Experience

Monday, 20th January 

In the morning, we had our crit for wildlife. I missed some part of it as I was in the workshop completing my model for the wildlife project.

The second half was the start of our new project 'Experience City'. I learnt that this was a project in which we had to make a product or a service but we could not show it as a workshop made model. Our visualisations were to be assessed for this project as whatever we would make, it had to be presented only over our workbook and sheets, without a final model. I liked the idea of that as I wanted to see what I could do and how I would proceed in such kind of a project. 

We were then allotted topics. There were 5 topics and I got the topic of communication. With me, I had 6-7 other students in my group. Our group then did an exercise in which we wrote down the assets of communication and the issues of communication. 

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After doing this exercise, we realised that communication is a very vast term which has a lot of broad points. From visual communication to verbal communication, the society has a lot of different ways to communicate. The next task was the research task and for that I chose a topic under communication which was different and I thought it could be fun 'Communicating without talking for a day'. 

Wednesday, 22nd January

I couldn't start my research task properly on Tuesday as it was a day at college and I couldn't work without talking so I didn't start it until Wednesday. Also, I thought that being in college for research would have been boring and I would want to go out to explore different things like trying to communicate with people, machines, systems etc. 

So on Wednesday, I went out and tried to communicate without talking. Here is the link to the video -

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zlu9YHdgAt5SjNG0T5hm45ot0CnfUxZA

 

Thursday, 23rd January 

Today was the ideation day for me as I did my research till now. I thought about a lot of apps with the idea in mind of making it for the people who had trouble speaking. In my secondary research, I looked at technological devices which were made to help the people who could not talk properly. These devices could speak whatever was written into them and act as a voice for people who could not speak. 

My ideas were related to people who could speak but had stutters. One idea was that there could be some games and exercises in the app which would make people who had stutter feel more easy and relaxed which would result in lowering the stutter. The app could have talking challenges and exercises which would boost the users morale and confidence. 

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Monday, 27th January

On Monday, Georgia showed us a presentation but it was an interactive activity. We all had ideas in our minds and now we had to think about some questions which were there in the presentation. I had to think about questions like price, E.A.S.T. etc. It was a great activity as I learned how to think in a holistic way and think about everything when making my final product or idea. Thinking about all those things was great as it made me think about how I could present my final idea in the best way possible. 

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Apart from this, I showed my ideas to Georgia and she had good feedback to give. She told me that my ideas were open ended and not concrete. Some of my ideas were nice but they could be better. She told me to think in a newer aspect and gave me some good suggestions on how to do so. 

I thought about how to think about my ideas in a different way. My ideas were very digital based so I thought i'll think of some ideas for a product. One of my earlier ideas that I really liked was of a product. I thought more along the lines of that product and worked on the idea till I finally came up with my final idea. My product idea is a glove which is for the people who cannot speak or have trouble speaking. As most people who cannot speak, know sign language, my glove will translate their hand gestures and convert it into and audio sound which would come out of the glove. 

Tuesday, 27th January

Today, I realised my idea. I came up with the thought on how I would make the glove virtually because I couldn't make it physically for this project. 

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Visualisation

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The user who is wearing the glove will communicate in sign language, thus will move their hands. The glove will then translate the sign language into any language the user wants and then will say the sentence out loud. 

Utility

Thursday, 28th November

We started with our next and final project before the winter break. In this project we our supposed to work in groups of 2, each one being a client and a designer both. The aim of this project is to make a 'tool' for the client which might improve their lifestyle, remove their discomforts or improve them at a certain activity, hobby or sport. My partner for this project is a girl named Hilal. 

For the first half, we had activities in which we were getting to know our partners. We asked questions about their hobbies, their religion, their lifestyle, the items they usually use etc. I made a list of everything she liked and disliked as well as her hobbies and lifestyle. All this was my primary research. 

We had to create a double-page spread client profile. A client profile is simply information of your client defining who they are. 

My Client Profile 

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After that, we were supposed to list some keywords. Using those keywords, we were supposed to start developing ideas related to whatever research we gathered. We could also use the keywords. 

