Faculty- Deepak Singh
Spaces and materials
Week 1
29.07.2019
Today was the day when our classes were about to begin at ISDI finally after almost one and a half weeks of workshops, most stupid while some pretty interesting. I had very high hopes for today’s class as I had really enjoyed Mr.Deepak’s workshop and was looking forward to it, but unfortunately to my dismay he did’nt turn up! It got me thinking that he wasnt the punctual kind and I guess this is where “Perception” about someone comes in. Although i was proven wrong miserably.
He was eventually substituted by Mr. Prasad for the first half of the lecture. I loved hearing about scientific facts and the insight knowledge that was given to us about the different materials and how in one space that surrounds us can have so many materials under different classifications. One of the most interesting facts that i got to know was that glass was a solid and liquid at the same time.
The second half of class was all about different materials and spaces and how different materials change in a given space. Space is and empty area where materials can be put. Hence space is subjective in nature, it depends on the perception of a person of the given area. One person might perceive a given area to be small space while another will perceive that same area as a big space.
Another interesting thought that was shared with us was this line “Colourless green ideas sleep furiously”. This line is not grammatically incorrect but complete nonsense. This is another side of perception as to what we want to think of this nonsensical line.
Lastly, another very interesting and unbelievable thought that was shared with us was that out body was made of stuff which was not from our galaxy but made of materials when two galaxies collide with each other and makes a substance. Another mind blowing fact was told to us that our body has 73 senses and not just 5 and these senses can understand magnetic waves without really touching it.
Perception
Week 2
10.08.2019
We had to translate 5 words in our mother tongue to basically understand the perception of the words in different languages.
1 ) Space: जगह (jagah)
2) Boundaries: सीमा (seema)
3) Perception: अनुभूति (anubhooti)
4) Material: सामग्री (samagree)
5) Notion: धारणा (dharana)
What are boundaries? Boundaries are any limit that we set for each other. Boundaries change with time and perception. When we were small we didnt have the concept of boundaries, but as we grew older we have certain boundaries for each other. Boundaries are subjective and ambiguous, and boundaries may not be what it is or will be.
We talked about how as humans the first step that we take towards something is by registering it. Second, we create a notion about it based on our experience. Third, if the notion is correct, it becomes into a conviction and fourthly that conviction turns into a fact.
An interesting information was shared with, as our professor is very proficient in doing that, is that the first disposable paper cups were invented by a lawyer in 1907 as he was concerned about the spreading of germs in the world war 2.
Later, we visited the workshops where we were briefed about the different tools and machinery. The different protocols that need to be followed.
Object Drawing
week 3
12.08.2019
We had to take out an interesting object from our belonging which hand a different shape n texture. So I took out my watch as it is made of various materials and hence has varied textures.
We were told to carefully look at the object while drawing and not draw from the memory. The timings kept reducing and from 3 mins to 30 secs to 5 .
Mr. Deepak took my bat shit crazy mode drawing, and I never got that back, so I don’t have it here.
We were then asked to create patterns on a cube drawing and finally create an object out of it.
Ideation and Sensitization
Week 4
19.08.2019
We were divided in groups of four and asked to take two words. One related to hand actions and another to objects which require hand. We were then asked to doodle whatever was the first thing that came to our mind when we think of those words and pass on the sheet and the next person looking at the previous doodle has to make something new. In the span of 8 mins we came up with 16 funny unique ideas. Thats how we learnt ideation.
The point of this whole exercise was to finally create an idea for a product with a help of your peers ideas as well, and finally designing a product. Designers should work in a group because a person might have missed out on certain requirements of the product which can others can see.
We were made aware of being sensitive towards the words and actions we take in our design profession
We then discussed about materials. Materials can be classified as:-
- Pure elements
- Compounds
- Metals
- Ceramics
- Polymers
- Semi-conductors
- Composites
These materials have different properties that can be classified as:
- Mechanical
- Thermal
- Optical
- Chemical
- Radio-logical
- Magnetic
- Electric
The faculty also told us that if we ever design a product, these are the big questions that we always need to ask:
- How heavy is it?
- What is it’s texture?
- How tough is it?
- How brittle is it?
- How hard is it?
- How strong is it?
- Does it stop heat?
- Does it melt?
- Is it a conductor or an insulator?
- What is it’s ignition point?
- What is it’s colour?
- Does it reflect, absorb or react?
- Does it react to skin?
- Does it radiate?
- Does it attract iron?
- Does it conduct electricity?
Then, taking references from 55000 years ago, we learnt the different ways in which a product can be made:-
- Removal process- it’s the most basic way of creating a product and is the oldest form.
- Shaping- it is more recent than the removal process, example -pottery
- Molding/Coating- it comes under the recent forms of product making
- Deposition- it’s the newest form of product making. Example-electroplating.
Material board and Coaster making
Week 5
26.08.19
We all had to bring a material board,getting materials from different categories. We were also told that bio materials are those materials that can interact with biological systems in a safe manner.
This is my material board-
Under different categories the materials that i could procure was-
- Bio materials- Raw silk
- Metals- aluminium foil
- ceramic- clay
- polymer- scotch brite (nylon)
- semiconductor- silicon from a phone cover
- composite- plywood
The class started by discussing the different materials we had brought. Coincidentally nobody would procure a semiconductor and who ever had got silicon from phone covers like me, were proved to be wrong as all of us had got silicone ,not silicon. Interestingly,we were given a way to find semiconductor from USB’s like pen drives.
