Thursday, April 22, 2010
Materials- Sustainable Project- More Material Samples
I was playing with some different materials as part of my 5 samples and here is some of the progress.
Recycled Paper Pulp-
Okay, So....I don't know why these are taking forever to dry, I did them last Sunday (its thursday) and they are still pretty wet, but here is the "paper pulp". I played with a few different consistencies and coloring techniques. The more water you put in and the less paper makes a thin film that you can use to make paper, the thicker the pulp created (meaning less water) it becomes like a clay almost.
Recycled Paper Pulp-
Okay, So....I don't know why these are taking forever to dry, I did them last Sunday (its thursday) and they are still pretty wet, but here is the "paper pulp". I played with a few different consistencies and coloring techniques. The more water you put in and the less paper makes a thin film that you can use to make paper, the thicker the pulp created (meaning less water) it becomes like a clay almost.
The green colored one I infused herbs into so it has a lovely smell to it. I want to put dirt in it and some seeds and see if it works as a nice recycled seeder pot.
(to be continued)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Materials- Sustain- Working with Wool and Project Updates
I find myself really getting into all the different things you can do with just wool. There are so many techniques and forms you can do with it to change it and alter it. I am going to have to pull myself away soon in order to work with some of the other material samples for the project.
Below is what I have done so far with wool (knit, crochet, crochet 3d forms, macrame, spun and made discs to test stiffeners) I plan to take this a little farther and try the different ways of felting it and see what I can come up with
Fake Fruit for Maquettes (i didn't know fake fruit was so expensive!!)
Mini crochet prototype
Below is what I have done so far with wool (knit, crochet, crochet 3d forms, macrame, spun and made discs to test stiffeners) I plan to take this a little farther and try the different ways of felting it and see what I can come up with
As for the project it is coming along. I decided I wanted to work with the quote "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" and I am currently working on a "7 apple containment device". I don't really know what else to call it right now.
Fake Fruit for Maquettes (i didn't know fake fruit was so expensive!!)
Mini crochet prototypeSome Notes on Sustainable Design Readings
Design Activism-
- nature looked vast in the late 18th century-- ripe for exploitation
- the resources to sustain life like agriculture are decreasing
- micro-utopias and make impossible before possible now
- fill the gap between poverty around the world
- Design Prism: Design Practice, Design Studies, and Design Exploration
- more then one facet to a design, it is about the design coming together as a whole
- "overconsumers"- the rich 20% that has so much mass and waste that it is contaminating the whole
Cradle to Cradle-
-just because something is "less bad" for the environment doesn't make it good
- the problem is still there it just exists in a different form.
-mass customerization, making products for the masses they can create make their own
- is the industrial revolution bad?
- hasn't changed since the beginning
- make it as cheap and as many as possible
- how can be draw on the fundamentals of the preindustrial revolution and the good of industrial revolution
- "biomimicry"- using the designing the efficiency of nature
- the preindustrial idea of making stuff, take the ideal and bring it into the 20th century, use the digital to make the crafts of the old
- consumerism in a capitalist society
- planned obsolecence
- one- off objective vs. mass producted
- "we are a capitalist society and nothing is going to change that"
Designers, Visionaries and Other Stories
- zero waste can save money
- even a small change can make a big change
- nature looked vast in the late 18th century-- ripe for exploitation
- the resources to sustain life like agriculture are decreasing
- micro-utopias and make impossible before possible now
- fill the gap between poverty around the world
- Design Prism: Design Practice, Design Studies, and Design Exploration
- more then one facet to a design, it is about the design coming together as a whole
- "overconsumers"- the rich 20% that has so much mass and waste that it is contaminating the whole
Cradle to Cradle-
-just because something is "less bad" for the environment doesn't make it good
- the problem is still there it just exists in a different form.
-mass customerization, making products for the masses they can create make their own
- is the industrial revolution bad?
