Monday 6 June 2016
weekly challenge ten : power
I was asked what I'm going to do with my new found makers powers that I have developed through this course, and to be completely honest, I'm not too sure. It has been amazing getting stuck into the makers culture and practicing these skills, I am definitely a lot more confident in my making skills, and are a lot less afraid to try making. But I don't necessarily see myself practicing these things everyday or even just as a hobby. I think they'll really come into use if something I have breaks or needs tweaking - I can see myself trying to figure out ways which I cold fix things. Maybe the best thing I have gotten out of this paper is just thinking like a maker - always seeing the potential for something even if it is considered broken or used.
weekly challenge eight : i made this
We had to take a photo of what we made. I really really hate photos, and selfies are even worse. And adding to that the fact I had to do this in a public space I can say this was my least favourite challenge.
Thursday 2 June 2016
project three : summary
The Maker Movement promotes an innovative culture where concepts of
participation, collaboration and creating are encouraged. The Maker Movement
celebrates the realisation of individual’s creative potential and as technological innovations surge, the opportunity to explore this potential is increasingly prevalent.
As makers openly share their work and processes online, they inspire others to make
instead of buy, shifting the traditional roles of producers and consumers. This has
spurred a demand for customisation and personalisation of products, extending the
overlap of customer and creator (Deloitte, 2014).
This was a concept that was explored in the Revamp A Lamp project. Ideas of participation, recreating and customisation are central to the design process of the Revamp A Lamp. The project challenges traditional processes of manufacturing, distributing and designing to transform the consumer into a producer to encourage engagement with the Maker Movement.
The Revamp A Lamp project primarily targets users who have little or no engagement with or interest in the Maker Movement. This was considered in the design, distribution and interaction of the product. The Revamp a Lamp promotes participation through the products design by the easy kit set nature of the product. By creating a product that can easily be assembled, users are not discouraged to participate in making. Additionally, by creating a product that can easily be assembled and disassembled, consumers are encouraged to recreate. This helps in extending the product’s life cycle as it can adapt to the users changing values and needs. In terms of distribution, the Revamp A Lamp is flat packed to allow for easy and cheap circulation of the product in order to reach as many people as possible. Together, these aspects help consumers engage with the Maker Movement.
As the Revamp A Lamp project seeks to extend the outreach of the Maker Movement, I have engaged with the movement myself throughout the design process. I have experienced how to learn through making and doing. I have learnt the importance of collaboration in order to heighten my understandings and abilities in design. This was done through searching online forums such as instructables and by talking with my peers. As I engaged with the Maker Movement throughout this project while trying to get others to participate in making, an active exchange to facilitate maker culture is developed.
If values and ideologies from the Maker Movement are applied in everyday lives people will start to realise their creative potential and what they can do and what they can learn to do (Dougherty, n.d). Dougherty (n.d) explains this concept where consumers begin to reject the idea that they are defined by the goods that they purchase and that by instead making products themselves, their internal values and intrinsic goals are present in their work, offering a better representation of their identity. In this, the Maker Movement offers an opportunity for people to play a part in creating their own world. This idea can be applied to all aspects of life, ultimately encouraging people to actively participate in the makeup of their own environments.
Dougherty, D. (n.d). The Maker Mindset. Retrieved from: https://llk.media.mit.edu/ courses/readings/maker-mindset.pdf
Deloitte. (2014). Impact of the Maker Movement. Retrieved from: http://makermedia. com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/impact-of-the-maker-movement.pdf
This was a concept that was explored in the Revamp A Lamp project. Ideas of participation, recreating and customisation are central to the design process of the Revamp A Lamp. The project challenges traditional processes of manufacturing, distributing and designing to transform the consumer into a producer to encourage engagement with the Maker Movement.
The Revamp A Lamp project primarily targets users who have little or no engagement with or interest in the Maker Movement. This was considered in the design, distribution and interaction of the product. The Revamp a Lamp promotes participation through the products design by the easy kit set nature of the product. By creating a product that can easily be assembled, users are not discouraged to participate in making. Additionally, by creating a product that can easily be assembled and disassembled, consumers are encouraged to recreate. This helps in extending the product’s life cycle as it can adapt to the users changing values and needs. In terms of distribution, the Revamp A Lamp is flat packed to allow for easy and cheap circulation of the product in order to reach as many people as possible. Together, these aspects help consumers engage with the Maker Movement.
