WORLD OF COLOUR
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WORLD OF COLOUR DOCUMENTATION BOOK
A project by Nayonika Ghosh
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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PLAGIARISM STATEMENT I, NAYONIKA GHOSH, hereby declare that the content of this student documentation and final design/artwork submission is my own original work and has not been plagiarised in full or part from previously published/designed/manufactured material or does not even contain substantial propositions of content which have been accepted for an award of any other degree or diploma of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in this thesis project. I also declare that the intellectual content of this Thesis Project is my own original work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style and presentation is acknowledged and that this thesis project (or part of it) will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT I, NAYONIKA GHOSH, hereby grant Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology the right to archive and to make available my Thesis Project in whole or in part in the institute’s databank and website, and for non-commercial use in all forms of media, now and hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my project guides Vanya Sahi and Gautam Dayal for their constant support and guidance. I would like to thank Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology for providing me with this opportunity. I would like to thank Agastya International Foundation for this platform and lending their support by providing us with an audience for user testing and feedback.
I would like to thank my peers for their feedback and criticism which was crucial for the development of my project. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the children who participated in the activities I designed and helped me through my process. Nonetheless, I would like to thank my parents and my friends for their constant support and encouragement which helped me get through the challenges.
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CONTENT
Phase 1 : Explore & Experiment
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Phase 2: Developing the concept
17 - 32
Phase 3: Construction
33 - 57
Reflective Statement
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Bibliography
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PHASE 1:
Explore and Experiment During this phase we worked with different topics in science and math and made small prototypes for our explorations. This phase was essential and played a significant role in the discovery of colour as my topic of interest.
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S T E A M Science
Technology
Education
Art
Mathematics
STEAM by Design is a project which redefines STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to integrate Art and Education into this realm. This project was in collaboration with The Agastya Foundation and ISRO to integrate science and art in a harmonious manner to develop alternative ways of learning or experiencing science.
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AGASTYA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Agastya International Foundation has a vision is of a creative India. It’s mission is “to spark curiosity, nurture creativity, and instill confidence” in economically disadvantaged children and government school teachers by bringing imaginative and innovative hands-on science education, project-based and peer-topeer learning to schools, towns and villages across India. Our visit to their main campus in Kuppam was essential in understanding their ideology. The campus offers multiple centres for learning like the Arts and Media Lab, the Math Lab, Innovation Hub and many others. For this project we were primarily collaborating to work with the Math Lab and Innovation Hub. The math lab displayed many modules of interactive particiption based on simple mathematic and scientific concepts. Children were allowed to participate in these activities and were assissted by guides. As we spoke to various members of the institution, they emphasized on promoting ideas and new concepts. They want to provide triggers or sparks of curiosity for the children, so that they can think beyond what they are taught in school.
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MIND MAPPING
From the beginning of this project, we started working on creating modules for children. Initially we were iterating for ideas which peeked our interests and designed small activities in which we engaged with our peers. Engaging with our peers was essential in understanding many aspects of the activity. It was helpful in identifying the negatives and
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the positives in the activity and also some feedback helped in adding onto the activity to make it more wholesome as an experience. Another platform this project provided us with was the “Learning Mela�. The Learning Mela is an initiative which haa been started by our project guides, Lavanya and Gautham. This mela takes place on every Saturday in
the N3 Srishti campus, where a number of children from the vicinity are invited to try small activities based on themes like shape, electricity, geometry,etc. Thus, as a part of this project we were able to user test our activities with these children to understand their implications effectively.
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TYPOGRAPHY WITH SCIENCE AND MATH Typography has always been one of my key interests as graphic designer. As a subject besides design principles, it also has a lot of math with respect to proportion and geometry in its construction. Thus, for this assignment I decided to look at typography through a scientific lens and explore a variety of techniques and activities to make it into an interactive experience.
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ALPHABET FORMS
This activity was a small prototype of an installation to display the effects of light from different angles on structure such that it’s shadow resulted in the formation of a different alphabet everytime. This particular prototype was made out of plasticine in the form of two “u” shaped structures kept at an angle a small distance from each other. As the light was flashed on it from different heights and angles, its shadows led to the formation of alphabets, “W”, “V” ans “C”. All of these results were derived due to the ability of light travelling in a straight line and its interaction with opaque objects and forms.
