Posts

This project was about connecting with someone and designing something personal and practical for them

Research

The research for this project was extremely reliant on getting to know our gift recipient. I learned about who I would be giving to by meeting her in person and discussing her interests, hobbies, and overall just discovering her personality. She gave me detailed insight into who she was and how I could create something for her as well as offering great advice. Besides that, I read portions of The Gift, by Lewis Hyde, and another article that opened my eyes to what a gift could be in the non-traditional sense. We also thoroughly discussed packaging and how that can drastically alter the presentation of a gift.

 

Exercises

Best Gift Brainstorming

As a way to start thinking about what a gift should offer to someone else, we brainstormed and shared our favorite gifts that we’ve received and collaboratively created a collection of traits that those gifts all share. I talked about concert tickets I had received and how it was the experience and the people I went with that makes that gift so special to me.

 

 

Container Creation

For this exercise we scavenged around Hayes Hall to find objects that we could create containers or essentially packages for. I chose a sugar packet because if this were the gift, I liked the cute metaphor of “adding a little sweetness” to someone’s life. I decided to make a small pouch for it to stay in a bag or purse to organize and or store different condiments for on the go. What started as a container for something random I found turned out to be a pretty practical idea.

 

 

 

 

Concept Statement

After meeting my mentor and learning so much about her, I felt that the most functional gift would revolve around her love of travel. She had mentioned to me that she would love anything I made for her as long as it was personal and meaningful. I found the quote “People ignore design that ignores people” and I thought this was a great way to think about what I was going to create. If I designed it fully with her in mind, it would be something she would love, and that is always my goal when I am gifting something to someone. My concept was to create an organizational bag to use for cosmetics, chargers, jewelry, art supplies, or anything she felt she needed to put in a smaller bag to be sure everything is neat and ready to travel along with her. For materials, I used a zipper, transfer paper, and found all my fabric at a thrift store in her favorite color, blue. She mentioned she was super interested in upcycling and wanted to get more into sustainable fashion, so I thought this was a wonderful way to incorporate that interest as well. To form the bag, I took all my fabrics and deliberately arranged them to create a patchwork pattern careful not to put the same fabrics too close to one another. I also purposefully placed the white fabric in visible locations because a large part of my design includes two iron-on decals that I created in Illustrator based on her personal graphic aesthetic. This was my way of including her interest in visual communication onto a physical object. In order to create the bag, I used a sewing machine to ensure that the stitches were strong, and the bag would be as well-crafted as possible. After putting all my patchwork pieces together into one sheet of fabric I cut two pieces out of it and two pieces in the same shape out of a grey canvas to use as the lining of the bag. I inserted the zipper in between these two layers and then flipped it right side out to reveal the bag with clean seams. To finish off, I hand stitched the opening in the lining and ironed on the two patches which I had printed onto transfer paper. I think my mentor will get so much use out of this and that was my main goal for the gift. 

 

Iterations

My two main ideas were either a travel journal or a cosmetic bag. Ultimately, I decided to go with the bag because the designing of the journal was very reminiscent of our previous sketchbook project, and I wanted to experiment with something new. I created a mind map to organize all my notes about her and then started sketching out my ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production

To ensure the template I made would work properly I started by using test fabric to make the bag without the zipper or lining. I also did this to practice my sewing machine skills since it had been a while since I used one. After confirming it was the right shape and size, I sewed all the pieces of blue fabric together in a patch work formation, and ironed out the seams. Following that I lined up the, zipper, lining, and outer fabric, and pinned them along the seams where they needed to be sewn. When that was completed, I flipped the bag right side out and hand stitched the hole in the lining to finish off. I was able to print my Illustrator designs at the resource center in the Ohio State Union super easily and after doing so I tested the iron-on patches on a scrap of the same fabric that they would be applied to. Concluding that this worked how I wanted it to, I was able to apply the patches to the actual bag. For the presentation aspect, I didn’t want to conceal the bag since it is a container itself. Instead, I created a gift tag that resembles a tag you would put on your luggage out of colored cardstock and wrote a message to my mentor on the back of it and her name on the front.

 

 

 

 

Final

 

 

 

 

I am very happy with the final result of my bag. The best part was giving the gift to my mentor, she was so impressed and grateful for the thought I had put into it. It was extremely fulfilling seeing her recieve it since I had kept the concept a surprise. I loved that I got to sew since it was one of my favorite hobbies when I was younger. This project inspired me to get back into it since I truly had so much fun with it. I also learned pretty quickly that some fabrics don’t interact well when trying to be sewn to each other based on how stretchy they are or the thickness of them. I would have loved to make the bag slightly larger but I was limited to the zipper size. I still think it is incredibly practical and functional regardless of size and that is something she had mentioned would be important to her. This project reminded me of the ultimate goal of catering to the interests and preferences of who you are designing for and how that comes first and foremost before my own aesthetic ideas.

 

View the final project at Gifting: Final

This was a collaborative project focused on reinterpreting a classic game with a whole new narrative

Research

For my partner and I, this research began with learning the basic rules of chess since neither of us have ever learned to play. We did this by looking up the moves each piece is allowed to make, and by actually playing to try to understand the goal and strategies of the game. We learned using a chess app instead of an actual set which was part of the inspiration behind our concept. We also dove into the rich history of chess including its place of origin, the strong male dominance associated with the game, and more about the development of the well known medieval theme. My partner and I tried to master strategies and quickly realized that both of us struggled with completing a successful game. We ended in a draw almost every time we played meaning neither of us really knew ways to check our opponent. Because we discovered the game wasn’t one we particularly enjoyed and maybe that would change had we gotten better at the game) we decided to focus more on the concept behind chess becoming a digital game and whether or not that affects the tradition behind it.

