Patterning and Abstractions

Design 2110: Design Fundamentals

Project 5: Patterning and Abstractions

Description

This project is designed to have you explore the development of dynamic shapes through analysis of forms in nature. These studies will be organized using various patterning strategies, principles, and techniques.  

You will apply your pattern to a card design with the goal of participating in the Department of Design Winter Market. Students participating in the Market event can sell, buy, and trade to the OSU campus communities.   

You will be responsible for creating a card and envelope design for your card design. We will look to nature to inform our patterns and final designs. 

Through this project, students will: 

  • identify and creatively apply a range of elements and principles associated with pattern development to visual compositions 
  • thematically illustrate using abstracted shapes and pattern developments inspired by observation, evaluation, and testing a wide range of natural forms 
  • plan composition organization through strategies related to essential underlying grid structures  
  • develop and describe ideas through iteration 
  • demonstrate intentional crafting techniques in both analog and digital applications and tools 

Process

Research:  

  1. Collect a minimum of 10 images of natural forms.  
  2. Analysis and Interpretation: Using drawing techniques and digital applications, analyze each form using proportion/size, direction/line, component/shapes, value, etc. The drawings will be abstractions of your original source images. See pattern process template example below. Organize your research and abstraction iterations within your process blog.   
  3. Exercises and class activities:
    Test and define criteria for selection of abstractions – What compositional principle(s) are you prioritizing? As you work composition options, we encourage you to test prioritizing different principles.
    We will work with a range of hand and digital exercises in and outside of class to help you discover possible patterning and construction techniques for your final design. 
    Exercise 1: working in groups of 3-4, look up 3-4 different pattern methods (digital or physical). As a group, select one method to test. Work together as you follow and complete the tutorial.

Pattern Template Example

Row 1: Photograph of natural form (if not your own image, cite your source)
Row 2: Principle analysis – Proportion, scale with shape, balance, rhythm/repetition, essence, etc. Identify size and basic shape relationships
Row 3: Direction – Identify movement (linear, radial, other) of components
Row 4: Components – Identify segments of parts or groups of parts that are unique from each other (shape)
Row 5: Value and color – Identify areas of value and/or color change
Continued Rows: make variations on above analysis

Final composition: Card and Envelope 

Using 1-5 shapes developed through testing and exercises, create a final card and package/envelope design focused on shape and pattern using Bristol paper or cardstock.  

Reflect on your abstractions to help you define qualities of your patterning grid. For example: If your abstraction process and forms focus on a spiral movement, you may wish to test a harmonious grid pattern with a complimentary movement. 

Requirements and constraints 

  1. You are required to make a card that can be sent through the US postal service.  Card and envelope- or if you create a post card you will need to create a package or envelope to contain them for the Market.  
  2. Size: Determined by function and process such as cost effectiveness, standard sizes for US Postal Services, printing services availability and more. For discussion. 
  3. You will use black, white, and grey scale cardstock or Bristol (or like durable papers) in your final design. 
  4. You may create your composition by hand or print out a digital version of your composition. 
  5. You will create an edition of your design- minimum of 2 if made by hand, minimum of 5 if printed from digital image, minimum of 2 if combined methods are used.
    You may print your pattern at a printing service or create your card and envelope by hand by creating a template for your unique design. Foundations also has two Cricut machines which can cut and score cardstock following Illustrator/vector designs.     

*Make sure to document process in u.osu process journal post! 

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

  1. Your process includes dynamic testing: exceeding 10 iterations or prototypes. 
  2. Your design uses an alternative patterning technique to the exercise explored in class.  
  3. You advance techniques explored throughout the term in both Visualizations and Fundamentals.  
  4. Create a color version of your black, white, and grey scale card. You will select, explore, and apply a specific color theory(s). See optional color theory module in Carmen. If you create a color version of your design, you must also submit the grey scale version (digital or physical). 
  5. You use a “new to you” technique or teach others in studio how to make something related to this project. Describe in your Process Post. 
  6. You collaborate with another designer- sharing materials, work/expertise, and ideas. You will each be responsible for the creation of a card design, but you may explore how these compositions work together. For example: the envelop design is uniquely shaped to carry only these two cards or the card and envelop design has some shared harmonious features and includes some features unique to your individual design. 
  7. Your design requires some assembly or can transform from 2D to 3D. 
  8. If your design requires assembly or transformation: Create user guide or set of instructions for assembly- illustrated and/or written. 
  9. Working alone or in groups: create a way to display your cards in the market. 
  10. Participation in the Market prep and sale. 
  11. Add to this list! Make a proposal. (Advancements follow all requirements.) 

Recommended printing services near or on campus  

Material: Cardstock or Bristol papers. 

Uniprint, located in the Union: https://uniprint.osu.edu/students

FedEx- 2016 N High St.: https://local.fedex.com/en-us/oh/columbus/office-0108?cmp=LOC-1001545-3-1-971-1110000-US-US-EN-GPLCOPYANDPRINT 

Final Deliverables 

  1. Final physical design due: Monday, December 5th– drop off between 10-4pm, room 231. 
  2. Carmen submission due on [final exam day & time, see Carmen] 
    1. Upload a single PDF file to Carmen A5. Format- Please provide your name, term, assignment at the beginning of your document. Include: 
      1. Composition images (3 views of your composition- example: card with pattern, envelope, and combined components) 
      2. Labels and instructions/notes if applicable. 
    2. A link to your A5 Process Post in the Carmen comments submission box. 
      1. See posts here for more information on creating blog posts. Your process post will contain:
        1. Statement- your project goals 
        2. Ideation- notes, exercises, research on techniques 
        3. Production- drafts, tests, final construction process 
        4. Reflection- Identify discoveries in the process of ideation and production. 

Rubric 

There are 100 possible points for this assignment. 

Process

Requirements met and instructions followed – 5 points

Process – 35 points
Development into pattern and final design: 25 points
Active testing/research, technical practice extracting and composing details from subject matter through iteration and tool exploration

Process Post: 10 points
Quality, quantity, and substance of documented process including:
iterative research sketches, organized clearly
development/reasoning for pattern selections
digital and analog construction process
iterations show depth and variation of ideas

Note: credit for experimentation and application of project “advancement”

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

Final Outcome

Craft – 15 points
Degree of intentional complexity and quality of work:
technical proficiency
initiative/adaptive learning and construction

Design – 35 points
Composition with consideration and accessibility/readability of visual form and related interactions: creative and purposefully organized design elements.
Final composition (25 pt for card, 10 pt for envelope/package):
Creative abstract interpretation of reference images
Pattern development is clear (proportion, direction, elements, value)
Accuracy and crafted intention – repeatable pattern
Shape Harmonies – considered envelope and card relationship

Calendar (subject to change)

11/1 – A4 Critique; Beginning A5 exercises

11/3 – Intro A5

11/8-

11/10-

11/15-

11/17- Pattern due; informal crit

11/22-

11/24 – No class; Thanksgiving

11/29-

12/1-

12/5- A5 Due

12/6 – Portfolio work

12/7 – Winter Market Event

Exam time: A5 Carmen Submission & Process Post Due