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Writer's pictureRashika Lungani
Apr 1, 202133 min read

CAPSTONE 2020-21

Updated: May 21, 2021

MY SUBJECT OF STUDY


My chosen object of study was Rice.

A very versatile ingredient and my favourite form of carbohydrate. It is one of the staple foods in South India. Rice can be a great addition to any dish. It is grown everywhere from the dry northeaster region to the high altitude of Himalayas having more than 2000 varieties. It was once seen as a symbol of prosperity and exchanged as form of gratuity. Apart from being a major component of ones meal, rice also has a cultural significance and is used during vidai in weddings to symbolise the exit of the bride from her paternal household and often applied on the forehead with tikka during festivals like rakhi. Rice is usually seen as the solution to everything, as evident with the popular meme “put it in rice”. It’s hard to image how a tiny grain could carry such significance in the life of those who consume it.


 

MY CREATIVE SELF

PRE WORK



OVERVIEW OF THE BRIEF

We were asked to make a short presentation on the topic “My Creative Self” as a part of the pre work for Capstone project. The presentation revolves around answer various prompt questions and was meant to me a self reflective exercise.


 

THE PLANNING & EXECUTION

First I analysed the prompt questions and thought about there potential answers. After that i collected the images/visual references and made a very simple 11 page PPT on the topic.


However after watching “Designing a presentation” by Tony Harmer. I was able to point out the flaws in my PPT.

To improve upon my presentation I changed the colour scheme, added animations, transitions and many more based on what I learned from the course. I decided to create an animated video slide. In order to execute this I created a story board- deciding slide by slide how I was going to organise and project my work.



I, however, faced a small dilemma. The approach I wanted to follow did not coincide with what was demanded according to the brief. So I decided to follow 2 different routes in order to give the faculty what they wanted as well as my take on it.


I took the following approach-

 

MY EXPERIENCE

It was more difficult to make this animation than I had imagined. I had to watch multiple tutorials in order to understand how to go about it. I was also doubting my approach many times. I was worried that the faculties might think that I over complicated a simple assignment or I over did it. Perhaps providing 2 Different submissions would not be appreciated and seen as a symbol of my indecisiveness. However I still wanted to give it a try and in the end even if it was not accepted, at least I’ll learn a new skill.

UPDATE: In the end the video saved me as I injured myself during the day of the presentation and had to leave but i was able to participate in class by having my peers project the video on my behalf, so perhaps everything happens for a reason


 

THE FINAL OUTCOMES


PPT PRESENATION



 

VIDEO PRESENTATION




 

PHASE 2 - DETAILED STUDY

NOTES FROM BRIEFING

It was now time for the detailed study and research of our selected object. During the briefing we were asked to keep some point in mind

  • it is important to understand what you already know and what you would like to know about your chosen object

  • Focus more on primary research (which will constitute around 60% of the research, while the remaining will be secondary)

  • Use the organisation tools (Miro, log book, blog, pin up board) effectively.

  • Record references

  • Start by creating a plan for your study and follow it

  • Update all online platform regularly


MY OBJECTIVE

My goal was to study my subject, rice, in a detailed and organised manner so as to create a comprehensive story. I want to focus on a wide variety of topics and study the important areas under them. I will also give a lot of attention to analysing the information and creating connections between various topics, which was a something I did not focus on too much during my previous researches. I decided to follow this approach as I think this might help me in achieving my goal of creating a story about rice and not just a culmination of research.


PLANNING

The first step was creating a plan. I divided my plan into steps, which were then subdivided into topics and dates. I mentioned what tools I could use, what methods of research could help as well as the topic to cover. I kept my plan open to changes that may come up over the course of the week. I also mentioned this information in my physical log book so that I will see it every time I flip through it.


 

WHAT I ALREADY KNOW


I then proceeded to listen down the things I already know about my subject of study. This unfolded in 3 stages

  1. A simple brainstorming that allowed me to organise my thoughts


 

2. Slice and dice of rice which was an extension of the brain storming and gave me an overarching view of the topics I could cover.


 

3. Stakeholder mapping of rice which enabled me to focus on the minute details and create connections.


 

METHOD OF RECORDING

I used google sheets as my information dump


I added the references of the images and information on the google sheets as well


I used my physical log book to make doodles and list down the connections while researching. I also added my form studies and hand drawn posters and diagrams to this. This physical log book is uploaded regularly on google slides


I used a pin up board and a small inspiration board to help me organise my thoughts and create connections as well as get inspiration. This is uploaded regularly on google slides


I used miro for the final collation of information via mind maps.


Finally all this is arranged in my google drive folder - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1phWZPGSqkAWTkVJoU4wsXGpWK4UcNNqR


 

PHASE 2 (DAY 1 - 6th April 2021)


On the first day I focused mainly on the secondary research. I used this secondary research to create a base for my primary research (for instance: I studied about different types of rice so I could use this knowledge and ask others what rice do they use). While researching I was using my physical log book to write about the connections I can find between various topics so that I could compile them at the end. All this information was dumped in google sheets and later organised in miro.

I was able to cover all the topics mentioned as per my plan which made me extremely proud of my success. These included

  1. History : I covered the key points such it’s origin, the debate about the place of origin- India vs China, it’s spread across the world, how its wide availability led to rice become the staple, its mentions in popular text like the Yajurveda, how trade in rice lead to colonisation, slavery, and class distinction.


In the end I created a timeline that would allow one to get a basic gist of the story of rice. This was further supplemented via a survey.