- hasn't changed since the beginning
- make it as cheap and as many as possible
- how can be draw on the fundamentals of the preindustrial revolution and the good of industrial revolution
- "biomimicry"- using the designing the efficiency of nature
- the preindustrial idea of making stuff, take the ideal and bring it into the 20th century, use the digital to make the crafts of the old
- consumerism in a capitalist society
- planned obsolecence
- one- off objective vs. mass producted
- "we are a capitalist society and nothing is going to change that"
Designers, Visionaries and Other Stories
- zero waste can save money
- even a small change can make a big change
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Materials- Sustainable Project- Brainstorming, Review, and Research
Okay so here is what I have so far, feel free to leave any feedback or information for me <3
Sketchbook Brainstorms-
Sketchbook Brainstorms-
Design Review in Class
Post-Class Research of "Fruit Socks"
J2. Project 1- Reflection
Working with the different metal surfacing was a unique opportunity I will carry forward throughout my work. The surface of a piece is the first thing that someone sees when they interact with a piece. The physical sensations the surface creates gives the viewer an initial response to the work. The color and texture create the mood and feel of the work.
I am in love with creating texture with the hammer to the metal. It can be layered and made to interact with the metal in different ways. It also shows the hand of the artist. I also like how many natural textures can be mimicked in the metal using the layering and stroke of the hammer. I also enjoy etching because it allows the metal to look the way I drew it and conceptualized it in my sketchbook.
The process that I find the most frustrating was the roll printing. There are so many conditions that have to be perfect in order to get an output that is desirable. I want to practice more of this in the future because I feel that a lot can be done with this technique. I also found that patina work with a torch can produce beautiful colors but, it is rather hit or miss for what comes out. I think that more practice with this as well can get some very nice results.
I really liked this project. I found that my theme being dreams allowed for a lot of different representations of the same idea and allowed for a flow of ideas throughout the process. I think that I should have limited myself a bit more though because I feel a few of the pieces did not quite seem as part of a collection of work where a lot of the rest of it did.
I am in love with creating texture with the hammer to the metal. It can be layered and made to interact with the metal in different ways. It also shows the hand of the artist. I also like how many natural textures can be mimicked in the metal using the layering and stroke of the hammer. I also enjoy etching because it allows the metal to look the way I drew it and conceptualized it in my sketchbook.
The process that I find the most frustrating was the roll printing. There are so many conditions that have to be perfect in order to get an output that is desirable. I want to practice more of this in the future because I feel that a lot can be done with this technique. I also found that patina work with a torch can produce beautiful colors but, it is rather hit or miss for what comes out. I think that more practice with this as well can get some very nice results.
I really liked this project. I found that my theme being dreams allowed for a lot of different representations of the same idea and allowed for a flow of ideas throughout the process. I think that I should have limited myself a bit more though because I feel a few of the pieces did not quite seem as part of a collection of work where a lot of the rest of it did.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Materials- Creative Caffiene
10 Things That That are Unsustainable to Sustainable!
1. Cars
- cars run on fossil fuels that are from nature but, the way we treat and process them it makes them into something new and unnatural.
- things exist that are more sustainable, for example hydrogen-powered engines and corn (ethanol) powered engines
- the transition to these is simple but, it would have to be more wide-spread
- have large public transit systems all over the United States and make it not taboo to ride the public transit.
2. Plastics
- generally made of pvc and toxic chemicals
- when it is burned it is very bad for the environment
- there are more natural alternatives, like bio-polymers and natural resins that could be used as an alternative
- they also tend to be biodegradable and better for environment
3. Insulation
- is starting to get hot out and the winter was pretty cold, I had to go upstairs to check something the attic and I got the nasty fiberglass insulation all over me. It was gross!
- I remember that last semester, there is alternatives like denim that can be used instead of this nasty stuff
- fiber glass is harmful if you break it in, and as it breaks down it becomes airborne and ends up in your lungs and in the air.
- change the way we use air conditioning with opening windows and naturally insulating houses with heat pipes ect.
4. Plastic Water bottles, tea bottles, soda bottles
- we could always replace the material to be something biodegradable but, I don't think that is truly a solution. I mean yes it will solve the problem of the bottle in a landfill for 1000s of years but, it is still going to the landfill, we are still paying to ship it around and dispose of it. Instead, let's think of ways we could rethink the bottle!