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ALPHABET TANGRAMS
t have been provided. g them. This particular s.
ly be placed adjacent
This is a DIY kit to create alphabets using shapes that have been provided. Cut out the shapes and start creating alphabets using them. This particular set can be used to create a minimum of 12 alphabets.
Instructions : The shapes cannot overlap each other. They can only be placed adjacent to each other to create an alphabet.
ALPHABET TANGRAM (Design)
This activity was designed to create alphabet puzzles for children. Alphabets were deconstructed into simple shapes which the children had to put together to form the alphabet again. While designing the activity, I worked on creating puzzles for alphabets A,D,H,I, L,J,C,O and K. I tested this activity on both my peers and the children at the learning mela and it really helped me to learn and discover new things about it.
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ALPHABET TANGRAM (User Testing)
While, I designed the activity with limited alphabets, I did not inform my users about this fact. Initally, they cut out the shapes and the instruction card informed them about how the shapes were to be put together. Once they started playing with the shapes, they were able to come up with more alternatives (other alphabets), than I had anticipated. The children who visited the learning mela were from local schools around Yelahanka. Thus, many of them did not know English. But working with an element like basic alphabets turned out to be useful as they were able to identify it easily. But, I also realised, typography as a subject would not interest children as much as something like shapes, structures and forms.
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SUPER BLOOD MOON WORKSHOP
This activity was designed for children in Purva Venezia, Yelahanka, during the Super Blood Moon which occurs every year. We all worked in groups to design small activities with which we could interact with children to tell them about the event. Our group worked on creating a model for showing the phenomenon and bookmark which showed the moon enter into the lunar eclipse. It was really intimidating to see all the children around at once. But with the help of some prompts and other group members we were able to conduct the activity. The lunar eclipse was integral in educating us about this phenomenon and further peeked my interest towards the concept of light and shadows which is the primary principle behind an eclipse.
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MAKE YOUR OWN BOOKMARK (Instruction manual)
After we carried out the activity, each of us worked on creating a toolkit or an instruction card which could be sent to the children, such that they could recreate this activity. The above image is a instruction manual for recreating the coppermoon bookmark. This activity was helpful in contextualising the activity we carried out. It was the first time, I had worked on creating this sort of a manual, thus, I learnt about writing instructions as well as providing prompts which helped me as I progressed with the project.
MATERIALS REQUIRED : - A4 size printing paper - OHP sheets - Pair of scissors / cutter - Ruler - Tape
DIRECTIONS TO CREATE A BOOKMARK : STEP 1 :
STEP 4 :
Print out 4 rectangles in a portrait A4 size sheet which are 4cm (in width) and 21 cm (in length) if this option is not available just cut out these rectangles from a dark coloured sheet (preferably navy blue or black in colour).
Time to make the moon slider! Use a dark coloured paper to create the slider which should ideally be 17cm in length and 2 cm in width.
4 cm
Now, stick the moon at one edge of this paper as shown in image (A). And remember to stick a strip behind the slider just after the image of the moon as shown in image (B).
21 cm
(A)
STEP 2 :
2 cm
MAKE YOUR OWN COPPERMOON BOOKMARK! This is a DIY instruction manual to make your own lunar eclipse bookmark. It’s an easy project you can facilitate and ask children to create, such that they have a take - away and are left with some understanding of this spectacular phenomenon!
2 cm 17 cm
Turn over this piece of paper and make a slit which 2 cm long on the back of this paper.
strip
(B)
4 cm
STEP 3 : Print out 4 rectangles on an A4 sized OHP sheet with the shape resembling image below with similar dimensions as in step 1. You can use softwares like Adobe photoshop and illustrator to create this pattern. Remember to set the opacity to 70%.
What is an eclipse and why does it occur ? What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse? What is the meaning of - coppermoon, blue moon and super monn? What is a blood moon and why does it occur?
If you are unable to do so, cut out the rectangle and draw these semi-circles on the centre of each strip and use transluscent glass colours to paint the inner semi circle in a red/copper colour and the outer edge in grey.
