Design Challenge:
Beginning with a thorough exploration of an object that holds personal significance, design a series of representations of your object that will range from abstract to concrete:
• An exploration of the cultural, social and environmental context of your object
• A graphic presentation made up nine 8 x 8 in panels
• One 3D sketch model
• A graphic presentation made up nine 8 x 8 in panels
• One 3D sketch model
Original object: heart mug
My mug is evocative because of the memories that it has come to represent and is a way of mourning those which have become faded or fragmented over time. Sherry Turkle (author of "Evocative Objects: Things We Think With") claims objects to be “emotional and intellectual companions that anchor memory, sustain relationships, and provoke new ideas”. The mug was given to me at the end of this summer by someone very special to me. While originally I was drawn to the mug for its size, colour, and the heart design, in a moment it became a representation of the relationship between us and the distance that separated us.
My mug is evocative because of the memories that it has come to represent and is a way of mourning those which have become faded or fragmented over time. Sherry Turkle (author of "Evocative Objects: Things We Think With") claims objects to be “emotional and intellectual companions that anchor memory, sustain relationships, and provoke new ideas”. The mug was given to me at the end of this summer by someone very special to me. While originally I was drawn to the mug for its size, colour, and the heart design, in a moment it became a representation of the relationship between us and the distance that separated us.
Final 3D form:
My 3D form is meant to be a fountain representing the flow of memories and how they are altered over time. By drinking tea from my mug I am reminded of all the memories it is linked to. My mug is a way of holding on to these memories – like how the heart-shaped receptacles collect liquid until they overflow.
The hearts become smaller as the water flows down the form, and less water is collected each step. The largest heart represents the first stage of recollection; memories are plentiful and easily remembered. The last container only catches a small amount of liquid which represents how, as time passes, memories fade or become altered and we only remember the ones that hold the most significance. The liquid that is not caught by the hearts represents the memories that are forgotten during the process to make room for new memories.
The water flows in a circular motion guided by the hearts which relates to how the process of recollecting is a continuous cycle. The circular arrangement also links the form back to the circular form of my mug and the red hearts emulate the colour and material of the mug.
My 3D form is meant to be a fountain representing the flow of memories and how they are altered over time. By drinking tea from my mug I am reminded of all the memories it is linked to. My mug is a way of holding on to these memories – like how the heart-shaped receptacles collect liquid until they overflow.
The hearts become smaller as the water flows down the form, and less water is collected each step. The largest heart represents the first stage of recollection; memories are plentiful and easily remembered. The last container only catches a small amount of liquid which represents how, as time passes, memories fade or become altered and we only remember the ones that hold the most significance. The liquid that is not caught by the hearts represents the memories that are forgotten during the process to make room for new memories.
The water flows in a circular motion guided by the hearts which relates to how the process of recollecting is a continuous cycle. The circular arrangement also links the form back to the circular form of my mug and the red hearts emulate the colour and material of the mug.
Final presentation of original object (the mug), 3D form, and nine 8"x8" panels
Tumblr (design blog): http://clwestdesign.tumblr.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/cassidy-west/7b/344/647
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/cassidy-west/7b/344/647
Thanks for checking out my work!
