(First try with bending laminate and metal)
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This project is about form, execution and function.
In order to make a chair and a lamp to read a book by you will need to learn about physics, art and building. Most importantly you will need to learn how to simultaneously apply all your knowledge to the task of researching, designing and building these everyday objects. To make a comfortable chair you need to understand the shape of the human body, and design a structure that curves to accommodate it. To make the chair support a person you need to consider where and how the weight of a person is distributed. To design a chair it helps to know what has come before and have imagination to decide what comes next. To make a chair you must understand the elements, materials, ergonomics, revision and have meticulous attention to detail. Each team of students will make a chair and a lamp to read a book that they have written about this process. What we are going to cover: Calculus, 2D and 3D Geometry, Balance, Design, Physics, Sketch-up, Modernism, Bookmaking, Bending wood, Bending Metal, Chair Making, Lamp Making, Electricity and Writing. |
(These are pages from my design)
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Assignment 1 "Documentation is Art"
With your partner find a publication that you like. Journals, magazines, books and comics have been designed by someone to clearly convey information and have a cohesive feel. You will need to decide how your book will look. We know that the book is in B&W or color, the format is "Comic Book" from LULU.com (6.625 x 10.25) After that it is up to you and well me too. I am your head art director. It is my job to say; “really you think thatlooks good? Really?” I’ll try to be nice but you need to open youreyes and see text boxes, relate to images, and drawings to titles.Even professional book designers get feed back. We will also use peer critique via, Moodle site where students will give critical feed back to each others work. You will format your own book, like the one you found. Usingplaceholder text and images make a prototype book, cover too. (16 pages) Note: A5 5.833" x 8.264 Resolution 200 |
On Going Assignments
We will be learning about a number of curved lines and curved surfaces in 2 and 3 dimensions. We will study the mathematics of circles and spheres, parabolas and the use of parabolic surfaces in physics and engineering, sine waves and other periodic functions. You will be studying and presenting on a topic which you and your partner choose. You can look at spirals or pursuit curves, cycloids or catenaries. The more advanced students may wish to look at Bessel functions or Fourier transforms. Everyone must show the math of these objects and their application on the real world. It is expected that your research and your chair are related in some way. |
Assignment 2
With your partner make a historical time line of design. The two of you need to pick the subject. There are a lot of things that have been designed and made better. Find a story and have a hypothesis of change. Remember all assignments will be published in your own book; you’ll need hi-res, un-stretched, clear images. If you don’t have clear images, your point will not be made and your book will look weak. You will also need to write a commentary about your findings and relate it back to your chair and lamp. We will also use peer critique via, Moodle site where students will give critical feed back to each others work. |
Assignment 3
With your partner you will need to make a chair (with a curve or bend), a light and a book for exhibition night. They all have to work. You will decide how they look and relate to each other. You will need a plan, construct, revise and complete all three products. We will also use peer critique via, Moodle site where students will give critical feed back to each others work. |
You will also need along with the chair, lamp and book:
Plan View (Google Sketch Up)
Students will create a vision of their completed project including physics and engineering concepts. Google Sketchup is a free program, that is very much like auto cad, but with out the headaches. Well there might be some but it is a great way to show your clean designs. The way to learn to use it is to play with it and ask your peers how to do this or that. Play is the best way to learn. |
Proof Model (scale model to show it is possible)
A proof model is a gate keeper. If you can’t make a successful proof model you will have a hard time being successful. It is a very important step. Additionally if you change your idea you need to change your proof too. We (your teachers) did this assignment first, to make sure we could, you should too. |
Promotional Poster (for the book and exhibition)
Promotional poster is to get people excited about your work. Like Christo making a poster that shows your vision and how cool it is going to be is exciting. This is truly when you make a work of art, where you communicate your vision, where you shamelessly self promote. |
A5 Book Cover Dimensions for Lulu, They must be exact.