Two themes form
16.2.20
I am preparing my bibliography as I research, in hopes that I wouldn't be pressed for time later, as I was for the other two parts.
Proposal brainstorming
Action Plan
Creating an action plan for the Find 50 research task has put my mind at ease and made my tasks a bit easier, by adding structure to them. Of course, I added buffer because it may not go as planned and could change depending on what I learn. However, the overall structure gives me more clarity than I had earlier.
17.2.20 RESEARCH WEEK
18.2.20 RESEARCH AT DESIGN MUSEUM
The Design Museum had so many designs that would help inform my work: the benefit of such a curated collection of work was that I found products, concepts and designers to research about. Through the museum, I got a good starting point and base for my work. I am lucky that they had a panel especially for educational toys, which helped me build a rationale and find a direction to look into.
20.2.20 RESEARCH AT THE CHILD MUSEUM, THE RAGGED SCHOOL MUSEUM
Research at these two museums was almost overwhelming- I found cultural and historical references along with work from product design and other disciplines. I realise that researching in museums is a great way to immerse oneself in a particular subject: curated collections and exhibition not only appeal to one sense- there are words, visuals and sometimes even aural and moving parts. All of these contribute to understanding the subject on a more intuitive level. Looking at the number of toys in the museum mde me finally choose what direction I want to go in for education: I want to design a toy to build a child's interest in a subject/ foster creativity and problem-solving/create an intuitive understanding of a subject.
23.2.20 FIND 50
TO DO 25.2.20
RESEARCH
Friedrich Froebel- Froebel Gifts (see pdf)
Georg Greger + Dieter Rams + Juegen Greubel- Lectron
KANO computer kit- KANO and MAP Project Office
Technology Will Save Us: kits
Fredun Shapur: puzzle games etc...
Peter Markey wave machine
Frank Hornby Meccano
Research Education Philosophies
https://www.theedadvocate.org/5-things-that-educators-should-know-about-the-philosophy-of-education/
research these links
https://www.internationalstudent.com/study_uk/education_system/
https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?language=en
https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_tales_of_creativity_and_play?language=en
https://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen?language=en
http://www.valchromat.pt/content.aspx?menuid=268&eid=3138
http://www.architectureofearlychildhood.com/2015/06/forgotten-1960s-toys-are-remembered-at.html
http://www.makiminimag.com/category/see/vintage-toy/
Visit Welcome collection, well play collection, Hamleys, Science museum.
Gather your individual research into themes for your sheets / sketchbooks - Respond to new themes with drawings / ideas
materials workshop again
CHOOSING A USER: 25.2.2020
As of now, I know that I am definitely designing for a child; not for a school to use in its education, or for a parent to use with their kids. This will give me the freedom I need to aid the child directly. However, I don't know which age group of children I want to design for: each stage of development is crucial (shown in research page): 2-7, 7-11, and 11 and above.
26.2.20 RESEARCH ANALYSIS WORKSHOP
The themes that interested me the most were Age and Social class, because from my research at the Ragged School Museum and the Museum of Childhood, I have learnt that these are some of the most important factors in education. Age determines what you are taught, what you learn, and how you learn it, and how much you understand. Social class / level of income determines why you want to learn, how much emphasis one puts on education, and the quality of education one recieves. With all of this in mind, I should take these two factors into consideration when chooing my user group.
Looking at my peers' research, I realised that my theme was very distinct, because none of their research related to mine, or mine to theirs. This is because of my agegroup, and the fact that I'm looking at play, which hasn't been considered in their themes.
Interestingly, this workshop forced me to make a quick decision about what income level of users my product would cater to- I was faced with a dilemma, because designing expensive educational products is much easier than trying to design a universal educational product that would be both inexpensive and fulfill its purpose well. However, I thought back to a line in my research, about the Monstessori System- Maria Montessori ahd originally designed the system for disabled children without the means to get the proper education they needed. I realised that this is where it is- if I wasn't designing for the mass, what actual change would I be making? therefore I decided to put my name in the lower income area. I am still deciding between which age group to choose, which I will have chosen by Sunday.
Based on this workshop, I am thinking of gathering statistics based on education level and quality versus income level, and education in different countries (free in some, paid in others). Based on this, I will also have to choose whether my design will be complementary to an education system, or a toy on its own.
27.2.20 MATERIALS WORKSHOP
Overall, the workshop was interesting. However I feel that it was a bit too abstract for anything of great importance to come out of it. Bt it helped me consolidate my thoughts and give me a little more clarity in the direction I was going.
The workshop made me think a lot about sustainably sourcing materials, and material safety for children. For example, finding waste materials all around me to make my designs made me think of how easy it is to find a waste material rather than buy it from a store, when designing along with material in mind. Using ceramic in my piece made me realise that I absolutely didn't want to use it in my product- it is too dangerous and delicate to play with. Making my swinging toy piece made me realise that I really like kinetics-inspired toys that one could look at/ interact with. When it came to techniques, I found that the simplest techniques are the best for making a toy- something that is easy to make, should be easy to fix too. I may be wrong here, so I am going to research more methods on my own. Working in a group to put the amterial wall together was a lot of fun- I loved putting nails on the wall. Everyone together, as a collective, had so many pieces to be inspired by, the diversity in thinking was incredible- it makes me realise the most important resource in design- the human. We design for the human, using research done by humans, for the human experience, learning from human stories and tales. When deisnging and researching I will think of this: what's the point of a design without the human?
