Random players

An interesting activity has been staged on Saturday as one aspect of the Huddersfield Light Festival. Some devices was playing a quaint and unique melody among the winds at St. Peter's Garden. What attracted me was not only the audio performance, but also the exciting methods making this.

These instruments were not played by any human control. One principle of them, someone in the town told me, was they captured the force and direction of winds and represented it with unique sound for each condition of the winds. This is brilliant because the velocity and direction varies every moment. By that reason several instruments can reveal tremendous random sounds. Of cause the sound effect was created to harmonise the audio rendering. However it feels fabulous when I realised it is played by natural forces.

This might be just one segment of the base reason of these things. Because when I when to the official website of Ray Lee, inventor of this category of instruments, it is said the cause of the sound is 'These intersecting lights trace rings above the heads of the audience, while the combined chorus of the spinning speakers creates a cohesive harmonious whole, ‘a sticky flux’ that is both uplifting and transfixing.' (Lee,2008)

No matter what made these instruments move, it was an intelligent idea. Cause random factors can always create unpredictable art works. And this is an adorable topic to explore.

Reference

Lee, R. (2008) Chorus. Retrieved from http://www.invisible-forces.com/ray%20lee%20-%20projects.htm

design makes me ... design modifies me

--- Brent Hardy-Smith

Several days since the lecture of professor Hardy-Smith, I am still not clarified about the diagram and design segments. On the other hand, there is still some trend appeared from my mind to explore more about what he mentioned even it would be a tough objective for me. Cause every time I give a trial on some invisible ability training, I could attain something valuable.

This is not the first time a creative job exhausts me. When I was in primary school, my father suggested me to learn to draw from a teacher cause I seemed to like it. I have to say it was a frustrating experience. There were about 20 kids there. After be trained to draw lines with pencils correctly for 3 days, everyone, as the teacher said, got great advance of this skill except for me. 'Don't worry,' he said, 'have a nice sleep, maybe you will get something when you wake up tomorrow.' The next day I did some practice and I swear I felt much better when drawing. But I did not acknowledge whether my skill had been developed when I went to another drawing tutorial one week later. The classroom of a junior school, used by the drawing teacher as a place to teach us had been occupied for some reason and I did not see him anymore. My feeling was complicated. It was funny because I could persuade myself that I did well just no one could tell me verbally and, meanwhile,  no one could really tell me.

Maybe a brain needs some time to transfer a learning result to instinct, I thought. But this opinion was not sure without a certain result of this experience.

So far, I had not obtain any realistic opportunities to train my design mind theoretically till I began my MA studying. Whenever an idea came out of my brain, good or bad, no artistic or aesthetic principles could be told. All I could say was, it looks more satisfying that way. For me interpreting my decent minds and catastrophic thoughts in design was like explaining how to breath. Sometimes it is disastrous when I can not represent my ideas with appropriate principles. Owing to this I tried to stay focus on the lecture last Wednesday. Conversely there was something like a solid obstacle between my perspective and the comprehension to what he said. Firstly I did not quite some points. For incidence there was a slide of 'Clear space - Inherent dynamics' with some depicted induction of several categories of layouts. I could imagine what a picture with the structure would look like but I was not able to comprehend the aims to use these ideas. Additionally the following examples were not obvious enough related to each of the methods. Actually considered for some time I might have found some clue. They may be not accurate but at least my mind is not filled with mess for this now. Maybe some of them utilised more than one method but I can just match each example to an idea by my first reaction.

At the moment I saw this picture I was thinking, what is behind the mask facing the turkey? My concentration moved out of the left margin of the picture then it moves back. Of cause it is dynamic with the lines and the mask idea.

To be honest, I am not sure the arrows are representing the concentration. But in my point of view, whenever an artist is doing a design, he or she might think about the concentration. Also the artist may starts to dispose everything by the principle with concentration more or less.

It is difficult to me to make sure which method this example matches. At the beginning I thought it looks beautiful, clean and energetic and that's all. By my perspective the method may means to put all the content to one corner of the whole page. The empty space left in the example could be a little irregular-shaped so that there would be some difficulty for me to realise what method it is accompanying.

As a matter of fact, when I saw this I just felt: nice drawing and great idea and I did not thought about anything about structure. It may be arranging main point on one edge as well. However I also think the content is disposed to every part equally.

The stagger hands staggering in the bigger one looks nice. Not much evidence is required for me to acknowledge which method is used in this example.

It feels jubilant when found out some reasonable clue from something used to be totally not understandable. Every time I see some high-level work, a frightening sense comes out of my mind. The distance between the capability of the masters and I made me feel a little anxious that it may even impossible for me even understanding their thoughts. But sometimes I also feel enthusiastic to have an opportunity to think with risks that it may not give any answer for long time. The particular benefit from this action for me, by my experience, is to develop my mind directly or indirectly, even when my brain reacts slowly. The difficult things modify me. It is nice to get the advance without compulsive examinations.

--- Brent Hardy-Smith

The journey to Thought Bubble

Festival image of Thought Bubble this year by Alice Duke

Last weekend an adorable comic festival Thought Bubble has been come off in Leeds. This implies I would not miss the opportunity without any doubt.