 

Exercises

Slit Joint Practice

To practice the main joint used to assist the pieces in standing, we did a partner exercise using bristol. One person created the front plane while the other created the side plane and then we joined the two by cutting slits in them. This was an important exploration because we talked about seeing double of a part of an object that you normally wouldn’t (like the wings on the butterfly we made), and also about tolerances of material and how that can affect the stability of our pieces.

 

 

Concept Statement

Oftentimes, our world is so digitized that it can mask the beauty in the tradition of things. We can get so enthralled by the convenience and ease of doing things online, that we lose sight of the wonder in the way they were originally meant to be done. Chess is a wonderful example of this. With online chess being widely accessible and much easier to play, do we possibly lose some of what makes the game so interesting? Our concept is to create a commentary on the digital world and the role it plays on traditional and historical aspects of life. Our chess pieces appear to be pixelated/digitized but are able to be transformed, via a hinge, to an ornate/traditional chess piece. We are using painted matboard and jump rings, rasterizing our design through the paint so that the color of the matboard is visible underneath. One side is black mat board painted white, with black showing through the rastered design. The other side is white mat board painted black, with white showing through the rastered design. Each piece consists of two mat board cutouts, featuring a pixelated chess piece on one side and a traditional chess piece on the other side of each cutout. One of each cutout is longer, where a perpendicular strip of a matboard is placed via a slit joint. They are connected at the top, by two jump rings and can be flipped back and forth. In one position, each piece has a traditional chess piece on both sides and in the other position, has a digitized chess piece on both sides. Essentially, the image of the traditional piece is hidden when the digitized version is shown, and vice versa.

 

Iterations

Our concept required us to create a digital version and a traditional version. We chose to represent the digital with a pixelated form of each piece and the traditional in a classic shape with shading via rasterizing. Since we wanted each version to completely hide the opposite of itself, we played around with several mechanisms to do so. Our first concept was to have a removable box revealing the piece underneath but this was impractical to the function of the game because you’d have a bunch of random pieces lying around. To solve this problem, we discussed and drew up a variety of flipping techniques and ended up going with the jump rings. We also discovered at this stage that we needed to contain the picture of the actual piece within a larger surrounding shape so that we were able to rasterize perfectly even on either side by flipping the symmetrical shape. We tested the material we would be using to account for the tolerance of the slit which took some trial and error. In order to achieve the opposite color after rasterizing the matboard, we painted the originally white board black and the originally black board white. This way the core was different that the outer layer. Our first rastering test produced the pieces too large so we resized and started over. The hardest part was keeping everything in the exact same place so the cut and the rasterizing were in the correct location on the correct side of each piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project turned out to be a difficult one to complete based on issues we ran into and just overall timing however, it was a great reminder of perseverance and how we could  alter the original design in order to get it done. I think that our set looks really clean and I like the contrast we created by painting prior to rasterizing. The concept could maybe be made a bit more clear as I’m not sure everyone knew right away that the pieces were able to be flipped. But overall I am really happy with the results and I appreciate how my partner and I collaborated to complete this project.

 

View the final project at Checkmate: Final

This project allowed us to show how we portray our own thought process behind how we visualize music, time, and movement while collaborating with a peer.

Research

As an introduction to this collaborative project, we got to know our partners a bit better by sharing some casual and fun facts about ourselves. We also watched a few stop motions which introduced the music element of this assignment. In conjunction to both of those things, we read an article called “No, you’re not entitled to your opinion” which sparked great conversation about when and where your personal opinions should be interjected into the discussion. As someone who likes to take a lot of control, this article was very insightful. We also had the opportunity to visit the special collections exhibit at Thompson Library which showcased a variety of pop up books and paper mechanisms. This was the most influential research to the process in my opinion because seeing the mechanisms in action helped to visualize what we could do with our own music selection.

 

Exercises

Mini Sound Mechanism

As a precursor to the main project, and a way to familiarize ourselves with paper mechanisms, we chose a word that had some relation to sound and had to represent it with 2 different actions. We chose the word “vibration”. It was intriguing to us because it has a motion element to it as well as the sound. The two of us interpreted it in different ways with both color scheme and the two actions but they still clearly represent vibration. I chose to work with yellows because it is so heavily associated with energy which reminds me of vibration.

 

 

 

Music Selection

A large part of this project revolves around how a clip of music makes you feel internally and externally in relation to movement and time. We both brought a few selections all with different vibes and heavily analyzed them. When choosing which would be used for our final, we took into consideration which we could clearly visualize a detailed narrative. For us, it was an instrumental portion of “She” by Harry Styles. We knew it was the right choice because we were both extremely passionate and excited about developing ideas for portraying our concept.

 

Clarifying Concept Statements

We came up with our concept statement separately and then compared and contrasted ideas to come up with one cumulative statement that we both agreed on and felt like we could accomplish. After coming up with a full concept that was about 200 words, we were instructed to dwindle it down to 5o then 25, etc. until we left it at 5 words. It was a great way to hone in on how exactly we would portray our narrative and how we could explain it in an effective and concise way. It also helped to realize what we could leave out and wasn’t helpful in describing the concept.