5.3.20 SELF-DIRECTED GROUP WORKSHOP
The first self-directed group workshop was a success. We came up with more than 30 initial ideas each, minimum 5 per descriptor word chosen. Using the words as themes gave me a direction to go in when ideating. I have a start, but I still don't feel like I have any ideas with worth yet, so I will continue to find more descriptors and generate more ideas. When I saw the others' ideas, I realised how different our thought processes were. Maybe discussing my ideas with different people at different stages will give me a wider breadth of thinking/understanding.
16.3.20 WORKING WITH CORONAVIRUS
My way of working will be changed because of coronavirus- I may be going home, which means that I will have no access to workshop facilities. This is also taking away time from my work schedule- I need to work with/around this, and will keep updated.
18.3.20 RESEARCH AND FINAL IDEATION
To better understand children of my age group, I looked at textbooks and the curriculum for their ages. I now have a much better understanding of their mindsets and and level of comprehension. My research is polarised in two parts: there is 'teaching' the children knowledge/education, and the unstructured play in toys for pure enjoyment- I want to do unstructured learning through exploration and creation. I will now do my last round of idea generation with the keywords I gathered throughout my recent research. The keywords that I got define my theme and what I want my product to be: like Cas Holman, I feel that the word 'toy' is too frivolous to define my product, but still the closest I can get to this unstructured play and creation. Maybe I will define another word for this in the future.
19.3.20
Working with alternative materials has so far proven to be alright: I have used paper and metal wire only, so maybe I haven't reached the point where I am limited by the lack of facilities, which will probably happen when I want to build a prototype rather than a sketch model. However, I do recognise that the lack of a wire bender/guillotine made the making process longer than usual.
Before I followed Kathleen's work brief, I had done just a bit more research on my own: an informal discussion of my work with some educationists led to them telling me that I should read 3rd and 4th grade textbooks before designing a toy for them: this would help me understand their level of comprehension, reasoning and overall just get into their minds. I stretched this piece of advice to reading a few parenting websites and looking at the curriculum for 3rd and 4th graders (8-10 year olds). This gave me the confidence that I needed- I knew that whatever I thought of would definitely be for 8-10 year old children: because I clearly knew what was too easy, and what was beyond most of their comprehension.
I know that I have to start developing an idea ASAP, I can't just keep ideating, waiting for the 'perfect' design to magically appear. Therefore, I chose the idea I liked most out of my final round of idea generation. I really don't like it too much, but I need to start somewhere. I quite like its aesthetic, which I feel is an important factor when designing, and something that informs all my designs. But unfortunately, my research has shown me that there are a lot more toys like mine. The difference that I want to make is that I want to introduce a new degree of freedom into my design- the hexagons should be able to attatch themeselves to each other at any angle, allowing for imperfection, making the possiblilites endless. This idea was inspired by a honeycomb, so I will also do some research on honeycomb structures for inspiration.
Making my sketch models gave me a new degree of understanding of my idea: I was able to test out my imagination and see whether what I was thinking of would be truly feasible or not: this included what could be made out of joining many hexagons together, and their joining mechanism. I now realise that eah shape comes with its own quirks, and that there will always be a set of rules with each shape as a module. However, this is a good, rather than bad thing, because an absolute lack of rules may lead to a lack of ideas- there's so many possibilities, I don't know what to make! Instead, the hexagons themselves shape the way anything is going to be contructed, making this product a creative, thinking and prolem-solving excercise at once. Also, maybe my hexagons don't need to be solid- maybe they can bend to a certain degree, introducing bendability to the equation. making it an even more interesting toy. (Inspired by the paper sketch model)
The second two models helped me figure out the joining mechanism of the product. When I made the skewer stick sketch model and attached it to the cork, I tried to move the model around with the cork. Instead, I noticed that the part of the stick in the cork stayed as it was, but the other ends that were taped to the cork-stick easily turned around. This was when I realised that magnets could be the answer: instead of being resstricted by joints, magnets could provide the type of freedom that I wanted to give the children. Therefore, for my fourth sketch model I attached two tiny magnets to the end of the first hexagon module, and made the seond module out of steel wire. Sure enough, it worked perfectly. I also noticed that this allowed the child to not only attach the hexagons end to end, but also end to middle/side, since the whole module was itself made out of steel wire, which is magnetic. I am very happy with the development of my project- I was going into a bit of a slump with no one to discuss my ongoing work with, but this model gave me the boost I needed.
TO DO by Today
Sketchbook Page FlipYA
CP20YAS
SBPicuploadsketchbok20,21YAS
PBScanuploadplan20YAS
Research21
20.3.20
The SCAMPER technique applied to my chosen design worked wonders: I gained a rationale its for materiality, scale, pieces and other aspects. While my drawings and the pages may have gotten slightly messy, it helped me think and understand my idea more. In the end, my idea turned out more detailed, and with more components than I thought of earlier. I have a lot of ideas now that I could apply to my design, and I must now think of which to use/develop, and which to discard.
Making the paper model after SCAMPER was interesting, because I used this exercise not to make an exact likeliness of my design, but to explore what more I could do with it. This is why the heagons were panels, and not hollo wire-traces. Putting it on the window gave it life: apart from the fact that it was almost floating, the natural light higlighted its 3D shape and gave it depth. These are some of my favourte model photographs in my quarantine time.
Sketching the model forced me to pay attention to its details, especially how its form was highlighted through light and shadow. The collaging helped me to consolidate all my ideas from the SCAMPER workshop into a comprehesive, slighty abstract page. I used tentative materials and drew potential components. This page (page 5 in my new sketchbook) highlights my project till now, and conveys what it could be. I think that collaging is a great way of gathering one's thoughts and ideas into a more orderly format- I will use this more often from now on.
