Light up The Edge Iteration session

Prep

Have computers available with Adobe Illustrator/Corel Draw on them

Pencils and paper

Chips

Table and chairs

The Plan

Nathen's initial plan:

The plan is for everyone to design the pattern / design of their light cube. We've agreed on making a series of Tangram like lamps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangram) that can be stacked up on top of each other. Essentially a bunch of cubes that are easily movable and can be stacked in any order. I'd like to get everyone to choose their shape (either a triangle or cube) and then decide on the acrylic they'd like to use.

The plan for each of the cubes/triangles is either one of two designs 1) a simple shape using interesting materials 2) a simple shape using clear acrylic to sandwich the unique design to create a “stained glass” window. By the end of the evening we should know exactly what material to order and how much.

Nathen Street's workshop plan: Workshop 3

1. Who are you and what is your favourite colour?

2. Review of what we’ve done over the past 2 workshops

3. Tonight: pair up to make the designs for a small cube.

There are six sides to a cube, each pair come up with three designs each for cube. Someone asked about lighting, I said it would have a white light to illuminate the cube.

4. Most of the designs can be easily cut out using vinyl

Work to do:

Scan the images made tonight into Illustrator and clean them up

Decide on the size of each cube - 80mm x 80mm x 80mm

Come up with a design to incorporate the cubes… I think I’ve decided on a kaleidoscope that uses the cubes to create the effect.

Take the printer to The Edge

Design kaleidoscope

Nathen Street's workshop plan: Workshop 4

1. Welcome to Country

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. I extend my respect to the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who are present today.

2. Who is everyone?

What is your name and what is your favourite dessert?

3. The design process: ideation, iteration, observe, iterate etc

This workshop has been the design process in action, how we solve problems, how we think about problems and how exploring ideas we can move our thinking towards an outcome by building on the learning of each experiment before the last. To finesse the idea until it's something that we like, makes you feel something, .. There are so many reasons why you stop working on the idea and present it to the world.

4. What are we doing today?

- I've been thinking how to incorporate the boxes into a design, and since I've been doing a lot of research on light and reflection lately I thought we could use them to drive a kaleidoscope. I have with me today a prototype three mirrored kaleidoscope with an open end. Through the open end is where we'll place your box designs, for which they will rotate and drive the movement. We'll also use the LED lights that we will program to transition slowly through some of our favourite colours. These changes along with any colours you have in your box will change the way we perceive the colour. For example if the lights are Red and you have a Blue surface it will appear Black

Reflection

What actually happened was everyone was given the freedom to design a small feature box that will sit in the installation.

Why did the plan change?

The series had reached the point where so many ideas had been offered up and many strong personalities existed in the group that were willing to keep and keen to contributing ideas. The facilitating artist realised that it was time to do some culling of some ideas and go forth with what had been decided upon in the previous week's session (the tangram). The facilitating artist decided that they will work on the design of the tangram shapes and use the colours that have been offered in previous weeks by participants. In this session the focus would be on participants designing feature cubes for the installation.

There were 14 participants in this session which is the most that we have had in this series. About 5 were completely new to the process and new to The Edge space as well. Due to the large numbers the facilitating artist broke the group broke up into pairs and participants worked with pencil and paper to draw their 6 sides feature box ideas together. They also chose colours for their designs.

The facilitating artist has taken these 7-9 designs away to enter into Illustrator to then be either laser etched onto cubes or to be cut on the vinyl cutter. Participants will put together their cubes and cut out the vinyl. Basically make their contribution. Some participants have taken their designs home to work on them in illustrator themselves.

Evaluation

Pre

14 participants signed up online

Community Development

28% are not sure if they feel connected to The Edge

42% of participants it will be there first time to The Edge

64% came to the design session as they are interested in design.

Post:

3 people completed the survey

Community Development

Do you feel connected to The Edge community?

66% probably not connected

33% very much so

Cultural participation

Did you feel engaged by the session?

66% somewhat yes

Community Development

Did you have a conversation with someone new?

100% somewhat yes

Accessing Resources

33% very much felt that the session was inclusive

33% somewhat yes

33% not sure

Idea building

33% somewhat had new ideas

33% Very much so

33% probably not

Comments

I feel that there was a disconnection between the penultimate session and the last one due to a change in what Nathan the Designer envisioned as the final display. This left me and other attendees having to change completely our own designs to fit in with the new final product. I got the sense a couple of attendees felt a little frustrated with having to redesign their elements.

A disappointingly lack lustre session. Most people left very early. There was no making and the design component was self guided aside from general direction toward sunset colours. It could have been improved by a demonstration of the process of making one of the planned cubes through Illustrator and laser cutter and seeing a prototype. Also by a discussion/ brainstorm of how the cubes will be arranged together to make a cohesive sculpture. I appreciate it is a free event but would have asked for my money back had I paid.

Photos