Another material that most of us had got and was not actually a true representative of a metal was aluminium foil. Aluminium foil was not a pure metal, but an alloy.
We studied every material that was brought by students and were supposed to point out which material we found the most appealing and aesthetic.
The second part of the class was about material handling by making coasters out of mdf wood in 4 by 4 inches boxes.
Therefore i took inspiration from my surroundings ad made these coasters using:-
Abstraction and hand grips
Week 7
9.09.19
I was quite surprised that when Mr.deepak saw my hand grip drawings, he mocked me as to why i had done such a detail drawing when i could just show him in a simple drawing that i had understood the hand gesture of the grip.
Well, all was not in vain, when he saw that i did understand my grips and asked me to do them without the object.
He explained that everything we make is an abstraction of what we see. We cant draw every detail that is there on the object, our minds abstract it into a simpler and form and thats what we draw. I was very surprised when he said that it doesnt matter how long or detail drawing u do as long as it is in proportion and aesthetic.
Then we made simple circles,boxes,ellipses to understand abstraction and shadow.
We also learnt about how nature has made our body into exact proportions. Like the size of the feet matches the size of our forearm.We drew stick figures to understand the proportions better.
These are the hand grips that i had made;-
Abstraction of human face
week 8
16.09.2019
This class was to make us understand abstraction better and how we can make anything abstract.
We were given a task to look at a clay model of a human face and break it down into triangles, hence giving it an abstract shape. We made different angles of the human face is triangles. Surprisingly, many of us had quadrilaterals in our drawings which we had easily missed, yet somehow we managed to make it look aesthetic enough.
We then made the same into the illustrator using colours to undertand our design better.
These are the face abstractions that i made;-
Model abstraction
week 9
23.09.2019
This class started of with the discussion of what is space and materiality. We then jumped into the topic of boundaries and as to how we create boundaries for everything.
We then discussed the boundaries we see in movies. Each student mentioned a movie and we deciphered the boundary it had. The different forms of boundaries we experience are-
- Economic
- Physical
- Intellectual
- Imagination
- Religious
- Age
- Reality
- Social
- Emotional
Then we moved on to making out hand held object models. We made abstract versions of the object. I decided to go with a hand spray and this is what i made;-
Model Making
week 10
30.09.2019
In this class we were told to bring our hand held object models. I made my model out of coloured paper and gateway sheet.
This class was very interestong as we were told to make a drawing of our model in different ways. once we made it with out non dominant hand, then out of memory with our eyes closed.
We also drew scenes using our feet, left and right both and after doing such difficult tasks ,drawing normally seemed very easy.
Touch
week 11
7.10.2019
From this class onwards to jumped into our new assignment based on touch. Touch is basically the first thing you do to experience a new thing.
We also learnt about the different occasions that we experience touch. Some instances are-
- Sports
- Whispering
- Tailoring
- Concerts
- Markets
- Public transport/ Travelling
- Dance
- Religious gathering
- Emergencies
- Ailments
- Massages
- Security checks
- Ceremonial touches
- Invasion of privacy
- Transactions
We discussed how many touches are synchronized. Example- when we push someone on the swing its a synchronized touch. Even couple dancing is a synchronized touch.
we also spoke about wanted and unwanted touch. when is it that a person realizes that another person is going to touch them. The distance between the two bodies were discussed. Hence making us realise the observations that we had to do for our next project.
Today we discussed the different kinds of touch that a human being faces.
We also spoke about how all these touches are directed in some way or the other to “Navrasa” the nine emotions that human beings feel. The Navrasa includes :-
- shringar(love)
- hasya(laughter)
- adhuta (wonder)
- vira( courage)
- shaanta(peace)
- karuna(sadness)
- rudra(anger)
- bhiyanaka(fear)
- vibhasta(disgust)
Product prototyping
week 12
14.10.2019
In this class we had to come up with a design of the touch we wanted to materialize. Me and my partner Kajol decided to explore the touch kiss. We developed a mechanism that allowed a chin rest and it was movable.
These are few prototype designs we came up with.
Hence this class was about discussing the different designs possible for our touch.
Product designing
week 13
4.11.2019
In this class me and my partner were figuring out the dimensions used of the model.We took a lot of things in consideration like the length of our neck,chin, etc.
Afterwards we left for material collection. First we went to Dadar as it was closer, but to our disappointment ,we couldnt get anything. Finally we landed up in byculla where after a lot of hunting we found a nice piece of persian plywood.
Product design
week 14
11.11.2019
In this class we discussed in depth about different interpersonal spaces that humans face and how we should take everything into account while materializing it.
Later that day we also saw the project prototypes that had been made by 2nd year product design students. I learnt how they made sustainable and innovative products in a given time constraint.
I learnt about how there is a touch everywhere, about the synchronized motions of humans, saw our seniors make products in the given time constraint and learnt about Rasas in detail.
Redefining space and materiality
week 15
18.11.2019
In this class we reiterated what we had learnt so far. What is space and what is materiality?
After so many classes my perception of space is any area in which materials can be placed and materials are anything which occupy space.Both go hand in hand.
Our aim of this project is to materialize the touch kiss. The model is made of plywood and the only function it has is to move the chin rests and hence allow kissing.
This model explore two kinds of kiss , one consensual and one non consensual. If one part of the chin holder moves and another stays where it is , its a non consensual kiss while if two of them move then its a consensual kiss.
Shristi Poddar 