Sharnia King Design: June 2013

To advertise the Slum Challenge within the 24 hour Caritas Challenge 2014, I have created a stop motion video. This stop motion video is aimed at intermediate and secondary school aged people. I have based it on the idea of tetris blocks as it is something the target audience can relate to. A game that has been played by people of all ages and is based around the idea of building blocks. This helps to portray the idea of building a house, somewhere the plant can live in. I have also incorporated the natural elements of rain and wind to show how tough it can be to live in a place where materials are limited but are able to stand up against the elements. The house that the flower is in gets knocked down by the wind and then blown away by the rain. To the viewer this is frustrating to see that the work gets broken again and again - something that is just as frustrating to those living in this situation. I have also used techno music to attract the viewers attention as it is something they can relate to. Techno music is very attention drawing due to the beats created. This links in with the blocks dropping down to the bottom of the page and fits in nicely.

Stop Motion:

Adding rain and wind sound

I have been doing some tests to incorporate sound. I have had to modify the idea of using 8 bit sounds because the rate at which the tetris blocks were dropping and the letters was too fast and became a blur. When I tried to slow it down the frame rate was too slow to run smoothly.

Instead I have been looking at using techno sounds because you still get the hard sounding beats. This is a sort of modern day 8 bit sound. The techno music also is more relevant to the target audience of intermediate, secondary schools and youth groups as this age group does not have the same association with 8bit sounds that we do. They can however, relate to the techno music being played.

This is the development of my stop motion so far. I had to split up the first scene into part 1 and part 2 because my camera went out of battery faster than I expected. Although this is an annoying problem I have found a way around it so all is fine.

I have been planning my final stop motion and broken it down into scenes. This is to help me make each scene then see how long it is all taking. As I know the final one will take a very long time to film, it is crucial that I break it down into scenes.

I have also been thinking about how I can modify the scenes and backgrounds to make it more interesting. This is taking into account the feedback I got given from the tutors during the review in class.

Scene 1:

Scene 2:

Scene 3:

Scene 4:

Within my joint I decided to look at the actions of rotation and lock. As I wanted to create a movement that was meant to be followed on a directed a path, a sort of three dimensional puzzle was created that allows you to move deeper, but locks in from either side. The form I created is designed using latex with the idea that the latex can be manipulated but once there is a large amount of force upon the joint, the latex will break. This means that the model can only be used once.

I also looked at interface design and added emphasis to how to use the joint by staining wood. This forms an attraction between the users eyes and wanting to touch the object. I also used a circular dowel rod that is more accustomed to a human hand than a square piece of wood. This encourages touch, play and feel which is one of the key aspects of the joint, to create movement.

OFF

I have made a stop motion of the movement of my joint. This is so the movement of rotation and lock can also be seen but also changing from the on position to the off position once the latex has been destroyed by the movement within the joint.

Images from my session in my workshop. Within this you can see the development of the model.

I have used wire in different ways within the model. I have incorporated it into the form to give the model structural support, aesthetics and also as a operating mechanism.

On the end of the handle is a sharp point that is used to pierce the through the latex and goes into the joint. This sharp point was created using stainless steel wire and bending it into a triangle. I then used a grinder, very carefully creating a sharp point on the end. Then I drilled some holes that were a perfect fit into the end of the basswood and joined the two materials together.

I had also used wire to bind the layers of MDF together, but this time with a more malleable wire that was easier to bend. I also decided to use silver because it is less distracting than the copper I previously attempted to use. This was definitely more successful because the wire was so thin and malleable that it was easier to work with, but the strength of the wire meant that it was able to hold the pieces of MDF in place.

I also used wire in another structural format. By placing a piece of wire on the inside of the layer of MDF to separate them. The welding rod I use was the perfect width to open up the layers enough to work with and break the box structure. It was also a very subtle and chic look. I did not want to use anymore wood and this was the perfect solution to maintain a specified space between the layers of MDF.

I have been looking at interface design and realised that I need to draw influence on the idea of moving the handle. I decided to do this by using a round piece of wood, something that the hand is able to identify with and combine initiative with to begin movement around the designated path of the joint. I inserted a wire into both the square and the round pieces to make sure that it was strong, then I used a small amount of glue to join the pieces together.

I also used a brown stain and put this on light so as to draw some attention, but not too distracting from the movement of the joint. My reasoning behind this was the handle is where the initial movement is based, therefore it is a starting point. Without this attraction a user may not realise this, so attention needs to be drawn to this part of the joint.

