Book Design: My Designer of Choice

The End Result!

I could not be happier with the end result of this project. It turned out better than expected. The process was very smooth, surprisingly I never had any major issues while constructing this project (except for running out of tape!). The biggest thing I learned from this project is that the process of making a small mock-up can make the final construction of a project flow much easier. I will definitely use that technique in future projects. Also, I feel as if I learned so much about photography not only through the readings assigned, but also through just going out and taking TONS of photos. I really enjoyed this project; I feel as if the extra time and effort I put into it really paid off.

Final Concept Statement: "My concept for this arrangement of photos was to capture my ideal trio of homes. I accomplished this by taking bits and pieces from multiple houses around Lawrence, KS, and compiling them together to get one beautiful, (almost house-sized!) amalgamation of my dream neighborhood street."

A Work in Progress

The final of my process work was compiling the photomontage to my full-scale final piece. I did this by taking my Photoshop mock-up and looking at it to see which pieces I needed. I mounted it on four different pieces of foam core that I taped together, and adhered the pictures using double-sided tape.

Refined Collages

These images were my final two test collages. Both were rendered in Photoshop, but definitely helped me see what pieces and pictures I needed to gain and take to achieve my final work. This step was crucial and played a huge role in the making of my final photomontage. In the end, I decided I wanted to continue onward with the street collage for my final piece.

Test Collages

This was a trial run for composing a tiny photomontage out of 4x6 photos. This technique was to be applied to our large scale final composition at the end of the project.

 

Oh yeah, and here is me on location taking these pictures! #selfie

My Initial Locations to Shoot/Initial Ideas

The Dream Home:

Concept: To create one full picture composed of many different photos and parts of different homes to result in one large picture of a single “dream home” that i would desire. 

Brick Road Homes:

Concept: To create a photomontage of Victorian homes throughout the city of Lawrence, KS. The photographs would be layered to make many different houses look like a few homes on a neighborhood street. 

Senior House: Concept 1

Concept: To create an arranged photograph capturing time and space of this one home. Pictures will be shot in morning, night, and different types of weather to create different pieces for a final photomontage.

Concept 2:

Concept: To create the ideal senior home. I will do this by keeping mostly parts of the senior home as it is, but  also add parts of different houses to the photomontage from houses in surrounding areas.

Ways of Seeing, Episode 1 Video

This episode begins with two men, one resembling a mad professor, walking up to a neoclassical painting and cutting it with a pocket knife. The knife man identifies himself as John Berger, and he goes on to explain his intention to deconstruct the processes of representation, duplication and perception in the age of mechanical reproduction. He argues that, “The meaning of a painting no longer relies on its unique painted surface which it is only possible to see in one place at one time. Its meaning—or a large part of it—has become transmittable”.  These reproductions broaden the potential audience of works of art, but they also encourage the obsession of “authentic” originals.

Even though Berger gives credit to this boosting interest in original works of art, he goes on to say that anyone can reproduce these works for their own purposes. He argues that original images can be manipulated to serve different agendas. He concludes by stating that not all art, such as photography, is being placed on the high pedestal that it should be since there is so much reproduction going on. He says it takes the elitist element out of creating art. This was an interesting read and was a good reminder to always value original works of art, for they were constructed at the highest level of creativity possible and not stolen from anyone. I seem to always be “influenced” or “inspired” by other works, so this was great inspiration to challenge myself to be 100% original. 

Photography Changes Everything, By Marvin Heiferman

This writing by Marvin Heiferman dives into the topic of photography being unruly and hard to define. He talks about photography being incredibly different to every individual, and how to one person it may mean one thing but to another person it is something very different. He gives the example of the food photographer juxtaposed with a fashion photographer—each uses it differently; the food photographer wants to make food look more fresh, while the fashion photographer is trying to unleash a different sort of “hunger” with his viewer. 

Aside from making this first analysis, Heiferman goes on to talk about that photography really does change everything in human’s life. He says it changes what we want—by influencing how we define our needs, and what we desire. It can change what we see by showing us what the human eye cannot; photography can change perspective and challenges us to question our assumptions of what we think we are actually seeing around us. Photography changes who we are, what we do, where we go, and what we remember. Not many people really pay attention to how important this medium of art is in our daily lives, but it really does shape a big way of how we act as a society. Heiferman does a wonderful job in this work by bringing to attention how photography really does change everything.

