Constructing Worlds Stage 2 cont. Scenario 5
SCENARIO 5
At night they carry lights below. Lights in 6 sided boxes with hooks on the top, as they walk they swing bop ba de bop. On the top and the front it is made of clear glass you see the light bulb as they pass. On the left side it is made of white glass to diffuse the light in their eyes as sleep laying on the grass. On the right it is made of fabric with beautiful patterns to keep bored children amused with dancing shadows on trees that escape the lantern. On the bottom there is the black case which allows you to open the lantern and replace the bulb if it breaks.
As the little child Sarah stares down below from her house high on stilts in her window. She wonders why everyone cannot be on the ground why must she be one of the ones who suffer why can’t she go down.
Her parents tell her she should not say such things, that the people who play below are fools but she can’t help but want to stop and play with them, even when her parents tell her to walk past quickly as she goes to school.
“Slowing down will make you age fast and living on the ground will too”, her parents say. “You want to stay young Sarah dear, young like we do.” Sarah on the other hand could not care less what would a 10 year old child care about looking her best. All she wanted was to have fun and play. When night time came and she saw all the children and their parents with their lanterns sway, she could not help but pout in dismay.
“One day I will have a lantern too.” Sarah said. “One day I won’t have to always feel so cold as if I were dead. I will have a lantern to swing in the night, I will lay on the grass, play and be warmed by the light. I don’t care about being younger and living in the mountains or on stilts.”
“I just want to live a life happy playing below, I don’t care how fast the time around me flows.”
Constructing Worlds Stage 2 cont. Scenario 4
SCENARIO 4
Mr. Johnson is the youngest man in town. He lives about 10 miles up in the sky, his house on stilts some people think he can fly. He is the president of the world his status matters. Thus why he is living in the highest built house ever. Others live high too some on mountains other on stilts as well.
Each mile down is a new set of people working themselves down in order of priority. We have government officials, then we have the governor, then the mayor, then the police, then the firemen. We can keep going and going and going until we reach the ground the unfortunate people who have to live really far down. Every once in a while a woad of spit hits someone on the head, from someone getting bored above they said. They don’t care they are better than you and me, Mr. Johnson makes sure everyone knows their place in society.
The farthest down Mr. Johnson ever goes is to see the governor because any lower then that he is afraid he will never get back. The real shame are the people who live below the ground that is were the criminals who were punished are now found.
Luckily, for Mr. Johnson he rarely has to leave his house, he is the president everything usually comes to him. People don’t mind either to get a glimpse at the presidents house is an honor because if you live so far below you may never get that opportunity.
Mr. Johnson’s house equipped with central lighting in the center, blue glass in the north, clear glass on the roof and south, white glass on the west, fabric on the east and an onyx foundation is what every person in the world aspires after. They want a house like the presidents house, they want to be the president. Unfortunately, that will take a really long time his house speaks of his status, his house speaks of his youth, with its height and its unique look he won’t be growing old anytime soon. The people around him can bare to look.
Constructing Worlds Stage 2 cont. Scenario 3
SCENARIO 3
Winter and his wife Emily were sitting by the fireplace, he was reading his children Marsha and David a bedtime story. Usually you would think bedtime stories would be best told in while the children were in bed, but not in this world.
In a world were houses never touch the because they are built on stilts and mountains comes the sacrifice of an everlasting cold. Air that is so frigid that it is rumored to frost even the warmest of hearts.
Winter and Emily make this sacrifice to stay young. They want to age slower and if they live high up they provide their children with the same opportunity as well also allowing them extra time to savor their children’s youth.
Their children sometimes complain about how their little toes are red or feel as if they are about to break off, but Winter and Emily know they will understand as they get older the benefits of this sacrifice they know they will thank them for it.
They understand their children are just children after all so they accommodate for them by buying a fireplace. The inhabitants of house equipped with fireplaces are considered weak in this world of cold and frost because only the most young and strong can withstand the utter cold.
Winter and Emily will not be like the others though and refuse there children warmth to find them frozen in their beds when the morn arrives. So every night at the fireplace they warm their children to sleep with the orange rays, light intensified by its beautiful 4 sided case.