- make fountains of your favorite drink in public locations where like a vending machine you put in your change take out your change and get a drink, but instead you take out your refillable container and fill it up with your favorite drink right from the fountain. There could be local distribution centers that pump it to these fountains or even have local soda shop manufactures and juicers that you get it in a pipeline directly from the manufacture.
5. Clothing
- we are in a culture of "style" where we don't make clothing to last, all it is good for is that fashion season
- I was seeing that Hanes has come out with a line of sustainable clothing, which is kinda cool, but it still would become useless over time
- if we rethought fashion and made it so that we were a "fashion-less" culture and you wore clothes that made you look good (not necessarily whats in style) and clothing that lasts repeated wear there would be less clothing waste.
- If we made clothign that was out of organic materials they tend to be softer hold up longer and be less harmful to your skin
6. Food
- the problem with food prices right now is directly connected in the rise in gas prices there are ways to make food more sustainable and cheaper
- there are plenty of things that we get shipped all over the country. There is a reason you can find oranges in your local grocery store all year round, it is because they are being shipped from all over the world to your neighborhood and this is EXPENSIVE
- what if we ate in season, this is what they did for hundreds of years before power and cars and it worked! and ya know what they didn't have as many problems with obesity as we do today
7. Electronic Waste and Planned Obsolencence
- so I work at an electronic store and I am constantly hearing "this didn't last as long as my old -insert electronic that is now broken", they are told when it is broken that it is cheaper just to buy a new one
- where does that old one go? most of the time to a landfill sometimes to an electronic recycler that just takes out the parts
- we can make electronics better for the environment but no matter what parts of it will be bad, i mean you can't make "bio-mercury" or "bio-lithium" it is just not a part of the element
- what if we went back t o making things that lasted, yeah they wouldnt be as cheap the first time around, but still, what if it lasted 5-10 years and then you could FIX it? I mean it would make the costs of electronics cheaper
- what if we made it so our old electronics could be upgraded to the "lastest and greatest", don't program them to be obsolete in a year or two
8. Cell Phones
- there is no reason we should get a new cell phone every year just to get the latest trendy model! I mean really now!
- cell phones need to be universal, if you change carrier or whatever you should be able to keep your phone if its in good working order, plus there should be a universal system of chargers.
- the only reason most chargers don't work in electronics is proprietary chips in them to keep it FROM working in other things. It's to keep you buying new chargers and cables then you misplace or break your old ones
9.Paper waste, use of paper
- electronics exists that can totally replace paper
- we live in a digital work there is no reason to be cutting down trees and wasting paper
- while these use electricity to run, it is far less then the electricity used in the milling process and the recycling process
10. Electricity
- There are ways in which we could be using less electricity every night, but we are a wasteful society, if we were more effiecient with our energy useage it wouldnt be so much of a problem
- Turn off the lights! you don't need 5 on in your house if your only in 1 room
- turn down the heat and the cool in the summer we keep our houses shut tight and don't use whats in the air around us!
- wind and solar power are big in other countries and very viable technologies but, people seem shy of them. they are a real opportunity to use our environment in non-impact ways
1. Cars
- cars run on fossil fuels that are from nature but, the way we treat and process them it makes them into something new and unnatural.
- things exist that are more sustainable, for example hydrogen-powered engines and corn (ethanol) powered engines
- the transition to these is simple but, it would have to be more wide-spread
- have large public transit systems all over the United States and make it not taboo to ride the public transit.
2. Plastics
- generally made of pvc and toxic chemicals
- when it is burned it is very bad for the environment
- there are more natural alternatives, like bio-polymers and natural resins that could be used as an alternative
- they also tend to be biodegradable and better for environment
3. Insulation
- is starting to get hot out and the winter was pretty cold, I had to go upstairs to check something the attic and I got the nasty fiberglass insulation all over me. It was gross!
- I remember that last semester, there is alternatives like denim that can be used instead of this nasty stuff
- fiber glass is harmful if you break it in, and as it breaks down it becomes airborne and ends up in your lungs and in the air.
