Project Development
(i) Evidence of Creativity
Generation: Inspiration for ideas
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Exploration of existing ideas:
(ii) Consideration of Design Factors Relevant to the MDP
The design I chose was the campfire design. This was because I very much enjoyed the idea of light stemming from a tent in the dark and camping under stars and the irony that the switch where the fire is, is not the light source in the dark. For me personally it fulfilled much of the criteria that I had - storage, aesthetically interesting and it was a rather sturdy design. I thought that it would showcase a variety of techniques and level of difficulty in different mediums, as the design contains wood, metal, acrylic, textile and electric components.
I chose not to do the light boxes as another member of my class had a similar design in mind. I though that the first firefly design with fireflies in a jar was too simple and similar to existing designs, the same thing with the toadstool of existing ideas. I also discovered, after consultation with the teacher, that the school did not have the equipment to enable a dome shaped acrylic.
Safety was an important factor in the design and choosing process as I have a little sister who would probably be very curious, thus the materials it is made of had to be durable and strong and not break or snap easily when dropped or handled roughly, such as glass, which eliminated all the firefly designs which involved some form of glass. There should also should be no excessively sharp corners. It also meant that electric wise it had to be safe no exposed wires that could cause shock or create fire hazards and such.
Its primary function is to serve as a light, and for me an aesthetically pleasing night light. This means the wiring of the circuit should be soldered well and the light should go on and off easily with the control of the switch. This adds to the quality of the piece.
All aspects of the design when made should be of high quality and the end result should be interesting aesthetically. There shouldn't be any shoddily made parts, such as loose wires, acrylic that's sides haven't been polished well, splinters from the wood or loose threads from the tent canvas.
(iii) Research, Experimentation & Testing
Design Ideas:
I drew inspiration from existing designs on the internet - from key words as shown above. In choosing the final design, it was mainly a process of elimination. Did the design fulfill the criteria stated in the Project Proposal? Was it possible to construct in the environments of the wood/metal tech rooms? As stated above, I consulted the teacher about certain elements and aspects of the design to confirm whether it was possible to create with the facilities in the school. Throughout the construction of the project, I often conferred with the teacher about parts or the design that I was unsure about or didn't know how to carry out.
Materials:
When deciding what sort of metals I should use for the construction of my tent frame with the choice of sheet metal, steel or aluminium, I conducted a number of tests, judging on the basis of how sharp of an angle it produced when it was bent, how it could be joined (at the time I had the preference of not using a spot-welder and in the money box project it gave me some rather unpleasant memories of it) and how suitable it was for this project. In the end I decided on aluminium as it produced the sharpest angle and it could be joined via the option of rivets. It was also quite a soft metal that wasn't susceptible;e to rust unlike the steel and sheet metal.
I conducted another experiment when deciding what sort of cloth I should make my canvas out of. This was conducted by using the LED light that would be provided and a variety of cloths stolen from the textiles room. I stretched the cloths over the light and determined how much light was able to get through and how well it diffused the light. In the end, all the cloths were round about the same and the more light shown through the thinner cloths but the thicker ones diffused the light more evenly.
Tools:
There wasn't much thought put into the choice of tools, but rather it came actual when the construction came about which tool would be best suited for the job. Often I would ask the teacher about what sort of bonding should be used between such things like metal and acrylic.
Techniques:
Techniques were mainly through actual experimentation. I created extra pieces for the sake of practicing and visualising before the actual securing of a particular piece. As many changes were made throughout the construction process. I would often experiment and visualise through trial and error and fix up the mistakes that can along the way. If in need for help I asked the opinion of my peers as well as the opinions of the teacher.
Design Ideas:
I drew inspiration from existing designs on the internet - from key words as shown above. In choosing the final design, it was mainly a process of elimination. Did the design fulfill the criteria stated in the Project Proposal? Was it possible to construct in the environments of the wood/metal tech rooms? As stated above, I consulted the teacher about certain elements and aspects of the design to confirm whether it was possible to create with the facilities in the school. Throughout the construction of the project, I often conferred with the teacher about parts or the design that I was unsure about or didn't know how to carry out.
Materials:
When deciding what sort of metals I should use for the construction of my tent frame with the choice of sheet metal, steel or aluminium, I conducted a number of tests, judging on the basis of how sharp of an angle it produced when it was bent, how it could be joined (at the time I had the preference of not using a spot-welder and in the money box project it gave me some rather unpleasant memories of it) and how suitable it was for this project. In the end I decided on aluminium as it produced the sharpest angle and it could be joined via the option of rivets. It was also quite a soft metal that wasn't susceptible;e to rust unlike the steel and sheet metal.
I conducted another experiment when deciding what sort of cloth I should make my canvas out of. This was conducted by using the LED light that would be provided and a variety of cloths stolen from the textiles room. I stretched the cloths over the light and determined how much light was able to get through and how well it diffused the light. In the end, all the cloths were round about the same and the more light shown through the thinner cloths but the thicker ones diffused the light more evenly.
Tools:
There wasn't much thought put into the choice of tools, but rather it came actual when the construction came about which tool would be best suited for the job. Often I would ask the teacher about what sort of bonding should be used between such things like metal and acrylic.
Techniques:
Techniques were mainly through actual experimentation. I created extra pieces for the sake of practicing and visualising before the actual securing of a particular piece. As many changes were made throughout the construction process. I would often experiment and visualise through trial and error and fix up the mistakes that can along the way. If in need for help I asked the opinion of my peers as well as the opinions of the teacher.
(iv) Identification & Justification of Ideas & Resources
Most of the justification of the ideas and resources are stated above. Below is just a final justification of the design and resources needed.
FInal Design: Tent/ Camping Design
A metal framed tent with a false bottom for wiring and a storage base. The switch would be part of the campfire and the light source would be found at the base of the tent. A cloth covering would be placed over the top to help cover the light bulb and diffuse the light. The inspiration is drawn from camping at night in the country under a starry sky, I always though that it provided a very surreal like dreamscape...
Resources needed for this project:
Most of the justification of the ideas and resources are stated above. Below is just a final justification of the design and resources needed.
FInal Design: Tent/ Camping Design
A metal framed tent with a false bottom for wiring and a storage base. The switch would be part of the campfire and the light source would be found at the base of the tent. A cloth covering would be placed over the top to help cover the light bulb and diffuse the light. The inspiration is drawn from camping at night in the country under a starry sky, I always though that it provided a very surreal like dreamscape...
Resources needed for this project:
- aluminium metal
- cloth
- plywood and timber
- acrylic
- electrical components