My ideas were related to iceskating and umbrella like structures. She told me that she does ice skating so I thought of how I could make a bag/box in which she would be able to keep all of her ice skating stuff in. Other than that, I designed some umbrella like structures which did not need to be held by the hand. I designed these as she told me she doesn't like the Rain because she always gets sticky and wet and also she doesn't like to hold things. 

For the second half, we made models. I made an umbrella like structure.

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These are the 3 things that she always has with her -

Wallet- Her wallet is contains all her money and cards. She always carries it with her no matter where she goes. I think that shows that she cautious. She does not want to take any risk by leaving all the important stuff. In case of any emergency, she should always have some money, Credit card and the Oyster card. 

Rubber Band- Her rubber band defines her personality a little bit. It shows that she likes to tie her hair which means that she like a neat and tidy look or maybe that she doesn't like the feel of her hair on her face. She also carried it around as it helps her in other things also. For eg. she can close a packet with the help of the rubber band, She could attach something to the rubber band and then to her hand to act like a support etc.

Her home keys- She carries her home keys maybe because she doesn't want to leave it with anyone because of her independent time schedule of coming in and going out. I think its a normal act for everyone to carry their own keys as at this stage of life, everyone gets independent and likes to handle things on their own. 

 

Tuesday, 3rd December

Today was also given to us as an independent session. We could make our models, finish our sketchbooks or talk to the tutors. As I had already spoken to Georgia and done my sketchbook, I went to the workshop to make my model. 

My idea was that I would make a clip so tight which would hold the umbrella tightly so that the umbrella would hold on to the strap of the bag and not fall. After several experiments, I realised that this kind of a product would not work as there is no mechanism which would hold the umbrella. If I make a tight clip, it would only spoil the strap of the bag and not hold the umbrella. These were my failed experiments -

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After that, I thought to myself that I need to create a product which would have 2 parts. The first one has to be something which attaches to the bag and the 2 part which attaches to the umbrella and then the 2 parts should be attached to themselves. So thus I came up with this -

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This is the umbrella holder. The part on the left is the part which attaches to the bag. The white material on the plastic is Velcro which helps the plastic stick from both ends. The C-Shaped part in the front holds the umbrella. It expandes as you put the umbrella in and then once the rod of the umbrella is inside, it contracts, thus stopping and holding the umbrella so that it does not move. 

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A HAPPY CLIENT IS THE BEST CLIENT!!!!

Utility Final Outcome

Contextual Practice - Week 13

The presentation that Gabriel showed us today was quite interesting as it led to a lot of debate in class. It was based on futuristic design. We were showed a lot of design ideas which we futuristic and also a lot of definitions by people who had ideas on what the future would be and what it would do to us and our bodies. 

I really liked some things about today's presentation. There was a lot of debate when the topic of ELON MUSK'S cybertruck came up. Some people loved the design, some hated it. I personally love the design. I think this is the first actual vehicle that looks very futuristic. I agree there is no colour or curve in the body of the vehicle but I think the vehicle game had to change. This design was made purposely. It had to stand out. It looks very different than other trucks in the same category and has amazing functions that no other trucks can perform. 

There is a definition of 'Technological Singularity' by Ray Kurzweil in which he says that by the 1940's man and machine will merge. He said that ultimately the computers will go inside us to make us healthier and smarter. I do not agree with this at all. I think this sounds horrible. Humans are not supposed to mix with machines to get smarter. This definition by him just doesn't sound right to me. I agree that humans and computers are related and interdependent but that definition just doesn't sound natural.

The first activity was about listing situations of utopia and dystopia in this world. We could also list situations which fell in both categories, utopia and dystopia. Utopia is a situation of a perfect world, a world with no problems, an ideal world whereas dystopia is the opposite. 

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The next activity was paper modelling. We were made to build paper models inspired by any type of future event we feel like (inspired by 1 future scenario). I made the future of lifts. It came under the technological category. I made tubes with the idea that they could suck people from the bottom and then make them come to the top in high structures. The sheet on top of the tubes is the place they would reach after being sucked from the bottom. This mechanism could be used in all types of buildings and structures. 