It was a chilling day and conversely many contriving artists are holding large enthusiasm enough to fight the climate. Of cause, it was fortunate not rainy that day.

Some professional film object makers are there. Some stage items showed there are incredible.

One artist there had been making up for actors in films and television programs for years. He also used to be a competitor in the television activity Face off. Unfortunately I forgot his name however his work is definitely fabulous.

I had a great chat with Dave Taylor, awarded best selling by New York Times for one of his batman work. He has been worked for DC comic for flexibly 18 years and used to do some art works in a batman film before. I can not agree more about some words he told me that once something seems go destructing does not mean to give up cause some chance would be brought to make the situation even better.

Nicolas Gurewitch's work For Baskins

I also talked to Nicolas Gurewitch for a while. He is such a funny man that can bee discovered from his comic works. He is good at some unexpected story telling ways that giving humor to the comic pictures.

Reference

Gurewitch, N. (2008) For Baskins. Retrieved from http://pbfcomics.com/256/

Thought Bubble (2013) Dave Taylor. Retrieved from http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/portfolio/detail/dave-taylor/

Icon of the toilet on poster

To give minds to design about public toilets and lavatories, our group concentrates on three main segments: hygiene, baby caring and handicapped using. Mohamad designed a beautiful poster with light colour with simple elements that is suitable as a research poster. Owing to the poster style that is a simple and abstract one, the main symbol shall not ruin the whole circumstance on the poster. Hence the plan is to reveal the methods with simple elements as simple as they can be.

To show our minds about parents with babies, there was disposed a baby symbol surrounded by a shape looks like a Moses basket. There used to be only a baby inlaying on the back of the water box. Joanna recommended me this nice idea to put the baby to the other side in the space among the cover and the water box and Jackie suggested another nice idea to dispose a Moses basket to make it more harmonic. The baby, by my perspective, had better not be obstructed by the Moses basket icon by the reason that if the shape of the baby's body is not visible, it can not represent a baby any more as a simple pattern like this.

The syringe at the edge of the toilet cover is there as representation of the hygiene consideration. Many infection risk congregates on the covering circle so that it is the significant aspect about this category of ideas.

I dispose the wheel representing the handicapped in the room that the shape of the toilet substrate
makes cause I consider it to be a perfect spot with aesthetic consideration. It provides some balance to the whole icon and a round element, I think, can make the whole picture more pretty.

This is not the final plan for this. Maybe some more interesting idea would appear these days. Additionally, I would make come change however I may not intend to make the pattern more complicated cause the idea I want to represent is to show the thoughts as simply as we can.

New Process of project

Been inspired these days, the next step ought to give a trial to combine them in the practice project.

Firstly some interesting components from Leonardo Da Vinci's illustration are obtained. To be honest, acknowledging his legendary life story according to some of his writing with old-fashioned language in the induction of the book about his invention is quite a torture for me and meanwhile it is quite important. After that, many fabulous of his sketch provides me much in artificial field.

There would be an airship appearing in my short animation that is relevant to a key part of the whole story. I got some adorable elements to think about what this airship could be from Da Vinci's sketch. Also, a giant crossbow that he designed supplied me about making a bridge.

Another interesting thing is I observed some beautiful braces with Victorian style when I was watching Downton Abbey. This makes me feel more comprehensive about this Architectural genre. Anyway, I would still try to mix it with some Gothic elements as I did before.

Thirdly, I tested three of the main characters in the project about animation. As a matter of fact, I do bad in making 3D characters walking so that I began with other motions.

The motion of Chubbpa and Reddle both goes fine however Greedreg's wheel did not rotate in the rendered animation whilst it went normally in software scene.

I consulted J, a professor of our school and an expert in 3D software about this problem and some other issue confusing me that is to say making animations of a character using scissors and walking animations. He introduced me some fantastical tools in 3D max and interpreted me some principle the of the soft working. He was nice promising to give me a CD with lots valuable turtorials about character animation.

This week is filled with precious and predicting more challenge in the future months.

A weekend of inspiration

Last Saturday I paid an exciting visit to the fantastical activity of Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) 2013 staged at National Media Museum which impressed me profoundly.

I went there with Jinny who was holding the passion not less than I was. Fortuitously, there was a celebration about to light up the city preparing for Christmas. Hence we luckily enjoyed the jubilant atmosphere and beautiful fireworks during the evening the interval of BAF. Unfortunately, the time I went there has missing the most wonderful parts. This festival lasts 5 days meanwhile we went there on the last day on Saturday. Additionally, I missed Adam Elliot's Lecture on the afternoon. They also invited a lot of artists and famous animator on the passed days that missed by us.

However, I have obtained something quite valuable on the day I was there.

