Learning SketchUP for redesign and Arts Bridge

I have only recently discovered this free 3d modeling software from google. B.max suggested that it would be a perfect tool for our Arts Bridge kids. It will be a lot easier to create mock ups for their industrial designs using SketchUp rather than Illustrator. Plus it’s free!

So for my recent assignment in UCLAx Exhibit design class I will be using SketchUp to redesign the Westwood magazine stand. I figure I should learn the program before I start teaching it. I have been using this tutorial.

The assignment overview: consider the environment for a commercial transaction and product display considering all aspects of the experience from both the merchant and the buyers perspective. While the magazine stand in Westwood is famous for being featured in many films and student projects, it could stand a redesign. I took a walk into Westwood this rainy weekend to talk to the merchant at the stand. Some problems that he has run into include the height of the shelves, rain leakage around the counter, and visibility to reduce theft. One particularly unique aspect of this existing design is the tree in the center of it all. I hope to keep the tree and make it a more visible part of the structure. My working objective for the stand: Create a more inviting space for the average pedestrian and handicapped person while maintaining its traditional character and appeal. In carrying out my objective I am planning to include spot lights for reading, heaters, mats to reduce slipping and to create a comfortable surface to stand on, coffee cup holders, bag and coat hooks, install a bar for people to lean on while reading, mobile shelving units for easy storage, theft mirrors for the merchant, pull down shelves for shorter people, and clear signs for the various themed sections of the stand. I am sure there will be more to come. How I will go about designing all these amenities using SketchUp? It just seems so clunky and un-evolved compared to illustrator, given SketchUp has a completely different function.

Too creepy you say?

This image turned out to be a lot creepier than I originally intended. It is for my communication 154 assignment for next week where we are using images to communicate the news on our date of birth. I used my huge light box to create a physical photo montage using cutout paper and red yarn. The red yarn is placenta surrounding a new born transitioning to create a collision with a helicopter and finally forming a hurricane at the bottom(which I have been told looks more like a vagina than a hurricane). It represents the stages of life: birth, near death, and death(the hurricane caused 94 deaths from flooding). Either way the concept fulfills the assignment. Creepy? Yeah

A Little Self Absorbed

The most recent assignment for my UCLAx exhibit design class was sure tough. The assignment was to find three projects, ideas, objects that define me and create an event or exhibit that incorporates these objects. I was having such a hard time. I took a walk down memory lane and reviewed past assignments I have put my heart and soul into. But looking back on all these projects, I realize that they will always remain within the time they were created. While they are a reflection of a lot of hard work no one project defines who I am. So I looked around my room and thought about what I use most often. A list of three objects, of which I use daily, evolved from a series of photographs I snapped of my room.  Here is the photograph of my room and the description of the objects.

As described on the link above, I want to create an Auction where I sell all of my net worth. I pretty much want to get rid of everything I own. This is the next step of the assignment. I created an event to showcase these objects. The description and images of the live and silent auction can be found here.

It seems that most of my assignments have been pretty self involved. For Communication Design I have completed the first phase of a three part assignment where I will create a map of events that occurred on my birthday. There will be a local, national, and global map to showcase all of the newsworthy happenings. So far I have completed the national map. There was such a wealth of information. I broke down the national news into time zone categories. Four columns for the four time zones in the US start from the top of the page. If specific locations are found in the article, then longitude and latitude coordinates are placed with dots on the map. All of the more general information is placed in the outlying area of the map. The text follows the natural grid of the longitude and latitude lines. To show the time zones I created for clocks. The west coast starts at 8am, (when I was born), and the rest of the clocks show the time when I was born in the other time zones. Now if this description is a little messy, I hope my info graphic will clear it up. So check it out and leave me feedback. Is it readable, cohesive, personal or is it too business and clinical looking.

Rise…and Shine?

Up at 6, in the car by 7, and teaching by 8am. Was I ready? As the 7th and 8th graders filled the mac computer lab my first thought was, “I was never that short!” Mr Dohn was uploading illustrator on all the computers through the network. It was a relief not to have to use word as initially expected and dreaded. The class settled down and I projected my voice (or tried to). I asked who was interested in graphic design/ illustrator and 3 of 30 students shyly raised their hands. They had this look of questioning “who the, what the, and why is she here?” All I could think was that there a smudge of breakfast left on the corner of my mouth. Oh no now I am supposed to teach.