 

Concept Statement

In order to convey the dynamic relationship contained within the instrumental of the song “She” by Harry Styles, we created a diptych of paper mechanisms. The base material is colored card stock, inspired by a square color harmony template. To demonstrate the contrasting but complimentary feelings of the instrumental, newspaper is a shared material, to show the connection between the two lines of music. The underlying bass line is familiar and comfortable, but bustling and constant, while the melody is new and intriguing. When listening to the piece, the imagery of a busy street next to a New York café fronts in our minds, with both the sounds of the nearby cars as well as the representation of a mysterious subject entering the scene, drawing in our attention. By creating a circular movement with the first paper mechanism, we demonstrate the continuity of the supporting instrumentals. To represent the melody, bright colors and direct, stable shapes are revealed when the background noise “fades away.” The front piece of the diptych opens up to reveal the second piece behind, which protrudes through the open shutter to represent the vibrant personality of the melody. The pieces interact with each other’s space, to further show the close relationship between them, and how one would not be the same without the other; the bass would be repetitive and bland, while alone the melody would be shallow.

 

Iterations

Since we decided to go with a paper mechanism instead of the stop motion, we knew we wanted one half of the diptych to represent the guitar solo and the other to be the bustling background noise, so we began with some sketches. The main element we needed to work out was how we were to going to position the two individual pieces in relation to each other. Once we fully developed our concept, we decided we wanted to place the two pieces parallel to each other  with one behind the other. This would allow the back one to be revealed since we used an iris paper mechanism that opens and closes. For my half of the diptych, I thought it would be easiest to create Adobe Illustrator files because the vector drawings allowed me to easily laser cut the thin and intricate lines I needed to portray the craziness of the music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prototypes

Since I had the sliding mechanism as my half of the diptych, I tried out several ways of masking the unsettling sound made by the paper passing through. I tried vellum, masking tape, and clear tape, and ultimately the clear tape looked the best aesthetically and prevented the sound that was taking away from the presentation. I ended up using the same simple pull tab technique but used a round rod to add a spinning element.

 

 

Final

 

 

 

 

 

View final presentation here (no audio)

The instrumental meant to go along with our project: “She” by Harry Styles

 

I am very pleased with the final result. I think we had a really unique concept with the back piece being revealed after the front opens. If we had a chance to reevaluate our design, I would have added more to fill the negative space on the front piece. I would like to see more blend between every piece instead of looking at individual shapes. I also would’ve cleaned up my craft. I used a glue that stained a lot because I had such thin pieces of cardstock and I switched to a cleaner one a bit too late. Overall the execution could have been improved but the relation to the music comes through with the utilization of each paper mechanism.

 

View the final project at Dynamic Pages: Final

This project focuses on collaborative efforts in creating a wearable mask that relates to the pandemic but has its own unique narrative.

Research

Although we have a lot of experience with this topic because we are amid a pandemic, it was important to start by researching the history behind all other uses of the mask besides the face mask we are so familiar with for disease protection. I discovered that for centuries masks were used not only for protection but also disguise, entertainment or ritual practice. They usually represent supernatural beings, ancestors, and fanciful or imagined figures. We also listened to an eye opening podcast that discussed the use of masks in Asia and how they have been commonplace for so long that they ended up being much more prepared for the pandemic in terms of masking.

 

Concept Statement

As a result of the pandemic, there is no doubt that people have a stronger online presence somehow even more than they did pre-pandemic. From having to use zoom for work or school to communicating with friends and family over social media rather than meeting in person. We are more confined, in a way, trapped in our phones more than ever before. Living much more online allows any person to be able to portray themselves however they or society wants them too, however inauthentic it may be.  

We chose to make a comment on the unrealistic beauty standards that society creates for people today by creating a mask of an “ideal” face. The features are over exaggerated to emphasize the excessive use of makeup, plastic surgery, and even online filters to falsify the appearance of someone. The masks are constructed with paper mâché and are covered in paint resembling thickly applied makeup. To build up the contours of the face, we used a combination of newspaper and paper towel to get the forms moldable as needed. After several layers and letting it completely dry, we painted with acrylic paint since it is easy to blend as if it were makeup. In order to keep the mask on we used a thin elastic string so it sits flush with the face and looks as if it is the skin and so it can be hidden by our hair. Because this is a commentary on societal expectations, the mask does not pertain to one specific person. They are purposefully identical in order to show how we feel pressured to conform to beauty standards thus creating clones of each other instead of encouraging the natural uniqueness of diversity. For our additional sense, we’re focusing on the feeling of the mask itself. It is hard, cold, and obviously very artificial. This relates to our portrayal of the almost non-human face we’ve crafted. In a very literal sense, the mask will represent the mask we feel pressure to apply daily to meet the societal “norm” of attractiveness. Our presentation is a social media account. We want viewers to see how scrolling through a platform’s feed consists of people trying to portray themselves in ways that are not always truthful. The backgrounds that we photoshopped on add another layer of inauthenticity because they are clearly not real. Our online engagement has increased drastically due to the pandemic, and it is hard to tell what is real and what is not when you have limited in person contact. We want to shed light on how unrealistic social media has become with people only showing the highlights.

