CCDN 231: Glamour as a state of feeling

INDN 212: The proposal

Here we have the first layout of the system that will be used, which allows for all items to be worn alone or together while not doubling up on each other to cause friction and be uncomfortable.

The idea behind it is to find each necessary part of each object its own part of the head and to cut down on all the unnecessary parts. For instance the top strap for things that go on the front of the face can clip onto the back of the helmet or anything else that goes on the head, however it can still be used in its conventional way if there isn't anything on the top of the head for it to clip onto. The strap for any goggles that might go on is completely removed because they will always have the opportunity to clip onto the base of something that goes round the front of the face or the roof of whatever is going on the head. There was no design I could come up with that would beat regular old glasses if neither of these things were present for the goggles to clip onto though.

This is an example of the full construction set-up, with the hard hat, earmuffs, respirator,and goggles all attached to each other.

This shows the getup of a painter and how the the goggles need to clip onto something else to free up more space.

This shows how other elements can be introduced to allow the modular system to work for different people in different situations, this is a possible example of a fire-fighter and how the respirator can be swapped out for a gas mask.

I also realised that this system can apply to so many things that to limit it just to trades wouldn't be pushing it far enough, and so I started thinking about recreational activities that could use this system. These two images are examples of that, the first is an example of how a diver could use the system and the second shows how with enough different parts that fit into the system people could use them for lots of different things, this is a paintball mask. Other possible examples could include a motorcycle helmet or a bee keepers mask.

INDN 212 Project 2: The Plan

My intention with this project is to create a solution for the head real estate problem, I want to create a system that makes all of the equipment used in these situations modular so that they can all be used in tandem with each other easily, but most importantly they can all be used at the same time with no problem. Its also important that the range of usable equipment isn't limited to just one profession or trade, so the goggles and helmet could be swapped out for a welders mask, or the respirator for a fireman's gas mask.

The system of how this will work is the most important part of the design, there needs to be a standardised size and shape for every part of the face affected.

INDN 212: Project 2 description and the problem

This is a big project: group work, should be interesting. The idea is that we need to find a safety problem, whether it be around the house, in an everyday object or in any imaginable everyday situation and design a solution for it "Design for the real world".

This has led me to discussions with a young gentleman named Patrick

Patrick is a plumber.

He is also a very dear friend of mine, and being a very good friend of mine I would like it if I was able to keep him safe in his work environment. One of the biggest issues that has become apparent in his area of work is the large amount of safety equipment that they have wear on and around construction sites and under houses (two places that plumbers tend to spent a large amount of time). While rules have been put in place in regards to the necessity of certain items of safety gear such as hard hats, goggles and ear muffs by OSH there has been a severe oversight in regards to one very important factor involving all of these items of safety gear: real estate.

There are so many items of headgear to wear on the job as a tradesman that by the time you are wearing a hard hat, a mask, a pair of gaggles or glasses AND a pair of ear-muffs it can be quite uncomfortable, especially around the ears.

This results in people not wearing all of their safety gear, forgoing a pair of earmuffs or their goggles in order to be more comfortable. This often causes hearing or sight problems further down the line.

INDN 212 Project 2 Photos

These are my final photographs from my INDN 212 Project 2

INDN 212: 3D Printing Process

The main part of my model (the part that isn't circuits and LEDs) is 3D printed, this is a process that I have been using as often as I can at University. I beleive that a  deep understandin of how to get the best out of these machines wil help me in the future, weather that be finding a design related job or just in my own personal life.

 

 

The potential of these machines is stagering, they allow you the chance to make the most efficently performing and eff designed product because there are none of the limitations braught about from craft, only your skill with whatever CAD program you are using. The Machine takes care of the rest.

 



INDN 212: The Planned Uncanny

I have developed what I think is a solid aesthetic direction for the light: a planned uncanniness.
The Uncanny is a word used to describe something that is slightly alien or foreign but still very similar to real life. I would like to carry this idea through my design because my object is quite uncanny, it is something that is trying to add a feature to the human body, something natural and organic, in a really mechanical and invasive way.

Originally it was planned to have it metallized in silver and have it become a very pretty object of desire, but I decided that the object should be more subtle. This decision was made because this object is very permanent and so I felt it shouldn't be what could be thought of as over the top. Instead it is something that looks almost organic and fits into the little gap between your collarbone, trapezius muscle and neck.