I reviewed terms and definitions on the white board. They could tell I was nervous. I then asked the students to sign onto a web page I created for them last night. The web address was so long that it took us five minutes and as expected they all had trouble finding the ~ what is that called again? Squiggle it is. So if you know anything about design you will probably scoff at the line where we ask them to use Arial, but after all, how were we supposed to know what fonts they had. Anyway, the website was so helpful. All the info was easily available for them and this way we avoided having to google image search (that could be dangerous).

I never expected that it would be so difficult to teach illustrator. What I didn’t account for was the simple shortcuts and functions that I naturally do after 4 years with the program. In this situation, it is so important to have patience with yourself and with the students. Some of them were getting frustrated and overwhelmed while others were creating really nice pieces of graphic design. If only I had a few more hours, those kids would be designing books with beautiful typographic treatments. That is if they learned not to stretch type.

Teaching today was a great experience. The time went by so quickly. My attention and focus was on the students and their growth. I was so consumed by their work that my worries about my own projects and future as a designer, (which has become a daily concern), were not bringing me down. I was entirely in the moment. It was fulfilling on so many levels.

Projecting My Timid Voice

Presenting has never been a my strength. I always rely on visuals to get me through a presentation. Words just never come easily when I am under pressure to perform. Today my visual, which was the website, became a crutch where I spoke into the computer instead of towards the class of 6. This is something to work on.
Questions to contemplate: 1. How is typography translated from standard print materials onto 3 dimensional spaces? 2. How does the material (metal, stucco, foam core), play into the typographic treatment within these spaces? 3. How does an exhibit designer create a dynamic space under curatorial, economic, and spatial restrictions. 4. How much can designers rely on the crucial elements of light and color before they have to physically change the space? Answers/Ideas?

Empathy for the museum goer is key in good exhibit design. While researching this topic I came across the elements of Universal Design. North Carolina State has produced some helpful resources for reference. Literally putting yourself in the shoes of a less able person will instill more empathetic design ideals. Perhaps we should take a trip around the Getty in wheelchairs to make sure the current exhibits are up to high UD standards. Merritt describes his colleagues struggling to maneuver around the Getty in wheelchairs. I am curious to see how much has changed apart from the now automated doors.

The Schema for Friday

Using the term schema makes the plan for Friday seem so legit. I’m considering creating a ’schema’ for everything I do. Well anyway, here is the lesson plan Brittany and I created:

Workshop Schema

Simple yet effective

Here is a very simple slide show created for my presentation on Tuesday. I will be discussing Cairns for the most recent assignment in my UCLAx class. Perhaps a cairn is a more abstract and elusive symbol than what the assignment is geared toward but it was interesting research and helpful to brush up on some html coding. A cairn is probably the most ancient symbol/means of communication. It musters up some odd associations: cavemen building Stonehenge, scouts tripping over trailblazing ‘ducks’ and Caspar David Friedrich fretting over the sublime beauty of his contrived landscapes. Complex stuff here.

Lesson Plan by Tuesday

Sunday is crunch time to come up with ideas for the week. I will be standing in front of 30 shining eyes on Friday morning and I have to admit that I am a little intimidated. Even though I have 6-7 more years of wisdom, I hear that Jr. High kids show no mercy. But I am so excited to share what I know about design. I have only recently learned some of the ideas and skills that I will be teaching…shhh don’t tell.

So the plan for this Friday is to have the class create a poster. They will be given a set of predetermined criteria which includes: 1 font family and restricted sizes, 3-5 high res photos, info graphics, and perhaps some other graphics. We have 30-45 minutes to show 30 kids how to use adobe software and create a poster. It might be a little challenging but I am so ready. I hope they will understand the most essential tools of a graphic design: the grid and hierarchy. All the elements that we give them will fall into place when they understand how to utilize these rules of graphic communication.

Just The Beginning

The first week of class came to an end I am already stressing about the work for the next 10 weeks. I have marked all the big assignments in my little red planner but writing them down has provided no comfort. I realize, (after 2 years at UCLA), that I am not the kind of person that can complete a project the night before. The looming deadline will gnaw at my insides, and haunt me throughout the day. Enrolling in design for video last quarter forced me to plan out the 10 weeks early so that I would get the final film completed in time. I surprised myself when in the end it all fell into place. Here is a very low res reproduction of my work in the class.

http://classes.design.ucla.edu/Fall07/153A/10.html

Next Tuesday I will present the first assignment for my exhibit design course at UCLA extension. Exploring the use of symbols in society. I am a little confused about how this will relate to the other assignments where we will design events and exhibits. I plan to create a website for the presentation and post it here for some feedback.