Nathan Aarts: July 2014

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Walkthrough - Ideas meeting reality

Computer Drawings - Ideas meeting reality

Pen/Pencil Drawings - Ideas meeting reality

Research - Ideas meeting reality

After deciding that my first design would be based around the concept of 'Ideas meeting reality' I started to look into different spaces that promote this type of meeting. There are many different examples of Ideas meeting reality whether it be in a mathematical finding of some kind or an interaction between a designer and their selected medium. Computers , classrooms, offices, studios, labs and books are just some examples of things that either promote this theme of ideas meeting reality or objects that make this interaction between two entities possible. From that list of 'mediums' I decided to design an interactive studio space, as apposed to a space that would display ideas that had previously 'met' reality.

These three examples show some similar features like adequate seating, large open desks and computer access to give designers a layered experience when working. One thing that I want to incorporate into my design is simplicity. To strip back all the complicated tools and processes when designing to give the user a more tactile and immersive experience. This is where I came up with the idea of using chalkboards. When designing, having limitations within any medium is frustrating and can often lead to a poor representation of the users original idea. With this in mind I started looking at chalkboards and how they are used today in this technological era.

This first example is taken from a Nissan design studio. The space consists of two large free standing walls lined with chalkboards. Between the two walls sits a medium sized desk with a fair amount of seating, a collaborative space where employees can come together to share and discus design ideas . For a company like Nissan to have such an installment speaks volumes as to how well chalkboards still function today, among their digital counterparts. One reason why I believe they have gone old school and used the more tactile interface is because of its simplicity. There are no training sessions or tutorials needed to be able to use a chalkboard and that Is why it would be the perfect medium for my design space. Other properties that chalkboards have that would benefit my design idea are that it can be wiped clean, my original idea was to have walls lined with paper but the practicality of that compared to using chalkboards didn't add up. Chalkboards are also a great medium because they get you to work on a vertical plane, getting you out of your seat and more mobile when drawing.