Courtney and I decided to develop our process together since we worked so closely together throughout the entirety of the project. It was important to us to be on the same page and compare progress every step of the way since a large part of our concept is based on the fact that the masks are identical.

 

Iterations

Once we decided on designing a mask that comments on figuratively and literally masking natural beauty, we needed to decide how we wanted our features to look. We were going for a very exaggerated version of a stereotypical attractive woman, but sketching a few versions of this helped us to settle on what features should be brought out. We are influenced as to how we should look in so many different formats from “beauty” filters, models with injections and surgerys, and even animated movies from a very young age. We tested out several of these looks.

 

 

Production

The paper mâchéing process took the longest to complete because we had to let layers dry before moving onto the next. We used newspaper for a couple base layers and then paper towels to build up the features of the face. The paper towel allowed us to mold the features easier and made transitions smoother overall. For both of these materials we used a mixture of water and mod podge to apply them.  We were going to sand down the texture that built up from the paper but chose not too because the feeling of it is a bit unsettling. It is another way to emphasize that this is not natural skin but is very much fake. The painting portion was the most fun to do because it was similar to applying makeup. We used a skin tone slightly oranger than our own natural flesh to exaggerate the unnatural application. The perfectly plump, pink lips and distinctly shaped eyebrows are two features popular for defining beauty if they fit the correct look.

 

 

 

Final

 

 

 

 

Link to final presentation

 

The masks turned out really well in the fact that they are slightly eerie and disturbing to look at. In conjunction with the social media feed and over exaggerated fake posts, I think our narrative is conveyed really well. The identical masks in the photos does a great job at showing how everyone is trying to look like someone they are not. Overall my partner and I worked really well together in all aspects. We listened to one another, took all ideas into consideration, and both put in equal amounts of time and effort. This project was a great introduction to future assignments that may be in collaboration with more than one person.

 

View the final project at  Mask Up: Final

This project focused on developing a narrative that represents deep space. Through a combination of layering techniques and the application of grey scale to emphasize depth, we were able to construct these interpretive stories with paper and experiment with 2D and 3D attachment styles that express volume in the design.

Research

After honing in on my concept of portraying deep space through the addictiveness of the internet and our cell phones, I created a compilation of inspiration photos that were portraying some of the same ideas I wanted to in my design. I also read about the psychology behind why and how we’ve become so attached to our phones and the effect that the pandemic has had on increasing our already addictive habits.

 

Experiments

Text Figure, Ground, and Closure

Our first experiment was as much focused on learning the ins and outs of the laser cutter as it was practicing digital vector drawings and how they would be cut on the machine. I chose to only work with my first initial and after brainstorming how I could incorporate something about me into the design, I landed on dance. My other options spanned from traveling to my love of coffee, but dance is something that has defined me for as long as I can remember so I felt the most inspiration when coming up with ideas. I created a few iterations of how I would “hide” the pointe shoes into the letter and ultimately decided that the laces of the shoes could make up the arch of the ‘A’. To make the final cut out, I used mat board so it was thick and stiff enough to hold together especially on the thinner parts. I didn’t want to compromise the movement of the twisting ribbon so this was the perfect material. After a few tests, I was able to cut through the mat board while preventing as many burn marks as possible.

 

 

 

 

Concept Statement

The internet is one of our most helpful tools to date, however when we get caught up in it, it causes more harm than good. Something as small as our iPhones is one of the deepest, ongoing spaces and somehow, we can fit it into our pockets. I wanted to play with the layers and varying shades of paper to demonstrate how this space virtually goes on forever, yet it is such shallow things that we get out of it. The depth is often unmanageable, and I want my own experience with the addiction of the social media world to play a part in this narrative. In addition to that, I want the viewer to be taken aback by the overwhelming amount of information and visuals being thrown at them. This will mirror the countless distractions our phones give us on a daily basis, but how we are still mindlessly sucked in. My plan is to create a piece no larger than 9×9 inches and that resembles the shape of a cell phone. I want to play with various methods of making some layers pop out higher than others such as using foam as my supplementary material to create more depth within the design. My primary tool for execution will be the laser cutter or Cricut but the cardstock will be held together with glue and foam stickers to add dimension. My goal is to convey the tight grasp and irresistible influence that technology has on us within a dynamic multi-layered design. 

 

Iterations

I sketched out different ideas of how I was going to construct my design along with writing down everything that came to mind regarding the internet and my personal experience with social media, the internet, and my phone. I then created a couple prototypes to help me visualize what layers needed to be what size, and decided on the final composition. This step was vital because I realized the way I had set up my layers in Illustrator was backwards. I played around with different shades of grey and different internal elements to the phone in my digital files and ultimately ended up with a front and backside to the phone.

 

 

 

 

Production

Using the laser cutter and cricut, I was able to cut out each element for my design. For most of the basic shapes, I used the cricut but for the smaller detailed elements I relied on the laser cutter because it is more precise. For the actually assembly of the piece, I used a combination of glue and foam stickers to add height and dimension where needed. I also added a turning mechanism using paper as an interactive component.

 

Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to recreate the irresistible universe that we find ourselves trapped in for hours of each day and I think that the added depth in the analog version really brings this narrative to life compared to its digital counterpart. I am happy with the way it came out and glad I decided to make it a work that has two sides because when face down it looks intriguing to pick up just like in real life. I hope it comes across as somewhat overwhelming and eye opening to the amount of time we spend in this endless digital space.