STEP 6 :
4 cm
21 cm
STEP 5 : Now layer these three components. First place the dark paper, and then pass the slider through the slit that has been created and further add the film of OHP sheet onto it. Then tape this from all four edges by using a clear cello tape. DO NOT STICK THE SLIDER TO THE EDGE.
21 cm
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AND INFORM THE CHILDREN ABOUT DURING THE ACTIVITY :
Your bookmark is ready! Slide the moon slider all the way out and now you can understand the phenomenon of colouration the copper moon through a book mark itself!
The two different shadows cast by the earth Umbra and penumbra and how the colour of the moon changes as it interacts with these shadows. Refraction and scattering of white light through the earth’s atmosphere. Red light has the maximum wavelength and thus it does not scatter in the earth’s atmosphere and manages to penetrate through it and reach the moon during a lunar eclipse.
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GLOBAL WARMING
CELESTIAL BODIES
MYTH
COLOUR & LIGHT
PERCEPTION
As a part of the process, mind mapping was a thinking tool which was constantly put into practice to branch out and evaluate all the possibilities a subject offered. These images represent some mind maps from the themes of my interest.
BIODIVERSITY
This tool was very helpful in establishing connections and correlations across themes as well.Some topics I decided to forward were Celestial Bodies, Perception, Colour & Light and Biodiversity.
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VISIT TO VISVESVARAYA INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM
During my visit to the museum, I used the tool of being a fly on the wall and just observed the exhibits. Many children from schools were visiting the museum, thus, I observed their interactions with the exhibits to learn about the point of interests and attraction. Children were naturally drawn towards activities which had a reaction to their actions or even puzzles and mysteries. The images above are from the exhibits on colour. The first image displays the concept of mixing of colour with liquids and pigments while the latter depicts the formation of coloured shadows. The concept of coloured shadows was new for me as well. I was intrigued by this phenomenon and decided to try out this activity with my peers.
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INSPIRATION FROM ARTISTS
A lot of artists have worked on colour earlier. The work done by Carlos Cruz Diez and Josef Albers was a great source of inspiration. The first image is from the exhibit called “Couleur Additive� by Carlos Cruz Diez. This image display a set of optical illusions based on the concept of additive colour system. The second set of images(below) are the experiments carried out by Josef Albers using coloured paper to understand the interaction of colour. Both the pieces of work not only educate us about the different colour systems but also its direct correlation with perception and the ability of the human eye to process colour.
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PHASE 2:
Developing the concept This phase of the project involved discovering colour, learning more about it and developing on the concept through user testing.
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COLOUR Colour would be the topic of inquiry for my project. Initially, I was trying to understand it through chemical composition (in relevance to celestial bodies), perception (vision in different organisms) and optics (coloured light and its character). Thus, by further streamlining my line of inquiry I decided to work with the concept of colour and light and explore it to understand the phenomenon of colour mixing.
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LINKING COLOUR WITH MATH
An integral element of the project was to establish a connection with some mathematical concepts, such that the experience or activity that we create provides the children with a learning experience. These mind maps represent the correlations or connections with math that I was able to arrive at, with respect to my topic of interest, colour. At this point, my work was primarily focussed on understanding coloured light and its characteristics. The concept of colour absorption and its multiple possibilities could be linked to the concept of probability. The concept of proportion and percentages could be applied to observe the changes in the effect of the shadows if the power of the coloured lights were altered. While exploring the concept of colour interaction and colour perception for the human eye, one could use geometry as a tool, with respect to shapes and surface area to observe the effects.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
During our process of exploration, we were introduced to some digital tools like Geogebra, Processing and Scratch. Geogebra was an effective tool in understanding geometry. Construction on the interface was easy and it also provided a feature of interaction through motion. Processing on the other hand had endless opportunities. With the help of my project guides, I was able to explore colour and some of its characteristics like gradient alongwith the motion of the cursor. This software was an integral tool to work with digital interactions on the computer screen.
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ADDITIVE COLOUR SYSTEM
Colour that is experienced directly, as projected light, is classified as additive colour. Additive mixing is the process of colour mixing through light. The primary hues of this system consist of the RGB colour system (red-green-blue). In an additive colour system, the absence of colour is black as it has no projected light. The combination of all the colours in an additive colour system leads to a maximum amount of projected light and results in white. This colour system is often used in digital media such as computer graphics and digital photography.