I made a rough plan for Saturday/Sunday, however I may not have much time to follow it because I am still settling in to my new space, and it is taking some time. However, I will use as much time as I can for developing the design.
23.3.20 HATS
The HATS workshop was very beneficial to me after the Make it in a Day workshop: with a final idea in my head, I was able to look at it from different perspectives and create a well-rounded evaluation for it. I realise that I have been doing critical thinking like this all along, but this was so much more in-depth: I put every thought of mine onto paper, and looked at every nook and cranny of my design. This workshop was different to my usual process of reflection because of its categorisation: usually I would merge all the categories or 'Hats' together, but this time, I adressed each aspect separately. This helped me compartmentalise my action plan too, and give my process more structure than usual.
The workshop also made sure that I couldn't ignore any issues with my product, however trivial I thought they were. I now know exactly what I need to improve, and why (given in sketchbook pages 8 and 9: Hats workshop). Apart from the negative parts, I also gained confidence in my product by highlighting its positive aspects, and finding out what I got right: this is as important as pointing out what's wrong with one's work, because this lets you know that you're proceeding in the right direction.
The green hat helped me look at all the ideas I lefft/ thought wwouldn't work and try to make something out of them. I was able to open my mind to possibilities again, and gained so many possible new ideas that I can now choose from- with this, I know that my product will be unique.
All of this was consolidated with the Blue hat- planning. I made a detailed plan to follow in the next few days that I will make sure to refer to throughout the course of my work. With this, I know that I am addressing the concerns/questions raised by the other hats at some point in this week. Rather than straight away giving me a new direction to adopt, this workhsop has given me many possiblilities of the different directions I could go in- it has made my project a bit more open-ended, which I love. Later in the week, I will choose where I want my design to proceed.
24.3.20
I may have to recycle my sketch models for my final product prototype. All the materials I take for granted arent's available to me anymore, like iron wire and magnets. Amazon won;t deliver them to me. I will have to be satisfied that my final protoype isn;t an exact likeliness, but an 'accurate' 'representation' of what my product should be. I will do 3D modelling for a better representation.
COVID-19 has caused a huge disruption in the field of prouct design- the college has made adobe products free for access from personal laptops, so that students can continue their work. Many companies have temporarily started offering their services for free in response to the pandemic- this is good for working at home, and interestingly, thisplan that seemingly has no benefit to the corporations themselves may actually be beneficial to them after the pandemic: when everything is fine and the applications are no longer free, people who have learnt the software and gotten used to it will then decide to buy it because it has now been integrated into their daily work process.
In my opinion, COVID-19 won't halt everything, instead, soft work and collaboration will find a way to continue, probably digitally. Therefore developing ideas will maybe slow down for a while until people get used to the change in work methods, and then pick up pace again. However, the manufacturing industries will suffer. While ideas are developed, they can't be realised, because heavy machinery and workshops have to be managed by a team of people. Factories and production centres have to be shut down, and no new products can be brought out into the market. This will reduce the business brought to not only product designers, but to every stakeholder in this process. In this way, such actions will have a huge impact and may even lead us into a global economic recession.
For me, this means that I have to work with what I've got: some acrylic, some metal, a handsaw, a knife and some scissors. I talked about using food for design, but with Tesco not delivering pasta because of lack of supplies, I think that this isn't really a viable option anymore. I will rely heavily on digital manipulatio of my photos, and 3D rendering.
Given the current situation, product and ceramic designers need to show solidarity by collaborating online on platforms to give ppers the help they need, and focus this time on developing their skills through online courses, and reflecting on their workflow. I myself am using this time to optimise my workflw and achieve a balance between work, friends, family, and my own hobbies.
But there is a plus point here too: with the world moving towards a completely digital era, this unprecedented situation will just fast-forward this motion; almost like one of the 3D making workshops in the early part of the idea development phase. People will be forced to collaborate and interact online work through online portals, and socialise online, with no other choice. Thiswon;t completely get rid of the stigma against going online, but being forced to pick up these skills quickly will get rid of the fear of the unknown- the unknown being the internet, which only a part of society utilises widely. When we emerge from this crisis, many businesses may decide to stay online to reduce the cost of fixed captial in the form of buying/renting an office room. Many startups may use business models based on this situation to access cheap collaboration/manufacturing with highest possible quality. Colleges may start offering online courses and both students and colleges will take them more seriously, because they know that the online system definitely works: tried and mass tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, theworld will be fast-forwared into a new global era of greater worldwide connection for not just the younger, 'tech-savy' generation, but also the older people who have had to adapt to this new situation. Inability to travel may no longer pose as musch of a problem to people as it did earier- working remotely is so much easier with infrastructure developed just for that purpose- something secondary becoming primary- during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
1.4.20 A BURNOUT- AND A BREAK
After shifting out of my accomodation, I didn't really give myself time to acclimatise to the new reality- I just buried myself in work to the point where I couldn't think about much else- so that I wouldn't think about much else. This was my way of coping with the uncertainty around me. However, I recently just couldn't work anymore; nonstop working finally lead me to a burnout. For a while, I just couldn;t look at my project, and now when I'm just recovering from this phase, I realise that I should now introduce a sort of balance into my lifestyle- that work can easily eat up into every phase of my life, especially now that I am only at home and can't separate activities through differentiating my envronments. I will make sure to sleep, eat and do other activities properly, rather than treat them as chores that revolve around my project. I will take time to talk to my family and exercise, because both physical and mental health are very important, especially during these times.