Picture of Mary and Max from Film School Rejects

Firstly, we watched the clay-mation Mary and Max which played in the site of BAF as a cinema film. Despite it is not a fresh work, this is the first time I watch it. To be honest, there were 20 percent words in it that I don't understand, such as the disease Max got which seemed to be serious cause most audiences sounded with much sympathy when they know it. On the contrary, this masterpiece affects me deeply as well. Except for the delicate rendering of its vision, colour and characters, this specific story is a worm tale with a talented way to be narrated. Elliot is, without any doubt, a genius of telling stories with animation. This animation can be perceived as a comedy for the numerous humorous elements inside. Meanwhile some events in the film are wounding and tragic. The main characters are less fortunate than most people. They live in some unique ways that make people laugh and for some sad reasons. It can be said this is a complicated and simple legend about two strong and poor people who are both close and far from each other.

After Mary and max, another short clay-mation Uncle also made by Elliot in 1996 was played. With similar style, it demonstrates a story about a quaint man's insipid and special life. By my perspective, Elliot is an expert to extract interesting and impressing elements from mortal people and life. This endowment can be observed scene from this early work.

After this two fantastic films, we enjoyed some fireworks on the evening. Then a fantastic awards ceremony was proceeded from 7:30. To be honest, there is one thing which is disappointing that the awards winners could not be there that night. In spite of this, I have watched and acknowledged numerous fabulous art works, made by students or professional masters.

MISS TODD - Trailer from Michele Chiappa on Vimeo.

It is hard to believe the animation Miss Todd is made by students. The crafting scenes and manual frames of characters are extremely adorable. Occasionally, the style that 2D characters rendered as pieces of papers in a environment with other vision is what I am planning to show in my animation project. Although it was not the winner of Students Animation competition that day, I am definitely fond of it.

Carl et les hommes-boîtes - Autour du lac from Carl Roosens on Vimeo.

As a matter of  fact, I do not clearly get the meaning of this song and the particular music video Autor du lac. On the other hand, this work attracted me drastically. The symbols and melody felt chaotic gave me special consciousness. I can not figure the reason but I like it.

Drunker Than a Skunk - Trailer from Bill Plympton on Vimeo.

This short short shows some rendering of the sketching style. Even its story has no relation to that of my project, the visual revealing can give me some preview of mine. Although I made the main characters 3D, I would like to make them shown in 3D style.

To sum up, there is absolutely not limit words can describe what I have obtained during this festival. It is like I have located some treasure on my map. All I need to do is to choose an appropriate ship and navigate it to the treasure.

Reference

Elliot, A. (Producer). (1996) Uncle. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcVEyZX8zJg

Marsili, N. & Roosens, C. (Producer). (2013). Autour du lac. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/58874938

Miller, N. (Producer). (2008) Adam Eliot’s ‘Mary and Max’ to Open Sundance 2009. Retrieved from http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/adam-eliots-mary-and-max-to-open-sundance-2009.php

Plympton, B. (Producer). (2013) Drunker Than a Skunk - Trailer. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/60768146

Yee, K. (Director). (2013) Miss Todd Trailer. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/62889356

Models as bridges to render ideas

For everyone who desires an Apple product, no matter it is an iPhone, iPad etc., as a production it can be bought and conveyed with many ways, such as buying online, through phone calls or purchasing in a commodity shop. However as we know, despite the high budget of renting a realistic shop spot, the cost of daily business outgoing for incidence electricity and decoration, and expense when employing shop workers, the high technology company Apple disposes an enormous number of expression stores for their consumers. This absolutely makes the enterprise triumph cause its competitors are imitating the strategy now. The specific idea is based on some consideration. One of them, in my point of view, is to give the customers a sample to feel the production personally. Generally speaking, they provide a model to there guests so that they can acknowledge what make them hesitating about buying or not directly.

To reveal an audience one conception or a real thing, sometimes tonnes of description or narration could not be as useful as one model. When it comes to the domain of theory and science, models are irreplaceable tools that making laborious work drastically simpler.

In his essay Visual models and new cosmology: a proposed approach via art-science collaboration, Hagen (2012) argues 'The task of designers is often to use visualisation in a way that illustrates the invisible without laying claim to being a direct representation'. By his perspective, Cosmology, as a professional subject tend to be more scientific than to be artistic, has been studied accompanying with models as broad as the cusp of human consciousness can reach. Additionally, it links the images and frames of truth and mystery profoundly(ibid). There could be no doubt how gorgeous a starry sky is. In spite of the science significance for Astronomy, the vision that stars give us is fabulous. In addition, the constellations are not only locating clue and naming evidence for scientists, but also symbols supplying basic comprehension and interest to mortals without scientific knowledge. It can be said the stars are one category of model rendering one aspect of Cosmos.

There is also an impressive model shown in this article. A principle structure of an orrery model rendered as a rollercoaster orbit that gives some random elements as the Cosmos possess, and provides the watchers some controllable segments. The track 'circulates around a series of platforms, that are themselves rotating, clockwise as well as anti-clockwise' (Hagen, 2012:45). And the platform, revealing post-Newtonian components of universe, is an observable model as well. Additionally, at the utmost outside edge of the system are distributing some self-rotating mirrors, as well as on the vehicles moving through the track.