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COLOURED SHADOWS
This activity was demonstarted in front of my peers in a dark room with the help of three different light bulbs - red, green and blue. When an object was kept before the screen at a distance from the light source, we were able to see the coloured shadows in cyan, magenta and yellow. I also tried experimenting with coloured transparent sheets to understand the concept of colour absorption. None of my peers were aware of this phenomenon, thus it was interesting to see their reactions. The activity was done as an experiment thus as feedback they asked me to have clearer prompts or guidelines which explained the formation of these shadows in detail.
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INITIAL ITERATIONS
While working with the additive colour system, I worked towards constructing two types of experiences depicting the same principle. The first sketch represents my idea of a small scale model where the light source would be set up in a box with a screen and the participants would have to manipulate the placement of the coloured sheets to achieve the desired coloured shadow.
The second sketch represents the same idea but in a larger scale where one participant would enter the box as an object while the other participant would have to observe and ask his partner to draw out the desired coloured curtain such that they can achieve the desired colour shadow. The former could be done individually while the latter would be a team effort.
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USER TESTING I - LEARNING MELA
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We were able to test our activities with the children at the second learning mela which was essential in establishing ground about the relevance of the activity. For this activity, three elements were used: 1 - The apparatus consisting of the light bulbs, cellophane papers and the box. 2 - A fidget spinner with RGB colours to demonstrate the mixing of different colours to form white. 3 - A set of diagrams for explaning the mechanism. After the feedback session, some elements were added to the activity to make the activity more effective as an experience. Initially, the concept of the formation of white colour on mixing of the red-green-blue colour was introduced. Followed by, a demonstration of the mixing of the three coloured lights to form coloured shadows.
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USER TESTING I - FEEDBACK AND INFERENCE
It was a new concept for the children and they took interest in understanding the mechanism. The initial introduction of mixing of light was helpful in breaking down the experience into fragments and then introducing them to the new aspect of coloured shadows. Working with cellophane paper as medium for colour absorption did not work out as it reflected the colours of the bulbs. There was an absence of a technique to document their learning or reproduce it. While attempting the same experiment using coloured papers instead of cellophane paper and some of them displayed the property of colour absorption while others did not. Thus, I had to re-evaluate the inclusion of the activity of colour absorption.
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USER TESTING II REVISITING KUPPAM
Our class revisited the Agastya Foundation in Kuppam for two days where we conducted workshops with children that visited the centre. This experience was important as we had the opportunity to interact with our target audience and understand them. During this session we learnt that our primary audience consists of children of age of 12 - 16 from rural areas or local schools in the vicinity. For this session, I followed similar instructions from the previous session but I also worked on creating a technique for documenting their observations.Initially, I began with circular diagrams but I had to constantly update and change certain aspects of it depending on the way children responded to them. By the end of the day, I realised I could use Venn diagrams as technique for documentation. The children were provided with paint colours , such that they could fill in their observations onto their worksheets.This technique helped in providing a closure to the activity as well.
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USER TESTING II - FEEDBACK AND INFERENCE
I observed that every child has a different pace of learning and understanding. The students came from schools which were either vernacular or english medium. Thus, the students spoke different languages and sometimes communicating with them was a problem. But the facilitators at the campus were extremely helpful. The children were not aware of this phenomenon thus they engaged with it instantly. The worksheets were helpful in documenting their learnings and the children enjoyed painting it in. Using paint as a medium for documenting their observation created a confusion as paint mixes differently as compared to light. There was an absence of an activity explaining the basics concepts of light. Thus, they did not understand the why three colours came together to give white light and vice versa. Though this activity was engaging for the younger children (12-14) for a longer duration, it was relevantly easier for the older children. The use of Venn Diagrams was effective diagrammatically and was helpful in introducing this concept mathematically. As an inference, I realized it was necessary to introduce another activity which demonstrated the property of mixing of paints and pigments to create a wholesome experience.
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SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR SYSTEM
Colour that is experienced indirectly, as reflected light, is classified as subtractive colour. Subtractive mixing is the process of colour mixing through paints,inks and dyes. The primary hues for paint consist of the RYB colour system (red, yellow and blue). In a subtractive colour system, the absence of colour or pigment is white. As the colours are mixed, the amount of reflected light reduces, which leads to the formation of colour which are darker in value. The combination of all the colours in a subtractive system minimizes the amount of reflected light and results in black. This colour system is often used in actively by artists and educators as paint is an integral element in art.