 

View the final project at  Layers and Deep Space: Final

This project emphasizes the importance of the process of a design. By creating a personal space to document all our ideas and strategies, we take the simplicity of the sketchbook to an all new level aiding the communication of all future designs.

Research

This projects research began with a few readings about the benefits of doodling, and pretty much never stopped throughout the rest of the project’s duration. I say this because as I began to construct, problems would arise or new ideas would come up and in order to proceed I needed to take a step back and look into it. Whether it was looking up the properties of materials, choosing what techniques I would use to cut things to size, or which materials worked best for the purpose of each element of my book, there was a lot I needed to research. I started with deciphering the proper measurements for the holes used to bind my book. When I came up with the idea for an interchangable cover element, I looked into ways to attach the different pieces. From velcro to magnetic paint to adhesive magnetic sheets, I tried it all before landing on the sheets. Certain pages also needed to be glued together meaning I did several tests with a variety of glues to see which provided the strength and hold I deemed the best. Laser cutter testing was also extremely important so I tried multiple settings to make sure I was rasterizing and not cutting through in the areas I wanted as well as preventing as many burn marks as possible. This project was a lot of trial and error but I learned so much through the process. I also enjoyed becoming well equipped with knowledge on how to operate both the laser cutter and the cricut machine.

 

Exercises

Mind Mapping

A great way to brainstorm is by utilizing mind maps. We started with a word and aimed to see slight differences in meaning and where it’s synonyms and antonyms could take us. After doing this I realized that by branching out so far on both ends, some of the words meaning the opposite of the original definition ended up having similar denotations creating a loop almost. Answering a question that can be considered tough to answer like “how to live a happy life?”, we discovered, can become more approachable if you consider the basic subdivisions of questions such as “who?”, “what?”, “why?”, etc. We also did a group activity by passing around a posed question and seeing all the different thoughts and responses based on that. This was eye opening on the various perspectives and opinions even on something that doesn’t require a lot of thought to answer.

 

 

 

Mini Sketchbook

As an important precursor to the main book, we began with a miniature version to help get ideas flowing. We followed a short tutorial to learn the folding techniques and then had the freedom to alter size, color, and binding style from there. From a series of posed questions, we chose one and focused the contents of the book on that topic. I chose to make my book about my favorite things because it felt personal, lighthearted, and I knew I would have a fun time illustrating everything. I introduced some light color because when I am sketching I tend to keep my drawings simple but I thought it was important in supporting many of the drawings.

 

Planning

To get ideas flowing I took a similar approach from our mind mapping and brainstormed an entire plan for my sketchbook. I wanted it to be crisp and focused on functionality. I tried to include some fun paper types so that when using it, I’ll have some inspiration and a place to start since I tend to struggle to just come up with something to sketch.

Production

Finally getting into the construction of the sketch book was what I was looking forward to most during this project. In terms of the files we needed to create, after determining the the right measurements so that it could be spiral bound, there was not too much work to do. I only needed to create a vector drawing of the cover, the back cover, and one page because it would be the same size regardless of all the different materials I cut out of. In addition, I had a few letters and shapes drawn up for the decoration of my book’s cover.

 

Like described earlier I also performed a ton of tests on materials I wanted to use based on my research. Specifically with the laser cutter, It took a couple tries to correctly format the speed and power settings so that it cut my matboard where needed and rasterized where needed. The cricut proved to be a much more streamlined process because most materials are preprogrammed into the app and all you need to do is select the right one.

 

 

For the surprise component of my sketchbook, I decided to do an interchangable cover. My original thought was to attach the pieces on top of the cover using velcro dots. After considering other options, I decided a magnetic connection might be a better alternative. This way, I would be able to use a backing and have the different pieces sit at the same level as the rest of the cover, reducing the chances of the pieces falling off. The two materials I tried in order to get the effect I wanted were magnetic paint and adhesive magnetic sheets. The paint proved to be a failure but the sheets had the perfect magnetic strength that I was looking for. I played around with what glues would attach to the matboard best since I would be attaching a sheet to the back of the cover. It took extreme precision to match up the backings of the individual pieces with the main magnet since they only attach to each other at the right angle.

 

 

I painted each magnet with acrylic paint which was a really fun way to express myself and add a very personal touch to the book. I also cut out, painted, and glued my initials to the upper left corner which is a great way to identify it as mine and adds a 3D touch. Another technique that I tried out in this process was using heat to firmly attach cardstock together in order to form pockets. I let the glue on both sheets of paper completely dry then aligned them and used an iron to melt the glue and adhere the two pieces together.

 

Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating a personalized space intended to be filled with future ideas of mine was such an inspiring process. I am not one to usually sit down and sketch what comes to mind, but after completing this project I am exciting to start giving each thought out page a purpose. My goal is to fill the whole book and maybe even make another if I do. Overall I am happy with how the sketchbook turned out. It is simple but functional and that was my absolute priority when I began designing it. It has fun expressive elements that make it personal to me but that doesn’t compromise the purpose of it.

 

View the final project at Sketchbook: Final

The focus of this project was to explore isometric lettering techniques and how they can be used in communicating alongside visuals.

Research

To introduce ourselves to the idea of combining two words to create a brand new definition, we first listened to a podcast called Mashups, remixes, and Frankenfiction, that explained the power of blended words and how much influence prior definitions can have on either clarifying something or making it that much more ambiguous.

