did build upon my understanding of design— teaching me that there are many unseen issues surrounding the formulation of a design that are just as, if not more important than the outcome produced. 55
Image Author: Stuart Bannocks 56
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42665617@N07/13340271875
(Accessed 15th April 2014)
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
THE ENVIRONMENT KEEPS HAPPENING TO ME GROUP BASED PROJECT SITE: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, GREENWICH
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A selection of images taken by me at the Maritime Museum.
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
AF TER VISITING THE MARITIME MUSEUM, WE SETTLED ON CREATING AN INTERVENTION WITH A TIDAL CONCEPT FOCUSING ON THE PATHS/MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE THROUGH THE MUSEUM. THIS LED TO GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SEVERAL IDEAS INVOLVING A MOON BASED INSTALLATION, WHICH WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH— IT WAS TOO CLICHÉ.
A BLINDING GLIMPSE OF THE BLEEDING OBVIOUS
THEN WE TOOK A STEP BACK AND ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION:
WHAT IS THE MUSEUM MISSING?
PEOPLE!
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MODELLING
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Through modelling, we wanted to create a static environment representing the museum currently, but also introduce our intervention as a tide of people— moving through the space as if a body of water. This was also a helpful method to visualise how both the people move individually and come together to form this entity.
BA Design We utilised two scales to convey our intentions effectively: * The first model (below) is 1:25, and explores the coming together of all of these people, imagining them as molecules of this wave. * The second model (left) is 1:75, thinking of the people as a network, a connected body— using more abstracted imagery. It also introduces a detritus aspect to the museum, representing tidal debris— an aspect we wanted to exploit.
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
At the moment the concept is quite fragile, and the concept needs underpinning with research into these environmental issues surrounding the tides, but it has ambition, and it cannot lose that. Maybe it isn’t a large scale performance, but a smaller group of people which is well rehearsed.
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MEETING WITH KIN DESIGN
Meeting with Kin design helped us focus our ideas and realise how prototyping can push them from concepts to outcome in the limited time we had.
“Most of our stuff is, like, six to nine months in the planning!”
“They’re nice though… as a museum, it’s one of the best.”
“We’ve got a bit more authorisation than that”
“They might be glad to see people using the map for something.”
“What if they say no?” - “Just make, whatever it is, pop up or something.” “It’s kind of interesting to work within those constraints, like what can you do in the space?” “Be as specific as you can when asking for permission, and make your proposal sound as real as possible.” “So, ten of you, that’s a fair number to be wearing frilly costumes and making a lot of movement.” “There was a nice project, can’t remember who did it, someone designed an object to make people on a manufacturing line move in a specific way and made them waltz.” “Any simple action on a scale of repetition has an effect” “I dunno, just off the top of my head, um… maritime museum… compasses. Just people standing in a grid and pointing a specific way.” “Taking things that the museum can’t show, and using yourself as a conduit… that is quite interesting.”
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“Just dress up as sea monsters and turn up on the map, it would be so cool. You’ll earn some Goldsmith’s points” “Who was that guy who did the urban disguises, dressed up as ikea bags and laid on the floor in Ikea.” “If you’re talking about the plastic in the sea, just cover yourself in plastic bags and roll around on the floor.” “That could be your prototyping route- get the museum really pissed off and try something new each day. You know, like, day one, day two, etc.” “You run the risk of over thinking, so the prototyping thing is a great way to try things out. You could try that tomorrow, just ten guys, one camera.” “Get into that habit of make, reflect, make, reflect.” “Just say you have to do something.” “What is a prototype of a performance- scripting? costume?”
“Is there some sort of way to getting them (the security) to follow you, and making a pattern somehow- to show the mapping of paths.”
“Think if there were no tutors and no marking, what would you do.”
“Theres that performance space up the top there… it was supposed to be a virtual reality, interactive space.”
“If the point of what you're doing is plastic in the sea, what is the best way to communicate that?”
“Could you use the map for your intervention perhaps?”
“What’s the essence of what we want to do?”
“I think it’s easier now, as they have relaxed their rules on photography.”
“Make some stuff, do some things.”
“I guess if you were to do something in the court, on that map, you could probably get away with.”