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USER TESTING III LEARNING MELA
This activity was constructed to depict subtractive colour mixing. This activity was tested with children at the learning mela. This activity has been divided into two parts. Part 1: The children were provided with a grid template in which they were to fill in paint in equal proportions to understand mixing of pigments and paints. The template consisted of three sections, first with the primary colours, second with the secondary colours and last with the neutral colour(black). Part 2: A boardgame based on the principle of subtractive colour mixing and proportions. In the former part of this activity, the children understand colour mixing through proportions and apply this learning while they play the game. The mixing of the colour and the correlation between the primary colours and the secondary colours define the movement of the player. The player who would be able to collect the maximum value of the primary colour chosen,would win the game.
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USER TESTING III - FEEDBACK AND INFERENCE
The children enjoyed painting and mixing colour. The competition to win motivated them and thus, they enjoyed playing the game and thinking through colour. The children who played it during the learning mela belonged to the age groups of 5-12 years, thus they were a little intimidated by the calculations with the game with respect to the proportions of the primary colour in its secondary colour or black. As an inference, redesigning the board would have an effect on the interaction. The concept of proportions should had to be introduced hand in hand with the concept of colour mixing, such that the children can play the game more effectively. The game could also includes some word tags, instructions and legends which would simplify it and make it more inclusive.
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NEW ELEMENTS
To create a complete experience for the subject, there was a necessity to include an activity which informs them about light and colour. Thus, I worked to create two new elements for the experience. Part 1: A simple pop-up which depicts characteristic property of light travelling in a straight line. This could be easily achieved by placing a flashlight or a small source of light under the structure with perforations in a dark room. Part 2: Make your own spectroscope. An activity of constructing a spectroscope to understand the formation of a spectrum.
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PHASE 3:
Construction This phase of the project was dedicated to create the final deliverables based on prior research and developments.
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INFERENCE FROM USER TESTING
Children enjoy activities in which they can contribute, collaberate and create.
An element of wonder grabs a child’s attention.
Every child has their own pace of learning, strengths and weaknesses.
Often mistakes and accidents can be essential in finding new alternatives.
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TYPOGRAPHY
F utu r a (a -g) G ill S an s (a-g)
The choice for type for this project had to be simple, such that the children could read it easily. Sans serif fonts are usually cleaner and better defined, thus I decided to choose from the three options above. Futura was the typeface, I chose to use as the structure of its letterforms ‘a’ and ‘g’ resemble the structures of the alphabets we are introduced at school. It was also more readable when compared to ITC Avant Garde Gothic Std.
ITC Avant Garde Go t hi c Std (a-g)
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COLOUR SCHEME
The colour scheme for this project is primarily limited to black and tints of the former for the information and instruction. As this project is situated around the concept of colour, I decided to use colour in my design only when required or for representation, to avoid any confusion for the children when as they try to understand the relevance of colour used in each activity. For the visual style, I worked on creating vector drawings primarily pertaining to the black monochromatic colour scheme and some elements with colour for representation.
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ACTIVITY : MAKE YOUR OWN RAINBOW
A spectroscope is a device through which one can see the visible spectrum of light and it demonstrates the splitting of light into its constituent colours. Thus, this activity was essential in establishing the context on the basics of light. The reference for the template of the spectroscope was taken from “Toys from Trash� by Arvind Gupta. The model proposed in his website was easy to make, inexpensive and portable. I used the template as geometric form and also introduced the basic concepts of shapes like rectangle, squares, trapeziums and triangles, such that the children could understand the shapes and apply the principles while drawing their templates. Initial iterations of this activity, consisted of two sets. One, for the children and second for the guide to facilitate them. Later, I decided to make a book which consisted of the guidelines along with the diagrams such that children could do it themselves and could take help from the mentors if they were stuck.
