User:Dionne/Research Tools of the Trade

RESEARCH DOCUMENT

Link to final research document: File:Dionne-Wolff-Digital-Craft-Research-Document.compressed.pdf

RESEARCH QUESTION

How can the (design/creation/development/exploration) of .. help (define/create/explain) .. for .. ?
First attempt: How can the design of a tangible computer interface help create digital prints for product designers?

 My first research questions:
 1. How can the design of a tangible computer interface help to create an innovative hands-on approach for professional designers?
 1.2 How can the design of a tangible computer interface help to create an innovative hands-on approach for textile designers?
 2. Why should the computer interface we now know change into something different?
 3. How can the relation between the maker (textile designer) and the digital production be described?
 4. What are the core elements of the toolkit and it's instructions?
 5. What is the description of technical work that is done and materials that are used in this toolkit?
 6. How does the toolkit interact with the computer that will then translate this into visuals?
 7. What is the purpose of this toolkit and it's impact on the working environment?

 8. What material did you use and why?
 9. What techniques did you used and why?
10. What software did you use and why?
11. Where did you get your recourses from?
12. Does this work exist out of one ore more products?
13. What people are allowed to use your work?
14. What are comparable works of other designers?
15. Can you compare this work with something else?
16. What inspired you to make this work?
17. Is this work personal?
18. Does this work relates to you?
19. Does this work represents you as a person?
20. Does this work represents you as a designer?
21. What is your work? Is this work tangible? 
22. Is your work relevant in the present, or more in the future?
23. Why did you make it?

 Tineke's research questions:
 1. What will the movements of the tool be based on? 
 2. Is it stroking for comfort?
 3. For more advanced users will there be a challenge for making combination movements for more advanced patterns?
 4. How can the development of your tool help create a new design movement for professional designers?
 5. What is the impact on the working environment?

My final research question (draft): 
How can the design of a tangible computer interface help to create an innovative hands-on approach for textile print designers?

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION MY CRAFT

How can the design of a tangible computer interface help to create an innovative hands-on approach for professional designers?

• written assignment die gaat over mijn craft, overkoepelend is dat surface design, voor harde of zachte materialen, maar die gemaakt zijn door een digitale approach en een digitale productie en ik wil dit veranderen naar een analoge approach met een digitale productie.
• inleiding naar waar het hele idee om draait, en dat het is ontstaan vanuit een verlangen naar een betere relatie van de maker met de digitale productie*
• inleiding naar de conclusie, een soort open eind, is dit een product voor de toekomst, wat gaat het hierdoor veranderen wat gaat het bereiken, nieuwe movement?*

EVOLUTION OF THE COMPUTER INTERFACE

Why should the computer interface we now know change into something different?
Is it time that we are past a certain digital revolution, are we longing for something new?

• hoe de muis enzo is geëvalueerd over tijd en uit leg waarom wij nu, of in de toekomst toe zijn aan verandering, ook dat het meer waarde hecht aan het design process
• hoe dit tegelijkertijd in ontwikkeling is gegaan met digitale print voor textiel design

TEXTILE PRINT DESIGN

How can the relation between the maker (textile designer) and the digital production be improved?
The project is about a hands-on/analogue relationship to digital production. A digital approach can be divided in to very precise units and it's measurable. An analogue approach is not measurable and cannot be divided into pieces. I want to mix the two so that new possibilities appear. Why should a computer interface for designers be a trackpad or a mouse? Often very creative and tangible things are being created through digital mediums. Why should the making process of this be less exciting than the actual outcome? For me this tool is a form of resistance against the digital environment, although I don't want to exclude this completely. That's why this tool is a mix of both analogue and digital approaches that are in balance with each other. I want to add more value to the way digital things are being made, by making it more personal and playful. Also I want this tool to rise questions within the design field and the way how we approach creation. The purpose of this tool is to trigger the need for a new design movement to come up with new advanced possibilities.

• geef voorbeelden van textile print designers/bedrijven, zoals vlisco
• interviews met practisioners?

