Draft 1
The intention of this design is to present a riddle hidden in plain sight through the use of shape, contrast, and emphasis. The location it is concealed in is a back-entrance way to one of Hayes Hall’s stairwells. Using the geometric framing of the door, the riddle and answer will play in the heavy contrasting light. During the day, light floods the two stacked, rectangular windows; thus, a box on the inside ground is formed. This dark frame is how the answer will be exposed as the Gestalt principle of figure-ground will express the letter “N” (the answer). In conjunction to this bright highlight, the internal door frame is darkened, a component to cloaking the riddle. The riddle with rest in this darkened area visible to only those meticulously searching. The riddle will mirror the straight, geometry of the door through a typeface of similar qualities. The riddle will read the following, “If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife/Bring me back in the door, and you’ll see someone giving life.” The idea behind it is the think of how one missing piece changes everything, but as a whole can be something else. This idea will be seen in how the riddle itself will pull into an outline of an “N”, which inside will reflect its shadow on the ground. By using natural light to present the secret the riddle requires intentional visitation and timed observation. This causes the audience to interact with the creation at various points. By hiding something in plain sight the space provides a level of focus not always given from the various visitors. This provides an enigma and interest quality to the area. The observer must undergo this transition and be aware of the image as whole, not as individual parts. Overall, this will cultivate a linear process of paying attention to the door’s parts, then the sign’s text, as well as the complete image once inside.
Draft 2
The riddle of “if you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife/Bring me back in the door, and you’ll see someone giving life” is being hidden in the back-entrance way to one of Hayes Hall’s stairwells. The elements and principles incorporated in the concealment are shape, contrast, and emphasis. The heavy light quality and closed line qualities of this space will harmonize with the riddles text to expose the answer, “N”. Using the geometric framing of the door, the riddle and answer will play in the contrasting light. During the day, light floods the two stacked, rectangular windows; thus, a box on the inside ground is formed. This dark frame is how the answer will be exposed as the Gestalt principle of figure-ground will express the an “N” shape. In conjunction to this bright highlight, the internal door frame is darkened, a component to cloaking the riddle. The riddle with extend this darkened area in the window, blocking part of the light from entering. The text will create the negative space of the “N”. The riddle will mirror the straight, geometry of the door through a typeface of similar qualities. The idea behind the riddle in the doorway is to make the observer think of how one missing piece changes everything, but as a whole can be something else. This idea will be seen in how the riddle itself will pull into an outline of an “N”, which inside the room will reflect its shadow on the ground. By using natural light to present the secret the riddle requires intentional visitation and timed observation. This causes the audience to interact with the creation at various points. By hiding something in plain sight the space provides a level of focus not always given from the various visitors. This provides an enigma and interest quality to the area.
Draft 3
The riddle of “if you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife/Bring me back in the door, and you’ll see someone giving life” is being hidden in the back-entrance way to one of Hayes Hall’s stairwells. The elements and principles incorporated in the concealment are shape, space, and movement. The transparency of the window and pre-existing signs of this space will harmonize with the riddles text to expose the answer, “N”. Using the movement of the door, the riddle and answer will play in the entering and exiting of the building. The riddle is only read on the outside, but mirrored in the back of the text is the answer. This will incorporate the Gestalt principle of figure-ground relationship, for the reverse positioning of the text is read as the letter “N” in the negative space. The text will emulate the straight, geometry of the door through a typeface of similar qualities. The idea behind the riddle in the entryway is to express the meaning of parts to a whole. The concept is about how adding and removing just a singular component creates new meaning, similar to how being part of the building or out of the building changes an entire perspective. Doorways signify the moment of change, just as the letter “N” does in those words.The observer must undergo this transition and be aware of the image as whole, not as individual parts. Overall, this will cultivate a linear process of paying attention to the door’s parts, then the sign’s text, as well as the complete image once inside.
Draft 4
The riddle of “if you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife/Bring me back in the door, and you’ll see someone giving life” is being hidden in the back-entrance way to one of Hayes Hall’s stairwells. The elements and principles incorporated in the concealment are shape, space, and movement. The transparency of the window and pre-existing signs of this space will harmonize with the riddles text to expose the answer, “N”. By having a similar quality of line and shape the window decal will match the preexisting stickers. Although the text color and size will differ, overall color scheme and positioning will match. Using the movement of the door, the riddle and answer will play in the entering and exiting of the building. The riddle is only read on the outside but mirrored in the back of the text is the answer. This will incorporate the Gestalt principle of figure-ground relationship, for the reverse positioning of the text is read as the letter “N” in the negative space. The text will emulate the straight, geometry of the door through a typeface of similar qualities. The idea behind the riddle in the entryway is to express the meaning of parts to a whole. The concept is about how adding and removing just a singular component creates new meaning, similar to how being part of the building or out of the building changes an entire perspective. Doorways signify the moment of change, just as the letter “N” does in those words. The observer must undergo this transition and be aware of the image as whole, not as individual parts. Overall, this will cultivate a linear process of paying attention to the door’s parts, then the sign’s text, as well as the complete image once inside.
Edit: I added the specifics of the elements that harmonize with the door’s surroundings and traits.