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MAKE YOUR OWN RAINBOW : CONTENT
The diagrams were primarily line drawings in black and white. There is a step-by-step guide which directs the construction of the model. The template of the spectroscope provided in the book is its actual size and can be reproduced and provided to children as well. Some folds and instructions have been referenced from those used in origami to help in the construction of the model. It was important to include legends/keys, such that the children can make the connections between the instructions and their visual representations. The language used is simple and easy. I attempted to eliminate as much text as possible to avoid the children from getting intimated. Besides the construction, the book also informs the reader about the mechanism of the model and the reason behind the formation of the rainbow.
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MAKE YOUR OWN RAINBOW : FINAL
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These images include some pages from the final book called “Let’s make a rainbow”.
cm
4 cm 7 cm
3 cm
0.2 cm
1.5 cm
4 cm
0.4 cm
4 cm
4 cm 1.5 cm SLIT B
0.2 cm SLIT A 8 cm
11 cm 1 cm
4 cm
7 cm
3 cm 4 cm
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LET’S MAKE!
Can you guess the shapes above ? Use the information given in the page above to help understand this template. Then redraw this template on both, the white and the black A4 sized sheet.
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Cut out the template from both the sheets. Also cut out SLIT A and SLIT B from both the sheets. Now, stick both the sheets behind one another and let’s begin making! Note : This diagram represents the actual size of the template.
Source of White Light
SLIT A SL
IT
HOW TO LOOK?
This model is called a spectroscope. Face SLIT A towards a source of white light (tube light or the light from the sun). And look inside the spectroscope through the SLIT B.
B
What do you see? Why does this happen? Find out next!
Davis, Jeff. Foundations of Color. Tempe: Tem
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ACTIVITY : THE PATH OF LIGHT
This activity consists of a pop-up which is a dome like structure with multiple perforations in them. I took inspiration from “This Book is a Planetarium” by Kelli Anderson for the construction of this paper structure. In this particular activity, the participant has to place a flash light or any small form of a light source in the cavity of the pop up while in a dark room. The light escapes from the perforations and forms due to light’s ability to travel in a straight line. This activity together with the making the spectroscope, forms the set under the topic of introduction to light.
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ACTIVITY : COLOUR PLAY
This activity is based on the principle of the subtractive colour system combined with proportions. It is made up of two parts. Firstly, a paint the cards activity, which introduces the players to the concept of subtractive mixing of colour. Followed by a
game based on the same principle. The board game can be played by 3 players. The entire kit consists of a rulebook, a rule card, two dice, three pieces(for players), a paint the cards book, a score book (with cards), challenge cards and a book.
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COLOUR PLAY : LOGO/ TITLE DESIGN
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The visual language is inspired from subtractive colour system. The letterforms are of the primary colours that belong to this colour system. The images above are the three iterations for the game. The third one has been used for the deliverables. The tilted letterforms are representative for the element of play.
COLOUR PLAY: PAINT THE CARDS
Paint the cards are the first part of the activity where the children fill in the colours to mix them and understand it through proportions. The images below represent the two iterations.
But, I decided to work with the one with squares as the board game also consists of squares as its units.
PRIMARY COLOURS Fill in the boxes with the colour mentioned below them
Red
Yellow
Blue
SECONDARY COLOURS Fill in the boxes by equally mixing the two colours mentioned below them
1 Red + 1 Yellow 2 2
1 Red + 1 Blue 2 2
1 Blue + 1 Yellow 2 2
= Orange
= Purple
= Green
NEUTRAL COLOURS Fill in the boxes by equally mixing the three colours mentioned below them
1 Red + 1 Blue + 1 Yellow = Black 3 3 3
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COLOUR PLAY : THE BOARD GAME
After the feedback I recieved with the user testing, I realized I had to redesign the board for the game. For the first time, I had designed a 6 column and 7 row board but that failed to provide equal opportunities for all colours. Thus, for this piece I worked on a 7 row by 7 column grid, such that there were equal squares representing all the colours providing equal opportunities for doing.
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COLOUR PLAY : DESIGNING THE BOARD
While designing the board, I had to work on various tints and shades of the colour so that each of them are tonally different(images 1,2,3 and 4), such that it is inclusive for children with colour blindness as well. 1
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Even though they might not recognize the colour, the tonal difference alongwith the name tags can help them identify the difference in the colours. Image 6, represents the final colour scheme used while the image adjacent to it represents the tonal difference according to Protanopia type - Colour blindness(Image 5).