As the Revamp A Lamp project seeks to extend the outreach of the Maker Movement, I have engaged with the movement myself throughout the design process. I have experienced how to learn through making and doing. I have learnt the importance of collaboration in order to heighten my understandings and abilities in design. This was done through searching online forums such as instructables and by talking with my peers. As I engaged with the Maker Movement throughout this project while trying to get others to participate in making, an active exchange to facilitate maker culture is developed.
If values and ideologies from the Maker Movement are applied in everyday lives people will start to realise their creative potential and what they can do and what they can learn to do (Dougherty, n.d). Dougherty (n.d) explains this concept where consumers begin to reject the idea that they are defined by the goods that they purchase and that by instead making products themselves, their internal values and intrinsic goals are present in their work, offering a better representation of their identity. In this, the Maker Movement offers an opportunity for people to play a part in creating their own world. This idea can be applied to all aspects of life, ultimately encouraging people to actively participate in the makeup of their own environments.
Dougherty, D. (n.d). The Maker Mindset. Retrieved from: https://llk.media.mit.edu/ courses/readings/maker-mindset.pdf
Deloitte. (2014). Impact of the Maker Movement. Retrieved from: http://makermedia. com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/impact-of-the-maker-movement.pdf
project three : finals
I went back and recut my lamp from the plywood that I had used in my prototype. It doesn't look the best but at least it works. Here are some images of my final product, the instructions for it and advertisement of it.
Friday 27 May 2016
project three : laser cutting issues
So I decided that I was going to recut my lamp shade out of acrylic. I was given feedback on my last assignment to perhaps use a nice material to make it more believable as a product. I chose a frosted clear acrylic and thought that this would be nice as it would allow for the light to glow through. So I set off to the laser cutting workshop and was ready to get everything done. It did not go well.
Firstly, while I was setting up the file on the computer something with the keyboard went wrong and it stopped working. We ended up having to shut down the whole computer which took about 15 minutes to get back up and running. Once I had finally started my cut, maybe about a quarter of the way through, a piece of the protective paper caught fire. It melted one of the corners of the acrylic sheet. Because I wanted to use the offcuts for my packaging, this was not so great. I was thinking that I would just have to come up with another way to package the product and continued the cut. Everything was finished and I was a bit disheartened but it was alright - at least I had something done. I was wrong. Although the spacing was measured perfectly, the lamp shade just did not stay together. The acrylic was too smooth to lock into place and everything fell apart. I wanted to cry. I would have to go back to the workshop again and recut my lamp out of a different material.
Firstly, while I was setting up the file on the computer something with the keyboard went wrong and it stopped working. We ended up having to shut down the whole computer which took about 15 minutes to get back up and running. Once I had finally started my cut, maybe about a quarter of the way through, a piece of the protective paper caught fire. It melted one of the corners of the acrylic sheet. Because I wanted to use the offcuts for my packaging, this was not so great. I was thinking that I would just have to come up with another way to package the product and continued the cut. Everything was finished and I was a bit disheartened but it was alright - at least I had something done. I was wrong. Although the spacing was measured perfectly, the lamp shade just did not stay together. The acrylic was too smooth to lock into place and everything fell apart. I wanted to cry. I would have to go back to the workshop again and recut my lamp out of a different material.
Thursday 26 May 2016
weekly challenge six (again) : poster
For this weekly challenge, we had to make a poster for our end of ti exhibition. Here is my submission:
project three : laser cutting, packaging, and poster drafting
This week I laser cut my wooden components for my final product. I've now included four different shape sets which will allow people to construct their own unique design for the lamp shade. Each of these shapes all fit into the same one base, and are all the same height, so when used together there will still be a sense of cohesion in the lamp's design. I'm pretty happy with how they are all looking together at the moment, and have created some interesting looks so far. It will be great to see how other people interact with it when it's on exhibition - if people will of for real crazy and weird designs or for a more ordered one.
Unfortunately, the extra width that the laser cut added to the gaps in the base pieces means that the interlocking of the parts is too loose at the moment. I will need to recut these again a tiny faction smaller to accommodate for that extra width. Not really a big task though so not too worried about it.
I still haven't started making my packaging - I think I really need to have all the components together first before doing this to see how they all work together in a flat pack. My vision is for it to be very sleek and compact to make for easy distribution.
I have also done a draft advertisement poster for my lamp. At the moment, it's just using an image of my prototype so obviously that will have to change. I was struggling a little bit with how to fit all the explanations on the page required by the brief, while still making it look like an advertisement. But, I've decided to think of it as more of an ad that you would find in a home decor magazine.
