Design 2130: Design Fundamentals

Project 2– Body Augmentation

Description

Design and construct a structure for the body inspired by a carnival setting. Your design will be performative, encouraging physical movement and interactions.

Learning Goals and Objectives

To experiment with form and performance: complimentary shape relationships or connections between body, constructed augmentation, and viewers;
To test and apply design elements including three-dimensional forms, space (context) and time (body activation);
To test and apply design principles of scale and proportion, dominance, harmony, and contrast in constructed and performed composition.
To collaboratively compose, illustrate and communicate a thematic scenario for design applications;
To experiment with hard and soft material applications.
To study the relationship between surface/skin and structure using planar materials;

Detailed Assignment Outline

Use a carnival context to design and construct an interactive three-dimensional body augmentation related to a carnival setting.
Our assignment requires you to design with a particular context in mind:
* Designing to the future (if you could time travel ahead, what might you find at a carnival?)
OR
* Designing to the past (if you could time travel back in time, what do you want to bring back to the carnival?)

Create a carnival scenario that will help refine decisions in form, material, action and meaning. Your concept will identify and describe your forms, including a plausible scenario for the form of your body transformation and the performative qualities need to express your ideas. You will work in teams of two. Each of you are responsible for creating the concept and final composition: a collaboration. In final presentation, you will present your work together – concept, form, and performance.

Process

Step 1: Explore the history and function of two primary ideas for your design: 1- a carnival setting; 2- masks, body augmentations, and costuming. Consider the narrative framework to help you understand and communicate your design intention: The goal is to establish purpose in transforming the body to reflect carnival setting structures from the perspective of performance and activities.
WHO (Who is this augmentation for? Who is interacting with it?), WHAT (What is an augmentation or qualities of an augmentation), WHERE (Where does one encounter or use the augmentation?), WHEN (When does one use this augmentation?) AND HOW (What is its purpose and how does it function with that purpose in mind? How is it applied or removed or stored?)!
Identifying and “playing’ with this framework is an essential consideration in human focused design processes. Think about hierarchies of information– what is most important in this framework and what is supportive or less important.

Step 2 (optional!): Ask AI. Explore emerging technology such as ChatGPT, Dall-e or another AI generator. We will discuss ethics, impacts and implications of using AI to initiate or generate ideas/concepts, content, and strategies (both visual and written) further exploring the idea of discernment in the design process.
Approaches to steps 3 and 4 may change based on AI discoveries!

Step 3: Create a scenario to establish content that will help refine decisions in form, material, and function. Your story should identify and describe your carnival inspired forms, including a plausible scenario for how they came to inform your body augmentation. This may be influenced by your AI testing.

Step 4: Document through photography the area of the body you wish to use in your design. You will need to see front, back, and side views… and you may also need to document top and bottom views. You will use these images to help you establish design drawings for your composition. Use trace or layers to draw design in over-lay. You may also use programs like photoshop/illustrator to layer your sketches.

Draw a minimum of 10 different ideas/variations of forms focusing on different areas of the body and testing different ideas and the research you are investigating (history and functions of carnivals). Select a design to begin developing the structural pattern and form.

Step 5: Conduct material explorations. Collect a minimum of 3 different planar materials that provide potential compositional support for your idea and structure. Consider material attributes that are visual, tactile, or otherwise sensorial (sound, taste, smell). Experiment with construction techniques and connections to structural frameworks for your composition.

Step 6: Review concept sketches, models, and material studies. Begin fabricating your design. Pause periodically to test the performative aspects of your design. (Iterate: make and respond to what you are learning in the making process.)

Step 7: Finalize presentation and documentation.

Requirements

Your composition will be viewed fully in the round (it will have a viewable front, back, sides, top and bottom- unless your concept requires a specific point of view. Discuss with your instructor.)
You will work in pairs/small groups (collaboratively).
Options for presentation include but are not limited to designing a short performance or staging with the augmentation/s or a very short film (using your phone or other recording device). You may include more than one project in the presentation.
Your dominant material options include thin planar materials such as chipboard, papers, matboard, and textiles (no wood or glass). You may use one additional material (your choice) as a secondary support for the planer material (example: wire, rope, yarn…)
You may use glue.
We encourage focusing on intrinsic color choices, but you may use applied color techniques such as paint. The advancement of additive color must be considered through color theory studies, and/or informed by research.
You are required to utilize one sense beyond sight- consider touch, sound, taste, smell. This will help you prioritize the performative qualities of your design

Advancements

(These are optional ideas to go beyond essential project requirements.)

Your design process includes dynamic testing (example: 10+ models/iterative explorations.)
Material challenge: You stick to two materials only! Select planar materials that provide color variations you need and pair this product with a material that provides ability to join planer elements. Example: Recycled textiles and thread or colored matboard and duct tape (matboard and duct tape come in a wide range of colors!)
You use a “new to you” technique or teach others in our class how to make something.
Your design celebrates unconventional use of material or tool
Your design transforms or includes changeable/convertible elements.
Your team produces a composed recording of performance (GIF, short video, or story board).
Create an illustrated use or experience

Final Submission

Physical submission: Designed and constructed composition- March 7th

Digital submission (Upload to Carmen Assignment 2):

A single PDF: Format: Identify- your name, class, term. Organize pages by providing headings and labels to your images. Please use this format for creating your file name: A2_YourName_SPFund23.pdf
1. Include:
  1. Minimum- 2-3 labeled images of final composition, 1-2 detail images
  2. Concept statement (narrative/scenario)
  3. Optional: link to video of performance
A link to your Assignment process journal in the Carmen comment box.
1. See posts here for more information on creating blog posts.
2. Contents of your process post
  1. Statement- your concept statement (scenario)
  2. Ideation- notes, exercises, research on techniques, including Exercises
  3. Iteration & Production- drafts, tests, final construction process
  4. Reflection- Identify discoveries in the process of ideation and production.

Evaluation

There are 100 possible points for this assignment.

Process

Requirements met and instructions followed – 15 points
Quality of documented process including exercises, readings, composition iterations. Clear documentation of multiple moments in progress, research, iteration

Process – 25 points
Active testing/research, technical practice extracting and compositing details from subject matter through iteration and tool exploration.

Professionalism – 10 points
Participation in discussions and critique; Attendance and preparedness to work; Meeting checkpoints and deadlines.

Final Outcome

Craft – 15 points
Degree of complexity and quality of work: technical proficiency – digital and hand work, initiative/adaptive learning

Concept – 10 points
Expression of ideas extending from research. Clear communication of intention/narrative

Design and composition – 25 points
General organization of elements with consideration and accessibility/readability of visual information- viewer experience: information editing, hierarchy, and creative and purposefully organized design elements

Calendar

2/12- A2 Intro

2/14 – A1 Due; Begin Collaborations

2/16 – Partner ideation, 2D and 3D sketching

2/21 – Material Testing

2/23 – Prototype

2/28 – Development

3/2 – Development

3/7 – A2 Due

3/9 – Portfolio Work; Intro to A3

3/20 – Portfolio Progress Due

Featured Image: Studio DIY