Each side is different from the other, the front is clear allowing you to focus upon the rays of the light, and heats your body the fastest with direct heat. The left side is white allowing you to have diffused light and decreases the intensity of heat. The right side is made of fabric with a pattern that has openings allowing you to add things for the light to burn to keep it going. Then there is the blue side which allows you to change the color of the light in order to lesson the appearance of a fireplace in your house so your reputation can be saved.
Winter and his wife Emily don’t care what the other think and keep the fireplace turned on the clear side. They would rather not have the fireplace at all but they prefer their children alive and so each day until they can do without it, the fireplace will be lit and a story will be read until there child fall asleep and can be put in there icy beds.
Constructing Worlds Stage 2 cont. Scenario 2
SCENARIO 2
Beauty and youth go hand in hand and this world thrives on it. In this world people believe the higher you live the younger and the more beautiful you will be. People here live not on the ground but in the mountains and in the trees if they could they would each live on a leave. Instead they try to reach even higher heights and build houses on stilts.
Sandy loves life. She loves the cold air against here skin. She doesn’t know what it is like to be warm she has been cold since she was born. That is great to her and the rest of the world because the cold keeps there skin tight and in turn keeps them even younger and beautiful.
In this world no one comes down to the ground level it is strictly forbidden, but that is not needed because no one wants to go. They use bridges built connecting houses to houses and house to mountains to travel around. Most of the time though there is no one who goes outside of their house. They can’t find the time to.
Sandy just like everyone else sits in their rooms all day living on sparse diets and admiring their beauty within their elaborate spinning 4 sided mirrors.
The mirror has a bright light in the middle that highlights each side you turn it to bringing out the beauty in your face. The front side of the mirror is clear and allows you to see your face in normal size. The left side of the mirror is white an allows you to see your face magnified at 2 twice the size, great for women applying make up or a man who wanted to shave. The right side is made of white pattern fabric which allows you to pass through the mirror to change the light when it blows out or to see your whole body view in the clear front side. Lastly, you have the blue side of the mirror located on the back which allows you to see yourself however you desire. If you want to be a princess you can be, a millionaire just ask and the mirror will show you what you wish.
You are right if you guessed that most people stare into this side all day and all night in awe of what they could be but they stare so long they begin to believe that is who they are never spinning the mirror to the clear side to face reality. Sandy loves the blue side too, she loves to picture herself as a beautiful and wealthy mother. She sees herself with her riches and her husband and children by her side.
Unfortunately, for her tonight, her bulb of the exquisite mirror blew out causing her to have to spin the mirror and enter into the fabric side. As she changed the bulb she never noticed or refused to notice her real image. The frail and thin woman, the women who is now slightly hunching over. The woman who has no children, who has no husband. The face that is full of wrinkles and sagging skin. That woman does not exist, this 50 year old woman doesn’t exist. All that exist in her mind and in Sandy’s world is the woman in her 30's in the blue mirror staring at her youth and beauty into the morning light.
Constructing Worlds Stage 2 Cont. Scenario 1
SCENARIO 1
Silas is a 30 year old inventor. He loves spending his spare time tinkering with his own inventions, and daydreaming. He believes daydreaming helps to keep him young by exercising the dormant parts of his mind.
Silas has a deep interest in staying young. He is single, has no children and feels if he ever wants a chance at that he needs to keep his youth as long as possible. He is a busy inventor and has no time for those things as of yet.
Today Silas is up early flying through the skies in his latest invention He hasn’t thought of a name for it yet but if he achieves what he wants today, he won’t need to.
Ever since he was a child Silas wanted to be young forever so he never forgot the tales of the ‘House of Eternal Youth’. The House of Eternal Youth is fabled to be brightest and the highest house in the world. It has 6 sides, the top and front are made of clear glass, the west side made of creamy white opaque glass, the east side made of the fineness white fabric with a beautiful pattern fit for a queen, the back side made of semi-transparent blue glass and the bottom black onyx. Inside the house there is said to be the source of light that the world uses to see. It never stops shining so in this world there is no such thing as night.