In spite of the function of this model which is more about science than about art revealing, the method representing information through this system also gives some dramatic ideas, especially when comparing methods of films and video games. 'A film or a video game is dependent on editing and cross cutting to shift between different points of view'. Hagen (2012) claims, 'This proposed installation references the basic scheme of a cinematic language, but can in corporate several points of view'. Whilst watching a film, there might be various kinds of camera languages to represent a drama or an idea. However the information one film can tell is limit. Nothing about the subjective vision and audio would change no matter how many times it is watched. About this model mentioned above, to consider the vehicle on the track as a camera, it would be unpredictable what can be observed by it. Every mirror can rotate to a random angle that showing one part of the whole system it reflecting directly, or from a reflection of another mirror. As Hagen describes, 'So the structure represents some principle or idea of what a post-Newtonian model could be, in a poetic sense' (ibid).

The science principles might be puzzling and far away from many artists' comprehension capacity including mine. Contrarily, in a critical context, this essay also supplies extremely inspiring ideas about rendering artistic ideas. It would be a wonderful idea to give an art representation with a system involving some random possibilities. Some work or arts do not have to be immobile, there could be something interior not able to be observed once for all. In addition, some elements could show effects that not thought of before just like some composition of fireworks. There would also be drastically quaint representation when the minds goes out 'limit tracks'.

Reference

Hagen, O. (2012) Visual models and new cosmology: a proposed approach via art-science collaboration, Making visible the invisible: Art, design and science in data visualisation, University of Huddersfield.

Self-cleaning Toilets

It can not be emphasised more how important the public toilets are. People even become anxious sometimes when one lav is not easy to be found out or the employing of it needs waiting. However, some concerns may appear whilst using them. Our group, the Digital Media group, is staying focus on some problems about this recently. This paper would concentrate on some problems this category of public facilities may bring, and give some examples that dealing with these issues in various methods.

First of all, there may be some hygienic risk. Whenever one user begin to employ a toilet, there could not be any clue the last user could be. If it was someone drunk, any weird incident may had happened. Additionally, even if it was someone in normal state just had used the same device, it could never get any evidence how the specific toilet was used. Something that no one would like to connect on skin would be left there, intensively or not. 

Secondly, some negative effect about health may embody to any user, especially to female users. This evening, some member of our group discussed much about this segment. An essay written by Cencil (2013), brought by Milka, claims of 145 responses of women to the SDMB poll, 83 percent said they’d sit on a public toilet seat without any paper covering (presumably after wiping it where needed). Only seven percent reported they would use a paper cover or toilet tissue, seven percent might hover depending on circumstances, and only three percent hovered consistently'. It is obvious that women have much more chances to contact the public toilet directly than men do. Consequently, the risk hiding in there public and social life could be more serious. Tremendous numbers of bacteria would be transferred from one to another. This would be a catastrophe for one with low defensive ability. In addition, the venture to get infection can not be avoided.

Thirdly, the enormous tonnes of water used to clean public toilet is threatening the natural resource. Even the importance of conservation about ecosystem is realised more and more, the huge requiring of public lavs is not getting less. Owing to this situation, desire of eco-friendly toilets begins to appear.

Thought about these problems, some solutions are recommended. Our group found out some ideas, simple or quaint, to deal with the issues above.

This category in Korea, introduced by Mohamad can separate any user from the bacteria left on it. Although not automatic, it can make the cover of it always clean with little cost which is just some thin rubber bags. with this simple idea, much risk of get infected has been dealt with.

Mohamad also reveals another solute. This device can clean itself after one user moves out. This process can fulfill without being touched by anyone. Additionally, it can give some warmth to the cover that makes another user feel more satisfying.

This toilet does the same job, with less space no more than a normal one at present. It does not need much time to make the cover clean. The only concern is to clean the brush frequently.

Compared the three kinds of new toilets, the most practical one, from my perspective, is the first one with a plastic layer outside. This is because the other two spends much time on cleaning. This would make some trouble when there is high requiring of use. What's more, they also consume more water whilst cleaning. Considering about the wicked problems, the first one can be the cusp of the best solutes.

Reference

Cencil, A. (2013). Do 98% of women hover over public toilet seats?. Retrieved from http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3087/do-98-of-women-hover-over-public-toilet-seats

Anonymous. (2010). Automatic self cleaning public toilet. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us5MMi_rguA

Anonymous. (2010). Coolest toilet ever!. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW8TAIj9KVU

Anonymous. (2006). The coolest toilet in the world. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3KQ89tP5hI

Messages without a language

For many stories or dramas, most usual ways to reveal a story or a character are dialogues, narrating and visual texts. One film, programme or play can become more classical if there is one sentence shocking the spirits.

Picture of Scent of a Woman From The film freak of NZ

'... But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is... no prosthetic for that. '

- The film Scent of a Woman (1992)

Despite the attractive contribution the words can give to a story, there are also numerous of amazing films, plays, or part of them that without any dialogues, or singing. 

Poster of The Gold Rush from Spectacular Attractions

Many silent films were performed with sparse dialogues showed by texts on the screen which could consume much time of the film to make audiences feel bored if there were more. This was definitely restricted by the technology in that age. Contrarily, many attention could be captured simply by the movement and visual revealing. This even make fantastic effect to contemporary watchers.

