VICTORIADIAZ DESIGNART
Design Cooking Up a Restaurant Philadelphia Green Kitchen SognoVoyage Growlots Farms Growlots Philadelphia
Art Drawings Prints Tiles Sculptures Three in One
DESIGN I aim to be an, “Intelligent Maker, Knowledge Worker, Sustainable Entrepreneur, and an Active Citizen”
- The Design Experience, Rachel Cooper & Mike Press
As a designer I have learned that the approach or design process can help simplify a problem. Problems can range from redesigning an alarm clock to the transformation of a supply and demand chain. However simple or complicated a project, similar tools can be utilized to engage the subject at hand. Research unearths the information necessary to create significant designs. It includes interviewing, observing, reading books, articles and online sources, as well as identifying appropriate stakeholders. This is followed by communication, conveying information clearly back to the stakeholders and to other individuals of interest such as financial backers or fellow designers. With the information clearly conveyed there comes an opportunity for collaboration, to form new scenarios that become prototypes for a final “product”. The clients and products change, however it is the designer’s obligation to decipher who requires service and how to relevantly respond to that need. Each project has presented different challenges but has verified the use of taking on different roles as a researcher, communicator, collaborator, and designer.
Cooking Up A Restaurant
Gathering and Disecting Layers of Information An urban restaurant guide for Center City Philadelphia, directed toward aspiring restaurant entrepreneurs, to encourage local commerce despite economic setbacks. This guide organizes layers of information needed to open an urban eatery.
10.2008
The guide opens with summaries on Philadelphia’s population in terms of gender, age, race, family status, occupational types, and income levels. Then unfolds to a four sheet spread; on the right page is information on property values, local traffic (public transportation, parking garages, pedestrian and driver routes) and competition maps . An orientation map of central Philadelphia is in the center with instructions to the left. On the back of the guide is a QR code, which directs the user to PhillyPhoodScene a blog with more in depth posts on issues covered in the guide and links to restaurant news, zoning codes, kitchen equipment distributors, and tips on advertising. Opening a restaurant can be a daunting task but this simple guide make getting started more accessible and transparent.
Philadelphia Green Kitchen Questioning Bonds between People, Place and Policy Through the varied perspective of six graduate students an epiphany came to light. The kitchen is more than a stove top and storage, it is a harbor for the home. It is the one place where a number of systems come in and go out and it is this collision of systems that influences our habits. By identifying the reciprocal relationship between the kitchen and its user; we developed a number of solutions inside and out of the kitchen that could improve the food choices, waste, and resource management taking place in that space.
12.2008
Our Process incorporated key concepts within the design process, specifically covering four areas: research, connecting with the user, defining the correct issue, and proposing suggested solutions. We conducted research by examining influential kitchens of the past, visiting kitchen distributors and interviewing kitchen users. From this information we were able to separate nine areas of interest as potential focal points : Food Culture, Production, Consumer Habits, Waste & Resource Management, Metering, Retrofitting, Modularity, Education and Policy. Each subject is interrelated and each topic connects to the kitchen in a distinct way. We concluded our research with a list of short and long term solutions that can take place inside and outside of the home that would improve the kitchen space and the habits of the people inside of them.
Food Culture
Food has an inseparable connection to the kitchen, yet our research revealed that recently food has become more hurtful than helpful.
Production
This could be connected to production processes which often incorporate unwanted chemicals into foods and other household products.
Consumer Habits
Unfortunately new products are entering the home at an ever accelerating rate due to planned and perceived obsolescence.
Waste & Resource Management
As a result the majority of products we purchase are discarded within a six month period.
Metering
Simultaneously we are rapidly wasting our water and electrical resources, with a lack of methods to track our usage.
Retrofitting
But what if we could changes these problem areas through retrofitting our kitchens with metering systems to give immediate feedback.
Modularity
Modular units could allow the user to recreate their own space and afford the opportunity of using multifunctional components.
Education
Perhaps if we were taught about our shopping, waste and eating we would be interested in changing our habits and the kitchen space.
Policy
In addition support for more transparent food processes and waste management could reinforce positive habits inside and out of the home.
SognoVoyage
Building on Knowledge and Prototyping to Progress Based on research from the Philadelphia Green Kitchen a multitude of individual projects came to fruition. Research based on our food culture indicated a need for the next generation to be better informed about their food choices. Nutrition education is a tool used to improve the physical and mental health of students, but it is often taught to small groups of children for short periods of time. SognoVoyage is designed to reach children through a medium they enjoy using, and have access to on a daily basis. The video game reinforces a knowledge of healthy eating and exercise in a virtual environment that can translate to the real world.