Unlike Silas and the rest of the worlds houses, this house does not need to be built on stilts or mountains to sustain its height in the sky, it floats on a platform on its own.
The people of the world believe the farther you are from the earth the slower you will age. The House of Eternal Youth is special because you don’t have to worry about aging ever again. All your troubles will be removed, like building higher houses to be younger then your neighbors or traveling to the ground of the earth only to do things in a rush to get back home.
It seemed as if Silas had been traveling for hours or even days, he begin to wonder if maybe it was a fable after all, that was until he spotted it. It was much more beautiful than anyone could ever describe, more than he could ever daydreamed of. He landed his invention on top of the house and looked down into the beautiful light. He could feel the warmth on his body. It felt so weird uncommon to the coldness he usually felt living so high up in the mountains.
He wanted more of that warmth and decided to go inside and climbed down the ladder of the house to the front door. He couldn’t wait to open it and begin the new chapter of his life. He would be young forever, and all his problems and troubles would be gone.
There were few who wondered whatever happened to Silas the inventor who went away traveling up high in his flying contraption. The people who did think of Silas were in awe of him. They wished they could be him, they knew he had achieved eternal youth and all his troubles were gone, but they were only half right. For the day he opened the door of the House of Eternal Youth he was overwhelmed by the intensity of heat and light and was burned away to ashes never to age again, never to have troubles again, because his life came to an abrupt end.
Constructing Worlds Stage 2 continued......
So my group Team Brownies decided we would all work with the Einstein's Dreams story on page 22. Writing 5 different scenarios about our respective boxes in this environment.
Here is the synopsis of the story we choose:
1. Time flows more slowly the farther from the center of earth you are. Thus people decided to live on the mountains or built their houses on stilts to get even higher, noone lives on the ground. When the people do come down they work at an increased pace in order to get back up to the mountians quicker. There are some people who don't care and stay on the ground for days at a time, but these people are scoffed at. In the end my favorite line in this story is "At length, the populace have become thin like the air bony, old before their time." This is my favorite line because the people become what they are fighting against regardless, actually making it worst for themselves by living in the mountains. Pgs. 22-24To make sure I understood all the rules of the world I wrote down a list of what I felt was unique in this world.
Here is the list:
1. No houses can be seen in the valleys or plains.
2. Everyone lives in the mountains.
3. Time flows more slowly the farther from the center of the earth.
4. People anxious to stay young moved to the mountains.
5. Impossible to sell living quarters else where.
6. Many are not content to just live on a mountian, to obtain maximum effect they construct their houses on stilts.
7. Mountains tops all over the world are nested with such houses which from a distance looks like a flock of fat birds dquatting on long skinny legs.
8. People eager to live the longest built their houses on the highest stilts.
9. Some houses rise half a mile high on their spindly wooden legs.
10. Height is status.
11. They celebrate their youth in their mirrors and walk naked on their balconies.
12. Urgent business forces people to come down, hurrying from their houses quickly, doing what is needed and hurrying back to their homes.
13. People at ground level never sit they run.
14. A small number of residents have stopped caring whether they age faster than their neighbors.
15. These people come to the lower world for days at a time, lounge under trees, swim in lakes at warmer altitudes, and roll on ground level.
16. They hardly look at their watches, and can't even tell you the day.
17. Others rush by them and scoff, they just smile.
18. People have forgotten why higher is better, but they continue to live on mountains.
19. They tolerate the cold of the mountains by habit enjoy discomfort as part of their breeding.
20. They are convinced that thin air is good for their bodies, even have put themselves on sparce diets.
21. Thus the populace has become thin like air, bony, old before their time.
Next My 5 Scenarios!
Constructing Worlds Stage 2
STAGE 2: InterpretationIn this stage, we will introduce a new element, a fictional text. This text describes a world that will serve as a context.