In my practice project, the animation Quenching Blue, one idea I would like to embody is to implement the messages in it without any language. There are two relative considerations. One is about the time arranging. It is quite a simple play. However, it would be drastic time-consuming if I project to finish most work alone. Face moving and speaking animation is never what I am good at. This complex job may cost more time to me than others. The other concern is giving the characters dialogues would bring some complicated work of finding voice suppliers ( for seven main characters).

Picture of Machinarium from its Official Website

As a simple story, dialogues can be less necessary to complement the revealing. About this, the fabulous tiny video game Machinarium definitely inspired me a lot. It can not be denied how this impressive work effects me for every aspect. One peculiarity of it is there is no one word spoken by any character inside. However everyone playing can understand the meaning of them. Of cause, there are some numbers and English characters in some puzzles. Meanwhile they did not ruin any ambiance of the whole game.

What I am planning to give my small work is a style like this. Furthermore, a trail will be embodied that no text would appear in this animation except for titles at beginning and ending.

For this shot, I wanted to show an attitude of the factory that 'ancient robots are expired'. It was not easy for me to give a symbol to render this meaning. Consequently I could just show an alternative meaning which was 'ancient robots can never come back into this factory'. It can be observed this plan is quite a challenge for me. On the other hand, every challenge is an opportunity to improve myself. It can be believed that every puzzle can be dealt with work and to discuss with friends, professors and my tutor.

Reference

Amanita Design. (2009). Machinarium. Retrieved from http://machinarium.net/demo/

Brest, M. (Director), (1992), Scent of a Woman [Motion Picture]. USA: City Light Films.

North, D. (2009, December 31). Picture of the Week #10: The Gold Rush. [Web blog post]. Retrieved from http://drnorth.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/picture-of-the-week-10-the-gold-rush/

The Film Freak of NZ (2012, March 22). Scent of a Woman. [Web blog post]. Retrieved from http://nzfilmfreak.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/scent-of-a-woman/

Making Data Concrete

Probably eight years ago when I was in high school, there was a statement which impressed me drastically. The opinion was involved in some words from a TV program. The general idea was it ought to be impossible to create a solar system model in a realistic proportion by the reason whilst to put a model of the Sun as the same size to a basket ball at the core of a football centre, the earth, in this condition, would be a tiny ball kilometres away from the sports centre with the size smaller than a pea. With imagination, this argument clearly declared what the distance between the Sun and our own planet was like.

Nowadays, whenever performing researching or acknowledging information from news or attaining principle data while choosing various productions in purchasing progress, it is numerous opportunities for us to contact categories of graphics. Comparing disparity between two or more subjects could be directive and obvious if there were lines, symbols or other geometric elements. observed by Nieman (2012),  to solve the problem 'We don't understand invisible objects on their own terms,' some experts convert those we can not see directly to intuitive elements. In his article Concrete vs abstract visualisation: The real world as a canvas for data visualisation, particular impressive examples is been provided to manifest a new method representing quantitative and ranged data, so called 'Concrete Visualisation'. In this essay, there are several concentrations. The first of them is about 'to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of both concrete and abstract visualisation.' (Nieman, 2012:49). Then there comes ideas showing invisible affections and quantities especially green-house gas spreading. At last a new method showing carbon dioxide emission is introduced. I am going to re-narrate this article roughly and claim some of my thought.

Many sophisticated data have been rendered to lots of people, concept as 'Abstract Visualisation', are represented as 2D or 3D icons to compare different quantities. This category of visual rendering, Nieman states (2012), may eschews substantial truth related to the chart from the audiences and make the viewers to other various professional ways to make the quantities reasonable. This idea can give simple and directive graph for viewers. For those experts searching for data without complicated decoration, the abstract visualisation is a favorite choice. On the contrary, this 'parsimonious' way, as Nieman describes, is harder to read than concrete charts owing to it 'require numerical engagement'(ibid). One example he gives is a short video shows the amount of global CO2 emissions with live data. This is an idea shows it directly.

As observed, this short animation gives a clear and conceptional representation. As said, the fossil-fuel-causing carbon dioxide emission per second reached 957 tonnes at average ( Nieman, 2012: 52). There might be some people concerning a question just read this data that what can 957 tonnes of carbon dioxide be. And this video above answers this: it would be capable to fill probably 7 UN buildings.

Another conception Nieman supplies is Carbon Quilt. Generally speaking, it imagines the carbon dioxide as a layer adjacent to the earth surface. Then any emission of it can be described as the thickness of it. Additionally, any proportion that one unit participated in can be rendered as a patch of this quilt. To show it as acceptable vision, there is a website can give a carbon quilt area image comparing any scale of part of Google map.

