M4 Final Presentation

DESIGN JOURNAL MODULE FOUR: REFLECTION

Sierra Stathis 640338 Semester 2/2013

Group 1

MODULE ONE IDEATION

The material system I worked with was Skin & Bone. Features of the Skin & Bone system include rigid bone-like structures, which support a thin skin-like membrane that covers and protects the bones, just like in the human body. In researching this particular system we observed the workings of an umbrella which is designed using this system.

IDEATION

880

880

MEASURED DRAWINGS Using techniques described

the

in Jensen’s ‘300 Years of

noted accurately. To help

Industrial

understand

Design’

(2000)

smaller

details the

shape

as a guide, I was able to

and views of the umbrella,

accurately

photographs

measure

observe the

and

were

taken

umbrella’s

at the plan and elevation

parts and features. I used

views. A compass was also

a tape measure, ruler and

used to measure the angles

compass to take dimensions

between the bones and

directly

taking photographs helped

off

the

object,

carefully ensuring that

to reference to how many bones there were.

545

PLAN VIEW

ELEVATION

were

SECTION

IDEATION

DIGITAL MODEL This was the first object I

were

had ever created in Rhino.

closing mechanism, as well

It was quite challenging to

as the three dimensional

ensure that all aspects were

space that’s created by the

to scale, but by using the

skin being stretched over

reading by Cheng (2002),

the bones. This changed the

it helped me understand

appearance of the shape

the basic commands and

of being transparent to a

functions

solid object.

features

of I

Rhino.

thought

The were

interesting in the umbrella

the

opening

and

IDEATION

DEVELOPMENTAL SKETCH MODEL The

sketch

model

was

I like the way that the skin

&

stretches around the bones

Bone material system. Using

and forms an organic curve

the umbrella as a base the

shape. I think this is definitely

model was developed with

an area to further explore

a hinge system recreated

when looking at personal

using split pins. The main

space

bone

second skin.

based around the Skin

structure

is

made

using cardboard and the skin is made from a thin Styrofoam.

The

shape

is

three dimensional and can encompass light.

and

forming

a

SIDE VIEW

IDEATION

DESIGN SKETCHES

Bone detail on the outside

Stretched ‘skin’ on the inside A series of diamond shaped bones

A wearable skirt that functions as a physical barrier

covered in a

The second option was preferred as the

transparent/semi-

first included the lower half of the body,

transparent skin

which wasn’t part of the design brief.

MODULE TWO DESIGN

DESIGN

PRECEDENCE In developing the design, we

defined. This is particularly

looked for inspiration from

relevant when looking at

precedence. In particular

aspects of personal space.

I like the work of fashion designer

Winde

Rienstra,

who drew inspiration from the geometries of nature and how structures can sit and work with the human

I

also

researched

Stienleset

the

Memorial

designed by Swiss architect Peter

Zumthor

and

contemporary artist Louise

body.

Bourgeois.

Her collection ’11:11’ she

Their design uses the same

looked at the ‘structure and space’ (Not Just a Label 2013). I liked how her designs created a space around the body that was clearly

material

system

Skin

&

Bone. We drew inspiration from their unusual design feature of an ‘interior skin’ and

‘exterior

bone’.

We

loved how within this rigid and geometric frame were suspended

organic

and

free flowing shapes created by the fabric being pulled at various points.

DESIGN

DEFINING PERSONAL SPACE Personal space has been found to be closely linked to our perception of our own body. We decided to look in particular at the aspect of distortion of body image.

Distortion

is

a

mental

unbalance where a person may

see

themselves

differently to what they are.

They could appear to be larger or more unbalanced.

People with a distorted Studies on the correlation image disorder can feel between personal space their body is larger or more and

body

indicated

image

that

the

have irregular than it is more

self-conscious a person is about

their

appearance,

the greater distance they prefer to stay from people (Rodger 1982).

Measuring the distance needed before personal space is crossed.

Darker colours indicate close relationship with the subject

DESIGN

PROTOTYPING

DESIGN

RHINO DESGN DEVELOPMENT

The

design

was

created

span of the ‘bones’ and a

by first building the bone

surface was created. These

structure around the body

were

according to the triangular

form the rounded organic

prism

shapes.

designs.