- change the way we use air conditioning with opening windows and naturally insulating houses with heat pipes ect.
4. Plastic Water bottles, tea bottles, soda bottles
- we could always replace the material to be something biodegradable but, I don't think that is truly a solution. I mean yes it will solve the problem of the bottle in a landfill for 1000s of years but, it is still going to the landfill, we are still paying to ship it around and dispose of it. Instead, let's think of ways we could rethink the bottle!
- make fountains of your favorite drink in public locations where like a vending machine you put in your change take out your change and get a drink, but instead you take out your refillable container and fill it up with your favorite drink right from the fountain. There could be local distribution centers that pump it to these fountains or even have local soda shop manufactures and juicers that you get it in a pipeline directly from the manufacture.
5. Clothing
- we are in a culture of "style" where we don't make clothing to last, all it is good for is that fashion season
- I was seeing that Hanes has come out with a line of sustainable clothing, which is kinda cool, but it still would become useless over time
- if we rethought fashion and made it so that we were a "fashion-less" culture and you wore clothes that made you look good (not necessarily whats in style) and clothing that lasts repeated wear there would be less clothing waste.
- If we made clothign that was out of organic materials they tend to be softer hold up longer and be less harmful to your skin
6. Food
- the problem with food prices right now is directly connected in the rise in gas prices there are ways to make food more sustainable and cheaper
- there are plenty of things that we get shipped all over the country. There is a reason you can find oranges in your local grocery store all year round, it is because they are being shipped from all over the world to your neighborhood and this is EXPENSIVE
- what if we ate in season, this is what they did for hundreds of years before power and cars and it worked! and ya know what they didn't have as many problems with obesity as we do today
7. Electronic Waste and Planned Obsolencence
- so I work at an electronic store and I am constantly hearing "this didn't last as long as my old -insert electronic that is now broken", they are told when it is broken that it is cheaper just to buy a new one
- where does that old one go? most of the time to a landfill sometimes to an electronic recycler that just takes out the parts
- we can make electronics better for the environment but no matter what parts of it will be bad, i mean you can't make "bio-mercury" or "bio-lithium" it is just not a part of the element
- what if we went back t o making things that lasted, yeah they wouldnt be as cheap the first time around, but still, what if it lasted 5-10 years and then you could FIX it? I mean it would make the costs of electronics cheaper
- what if we made it so our old electronics could be upgraded to the "lastest and greatest", don't program them to be obsolete in a year or two
8. Cell Phones
- there is no reason we should get a new cell phone every year just to get the latest trendy model! I mean really now!
- cell phones need to be universal, if you change carrier or whatever you should be able to keep your phone if its in good working order, plus there should be a universal system of chargers.
- the only reason most chargers don't work in electronics is proprietary chips in them to keep it FROM working in other things. It's to keep you buying new chargers and cables then you misplace or break your old ones
9.Paper waste, use of paper
- electronics exists that can totally replace paper
- we live in a digital work there is no reason to be cutting down trees and wasting paper
- while these use electricity to run, it is far less then the electricity used in the milling process and the recycling process
10. Electricity
- There are ways in which we could be using less electricity every night, but we are a wasteful society, if we were more effiecient with our energy useage it wouldnt be so much of a problem
- Turn off the lights! you don't need 5 on in your house if your only in 1 room
- turn down the heat and the cool in the summer we keep our houses shut tight and don't use whats in the air around us!
- wind and solar power are big in other countries and very viable technologies but, people seem shy of them. they are a real opportunity to use our environment in non-impact ways
Materials- Sustainable Project Materials Sample Start
So, I was thinking of how natural materials are sustainable. I mean if they are made by nature they are natural and nature has a way to handle itself. I was thinking of how to use wool, wood, cork, leather and a few other things in as many ways as I could think of.
(hehe more to come about all of this I am super excited)
Sustainable Design 2.0
Last semester I had my first dose of sustainable design-- it was enough to completely change my major. Sustainable Design is a necessary part of our future if we want to be able to continue the type of life we expect as Americans. Resources are running out point blank. There is NOTHING that can be done about fossil fuels besides to find ways to replace them. There is NOTHING to do with old trash, but to find BETTER trash. Objects can be made easy and affordable using sustainable materials and in general they will be stronger and better lasting then there non-sustainable predecessors.
