24th-25th October

Experiments

Through use of the found objects I wanted to begin to understand what these objects had become through their deterioration process.
I began to type using the typewriters as well as take photos. There was a definite charm within in these objects, the same type of charm that leads electro acoustic composers to use old speakers within new systems. Also the same charm that cause’s computer programs to use analogue interfaces to portray actions such as volume and painting.
I am beginning to get frustrated with the idea that I would maybe like to try and incorporate deterioration into more digital objects in order to allow them to deteriorate in the same manner in which the analogue objects I had come across had done.
However, one of my original post-it notes speaks of the transition from analogue to digital and I believe the new medium of digital lacks something which I am beginning to identify as ‘charm’ within it.

Finding Objects 24th October

Finding Objects

First day of research into my questions. I found the first question of the five that were made the most interesting. The area of deterioration was my point of concern and thought that my first port o call would be to start researching into deteriorating objects. I went and looked into second hand shops to try and discover what type of form these deteriorating objects would take. From my search I came out with a

Olivetti Typewriter
Brother Typewriter
2 Olympia Typewriters
Fed 4 Camera
Ilford Sport Camera

I also did some secondary research and looked into how computer programs use alnalogue interfaces in order to introduce a physicality into the program as well as methods in which Francois Bayle uses analogue speakers within a digital recording system.
Overlapping between digital and analogue systems is a curiosity to me.

Sketching out a project. 23rd October

Group work - Sketching out a project.

We spent a day looking at developing our context further. For me this was to push my new idea of Control in Objects further. I am interested in access within objects and the manner in which the user has control over the object.
For example the Mac and the PC. In theory the idea behind this is that the PC runs off of coding that the user is able to obtain and therefore change and alter. Whereas, the Mac is seen as more user friendly and the inner working of the Mac is hidden.
It was fixing objects and how this act of fixing can help build a relationship between user and object. By the end of today through discussing the idea with the group, the idea was explored and exploded.
Five questions were brought up and allowed me to look at moving my project forward. These are…

1.How do people alter the way they interact with objects as they deteriorate?
2.Can domestic objects be designed so that they can be accessed to be fixed rather than thrown?
3.How can people gain control when an object refuses to work for the user?
4.Through fixing/repair can relationships build between user and object?
5.Can domestic objects be seen as treasured objects that we do not continually trade in?

Pecha Kucha (after thoughts.) 20th-22nd october

After Thoughts of Pecha Kucha

I came out of the Pecha Kucha still lacking direction with what my topic area may be. The main comment and impression that I received from the critique was that I had a good process developing however; I was lacking a context within that process.
I was still receiving positive comments regarding my layout as well as the physical activity of moulding casting that I was going about doing. I was also not too disheartened because I believe that it was important for me to explore the duality between aesthetic driven designs compared to that of function lead design.

I began to worry about the problem of searching for this ‘context’ and through the worry of not knowing where my project may be going I began to realise what a big deal it had become losing control within my project. The anxiety I was feeling made me realise amongst other matters that were occurring in my life regarding relationships that I appreciate being in control of matters and therefore, thought that this may be an interesting area to explore within products.

The new focus for me was to explore objects that had a ‘mind of their own’ and how that can be frustrating and also pleasurable. The way in which products can become individual through the way in which they deteriorate and have characteristics of their own.

Pecha Kucha 19th october

Pecha Kucha

Plan

Brief 1 Irrational, Rational

1.1+1=11. Removing of data, symbology.
2.Oars, Dormant objects, taking away sister/ brother objects
3.3 ideas, turn into an artefact, immobilise object.
4.Sword and the stone.
5.Cast in stone. Solidity turns the kettle into a dormant object.
6.Motor reason for moving to the motor.
7.Wallpaper. What I hoped to show. (useful of starting from abstract.)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Brief 2 Duality

1.What I mean of ‘organic.’ Process and aesthetic.
2.Philip Stark. Frustrating design. Bad design. Aesthetic driven design.
3.What my plan was for the brief.
3.What conclusion I came to, talk through. Essentials. Vessel, Pour, hold.
4.Bird Wing. Design through aesthetic. Restricting.
5.Positive, and negatives. Design for aesthetic has helped me to break out of the mould I am currently set in.
6.What I take from this. Idea of bad design, function.
7.Abstract start interesting. How making physical objects helps.

Design Briefs: Geek and Formulae

Brief 1: Objects Repel, Objects Attract

‘The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet’
Andy Warhol

This brief has two main aims the first is to research into relationships and the second is to realise the patterns you have explored.

Objects Repel, Objects attract. Using this idea, explore relationships within and between objects that are both metaphorical as well as physical. Begin to unveil emerging patterns and begin to visualise the discoveries you have made. It is the manner in which objects react and influence one another that is the focus of this brief. Realize the environments your chosen objects interact with and how the objects(s) affect its environment social, culturally, politically and also technologically.

Relationships and the patterns that they generate can have many forms. Think about mathematical and geometrical but also emotional and physiological relationships that can occur between objects. The associations that you choose to investigate can range from an emotion such as a laugh and its interaction with a joke to a more material association such as that between a brick and a house.

Your aim should be to identify your items of choice within the first day and then to explore this relationship over the next day and a half. You should aim to leave yourself at least a day and half of responding to the relationship you have uncovered.

The aim of the brief is to help discover unrealised as well as new relationships between objects. The result in your discovery will enable you to create a visual response to the second aspect of the brief which is pattern.
The visual response can take various forms such as video, artefact, graphical or audio. The response should identify the pattern that you have unveiled.


Brief 2: Rational, Irrational.

‘Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.’
Edward de Bono

Throughout your education you are taught traditional thinking. This discourages open-mindedness and therefore inhibits you to design out of your already made preconceptions.
By questioning a traditional preconception aim to develop a new understanding of a preconceived idea. Develop a piece of design which is inspired by irrational thinking such as the idea of Edward de Bono shown above. Allow your design to be inspired by your individual thinking or you may attempt to prove your irrational thinking true.

For example what would happen to your logic if you began thinking 1 +1 =11?

Responses to this can be both systematic and also full of beans. The idea of irrational thinking is to help the user to expand their thinking but also to use to use this process to come back to rational responses to an originally irrational line of thinking.

4000 plus* 8th Oct

4000 plus*

Over the first week it was advised we were to write 100 a hundred post-it notes with a hundred separate ideas or starting points for projects.
The four thousand ideas that were generated were slowly broken down into various categories.
At this point the headings for the twenty or so categories were delegated to groups of two.
Myself and Sebastian were writing for the Geeks and Formulae heading.
Within the groups we began to write briefs for the topic that we had opted for. We generated a range of five different briefs each with a title and a description of the brief.
It was then at this point that the class voted on which two briefs your group would continue forward into making two full briefs.

The two briefs that Sebastian and I generated were the Irrational, Rational and also Objects repel, Objects attract.