That's pretty much where I'm at at the moment - have quite a bit to get onto for the weekend!
Thursday 19 May 2016
project three : development of design idea
Based off of the research presented in my last post, I would like my revamp-a-lamp design to encourage participation in making by including users in the design make-up of the product. This will be achieved through two ways: offering the product as a flat package where users have to assemble the lamp themselves, and also offering a variety of parts so users can have more of a choice in the final design of the product.
Flat Pack:
Inspired by IKEA's flat pack packaging method, I am exploring how offering my product unassembled can help engage users in the making process. In order for this to be successful, the assembly of the lamp needs to be simple and supported with easy to follow instructions. This would require providing all components needed for the lamp as separate pieces.
Customisable:
My initial prototype consisted of laser cut pieces which were then slotted in to a base to form a type of lamp shade. In order to make the product more customisable to users, I want to offer various pieces for the lamp shade which are different shapes and sizes. This way, users can chose which pieces to slot into the base to create a unique lamp shade. This further engages users in the making process as then become the designers themselves.
Flat Pack:
Inspired by IKEA's flat pack packaging method, I am exploring how offering my product unassembled can help engage users in the making process. In order for this to be successful, the assembly of the lamp needs to be simple and supported with easy to follow instructions. This would require providing all components needed for the lamp as separate pieces.
Customisable:
My initial prototype consisted of laser cut pieces which were then slotted in to a base to form a type of lamp shade. In order to make the product more customisable to users, I want to offer various pieces for the lamp shade which are different shapes and sizes. This way, users can chose which pieces to slot into the base to create a unique lamp shade. This further engages users in the making process as then become the designers themselves.
Wednesday 11 May 2016
project three : innovative production and distribution processes
NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe:
NIKE's reuse-a-shoe programme utilises repurposing practices for sustainable and economic gains. The process encourages people to return old sneakers to NIKE stores where they will be sent off to be recycled. The rubber from sneaker soles are then reused for a number of products such as track surfaces, interior surfaces and garment pieces.
I like the idea that NIKE encourages users of their products to see that the life of their products goes beyond the point which users define as then end of it's lifecycle. NIKE cleverly employs the repurposing of materials in order to enhance their "sustainable" and innovative image, further creating brand equity, while increasing economic success by reselling these products.
This idea of repurposing products and materials directly relates to maker culture and practices, as a products lifecycle is extended.
IKEA Flat Packs:
While IKEA is often criticised for their generic designs which lack durability, their approach to production and distribution of their goods revolutionised the furniture sales industry. While there are many innovative aspects of IKEA's manufacturing and distribution process which is central to their success, their flat packaging of goods allows for low costs and easy distribution which offers a more ecological approach to the distribution of goods.
However, something that is not often considered is how the flat packaging aspect encourages users to engage with the making process. By distributing goods that are not already assembled, consumers are essentially a part of the production of the product. This means that users are prompted to participate in making and therefore exposed to maker culture and practice.
This is achieved through the simple design of the products which offers a user-friendly assembly process.
An idea of the maker culture that resonates with me most is participation - getting people to engage with the making and the process of designing. This is something that I would like to explore in this final assignment. I think I can use the idea behind IKEA's flat packs that incorporates users into the making process. In this, I want to take the revamp-a-lamp idea and offer it as parts that users assemble themselves. However, in order to extend this idea, I will explore options of user customisation and adaptability of products, where users have a part in the actual design makeup of the product.
NIKE's reuse-a-shoe programme utilises repurposing practices for sustainable and economic gains. The process encourages people to return old sneakers to NIKE stores where they will be sent off to be recycled. The rubber from sneaker soles are then reused for a number of products such as track surfaces, interior surfaces and garment pieces.
I like the idea that NIKE encourages users of their products to see that the life of their products goes beyond the point which users define as then end of it's lifecycle. NIKE cleverly employs the repurposing of materials in order to enhance their "sustainable" and innovative image, further creating brand equity, while increasing economic success by reselling these products.
This idea of repurposing products and materials directly relates to maker culture and practices, as a products lifecycle is extended.
IKEA Flat Packs:
While IKEA is often criticised for their generic designs which lack durability, their approach to production and distribution of their goods revolutionised the furniture sales industry. While there are many innovative aspects of IKEA's manufacturing and distribution process which is central to their success, their flat packaging of goods allows for low costs and easy distribution which offers a more ecological approach to the distribution of goods.