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Contextual Practice - Week 11

In today's session , Gabriel showed us a presentation about 'Design People'

        3DDA Worksheet wk 11  13/11/19

 

Design People

 

Who are the intended user(s)/ participant(s) that your Movement project is aimed at?

I have created a seating which can be used by anyone. It is like a bench which could be used at a bus stop , in a park , in a waiting queue etc.

Which activities/ workshops would you use to access this group?

I would not need to carry any specific activities as my seating will be in a public place. People will notice my work during their daily activities.  

Which questions would you ask your intended user to improve your design?

  1. If my design is comfortable , and if not , how could I improve it?
  2. Is my design actually useful?
  3. Does my design make a difference?
  4. Do you feel more relaxed on it rather than on the grass in a park?
  5. How often would you sit here?

What are the relevant issues that face your intended user(s)/ participant(s)?

If people sit on the grass , sometimes its not that comfortable and usually people’s clothes get dirty. If people want to talk to each other while facing each other, they get tired after sometime, the positions are not very relaxed.

How does your Movement design respond to these issues?

My design eliminates sitting on the ground so thus , the clothes remain clean and also the user is more comfortable. As my product is bent , the position is quite comfortable to lay in and speak to other people.

List the potential unintended users?

People who do not use the parks/gardens etc. Anyone who does not use public transport , so thus they won’t be able to sit in these chairs.

List users/participants/social groups that you are interested in working with in future projects:

Businessmen , children , poor people , people with social anxiety , professionals etc are some type of people that I would like to work with in the future.

List any issues that apply to these groups:

Money related issues, health issues, housing issues, social issues, issues with time management etc

Identify a specific group of users/ participants to engage in your next project:

Businessmen

Which Primary research could you conduct into this potential group of users/ participants?

I would research how they like their objects and products. In their busy lives, how I could make some product which would save their time and energy.

Which Secondary research could you conduct into this potential group of users/ participants?
I could read articles and some other sources to know how they talk about their lives and what disturbes them. I could also listen and watch some TED talks by some big businessmen to understand how they want to save time , effort and energy.

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Movement

Monday , 4th November 

Today was the first day of Part-2. I have been given Product Design and Ceramics for part 2 and 3 as I wished. The tutors introduced themselves to us today and I really like them. I have a feeling that I'm gonna enjoy part -2 more than part -1. 

In the morning we were given a brief about movement and what is expected out of us. We were supposed to do our research over the weekend and come. Our tutors told us that for PDC we are supposed to make a chair as our final outcome. Just before lunchtime , Georgia gave us a note which we had to answer in a metaphorical way. I was given ' If you were any object in the bathroom , what would you be?' I thought about it and I think I would've been the shower curtain. The reason behind it is that the shower curtain gives a little more privacy to the person who is bathing. I am a really private person and thus I chose the curtain. 

After lunch , we were made to do these quick 3 minute exercises in which we had to choose a type of chair , a motion and what the chair will be used for and then combine these words to think of ideas for chairs and sitting and then repeat with 3 other words the next time. This activity was very similar to the one we did in Ideas Factory. I liked this activity more than the one we did in Ideas Factory as in this we were given many chances to experiment with different words and thus my mind was experimenting all the time. These kind of activities challenge me and make me work under a little bit of pressure which sometimes leads to me getting great ideas. 

Finally , the best and most fun activity came up. We were given clay and were told to make a bowl-shaped object. I really liked this activity because it was a hands on activity and we had never done something like this in class till now. In India, there is a festival of lights called 'Diwali'. In this festival, people light 'diyas' which are small lamps. Because Diwali was a weekend before this weekend , I made a Diya. Diya's are small lamps used to light candles in but they also look like vessels which can be used to pour liquids. 

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Tuesday , 5th November 

The second day of the project was a day when we had to develop ideas further and work on different ideas. Today , our tutor told us to think about the chair in many ways and draw all the ideas which came to our head. It was all about experimenting and going deeper into our imagination.

I had some ideas which I put in my sketchbook so I decided to make a model of one of them. I used paper and card to make a model of a bench which was inspired by waves. I made it for the purpose of talking and communicating.

During the day , we were given an activity in which we had to list the qualities of some materials. My group chose plastic , aluminium , paper , gold and wood. This was a fun activity as it brought everyone’s opinion on how they thought materials work and function. 