 

Exercises

Grid construction

It is important to develop an understanding of a concept in analog techniques before applying them to a digital platform. That is why we started with creating an isometric cube by hand in order to aid ourselves in drawing our own letters.

 

Analog isometric letters

Following that up, we used trace paper over our grid as well as grid paper to practice drawing different isometric letters of both the right and left views and of different depths.

 

 

Illustrator practice

Working with the tools in both Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, we applied our knowledge of the isometric view into digital practices. Photoshop was used to skew the text and then everything else was added in Illustrator. We manually created each side of the 3D letter instead of using the extrude and bevel tool by using a diamond shape so that each side was the same depth and angle. I also tried out a curved letter to see how it would appear in the isometric view.

 

 

Process

To brainstorm ideas for our new word and definition and begin thinking about the final poster, we used a chart to guide us. This method helped to get ideas flowing. We also did a group exercise where we all wrote down a few nouns, verbs and adjectives and traded amongst ourselves. With our words taken from others, we had to come up with mashups which a lot of times is much easier than thinking of your own words to use, it was also a lot of fun.

From this chart I was able to come up with what I wanted to used for my final definition. “Sparklowing” is a combination of sparkling and snowing which I thought was both elegant and fitting for this time of year. I wrote up an official definition and made a sketch of what I wanted my design to be. I thought a snow globe was a good representation of my word because of the snowy scenes they contain along with the snowflakes and glitter that spin around within the glass. I also thought it was a great symbol to be on a poster.

 

Iterations

I stuck with my snow globe idea throughout my process, however, I tried out a variety of methods, tested different hues in my set of three chosen colors, and played around with the layout several times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final

 

I am super happy with how my final poster turned out and how I was able to develop my skills in Illustrator along the way. I chose my main hues of blues and purples because of the wintery feeling they provide and then for my third I chose a brown that complimented the two of them well in order to support the classic snow globe look I was trying to portray. As for the font of the text, I wanted something soft and non-geometric because of the graceful definition of the word and the beauty that snow falling creates. I also chose to skew some letters to the left isometrically and some to the right in order to make the letters look as if they are falling from the sky like snowflakes. I chose to make the letters a transparent and blue gradient to give the effect of crystalized ice. This project challenged my creativity when coming up with the word and definition itself, and applying that into a visual poster that explained said definition. I was excited by this project because it brought in the communication portion that is so important in effectively getting a point across to the viewer. It is the combination of this and the aesthetics of a poster like this one that I am so interested in learning more about.

 

View the final project at  Mashup: Final

In this project we analyzed both natural and synthetic patterns in collaboration with executing the use of design principles. We accomplished this by projecting abstracted shapes and configuring them in order to create a dynamic and organized mandala.

Research

To begin this project we took time to walk around and document patterns. We photographed both man-made and natural patterns. It was interesting to see how these two types could be so different or in some cases so similar and it is clear that many man-made patterns take inspiration from natural forms.

 

 

 

 

Exercises

Abstractions

Using ten of our best photos from each of the two categories, we broke down the basic shapes and movements of the patterns we found. These abstractions were later used in the creation of our final mandalas. I did this in Adobe Illustrator making it easy to pull the shapes from my different patterns and transfer them onto my mandala grids.

 

Iterations

Square grid

Using our abstractions we combined elements of each to create nine new patterns. From there we chose one of those patterns and employed principles of design throughout the square grid. I chose scale and unity to create my composition because I used a lot of the natural shapes in my pattern and I liked the how the different sizes created that wholesome effect.

 

 

Mandala Grids

To help guide the main mandala creation, I developed three different grids that became useful in keeping my designs organized and also pushed me to use several styles of both symmetrical and asymmetric mandalas. By making the grids first,  I was able to try many designs to find what I liked best and ultimately it inspired the use of design principles effectively in my composition.

 

 

 Process

When it came to designing the final mandala, the bulk of the work had already been done because I was pulling all the shapes I used from the abstractions exercise. All I had to play around with was the arrangement, line weight, and grey scale I wanted to incorporate. I also kept in mind the design principles when adding in all of my elements. I would say ninety percent of my shapes came from the patterns I found in my research and then I added a few or modified some to make it work how I wanted it to. I experimented in illustrator with clipping masks, the repeat tool, and shape builder in order to implement my designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final

 

I made a few changes to my final after taking into consideration some constructive criticisms from Hazal and Jenifer, and I am very happy with the result. For my mandala composition, I chose to focus on the principle of movement. My second grid is what led me to this decision. I made a mistake with the spacing of the curved lines and it created a gap that I thought was a great opportunity to introduce asymmetry to my design. With that, the naturalness of the dividing lines made a flowing motion that I thought perfectly portrayed the principle of movement that I was going for. To make the distinction of this gap, I chose to use entirely different shapes and a gradient which is unlike the majority of the mandala design. I also used a spiral abstraction from my research in the center to involve movement within the rest of the composition as well. Through this process, I was able to articulate my skills in illustrator and strengthen my ability to visualize patterns and how they relate to and complement one another.

 

For the second part of this project, we evolved our original mandalas with the application of color. Through this process I was able to discover just how much different combinations of hues can alter a design.

