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Statement of Intent

For this assignment, linear perspective will be used to create a floor plan: a customized interior space using precise units of measurement. This assignment aims to learn how to draw objects from a three-dimensional perspective and build upon simple 3D shapes and turn them into more complex forms. We will practice how to visualize the placement of things, how to figure out the measurements of objects, and the relationship between objects/ how they could realistically fit into the space.

The goal for my room design is to combine everything I love into one space. It will be my “dream studio”. I want to be creative and add fun and unusual elements to the space. I want to experiment with architectural elements such as vaulted ceilings and a loft.

This assignment requires that the dimensions of the studio be between 100-350 sq ft, a perspective grid (1/2 point) is created as a guide for the final product (each square represents a foot in real life).

The space includes a minimum of 4 elements:

• something architectural
• an object that defies gravity
• an object that represents work/play,
• a personal item that is no larger than a person.

The final composition is drawn on Bristol paper with either a micron pen/ pencil. Different line weights must be exercised according to the perspective. Tracing paper will be used for sketching and figuring out the layout of the space, where different objects will be placed. We can use references and find inspiration from the internet to help develop the features in our studio.

The materials we will use for this project will be drawing paper, Bristol paper, pencil, micron pens, rulers, T-squares, erasers, trace paper, triangles, tape, and light boxes.

Ideation

Exercise 1: Contour/Line Weight 

With our first exercise, we experimented with line weight and incorporated them into our compositions using the various sizes of micron pens. I made 2 compositions: one with a simple design and the other with a more complex design. The object I picked to trace was a small lighthouse candle holder I had in my room.

                                                                                                                                                               Lighthouse candle holder

I first practiced making contour drawings of the lighthouse. I paid close attention to the shape of the object, and the lines/ curves and continued to make 10 outlines. I cut out one lighthouse and used it to make the other compositions.

                                                                                                                    Lighthouse Contours

For the simple composition, I only used one micro pen, keeping the line weight the same throughout. I lined them up straight: 3 pointing upwards while the other 4 lighthouses pointed in the opposite direction in between.

                                                                                                                                                                                           Simple lighthouse composition

For the more complex composition, I used 3-4 different-sized micro pens. I arranged the lighthouses so they resemble the shape of a bird and I used the different line weights to convey movement within the “wings”. I wanted to make the most recent wing position to be the thickest like as if the lines are tracking the movement of the wings.

                                                                                                                             Complex Lighthouse composition

Exercise #2: Implied Lines and Measurement marking

For this exercise, we practiced our sketching skills as well as measuring/ framing simple objects. Picked several objects in my room and drew them on my drawing pad.

                                                                                                                                        Home object sketches

Exercise #3: Still life 

In class, we had still lifes set up at each table. Using triangulation, we drew each still life on a piece of drawing paper. Through this process, I paid attention to the lines of the objects and where the lines intersected to make a point. I referenced the surrounding objects and their angles to build other objects.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Picture of still life

Then we placed a layer of trace paper on top of what we drew and traced the still life. This helped us create a cleaner version of the drawing; free of eraser marks and lines from the triangulation.

                                                                                                                                                                                             Traced still life

The second part of this exercise was to transform and reinterpret the still life. I decided to turn the objects into real-life everyday objects. I turned the cylinders into a coca cola can, a coffee mug, and a flower vase. I the small cube, I transformed it into a Rubik’s cube, and I the rectangular prism, I turned it into a fish tank

                                                                                                                                                                                       Reinterpreted still life

Exercise #4: Box Perspective

We learned how to make 1-point perspective cubes of various sizes and then transformed them into other complex shapes including cylinders, pyramids, cones, and letters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Box perspective

Exercise #5: Perspective grids 1pt

We practiced making perspective grids. Each of the squares is 1′ by 1′ sq inches and they represent 1′ by 1′ sq feet in real life. I started with my horizon line in the middle of the page and began the process of measuring the length of the floor and connecting each marked inch to the horizon line then again the height of the wall and connecting the lines back to the horizon line.  For my studio, I chose to make it 13′ by 14 inches.

                                                                                                                                    1 point perspective grids

Research

We then researched and found inspiration for the things we wanted in our studio. I wanted to make my studio fun and animated. I wanted a loft for my studio and I wanted to incorporate the things I love and my hobbies. I knew I wanted to have my guitars, a large mirror for dancing, and a movie theatre in my studio. I envision the space as colorful with many glowing neon lights. I wanted my studio to resemble an 80’s diner that is located on the moon/ galaxy.