6 - FINAL COLOUR SCHEME
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PURPLE
BLACK
ORANGE
RED
BLUE
YELLOW
GREEN
PURPLE
BLACK
ORANGE
RED
BLUE
YELLOW
GREEN
GREEN
BLUE
RED
ORANGE
YELLOW
BLACK
PURPLE
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YELLOW
BLACK
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BLACK
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PURPLE
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YELLOW
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PURPLE
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RED
YELLOW
BLUE
PURPLE
ORANGE
GREEN
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PURPLE
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RED
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9 - FINAL DESIGN ORANGE
GREEN
BLACK
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Images 7, 8 and 9 represent the iterations with the different layouts for the board. Image 9 is the final design used for the board.
COLOUR PLAY : THE RULE CARD
The images below represent the rule card which defines the rules of the game and guides the each player through the game.
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Collect 5 points of the primary colour by only collecting the primary colour
Collect 3 points of the primary colour only using black
Collect 20 points of the primary colour Do not use black
COLOUR PLAY: CHALLENGE CARDS
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Collect 10 points of the primary colour only using secondary colours
Collect 10 points of the primary colour using any colour
The images above represent the challenge cards which the players have to choose in for every game. This card determines the goal of the game and the player who completes the challenge first finishes the game first.
ACTIVITY: PLAY IN THE DARK
This activity is based on the principle of the additive colour system combined with Venn diagrams as a technique of documentation of the activity . This activity has to be conducted in the dark. This activity should be conducted under adult
supervision as it demands for the use of electrical appliances. The toolkit consists of 3 coloured light bulbs, 3 light bulb holders, 1 extention cord, 2 card sheets with hollow circles, 1 instruction manual and 3 activity books.
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PLAY IN THE DARK: LOGO/ TITLE DESIGN
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The visual language is inspired from additive colour system. The letterforms are of the primary colours that belong to this colour system. The images above are the three iterations for the game. The second one has been used for the deliverables. The tilted letterforms are representative for the element of play.
PLAY IN THE DARK: INITIAL ITERATION
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From the feedback I recieved from the user testing, I realized I had to design the activity so that it can contribute to a complete experience. Thus, I decided to work on creating clearer set of instructions and diagrammatic representations to understand this concept
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combined with some trivia questions. The children had taken onto the form of the Venn diagram as the colour wheel, thus I decided to build on it and introduce them to the nomenclature involved in the subject which could be followed by some trivia questions.
PLAY IN THE DARK: VISUAL ELEMENTS
The visual language for the illustrations is very simplistic. They consist of vector line drawings representing the objects. Colour has been used selectively depending on the functionality.
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OBJECTS REQUIRED
Step 3: Place this extension board with bulbs in the dark room. Now plug the board to a main switch. Switch it on. Note : Ideally, no other light should enter the dark room.
Screen/Wall
One red, blue and green bulb each
Three pieces of bulb sockets Step 4: Place the board facing a white screen or a wall in the room.
An extension board/spike (preferably with multiple switches)
Step 5: Switch on the individual switches of each coloured bulb. Screen Extension Board with bulbs
Card sheet with a hollow circle in the centre
Small thin objects like pencils, pens, sticks
Screen/Wall
Pencil
Step 6: Now place a pencil/ pen in between the screen and the coloured bulbs. Write the new colours you see on the screen/ wall in the Activity Sheet (from Activity Book 1).
WHAT IS THIS SYSTEM CALLED?
Step 7: Let’s have some fun with this activity now! Switch off one coloured light bulb. Now place the hollow circle cardsheet in between the coloured light and the screen. Try this with switching off other light bulbs as well. What do you see? Write down your observations on Activity Sheet (from Activity Book 2).
Colour that is experienced directly, as projected light, is classified as additive colour. Additive mixing is the mixing of coloured light. In this system, absence of colour is equal to black as it has no projected light. Thus, the mixing of light can be seen best in a dark environment.
PLAY IN THE DARK: MANUAL
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The pages above represent some part of the manual which explain the step by step set up of the apparatus. This is followed by information about the colour system and how it works. Each stage of the activity is linked to a activity sheet where the children can fill in their observations. Most of the diagrams are respresented through colour and text so that the names of the new colours are also introduced to them.