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Monday , 11th November 

I came back to class after a long weekend today as I missed the Thursday session. Today , I started making my 1st A2 size portfolio sheet for this project. This sheet was about the research which lead to my first experiment outcome ( a communicating bench). I put pictures of things which inspired me to develop the bench and photographed the model to use it in the sheet to show how my ideation led to experimentation. 

My first model is a bench , inspired the the movement 'waves'. It's purpose can be very broad , from waiting chairs to bus stand seats but I wanted to narrow it down to a park seating. People love to go to parks and gardens and just lie down , talk , watch the sky etc. What if someone wants to lie down , but not on the ground? What is someone wants to have a conversation with another person when both of them are totally relaxed? I have made a bench in the shape of curves which is used for a lying purpose. A person can be comfortable in the park and enjoy nature. If 2 people want to converse , they can sit in the opposite side to each other in one curve and thus face each other. 

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Apart from the individual work , today we were introduced to another course which was available as an undergraduate degree (Performance Design and Practice). It was very cool how the course leader came and gave the presentation about it. Unfortunately , I think that my interest does not go in that course and I might want to apply for product design or something very similar. 

There was another fun thing called 'Evil Cinema' which was introduced to us by our professor Georgia. It's a surprise check on the workflow of some lucky students. I thought this was interesting and useful as it makes everyone want to be up to date and also that people get to see each others work and then comment on it so everyone knows what and how to present their work on workflow. 

Tuesday, 12th November 

Today was the Independent study day. We were given time to work on our projects and continue for the Thursday crit. I finished my idea development sheet today and my model as well. Today I worked with wood and plastic to create my model.

My model is inspired by waves and the shape says that. The movement in my bench is actually wobbling, shaking and swinging if and only if the user wants to have it. The movement in the seating occurs if the user applies pressure through their feet onto the seat. As the seat is made of plastic , it is easily bendable and moveable. This product is actually used for communicating and relaxing while sitting in the park. If 2 people want to sit in the park while they are relaxed , they can use this. They can face each other for ease in talking and also be comfortable as they aren't sitting on the bumpy ground. Its also useful if you don't want to get your clothes dirty. 

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Thursday, 14th November
The crit day has finally arrived. Today was the day when the work was gonna be evaluated by peers and tutors. In the morning, we were given some time to complete our work for the crit. I had to finish my final outcome page in my sketchbook so I got to that. 

Right after finishing , we were told to present our work so that others could see and reflect on it as well. Each of us in PDC had to choose 2 other projects that we would reflect on, thus we changed our seats. For the first reflection , I got Aashita's chair.

It was a chair which could fold its back support in and then get it out according to the need of the user. I really liked the fabrics used on the chair ad I thought that it was a good outcome. Her presentation was a little weak for a 2 week long project but i saw her hard work on her chair. 

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For the second project , I got Megha's project. I have to say, it was wonderful. From her idea development, to her final outcome, everything seemed complete. She presents her work in a great way and by looking at her work I knew what she was thinking every step of the day. Her model was also amazing. It was well thought of. The materials that she used were also really different and contrasting. Her chair was basically a fun type of chair which could move and roll freely allowing the user to sit in different positions.

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I got some contrasting comments on my chair as well. Freddie liked it and pointed out the qualities while Benz thought that I could make it more complicated. I agree on some points from both of them like I can make it more complex as this design was very simple. 

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Contextual Review

Foundation – My Chance To Explore Design

I couldn’t have asked for a better 1stday of college by missing my first class. It had only been 1 class that I missed, due to enrolment issues, but it felt like a whole semester. On the very first day, when I carried nothing but a notebook and a pen for introductory purposes, I had been given my 1stproject and was told to come up with ideas at a speed which I never experienced before. I have to say that I felt quite challenged then as I had never done anything like that before and I feel great now that I did it on the 1stday itself. Maybe at first I couldn’t function extensively because of being late and the usual anxiety for the 1stday of the rest of your life but later on, I think I finished the project quite well.

