After Project 1 ended the groups for BDS 102 split into two separate groups to make the projects easier to manage than if we did the same project at the same time. My class was assigned to showcase a demonstration of space and time through collaging photographs.
The project does not have any actual specifics, the only requirements is the subject of the collage must showcase movement using space and or time in a way that tells a story of progression. And the entire collage must be 75 photographs or more.
The subject can be anything that the student wants varying from locations to physical human subjects or a themed idea such as beauty shown in a way that still shows some type of progression. Space and time movement are not limited to times of day or step by step frames of walking. They can be the differences in light or photographs at different angles that come together to make the limited space seem larger. The freedom of the project allows for varying collages that each have their own unique take on the assignment, the difficult part is grasping the knowledge of moving space and time in a real fashion using nothing but static photographs in a way that makes it realistic.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Ted brown video
A video about a guy who talks about the tragedy of many designers being so focused on creating something "fashionable and trendy" that they forget what design is really about. He calls designers who think above others and focus on fashion "hipsters" admitting that he is also one of those people. Then he makes a point that designers need to go beyond the modern stigma to want to be fashionable. That design is more about finding something that fits into the niche rather than for the expensive crowd.
He says that a designer is always pressured to stay ahead of the times and to keep up with the ever growing technology, and that pressure is part of the reason that designers worry so much about fashion and modern things than actually thinking about what they are making. That making something attractive is easier to do and so that is why designers focus so much on appearance. A good way to approach the idea of design thinking is by experiencing a situation that causes the designer to think of something that can be helpful and innovative. That again designs must be interactive and adaptive and should be thinking more of the big ideas such as world issues than just focusing on the "small canvas" of appearance and fashion.
He then says that design is once again becoming something bigger than what is the latest trend. He says that designers are being presented with those big issues that design once focused on before such as global warming. That design thinking or "innovative thinking" is what will help the world solves this issue and make design more than just a simple profession. The one unfortunate thing that he presents is that design is human centered, that instead of focusing on the world the issues that design tackles are issues that humans have commonly caused. This one issue is what keeps me from enjoying design fully, if we could focus on both the natural world and what humanity needs this world would be so much easier to live in.
He says that a designer is always pressured to stay ahead of the times and to keep up with the ever growing technology, and that pressure is part of the reason that designers worry so much about fashion and modern things than actually thinking about what they are making. That making something attractive is easier to do and so that is why designers focus so much on appearance. A good way to approach the idea of design thinking is by experiencing a situation that causes the designer to think of something that can be helpful and innovative. That again designs must be interactive and adaptive and should be thinking more of the big ideas such as world issues than just focusing on the "small canvas" of appearance and fashion.
He then says that design is once again becoming something bigger than what is the latest trend. He says that designers are being presented with those big issues that design once focused on before such as global warming. That design thinking or "innovative thinking" is what will help the world solves this issue and make design more than just a simple profession. The one unfortunate thing that he presents is that design is human centered, that instead of focusing on the world the issues that design tackles are issues that humans have commonly caused. This one issue is what keeps me from enjoying design fully, if we could focus on both the natural world and what humanity needs this world would be so much easier to live in.
Poggenphol reading
The reading begins with the author meeting with a child psychologist, they go through Natural History museum in Chicago. While in the museum they critique the exhibits by the way that the visitors examine and react to each exhibit. The author makes a valid point by saying that many designers do not focus on emotion or feeling when it comes to what they design, they are so focused on client budgets and deadlines that design becomes a dead end job rather than something enjoyable. She calls it being trapped in a "aesthetic and technological vacuum."
She says that designers are meant to invoke a message through their designs along with meeting the desires of their clientele. While at the museum she realizes that she never really stopped and wondered what kind of message her designs were sending to her viewers and clients. She goes on to explain that design is actually the discipline of more than one profession, that not only do you need skill but you also need the ability to adapt to any situation that you find yourself in.
Design is interactive and communicative, it requires both the designer and the viewer to be able to understand how to use the design in a way that it is meant or targeted to be used as. She says that successful designs are ones that are able to adapt to the needs of its user while also providing a way for the user to depend on their own skills rather than having the designed product do all the work. She says that designers need to be able to see and understand patterns in order to make something that fits into whatever is needed or popular at the moment. The interactive part also means that the client of the product must be able to use the design from its first prototype in order to give real live feedback that the designer needs in order to fit it into what is required.
A major emphasis on the design process besides interacting with the clients and making something that anybody can use, she also talks a great deal amount about prototypes. Each successful design went through many phase changes, the designer needs to be able to adapt their prototypes to reach a final product. She says its unusual for a designer not to use prototypes because without changing and adapting the designer cant grow in skill and socialization. If a designer is not willing to change or invoke a message that reaches out to others they will become part of the vacuum that is plaguing much of the art and design world.
She says that designers are meant to invoke a message through their designs along with meeting the desires of their clientele. While at the museum she realizes that she never really stopped and wondered what kind of message her designs were sending to her viewers and clients. She goes on to explain that design is actually the discipline of more than one profession, that not only do you need skill but you also need the ability to adapt to any situation that you find yourself in.
Design is interactive and communicative, it requires both the designer and the viewer to be able to understand how to use the design in a way that it is meant or targeted to be used as. She says that successful designs are ones that are able to adapt to the needs of its user while also providing a way for the user to depend on their own skills rather than having the designed product do all the work. She says that designers need to be able to see and understand patterns in order to make something that fits into whatever is needed or popular at the moment. The interactive part also means that the client of the product must be able to use the design from its first prototype in order to give real live feedback that the designer needs in order to fit it into what is required.
