In design, there are seven basic strategies that can be used to convey ideas visually.  In working on this project, I decided to inject my love of ballet with the design strategies.  I used a pointe shoe as my "common item" and wanted to see if I could successfully convey an idea from seven different ballets using the strategies--one for each ballet.  This was a project I enjoyed doing--combining school work with my passion for ballet.  

Design Strategy:  Combination.  

"Swan's Shoes"

Combination, as a design strategy, brings together two normally unrelated objects that make sense when combined.  For this I decided to go with "Swan Lake", my favourite ballet, using the pointe shoe as the body of the swan.  

Design Strategy:  Juxtaposition

"Rose Pointe"

In Juxtaposition, one takes two objects and places them together to highlight differences.  For this we have the satin hardness of a pointe shoe next to the soft petals and prickly thorns of roses.  The ballet in mind is "Sleeping Beauty".

Design Strategy:  Isolation

"Dancing Differently"

Isolation is just that, displaying the subject in such a way that it is isolated/highlighted.  For this idea I chose to go with the ballet, Le Bayadere.  In this story, which is set in India anciently, a temple dancer is in love with a noble.  In my image I chose to place the pointe shoes in a circle with Indian dancers, highlighting the difference.

Design Strategy:  Metaphor

"Dance to the Death"

In this strategy we use an object as a metaphor or simile.  I decided to use the ballet Giselle as my inspiration and so have the ballet shoes with the gravestone.  Giselle is the story of a young woman who was courted by a noble disguised as a peasant, she dies and joins the Wili, maidens who died betrayed on the eve of their weddings.  Although she was betrayed, she keeps the 'hero' alive dancing through the night rather than allowing him to be destroyed by the others.  

Design Strategy:  Change of Environment

"Dancing to Freedom"

In this strategy we place our object in an unusual place.  For this I was inspired to use the ballet "La Corsaire" which involves a pirate and rescuing women sold as slaves in Turkey and the hero fighting for the woman he frees and loves--and they actually do get to live happily ever after.  

Design Strategy:  Physical Shape Similarity 

"Heart of Dance"

For this strategy we are going for similarity of shape, so pointe shoes and their ribbons set to look as a heart shape and coloured darker than the usual pale pink.  Copellia is the inspiration here, a story of a young girl who saves her fiance from being killed by the inventor of a mechanical doll, it's a fun ballet with a happy ending and the heart is appropriate as it's the difference between the real heroine and the doll.  

Design Strategy:  Material Change

"Just Until Midnight"

This design strategy is simply swapping the normal material for another, in this case satin for glass.  I'm sure you can guess the ballet here, "Cinderella" of course.  I kept the satin ribbons on the shoe and set it in the magic of the moonlight.