Initially, as the projects started coming in one after the other, I started to get nervous because work kept piling up and then finally my worst nightmare came true which was the JFFA project. As I had never tried out Jewelry Design yet, I was very scared on how I would perform and how this could help me grow in design. I decided to think out of the box for this project, there and then. By combining some of my feelings and ideas, I made a jewellery piece in class which would be tied around the neck. My professor liked the idea and I was delighted. Through this project, I learnt that we should never take defeat in anything if we haven’t tried it yet and we could make anything look beautiful if we wanted to.

Over the past 7 weeks, I have worked on projects that lasted a day and some lasted weeks. My favorite project would have to be ‘Illuminate’ because I had a wonderful time researching, observing and working with light. This project was also an important one because it was related to Product Design, which I want to pursue thus I wanted to surprise my teachers with impressive results and I wouldn’t be wrong admitting that I did, till some extent. ‘Illuminate’ also helped me realise my strengths and weaknesses to a greater extent. I started to realise that I was improving at creating models in the workshops and my imagination had suddenly explored a new side of design. This project was a long project thus I did not rush while doing my work and I started to slow down and notice what I actually liked while researching and observing nature and the world around us. For the extension project, I chose ‘Illuminate’ and I came up with the best model made by me so far.

It’s been 2 months since the course has started and I have to say that I already feel the change. It has helped me mould myself into a better designer by developing my skills, widening my imagination and helping me cope up with challenges and pressure. I have thoroughly enjoyed the wood workshop and I hope to get better at all the workshops available to me. My aims haven’t changed but now I strongly feel that I want to go into product design. All the projects have helped me exceed and I have enjoyed every single one but I feel that I am best suited for product design because I like creating products that make human life easier and more efficient and also because my imagination is more towards the practical side of life. For the end of the review, I would like to quote my mother, who is also a designer ‘Give it time , and all the ideas will come to you.’

Bibliography 

  1. Museum, D., 2010. How To Design A Light. Conran.
  2. Oka, H., 2008. How To Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging. Weatherhill.
  3. Fiell, F., 2013. 1000 Lights 1878 To 1959 (v. 1)
  4. URUSHI Wajima by Max Lamb (2019) [Exhibition]. FUMI Gallery, London. 14 September 2019 - 25 October 2019
  5. Sebastian Brajkovic: The Occidental Artisan (2019) [Exhibition]. David Gill, London. 13 September 2019 - 2 November 2019
  6. Rick Owens: Glade (2019) [Exhibition]. Carpenters Workshop Gallery, London. 16 September 2019- 25 October 2019
  1. Cowsill, A., 2010. Marvel The Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide. Dk Publishing.
  2. Mclellan, T., 2013. Things Come Apart: A Teardown Manual For Modern Living. Thames & Hudson.
  1. Van Uffelen, C., (2009), Toy Design, Braun
  2. Thompson, R. (2013) Sustainable Materials, Processes and Production. London: Thames & Hudson.
  3. Ehmann, S. (2008) Fragiles: Porcelain, Glass and Ceramics. London: Die Gestalten Verlag
  4. Klanten, R. & Ehmann, S. (2009) Boxed and Labelled: New Approaches to Packaging Design. Berlin: Gestalten.
  5. Gamper M, (2010) 100 Chairs in 100 Days in 100 Ways, Dent-De-Leone
  6. Penn, R. (2016) The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees. London: Penguin.

Wildlife

Monday, 6th January 

During the 1st half of the day, we had our Vessel Crit. I really like crits as we get to see other students work. I enjoy going around the room and looking at how other students think and how their creativity flows. For this crit, a ceramic professor from Kings Cross came to look at our work and give us feedback. He was the same professor who gave us the throwing lesson at Kings Cross during the vessel project. 

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Today was the first day of our new project 'wildlife'. I had read the brief and understood that it was related to sustainability, environment and nature. For this project, we visited the Chelsea Physic Garden which is a botanical garden, home to 4000 plants. I must say that I had lots of fun while doing my primary research. The garden was huge and I saw lots and lots of different plants and trees. I had never visited a botanical garden before this so this garden was my first experience of a botanical garden. People might disagree with me but I totally felt a change in the air quality inside the garden. Because of so many plants, I think the air quality was much purer and I felt fresh while I was taking a look. The lecture that took place was a very informing lecture. We got to know the history behind the garden. Although, it might have gotten a little boring towards the end but maybe because I was very excited to speak to one of the people who work and take care of the garden. 

