week 3; monday's lesson

I introduced my straw model idea and experiment to my group today, and the feed back that my tutor gave me allowed me to further develop my initial idea and ties up with some research that I had done.
So the idea is to have a cold and hot liquid at the same time so that the experience leaves the user confused as to which straw delivers the hot or cold sensation, especially by the time the liquid enters the mouth and the liquids combine.
I had made an experiment over the weekend where I made a prototype with drinking straws, but I didnt feel that the plastic allows the tempreture to penetrate through enough, so a fellow student suggested I try plastic tubes from bunnings, which is more bendable and hopefully a thinner plastic.

I had looked up tactile illusions (http://exploremore.at-bristol.org.uk/496) where it proves that the body can be confused by different tempretures, so I thought that by combining an extra straw for a hot liquid would almost confuse the user since it will be hard to differenciate from the back of your neck and ears which straw is a certain tempreture.

Alternatively I could finda a way to turn the hot water into cold water...somehow.

Week 2; coming up with ideas

Brain Storms!!!

I found it a bit of a struggle to come up with a certain idea that I really liked because I really want to try and be innovative with my ideas so that it offers a new or different expreience for the user.
Before I experimented my ideas, i put together some concepts on a brain storm so that I could look at all my options and broaden my thinking.

 I put a blue star next to the idea that I think I would like to use. The idea is that the model is like a straw and headpiece in one. The straw is wrapped around the users head, focusing mainly behind the ears and behind the neck, which are one of the most sensitive areas so this means that the model works with our touch senses. The idea is to experience and uncomfortable cold sensation that you can feel as it travels around your head. Also I want to incorporate how out touch senses involve what we feel in our mouths and how the tounge can feel and pick up different textures and densities. I could do this my dipping the straw in a layered drink (which is made of 3 liquids with different densities and sugar contents) so that the person can feel the difference in each layer.
 

week two; monday's lesson

We were asked to bring in two objects, the first being something considered highly functional, and the second being something that we find interesting or just fun to play with.
The items that i chose were a pair of scissors

I chose this because I think that it's a very functional, useful and user friendly object that we use for a variety of different reasons from crafts, to sewing, to hair cutting etc etc..

The next Item I chose was a rubber brush for baking

i chose this item because I find it fun to shake since the bristles are made of rubber and are flexible, and I like to brush it onto my hand. (weird. i know) Therefore it stimulates the visual and touch senses.

in class we grouped all the items and categorized them into different proporties and features, such as durability, fluidity, colourful, playful, needs human effort etc etc..

then we ordered it to get a clear transition from one group to another and discussed, as a group, where we thought each item should go.

this made me think about how different individuals can have similar responses and ideas towards a certain object, for example everyone agreed that the kush ball and the rubber ball with the glitter inside were the most fun objects because of it's playful nature, the textures, visual appeal etc.

This make me think of how I should consider what people react to in terms of making a model that will evoke the same effect for majority of the users.

week one progress

In class today I brought in a candle as my object that I believe caters to all our 5 senses.
 I chose this object because there was something interesting that it offers in terms of all five senses;
Touch- it's smooth and waxy when cold, but when a flame is burnt it is extremely hot and becomes a dense liquid.
Sight- the candle that I brought in was pink which is a bright, eye catching colour, but the flame when it is lit is mesmerizing when it flickers and the ambient light gives off a cosy feel/mood
Smell- the smell of the wax and wicker is strongest when the candle is blown out. It is an almost smoky smell thats slightly perfumed.
Sound- when the blame is blown out the blow against the flame makes a subtle sharp noise that's hard to explain but the closest thing that comes to my mind is like the sound of paper ripping.
Taste- not that Ive ever tasted candle was, I expect it to be a rather unpleasant or a very weak taste.

So far not many impressive concepts have come to mind but im thinking that If I look briefly into studies conducted that relate to human senses, I could come up with more innovative ideas.

