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)