Then

lines

then

stretched

to

were stretched across the

Rhino Design Images second skin

Rhino Design Images second skin

Rhino Design Images second skin

DESIGN

RHINO MODEL

We found difficulty when

to create complex shapes

recreating

through

our

design

control

points

using Rhino. Working and

instead of having to panel

developing

curved

multiple surfaces with flat

inner skin surfaces made

planes. This was very helpful

it very challenging.

for us to make the curved

these

developable which

are

The

surfaces formed

using

many flat plane surfaces joined together, had to be simplified to make out design work. Creating the bone structure on the outside was simple, but we needed to simplify our design at many different points to allow for

inside skins.

Abstraction general

creates

solution

components reduction

to

a all

whereas rewrites

the

description without altering the content. This is what the Grasshopper plug-in in Rhino accomplishes. As projects

the interior skin to work.

get larger and larger they

The reading by Scheurer

complex and more errors

(2012) was helpful in defining

will occur.

defferent features of Rhino.

The autor

described how

mathematics was coming back into architecture and that computer modeling is just an abstraction of reality.

NURBS lines allows designers

get more mathematically

This

program

creates

accurate models that can be reproduced into physical product with much greater accuracy handmade.

then

anything

DESIGN

FINAL RHINO MODEL

FRONT VIEW

BACK VIEW

TOP VIEW

MODULE THREE FABRICATION

The fabrication process was the most difficult aspect of this project. The challenge lied within taking the digitalised model and creating a physical model.

FABRICATION

RHINO EXPLODED FRAME IMAGES

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

TOP VIEW

FRONT VIEW

FABRICATION RHINO

To aid the assembly of our

separated the frame into the

second

we

top and back base pieces.

made a simplified 2D version

The pieces consisted of only

of the frame. This was very

20 and 30cm pieces. The 3D

helpful as we could see

triangular prisms were also

all the different lengths of

calculated

aluminium tubing that were

according to their length.

required. These could then

This made the assembly and

be cut to length.

In the

construction easier as we

Rhino assembly drawing we

had all our pieces organised.

skin

frame,

and

grouped

FABRICATION METHOD: STAGE 1 The first step was ensuring

was ensuring all the ends

all our materials were

of the aluminium tubing

collected and cut down

was blunted to ensure it

to size. We calculated the

wouldn’t cut the elastic

number and length of

feed through.

the aluminium tube we needed. Important element of building our model

FRONT BASE FRAME

BACK BASE FRAME

FABRICATION METHOD: STAGE 2

Stage two added the 3D

each

aspect of the model. The

pieces and securing them

Triangles

with a knot at each of

were

added

of

the

individually using the same

the

piece

intersect point.

of

elastic

as

the

pyramid’s

aluminium

pinnacle/

base frame to minimise the visible knots and to ensure maximum

strength.

This

process was quite similar to the building of the base frame as it still involved running elastic string through

Diagram for threading the elastic

FABRICATION

METHOD: STAGE 2 CONTINUED

After all of the pyramids were complete, the front and back pieces needed to be connected to complete the frame and make it wearable. This was done simply by adding two 20cm aluminium pieces between the top of the front and back

FRONT COMPLETE FRAME

BACK COMPLETE FRAME

pieces, and this was joined by doubling up the elastic string to strengthen these two pieces allowing the shoulders of the model to support the entire second skin’s weight.

FABRICATION STAGE 3

Next, the flexible skin layer

fast, however it did leave a

could be added. This was

slight discolouration of the

the most difficult part of the

fabric which was not ideal.

entire fabrication process.

We proceeded to stretch

We ended up sewing each

the fabric between each

corner of the fabric and

pyramid to get rid of folds

gluing the fabric to the

and slack areas of the fabric.

metal

We found as we were doing

approach worked because

this that it was also adding

the stitches at the corners

strength

held the fabric in place,

to

the

overall

second skin structure. secure

the

fabric

to

the edges of the frames, we first attempted to sew it. This proved to be very difficult as it was very time consuming. This prompted us to explore other ways in which we could secure the edges of the fabric.

We trialed hot glue on the prototype,

this

was

between.

This

which gave the glue time to dry.

