Making Methods and Reflections
Featured Structure and Construction: Investigating Perceptual Space through the Making Process
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Laureen Mahler
The relevance of Gestalt theory to art and design has been well documented, from the primary texts on the Gestalt concept of perception to subsequent works from Arnheim, Gombrich, and Dondis which apply those notions to art, aesthetics, and visual design. Lesser known is Kurt Koffka’s 1940 essay on the psychology of art, in which he expands the concept of perceptual space and discusses the role of both creator and observer in the experience of the phenomenal object. The research presented here takes as its basis the examination of perceptual space in the context of designed objects: specifically origami tessellations, which are dynamic, three-dimensional structures created by technical folding (origami sekkei). Making as part of the design process provides a medium for conceptual and literal exploration of perceptual space, in which a dialogic process unfolds between the designer-maker and object. The physical act of folding, unfolding, creasing, and collapsing the paper structure for a tessellation is an immersive, sensory experience that uniquely captures the thoughts and actions involved in practice-led design research. Material itself plays a vital role in this research process, in which object agency and the conversation between designer and material become apparent—concepts originally proposed by Koffka in his aforementioned essay. My research includes multimedia documentation of the making process—video and audio recordings, sketches, photographs, and written diaries—in order to analyze how the mediation of technique and materials provides a unique investigation of perceptual space, yielding insights for both designers and researchers in medium-designated practices.
Designing Playables: A New Perspective on the Design of Objects for Play View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jesper Falck Legaard
Design has a profound impact on our experiences and interactions. While there are generally acknowledged principles for what constitutes good design, there are also a need for nuances that set objects for play apart from e.g. utilitarian objects. This paper introduces the concept of playables, defined as tangible artifacts intentionally designed to afford wondrous immersion in play, and explores how the qualities of such objects may require differentiations in the principles for good design. Playables are founded on the concept that immersion in play adheres to a state of wonder, meaning that they have a purpose that transcends functionality, and fosters creativity and curiosity in the exploration of the captivating play worlds. The study seeks to draw out the distinctive qualities of playables and clarify the aspects that distinguish them from conventional industrial design. This is done by aligning the characteristics of playables with established design principles, as advocated by e.g. Dieter Rams and Don Norman. Furthermore, the research delves into the profound layers of experiential needs, drawing upon Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Aristotle's four causes, to expose the deeper meaning that playables may offer. To gain further insights, the study also incorporates interviews with toy designers, enabling a comparison of their design approaches with the proposed principles that are essential for the design of playables. Recognizing the need for distinct design perspectives in relation to playables is essential for unfolding the potential of immersive play experiences, igniting a state of wonder.
A Different World : Contextual Crossings in Design View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anthony Rayworth
Presenting the experience of a design object according to the Heideggerian and Husserlian notions of Intentionality, Reduction, Thingness, and World, generates possibilities within which the relationship between the viewer, the objects themselves and their contextual framework, becomes intensely personal, dynamic and complex. For example, a Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl in a Giovanni Bellini painting of 1529, is first perceived by the viewer as an artefact to be looked at as an ‘Old Master’ painting with all the theories and preconceptions associated with such a context, the work of art. In fact, the bowl is an item of Chinese Ming dynasty porcelain produced in the fifteenth century for export purposes and intended to be sold to the Persian market for use as a serving bowl, a design object, for a pilaf or stew and therefore originally belonging to the world of equipment. Additionally, the bowl is the first representation of Chinese porcelain in Western painting. By altering presentational context and allowing designed objects to become able to move back and forth between their worlds of fine art, design, temporal location, and equipment, the possibility of defining relationships between viewer, artefact and context becomes increasingly problematic. This paper explores how the presentation of objects with a phenomenological contexture may be adopted to unlock previously unexplored histories within designed objects.