Picture from 

http://www.carbonquilt.org/mass/9_387/tonnes/co2?l=53.64320044844401,-1.7770600318908691

As we can see, the emission amount of carbon dioxide in United Kingdom annually can create a carbon quilt as an area covering 1.5 University of Huddersfield with a depth of 3.2 cm. This example is extraordinarily easy to imagine. As Nieman claims, 'Understanding Carbon Quilt concept takes a few moments of concentration, but no more than other visualisation techniques.' (2012:53)

Talked about the nice article Nieman brought, I would like to represent what I have thought of after reading it. To go back to the statement at the beginning, it is a rational analogy to make me acknowledge a might distance with my own experience. There are also tremendous aspects can use concrete visualisation methods. For incidence, to show the used recycled plastic in the whole amount in the daily life . 

Ways to render data can be recognised as bridges. With more clear and straight bridge, the transferring of minds can be drastic more efficient. It can be believed, with the developing of technology, the concrete visualisation can be used to much more segments.

Reference:

Carbon Visuals. (2011). The Carbon Quilt: Making sense of the world's carbon footprint. Retrieved from http://carbonquilt.org/gallery/videos

Carbon Visuals. (2011). The Carbon Quilt: Making sense of the world's carbon footprint. Retrieved from http://www.carbonquilt.org/mass/9_387/tonnes/co2?l=53.64320044844401,-1.7770600318908691

Nieman, A. (2012) Concrete vs abstract visualisation: The real world as a canvas for data visualisation, Making visible the invisible: Art, design and science in data visualisation, University of Huddersfield.

Thinking Myself as Another One

The direction of our group work researching in Critical Contexts has been determined. One significant aspect of it is considering disabled consumers.

There is no doubt how one is feeling if he or she could not find a toilet when it is required emergent. Thought about this condition, now let's imagine one is facing this when he or she is on a wheelchair which makes a person slower to get wherever wanted to go and fusses the user when leaving or approaching on costing much more time using any necessary facilities to move his or her own body.

This condition can inspire much to who is projecting for a design of toilet which provides more welfare for the costumes like the group I am in. Of cause, it is quite impossible to consider all segments of handicapped people when planning. On the contrary, it is important to think about as many situations as we can.

First of all, when it comes to a rush time, one can think of asking someone about the position of the nearest public toilet is or looking for a sign leading to where the specific spot is. Meanwhile if we are looking for a toilet when we can not see anything, what may be useful is a special sign. On option, in my opinion and inspired by my group mate Mohammad, can be a brick on the floor. One blind person can detect the brick leading to a toilet at the moment he or she get into the public lieu. At least this information can supply information for the time that a toilet is needed.

Secondly, it is also laborious and important to consider toilet devices for wheelchair users. Except for the items drastically needed in an cubicle, the arrangement about keeping this things is also significant. Spooner (2013), an independent consultant about product design, states that the flush handle 'should be on the open side of the cistern (not on the wall side).' This is because not everyone can use it with an agile hand. Sometimes an elbow, or even a chin would be used to do this work. 'If it is not on the open side, it will be impossible to reach from a wheelchair.' (ibid) Additionally, the shape of the toilet devices is also playing an unavoidable role. If it is possible , there can absolutely be a kind of toilet can let the user transfer his or her body easily between a wheelchair and a toilet pan. Also, the rails in a cubicle or toilet room are key tools for disabled people in many conditions. Some rails, Spooner states, 'for even the most muscular and agile of us, especially whilst sitting on the toilet with our back to it', is difficult to be lifted when it is needed to use that can cause extraordinary trouble for every user, particularly for those do not possess physical capacity as most people. (ibid)

To sum up, one of the best method to create ideas for design of public toilets, especially for people with special requirement, is to consider for them as one of them who is tortured by many inconvenience that others may not have the actual feeling for all their lives.

Reference:
Spooner,D (2013) Building Regulations in Practice – Accessible Toilets, [online] Available at: <https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=652337141477555&eid=ASvQSSk7_axOA299lneDvGdFdRfZU-ADqyE-eV7R08ZR4Juohf58LomoiaKYMc0OUiM&inline=1&ext=1384041168&hash=ASt22PtnKaMnH5tk> [Accessed 9 Nov 2013]

Shapes of Public Toilets

Last Thursday, all members of the Critical Contexts members performed a short meeting about the topic we are going to research. An interesting and unique direction was determined which means we are going to research some solution about Society-beneficial public toilets. Honestly I am never good at architecture or interior design. On the other hand, this would be a challenge that providing fresh knowledge to me as any others.

A work of designing shapes of toilets was distributed to me (Not the facility toilets, but the public toilet rooms). There were 2 matters obviously confronted: I can use a 3D software to make it simpler; also, not high qualified pictures show I make cause it can just be draft which is enough showing simple shapes about interpretation of my thoughts.

Designing a public room comes with numerous issues to consider about. One of them is to utilise space reasonably. As a public toilet, the necessary devices need to be arranged in a limit space. Additionally, make the restricted room inspiring is a job for a obliging designer. Consequently, some plans of toilet shapes roughly came out.

If a toilet room can have a square space, toilet devices should be as easy as it can be observed at the first second someone comes inside. Meanwhile, the door of a compartment would better not face the main door of the toilet. This would not be a problem if there can be double doors for the toilet room. However I had better consider about the more serious situation. In case there would be an enormous number of users, several extra compartments should be side of another wall. The washing basin should be at the place can be seen at last when some emergence have been settled.