2.4.20 ATTACHMENTS EXERCISE
At first, I thought this exercise would be futile- what's the point of an attachments exercise if I've already found a good attachment for my product (magnetic)? However, I went ahead with it anyway. Halfway through it, I realised that I could use it for something different- in a way I wanted. I want to make my product accessible to all, experimental- I want the user to be able to do anything with it- use anything from the house to manipulate it, to use whatever they can to change the product, and add variety to it. I don't want it to be exclusive- my product will be as inclusive as possible, with as many options as possible. Me experimenting with these different attachments will give me an idea as to what may work and what may not. I will keep my infereces in mind for later website design, in which I can incporporate these ideas. I am thinking almost of something like a pinterest page. Maybe?
3.4.20 EVALUATING GREEN HAT IDEAS
During the Hats Workshop, I came up with a number of ideas when wearing the green hat. I now evaluated them to see whether they would work in my design. While some of them may have worked better if I hadn't come up with a concrete concept, since I had, my first point of consideration was whether it would make sense in the current context. For example, rubber hexagons would completely go against the concept of my project. I want the user to understand 3D spcae through hexagons' properties and magnetic properties. therefore a rubber hexagon would't work. On the other hand, including pentagons in my collection may not be hat bad- in fact, it will give the child variety when they want to do something using not just hexagons. But it shouldn't be compusory- so I came up with an idea- the basic kit will be customisable. I think that this is for the best because a lot of the parts I am thinking of may not be essential to the kit, but some users may want them/want more of some parts after having a taste fo the basic product. I will think more about this later.
5.4.20 CONSOLIDATING IDEAS
With the huge number of ideas that I evaluated the day before, I felt that I was losing track of my project- that it was heading in a frenzy of directions that I couldn't control. I made short notes of each piece, but I want to come up with a more formal method/catalogue/system of coding for naming each piece, because otherwise I'll definitely lose track sometime further again. I also want to further develop my paper templates and online ideas and customisation plan further. I am glad that I made that timetable a while ago with the checklists, because now I know exactly what I need to do in order for the product's design to progress to the next stage, without having to plan every single step because I already gave myself a framework a while ago.
FURTHER SCOPE
I was thinking about how I could further take my idea forward. In my website, I could include an online HEXATTACH building tool, wherein one can virtually build using hexattach, online. Like a game. This would make it more sustainable and accessible to children from different parts of the world of different economic and social backgrounds. HEXATTACH, but on the internet. There would be a downloadable app too!
9.4.20 MANUFACTURING PROCESS
After some research, I learned that investing in automated machinery from the beginning can be very expensive. Therefore I came up with a different method which can then be improved upon later. I put it in my sketchbook, but I'm not sure whether I have explained it well enough. While I understand it, I'm not sure if others can. If I am going to explain it later, I should make a new visualisation.
10.4.20 SAFETY REGULATIONS
During my project I remembered that I was designing a toy with magnets- often considered a choking hazard for small children. So I looked up the regulations for toys with magnets. Sure enough, there was a regulation that said that toys with magnets should have the appropriate warning given on them. Therefore I will include it in my packaging. It interferes with the design of the product. However, I think that that's the point of the warning- it should stand out enough for the parents to make a decision about getting the toy for their child. As a child, I played a lot with magnets- they were fun. I never even thought about eating them. However, if a child was to swallow a magnet, it would be a huge health hazard. Of course, this doesn't mean that children should not be allowed to play with magnets- in my opinion they are one of the most fun items to play with. Therefore HEXATTACH will reccomend parental supervision for small kids. However these magnets aren't loose: they are attached to the units. Therfore a very very strong superglue will have to be used to make sure they never separate.
16.4.20 ONLINE GROUP TUTORIAL WITH GEORGIA, WHO AND WHERE WORKSHOPS
The online group tutorial reassured me that I was moving in the right direction. I found out how else I could forward my project, and was also able to catch up with my classmates! I got an overall idea of how everyone was doing. I realise that I am lucky in so many ways- to be living with family in these times, to have the money and resources I need to take my project forward, and to have a stable circle of friends and family who help keep my spirit up.
The who and where workshops were fun- I used collage and sketching to consolidate the persona of my product. But then I realised that consolidating a persona means limiting my consumer- I don't want to specify a specific type of income, it should be for children of all income levels. So while I designed the persona, I am not going to completely stick by it.
FINAL USER TESTING AND VIDEO
A user test with my cousing was a lot of fun! I was finally able to see my product come to life, and be used how it was supposed to be used. My cousing experimented with HEXATTACH, and made different outcomes with it. For about 2 hours, I sat and recorded the activity through photos and videos, and realised that this was a different, very user-centric research. I thought I knew everything there was to know about my product, however today, I learnt a lot more. While I was a 3D-interested child, my cousin has actually not played much with 3D except for Lego. Today, when he first explored HEXATTACH, I noticed that all of his outcomes were 2D and not that complex. However, with my nudging and ideas, he started making more 3D, spatial outcomes. They weren't as complex as I had made them, but I realised that this is what I meant by exploring- In an ideal situation, the child would have days to just play with HEXATTACH whenever they wanted to, and just explore it. Everyday, they would try something new. I wouldn't need to nudge them to try 3D outcomes; after making 2D outcomes for a long time, the child will, on their own, try to do something different, and discover a whole new world of possibilities. This 'discovery' is so much more satisfying and motivational than being told what to do by someone else. This is what gives the child the confidence to learn, discover and create, independently.