Masters of Illusion Video

This short film, hosted by James Burke, is a fascinating examination of the concept of how we see things, and specifically how imageries that appear to our eyes to be three-dimensional are rendered convincingly on flat, two dimensional surfaces. In a movie studio special effects lab, Burke shows viewers how visual illusions practiced today actually began during the Renaissance, when painters first mastered the skills of incorporating the idea of depth into paintings. The principle of “linear perspective,” where all lines end to a common vanishing point, sounds complicated, but the examples shown in this documentary make the idea perfectly clear to the viewer. After this, paintings completed before the Renaissance were shown, and it was immediately clear to the viewer that artists who hadn’t mastered perspective drew scenes that appeared incredibly flat on the canvas. But when artists such as Michelangelo practiced using perspective, art suddenly leaped forward. This is an unusual documentary that makes fascinating a subject that most people have never considered, though it relates to things we see everyday. I liked this spin on how art came “to life” and making the making of it three-dimensional.

On Photography, By Susan Sontag

In this writing, Susan Sontag discusses the statement, “To collect photographs is to collect the world”. She states that photographs are experiences captured, and just about anything and everything since the photograph was invented in 1839 has been. She makes note that when one is photographing something, that person is putting himself or herself into a certain relation with the subject matter. It is interesting that she noted this is also how humans today relate to the past to progress to the present. Photographs are the most realistic form of freezing and capturing time in a single document. She also talks about how the photograph is a form of evidence of something that has indeed happened in the past. 

Sontag concludes with saying that the photograph has evolved from a type of documentation to a form of artistic activity, which I personally 100% agree with. It can be used for a variety of things, and is an important skill for all to process. I use photography to document something of importance, a happy time taking place, or for artistic purposes as we have just demonstrated though this assignment. 

A Viewer's Guide to Looking at Photography, By James Brooke

This article was an overview of how to understand photographs by being able to obtain maximum pleasure and insight from viewing them. This work begins with stating that no picture can be properly analyzed in under 5 minutes. Most require a lot of time to analyze to grasp their whole meaning. When looking at photos, Brooke states that it is best to free the mind of any past prejudices about the work, and look at it as if you’ve never encountered such a thing before—and gain your own thoughts regarding the photograph by doing so. He also notes to not overlook the title, because that also fuels for the meaning of the picture. He goes on to talk about every little thing in the picture having a meaning, from textures, shape, lights, shadows, to time. To take all of these into account will help the viewer gain a better, more full, understanding of that the image is really saying. 

This was a very in-depth writing explaining every single little detail that goes into the making of a photograph. Though I have only briefly touched on the many topics James T. Brooke discussed within his writing, I feel as if I have a better understanding of how to view photography, what to look for, and how to interpret it. This writing was worth reading that I can definitely use and apply to many things throughout my time in (and after) design school.

An Overview of the Project: Photography as documentation

For this project, myself, as well as my class, was given the assignment of constructing a   of a person or place over an extended period of time. We were to build an understanding of photography’s unique relationship with time and location by intentionally compressing, extending, and altering both. By the end of this project we were to be able to grasp a better understanding of how a three-dimensional space can be rendered on a two-dimensional plane and how it relates to perspective.

To gain a better understanding for photography, we were also given the task to read and study multiple writings  and videos pertaining to photography to further increase our knowledge of the art.

Ideas for Documentation as Photography

Concept Statements:
Houses: To capture a grouping of old antique homes within the Lawrence community, during the night, day, and (hopefully) with the changing seasons approaching us!

Houses Two: To capture many different Victorian houses in the Lawrence community and piece them together in a way that is clean and refined and looks like the ideal Victorian Home with bits and pieces from different images and locations.

The Final Result

My final product turned out better than I expected. It was a long process, but in the end worth every hour spent. This was a great experience and I am glad I was given the challenge of doing something I had never gotten to do before, woodworking!

What I learned:

Over the course of this project I definitely learned a lot. I learned not only how to operate the bancd saw, but also a belt sander. I feel as if I learned the proper ways to use these tools and the safety that goes along with using them. I learned all about the steps that goes into making something out of wood, even a vessel this small. One thing I wish I would have done differently would just be to allot more time to sanding! Sanding takes so incredibly long, which I did not realize! However I ended up finishing the project anyway and it looks great--but I wish I would have considered that more from the get go. This has definitely been my favorite project thus far.

{the nature and aesthetics of design}

This article was quite a fascinating read. David Pye  poses the argument that humans perform an immense number of every-day actions which are not necessary. For example, he notes how many tools are made with better-than-needed workmanship. I liked that he touched about keeping the hand of the designer involved through out the process of creating something. He notes there is something very deep about workmanship. Workmanship is design. He acknowledges many different approaches to how to complete a task, but urges the reader to not solely rely on the luxuries of modern times. With such advanced machinery and tools it is easy for the hand of the designer to be lost within the creation process. 