What IS sustainability? Quite simply, it is the capacity to endure (wikipedia). Simple concept right? The ability to endure use, to endure production, to endure continual production. Sustainability is continual, and is a cradle to cradle production meaning the end result does not live in a landfill for hundreds of years.
Sustainable design has different factions and ideas to it. It is about the end user, the customer, having a product that is good for the environment that people feel is there own. That is where the idea of "customerization" comes into play. It is allowing the customer to determine the end result of the project. This is very interesting because it takes the final touches away from the artist and makes it more about the person who will be interacting with this object every day of their life. To put this into perspective, this is like when you were a kid and decorated your notebooks for school. It identified it as your own and made it something you were proud to carry around with you.
Another thing sustainable design is interested in is "localism". It is the act of keeping the materials sustainable and close to where they are produced. That is maybe using local wool when you knit a scarf or using a local fabric tailor to produce your clothing line. Localism is more then just keeping shipping costs of materials down, it keeps local businesses IN business.
Sustainable design is new in the U.S. It would be wrong of any of us to say we have it all figured out. It is constantly a question of "Is this sustainable design?" I mean if it is natural and unaltered it might be sustainable but if its a product of industrial wastes it might still be sustainable because its using every bit of the production process for something constructive.
What IS sustainability? Quite simply, it is the capacity to endure (wikipedia). Simple concept right? The ability to endure use, to endure production, to endure continual production. Sustainability is continual, and is a cradle to cradle production meaning the end result does not live in a landfill for hundreds of years.
Sustainable design has different factions and ideas to it. It is about the end user, the customer, having a product that is good for the environment that people feel is there own. That is where the idea of "customerization" comes into play. It is allowing the customer to determine the end result of the project. This is very interesting because it takes the final touches away from the artist and makes it more about the person who will be interacting with this object every day of their life. To put this into perspective, this is like when you were a kid and decorated your notebooks for school. It identified it as your own and made it something you were proud to carry around with you.
Another thing sustainable design is interested in is "localism". It is the act of keeping the materials sustainable and close to where they are produced. That is maybe using local wool when you knit a scarf or using a local fabric tailor to produce your clothing line. Localism is more then just keeping shipping costs of materials down, it keeps local businesses IN business.
Sustainable design is new in the U.S. It would be wrong of any of us to say we have it all figured out. It is constantly a question of "Is this sustainable design?" I mean if it is natural and unaltered it might be sustainable but if its a product of industrial wastes it might still be sustainable because its using every bit of the production process for something constructive.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Materials- 10 Action Oriented Versions of Hype!
I wanted to do as many different types of hype on as many subjects as I could think of. So, here is what I came up with!
The first one started off as an idea from last semester with the "Think Before You Ink!" idea. It was about how women put on make-up not for themselves but, to impress someone. This was also the most simple version of Hype I thought of being a simple "poster".
From here, I thought about the other common ways we see hype around us, and I thought of video. I also thought about how college students are the most sleep deprived community in our culture (according to my psychology textbook). So, I did a short video to hype sleeping.
Original Video - More videos at TinyPic
Next, I was thinking about all the classes I am taking right now and all the other stuff going on and it lead me to think about stress. Another common form of hype (from the D.I.Y. book) is stickers. They can be placed anywhere and are a simple statement of our beliefs.
Looking at the D.I.Y Book I had the idea to wear buttons. They are a little statement of personal beliefs. I put on a statistic from my "Enjoy Your Lunch" project last semester.
Then I thought about other "badges" we wear on our bodies which made me think of tattoos. They are a statement we wear on ourselves forever that people can readily see. I did a measuring tape and the word "sizeism" on the inch marks.
Then I thought about sustainable design and how there is so much trash. I constructed a wearable glove out of recycled newspaper. It was not perm, but, it would provide a temporary use and make people think about how they use and throw away items.
Next, I think I went a little drastic. I was thinking about those New Year's year glasses. I was wondering if you could use them to make a statement, so I did a little banner about universal healthcare.