Guitar

Jukebox                              Telephone Booth                       Loft                                              Slide

                                 

                    

Music Shop                                    Color scheme                        Car/ Color Scheme        Space Motel and Swimming Pool

Blue Vintage Car

 

Composing 

After gathering inspiration, I drew out my floor plan and laid a blueprint for my room on trace paper. I made the basic shape for my room first, then I put in 17-inch vaulted ceilings as my architectural element. To make this, I referred to my horizon line and made a triangular prism that extended the top of my ceiling. I also wanted to make a loft so I darkened the lines of the ceiling to make it the floor of the second level. I then cut the ceiling in half so that the lower level can see into the upper level.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         Grid Drawing

Once I finish the structural components of my studio, I continued to work on the elements/ furniture pieces. I design a desk with a rounded/ curved surface top and a wanted the base of my desk to resemble a Rubik’s cube so I put a 3 by 3 grid on the sides.

I was inspired by the NYC guitar shop I found on Pinterest, so I made a “guitar shop” on the back wall of my studio. A place where I can display some of my guitars (my personal item element). Next to the wall, I have a Jukebox.

I put in a simple sectional and table which faces a large glowing mirror.

For the door, I thought it would be fun to add the make a fake telephone booth door. For the element of play/work, I put in a slide that connects the loft to the bottom floor I also love the look of old 50s cars so I wanted to make a car/bed that projects a movie screen out of the headlights. and onto the slanted ceiling wall.

And for my gravity-defying object, I had the moon/ stars/ and clouds floating at the top of my vaulted ceilings

                                                                                                                                                                                             Initial room plan

Iteration and Production:

After mapping everything out I retraced the outline of my studio and started more accurately measuring out these pieces. I rearranged the mirror and the couch and I change the view of the car so that I could see the full length of it. I realized there was no room for my desk in the final configuration, so I completely took it out of the room.

       

Studio outline                                                                                           Car Projector

I drew 2 of my guitars out on trace paper as my car. I took the guitars I made and repeated them throughout my back wall making slightly different designs for each of them.

I retraced the final trace paper with a micron pen. After that, I went to the lightboxes and transferred them to Bristol. I used different line weights using thicker lines with the front objects and thinner lines with the back objects.

After transferring everything onto Bristol I added finishing touches like adding a little texture to the clouds and putting shadows and craters on the moon.

Reflection

Through this assignment, I have learned how to draw a perspective grid and to make a floor plan which included turning simple 3D shapes into more complex ones. In the beginning, it was a challenge to make all the architectural elements like the vaulted ceilings and the slide and the scaling techniques were also challenging: how furniture pieces/ architectural elements could realistically fit into the space. But now I can better envision things in a 3D perspective. I also learned a lot about what it takes to make a good craft. When I was starting to transfer everything to Bristol I kept smudging the ink so I had to restart. I tried to work from left to right and made sure to wait so the ink would dry; this method worked a lot better. I ran into the problem of not being able to see my trace paper sketches on the lightboard, so I went back and retraced everything in micron pen to see the lines more clearly.

 

Portfolio Project 

Final Work

Statement of Intent 

The exploration of shape grammar by building on shape manipulation techniques. Exercising the process of Notan, a new composition will be made with basic shapes using methods of shape reflection and the principle of contrast. The ideas of activating positive and negative space along with implied imagery will be practiced. The main software used is Illustrator on a laptop and the size of the composition will be a 14′ x 14′ square digital artboard.

Ideation

Exercise 1:

Part 1: Practicing Notan

We were given black square cardstock paper. Using a cutting knife, we practiced cutting out different shapes inside the square. We then took the cut-out shapes and flipped them outside of the square so that it mirrors the empty space.

Part 2: Illustrator Introduction

As a class, we had a quick introduction to Illustrator and learned how to use basic functions such as how to make a file and ways to save our documents. We practiced making artboards and inserting different shapes.

