This project was based on research through cultural heritage. Considering etic and emic approaches to design, as introduced to me by Jim Williams* on Indigenous research, the brief for this project asked me to identify a tool used for cultural projection in my ancestry and connect to my relatives using the tool as a metaphor. From Croatian decent, I focused on the preslica and vreteno, the equivalent of a drop spindle in Eastern Europe.
The data visualization illustrates a connection to my past through our consistency in work. The spinning threads represent times of day, while the woven background represents the infrequency of taking a day off.
This second data visualization is about identifying metaphors as a way of building meaning. The composition of the data represents the production of wool as an element in a delicate ecosystem. Many metaphors depict intricate research, such as visual representations of the microscopic structure of wool.
The wooden models shown are part two of the project; they represent understanding through different methods of production. The laser cut tool embodies an outside perspective, while the handmade preslica offers an intimate tactility. Although each method of production offers the same tool, the honesty of the craft says something different in each result.
*Williams, J. (2010). Towards a Model for Indigenous Research’.