VIDEO 2
VIDEO 4
VIDEO 5
13 Feb
This week, trying to find out what themes I wanted to explore wasn't too hard: I filtered through different themes till I found two of them: education and living in the future. I did some research on each of them to widen my outlook, and I found out that education is different from learning: while education is often formal and standardised, learning is much broader and can be structured or unstructured. Living in the future is instead about how the future may be and designing for the future. However, I am not sure, after research, that I will be able to make a good outcome for this theme: it is too far away to do primary research on and find solid facts about, everything I make will be speculative. This was only onfirmed by my double page spread, education/learning is a much more open theme.
Today, during the course, the tutors' introduction to the research task gave me a lot more clarity on what I was to do after this. After submitting the first draft of my proposal, I must find many references to give me inspiration for ideas. However, this research is more wide and structured than that in part 2, because of how it must be cited with Harvard referencing and the minimum number of types and areas of each source. My tutorial with Georgia gave me even more clarity: I now have a direction I want to go in in education- I want to encourage children to learn on their own rather than have to be forced to learn.
CONTEXT DEVELOPMENT
Researching to develop the context for my theme of education was intriguing. I came across a number of articles about designs encouraging learning, experimentation and exploration through playing. The workshop gave me perspective into my subject- I was able to address learning from many perspectives. I was also able to find a niche that I am very interested in- learning versus education. Using the breadth of thought I gained by looking at all these aspects, I will use research week to build a strong base of research for my project.
While it may be important to visit a school for research, I feel that even more important than that is finding out the child's opinion of their schooling and classes. Therefore, I am going to interview children and teachers. I have also created a more detailed action plan for research week in my sketchbook.
17.2.20
I have an idea of 3 places to go- museums to visit, in London. However, I am supposed to visit 5 places. I am not sure what to do for the other two. Will I get an idea later? I am not sure. Hopefully.
24.2.20 SPEED DATING FOR RESEARCH WORKSHOP
This workshop was interesting- I feel like it wasn't as sucessful as it could have been, but it had a good concept. Being put into groups based on our themes was a good start, but I wasn't able to get information on the themes I wanted from my groupmates- hopefully in later activities they will be more enthusiastic and contributory. I gave my groupmates research ideas for their themes and product ideas- but I was only able to get my sheet filled later by other classmates. But I will still continue to work with my groupmates so that we can explore materials and brainstorm for ideas.
Apart from that, I got a number of research ideas to pursue after find 50. I am interested in seeing where this will go.
25.2.20 EVIL CINEMA
Evil Cinema with Tom was contstructive. By looking at others' research pages on workflow I was able to get an idea of what more I could do on my own page. I need to add more videos and TED talks to my research page. When my turn came and I went to my page, I was told that I had a good amount, and wide research. I will therefore continue to use the find 50 template for all further research, so that it is well rounded and I minimise my chance of missing out on any kind of research.
TUTORIAL WITH KATHLEEN
2.3.20 PROPOSAL FINAL SUBMISSION
Feedback from Georgia said that my proposal was fine, except that the word count was too high. I will fix this by next week. I hope to have a really good proposal.
2.3.20 MINIATURES WORKSHOP
This workshop gave me a boost- with all my research going on, I was being too precious with my ideas. This miniatures workshop made me make a product in a day- I did my first round of ideation and then chose an idea, however suitable/unsuitable it was. When making the pieces, I realised a few things that I had to think about when making the product- saftey- sharp edges are dangerous to children, I had to sand them to smoothen them out. With having made this, I think I might be focusing more on building blocks/ creation tools more in the course of this project. While I made my pieces only out of acrylic, I feel like I could use a better material later. Unfortunately, working in a group did not really help improve the momentum of my work, because nobody really discussed their ideas apart from the initial talking about the product ideas they liked. However, discussing my ideas with my friends gave me more clarity and helped me go ahead with my design and development in a day. In the end I was satisfied with my product, and I will now go ahead with idea development.
3.3.20 TUTORIAL WITH TOM
The tutorial with Tom on Tuesday gave me a little more direction in my work. found more research sources to explore. I will research, and come up with more ideas and develop them.
5.3.20 SCAMPER
The SCAMPER workshop was interesting: after generating a number of ideas, we modified them in different ways which showed me the different ways in which I could think about, or look at my ideas. Whenever I have a block, I will use the SCAMPER workshop again. I have thought about scale, material and other interesting aspects of my products, which has really broadened my thinking with respect to this project.
8.3.20 VIDEO RESEARCH
Watching Abstract's episode on Cas Holman- Design for Play was inspiring. It has changed my way of thinking- open ended design, child independence and giving them choice is the most important part of play- giving them control. Education is much the same- is it ever fun if you're not in control? Well possibly, but also having control over what you learn and what you do is what makes you want to do something. Nowadays, most toys are designed to sell, or to keep the kid occupied. THIS IS NOT WHAT A TOY SHOULD DO. Rather than that, it should give you freedom to do something- make something- create- play- understand- learn- do what you want!
Cas Holman widens her perspective through engaging with different stakeholders in her product- the child, the parent, the teacher. They give her insight and understanding and help her design better.
Rather than designing play, she designs FOR play. This means that instead of making the children do the same old activity again and again, the children can themselves make the activity they want to do.