Creating different shapes and placing them on the artboard

 

Learning different methods to save a file/ artboard and how to turn them into PDF format

Part 3: Practicing Notan on Illustrator 

I created shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles and practiced flipping them over the mirror plane. I made my desired shape and placed it on top of the square. I selected the entire composition then navigated to the pathfinder and clicked divide. The divide cuts the shape out of the square, leaving an empty outline.

Composing

I used the three basic shapes (squares, circles, and triangles) and layered them to make more complex images. I chose the theme with birds and started rearranging them around my art board.

I started experimenting with a bird theme and made this bird head/beak shape using circles and triangles. I made a circle around it and it started to look like an egg.

I then search up bird pictures to reference the basic shape of the bird. First I looked at a baby bird/ chick and another full-grown bird flying in the air. I used these pictures as a reference when creating my birds.

 

Baby Bird Reference

Flying Bird Reference

These are the pictures I used as a reference/ inspiration for my basic bird outline.

 

I used a combination of circles and different types of triangles to make the birds. I grouped all the shapes to make my desired image.

 

I duplicated the birds so that there could be multiple. I adjusted the sizing of the birds and positioned them so that they go in order of smaller then gradually becoming larger.

Iteration and Production:

I started putting together all the components and added some circles on the sides to make an implied circle.

I changed the side circle to wider ones so that they would connect to the top and bottom large circles to better represent the circle of life theme.

I decided to make the implied circles on the side smaller and increase the number of circles to make it more visually interesting.

Reflection

Through this assignment, I have learned some of the basic functions and features of Illustrator. I was able to practice the process of Notan and layering different shapes to create a more complex image. One thing I would do differently for next time is to remember to group all of the images I made so that if they needed to be moved/ positioned in a different spot then it would be easier to drag them around the artboard. Another tip to remember is that for some of the images, it is easier to duplicate them and change the color instead of doing the entire cutting out the shapes process.

Portfolio Project 

Final Work

The theme is Circle of Life using Birds.

• The top half of the bottom circle represents the first stage of life: birth (the bird is inside the egg ready to come out).
• The middle represents the next stage; it shows a baby bird/ hatchling.
•  The top circle represents the bird growing up and gradually reaching its full adult form. I used repetition and scaling to show growth and movement (the birds flying across the sky/moon). The bottom half of the circle represents the “earthly” realm while the top half represents the “heavenly” realm.
• Everything outside the square represents the spirit/non-living/death while inside the square represents life/ the living.
• The whole order reads from bottom to top where the bird gradually gets more complex as our eyes move up the chain.

Composition #1: Intentional 

Statement of Intent 

Composition 1: Keeping elements and principles of design in mind; using repetition and an additional principle of choice to create a composition that conveys meaning and an intentional experience through the design process of rapid iteration techniques, compositional selection, and manipulation of shapes. The final product must communicate a specific state of being such as a feeling, emotion, or energy. Black cardstock, a cutting knife, and Bristol paper (13”x 8”) are used in this assignment.

Composition #2: This composition will have the same requirements as the first, but this time it is made through a randomization process. The placement of the triangles are arbitrary and this process is repeated until the a certain state of being/ emotion is translated.

Ideation

Composition #1

Exercise 1:

For this exercise, I used a single basic shape to make a composition that represented a specific emotion. I practiced how to make rapid iterations by drawing little boxes and quickly sketching my ideas down. I picked three different emotions: happiness, sadness, and fear.

For each emotion, I chose one shape that I felt best represented each emotion. I experimented with the spacing element and also different principles such as size, emphasis, scale, and movement.

Quick iterations of each feeling: happiness, sadness, and fear

For the happiness emotion, I picked circles as my main shape. I tried to show the feeling of happiness by spreading out the circles like confetti. I also made some symbols and imagery that I felt represented happiness.

For the sadness, I chose triangles and squares as the main shapes to portray this emotion. I tried overlapping the shapes and playing with the sizing/scale, like making one triangle disproportionally smaller than the others to make it feel small and isolated from the rest.

For fear the shape I chose was triangles and a few squares. The sharp points of a triangle, in my opinion, best showcase the feeling of being scared/fearful. I experimented with the position of the triangles and the direction they were pointed. For the squares, I tried to translate the feeling of heaviness by stacking the squares in various ways.

For the project, I decided to do fear as my emotion and triangles as my basic shape to portray this feeling. I started sketching out some ideas. I picked my favorite iterations and narrowed down the ones I liked the best.