I had a lot of questions so I quickly went to speak to one of the members working there. I was quite intrigued about the flags put here and there in the soil, so he told me that they were there because somewhere beneath there is a seed with a possibility to grow anytime. Another question I asked him was about the maintenance of the garden. He told me that its quite a costly and time consuming process and showed me people who were cutting the dead plants and how they had to be so careful. The irrigation system takes up a lot of money, he said. A lot of water goes in to keep these plants healthy is what I learnt. 

Apart from this, I took a long walk around the garden looking at the different plants. I enjoyed this activity very much as I learnt a lot about botanical gardens and took a lot of photographs as well. 

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Tuesday, 7th January

The day started with Tom giving us a lecture about sustainability. It was a long lecture which discussed how we need to think about sustainability now and how things can be made sustainable or eco-friendly. One thing I really liked was the Warming Strips by Ed Hawkins. It shows the temperature changes in the environment from 1850-2018 running from left to right. I really liked this photograph as it shows the depth of the impact on the environment. Usually when we think that the environment has been damage, we never see how bad it has been damaged and this photograph proves that it has been badly damaged. The colours indicate the magnitude of damage and we can clearly see that the most amount of damage has been done in the recent past. 

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Another thing which I really thought was very useful in practical life was the information about what makes a product environmentally sustainable. I learnt about materials, production, packaging etc which could make a product totally sustainable. The idea about edible packaging was a great and innovative one which I thought could reduce a lot of waste in society. 

Apart from the presentation, I was working on my ideas and thinking about interesting things I saw at the Chelsea garden. I had ideas about tools which were used in the garden and how I could make them more innovative. Another idea was about a water tank inside a tree which could be used to irrigate the garden via pipes used instead of roots. I drew plants that looked interesting to me. I thought of a bucket which could be used for 2 jobs, watering small plants as well as putting fertiliser on them. 

Thursday, 9th January

Kathleen made us do an exercise so that we would have a broader vision to design something and have a broader range of ideas. We made a mind map and thought of possibilities of ideas under divisions like healthy living, gardening, reducing waste etc. I also made a time table of how I should go on with the project over this and the next week. 

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After this exercise, I started developing more ideas. Another idea I had was related to biodegradable products. I thought of creating sports equipment which could be made of biodegradable materials like mud and then it could be broken after playing for 1 session. Some ideas related to furniture also came up in my head. I thought of making a table with wood and glass, then putting plants in the middle portion to make it more colourful. A table totally made out of sustainable materials was another idea. 

Over the weekend 

Over the weekend, as per my plan, I looked at materials and researched about them. I got to know about certain materials like clay, wood, mdf, cork, bamboo, straw bales etc. Their properties made me think of situations in which I could use them. Eg. I thought that I could make my fully sustainable table with materials like bamboo, MDF and cork. I had another interesting idea. I wanted to use the bamboo but without cutting it from its root. My idea was that I could make a table which could keep growing and growing and then could be cut when it got too long. I researched and I got to know that this idea would be very difficult to go with as bamboo has a tendency to break when it gets too long. Another reason was that the shape of the table would have to compromise and also that bamboo grows really fast, so the table would have to be cut very often. 

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Apart from doing material research, I also did secondary research which is uploaded on the research page. My ideas were not related to furniture yet but I decided to do some secondary research on furniture mixed with plants so that I could get more ideas and then finalise 1 idea out of all the ideas. 

Tuesday, 14th January 

Today was an interesting day as I learnt something new. We had an In-Design workshop with Tom where we learnt how to design and layout on an A3 sheet. Tom showed us how we could add grids and work with photos and use tools which could enhance the look of our A3 sheets. I enjoyed this learning activity as I am now capable of designing A3 sheets to a good standard. Just as an example, we could create an A3 sheet on any topic and I created it on The Tesla CyberTruck.