Research

In order to build off of the greyscale value mandala we created, we began this project by learning about color theory. I watched a few videos, and referred to the power points provided to us to develop a better understanding of how to effectively use color in addition to the patterns we already created. Color theory emphasizes how color is able to draw your eye to an image, evoke a certain mood or emotion, or even communicate without words. Formulas based off harmony such as monochromatic and complementary are just two of the color schemes that are a part of this theory. Getting to know colors and their associations with one another before applying it to my mandala was extremely helpful.

In addition to the resources provided to us. I think a lot of inspiration regarding color can come from our experiences. We are drawn to certain hues or warm versus cool tones because of the colors we witness in our lives, whether that is in nature or artificial places such as in an animated movie. I think a great representation of this is the movie The Lorax based off of the Dr. Seuss book. It displays a variety of color schemes and uses shades and tints of a hue to effectively portray different moods. For instance, the Lorax himself along with most elements of nature represented in this animation like the trees, fish, and birds, all fit within an analogous scheme of oranges, pinks and yellows. In contrast, the Onceler, or the main antagonist, is entirely represented in cool grays and greens to represent his heartlessness and greedy tendencies. Even in a movie geared towards children, animators spend the time to make these connections using the proper colors to do so.

 

Exercises

Color Palettes

To establish which color palettes and schemes appealed to me and worked best within my mandala design, I created a variety of templates with possible ideas. To accomplish this, I used Adobe Color which was a great tool. I was able to pick a scheme I wanted and translate the same colors directly into Illustrator.

 

 

 

Interaction of color app

I also found The Interaction of Color app by Josef Albers which has great additional thoughts on color theory, informative tutorials, and it was yet another way to play around with colors.

 

Iterations

Because this project is in conjunction with the previous pattern project, we used the same mandala design we had already established in grey values. Adding the color was the fun part because there are so many possibilities and Illustrator makes it so easy to consider multiple iterations. It is astonishing how much color affects the appearance of the same design which was my favorite part of this exploration.

 

 

 

This was my first attempt at employing color throughout my value mandala. It looks nice, however it does not effectively emphasize the movement that I intended. I was drawn to this color palette because of its soft warmer tones, but the dull colors create no hierarchy with everything lying at the same visual level. I attempted to invert the pink gradient but it only slightly changed the look. Although this mandala didn’t come out the way I wanted, it was an important prototype that ruled out what was not working in the composition. Color can add such a powerful element and I knew that there were better ways I could use that to my designs advantage.

 

 

Because I learned that I needed to bring out the portion of the grid that represents movement based on my first iteration, I wanted to try using a complementary color scheme. Due to of their opposition on the color wheel, these sets of colors naturally create the most contrast and I thought I could use this to my advantage. Based on personal preference, I chose to use muted oranges and browns along with teals. I also played around a lot with the outline of the shape and line weights in this particular iteration versus filling the shape in. I like the end result but I didn’t think it was the strongest in terms of the design principle I was trying to emphasize.

 

 

 

I chose to use a split complementary color palette for this iteration because it allowed me to have multiple colors in the main part of the mandala to create depth, while keeping the movement out of the grid an entirely different color which I liked. It also had a meaning in relation to the name of my mandala which is “infectious”. When I think of the connotation of the word infection I think of a sickly green taking over and that is that is what I was going for in this specific design. I tried making the composition smaller to fit it within the art board but it diminished the feeling of movement. I also darkened the shades of greens for the final in order to provide more emphasis and set the greens backwards in the visual hierarchy.

 

 

 

For this last iteration, I chose to use a square color scheme because it brought in a lot of bold and vibrant colors. I left the movement portion of the grid as open shapes with only an outline for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it really emphasizes the separation and therefore shows the infiltration and movement of the un-colored section, but it also creates motion as the color slowly seeps into the separate section.  My first iteration of this design looked a bit unfinished because of the outlines so I decided to play with line weight in order to make to look more intentional. I increased the weight but kept them all the same size which looked better but I still wanted some more variation. I decided to create a gradient like I had in my value mandala but instead portrayed it through decreasing line weight as your eye moves from the center to the edge of the board.

 

Finals

 

 

Adding color to the original greyscale mandala completely transformed the way the design presented itself to the eye. Adding color adds life, and each different palette was able to display a life of its own when applied to the same composition. I think a great takeaway from this project was how detrimental color can be to a design. In almost all of my trials, my mandala looked entirely different based on what hues I chose to use. I liked that the exploration of color was an add on to the previous project where we analyzed pattern and abstractions because it allowed me to focus solely on the color schemes and how they looked since my actual design was already set in stone.

 

View the final project at  Pattern Activating Form: Final

This project focused on observing our surroundings with practices of slow looking. Along with that, we honed in on using all senses to truly take in an environment and what that means to us.

Research

Reading

Slow Looking: The Art and Practice of Learning Through Observation by Shari Tishman really opened my eyes to how uncovering complexity takes time. Although we only read a couple chapters, they were extremely informative and a great segue into this project since it was all about observing details. One of my favorite quotes from the text is “selective attention is a powerful force”.  I took this mentality as I completed my walks and attempted to be drawn in by every aspect of my surroundings.

 

Walk Excursions

Part of what could be considered research in this process are the several walks I went on. When I finally found the route and destination that worked best for me, I repeated the walk in order to take in different elements along the way that I could have missed the first couple times. I documented my path in the form of written accounts and in a series of photos. In my notes, I included how I felt in these areas, what senses were most engaged, and also the reasons why I chose to take the route I was on.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercises

Exploring Analog and Digital Drawing

We began by developing our skills in sketchbook and on traditional paper by drawing trees. This could be an important element in a map but also is a great subject to work on natural and implied lines while still maintaining enough detail to make it recognizable.