THIS IS AMAZING. I WILL USE THIS. wow
With this and the adventures of a cardboard box video (which showed me how the most basic unit can be anything- that's the fun of it), I think I'm going more into the PLAY aspect of my project- the education comes along with it. But designing for play is going to be a part of my process from now on.
10.3.20 PROGRESS TUTORIAL WITH TOM
The progress tutorial with Tom assured me that I was going on the right path. With all my idea generation going on, I wasn't sure whether I was going in the right direction, or just floundering about. I was told that I was doing well, but I needed to focus and find a direction- see where I am going with my project. I was also shown the bigger picture- that I should start with 3d outcomes. I understand and want to do this, but I am still unsure about my ideas- I don't really like any of them.
I plan to:
1. Make more 3D outcomes
2. Timeline: mark where I am, figure out a plan for model making through easter
3. Develop a final idea
12.3.20 CONCEPTS/INSPIRATION FROM MAGAZINE?
I found some magazines, and decided to draw inspiration from them. I made a collage of concepts that I might like, and I'm interested in the idea of imperfection- Cas Holman talks about how children like imperfection because it leads to possibility- The theory of loose parts that I heard about on a podcast says that the more possibility, the more experimentation possible, and children love experimenting. I think I'm going to integrate the idea of imperfection into my building block ideas- now I just have to look at scale and other factors.
11.3.20 - 14.3.2020 3D OUTCOMES DURING WEEK
My 3D outcomes from different sketch models are all based on different concepts/ideas I thought of based on inspiration from my research. However, they aren't leading me to a final concept. I will continue this in hopes of getting more ideas. However, I am running out of time. on Monday (16th), I will make a plan and go ahead with 3 ideas I like and develop all of them throughout the weeks.
18.3.20 SELF-ISOLATION and WORK
Working in self-isolation has a very different feel to working in the classrooms or workshop: One of the many reasons we go to the classroom to work is because of the atmosphere: it inspired work and ideas, making it easier to work. However being home and not haing a defined workspace makes it harder to get into the mood of working- this can lead to uderworking, or even overworking, which, either way, is bad. This is why I get ready as if I am going out to college to work, even thought I am staying at home: this helps me work more efficiently and mainatin a balance even in such times.
Throughout the course, we were encouraged to use the workshop as much as possible. Over part 1 and 2, I have grown increasingly dependent on the workshop and its tools, which makeit much easier to work with tough materials, and give prototypes good finish. However, now that I don't have them with me, I have to go back to part 1 in 3DDA and remember the various model-making techniques I used before the workshop induction- I have to improvise with whatever materials I have around me: paper, thread, cooking items, spare cloth etc. Sourcing alternate materials has become less of a matter of 'Where I can get that from?', and more of 'Can I use this as a Material?' This gives my project a new perspective- because as I stated earlier, I want to make an affordable product that is easily availible, irrespective of money and materials. This is the perfect scenario for me to explore this issue in person- if I am able to create a creative educational product using domestic materials, maybe even waste, I will have been able to achieve my goal of sustainability. Therefore, instead of creating only sketch models with the limited materials I have access to, I will try to develop an actual final outcome that is made of what I have around me.
Using alternative processes isn't just included to cutting with scissors/folding and gluing: the home has its own workshop: the kitchen. I have access to various food supplies and even an oven, which I may be able to use depending on where my idea development takes me.
In part 2, for my movement project, I didn't even use the workshop for my final outcome scale model: I used cloth, needle and thread, rissotto rice, a thermocol ball, pins and skewers. I ended up creating a pretty good model. I can set up a makeshift photobooth using white a2 paper, and take good pictures of my models. I will look into origami techniques if possible, too. In times like these, collaging and other visualisation methods play a huge role in idea development, when one has to conserve building materials.
While I am slightly frustrated that my whole process and ideas were upset by the virus, I am actually pretty excited. A new way of thinking, new challenges,shifting the paradigm- working online and away from normal life will change a lot; this change will force a kind of progress and growth which leads to a new,different way of understanding the world around me. I know that this growth in thought will help me design different products- that will help me innovate, and give me invaluable insight into working anywhere, in any way. Any frustration I have right now will never frustrate me again, in later times, when I may not have access to the exact material, or process, that I want.
Working remotely from my tutors is probably the hardest part for me: getting written feedback from tutors isn't the same as verbal feedback. Written feedback is often more general, and more carefully thought out (this would omit tiny details that add colour to a conversation, or that may lead to a different line of thought). When one talks with a tutor, ideas, research references and opinios are more easily thought of/understood. Without this guidance, I might not be sure of whether I am moving in the right direction, or whether my work is up to the mark: because while it is written down, talking conveys a lot more through expressions. Even simply taking notes and explaining are importaant to my thinking process. I will have to get used to this, and work even more independently than usual.
Finally, research in the library is impossible at this time, unfortunately, when I most need it. The curated collection of books in the CSM library would help me with research on a topic, or learning a particular process. While a book gives me a depth of information the internet could hardly match, there is the extensve online library which I will now have to rely on more: not just articles, but also videos, reports and studies, and other online resources. The thing I miss the most is probably the atmosphere- people working in some field of design all around you- the conversations with friends and strangers that make you see things in a new light- the different opinions all around you, and the white noise created by the constant discussions in the learning zone. Unfortunately, I will have to work without this, just for a while.