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Apart from this activity, I did further ideation on some ideas I had related to furniture. I think my ideas regarding furniture pieces were very average as I think I couldn't properly link them to the garden. More importantly, after looking at my secondary research which was based on furniture ideas, I thought that everything was very similar and I could make something better which would not be related to furniture. So after a lot of thinking and analysing, I chose the idea of the watering can. It was one of my ideas that my peers liked and I was also not against the idea. After doing some secondary research about watering cans, I decided to experiment for the form and shape on Thursday. 

Thursday, 16th January 

So finally, I had decided to work on the idea of the watering can. My idea was that the can would have two divisions inside,
one for water and the other one for fertiliser. This would make it easy for the gardener to pour fertiliser and water on the small pot plants.

As I was already very late, I started to work fast. I wanted to first experiment for the shape of my product so I drew a lot. I tried to make different shapes and thought of different mechanisms through which my product might work. After drawing a lot and thinking about the shape of my product, I started to make it out of paper and card before going to the workshops.

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These were my experiments. I wanted to make 2 places where you could pour from. Right in the middle of the cylinder, I wanted to have a sheet which would divide the cylinder and make 2 sides, one for the fertiliser and one for the water. 

After making my models and taking my measurements, I went down to the metal workshop and started making my model.
It took me Thursday afternoon, Friday morning and Monday morning to complete my model. I started with cutting my sheet according to my measurements and then rolled it so that I could form the first big cylinder which would be used for the middle part. I, then, joined the cylinder via rivets. After that I took a cylindrical tube and then cut it 2 times to get the pipes of the watering can. During this while, I cut a circle which would be the base of the can. I joined the circle to the main cylinder by using L-brackets from inside. I left a little space at the bottom as well so that its easier to to hold the watering can. 

The 2 pipes then needed to be sanded. I took the sanding machine and started sanding the aluminium tubes. This process was a very long process but after I did it, the tubes were clean and shining. After this, I used a drill to drill a hole and then cut a big oval shape which would be covered by the pipes and from which the water and fertiliser would flow. Again, I used L-brackets to join the pipes to the cylinder. Using the guillotine, I cut a rectangular sheet which would go in the cylinder and separate the 2 parts inside. After that, I went to the plastic workshop and made a handle and then joined it using rivets. 

Finally, I put silicon on the outside and inside to seal the parts and make the watering can waterproof. I left my model for 8-10 hours so that the silicon would dry. Looking at the model after 8 hours, I saw that there were still some pores which were not making the product water-tight. As I was really late for the next project, I left my model like that. Another thing that I planned to do but couldn't do because of time constraints was putting on a lid. As I didn't have enough time left at the end, I couldn't put a lid on top of my model. 

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Visualisation

My product is a watering can which has two different places you can pour from. This allows the gardener to put water from 1 end and put fertiliser from the other end. 

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Contextual Practice - Week 12

Design History

Which Inventions did you research?

I researched about the elevator, the barcode and the iphone 11.

Which Invention did you select to present?

I presented the invention of the elevator.

In what way did this Invention have an impact on Society?

It had a big impact on society. The elevator was a big invention which led people move up stories easily. Before the elevators, humans had to climb all the way up and then all the way down. In certain tall monuments the lift has been installed now so that people can easily go up and come down.

How was this invention developed/ tested/ designed?

The first elevator was made by Elisha Otis around 1852. In 1852, Otis came up with a design of a ‘safety brake’. The 1stelectric elevator was built by German inventer Wener Von Siemens in 1880. In 1887, an elevated with automatic doors was patented.

Can you identify any links with other important inventions?

Automated machines and generators and automatic pulleys.

Week 12 invention group list

Vessel

Tuesday, 19th November

Today was my first day of the project 'Vessel'. Our class was at the kings cross campus today as we had sessions in the ceramics workshop. For the first half, I was in the ceramics workshop with my group and we created a mould. We were given an induction on how to make a vessel using slip casting today and then were told to make one ourselves in a group of 2-3. 