PLAY IN THE DARK: ACTIVITY BOOKS
The images above consist of pages inside Activity Book 1, Activity Book 2, Activity Book 3 ,respectively. These pages are perforated and
have to be distributed to each student as they participate in the activity.
ACTIVITY SHEET
ACTIVITY SHEET
WHAT ARE THE NEW COLOURS YOU SEE ON
WHICH COLOURS ARE MIXING?
THE SCREEN?
Hint : Two colours of the mix to give one new colour.
MAGENTA
CYAN
YELLOW
*Use the coloured markers to write the names of the colour in each box.
*Use the coloured markers to write the names of the colour in each box.
ACTIVITY SHEET Similary with the RED - BLUE - MAGENTA, try to fill in the answers!
(RED)C =
ACTIVITY SHEET Similary with the RED - GREEN - YELLOW, try to fill in the answers!
RED
BLUE =
RED
GREEN =
RED
BLUE =
RED
GREEN =
(BLUE)C =
(RED)C =
(GREEN)C =
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BLUE
BLUE
union
CYAN
GREEN
GREEN = CYAN, BLUE, GREEN In the diagram above, “ “ sign tells us all the colours that either has blue or green in it.
CYAN
BLUE
intersection
PLAY IN THE DARK: VENN CARDS 56
GREEN = CYAN
In the diagram above,“ “ sign only tells us the colour that is common between both blue and green.
These cards introduce the children to the concept of venn diagrams on the basis of which they can solve the activity sheets in
C complement
BLUE
(GREEN)C = BLUE In the diagram above ”C“ sign tells us colours that does not have green in it.
C complement
GREEN
(BLUE)C = GREEN In the diagram above ”C“ sign tells us colours that does not have blue in it.
Activity Book 3. These cards are located in a pocket within the manual and are an example of the blue-cyan-green colour wheel. The front
of the card consists of the symbol with the name and its back consists of the function of the symbol in the form of a venn diagram.
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REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
The context of this project was very different from the projects I have worked on earlier. From the nascent stages, we were constantly working on creating. This project was situated in the realm of science and art and the deliverable was to either cater to our client, Agastya International Foundation or create a project which was directed towards children in the realm of creative education. The opportunities this project provided me in terms of exploration and user experience really helped in guiding the content of my project. Our visits to Kuppam or trial and testing during the Learning Mela were essential in validating the content of our subject. If things were not going as planned, we only had that much time to come up with something new to grab the attention of the child. These experiences often turned out to be effective in learning from the children and also about them. The context of my project was situated around the concept of colour and its properties. When I started of with this topic I was not aware of all the details and technicalities. Colour is often taught to us in school through art and in physics through optics but I never really had an
opportunity to understand it and its different systems. It was a learning curve for me as well as I learnt and understood a lot about the subject and working with children just opened my eyes to newer possibilities and approaches. Linking math to colour and contextualizing it was one of the most difficult parts of the process for me. For example, in Agastya, I started off my activity with 3 simple circles and arrows and as I worked with more students, I started using the representation of the colour wheel which essentially forms a Venn diagram. The act of thinking through making and constant feedback from users really helped me during this period. The process of developing the final outcome was both exciting as well as challenging. I worked on understanding visual representation that would be apt for my project. “Visual Explanations� by Edward Tufte was helpful in educating me about forms and diagramatic representation. This project challenged me to work outside my comfort zone and pushed me to interact, evaluate and create.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Christensen, Emily. “Venn Diagram Symbols Explained.” https://www.lucidchart.com. July 18, 2017. https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/ venn-diagram-symbols-explained (accessed April 26, 2018). https://www.exploratorium.edu. “Colored Shadows.” https://www.exploratorium.edu/ snacks/colored-shadows (accessed April 26, 2018).
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Copyrights 2017-2018 Student Document Publication (for private circulation only) All Rights Reserved Final Thesis Project (Undergraduate Professional Programme) Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology Bangalore - 560064 Karnataka No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, scanning, photography and video recording without written permission from the publishers namely Nayonika Ghosh and Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore. Written, edited and designed by Nayonika Ghosh Printed in Bangalore
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