A major emphasis on the design process besides interacting with the clients and making something that anybody can use, she also talks a great deal amount about prototypes. Each successful design went through many phase changes, the designer needs to be able to adapt their prototypes to reach a final product. She says its unusual for a designer not to use prototypes because without changing and adapting the designer cant grow in skill and socialization. If a designer is not willing to change or invoke a message that reaches out to others they will become part of the vacuum that is plaguing much of the art and design world.
Summary of Wayfinding project
The project was going smoothly for the most part, many of the team members were willing to exchange ideas and to work together in order to bring about a simple solution. We focused on one location that had three possible entrances and we made an idea with combining our strengths in order to see if we could achieve the results that we needed. Two of my teammates were good with Photoshop and illustrator so they were in charge of making the arrows and logos that we would need in the future, I was good at sketching so I was the one who did preliminary sketches here and there to see if the arrow idea would fit.
We all went to the location together at Wescoe and we photographed at different parts of the entrances to the Underground, the easy part was giving each other the photographs. This was done by using a group specific file on Google Drive which allows us to share, edit and save photos and diagrams that the others have made.
One difficult issue was the issue of meeting during that last week of the project, the first week went fine but the second week that we had was a disaster. We tried to meet on Friday of that week so that we could start building the final steps to the project. But the team could not figure out a good enough time to meet, so we ended up meeting at four thirty when the print shop and KU art shop were about to close. The teammate in charge of changing the logo had to go back in and redesign it. We couldn't print anything even though we managed to get our hands on some foam core. And I had to leave early that day because I had other homework and plans.
The next time we were supposed to meet was on that Sunday and nobody answered their cellphone when I tried contacting them so I was left in the dark on how they were proceeding with their parts. And when we DO meet I cant meet because they always met on a weekday where I had class and I couldn't make it to the meeting because class has top priority.
Another issue was the fact that our teachers were very vague about the project offering very little information and advice leaving us to mostly our own devices. This is usually good but when our professor cant provide us with enough info so that we are not wandering into the project blindly something is wrong.
Despite all these difficulties from what I can gather our project was successful in what we have, its not the best but the prototypes look like they can actually become part of the Underground. And our team wasn't that bad either, there was no conflict outside of the meeting time fiasco and the process book was easy enough to make.
We all went to the location together at Wescoe and we photographed at different parts of the entrances to the Underground, the easy part was giving each other the photographs. This was done by using a group specific file on Google Drive which allows us to share, edit and save photos and diagrams that the others have made.
One difficult issue was the issue of meeting during that last week of the project, the first week went fine but the second week that we had was a disaster. We tried to meet on Friday of that week so that we could start building the final steps to the project. But the team could not figure out a good enough time to meet, so we ended up meeting at four thirty when the print shop and KU art shop were about to close. The teammate in charge of changing the logo had to go back in and redesign it. We couldn't print anything even though we managed to get our hands on some foam core. And I had to leave early that day because I had other homework and plans.
The next time we were supposed to meet was on that Sunday and nobody answered their cellphone when I tried contacting them so I was left in the dark on how they were proceeding with their parts. And when we DO meet I cant meet because they always met on a weekday where I had class and I couldn't make it to the meeting because class has top priority.
Another issue was the fact that our teachers were very vague about the project offering very little information and advice leaving us to mostly our own devices. This is usually good but when our professor cant provide us with enough info so that we are not wandering into the project blindly something is wrong.
Despite all these difficulties from what I can gather our project was successful in what we have, its not the best but the prototypes look like they can actually become part of the Underground. And our team wasn't that bad either, there was no conflict outside of the meeting time fiasco and the process book was easy enough to make.
Wescoe description
We originally chose the building of Wescoe which is the home of the English department, the entire building is consisted of floors and stairs. But then the group decided to focus specifically on the difficulty students face when it comes to navigating to the Underground. The Underground is on the first floor of the building and is a giant food court that students can gather at to eat socialize and study. There is even a gift shop and cafe inside the restaurant.
The issue with the Underground is that it has three entrances that it can be reached by, one in the building itself, one by going down the main stairwell outside near the beach of Wescoe and one on the side that leads the student into the exit of the restaurant. The issue with all three entrances is that none of them are marked, so if a new student is trying to find the Underground they will have a difficult time. There are no signs or arrows to guide the students, you either find it by pure luck or by having older students show you.
So we decided to guide the newcomers to the Underground by leaving visual clues at each of the entrances with the major emphasis being put on the main entrance on the first floor of Wescoe. Complete with new signs arrows and a few fliers here and there.
The issue with the Underground is that it has three entrances that it can be reached by, one in the building itself, one by going down the main stairwell outside near the beach of Wescoe and one on the side that leads the student into the exit of the restaurant. The issue with all three entrances is that none of them are marked, so if a new student is trying to find the Underground they will have a difficult time. There are no signs or arrows to guide the students, you either find it by pure luck or by having older students show you.
So we decided to guide the newcomers to the Underground by leaving visual clues at each of the entrances with the major emphasis being put on the main entrance on the first floor of Wescoe. Complete with new signs arrows and a few fliers here and there.
Define: Wayfinding
The actual definition: Wayfinding- The ways in which humans and animals orient themselves into physical spaces and navigate places.
Personal Definition: Wayfinding- The ability to navigate through unknown spaces using visual clues provided in order to reach the destination. The ability to imagine oneself in a specific space and using that as a way to find the location.
Personal Definition: Wayfinding- The ability to navigate through unknown spaces using visual clues provided in order to reach the destination. The ability to imagine oneself in a specific space and using that as a way to find the location.
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