                                                                                                                                          I sketched out some of my ideas. I wanted to show the feeling of fear by creating a spiraling effect. I also wanted to have the many triangles all pointing in the same direction as if it is “attacking” or “targeting” something.

Composing:

I began cutting all my triangles in varying sizes (large, medium, and small) and begin arranging them on a piece of Bristol paper. I created different possible compositions by moving the shapes around and snapping a picture on my phone of each potential composition,

The first composition I made had all the triangles pointing in one direction toward the bottom left triangle. This composition has lots of movement traveling downwards but lacks emphasis. I used scale; having the largest triangles in the top right and they gradually get smaller as they reach the bottom left.

The next composition has all the triangles pointing towards the middle triangle. I wanted to have all the triangles point inwards and towards the one isolated triangle in the middle. I randomly scattered the triangles around the middle one. This composition is very static but had lots of emphases.

For this configuration, I wanted to combine the principles used in the first two compositions. I split the paths into 3 so that the triangles come together and attack at different angles. I kept principles such as movement and scale.

My final iteration was this series of triangles that spiral downwards. This composition still uses the principles of movement, scale, and emphasis. This was my favorite composition because it was the happy medium between the other ideas and it was visually interesting because of the spiral.

Iteration and Production:

I decide to go with my final iteration; the spiraling triangles. Before I glued the triangles down to the Bristol, I made sure to have them in order from largest to smallest triangle. I kept fixing and adjusting the triangles until I was happy with the result. Some of the triangles were touching one another so I made sure they were properly spaced out. I gave the triangles more direction and I created space around the middle triangle to make it feel more isolated.

I used tacky glue and a small piece of Bristol paper to spread a thin layer of glue onto each triangle.

Reflection

Through this assignment, I have learned how to manipulate and arrange basic shapes in a way that conveys feeling/emotion. I was able to practice making rapid iterations of my ideas and went through the process of trial and error: figuring out what works and what doesn’t, building upon past ideas, and continuously improving and developing to reach the end goal.

I had a hard time with the glue where I would accidentally smudge it onto my triangles. The triangles were black so the mistakes were very visible. I also had trouble getting all the pointy edges to completely stick to the Bristol paper. And when I was making my possible compositions, I would temporarily tape down the pieces, but some of my triangles ended up ripping, peeling off a thin layer on the top of my cardstock paper. I should have only tapped underneath the triangle so that if it were to rip, I wouldn’t be visible on the top. For next time, I will remember to be more careful and go a lot slower to achieve better craft. I should have made a smaller applicator to spread the glue and also use smaller amounts of glue so that it doesn’t spill over when I press it down on the Bristol.

Portfolio Project 

Final Work : Fear Composition

The principles I used in this composition are scale and movement to create a downwards spiral effect. I tried to mimic the feeling of fear, uncertainty, and being under attack. I had the point of the triangle in random directions to create a jagged, spiky effect.

Composition #2

Ideation

I began cutting out various sizes of isosceles triangles from drawing paper. I decided not to do as many triangles as the first composition so it doesn’t look too crowded.

I then used the black cardstock as my background and the triangles as Bristol. Since the cardstock was too small to be 13′ by 8′ inches, I rescaled my my cardstock to 11′ by 6.7′ inches to meet the requirements

I used many different methods to randomly generate my composition such as throwing them, closing my eyes and dropping them, closing my eyes and dropping each individual triangle, shaking them in my palms and letting them fall on to the cardstock paper as if it was a dice, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some of the randomly generated compositions I made

Most of these conveyed the feelings of confusion and they’re were some that conveyed excitement.

Iteration and Production:

                                                                                                                                                       I thought that this composition best represented the feeling of excitement because the triangles look like they are bursting/ flying out of the base triangle.

I took out some of the bottom pieces and one piece in the middle so I can have a clearer image. I took each triangle and traced it onto my final Bristol paper and used a cutting knife to cut each of the pieces out. The triangles that were layered (in the result of them being thrown) I taped them together and traced the entire shape out.

Using tacky glue and a small applicator, I began gluing down the pieces of Bristol to the cardstock and matched the composition as best as I could.

Reflection

The two processes were similar in that they both used the principles of scale and shapes. Both were able to convey a certain emotion even though one was completely random. For the random composition, it took a lot more tries (around 20), to be able to successfully get a composed picture with meaning.