 

The three lights represent the two halves of the heart and the veins of the cardiovascular system and the black lines are there for several reasons. The first is that they make the model look almost like you have circuits running through part of you, as the main body of the implant is skin coloured. The second is that they mimic the way that blood flows through he whole system, the right side of the heart pumps blood to your lungs and then too the left half of the heart, a small task compared to what the left side does. The left side pumps blood ALL the way around your body, from the tips of your fingers to your toes.

This part represents the part that would go under the skin of your neck and actually measure your pulse, while then sending it back to the main part do be displayed by lights. It has a "removable" top because every now and again things might stop working or need a new battery. Getting an operation each time this happens seams unnecessary. The black is just there so make it easier to remove when i needs to be and to give it a slightly more 'industrial' look.

CCDN 231 project 2: Glamour and Jackets

Glamour is described as the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain things seem more appealing or special. I have decided to link it to my activity of putting on a jacket because a jacket is often used for this purpose, to add a sense of glamour to the person who is wearing it. To this end I have come up with three experiments I will conduct in order to attempt to add an air of glamour to act of putting on a jacket. A secondary objective of these experiments was to try and create a ‘manly’ glamour, as even though men can be glamorous it is a word usually associated with femininity (Dyhouse, 2011).

Experiment 1: Catered Jacket Application
This experiment involved the participant having someone put the jacket on for them, the only thing they had to do was put their arms out for the sleeves to be put on. This changed the physical side of the activity, allowing someone to perform an activity for the participant was described in depth by the participant as “nice”. Upon further questioning it was discerned that it made the subject feel more important as there was less effort required on their behalf. The sense of sight was also changed, as the subject had their field of vision taken up by someone doing up their jacket for them, this is where the experiment was considered unsuccessful. The subject claimed that this made them feel uncomfortable and self-conscious which is detrimental to the overall effectiveness of the experiment.

Experiment 2: Scented Jacket
This experiment was designed to change the smell of the experiment, cologne was sprayed on the cuffs and collar of the jacket with the goal being for the smell to wear off on the wearer when they put the jacket on. Being incredibly subtle, the addition of the cologne wasn’t actually noticed by the subject until it was pointed out. The subject then went on to describe how much of a change it did actually make; it made the experience more refreshing and gave a subtle confidence to the subject. They claimed they felt more attractive and more charismatic, simply because of the change in smell. Smell it seems is incredibly powerful at setting the mood of an experience (Owen, 2010).

Experiment 3: Garment Bag
Interestingly enough, putting more barriers between the person and the end goal (wearing the jacket) made it feel more “official”. In this case it was a bag that the jacket came in, however it wasn’t just that getting the jacket on was hard; Having it on a coat hanger and in a garment bag made the jacket feel more premium, like the jacket was not allowed to get dirty or be marred in any way. The subject felt it gave it an air of prestige and authority to the coat.

The experiment that turned out to be the most successful was the second one, the scented jacket, this is opposed to what Thrift said in ‘The material Practices of Glamour’ that appearances were the most effective at conveying a sense of glamour. This is most likely because smell is such a strong sense for affecting a persons mood (Owen, 2010) whereas - like beauty - the physical side of glamour is all subjective and in the eye of the beholder (Dyhouse, 2011).

Owen, D. (2010, January 25). The Dime Store Floor, What did childhood smell like? The New Yorker, 33-37.

Thrift, N. (2008) ‘The Material Practices Of Glamour’ In Journal Of Cultural Economy. 1:1

Dyhouse, C. (2011) Glamour: Women, History, Feminism. London: Zed Books.

INDN 212: SCIENCE!!!!

Further research into creating something that will read your pulse has shown to be difficult and has made me realize something. I am not an engineer and I have no idea how to create something like this, it would take up too much time and distract from the point of the assignment: design a light. So I am going to design a light with the idea that I will code an Arduino Unit to pulsate and create the illusion that it is a persons heart.

While this is unfortunate in that I wont be able to have something that actually works, rather a representation.

INDN 212: First model

The first model I designed that I actually want to make is this circular one, its small and can be placed into the body at any angle the wearer wants.