1. Choose a "world" as described in one of two texts: Einstein's Dreams or Invisible Cities.2. Read or analyze the text: what is unique about the world described? What kind of "instruction set" is in operation that affects the way the worlds, time, people, geographies behave or are described?3.Break into teams by shared text (3-4 people per team)4. Each person develops a minimum of 5 "scenarios" that pair the container and the fictional world. How might your "container" be transformed into a mobile interface between a person(s) and this world? Is your container a sheltering structure, a piece of clothing, a communicator, a mode of transportation, etc.?5. Scenarios may be depicted in a variety of ways: as storyboard, as narrative user scenarios, a image sequences, as written stories.6. Present and evaluate the strengths and weakness of each prposed scenario as a group. Choose one to move forward into stage 3.PART 1Our group consists of 4 people. The name of our group is
Michelle's Brownies. Our group are all students that participated in bootcamp over the summer. We are from Group B, and a student in our group was named Michelle who so generously made us brownies one day, thus were we got the name from.
Our homework for this week is to write 5 different scenarios using our box and the stories from invisible cities or Einstein's Dreams as a base for how our box functions within the scenarios.
So far I am leaning towards Einstein's dreams. I found it much more interesting then invisible cities. I decided to choose 5 stories that I am interested in from Einstein's dreams and write scenarios from each of these stories. This of course might change with further communciation with my group. As far as I know now at least 3 of us already have a liking for one of the stories I particularly enjoyed the most. Here are the 5 Stories:
1. Time flows more slowly the farther from the center of earth you are. Thus people decided to live on the mountains or built their houses on stilts to get even higher, noone lives on the ground. When the people do come down they work at an increased pace in order to get back up to the mountians quicker. There are some people who don't care and stay on the ground for days at a time, but these people are scoffed at. In the end my favorite line in this story is "At length, the populace have become thin like the air bony, old before their time." This is my favorite line because the people become what they are fighting against regardless, actually making it worst for themselves by living in the mountains. Pgs. 22-24I absolutely love this particualr story and my teammates so far seem to agree so I hope this will be our final choice when we decide on one story for our group.2. Time has three dimensions, just like an object has three perpendicular dimensions this time has three perpendicular futures. Each future is real, at ever point of decision the world splits into three worlds each with the same people but with different fates awaiting them. Pgs. 14-173. Time will end and everyone knows it, they know the specific day, and the year. They await it, they enjoy it. Parents let their children do as they please, people are polite to each other. They await it happily down to the last second. In the last second, everyone holds hand, noone speaks, noone moves, they watch the world around them. Pgs. 42-454. Time is recorded, because the people of this world have no memory. Everything they ever did in their lives they have to record themselves. When they look back at their lives they read from their books. Everyday is a new day they start their lives anew, not even able to remember their husbands, wives and children from one day to the next, they write that down too. The old read of their youth and some don't read at all, deciding it really doesn't matter they learned to live in a world without memory. Pgs. 61-645. Time flows unevenly, fitfully, and this results in people recieving glimpses of the future. Some people when they see the future they stop what they are doing and run to obtain what they saw. Others fight the future they see and continue along the path they set for themselves. Then their are the people who see nothing, they don't see their future, and thus know not what to do so they stay still until their vision arrives. Pgs. 65-68I like the ending line for this particular story too, which reads " Who would fare better in this world of fitful time? Those who have seen the future and only live one life? Or those who have not seen the future and wait to live life? Or those who deny the future and live two lives?This book is beautiful......
Constructing Worlds PART 3
PART 3Tell us as much as you can about your box set by designing a minimum of 10 studies (visual, diagrammatic, verbal, gestural, sonic, etc.) that help us to see it in different ways. These "studies" can be very simple. For example, you might want to design a diagram that uses color to map relationships between surface that share the same shape, or a comparative list that presents the lengths of each of the folds. Your studies can also be more complex; you could write a narrative description of how to assemble it or develop a visual diagram that shows a step-by-step set of instructions for assembly. There is no limit to the kinds of studies you might do. Your studies can be digital or non-digital, they can be 3d, 2D, or time-based, and can use any kind of material that is appropriate.I chose to do an 3D representation of my studies using lightwave.
