Collaborating Ideas...

Within the original set brief, we were asked to collaborate our individual research and ideas with one other; fusing our concepts and designs to create an interesting outcome. Lucy Jane Taylor (also a blogger) and myself chose to work together, not only as we share a keen work ethic!..,but also because whilst we have similar ideas and thought processes, our designs are always distinctively different to one anothers; Lucy's being more to the linear, androgynous characteristic, and my own favouring a more rounded aesthetic.

Through mapping out both of our individual ideas, we discovered there were great areas of overlap to exploit; this shows our combined ideas...

From this we quickly came to the same conclusion as to how to create our combined designs and a general outline of how our final piece would work technically; this was a flow chart we drew up as clarification:
Aware that all this technology is either only just emerging or under development, we then began to think through a way to display our final garment to the rest of the innovation group, showing all of it's elements of interactivity. It became clear that this could only be comprehendibly done by shooting a video of our garment on a model that then visually explained itself. Whilst calling on a great model myself and Lucy have both worked with previously (Emma Howl), and searching for a willing moving image photographer, we researched the styles of videos that we felt would work best in conjunction with our design. These are a few of our favourites that we came across...

All of these videos from the SHOWstudio website have a certain element we would like to consider for our own piece. The clarity of the interaction, shown in the final one, with the movement and the surroundings is an integral part that must be shown in ours. The pedestrian choreography featured in Ruth Hogben's video is perhaps something that would suit our production; as well as the fading/merging effect, of layered images utilised in the 'Clown' video, that would work well within our projection on to the garment...

Hidden Horoscope Newspaper...

The Hidden Horoscope Newspaper aims to bring the mystery and surprise element back to horoscopes as they have become predictable to say the least; however it is the use of thermochromic ink that intrigues me. This particular development of ink seemingly disappears when subject to heat, most likely to happen when touched; and hence reveals the only words that are in normal ink.

I would love to experiment with patterns utilising this technique; I envisage a repeat pattern that when against heat reveals a further pattern within it using the resulting negative space.

Pixelography

Designed as a rapid response printing tool, the Pixelroller prints pixels (text image) to create imagery or text on a great range of surfaces. This is a particularly interesting piece as it goes along way to lifting the limitations burdening printing currently. For example conventional printing requires being bound to certain location, output method and process; however the 'handheld' pixelroller can be movable as well as allowing the user to engage with the medium to some degree.

Pixelography using the LightRoller differs slightly, in that it is the first permanent print produced on to photographic paper whilst in a dark chamber. Its charm is in the unpredictable element of its results as the image only reveals itself once developed after being created in total darkness.

I love the effect of the LightRoller, with the grainy lines and panelled type portrait as a result of the rollers movement. This process had me thinking about my design method...if the facilities were available to me I could play with designing shape and form using the photographic development method leaving me in a sense blind to the result until it reveals itself;....or without this facility maybe I could simply experiment with designing 'blind', in total darkness and relate the images and shapes I produce on to the body...

The following video demonstrates the relating method developed in the 'Temporary Printing Machine III'; using light reactive paint, the 'printer' exposes text or imagery momentarily as it runs over the surface, to then disappear again after a minute. This allows innumberable images etc to be printed on to the surface. I especially like the pattern images, and wonder if there is any pheasable way to translate this process to garments or fabric. I imagine a garment that has ever-changing patterns and prints that come and go; perhaps with development even sensoring surrounding patterns and prints and imitating them temporarily...

Sunlight Table

Whilst browsing the 'rAndomInternational' website I came across this Sunlight Table that emits light and shade through optical fibres creating a grid on the table's surface from another input grid places on the window. This is then sensitive to moments of shade, rustling leaves outside and passing birds etc.

I like the notion of bringing something outside in, in order to create an environment that has a sense of ambient interaction. In turn, I could imagine this being translated in to my work as a way to represent the environment upon your own body by emitting a reflection of your current surroundings, or perhaps a delayed reaction that informs of where you have previously been.

In a similar way, this 'Talking Light' piece detects movement, measures it and then transforms it into light; projecting your reflection; and therefore inducing the similar patterns of behaviour that the many pieces at 'Decode' encouraged, particularly 'Body Paint'.

Morse is a Water Light Installation that is being developed to essentially display digital images and text through the use of coloured water and air in a tube. A single pump sends morse code in impulses with the water.

Fibre Optics; Projection; Holography...

Definitions;
Fibre Optics:
'transmission of light signals via glass or plastic fibres.'

Projection:
'a prediction made by extrapolating from past observations.'
'a structure that branches from a central support.'
'any solid convex shape that juts out from something.'
'a defense mechanism; attributing your own traits and emotions to someone else.'
'the representation of a figure or a solid on a plane as it would look from a particular direction.'

Hologram:
'the intermediate photograph'
'the technique that allows light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that it appears as if the object is in the same position relative to the recording medium as it was when recorded.'

Golan Levin and Daniel Rozin quotes...

Golan Levin:
"I am ineterested in the 'medium of response', and in the conditions that enable people to experience 'flow'..."

"In this regard I have found inspiration in...the research of cognitive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi."

-What do digital technologies allow you to do or investigate that other design tools do not?
"I can create 'behaviour'."

"...'creative flow' - that magic state between boredom and frustration..."

"...provocative works that hint at 'the uncanny'..."

"...these are opposite forces, and Im comfortable with that."