 

The reason the left side is larger than the right is because the left side of the heart has to pump your blood all the way around your body, as opposed to the right which inly goes through the lungs and then across to the left size

INDN 212: Form

I have decided to go with the idea of a model that measures your heart rate: Because this thing is so small and the shape is completely up to me, it needs to be perfect. The form has to be link back to the original themes/ideas/concepts that drive the design, things like the body and expanding its abilities and the heard and cardiovascular system (try and find an aesthetic direction from that!?)

The first ideas looked at the shape of the hexagon and how the lights would be incorporated onto the form of it with circles. Even though it is very geometric, the hexagon reoccurs in nature quite allot, bees obviously come to mind, but there are also rock formations and snow flake patterns that are hexagon shaped.


The ideas need further development from here but they are a solid start.

INDN 212 Project 2: feasability

I found an article on forbes.com  about the implementation of RFID chips in peoples hands, which proves that putting tech in people is not only feasible but could also be quite easy. If I could find a way to streamline the implementation it could make it alot more accessible to people and also less of a painful ordeal.

hmmmmmmmmm more food for though.

INDN 212 Project 2: Research and ideas

I have been doing alot of research into body modifications like subdermal and transdermal implants for ideas on how implanting things in the skin will work. I've been learning about the types of metals that the body is more likely to accept (there is always a risk of rejection with this stuff).

I have come up with two ideas so far that I would like to work on;

1. Heart moniter
I thought of the idea of having a small light in your arm that would light up to the beat of your pulse, I looked at these sports watches and how they read athletes pulses, I don't think it would be too hard to gut one of them and reverse engineer it to work with a simple LED under the skin. The focus of this idea is just to have a constantly available reference for your pulse instead of having to read it with your fingers, plus having a constantly blipping light that you knew represented your pulse would probably be quite soothing. It would obviously need some kind of battery cap thing so that the battery could be replaced, bu that could be in the form of a transdermal part with a removable cap.

2. USB storage
Another idea was that I could implant a USB under my skin, I have the horrible ability to be able to loose nearly portable storage device I get, but if I had it implanted in myself then I wouldn't have to worry about that. This would have to be an entirely transdermal device and it would mean that I would need to have a plug in my arm and carry a USB cable around with me at nearly all times, but unless I could come up with some kind of very compact cord that could unwind?
Wheres the light? well when USB devices are being accessed by a computer they usually have a fashing light to reassure the person that they are indeed working. Yes the idea is a little bit shallow but it needs more development and exploration, but that's the intention.

These ideas are still very young and need more exploration, but they are a start.

INDN 212 Project 2: Implants and their relation to the project

My project is going to revolve around the idea of functional subdermal and transdermal implants. I will give a quick definition of them here;

Subdermal implants are implants that are placed under the skin (dermis) entirely covered by the skin, their main use today is in the Norplant contraception implant which is a series of bars placed under the skin in the upper arm in women. However they have formed a bit of a more devious reputation in the underground body modification scene; people have gotten silicon molds of certain shapes surgically implanted under their skin. After it is completely healed the person has that shape protruding from the surface of their skin. The problem with these more drastic aesthetic modifications is that the people who perform the operations are not licensed to use anesthetics and so the only relief you can before they cut you open is a bucket of ice if your lucky.

Transdermal implants are implants that go underneath the skin but are also on the outside aswell. One of the most interesting uses for them: Pierced Glasses by James Sooy and Oliver Gibson where they pierced a bar into the skin in their noses. This then gives them a frame from which to hang the lenses of a pair of glasses, meaning that you will have a persistent pair of removable glasses (they can un-clip from the bar in the nose), but that will not fall off.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

However these do have a similar underground group like the subdermal implants, some people get "horns" inplanted in their skulls. There are still issues with this though in that there are no qualified surgeons willing to do the procedure, so your stuck with another bucket of ice.

WHY!?

I decided to go with implants and the idea of body modification because it is something that I find incredibly fascinating and an idea that hasn't really been pushed far enough in my opinion, but also because of its potential to create a very strong project. When you start working with the human body there is the potential for so many different outputs and inputs, for so many different responses as the brief says. When working with peoples skin and body there is the potential to add whole other ranges of senses that people have never even though a human could experience before, just look at the example of people implanting small magnets in their fingers. It gives them the ability to feel electrical fields through proximity, once a sense restricted to some fish and eels this is now something that humans can experience aswell (something incredibly relevant to our digital age).

I want to explore the idea of adding depth and functionality to the human body itself, not just the things that we surround it with.