 

 

Journey Excerpt and Group Collage

From one of the initial walks we took, as an exercise in slow looking, we picked one location that stood out to us and spent time physically in that area to sketch it and reflect upon it poetically. When all of our different locations were pinned onto the paper “oval”, it was inspiring to see and hear what everyones personal take was and how each of us process detail in unique ways.

 

 

Shading Techniques

Using pencil and colored pencil, we explored several techniques used to shade and add value including hatching and stippling. These two stood out to me and I ended up incorporating them into my final product map later on.

 

Collage and Extractions

Using our photo documentation of our observational walk, we were instructed to create a collage. I took a very traditional route because it made most sense to me to organize it that way. After a brief critique, a major suggestion across the board was to incorporate more contrast. I cut up, painted, and added texture to my original design but it still was not giving the boldness I was looking for. In some aspects, I think that I was trying too hard to push myself to find an out of the box way to alter my original. Sometimes expanding in way that doesn’t make sense to you works against you in the long run and I experienced this here. Ultimately, I gained a lot of inspiration from this exercise, but from my failures instead of from my successes. Due to time limits and attempting to not exhaust all my creative energy on one step of the project, I took these new ideas and constructive criticisms and applied them when planning the final.

 

 

Iterations and Production

I was inspired by the history of Hayes hall being one of the first buildings on campus so my initial thought was to combine layered maps of the 1898 roads and the present day roads. Having to consider how to incorporate a secondary sense besides sight, I used a collage inspired technique by cutting out layers so multiple elements have a raised texture.

 

 

 

 

Final

 

View auditory element here

 

Reflecting on this project, I think I learned the importance of clarity and inclusion. What I mean by this is that because it is a map, it is meant to accurately direct someone to the location they’re trying to end up at. Although a minuscule detail on the actual map itself, the legend is probably the most important aspect of the design and must be easy to read and understand. It also opened my eyes to the fact that design must be accessible to all and not just those who have the ability to see. I had never thought about this before but it makes me want to find solutions when designing in ways that everyone will be able to benefit from. My notes from my walks allowed me to expand on my other senses and create a more well rounded experience when viewing my map. I had the idea to incorporate sound through codes you can scan that brings you to a song on Spotify. Anywhere I walk on campus, I am listening to music so I thought this fit well. I assigned each landmark on my map a song that reminded me of that location and hid it within the magnified projection of the respective drawing. I also incorporated the raised texture of the roads and the actual path in separate layers of bristol to add texture which stimulates our sense of touch and can be essential when following directions to a destination, especially for those with the inability to see. I think both of these add an element of depth that expand upon my visual concepts.

 

View the final project at Space and Time Walk: Final

This project focused on using the shapes we composed in project two and translating them into an interesting 3D form. Using these relationships, we chose one or more explorative options to further our study with these new forms.

Research and Exercises

The Perfect Cube

We constructed cubes out of bristol by first developing a template and then folding it along the proper lines and gluing it together. Altough it seemed like a fairly easy task as a cube is a familiar shape, making it align perfectly proved to be difficult.

 

 

Trapezoidal Prism

We followed the same process with the trapezoidal prism but used a compass in order to measure the face of the trapezoid properly.

 

 

Orthographic Drawings

We learned about the importance of orthographic drawings in designing a physical form and explored the ways to represent plan, elevation, isometric views of the object. We also drew this prism in perspective helping us to see it from different angles and continue to fine tune our skills that we just previously worked on in visual principles.

 

 

Isometric drawings

Using an isometric grid, we constructed the cube and trapezoid to learn how this style of grid can be useful in visually representing 3-D forms.

 

 

Iterations

A ton of different ideas went into the development of my final form. I had a few that did not necessarily go anywhere but to sketch things out and exhaust ideas is sometimes the most helpful part of the process. We worked both analog and digitally in the ideating steps. I considered the four options we were provided to further our study, and began to play with the concept of negative space and illusion, as they interested me the most. I definitely wanted to challenge myself with the shape I chose as the base and I also decided to work with angled and perpendicular walls of the form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production

For the 3D construction of my form, the approach I took was to cut out the base shape and build up each side individually until I had the extrusion I wanted. This process proved to be pretty difficult and required a lot of trial and error but eventually I was able to portray a structurally sound template. I ended up creating multiple templates until I found the one that worked best.

 

First attempt

 

 

 

 

 

Mid development

 

 

 

 

 

Final

 

 

 

 

 

Furthering the study- Illusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project opened my eyes to the importance of trial and error. It was certainly frustrating when things didn’t work out quite as I was hoping they would, but I continued to improve my templates and I think I was able to compose an interesting final form. The perseverance throughout the projects duration alone was an excellent lesson and test of my dedication in the best way possible. I was most excited to interpret my 3D form in one of the four options provided to us. Although I experimented with all, I ultimately chose illusion because I was excited to add that artistic element that I would be able to draw by hand to enhance the form. I wasn’t looking to construct anything more as it is not exactly my forte. I really enjoyed coming up with a pattern that deceives the eye and I think with the application of the slants in the walls and the intricate folds, I was able to achieve a cool effect. It brought the project back to something that is more my style and I love the end result.

 

View the final project at 2D to 3D Exploration: Final