In order to have the correct data to build these studies I first needed to decide what visual aspects of my box I wanted to study and also record them in a way that would be helpful in order to recreate my box. The 10 studies I chose were:
1. Artificial light vs Natural Light
2. Top of the box (with light on)
3. Fabric side of box (with light on)
4. Blue side of box (with light on)
5. White side of box (with light on)
6. Clear side of box (with light on)
7. Box upside down (with light on)
8. Box on top of another box (with light on)
9. Natural Light (with light off)
10. Darkness (with light on)
I did the studies while viewing my box in each of these situations, creating a small sketch of it and recording the information I observed next to it. After this was done for all 10 studies I then recreated it using lightwave. Here are the pictures of each respective study against there 3d interpetation.
STUDY 1 : Artificial light vs Natural Light
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 2 : Top of the box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 3 : Fabric side of box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 4 : Blue side of box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 5 : White side of box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 6 : Clear side of box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 7 : Box upside down (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 8: Box on top of another box (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 9 : Natural Light (with light off)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDYSTUDY 10 : Darkness (with light on)
SKETCH STUDY
3D STUDY
Constructing Worlds PART 2
PART 2
Design my own BoxTo begin the process of designing my own box, I needed to find the similarities between all the studies of various boxes I had done.Common Elements
1. Color
2. Interacts with user and other things
3. Materials either opaque or transparent
4. Holds something or used to view something
5. Large or small
6. Almost anything can be a box given the right context
7. Mobile
8. Stationary
9. Solid
After finding these common elements I decided which ones I found interesting for a box of my own.1. Opaque vs Transparency
2. Color
3. Size
4. Light
After reviewing all these ideas I wanted to find a box already in my environment that had similar traits as the box I wanted to create. I decided that a candle fit this description perfectly. I then begun to research candles.Questions:1. What is a candle?
2. Why do people buy or use candles?
3. What type of users are there for candles?
4. How do candles look?
5. How can I recreate or reinterpret a candle for this project?
I looked up a general definition of a candle and then brainstormed some characteristics of a candle writing down anything that came to mind.Candle: A long piece of tallow or wax with an embedded wick that is burned to give light. A unit of luminous intensity, equal to the luminous intensity of a wax candle. A solid usually cylindral mass of tallow, wax, or other fatty substance with an axially embedded wick that is burned to provide light. A usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, scent or for celebration or votive purposes)Characteristics of a candle1. Light
2. Flame
3. Wax
4. Burns
5. Decreases
6. Glass
7. Contained
8. Scented
9. Unseasoned
10. Circular
11. Square
12. Various shapes
13. Uncontested
14. Romantic
15. Emergency
16. Hot
17. Colors
18. Floating
19. Covered
20. Big
21. Small
22. Heavy
23. Light
24. Liquid
25. Flashing
26. Decoration
With all this research I was able to decide the preliminary characteristics I wanted my box to have.My candle
1. Flashing
2. Opaque
3. Liquid
4. Transparent
5. Scented
6. Small scale
I asked my self these questions...1. What type of experience does this create?
2. What user would buy this candle?
3. Is it romantic, entertaining, decorative?
4. How do we create a candle like this?
5. What materials do we use?
6. How do we build it?
7. What is the message we are trying to convey?
My final challenge was to decide how to produce my box with the limitation of time and budget. I decide that going against the literal interpretation of a candle would be far more interesting while at the same time challenging and workable within the time period.I decided to build a light bulb within a plexi class box. Each side either differing in color or texture, or transparency. The box was originally to be left open on the top but after thinking I felt it would be better closed. A candle dissolves, it is not a object that can be used forever. I felt the best way to achieve this idea with my box was to close it, so the light bulb can't be changed. Thus making this box unable to be reused as well.The materials I decide to work with are listed as follows:1. Black foam Core
2. Light Bulb
3. Light bulb socket
4. Clear Plexi
5. Rice Paper
6. Colored Plexi
7. Frosted Plexi
8. Potpourri?
Photographs of box will be added soon!
Constructing Worlds
STAGE 1: Analysis
1.
Do a brief study of boxes. Observe your surroundings and notice the "boxes" that are ever present. How are they used? Conside the context, size, scale, color, form and function of the boxes. What materials were used to create the "box"? Does anyone or anything interact with the box? Take notes, draw sketches, or otherwise record and explore the boxes you see.2.