REFLECTION, RECORDING MY SETCHBOOK VIDEO
Looking back at my this whle experience till now, I realise how my working process has changed since quaratine. I now rely so much more on the online evidence of my work than before. This has made me put a lot more effort into my reflections and research on workflow. I have made sure that my sketchbook page photographs are legible, and that I photograph each sketch model I make as professionally as possible. I have started paying much more attention to how I display my work, including conveying how it is used, which has made me get into taking videos of my models, and sketchbook. I realise now, more than ever, that there is no point to what I am doing if others don't understand it. I also think that this complete documentation of everything I am doing is good to do not only in such times, but in normal day-to-day life too, because I can access it from anywhere, at any time, with or without my sketchbook. In the future, where my clients may be abroad or I have to convey information halfway across the world, these skills will come in handy. Now that A2 sheets are a bit inconvenient to handle, I want to not only make A2 sheets (for the sake of uniformity with my other projects), but also go further than that: I want to convey my concept and product just as I would with A2 sheets, but on a digital medium instead. I don't want to just cut and paste what I would do on an A2 sheet onto the computer, I want to embrace the features of digital display and tailor my presentation according to this format.
22.3.20 MAKE IT IN A DAY
After completing SCAMPER and the sketch models, I decided that it was time for me to do Make it in a Day. This workshop would help me consolidate my ideas and have something concrete to start working with. I started making my product- hexagonal with magnets. Thankfully, I had all the materials I needed with me. One idea that I hadn't tested out before was the 'panels' idea, which I had thought of during SCAMPER. Therefore I tried it out directly in this workshop.
Make it in a Day made me consider many aspects that I had accidentally overlooked: for example the polarity of the magnets in relation to the orientation of the object. I had to decide how the panel and wire pieces would connect with each other, where the magnets would be placed and why, and how curved/sharp the edges of the hexagons would be.
Moreover, while I was thinking of adding 'imperfection' to the pieces by manufacturing all of them slightly differently, actually doing this realised that it would make it very difficult to connect the pieces using magnets. This would be very frustrating for anyone trying to build something out of the pieces.
The Make it in a Day workshop definitely accelerated the pace at which I was going: while I was only speculating and making sketch models before, on this day I made something concrete and sellable. This forced me to look at what I was doing more practically and make many decisions I was too scared to make before. One of these concerned the material: should it be paper, or wire? I automatically reached for wire, because I knew that paper would just be too flimsy and wouldn't work as well with magnets as wire would. Also, making 3D shapes would be easier with something that isn't flat, and instead cylindrical.
I think that I did this workshop at just the right time- any later would have been too late. With the project scheduled to be completed by the end of easter, I realise that I should complete my product as soon as possible. This workshop has given me a solid foundation to build upon, improve and modify. With ample reflection and critical thinking, I should be able to find the direction in which my project will proceed next.
Making the Panels was an interesting process: it was much slower than usual. I didn't have any heavy machinery with me- no bandsaws or other equipment- just a small saw and some acrylic. I had to cut the acrylic out in the garden where it was cold, wth a mask and some swimming goggles for protection, and hold the acrylic piece with my hand. While it would have taken me about 3 minutes to make each hexagon in the workshop, each piece took me about 10 minutes to make now. It was also quite tiring because I had to use quite a lot of manual power. Additionally, none of the pieces were as accurate as I wanted them to be, because of human error. However, I do know that it is possible to make these pieces at home, and I can also go into how the product will be manufactured from now on.
I also want to note that I will need a wire bender tool for more accurate wire bending, from now on.
My prototype has given me confidence in my project. It's fun to play and experiment with. I will now develop this into a final product.
23.3.20
No one expected the foundation course of 2019-20 to end like this. It is so different from how last year's foundatio group would have had it. With a course that valuse teamwork so much, I now have to work more on my own than I ever had, throughout this course. This is an interesting predicament, and an experience of a lifetime. One of the biggest questions of the course has probably been how students would take photographs at the same level of the professional photographer who was supposed to come in after the easter holidays. Thankfully, I have my own camera, and while I may not have the ideal background setting of white paper, I do have A2 sheets and photosohp on my side. I have practiced this with all my sketch models, and am confident that when the time comes, I will be able to take very good photos of my work.
Working remotely has had its ups and downs- I have been videocalling my frieds and working together, but unfortunately the lag and volume issues make it very irritating to be in contact with them for a long time. I have started putting my designs and ideas on instagram, where I can interact with my followers (my friends and family), and get ideas and discuss options with them. Stories and posts make it fun to do so.
One of my dreams for this course was to be on the End of Year show. With this not happening anymore, I feel a bit sad. However, I hope that at least at some point in time (maybe later), my product would be exhibited in the gallery. But before that, there has to be some kind of end-of year show, digitally,.
One of my ideas for this is an interactive website with all the products- like Ron Arad's website. When you click on a photo you like, it blows up into a sort of 'slideshow' with photos, descriptions, maybe even GIFs and Videos, kind of like Matt Canham's website.
http://www.ronarad.co.uk/products/
https://mattcanham.uk/workmain/hplus
Another idea could be an Online Gallery- imagine a virtual space created , where UAL staff/students can sign into their characters and 'walk' around the gallery, like in a videogame, and when they go near an exhibit and press 'enter', they see the popup with information- photos, descriptions, videos/gifs etc.
(Kind of like clubpenguin or minecraft but simpler and different?)
I will think of more ideas, and would love to help with anything. I know the second idea might take some time to develop, but if it was made, I think it would be amazing.
Maybe an Instagram Gallery would work?
