Building Blocks
2/3/2021
For my tiles, I decided to make one more curvilinear form, one rectilinear form, and one that was kind of a combination of the two. My curvilinear was the flower shape, while the rectilinear was the irregular polygon. The star shape is a compromise between the two. It mimics the form of the flower, but is made up of straight lines, which I guess technically makes it rectilinear.
I enjoyed making the tiles, but I should have thought more about what I wanted the structures to look like when I put the tiles together. While the tiles, are nice, the flower and star shape do not lend themselves to producing complex structures because the tiles themselves are complicated.
At the moment, I’m not sure exactly where this project is going. But in the event that we have to make more tiles (which I’m sure will be the case), I think I would simplify the tiles themselves so that there’s more potential for complex three-dimensional structures.
2/7/21
This was the feedback I received from my classmates:
I think my peers really liked the flower shape. It was something different that not a lot of other people made. I also really enjoyed the flower shape and I think I will explore this module in future structures.
Q suggested I change the locations of some of my slits to allow for more possibilities when arranging the modules
2/8/21
I decided to uc exploring the flower module. I didn’t Change much about the module itself, besides making it bigger and being more careful not to make the slits too big. My idea for the structure was to have the flower modules form sort of a dome shape that people could theoretically walk through.
People could sit or stand in this structure. They could also climb this structure if they wanted. Really, they could do whatever they wanted to this structure. But for my verb I just stuck with “stand” or “sit”. Maybe a better word would have been “relax”.
2/9/21
I had a very productive discussion with Daphne and my TAs about where to take the direction of my structure. I was worried my module was a little too floral, but Daphne and my TAs suggested that I make the structure itself more modern and choose my colors wisely to contrast the organicness of the flower. I could also play into the floral-ness and make it a more organic color, butI think I like the idea of a contrast to create more visual interest and avoid the structure looking tacky or kitschy.
I also think I’m going to change my verb from “stand” to “marvel”. Because of the large scale I imagine for this structure, I feel like it’s something you could marvel at, as well as stand in.
2/11/21
I made 20 more flower modules between Tuesday and Thursday so that I could make a larger and more organized dome structure.
As I began to think about where I wanted to take my structure, I used Photoshop to change the color of the cardboard. I narrowed it down to these four colors.
I decided not to do the orange because I wanted the color to be unnatural to contrast with the organic nature and shape of the flower. I thought black would be too dark. So, it was between the citron green and silver. This was a tough choice that I probably spent too much time on, but I decided to go with silver for this iteration.
These were the results of playing with different lighting angles. I like the reflectivity of the silver.
2/12/21
After class on Thursday, this is what my peers had to say about where I was so far.
I think the silver was successful in creating a strong visual contrast between the organic flower shape and the color.
During my critique with Q, he told me that he wished there was more contrasy between the outside and inside of the structure. He also suggested changing the silver to more of a chrome/mirror material to enhance user experience.
Q also reminded me of Anish Kapoor’s work. He uses chrome/mirror to make very visually interesting and interactive structures.
2/16/21
My three adjectives: bold, vibrant, and welcoming
I added colored paper to one side of the modules to increase contrast. I started by doing the neon green and then I decided I didn’t like it 2/3 of the way through, so I made the rest orange. I actually ended up enjoying the two colors together. I ordered mirror vinyl but it didn’t come in the mail in time. I’m planning to use it for my final model for Thursday.
My peers in the studio described it as “groovy” and “very ‘you’”. Someone also said it reminded me of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine. I didn’t think about that but now I can’t unsee it.
This is what my friends and family had to say about it.
I’m excited to add chrome to the inner part of this structure.
2/17/21
During in-class crits on Thursday, Daphne said she didn’t love the color combination I had in my form. She thought there was too much visual chaos. I agreed. She also wanted me to look at exploring more complex colors. I also agree. I think the green paper I chose looks too much like a highlighter post-it note color. I am drawn to using a green, but something that’s not tacky. Daphne thought I should look at pairing analogous colors as opposed to contrasting ones like I did for my last model.
Daphne was also concerned about the scale of my structure. As she put it, “one of those flowers is bigger than the front of my house”. While I do want this structure to me awe-inspiring and grandeur, I understand her concerns and will play with scale.
2/18/21
This is my final structue. I’m so happy with how the chrome turned out, and I’m really satisfied witht e color I arrived at to pair it with. The citron green is unnatural enough to contrast with the natural flower shape and just complex enough to draw attention. I think I fixed the scale to make it more appropriate.
I really enjoy how the structure looks from the back as well. the difference between the chrome interior and citron green exterior creates a lot of visual interest for the user and draws them in.
This project taught me to keep the experience of the user in mind as you are designing the structure. You shouldn’t be designing something just because you think it’s pretty. It’s not always about you, it’s more about who will be experiencing what you have designed. I also learned a lot about color and how colors interact with each ohter. I’m still getting used to having the freedom to add color to my design projects, but I’m getting there. :)