Plan, design, and build a physical prototype of your own box. Consider scale and materials.3.
Tell us a much as you can about your box set by designing a minimum of 10 studies (visual, diagrammatic, verbal, gestural, sonic, etc.) that help us to see it in different ways. These "studies" can be very simple. For example, you might want to design a diagram that uses color to map relationships between surfaces that share the same shape, or a comparative list that presents the length of each of the folds. Your studies can also be more complex; you could write a narrative description of how to assemble it or develop a visual diagram that shows a step-by-step set of instruction for assembly. There is no limit to the kinds of studies you might do. Your studies can be digital or non-digital, they can be 3D, 2D, or time-based, and can use any kind of material that is appropriate.PART 1A BRIEF STUDY OF BOXESFirst, I asked my self the question: What is a box?
A. A box holds something and is an object.B. A box can also be empty.C. Can hold various materials.D. Can be various heights, widths, depths, lengths, and have various users.E. A box has a purpose.Next, To make sure I did not limit myself in my study of boxes. I decided to do studies in at least 4 different places. The places I chose was my apartment, The trains, 87 Ludlow (a small bar), and my church. I determined the colors, size, material, and purpose and interaction of each box and recorded it in my sketch book.
My Apartment Studies
1.
Computer Monitor: Interacts with the viewers eyes, allows you to view images from your computer, black, grey/silver, made of plastic, 19".
2.
Cat Food Holder: Interacts with cat and owner, holds cat food, teal, made of plastic, 12" tall.
3.
Video Game Case: Interacts with hands of user, holds video game dvd's, made of paper and plastic, multicolored, 6" approx.
4.
Computer Table: Interacts with things needing to be organized, such as pens, paper, printer, etc., allows organization, mahogany colored, made of wood, 4' wide.
5.
TV: Interacts with viewers eyes, allows you to see moving imagey, silver, 20".
6.
Overhead Cabinets: Interacts with food and user, holds food and or plates, bowls, natural color, made of wood, 3' tall.
7.
Candle: Interacts with flame and user, holds wax, made of glass, 6" approx.
8.
My Room: Interacts with me, contains my things, cream color, wood and plaster etc., 12' x 15' approx.Train Studies
1.
Ad Display: Interacts with viewer eyes, holds advertisements, made of plastic and metal, various colors, 2' wide approx.
2.
LED Displays: Interacts with viewers eyes, holds lights and information, made of plastic, LED, cream and yellow and black light, 2.5' wide approx.87 Ludlow Studies
1.
Wine bottle: Interacts with people and shelves, holds wine, various colors, made of glass, 12" approx tall.
2.
Bar: Interacts with people, drinks, holds sink, drinks, refridgerator, mahogany colored, made of wood, 10' wide.
3.
Napkin Holder: Interacts with user and bar, holds napkins and drinking straws, blue, made of plastic, 6".
4.
Wine Glass: Interacts with people hands, lips, and drinks, holds wine or other drinks, clear, made of glass, 6" or 12" tall approx.
5.
Canvas: Interacts with viewers eyes, holds painting, made of canvas and wood, various colors, various sizes.
6.
Shelves: Interacts with people and drinks, holds alcohol, mahogany colored, made of wood, 5' wide.My Church Studies
1.
Column: Interacts with building, holds or supports building, white, made of plaster and wood, 2' wide.
2.
Money Basket: Interacts with trustees, and church members, holds money, natural, made of straw, 12" wide approx.
3.
Shoes: Interacts with the feet and floor, holds feet, various colors, variour materials and styles, various lengths.
4.
Pitcher: Interacts table and user, holds liquids, white, made of plastic and glass, 12" tall.
5.
Bible: Interacts with viewers eyes and hands, hold spirtual knowledge, black, made of leather and paper, various sizes.
Why?
This blog was created to archive my work done in my Major Studio class: Interface Design at The New School in NYC.
As you can see it is still a work in progress. In the meantime you should check out my other blog
VIDEO GAME HAVEN. Thanks for stopping by and please come again.