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE TOOLKIT

What are the core elements of the toolkit and it's instructions? This toolkit exists out of multiple tools with all different functions. These are: the stroke tool, the curve tool and the press tool and the adjust tool. It's design is made to achieve total comfort and user friendliness. An investigation of the hand and it's gestures combined with suited ergonomic shapes. The soft material that is made out of polyurethane foam triggers the user to apply different gestures, but will always return to its original form.

• form: pull(corners), bend, tilt, curve(round), - color: fill, gradient, RGB, greyscale - stroke: thick, thin
• gaat meer over de characteristics en uiterlijk en hoe er mee om te gaan*
• en hoe het eruit ziet op het scherm

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

What is the description of technical work that is done and materials that are used in this toolkit?

• gaat echt over de technische kant, hoe is het opgebouwd, hoe staat het in contact met de computer (usb, wireless etc)*
• which sensors are used and how

PROCESSING

How does the toolkit interact with the computer that will then translate this into visuals?

• gaat over welke informatie er wordt aangestuurd naar de computer en hoe die dat omzet naar beeld*
• how does processing works and responds
• Visuals van de uitkomst, en ook foto van op stof bedrukt

CONCLUSION

What is the purpose of this toolkit and it's impact on the working environment? How can the development of this toolkit create a new design movement for professional designers?

• geef een soort antwoord op de hoofdvraag, maar het blijft een open eind, want het is ook een product voor de toekomst en als dit zich door ontwikkeld kan er een nieuwe design movement ontstaan en kan dit niet alleen door textiel designers wordt gebruikt maar ook door andere product designers.

RESEARCH FILM

FILM STYLES

- Film as a research tool, approach & method
- Start making the film right away, it might be helpful
- Film interviews
- Show the process in the film
- Research is a critical investigation
- Show interesting experiments in the film or other ideas for the design
- Film is a reflective process
- The film let others (the public) be part of and witness your process
- Different Research Film styles: 1 min minimal, 3.30 min maximal
   - documentation
   - documentary
   - how- to- instructional
   - contextualization
   - interview
   - probe (cultural probes) to provoke peoples emotions
   - contrafactual film (fantasy) (place something in the past, speculate what our present would be)
   - speculation (speculate what the future would be)
   - brainstorm
   - reflection
- What is the tone of the video, who are you filming for
- stby stand by design documentaries (look up)
- Sinterklaas surprise:
   - make something for your project
   - bring it in a box 
   - film it the next day when you are unboxing it
   - put your student number in there and mail the video to the person
- Next week, in lessons, working out scenario’s, so bring paper and stifts
- Go over the research deliverables
   - 1 (instruction) 2(statement) 3(larger context) —> all in the film and all in the research document
   - 4000 words reflection document, you can use the 1000 words from FF

STORYBOARD

I want the film to be speculative with a how-to-instructional base.
The focus will lay on how the toolkit works, and in the end reveal what it has made.
1. It starts with a couple of zoomed in shots of a persons (designer) hand touching the material and exploring it, and his eyes 
   looking somewhere.
2. Then it is starting to zoom out a little and the hand gestures now make more sense, you actually see the hand pulling, 
   curving the material etc.
3. Then a zoomed in shot on the digital print is shown and the way how it is deforming. 
4. A shot appears where in the computer screen, the tools and the designer are visible in a minimalistic setting, with attention 
   on the tools.
5. Then a couple of shots show the designers instruction on the material and it's respond to the digital print.
6. You first see how the designer is shaping forms, then making the strokes thicker or thinner and in the end add a fill color, 
   greyscale or gradient.
7. You don't see the print completely until the end, on the screen the digital print is constantly zoomed in
8. In the end a shot is shown from the zoomed in print, already printed on fabric, from top to toe, from different perspectives.
9. Then you see the designer holding the textile print up, and shows he/she is proud of it, then this image is blurring away.
10. And the final image appears which are still-life kind of shots of the tools in a minimalistic setting.