On the end of the handle is a sharp point that is used to pierce the through the latex and goes into the joint. This sharp point was created using stainless steel wire and bending it into a triangle. I then used a grinder, very carefully creating a sharp point on the end. Then I drilled some holes that were a perfect fit into the end of the basswood and joined the two materials together.

I have decided to combine MDF and basswood and the basswood is very solid and contributes very well as part of the handle that breaks the latex. The weight of the basswood helps in breaking through and deteriorating the latex. This is a very important component as it relates to how joints deteriorate and shows the large amount of pressure forced on the joint.

Basswood and MDF

I have chosen to do an orthographic projection consisting of a plan and two elevations. I felt this was the best way to show a three dimensional object in a two dimensional drawing as you can see a range of angles. If I were to use a section cut it would look very similar to the other views, where as incorporating a different elevation view meant you can gather a better sense of the whole shape of the object. I have undertaken a front elevation and a side elevation, as well as the plan view.

I had conducted a quick test to see if my idea will work with Post It notes and to determine their size and tetris shapes. This was a good experiment as I had to make my tetris pieces and also had to determine where I was going to do the shoot so that it would be the correct size.

I have also had a change in materials. Instead of using wooden blocks as I had previously planned too, I am going to use notepad squares in an assortment of colours. Each colour will represent one of four tetris shapes that I am including.

The reason I am doing this is because I need to work on a larger scale and the wood was restricting me from doing this in several ways. The weight of the wood means it is hard to hold it in place along the wall. Also cutting out many pieces of each shape takes a very long time. I would have to paint the wood to get the different colours, and may require several coats to get a solid colour.

However in working with the wood I had some very good experiences and increased my knowledge about working with this material. But it is just not the right material to complete this job with, but I still learned a lot.

After receiving some feedback during the critique I have had a rethink about how to make my stop motion more effective. I have decided that I am going to play more on the tetris idea so that it seems like the user is in control.

To do this i am going to use coloured note pads and form them in the shape of tetris pieces. This is instead of using wood. I also need to work on a larger scale than what I have been doing because it was slightly too small making it much harder. As there are many tetris pieces, I am only going to take four of them across into my project.

Tetris Pieces

I have completed my final storyboard incorporating layers of drafting film on which I have drawn the five frames of the storyboard. Each layer represents a layer within my joint model. This way there is a unity between the storyboard and the actual actions that are occurring.

Within the storyboard you can see the actions of rotation but also of penetrating through the layers, locking into place. I also used binding to bind the layers of drafting film together as this is how I am going to bind the layers of MDF together.

Today's inspirational things:

Postmodern Lettering

Table made of a branch. Combination of natural and synthetic design.

Good package design also good interface design

Modernism, displaying Bauhaus principles of working the eye around the page. Seeing not just looking.

Fluidity

The review of work went better than expected as I showed Elle and Hans my development so far. There were many great ideas passed around for further development and I learned a lot about my own model and ideas for further development.

Tips for my model:

Look at using wire in a different way as it is sort of distracting from the on and off functions of the joint.
Look at interface to show what the user is meant to do and how they are meant to hold the joint.
Could use the wire to pierce the latex, as that incorporates the wire into the function of the joint. This is opposed to a secondary material that is there to support.
I need to unify my model as much as possible.
EXPERIMENT with as many techniques as possible considering how much time there is left.

I am grateful for the feedback I got given as it made me look at my model in a different light and from the perspective of other people. It really made me see what everyone else see's which means I have to continue to think in this way to design the interface.

This is my model for the critique and where it is up to in terms of development. At this stage I am planning to use wire binding to hold the layers together as a structural aspect. But I will not be using the type of wire that I currently am as it is far too thick.

The handle does not have a notch on it yet so it can be removed from the joint. It will have a notch soon but for now it needed to be removable for adjustment purposes. There is a layer of latex covering the deepest layer to show how the latex is incorporated.

Side

I lived in Stratford, Taranaki for about 5 years and am looking at what I used to take for granted as inspiration. The whole town was based around Shakespeare and his plays. All the streets are named after things to do with him or his plays, the town is even named after Shakespeare's birth place in England.

We have a clocktower with New Zealand’s largest Glockenspiel clock:

I lived on Hamlet Street (not my street sign though):

We have an old fashioned theatre:

And then I realised that there isn't much else in this small town. The idea is really good but the town could be designed to have more features that take people's interest in learning about Shakespeare.

There's also pioneer village which is a cool replica of old time Stratford when the settlers arrived. There are many different types of buildings from the butchery to the blacksmiths, but there are also urban and rural farms to show how all people lived. Its a really fascinating place.

Sharnia King Design

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