Sensory ethnography: Project 1 Final Submission

Well this took a long time, but at least its done. My final submission for CCDN 231 Project 1: Senseory Ethnography is as follows:

P.S. Its better to look at the images than just read the text (I spent alot of time on them!)

With this assignment I Documented the ethnography of putting on a jacket with five different participants, the intention of this was to research the different ways that they “unbunched” the jacket on their back and also the different areas on the jacket they touched while the whole process was happening.

In order to record this information I got each participant to put the jacket on with their hands covered in chalk so that their hand-prints would show up on the comparatively dark material of the jacket. This process was also filmed from start to finish and then the areas of the jacket that were coated in chalk were then photographed, the results are as follows:

Participant 1:
David Kirschberg

Participant 1 grabbed the jacket from the collars right side with his left hand which allowed him to put his right arm through the right sleeve. This then gave him more freedom to control the jacket with his right hand once it was through the sleeve –he is right handed- allowing him to adjust it while his left hand through the left sleeve. He then used the momentum of the jacket travelling up his left arm to assist him in unbunching the back by rolling his shoulders and tugging the bottom of the jacket back down. This left very little of the overall jacket touched by chalk as a lot of the movement was done by his shoulders. Commendations should be given to Participant 1.

Participant 2:
Gideon Soares

Participant 2 was less confident with the jacket than Participant 1, he first grabbed it with his right hand by the collar and then swapped hands in order to insert his right arm into the right sleeve, he is also right handed. However Participant 2 did this differently, he lifted his right arm up and used gravity coupled with his left hand on the right half of the chest of the jacket to pull it through. He then reached back with his left arm and pulled the left half of the jacket forward as he had not pulled the right half all the way to his shoulder. He then employed a similar “rolling” technique to Participant 1, however this also was not as effective as the shoulders were still slightly bunched up which had to be manually repaired by the subjects left hand. This was followed by much more fluffing about trying to get the chest to sit right. This resulted in a very high chalk coating on the jacket after the subject  had finished, however Participant 2 did do something unexpected that the previous had not; he popped the collar. Participant 2 understood that style must still be taken into consideration.

Participant 3
Jaemyn Toa

Participant 3 approached the jacket cautiously, first picking it up with two hands. However once he seemed sure that it was harmless he dived into it, inserting his right and then left arms increadibly fast. However this created a problem in that Participant 3 had not employed (or even attempted to employ as in the case of Participant 2) any kind of “roll” or subsequent technique to alight the back and collar of the jacket accurately. This meant that Participant 3s initial vigour was followed by a lot of tugging at the chest and collar to make it sit properly. In the end though, Participant 3 did seem to be proud of his accomplishment as he looked down at himself proudly and then also the camera for approval. While far from a perfect performance the jacket was sitting well. Approval was given.

Participant 4
NIlesh Lala

Participant 4 was the participant that seemed most at home with a jacket; his overall demeanour towards it was welcoming and he wasted no time covering himself with it. Unfortunately this relationship did not seem to be mutual as the jacket turned out to be a few sizes too big for him. However this did not hinder him and his right arm was soon in the jacket. This should be noted as Participant 4 was the only left handed subject but did not lead the insertion with his left hand. His technique for arm insertion was similar to Participant 2 in that he lifted his right arm up and used gravity coupled with his left hand pulling on the chest to pull the sleeve right up his arm. He then let the left shoulder continue around his back until it was resting in its rightful place first, before inserting his left arm into its sleeve. This allowed him to avoid the whole bunched-up-fabric-at-the-back issue that had been such a sticking point for the other Participants. After some minor adjustments Participant 4 was standing with an overall clean Jacket. It should be noted that his collar was also popped.

Participant 5
Ricky Situ

Participant 5s behaviour should be noted as it was the quickest form of jacket application. He employed a swinging technique that started with him inserting his right hand into its sleeve and pulling the collar around the back of his body with his left before his hand was even through to the cuff of its sleeve. This meant that there was very little bunching up of the back of the jacket and he had his left arm in swiftly with minimal adjusting. All that was required was a simple tug at the collar and bottom hem of the jacket and it was sitting perfectly with a collar that was pre-popped by the momentum of the swing.