When a public toilet can just be set in an corner, put the basins facing the main door can be a nice idea. As they do not occupy much space, the limit room beside the entrance is suitable. After that, the space left can be as efficient as possible.

Sometimes when a toilet is disposed at the end of a corridor, the shape should be arranged to adapt the shape of a building. While the corners can not be 90 degrees, it would be able to put more toilet devices owing to the space considering for opening doors for each compartment should be released more. What's more, make the shape like this intensively could give the shops near by more space.

Occasionally, toilets could be set in a specific spot with something could not be avoided like a pillar. When this happens, this annexation can be a place for some small devices like washing basins, mirrors etc.

Numerous conditions should be considered when setting up a public toilet. Despite some ideas, for incidence collecting water washed hands to flush toilets, are quite impressive, it is important to stay focus on my own duty which is to research the shape of toilet rooms firstly. On the other hand, I can give some suggestion to other members at the meetings later.

Rhetorical ways

Picture of Aristotle from Wikipedia

'The data is collected by organisations like the UN and Federal Government, by Google and Facebook, and used to provide the next-generation socially mediated services that feed data-driven organizations, reminding of Aristotle's definition of rhetoric as probabilistic assessment and articulations of the variety of the available means of persuasion.'

--Salvo M., Visual Rhetoric and Big Data: Design of Future Communication

A machine, complicated or not, might usually be composed by 3 parts. One part is to supply energy like engines. Another component is to make the whole system practicable as wheels or light bulbs. Between them, it could be any connection. Gears, wires, levers or any elements, hard or soft, plastic or metal, representing various utilisations and material states, may be able to considered as one category of existing thing: a medium.

Salvo (2012) claims that every way connecting or spreading the tremendous amount of information of present period or prognosticating future, described as 'hype machine', is diligently dedicating a new conception 'Big Data'. To be honest, his article Visual Rhetoric and Big Data: Design of Future Communication is quite a tough one for me to comprehend. On the contrary, I had some thoughts after reading this essay. Except for the interesting examples, adorable representing sentences and logical configuration, it shows the significance of assorting and organising the messy various of information everyone is confronting nowadays. ‘Representations appear in a dizzying variety of cultural artifacts...’ as he states, congregating useful information and narrating it to appropriate persons is an amazing contribution for human being.

Whenever any words or symbols need to be shown to anyone, there would be different revealing methods. For a designer or artist, most often rendering ways are colours, fonts, composing, materials and so on. These are media, bridging thoughts of art production maker to audiences. It is always important to consider how to employ appropriate material and representing ways. Even if one is going to show a cosmos, it may not be intelligent to represent every star and every planet in a paint. Furthermore, no matter how labourious one to draw a flower, it is not easy to show the aroma of it. Except any complex colourising ways, I can still recall one way a children's magazine taught me: simply draw a person smelling it.

In this specific essay, Salvo argues that 'The world(s) we inhabit are as complicated and challenging to traverse as we have always asserted, and multitudes of answers always ''depend.'' ' As a designer or an artist, it can be acknowledged that the exploring of innovated and suitable rhetoric is a challenging and adorable segment.

Reference

Salvo, M. (2012). Visual Rhetoric and Big Data: Design of Future Communication, Communication Design Quarterly, 1, 37-40.

Wikipedia. (2013). Aristotle. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle

A Rough Induction for Quenching Blue

Since starting to create an animation, various of arrangements need to be done by my own hands. Despite the stressing works, I am quite engaged to strive on making every frame and shot and exploring new ideas and methods during this progress. It can be proved that working individually is a way that I prefer. Contrarily, some group work is in my expecting as well. Not only because I am able to make friends and learn surprising things, but also owing to the requirement that cannot be avoided.

Firstly, my own ideas may be problematical. Although I am the person most familiar with the drama of the story I made, it is quite necessary to discuss some aspects with my discipline mates, friends and tutor and obtain suggestions form them. It is such particular fortune to be in a circumstance with helpful people without any commercial motivation. 

Secondly, I can never do every segment to complete the animation. It can be imagined how tough it could be. Additionally, even if I understand every software and facility to make an animation, which is definitely impossible, the quality of the final production can not be satisfying finished by exhausting work. As a matter of fact, I do not understand anything about sound making, which is a highlighted element for any animation or moving picture work. This is the first issue I can not deal with myself. It may be acceptable to use and edit some sound and music without any business copyrights in my work. However, on the first day I determined to make the animation Quenching Blue, I wished to make everything stylised and involving original work. I would learn as much as I can from steam-punk artists and other resources, that does not mean I would employ any ready-made work into my production directly.

Considering this situation, I made an induction about Quenching Blue in order to give some simple information for any future collaboration, not only of sound making, but also any extra work I would need to cooperate with others. In addition, some requiring work I had not down is fulfilled now owing to this, such as naming characters and give conceptional design for some sites. Surprisingly, doing this job advances me quite a lot about drawing skill, which is what I am not good at and always trying to develop. This induction is not completed yet. On the other hand, I would rather to complement it gradually so that I can study more and explore efficiently during it.