Farther into the article, the reader goes on to gain more insight on aesthetics, beauty, and value. Pye argues that design appreciation is beauty appreciation. He also questions whether aesthetics truly do matter, and if they can make someone happy or unhappy. He argues that while beds reduce cold, ploughs reduce hunger, and toothbrushes reduce toothache, such devices do not, of themselves, hold the capability of producing happiness. He argues that just because something is nice to look upon, does not mean the whole design lies upon that feeling. He is placing more emphasis on functionality than beauty, and in my opinion I found that to be very interesting. This was an overall interesting read, and it opened my eyes as a student going through design school to not get caught up in the modern way of doing things, but to remember that even though everything may be nicely done on fancy equipment or futuristic computer software, to not forget to see the art behind what I am creating.

My Work in PROGRESS

Refined Ideas

Idea One:

My first model was constructed with the idea in mind of not only holding my jewelry inside the lid of the container, but also having an open slot on the outside to hold my wristlet, which I carry at all times!

Idea Two:

This idea is what sparked my final model--a simplistic geometric shape that can hold exactly what it needs to in the smallest way possible.

Idea Three:

This idea, on bottom left, came to mind when I got the thought for something that swivels. I liked this idea, but so many people have already created something that is exactly like this, that I ended up thinking it lacked interest, so I voted against it.

{TYPES OF WOOD}

Right off the bat when we were assigned this project, I became somewhat over-interested in all the possibilities of wood to choose from, research, and experiment with. Wood was a brand new medium for me so I loved the fact of finding something funky and different. After having done some research, I decided I wanted to construct my box out of zebra wood and purpleheart wood. I made some calls and pulled a few strings, and sure enough I obtained some exotic woods to build my project with!

Brainstorming

To begin the brainstorming process, I started sketching anything that came to mind. Pictured right is my quick sketches of some ideas I thought of. I thought of things from very geometric to extremely ornate designs. As I thought of what this box would be used for, I pictured the space it would be placed in. It will hold my jewelry and be placed in my room. My room is tiny, so it could not be a big vessel that takes up a lot of space. I wanted to be as small as possible--just big enough to hold what it is supposed to.The items the space of my room are all also quite simplistic and geometric, so I decided for my box to fit in well within this space, it should adhere to those guidelines as well. Now that I had my “guidelines” for myself to make my project, I thought more about how it should look. I wanted simple and geometric, but also dividers inside to separate every piece of jewelry from one another in the most beautiful, simplistic way possible. With this in mind, I started making my first prototype models.

Outside Research & Findings

I was going into this project pretty blind, so i decided to research and read about how other people have made their band saw boxes in the past. Pictured left is an image I found that is simple and to the point about cutting away the pieces of the container. I discovered a lot of cool examples of layered wood, organic shapes, clean sanding...everything I needed to keep in mind when conducting my project. Researching other people’s strategies and overlooking their ideas got my mind thinking even more into how I wanted my own personal design to look.

Statement of Purpose - Band Saw Box

My band saw box was created to serve the purpose of holding and containing items  that I use in my everyday life that are very sentimental and important to me, my jewelry.

Constructing a Vessel

For our second project in BDS 102 this semester, myself, as well as the rest of my class, was given the task to create a lidded, wooden box using a bandsaw. A bandsaw is an endless saw, consisting of a steel band with a serrated edge running over wheels. We not only just had to create some sort of a “box”, but we also had to create this vessel to hold and contain something that is menaingful or sentimental to us.  This box (or vessel) was to be within the wood sections of 8x5”, no more no less. With that said, the objects I had to choose from were all very small. While my mind was spinning of all the possible ideas to choose from, my class headed to the Common Shop for our first lecture on how to go about this project, and the safety involved with using these tools. I learned a lot in a little amount of time about how to go about the process of woodworking, and all the time, work, and effort that goes into it. 

Prezi

Also, be sure to check out the presentation I created to go along with our model!

PRESENTATION, CLICK HERE!

The Final Outcome

The final model of our project, seen here, is the result of many hours spent of group collaboration, thought, design, construction, deconstruction, and more construction. Every element of this final model came about from the previous trials and errors of this project. We refined the previous prototypes by adding the bands of color around the tower for more indication of floor and color, and added the extra blue band around the bottom to represent the standing of the tower on the fourth floor. The bug graphics became refined by adding the lime green background, indicating the bug exhibit’s location on the third floor. All-in-all I am so pleased with the outcome of this project, and had a great experience designing it with my team. I think it provides a beautiful, yet simplistic, solution to the missing navigational system of the Natural History Museum, thus concluding this project as a success!