I am in love with Starbucks, but it's also quite addictive. I was thinking about groups and cults and a lot of them wear arm bands to display their place in the group. I decided to make a Starbucks arm band.
I was thinking about prom season which is coming up. It is always a busy time for me at work. I remembered my prom and how uncomfortable the shoes are. Most heels are horrible for your feet so I made an info tag about the shoes.
The last thing I worked on was a bow. People look at your face and hair a lot through the days and simple icons and symbols can state a belief without any real work behind it. I have a lot of friends who are gay and lesbian and I have always been a supporter for equal rights. So, I made a small pride bow to show support for the gay and lesbian community.
From here, I thought about the other common ways we see hype around us, and I thought of video. I also thought about how college students are the most sleep deprived community in our culture (according to my psychology textbook). So, I did a short video to hype sleeping.
Original Video - More videos at TinyPic
Materials- 1 Design/3 Materials
I want to focus on the idea of the pressure we are given by the media and the way it can make you feel almost uncomfortable at times. The media has created such a hype around the perfect women that it is hard for regular women to feel comfortable in their own skin. For my project, I want to focus particularly on weight and body image. I want to design something that is a hype around the pressure the women feel to be "perfect".
I want it to be a wearable piece. It should constrict and pressure the wearer if not create pain. I want it to have a dual pressure to the viewer and I want them to feel uncomfortable viewing my piece.
I have done some research before into the topic of media pressure and body image last semester so I picked up where I left off and went into the facts of media pressure and body image. The first thing I came across is the Federal Government's education page. Seems like a weird place to start my search but, I found this (http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/partx.html). It was exactly what I was talking about!
The fact that the government feels the need to publish these types of articles proves that there is a problem. Why is there a teaching aide for parents to talk to their kids about the pressures of the media? That just seems insane and it shows that no one is immune from their messages.
The media has lead people to question when is skinny too skinny? Everyone agrees when someone is overweight, but it becomes a tough decision for an agreement as to where the point is crossed on being too thin. I want my design to be something that no matter what size you are it is too tight. I want it to wrap around and grip like a claw the way media seizes onto you and grabs you. (http://anorexia-nervosa.suite101.com/article.cfm/medias_unrealistic_body_image) The media has no stopping point for size, and seem to be focused on finding the thinest models possible.
I originally planned for it to be around the waist like a corset. But, there are a few problems with this. First off, in the scope of the project and digital manufacturing it is quite unrealistic. Secondly, I think it has a meaning I do not desire. People seem them as lingerie and as "sexy". I want it to cause discomfort in the viewer, which I do not think any type of corset design will cause. So, after some discussion I chose to make a cuff that goes on the upper arm. That tends to be an area women feel is not pretty or too fat. They say they can't wear this or that because of "ugly arms". I want the cuff to make you feel uncomfortable so it is logical to put it in an area of discomfort.
I want it to be a wearable piece. It should constrict and pressure the wearer if not create pain. I want it to have a dual pressure to the viewer and I want them to feel uncomfortable viewing my piece.
I have done some research before into the topic of media pressure and body image last semester so I picked up where I left off and went into the facts of media pressure and body image. The first thing I came across is the Federal Government's education page. Seems like a weird place to start my search but, I found this (http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/partx.html). It was exactly what I was talking about!
The fact that the government feels the need to publish these types of articles proves that there is a problem. Why is there a teaching aide for parents to talk to their kids about the pressures of the media? That just seems insane and it shows that no one is immune from their messages.
I originally planned for it to be around the waist like a corset. But, there are a few problems with this. First off, in the scope of the project and digital manufacturing it is quite unrealistic. Secondly, I think it has a meaning I do not desire. People seem them as lingerie and as "sexy". I want it to cause discomfort in the viewer, which I do not think any type of corset design will cause. So, after some discussion I chose to make a cuff that goes on the upper arm. That tends to be an area women feel is not pretty or too fat. They say they can't wear this or that because of "ugly arms". I want the cuff to make you feel uncomfortable so it is logical to put it in an area of discomfort.
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