Chubbpa

The leading role of this story. A factory worker trying his best for his own duty and, contrarily, facing the fate of retiring and being replaced by a new type of robots. He is also working hard in order to keep his job for the reason that he has a beloved daughter.

Greedreg

An entrepreneur who played an important role in creating the town, also Chubbpa’s boss. He is a typical merchant exhausting every minute to obtain more margin. As a result he is planning to import a new category of robots with higher efficience and to sack old ones away.

Tincal

One of Chubbpa’s work mate and his best friend. He was expelled so quickly that no one had time to recognise it happened. He is now selling balloons in a park and does not want this predicament be seen by anyone, especially by Chubbpa.

Reddle

Chuppa’s daughter as the most valuable precious of her farther. She is interested in beautiful stuff and numerous senior toys that her father can not afford. However, she is never like a spoiled girl while her father has given her everything the best he can.

Tee-1

One of the new type of robot that is threatening every ancient worker’s livelihood. This fresh robot, as advertised, works efficiently as 6 times as an old worker. On the contrary, his working way has a little violent trend.

Artson

An independent artist living in the town that no one acknowledges how long he has been here. It is said he may be older than anyone in this town. He has drawn tremendous pictures about the moments he has experienced in the town.

Painter

A robot whose brain is filled with a single mind of his job: To paint the road. He considers nothing but painting lines on the road in a setted orbit. Even serious accidents can not stop him.

Quenching Blue

Built on a volcano that ejecting blue lava which is a valuable material to employ, this town is divided to 2 regions. One of them is based on a factory, which is the first spot built in the town. This region is fill with gears, chimneys and enormous numbers of industrial facilities. The other region, designed to layers of constructions, is for living. The buildings are decorated by patterns, connected by bridges and planned to be without any industrial elements .

Greedreg’s Factory

This factory, located in industrial region, is composed of 3 buildings, an extracting tower, a quenching house and a crafts workshop. The tower is constructed right above on the crater to extract the lava. Following that the blue material will be quenched in the middle house and disposed into solid parts. After that the semi-finished products will be transferred to workshop so that workers will collaborate to congregate and modify them to various products.

Beginning to make a story board!

This is not so easy for me, temporary. Without any training of drawing, there is some obstruct for me to represent my imagination and ideas appropriately. Meanwhile, this is the particular reason makes me to practice my drawing through creating a story board. The necessary amount of pictures and its jot concerning about drawing capability makes it one of my best choices to start learning and developing drawing skills.

There are tough time spans for every beginning. However, some confidence shall be possessed that I have this potential to make it qualified, as I learned 3D modelling skills before.

Summary of Bid for City of Culture presentation

Always the Best Team

It shall be a little late for doing this for I had specific tasks for passed days. However, the necessity of this conclusion can not be denied. It was extremely accidental how this team was composed. I still remember that day about 2 weeks ago when I sat beside a desk with James and Iniyan, while came the plan of cross-discipline group making, we were presented Hannah, Rock and Candy. It could be said that the 6 divers members are all talented. We decided the team name quickly of 'Team Pigeon'. What sounds funny is I did not know what kind of animal a 'pigeon' was for that while.

James is quiet with skillful painting and drawing. Sometimes he is thought to be a mystery, owing to his habit without using Facebook or other social media except unimail. We could not find him occasionally for several times. But it doesn't matter because at last he showed us his ability to make art crafts. He painted Mr Pigeon perfectly that made this mascot a star during the presentation.

Iniyan possesses impressive software capabilities and colour controlling ability. He composed our works about each aspect of the town and drawings with facts and made it a colourful magazine. Additionally he designed out team logo, quite a pretty one. He is a professional photographer as well. With a qualified camera, he took many beautiful pictures in group working, especially about Drawing Leeds.

Candy is a kind and diligent girl. Whenever she get a quest, a strong energy can be observed from her to finish what need to be done. She learned to use Photoshop when she need to do a part of the magazine. After knowing that she had to collect information about architecture in Huddersfield, she went out and interview people everywhere for 2 days.

Rock is as energetic as I am. The little disadvantage of English could not obligate him providing excellent suggestions for the team. Making magazines, both electronic and paper version, was his idea. The working experience in a design company before had made him an indispensable part of the team. Moreover, he accepts much disagreement and modifying of his work. That was sparse for a person capable as he is.

Hannah showed us her arranging ability and positive state on the first day. I recommended her to be the team leader of us. What happened after that proved this action was absolutely correct. As a fantastical captain, she possesses extraordinary knowledge that we need and meanwhile she would like to share everything she knows kindly. She thought of the ideas of making team T-shirts and giving characteristic states to a pigeon as a local resident. In addition, she accept many methods we told contradicting hers. She is definitely the best choice to work with if there would be other group project later cause she is the most brilliant one I have ever seen in her age.

I can say honestly that I did lots of work during this group as well. Without anyone of us, this presentation would not be so successful as everyone have seen. All of us have become friends in this project. What's more, it is a significant experience of creative thinking and MA studying, both individually and collaboratively.