05.2009
Each level of the game is a part of a dream sequence (sogno is “dream” in Italian). Each of the five levels is focused on one food group. Survival is contingent on eating, and the player’s performance is either enhanced or impeded by the food choices he makes. The images to the left are taken from a concept commercial which features the first level of the game, “CircusoRama”, where the player must perform a series of physical actions to complete a challenge. In this case, the player must dodge from side to side to survive as a motorcycling daredevil. Afterwards he regains his energy by choosing from a line of vendors. As the levels increase the nuances between positive and negative food choices become more narrow, thus increasing the players knowledge of differentiating between healthy and unhealthy foods. Nutrtion Education and Healthy Living can be taught inside of and outside of the kitchen, SognoVoyage is an entertaining and proactive attempt to reach the next generation of kitchen consumers.
Growlots Farm Centers
Interdisciplanary Collaboration for Social Design Studio Next was a six week experiment that brought together students from multiple disciplines to work together and propose ideas for complex problems. Our project focused on the potential land uses for vacant lots throughout Philadelphia and particularly in Kensington. By the project’s completion, my team and I presented an initial business plan for farm centers that would meet the needs of community residents and job-ready youth, as well as some of the aspirations detailed in the City of Philadelphia’s Greenworks Plan
10.2009
Kensington is culturally rich but struggling economically. These neglected neighborhoods face inequalities that damage the opportunities necessary for individuals to meet their needs. One major need that has fallen through the cracks in our system of capitalistic expansion, is food accessibility.Through interviews with community residents and urban gardeners we developed a plan for farm centers to support fresh food deprived locations. Farm centers could be built throughout the city on vacant lots to increase green spaces. It will function financially as a sustainable business with money made from the Center’s food intensive gardens, compost, tool rentals and starters. Farm centers were also intended to connect with local resturants, schools and hospitals to sell produce and recieve food waste for compost production. The Farm Centers also have potential to double as a space for community gathering. These centers will build and sustain community growth and education through classes, hosting events, and selling produce that are cuturally signifigants to residents in surrounding neighborhoods.
Managing Assets Tools for Rent
Gardening Skills
Gardening Skills Knowledge
Managing Assets Compost in Exchange Portion of Crops
Knowledge
Recruiting Volunteers
Recruiting Volunteers
Services
Communication
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Growlots Philadelphia
Creating Links for External Stakeholders Philadelphia’s urban agriculture movement has been gaining momentum for the past 40 years. Throughout this period, organizations developed rapidly, and an increasing number of individuals have become interested in growing in the city. However, the movement’s stakeholders have continuously struggled to create the unified voice necessary to push citywide initiatives forward. Growlots Philadelphia is a primary step in solving the complex problem of connecting an array of stakeholders including - farmers, gardeners, non profit organizations, and government.
05.2010
In the urban agriculture movement there are three main stakeholders: government, growers and vast number of non-profit organizations, each with their own interest and limitations on funding. Monetary realities often transforms the initial excitement individuals have when entering the movement into frustration over maintaining their initiatives. In addition, it appared that efforts were fragmented, redundant, and inefficient. The complexity of these interrelated factors demands that the movement be seen and understood as a cohesive system. This thesis proposed that the design process could be used to prototype and implement a system that enabled communication and transparency for members of the movement. We concluded that the histories and reputations of individuals and organizations were impeding open communication, and therefore should be presented secondary to the resources that have been developed. Further, a collaborative content management system, http://growlotsphiladelphia. com/, was designed to focus on the work that has been accomplished. The system acts as an organized database and a networking tool for Philadelphia’s urban agriculture movement. The system is divided into a number of categories that cover the entire urban growing process such as finding land, marketing your produce and educating the next generation of growers. To conclude our thesis we hosted a website launch party as an official introduction of the site and to promote its use to our stakeholders.
Finding Land
Composting
Meeting Your Peers
Growing Gardens & Farms
Planting Trees
Impacting Teens & Adults
Marketing and Distributing Your Goods
Beekeeping
Advancing Children
ART In the quest to understand the relationships that I have with men as opposed to women I have become enthralled with the connections men and women make between one another be it familial, professional, or amorous. My work observes male to female interactions, a majority of which leans toward women and their traditional roles in society while embracing modern femininity. Upon further consideration I realized that my interest in femininity and domesticity are a result of my religious beliefs and my cultural background, compounded with mere instinct. As a Seventh - Day Adventist I believe in the Bible as a true guide to all aspects of life. In conjunction, although I grew up in America and have been affected by American standards of modern womanhood. I have a biracial background [half Puerto Rican and half West Indian (Trinidad & Tobago)] that shapes me and defines my character all the more. Both my culture and religion elevate the role of women in the home, as wives and mothers. As I mature I am constantly filtering my religious and ethnic notions of women through the professional and sexually liberated or exploited female images projected towards me by contemporary America. This has generated a hesitant insecurity within myself and has inspired me to create work to better understand whether or not I am approaching my role as a woman in the “correct� manner and to better define my self being. Although my work is related to self-expression I hope that other individuals grappling with internal conflict or confusion due to biracial identity, religious convictions, or gender affiliations will be able to appropriate aspects of my work to better define their own experiences.
