MODULE TWO DESIGN

I simplified the plasticine model to have no spikes and also made it symmetrical.

It was then sliced laid on grid paper ready to import into Rhino.

DIGITISATIONPLASTICINE MODEL

DIGITISATIONRHINO IMPORT + PANELLING

After digitising the plasticine model, I began playing around with different panelling processes to discover interesting designs. Because the sharp angles in the model were now gone,

I was specifically looking for panelling that resembled the spikes and triangles of the reflective pathways explored with optigami. I wanted to find a design that was somewhat symmetrical and sharp – my favourite results came from using triangle and pyramid commands.

DIGITISATIONEXTENDED PANELLING

This 3D pyramid panelling was the most pleasing to me. It stayed true to the angles discovered in optigami experiments and also had an even symmetry to it. I particularly liked the spiralling effect created around the mouth of the cylinder. This influenced my next steps in the design.

DIGITISATIONCHOSEN PANEL DESIGN

SKETCHINGMOVING LANTERN

I liked the idea of a lantern with moving parts that would alter the light emitted as it moved. I decided to aim toward having an inner cylinder that moved in a spiral direction through the stationary outer cylinder.

Guided by paper rails, this movement would open and close different holes on the surfaces of both cylinders. Also, with the inside of the lantern white and outside black, it would rely on internal reflection for the emission of light.

Inner cylinder slides forward and backward

Sketch of moving lantern - Inner and Outer cylinders with guide tracks

Inner cylinder rotates as it slides back and forth

Holes emit different light patterns as inner cylinder moves back and forth

PHYSICAL PROTOTYPESPIRAL RAILS

After trialing some prototypes, I found the rails needed to be very accurate in order to function properly.

Here I laid out the rails using reference points that were all relative to one another, using inspiration from lectures and origami.

Symmetrical rails for inner cylinder (top) and outer cylinder (bottom).

The material called for 3 separate rails to allow for bending when rolled.

Two finished cylinders. Spiral rails of outer cylinder. Notice the spaces between each rail section allows for bending.

DIGITAL PROTOTYPEREFINING DESGIN

After physically manipulating paper and realising that the concept of a moving inner cylinder was realistic, I based an outer design on the initial plasticine model.

Inside of this sat the inner cylinder. Once again I experimented with panelling to arrive at a satisfying result.

DIGITAL PROTOTYPESPIRAL EFFECT EXPLORATION

Here I played with different 3D panelling to find the desired effect. Some were more successful than others (see bottom middle).

I particularly liked the spiral effect created by the triangular panels (see bottom left).

FINAL DIGITAL DESIGN

This design was chosen to move forward with.

There is still some work to do to digitally design the paper rails for printing: I will perhaps stick to a simple back and forth movement because the spiral movement caused difficulties in the prototyping stage.

The final panelling needs to be completed to create holes in the outer cylinder, along with a simple paper handle to control back and forth movement.

REFLECTION

In the readings for Module two, there were several concepts discussed that inspired some different thoughts toward my design. The concept of ‘parameter space’ discussed in the Scheuer and Stehling article was interesting because it made me realise that both the restrictions and also the new possibilities offered by the digital medium are just as much a part of the design process as sketching on paper is. Sketching on paper and digital design are both a way of abstracting a physical object – or for that matter an imagined object yet to be made physical – and thus both present different opportunities for understanding the object. I really appreciated the computing power of Rhino, with which a simple command can result in a very complex outcome, as seen in my paneling trials. The resulting design being something I could have never imagined let alone draw!

The Fleischmann article was interesting because it discussed the idea of using digital data collected from a certain material to influence the design, long before the usual trial and error that occurs in the fabrication process. While I appreciated this approach, I did not have adequate resources or knowledge to gather data for paper. I resorted first to experimentation with origami, then to physical prototyping of paper to trial a spiral ‘track’ that would connect two cylinders. The biggest problem I found was in the measurements and after a few trials I made a design that used relative measurements. This idea came from the Week 5 lecture, in which Alex Selenitsch showed photos of an artwork from a mirror. He found interesting ways of connecting the different points across the octagonal shape, highlighting connections that were otherwise overlooked. I realised I could do take a similar approach to making the spiral tracks, using relative reference points across the surface of the paper.

The lectures in Weeks 4 and 6 made mention of designs that used shadowing and light direction as a part of the overall effect, such as the ‘To and Fro Table’ and the ‘Speed of Light Walk’ in Edinborough. This gave me the inspiration for my own design – using light direction as part of the design. Another idea came from the video of Rob Ley & Joshua Stein’s ‘Reef’ artwork, where I became inspired to make an object that moved. Initially the idea was to have an automated movement, but considering the materials and time restrictions I decided that a hand-operated movement was more realistic.

I now have a design that I feel has upheld the shapes and patterns created by reflection as discovered in the ideation process. It has also been allowed to expand through the digitization process and take on forms I had not yet conceived. I also feel it is aesthetically pleasing with an interesting function that can all be related back to the natural process of reflection (no pun intended).