27.3.20 A SIMILAR PRODUCT- MY RESEARCH
My recent research has lead me to a very similar product- it is based around archimedic solids and uses just a single piece- as a base, to make anything. FACETs- the building blocks of 3D Geometry, are kind of like what I wanted my product to be like. This instance actually highlights a problem that I, and most designers probably, constantly have to deal with. My designs are not unique. Whatever I do, someone has already done it better. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this problem. How do I make my product unique? How do I differentiate it from the rest? That was all I could think about, when I found this product. With just one type of piece, the user can costruct hexagons and pentagons and many types of designs.
That was when I went back to my brief- originally, I wanted my product to be widely accessible, and I wanted to encourage all kinds of creativity. In my head, I have plans for open-source customisation plans, and printables. On the other had, FACETS is exclusive- and pretty expensive. I will do my best to improve upon my idea and make it cheaper, and more widely usable. I also realise that Hexattach is more free to work with- and has a different aethetic. The more I look at it, the more I realise that these products have in fact evolved from completely different briefs, with different goals. Of course, that doesn't mean that I can't draw and learn from this piece of research.
P.S. I want the Depth of planning and work for the project that is there on the site.
2.4.20 ATTACHMENTS EXERCISE
7.4.20 MATERIALS, SUSTAINAILITY AND COST
I actually started off with the context exercise from the tutors. It helped me finalise the context in which my product would be used. However, I couldn't finish my context until I figured out the sustainability, material and cost considerations.
Since my main materials were magnetic wire, wood, and acrylic, I started work on each of those. I started with wood, where I decided that since I was researching wood for toys, I would look at websites that talked about wooden toys. But what I found only looked at craft-made wooden toys- which would be way more expensive than normal toys. I then remembered- sustainability should also be a part of my considerations, so why not use any kind of scrap wood? The rest is in my reasoning in the sketchbook.
But I realised one thing- I have to research further into wood as a material in my own time- figuring out what type of wood is good for what product is very inefficient compared to what I would do if I had some knowledge of each characteristic already. The same goes for both metal, and acrylic. In fact, I just found out that stainless steel is usually non-magnetic.
I would have found this out easily, a long time ago, if I was able to spontaneously chat with someone, e.g. a peer with knowledge of materials, a tutor, or one of the workshop faculty. However, I wasn't able to, because I was at home, working alone due to lockdown.
I think that this is one of the differentiating factors in a workshop, making-based course like this: human interaction is paramount: not just for the encouraging atmosphere, but also for the continuous exchange of information that goes on: learning from one another is one of the features that makes this course what it is. And I have had similar opinions expressed from other students in lockdown. Therefore while it is nice that we can all be connected in these times, it simply isn't enough to sustain itself in the long run, especially for a design course.
8.4.20 CATALOGUING SYSTEM
I felt that all my ideas of the pieces were going out of control- so I made a cataloguing system to keep track of everything. It took me a while, but I now have everything in order and will be able to make my technical drawings and sort everything out.
11.4.20 TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
Why didn't I do them online?
I would have saved a lot of time and effort. But lost the satisfaction.
I am satisfied with my technical drawings. But I don't think I'm going to do them on paper anymore, unless I want the drawing to feel aesthetic. This is because I had to draw one hexagon over and over again when I could've just copy-pasted it on the computer. This may have been due to a certain inertia about using my sketchbook continuously. I think that this inerti is actually a pretty common occurence, and is something I should do my best to avoid not just when working, but when doing anything.
12.4.20 WEBSITE WIREFRAMING, PACKAGING AND ADVERTISING
Wireframing, packaging and advertising- all learnt from my understated Experience project. I didn't talk much about it, nor did I make design sheets- rather than a complete product, it was more of a learning process. I didn't really notice until I started this, but I have been consolidating all the skills that I learnt in all my previous project- in this one big, long final project. This not only gives me the confidence to do what I now know I can do, it also shows me the fruit of my labour as a result of this project! I can see what a long way I've come since Idea Factory.
13.4.20 FINAL PROTOTYPE: MAKING, COMPLETION
Finally completing my final prototype was very satisfying. That was the last time I'm using the handsaw out in the cold, without an air vent. With this, my product is finally complete- now I just have to work on getting it across to the consumer. This includes videos, presentations and rendering. I can see the end in sight!
18.4.20 WEBSITE DESIGN ON ADOBE XD
I'm using lockdown as an opportunity to learn so many more softwares!! Adobe XD, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Blender, Fusion 360, and more. I have gotten better at all of them with my continuous experimentation through my project. I think that one of the reasons I was able to get the hang of them so quickly is because I had a goal- I wanted to make a specific visualisation, and I made it. Therefore, I think for me, rather than learning the basic by the textbook, it is more fun, and more productive, when I learn through doing a project. I will keep this in mind from now on when I learn new software. I will need to keep using this strategy, because in this fast-evolving world, softwares and practices are updated constantly. The way we work is always changing, and if we don't adapt, we'll get left behind.
FINAL PRESENTATION
I completed the final presentation- at first I wasn't sure whether it would help to do it or not, but I am glad I did it. It gave me the confidence I needed that the product is complete, and has helped me put every detail I thought of out there- for everyone to understand. Workin on the computer without even thinking of printing on paper or drawing gave me some constraints- I had to rely more on the original original layout of my sketchbook and not redrawing every single sketch I already made. I also kept in mind that I wouldn't be able to explain my idea to anyone through words- so I uncluded explanatory text in my sheets. In the end, it became more of a complete presentation, than design sheets. I guess this means that I can work efficiently under lockdown, which is nice to know in case this goes on for my whole career :D