However, something that is not often considered is how the flat packaging aspect encourages users to engage with the making process. By distributing goods that are not already assembled, consumers are essentially a part of the production of the product. This means that users are prompted to participate in making and therefore exposed to maker culture and practice.
This is achieved through the simple design of the products which offers a user-friendly assembly process.
An idea of the maker culture that resonates with me most is participation - getting people to engage with the making and the process of designing. This is something that I would like to explore in this final assignment. I think I can use the idea behind IKEA's flat packs that incorporates users into the making process. In this, I want to take the revamp-a-lamp idea and offer it as parts that users assemble themselves. However, in order to extend this idea, I will explore options of user customisation and adaptability of products, where users have a part in the actual design makeup of the product.
Thursday 5 May 2016
Tuesday 3 May 2016
project two : 3d printing
So my 3d printing experience didn't go too well... I don't know what was going on but the printer would extrude the plan fine, then when it began printing nothing would come out. Then it started making funny nosies. Then lots of us started having problems.
Since there was no technician down there we didn't really know what to do. Thankfully, Dan offered to print the file for me.
Since there was no technician down there we didn't really know what to do. Thankfully, Dan offered to print the file for me.
weekly challenge : six
I'm sharing a family portrait I made. My three siblings all live in different places now (Melbourne, Rural Queensland and London) to my mum and I. It's pretty hard to ever get us all together so I composed this family portrait for my mum for mothers day.
project two : 3d printing
Thursday 28 April 2016
project two : laser cutting
After reiterating the lamp form designed in my initial prototype, I created the laser cutting files needed for the lamp shade.
I then went down to the workshop to get these cut. I decided to do the laser cutting first as it was what I felt most comfortable doing. Although I had a bit of assistance, the laser cutting process was rather breezy.
Here are my actual cuts:
While I was doing this, I got a bit inspired and started playing around with different heights and ways that I could change the shape of the lamp shade. In the end, I just stuck to my original design.
My initial idea was to thread a fibre through the branches of the shade in order to get some cool lighting effects.
However, it turned out that I hadn't quite thought this through properly when making the design because it was really difficult to thread the pieces when they were all in place. So I ended up ditching that idea - it'll be something I'll explore in the next project.
This was the lamp shade when it was all put together. I actually quite like the look of the holes in each piece, adding a bit of detail to the object.
Here are my actual cuts:
I then began to assemble the lamp to get a physical idea of the form and dimensions. This was a pretty easy process, slotting the planes into the circular bases.
My initial idea was to thread a fibre through the branches of the shade in order to get some cool lighting effects.
However, it turned out that I hadn't quite thought this through properly when making the design because it was really difficult to thread the pieces when they were all in place. So I ended up ditching that idea - it'll be something I'll explore in the next project.
This was the lamp shade when it was all put together. I actually quite like the look of the holes in each piece, adding a bit of detail to the object.
Tuesday 19 April 2016
weekly challenge : five
This is a laser cut leaf shape that I produced for this challenge. First I sketched a simple shape of a life, scanned that image and transferred it into Adobe Illustrator. I used live trace to get an outline of the sketch which I could then laser cut.
Here is the final cut:
Here is the final cut:
I could have probably added a bit more detail to the leaf using etching - something I may look into for my lamp design.
Thursday 14 April 2016
project two : initial prototype
This is my initial prototype - just made by sing foam board and card.
The first issue I came across was that the base I am planning to use doesn't really accommodate the light bulb I have. I may need to look into altering the 3D print file I have so that it does work for the bulb I have, or to get a new bulb.
I'm not extremely happy with the design of the lamp, but I can still play around with the form and see how it goes from here.
project two : inspiration
I've been looking at different ways that lamp shades can influence how light is dispersed. These are some simple models that utilise laser cutting.
Tuesday 12 April 2016
weekly challenge : four
For this challenge, we were asked to 3D print a model we had created in the last weekly challenge. Since I didn't do last weeks challenge, I just downloaded a file from the internet and attempted to print that.
I decided I might as well try print a piece that I will use in my object, which is a lamp. I am planning on 3D printing the base for it. I found the file download here where the base is used for a lighted vase holder.
Here is my first attempt:
So it didn't really go to plan... Half way through the print the filament stopped extruding from the printer and I'm not really sure why... It will be something I have to ask about in our next studio session.
However, I think finally getting something (although it's shit) printed is a step in the right direction for this project. I'm now a little bit more confident in using the printers and it's probably better that I find out that these weird things happen now as opposed to later!
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