Ideas that i had were to test how we trust our touch senses to identify materials and substances when we are not offered the choice of using sight. I initially thought of doing this by having a solid, opaque box with finger slots filled with different materials such as oils, sand grains, soft cotton shreds etc. After I want the user to identify what they think is inside the finger slots and see if the touch sense is as accurate as the sight senses.

Another concept was to play around with our touch senses through something as light as air to show the sensitivity of our senses, ie a fan/propeller that generates a soft breeze.

research for project one, DSDN112

after our first studio session today, I've decided to do some research before I plan out more concepts, just to get my head thinking and expanding my knowledge of objects that challenge or test our senses. I will also look at how I could take inspiration from the researched objects and reflect that into possible ideas for my project.

                                                             object 1
                                                              The Norm Glass Tea Kettle.

iamge retrieved from: http://sweet-station.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/norm_kettle_detail.jpg

This doesn't really challenge the senses, but there is an emphasis on the visual aspect of watching the hot water gradually transform into hot tea. The visual experience may be simple, but very innovative because it is a new idea that appeals to the user because it is a different way to experience tea, you not only taste the tea, but you see the tea being brewed. This plays on the visual senses more than other senses, but I guess you could consider the fact that the glass is a material that poorly conducts heat, so when the user handles the object, it will be really hot. As expected.

This object makes me think of how visual features are a experience, no matter how small, and therefore if I decide to use sight as a strong point in my project, the visual experience will ahve to be considered and how the experience effects the user.

Object 2

Tree Hotel (Sweeden)

image retrieved from:

http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1294840180-8304-001-528x354.jpg

image retrieved from:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbX4nti4603_p1gXHcDcjQZYpIR2i6yz3ZGeoSOaBXlsH65LLfiitRhKI1Bdv8XxW44Gox00Xlr_MRBGFtKI9e39kws3qYmepJ0Tlsf2CA0fSgyFktjxAJalV0HudlNj5LnpXZEQe0Lc/s1600/harads-tree-hotel-tham-videgard-hansson-arkitekts4.jpg

The Hotel rooms are located on tree trunks and are basic cube shapes that are camouflaged with a mirror exterior surface, so that it reflects the surrounding forrest environment and creates an illusion that makes the viewer almost confused or surprised. This is because the cubes look almost invisible when in reflects the images of the surrounding environment. This hotel stimulates the sense of sight because the viewer question what they see, and this unfamiliar sight makes it hard for the viewer to recognize or associate what they are seeing to something more familiar to them.

This makes me think of how I could use illusions/optical illusions in my project to create a similar surreal feeling through sight.

Object 3

Window display by Tokujin Yoshioka, For Hremes

video retrieved from youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyNHJQzn3pw

This video made me think of the touch senses, and how you dont need to feel something physically with your hands but can instead have the feeling of wind blowing through your hair or on your skin. This then made me think of propellers and fans and how the simple mechanics achieve a blowing force, which is an idea that  I could explore further in my model.

another thing that it made me think of, was how a 2D image creates a 3D effect which creates another illusion for our sight. The 2D image of the woman blowing into the scarf is brought to life when the scarf actually moves around as if there is an actual person blowing into it. This challenges our sight because the viewers would not expect this to happen and when it does, it surprises us.

Object 4

image retrieved from: http://s2.thisnext.com/media/230x230/Glass-Chair_012F3F76.jpg

The glass chair, by Shiro Kuramata, was made in the 70's and at te time a lot of people questioned the durability of the materials and the safety of using this chair. The designer would've probably taken these factors into consideration when he was designing it, but none the less, is triggered the senses of sight, because it was still visually challenging to know that a brittle, thin material could support the weight of a grown human body. It makes the viewers question what they see and what they feel comfortable with.

This makes me consider how material choice can be an effective way to visually challenge the users of the objects and tells me that the senses can control what we believe or what we trust.