The process of slip casting is quite long and requires us to be very precise. First, we took our object and layered up clay till half of its width. Then we flattened out the clay and surrounded the clay with the wooden panels so that we could put the plaster in it. The plaster used was 2kg and thus we took 2.8 litres of water to mix with the powdered plaster. After mixing it properly, we poured the plaster on our object to create the mould. For drying out properly, the plaster took about 20 minutes. after that we took out the plaster and cleared the clay. This time we already had half the side, so thus we put our object in the plaster itself and the after surrounding it with wooden panels, we poured plaster in it again (the same quantity). After lunch, we came back to see the plaster and it was all done. A little difficulty was there pulling out our object from the vessel but the outcome came out pretty great.

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After lunch, my group was given 2 sheets which we had to fill up which was related to slip casting. I filled 1 out right then and the other was supposed to be stuck in class on Thursday so I left that one. Apart from that, I just worked on my sketchbook and research on balloons. 

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Thursday, 21st November

Today was the day when we had to pour slip into ready-made casts and create our own ceramics. As today was the 1st day when we had to pour slip into the casts, we were allowed some degree of experimentation. Everyone was told to make a lot of ceramic models so that we get used to this technique. I, myself, created about 6-7 models. I found this better than making moulds as in this process, you have some degree of freedom. While creating moulds, you have to be very precise so that the mould is in the perfect shape. 

The process of slip-casting is pretty easy and fun also. First, you tape the moulds together, if they are 2 or more piece moulds. If the mould is a 1 piece mould, like a glass, then there is no need for tape. The next step would be to pour the slip into the mould till the top, or however you like it and however you want your ceramic piece to be. Then comes waiting. Ideally, you wait 15-20 minutes for that clay to stick to the mould. If you want your ceramic piece to be thicker, then you wait longer. When you think that you have waited enough, then you pour the slip out of the mould. You then keep the mould upside down so that your ceramic piece remains perfect, without any drops in it. Time for drying varies between different ceramic pieces. The advantage here is that you can use the heating machine to dry up the ceramic faster. When the piece is totally dried up, it should just pop out of the mould. 

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Friday, 22nd November

I think I enjoyed today more than any other day in this project. I had a blast 'throwing' and making the plates. Throwing is such a satisfying art form and I absolutely loved doing it. I am more of a hands-on worker and that's another reason why I adored it. 

For the first half, we had a lesson of throwing with a tutor. He taught us the basics of throwing and what all you can do and make via this art form. We began with grabbing a piece of clay and started to roll it so that it gets a little hard, into shape and so that the air bubbles come out of it. Next, we rolled the clay into a ball and threw it on the wheel. Adding water is a very important step here. After that, you start to spin the wheel and make that clay come in between the wheel with your hands. By making it go up and down, you centre it. Now, it's up to you to make whatever shape you want to make. After making your desired shape, you cut the shape via the thread and then slide it across the wheel. 

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For the second half of the day, we were working with Andy. He taught us how to make plates. This was also a similar process to some of the work we had done during the week. We had to roll the clay so that the thickness was even. Then, we had to put that clay into the mould and very carefully, push it in a little bit. Using water, we had to shape it with a sponge and then add our own designs to them. Finally, we had to heat them and then leave them to dry. I made 2 plates, 1 was inspired by the songs of my favourite Punjabi artist and the other one was just an artistic piece. 

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Monday, 25th November

The 2nd slip-casting day was today and we had to create our final ceramic pieces today as they were gonna get fired after today. I had a lot of ideas which were related to my word 'balloon'. I thought about holding the balloon, popping the balloon, stretching the balloon etc but the most interesting idea to me was filling the balloon. So I ended up drawing a lot of ideas in which I could fill up my balloon with the vessel. 

Finally, I came up with my best idea. I made a cylindrical shape which had a part on the top through which air could be blown in. Around the cylinder, I made holes in which i am gonna attach some structure so that the balloon can be held and placed on the vessel. The person can blow through the top part and the multiple balloons can be filled up at the same time. 

The thought behind this is that the structure looks like a cactus. A normal cactus is sharp and can prick and pop the balloons. The irony over here is that this cactus looking structure does not pop the balloons but gives them life by inflating them. 

 

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Contextual Practice

In the first contextual practice session of part 2, we went over our contextual review for part 1. We were divided into groups and then pairs and we had to look at our partners review and answer some questions. 

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