COCA way f i n d i n g

This short writing really applied to this project that myself, along with my the rest of my group, has been conducting. Reading this essay helped provide more understanding of the right way to go about wayfinding. This article broke down graphic wayfinding---systems made of text, maps, photos, models, and diagrams. Graphic wayfinding is the most direct way for people to find his or her location. It emphasized using consistency with the use of signage being designed, and really stressed how important hieratic scale is for providing visuals and grabbing the users attention. The article also talked about the best way to go about maneuvering text and graphics for successful signage as well as how to place signage in relation to other architectural elements. It also made very clear that when designing signage, that it’s best to be simplistic and to the point, and that bright colors don’t really hurt either! This was another great read for providing more insight into the world of designing wayfinding, and conducting a successful project.

TED TALKS BIG.

This short video broke down the concept of design is design thinking. The basic ideas of this concept are simply that it starts with humans---with what we need or what we might need. It is understanding our culture and our context, and it is building to think instead of thinking what to build. Tim Brown went on to stress the importance of prototypes, how they help to speed up the process and evolve our ideas (which I personally 100% agree with after this project). Along those lines, Brown said design is too important to be left to designers, and that the design needs to be put in the hands of everyone, for more feedback and real life situations, and solutions. He also said “CHANGE brings new ideas”, a fabulous quote from this video, so simple yet so eye-opening. This film was short and to the point, simply putting that design needs to rid the “designer look of the black collared shirt and square glasses” and get back to the point of creating things that evolve our society and start leading us into the furture instead of being distracted by the present, by thinking BIG and outside the box, just as real designers should.

what is {ethnography} ???

This article breaks down the true meaning of ethnography to all readers. Ethnography, in short, is an approach to understanding. It is the seeking to make sense of the human condition, and a search for meaning. Ethnography looks to uncover people’s “norms” and gives insight to what makes sense of different cultural practices. It also uncovers the meaning people assign to the world and how that meaning comes about. Ethnography helps designers create more compelling solutions to our everyday arising problems in the design field.

Ethnography is discovered by what people say, versus what they do. It is also discovered by how people solve problems, how they organize things, what roles they assume in society, and what “necessities” people are always carrying with them, as this shows what they assume to be important.

Uncovering ethnography is done through a process that begins with defining the problem, rethinking the problem as a designer, defining the context of the problem, defining the sample (what group of people to study), making a game plan to tackle this process, entering the field (the heart of the process), analyzing and interpreting, sharing the insights, and defining the opportunities. This study is very important for all designers to use because it helps designers understand the relationship between what they produce and the meaning their product has for others.

Interaction DESIGN

In this article, readers gain insight to Bill Verplank’s method of using interaction design. His strategy of drawing diagrams and pictures at the same time he is speaking, reinforces everything that he is communicating to his audience. Verplank stresses the huge emphasis of how you act, how you feel, and how you understand. This article went into detail about his three “how do you” questions of doing, feeling, and knowing. He asks the reader how one specifically affects the world---and challenges us to take into consideration that we as designers are creating and designing the way people act. This article put into perspective that it is the responsibility of the designer to produce a map for all users of our design to follow.  

the retest.

We refined our first prototype model by getting the frame rebuilt---so a switch from a cardboard frame to a wooden frame. Then, we went about redoing and refining the graphics to fit within the environment more than the rough mockups of before. In my opinion, this model looks great, and it is easily seen with the interaction of the visitors. We also went ahead and put the bugs leading the pathway to the bug exhibit--which you can also see went over quite well with some of our younger generations!

prototype in the environment

For our first prototype, we constructed an 8ft tall by 27in wide, four sided rectangular tower to install in the Natural History Museum. By placing the (very rough draft) first prototype in the environment we were trying to recreate/redesign through wayfinding, it proved to be a successful trial run, with much learned from the first observational experiment. We observed that by placing the tower in the main entryway, visitors immediately flocked to it for directional usage--which was very good! (success!) ..However, we did witness that the tower seemed a tad too large--especially with the younger children. Their gaze never met the top of the tower, thus making what lied on the top floors of the museum less noticed than on the main floors. To fix this, in our final model we plan to scale the model down, and provide more kid friendly, simplistic graphics in our design.

the city image & its elements

{a few thoughts}

Just a few ideas and thoughts of the tower/kiosk to insert in the entryway of the Natural History Museum.

ON LOCATION.

{wayfinding} in short, is how one gets from one place to another. 

This is the overall task of our next project to come--and here is the start of it. Myself, along with my 4 other group members--Savannah, Tina, Henna, & Randa, are challenging ourselves to create a better navigational system around the Natural History Museum here on our KU campus. The main issue we've seen thus far in the process is simply that one walks in and there is no direction in sight, the floor map is located through a staircase off of the main entrance, and is seemingly small for such an important part of information of navigating the space. Our mission is to tackle this issue to provide the museum goer for a simpler, more refined way of wayfinding his or herself through the space of the Natural History Museum.