Portfolio Project 

Final Work

The principles activated in this artwork are movement and emphasis. It is as if the triangles are bursting out of the base triangle. It evokes feelings of excitement, and the composition feels animated

 

 

The Good vs. Bad Design Exercise 

Ideation

I began this project by researching what makes a good design.

I found an article from the Interaction Design Foundation that discusses what factors contribute to a good design.

What is Good Design? | Interaction Design Foundation.

This is a picture of German industrial designer, Dieter Rams sitting in his office.

Industrial designer Dieter Rams state that a good design not only looks aesthetic but also the functionality of the product and how the user interacts with it must be accounted for. A good design is innovative and can easily translate its purpose. It is well incorporated into everyday life and serves as solution to problems. A good product is minimalistic and fulfills every aspect of its desired function. 

 

With my continued research, I came across a blog written by Mydee Lasquite that describes the important elements to create a good design.

Elements and Principles of a Good Design

Mydee Lasquite’s Blog: What makes Good Design? Basic Elements and Principles.

Mydee Lasquite describes the importance of using elements of design to represent what you are trying to portray. It must be understandable and the elements work together to achieve its purpose and tell a story. Just as we have learned in class, using elements such as line, color, size, and shapes and orienting them in a way that can help us convey a message to the viewers (or an emotional response) while also being visually interesting.

 

I looked to YouTube to find videos that talk through what key factors make a good design.

Don Norman Design Ted Talk

The director of The Design Lab at the University of California, Don Norman gives a Ted Talk: The three ways that good design makes you happy.

In this video Don Norman suggests that the key features that make a good design is that it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, there is balance, and functions well. The best designs sometimes require out of the box type thinking and the purpose of design is to help solve problems in everyday life. There are 3 levels that come with the design process. The first is visceral processing which is the aesthetic part of the design. It is the visual experience and how it makes you feel emotionally. The second is the behavioral level: the functionality of the product and how it feels physically. The third and final level is reflective: the decision to determine whether the product is good or bad and its overall image. All these levels play an important role in good design.

Iteration and Production

With this in mind,  I decided to find different chair designs that showcase what a good and/or bad design looks like for the given assignment.

Pirate Shark Desk

 

This is an example of a bad design that I actually like.

 

The Lap Desk

This is a design that I do not like but is hesitant to admit I do not like it.

 

 

Built-in Desk Cabinet

 This is an example of a good design

 

The Overbed Desk

This is an example of a bad design.

 

Page Design

Picked an orange background and created a yellow border for the top of the page. I made the title white to add contrast to the background color.

I begin to add descriptions to each of the desk pictures and explain why I think they are good and/or bad.

Reflection

This assignment has helped me realize that there are many different components and aspects to think about when designing a product. A good product must be user and environment-friendly as well. I have learned about the different elements and processes that come with the design. Reading these articles, I will remember to be thoughtful and thorough with future works and designs. For future projects I will try to use better editing programs when designing so I can get a better and clearer picture quality since the one I used resulted in a slight blur in the photos and text.

Final Work

The Vintage Desk

Biography About Me Page

Statement of Intent

For this assignment, I will be creating a Portfolio Site and setting up my Biography on the Foundations Portfolio About Me Page. I will explore page layouts, create content, and learn to navigate the site.

Ideation

I began this project by first activating my site.

I then changed the site’s theme to Orton by clicking on appearance and going to the themes page and selecting my desired theme.

 

I then activate the Jetpack plugin, linking the Jetpack to my account and enabling the Portfolios in Jetpack.  After that, I navigate to pages to create three new pages: The About Me Page, the Portfolio Page, and the Process Journal Page.

I now go to Settings to update some things such as the Site Title and the Homepage Displays section. I set the Portfolio as my homepage and the Process journal as my post page.

Finally, I navigate to the pages section to edit my About Me Page and write my biography.

 

Iteration and Production

Once I finish editing my About Me Page, I update the page. I then navigate to the live preview link of my site to make sure everything looks right and I go back to make changes if need be.

Reflections 

Through this assignment, I have learned how to create my Portfolio site and also how to navigate/ edit the site behind the scenes. I have gained skills on how to manipulate a layout in a way that communicates my thoughts and ideas and a clear and concise manner.

Final Work

View the final Project at About Me