Sharnia King Design: DSDN111

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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 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.

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

To incorporate the wire element into my design, I decided to experiment with binding as a way of holding all the pieces together. It helps to create a more unified design as you can obviously tell that all the pieces are connected with each other through the wire.

I decided to experiment with copper wire as the copper colour was of a similar tone to the MDF wood. This was an attempt to keep the focus on the actual joint itself.

However, the wire that I used ended up being too thick and did draw attention away from the model itself. Also the thicker copper was very hard to bend in a fluid motion as it was just not malleable enough for the reasons needed. It will be tricky to find a wire that is malleable enough to create a fluid bend in it, but also be strong enough to keep the layers of MDF in place.

This experiment was very good though as it taught me a lot about the materials I am working with.

Copper Wire

Binding using copper wire (top view)

Binding using copper wire (front view)

Depth of layers

Layers of MDF

I have created a draft of my storyboard as I was puzzled with how to go about starting it.

I have made another model to test another way of constructing the piece. I used the 3mm MDF wood and used a craft knife to cut through it. This proved to be a better method because I have more control over the knife compared to the jig saw. This meant that the lines I was cutting were much straighter as I could use a ruler for guidance. Also if I did go off course slightly I was able to cut into the wood and realign the cut which proved helpful in a few instances.

I also tried to arrange the pieces in a way that was not so "boxy" and spanned them out. This proved to look like a very interesting interface.

Today in studio we talked about refining the interface of our models once we have the motion active. As I was talking to the tutor she mentioned that my model so far is very heavy and block like. This is because the motion happens within the block of wood. The advice I was given was to look at interface design to determine a way to design the outside to make it visual lighter and not in such a block format.

I have been looking at objects around the house to examine the detailing of the interface design and the hints given away to suggest the movement they propose. I found some great examples that show different types of movement, but it was also interesting to see objects with a similar function but a completely different interface.

I attempted a small investigation into the staining of wood with some offcuts of MDF I had while crafting my model. I tried to think absract in terms of what I could use to stain my wood to give me some more options. I tested a clear stain on the MDF, but all this did was enhance the colour of the MDF, which is not very nice to look at anyway. I used a shoe polish to stain the wood, one a light coat and one a heavy coat to see the range the colour had. This worked very well as it was not painting over the properties of the wood.

I have continued to work with my model and make some progress on its development. Yesterday was quite a big day, I started to make a wood version of the model and I was very nervous about how it was going to work.

To make the first version of the wooden model I used a combination of tools to produce the piece. I drilled holes in the corners and used a jig saw to cut the connecting lines. However I found it very hard to keep the jig saw straight. I also tried using a chisel to cut through the wood. This created a straight line, but it also damaged the wood as the force broke apart the layers. I then had to sand all the edges that were cut to create a nicer visual and texture. I also used a normal saw to cut the larger lines that could be cut directly. I was quite tired by the end of this as it took a really long time to cut everything and I'm not exactly the strongest but I tried my best at testing a method. A test which I found to be successful because it produced my model out of the real material. A good starting place.

Model:

Sharnia King Design

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