To

in

very

quick method of securing the fabric as the glue dried

MODULE FOUR REFLECTION

REFLECTION

Virtual

Environments

has

‘Third industrial revolution’

really been an exploration

this type of design and

of

process.

manufacture is where we

really

are heading in future. I think

encouraged me to explore

that it would be positive

creative

to

for the work to move away

such

from a centralised industrial

As

world where things are mass

designers we will face similar

produced. I like the idea of

design problems and need

hiving small or medium sized

to be able to come up with

local manufacture of goods

designs drawing from other

and for craftsmanship to be

designers as well as the

brought back.

the

The

subject

intangible as

design has

approaches concepts

personal

material

space.

systems

us. Part of this

around

process is

working with digital design

I think design now more than ever is streamlining the way

and making.

into the future. Designers not

This was a completely new

ideas, but they are also the

field for me. As a designer,

inventors and the producers

I have always been a big

of

believer in pen and paper

manufacturing techniques.

so

The digital world has allowed

it

came

only are the generators of the

as

a

huge

new

technology

to

and

surprise to be working with

designers

produce

programs such as Rhino. As

literally anything. No longer

Rifkin describes in his article

are we stuck with uniform

REFLECTION

geometric buildings but we

hollow centre we were able The material needed to be

the frame. Because of the the corners were securely

can have curves and twists

to feed an elastic string correctly cut and filed at

distinctly different material attached and didn’t create

and bends, all pre-cut and

through it, which made the each end so as not to cut the

properties that aluminium any weak points where the

pre-tested without lifting a

structure still fairly flexible elastic string or the wearer.

and spandex have there glue could begin to unstick

tool.

when wearing and also a lot The greatest challenge was

wasn’t many ways of joining and pull away.

easy to manoeuvre.

the to together.

Although the Rhino model

suspending the fabric within

Other

smaller

challenges

from

suspending

was useful in assisting our

We tried various adhesives came

design

construction,

including wood glue, fabric the fabric at a point. We

it didn’t prepare us for the

glue, hot glue and superglue needed to place a smaller

challenges associated with

but alone none of these piece of fabric within the

the actual fabrication of the

were strong enough to hold points because we found

model.

the two materials together. the knot tied inside would

and

Because we were working with such different materials (aluminium

and

spandex

elastic fabric) there were challenges

associated

with each of those. During the prototyping stage we

We

also

attempted

to easily pull through just one

sew the fabric around the layer of fabric, but if another outside edges, but found layer were placed on the that this was an extremely underside then the string time consuming task and couldn’t be pulled through. didn’t leave us with a high quality finish.

discovered that aluminium

The solution was to combine

tubing was the best material

the

to build our frame structure

sew the corners of each

from as it was strong and

aluminium piece and then

lightweight. Because of its

glue in between. This way

two

techniques

and

REFERENCES

AND PHOTO CREDITS Heath, A, Heath, D & Jensen, A 2000, 300 years of industrial design : function, form, technique, 1700-2000 Watson-Guptill, New York, Selected Extracts Rifkin, J 2011 “Distributed Capitalism’ in The third Industrial Revolution Palgrave Macmillan, New York pp107-126 Roger, DB 1982, ‘Body-Image, Personal Space and Self-Esteem: Preliminary Evidence for &lsquoFocussing’ Effects’, Journal Of Personality Assessment, 46, 5, p. 468, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 August 2013 Scheurer, F, Stehling, H 2011, “Lost in Parameter Space?”

AD: Architectural Design, vol 81 pp. 70-79 PHOTO CREDITS Pg. 8 Left to right I Green Spot (2013) accessed 30 October 2013. http://www.igreenspot.com/wp-content/uploads/winde-rienstra-SS2012-collection5.jpg Not just a label (2013) accessed 12 August 2013. http://www.notjustalabel.com/winde_rienstra?nid=41427 Johnathan Bell (2011) accessed 12 August 2013 http://www.wallpaper.com/galleryimages/17052538/gallery/02_zumthor_040711.jpg Caaladon (2012) Design (afterhours) viewed 15 August 2013. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PlPg5J7-cI0/TyFgBaL9tRI/AAAAAAAAEHg/DO940iG1Hgw/ s500/Steilneset%2BMemorial_Zumthor_00.jpg Pg. 9 Shore, M (2012). Anorexia Reflections, viewed 15 August 2013. http://www.anorexia-reflections.com/distorted-body-image.html#axzz2jMJoONRy Pg. 11-16 All images Wylie, J (2013)