INDN 212 Project 2: Ideas

One thing that I find incredibly fascinating is the idea of functional body modification. The idea that the body is a blank canvas is one that many people believe and is becoming more and more socially acceptable as things like tattoos and piercings enter "mainstream" society. But for me it still feels a little bit shallow, there is so much potential to add functions or abilities to the body with body modifications, but for the most part people have just stuck to aesthetics until very recently. Right now you can get tiny magnets placed under the skin in your fingers that give you the ability to "feel" electric feilds and there is also research going on to allow UV "nano-tattoos" to allow doctors to glean an insight into how your body is functioning.

There is so much potential to add or modify the functions of the body and so that is what I am planning on doing with this assignment, and before you start wondering the answer is yes: I am fully prepared to get this modification for myself.

After all, who knows how far it could go?

Well crap

Literally moments before taking photos, when the model was fully complete this happened:

I dropped it.

Initially I was going to try and fix it, but glueing this together would make it look like Frankenstein's monster. There's not much left to do but talk about it, so that's what I'm going to do.

Next time:

On rebuilding this object I would make it stronger. There is a problem with some of the parts in at they are very thin, this is what led to some parts being broken and is something that needs to be fixed. Obviously only to a certain extent as this is a necklace and something that is to be valued so there is no point making it incredibly durable. Maybe making it out of rubber would be a good idea? Though that doesn't really help the idea that is valuable though, something like stainless Steel or silver would be a better idea.

Also I won't drop it next time

Sensory Ethnography: Final images and write up

Jacket

I first grab the collar with my right hand and lift the jacket off whatever it is resting on, a hook? A chair? That’s when I feel the texture of the woven cotton collar lining, a knitted sort of pattern you would expect to find on a jersey. The zip and buttons make a metallic jingle as I move my left arm –always the left first, I could not tell you why- towards the sleeve and across the cotton interior, which is decorated in a Scottish tartan pattern, then into the plain black polyester sleeve. The polyester is smooth and almost silky to the touch as my hand flows through it towards the cuff, the internal of which is the same Scottish tartan as the internal of the body. When my hand exits the sleeve the cuff stays cosy around my palm –an odd occurrence for a person with arms as long as mine. The process is repeated with my right arm, all the while the whole jacket is making the flapping sound of a bird trying to get into the air. When my right arm is all the way through the right sleeve the majority of the jacket has bunched up around my shoulders, because of the dense cotton fabric it is made of. Then I roll my shoulders to loosen it, more flapping and jingling ensues and the smell of manufactured cotton fills my nostrils.

Controller

When picking up the controller the first part touched is the palm rest, my fingers wrap around the smooth blue plastic which has an almost metallic sheen. My thumb wraps around the bottom of the controller and brushes across the seam between the two plastic halves, the same seam which on different parts of the controller is filled with brown grime. This brown grime is a mixture of sweat and dead skin cells, a by-product of extended use and something that is never widely noticed about all controllers and remotes. There is also dust acumilated in and around it, but only in places that aren't usually touched through normal play, these are smooth and clean as if they were just polished. When my finger tighten around the profile of the controller and triggers, buttons and sticks all make a faint clicking sound as they move around in their sockets. I then bring the controller to my other hand which instinctively grips it in its ergonomically intended place, thumb resting on the textured top of the analogue stick and first finger nestled in the gap between the two trigger buttons. The first hand moves to this position as well, inducing more sound from the buttons as they are touched. When the controller is in use the analogue sticks become very slippery as they are moved more and more, because of the fact that they are convex and rounded. Also when the sticks are faced inwards towards each other they wont move the entire way because your thumbs get in the way.
The buttons all give a satisfying click whenever they are pushed in, and there is a very definite limit to the distance they can go in.

Bean Bag

When first descending into the bean bag it feels incredibly fluid and melds to your body incredibly well, and for a while all the individual beans can be felt and heard moving all at once. However as you sink in further it gets tighter and stops moving, the bag has moulded to the shape of your legs, butt and back and just as your back hits the bag there is a dull thud. Your hand will graze the small black trim that runs around all of the seams of the bag to disguise them. At that point the smell of polyester becomes apparent as well as the faint smell of BO and junk food underlying it. Whether this is from the bean bags themselves or the room surrounding them is unknown, though hopefully the later. The fabric is on the finer side of coarse, its not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination but you wouldn't want a blanket made of it. If at any point you decide to move while you are sitting all of the individual beans will be heard again as well as the sound of polyester rubbing against itself as the bag rubs with the one next to it.