“Your piece could be a presentation of all these silly things you’ve done- and then how do you communicate that?”
“You’re just gonna have to turn up on the day at 10 and do something, make a fool of yourself.”
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
OUR INTENTIONS TO DESIGN NEW EXHIBITS INTENDED FOR THIS MUSEUM...
...WHICH ARE FLUID AND ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH THE SURROUNDINGS...
WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS— OF MAN’S DESTRUCTION OF THE SEA.
PERFORMANCE BASED
...AND INVERTS THE USE OF THE MUSEUM AS A STATIC ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE VIEWER PLAYS A PASSIVE ROLE
WHICH QUESTIONS THE MUSEUM’S APPROACH.
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The detrimental effects of plastic in the sea will be the focus of our performance intervention, with which we will question the museum’s failure to address the changing nature of man’s dominance of the sea.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/9253665/Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch-has-increased-100-fold-since-the-1970s.html
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a conglomerate of waste, mainly plastic, which is nearly the size of texas— and a possible location to exploit for our intervention. This led to sketching out designs for these costumes which would become the exhibits.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/ sustainability-with-john-elkington/plastics-pollution-collaboration-ocean
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/ photogalleries/pacific-garbage-patch-pictures/ 64
http://www.marinecleanupinitiativeinc.org/ Seabird_Gallery.html
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
Whilst this is a good start, there needs to be a more explicit explanation regarding these costumes and their performances— some graphics boards/ plaques with stats on them perhaps. 65
PROTOTYPING Following Kin design’s advice, we got on from our initial sketches and just began to make, and refine through our making process.
Whilst some of the prototypes were not relevant such as the fish in a bag (top left), a lot of what we produced was the beginning of good ideas. We then had to refine either the material used or the size to make them better suited to use. 66
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
We were really pleased with the plastic bag costumes, as not only for the fit, but how they moved as the user moved— almost as independent entities existing on the body. The shackles are another strong design, for the noise they create— which will work really well with the museum’s acoustics, we wanted to add more, but more shackles resulted in the wearer tripping very often.
The statistic boards are the weakest component. Although they give information about the plastic, there needs to be more. The presentation of them could be improved as well.
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THE INTERVENTION PRESENTED ON 21st MARCH 2014
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Photographs of our concertina style fold out group workbook, which documents our process (presented at the intervention).
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014 The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
Screen shots of the film documenting our intervention. 69
PROMOTION It also opened some doors for us for some possible future developments and collaborations, which the project does need. Whether these are sanctioned developments or not is another matter.
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Placing our intervention film onto several social media platforms allowed us to introduce our intervention to a wider audience, and not have it exclusively for the viewers at the museum.
BA Design
Studio Practice // 2013- 2014
The Environment Keeps Happening To Me
REFLECTION I think this project is one of my strongest of the year, as it was the point at which I began to understand what design really is— a tool to engage with and question the world rather than to conform and look nice. This was what we did with this project— creating exhibits which questioned and confronted the museum’s current state, along with their exhibits and highlighting their passive approach to visitor engagement. Not only did we question the museum, we improved it’s engagement (on that day anyway) by making exhibits that will be memorable for the visitors— maybe more so than their exhibits. The film comes off as quite humorous, whilst raising the point of questioning the museum. It questions the museums approach towards their exhibits and the participation of the visitors. I think there needs to be another section of film, which focuses less on the effect of the intervention and friction with security, and more on the actual exhibits themselves. Such as the plastic bag creature bit, as the movements in that section were very good, and should have been emphasised more.
On a broader scope, this project begins to speculate about and question how museums function and the content and methods of these institutions. Another group working on this project at the same time— who were located at the Cutty Sark— produced an outcome which had similar themes of questioning institutions, and these two projects need to coalesce into a collaboration to further and enhance both projects. I would also like to develop this project further to reflect my own practice and methods: incorporating visual communication as a form of critique, and to further question the museum’s exhibits in terms of what an exhibit is and can be. This project was one of my favourite of the year, but also the one which has been the most beneficial to my practice— in terms of developing my prototyping skills, my ability to critically engage with both the concept and an institution, as well as my own process and the work I produce. The way that this has altered my perception of what design can be is also why this was one of my biggest personal influence on my practice. 71
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