Recorder, Charcoal and Oil Pastel on Paper, 54” x 72”,Fall
Drawings
Many of the drawings featured in the following pages were studies that set the stage for future investigation of male to female relationships. However they also explored my deep interest in strong contours, curvilinear forms and color intensity.
Vogue, Pastel on Paper, 18” x 48”, Spring 2006 Pose, Pencil on Paper, 15” x 20”, Summer 2005 11AM, Charcoal on Paper, 18” x 24”, Spring 2006
Intrigue (Sentinel Collage), Pastel on Paper, 36” x 48”, Spring 2006
Pouring Satisfaction, Lithograph, 22” x 15”, Fall 2005
Prints
Due of the nature of reproduction inherent in the printing process I was able to alter work through a series of iterations. In the meantime I work through some of the concepts I had in mind in connection to amorous relationships. Being that relationships are not black and white, but must be viewed as a whole, from initial attraction to the enraptured emotion of a couple tearing apart.
Helping Hand, Lithograph, 30” x 22”, Spring 2006 Chance Glance, Lithhograph 22” x 15”, Spring 2006 First Kiss, Lithograph, 22” x 15”, Fall 2005 Please Don’t Leave Me, Lithograph, 22” x 15”,Fall 2005
meandyouandyouandme, glaze and under glaze on clay, 10.5” x 14” x 1/2”, Fall 2006
Tiles
During my undergraduate studies I was blessed with the opportunity of contributing to a class tile project for the Newman Center Cafe on campus, which received accolades throughout the UMass community. Its popularity lead to UMass Health Services requesting a tile mural commemorating employee recognition. I worked with two graduate students designing, manufacturing, and installing the piece. To that point I only created art that reflected my personal thoughts, but designing the mural required proposing varied designs and working within specific time and money constraints. It required me to have a specific plan of action for the art I was producing. I enjoyed the challenge and was thankful to have the chance to produce art for a client that will be appreciated for years to come.
Newman Center Café Columns, fall 2006, glaze on clay Newman Center Café Columns (Sunflower Column), glaze on clay, 15”x 15” x 84”, Fall 2006
University Health Services Mural (Turtle detail) University Health Services Mural, glaze on clay, 47” x 99” x 2”, 2007
Focus, clay and wood stain, 19.5” x 14.5” x 17.75”, Spring 2006
Sculptures
Although I was able to express many of my convictions in two dimensional form, I knew my thoughts would only become more apparent to the viewer when manifested in three dimensions; thus confront the viewer in a more physical manner. I worked through a variety of materials, but I feel a perpetual connection to the mailability of clay, the rigidity of wood, and the transformable properties of plaster; most of my sculptural work exists within those material parameters. As my sculptural skills advanced I began incorporating the power of gestural lines from drawings to the surfaces of the three-dimensional forms. As such inscription became a common method of signifying how men and women are branded to uphold social normalities.
String Bass, wood, fish wire and metal hinges, 46” x 14.5” x 7”, Spring 2007 Tusk, steel rod, 31” x 11” 16.5”, Spring 2007 Ode to Brancusi, wood and steel rod, 71” x 18” x 27”, Spring 2007 Use Me to See, glass, 8” x 5” x 18” , Fall 2009 Just Getting Out Some Kinks, xeroxed paper and acryic matte medium, 4.5”x 5.25” x 11”, Fall 2006 Solitude - a series, plaster, approx. 22” x 12” x 2 .5” each, Fall 2006 Solitude (detail of the 4th in a series of 5), plaster, 19” x 11” x 2 .5”, Fall 2006
Passing Passivity, Fall 2007, clay & acrylic paint, c. 16” x 15” x 14”
Three in One
Three in One is a series of sculptures that examine more deeply my role as an American woman with a highly religious and biracial background, both of which advocate the role of the woman in the home as a wife and mother. The inscribed clay, wood, and plaster sculptures tell the story of how these attributes overlap and reconcile within myself. The series of sculptures expressed the concept of internal layering by utilizing varied mediums. The clay sculptures entitled “Passing Passivity” are dedicated to femininity with quotes taken from Virginia Wolfe’s A Room of Her Own imprinted on the surface. The wood sculptures, “Seek and Ye Shall Find” are dedicated to religion with quotations from the Bible burned on to the surface. “Or Mark Other”, the plaster sculptures focus on biracial ethnicity with quotations from selected scholarly essays on being a woman from the West Indies, Puerto Rico, and the overlapping of the two.
11.2007
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her‌She will do him good and know not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12
Seek and Ye Shall Find, Fall 2007, wood & acrylic paint c. 46” x 24” x 48” Or Mark Other, Fall 2007, plaster, foam, acrylic paint, c. 82” x 78”x 66”