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience' outlines the theory that people are most happy when in a state of 'flow'; a state of concentration or total absorption with the activity or situation. - Intrinsic motivation.

Daniel Rozin:
"...to design an object and infuse it with behaviours..."

"I like to harness the warmth, intuitiveness and tactile nature of physical objects and couple them with the flexibility and kinetic aspects of digital computation."

"...I think...the human likeness are the most compelling subject for visual art."

"i think that in the not-so-distant future we will develop an expectation from any material and object to be smart and responsive."

Subtraction Cutting.

Julian Roberts has developed an innovative method of pattern cutting in which you work with the negative image to construct the garment rather than making pieces to put together; you develop the piece from the inside out, with the hollow space within the garment that the body shall occupy. Despite being slightly difficult to get you head around to begin with, once you have mastered the technique it presents a great opportunity to play with chance and improvisation; producing individual creations everytime that represent the figure in various ways.

During Wednesdays studio time at Uni, the group which had been divided in to pairs for the task, each made a fully lined half scale dress between them using this new method.

To complete the process, you must have both pattern pieces for the front and back bodice, and the 'tunnel' pattern piece; and a rectangular sack of fabric (sewn together down 3 of 4 edges); from which you cut the positioned pieces out of the top layer.

I really found this new approach to pattern cutting very exciting as it was unclear how your garment would turn out right until the end of the process and it required an element of foresight in the play with improvisation. I would love to experiment further with Roberts' method, and could see the technique working well within my designs for this project.

This recording sees the digital design responding to the viewers voice and vibrations as he taps on the microphone, creating a synthesis between the sound and the visual.....This inevitably lead me to thinking about sound sensitive garments...that could perhaps respond to your audible surroundings and emit correlating light or colour...

Mehmet Akten's 'Body Paint' design is a prime example of how the interactivity invloved with these works induces various personal responses and behaviours; made especially prominant when performed in the typically calm, quiet surroundings of a gallery... The immersive installation echoes your movement with vivid colour splashes, encouraging you to dance frantically infront of the screen (forgetting those on the opposite side of the screen can only see your 'choreography'...). This makes for a very entertaining piece, as well as being an inspiration to my work...is it possible to reflect your surroundings (peoples movement, wind resistance, light etc) through a similar method of sensors and colour on fabric?...

The Videogrid created by Ross Phillips was perhaps my favourite of all the pieces on an interactive level as it promoted the most in a behavioural response, which was increasingly becoming the most fascinating element to the exhibition. Not only did the grid formation create an interesting visual board to the viewer, with each short capture being just the perfect stunted length; but it initiated interaction with the work as well as within your participating group. Perhaps my design collection could work together to tell some form of narrative or respond to eachother using sensors to detect and 'communicate' with the other...

James Frost created this video for Radiohead in 2008 (Interactive version by Aaron Koblin), and has worked with many other artists such as Coldplay and Stereophonics, as well as brands like The Gap. This one in particular uses 3D mapping technology; a scanner with 64 lasers in place of a video camera, producing an image from the detected contours. The interactive version showing at the V&A allows you to touch the screen in order to alter the perspective, controlling the angles from which the viewer watches the video.

Perhaps this could tranlate into my own designs through the use of holograms in the fabric, creating an ever changing perspective of the particular image depending on your positioning to the wearer...

V&A; Decode: Digital Design Sensations

With an air of spontaneity, Tuesday saw myself and three others (following the same brief) go on a visit to the V&A in order to experience the Decode digital design exhibition, in the hope that it would provide inspiration and get the ideas flowing. Unlike most art exhibitions, this white-walled gallery room was filled with interactivity; works that create a reciprocol relationship between itself and the viewer, responding to your presence and gesture. "The pieces are immersive and the lines between design, interaction, play and performance are deliberately blurred", (V&A, Gallery Guide). The integral element of play and performance within these works is something that I found particularly intriguing; and more specifically how they encouraged behaviour from the viewer.



These were some of my favourite digital designs that have presented me with essential inspiration...

My Initial Response

After having been briefed that morning, my inititial research splurge took the direction of language through alternative means: braille, morse code and sequence signalling more generally. I was intrigued by the thought of vibrations, repetition or sequencing/formations informing my designs. Following my usual research ethic I searched for the dictionary definitions of key words such as sequence; (a melodic phrase; developed related shots; recurrent pattern; coding sequence; succession), as well as communication; (the activity of conveying information; a connection allowing access between persons or places). This opened my mind further to the other potential ways in which sequencing and coding could be implied in my work. More importantly it inspired me to think about how the environment and surroundings (including personal interaction) could affect or influence my garments in some way.

The Briefing...Innovative thinking.

Under the module title of Innovation Design, my brief offered me an initial starting point of looking at communication and language; interpreted in various forms such as interaction through touch, sound, movement and speech. Inevitably my design process should take on a directional, forward-thinking approach, that comprises innovation in my designs as well as cutting techniques and fabric choices.
Closely linked with innovative design, Process Art shall be integral to my thinking as a reference to the methodology of placing greater emphasis on the journey and process of creation rather than the final result.

Despite having used blogs as a reference within my research on various subjects for a long time, I have only just created my own after being set a project for the next few weeks where this shall take on the form of my live sketchbook; bringing together all of my thoughts, research, experimentation and creative outcomes.

(I am currently studying Fashion Design in my second year at Birmingham City University.)