TIMELINE OF RICE


 

SURVEY




 

2. Production, Growth, Ideal conditions & anatomy - I focus on the botanical and geographic aspect of the paddy crop. However after conducting the research i realised that I was finding it hard to organise my thoughts without some visuals aid due to the scientific complexity of the topic. Thus based on my research I created hand drown posters and growth charts with simple labelling so as to made it more understandable to me. I also made individual mind maps on miro focusing on each step in a more detailed manner.



 

3. Scientific and medical aspects- I discuss in detail about the use of rice for medical purposes & what nutrients it carries. I studied how scientific and technology advancements in the agricultural sector helped in improving rice production. I also studied about the starch content of rice which informs its textural qualities. I later supplemented this study using a small iodine experiment.


 

4. Myths and symbolism - i covered the associations with rice, why is it associated with those things, it’s use in rituals like vidai during wedding and it’s addition to tilak in puja’s. I also studied and debunked common myths about the food grain such as the emphasis on its fattening qualities. This was supplemented later with the help of a survey.


 

SURVEY

.


 

PHASE 2 (DAY 2 - 7th April 2021)

I took the same approach as yesterday. I focused on the following topics :

  1. environmental affects - I studied how rice cultivation affects the environment as well as the social affects it has on the society



 

2. Types and Varieties - I examined various types of rice that exists, studied the reason behind there differences. I supplemented this with an experiment to understand how starch affects the stickiness in rice. I also made separate mind maps going into detail about each different kind of rice


 

SURVEY

 

EXPERIMENT


WHITE RICE


BROKEN RICE



RED RICE



BLACK RICE


 

3. Cooking and adulteration- I studied the different ways of cooking rice across the world, the various by products of rice like rice flour and rice bran oil. As well as the common adulterants that can be present in these. I analysed the different between cooked and uncooked rice and understood the reason behind the same.

 

SURVEY



 

PHASE 2 (DAY 3 - 8th April 2021)


Day 3 was mainly about the primary research and analysing of the collected information , I drew conclusions from my experiment, organised my mind maps , sent out a survey. I continued my form study. Worked on analysing and working with different forms of rice (flour, oil, puffed rice)

  1. Survey analysis- I covered a width of topics ranging from myths and symbolism, to the varieties and reason of use. This is added next to all the surveys in a black sticky note.

  2. Experiment - I performed an iodine test to confirm the science behind the stickiness of rice. This experiment helped me expand my primary research and was extremely fun. I added its samples in pin up board and log book.


3. Information analysis- At the end of the day I analysed all the information I had and laid down the connections via a mind map. I also highlighted these connections in my pin up board.


 

PHASE 2 (DAY 4 - 9th April 2021)


Day 4 was just about working on the culmination for phase 1, adding the references and images, and organisation of existing information. I continued to do my form study as suggested and tried to Incorporate more 3 dimensionality as suggested by Pranay sir during the feedback session.



FORM STUDY -

I also concluded my form study that had been going on for the past few days adjacent to all my research. I explored the form of the grains & the plant as well as their hidden geometry.


 

REFLECTION


The first week of capstone was intense and tested me in many different ways. My approach towards research in capstone was extremely different as compared to my previous approaches. In the past I always focused on collection and segregation of information. This caused me to struggle at the end when I had to draw connections and culminate the research. So this time I took a different route and made connections while collecting of the information. I wrote down the connection in my physical log book and then mapped them on my pin up board. This enabled me to create a comprehensive story rather than a collection of facts. The use of physical log book as an outlet for random thoughts, pin up board as a way to organise these thoughts and miro for the final presentation proved very useful in creating these connections as well. I also gave more attention to the area of primary research by incorporating new techniques such as experiments and sampling. This helped me understand that research can take place away from the screen. I broke down complex scientific information by making hand drawn labelled posters. The information I retained by doing hands on work stuck to me better than what I read off the internet. I exercised my visual learning abilities this week and was able to create the process fun and interesting while also insuring minimum screen time. My key take away from this has to be the use of different methods of presentation and researching to try to move away from the tradition “google it” approach.


 

PHASE 3


ITERATIVE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 1


The organisation of my work in phase 3 followed the following pattern


Physical log book with the doodles and information regarding the tools used (google slides) - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1h8EsDXPyf8hZ6MdWGYiJdKGofs6Fea0hnevENOelpDM/edit#slide=id.gcc8074f2a0_0_0


The goal setting/ pin up board/ inspiration board (google slides) - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zkhO3YkcOJ9xovRrBayKYaOSoAGKCDkBZodiT3ihFs8/edit#slide=id.p



Visual board (Pinterest) - https://pin.it/1OFMogT


Finally all this is also present in my google drive folder - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1phWZPGSqkAWTkVJoU4wsXGpWK4UcNNqR


 

PHASE 3 (DAY 1-4 : 15-18 APRIL 2021)


FEEDBACK, FAILURE, & REFLECTION

During my first mentoring session I got to know that the threads I selected were wrong. My threads were actually topics. This required me to re plan and re organise my entire work after already having worked on it for 4 days. Initially this made me quite anxious about my ability to effectively execute my work. Even though my plan had space for such a change I was still felt overwhelmed, this was due to the great importance given to capstone. I was afraid of losing time and not being able to do my best. However I then reminded myself of what I would have done if this was not capstone and just any other project. I decided to take the challenge head on and started with the creation of a new plan, identification of my revised threads and reorganisation of my physical log book, ripping apart pages and re arranging them in an order that suits my new plan. I revised my goals and objectives according to the time available and starting executing it immediately.

 

NOTES FROM BRIEFING

Phase 3 is all about ideation and exploring the physicality of our subject. Through the briefing I was able to get a general idea on what to do but the actually understanding would come only by doing it. The following were some of the key points I kept in my mind

  • focus on the nature and essence of the subject

  • Create threads to work on

  • Explore both 2D & 3D aspects

  • Use thinking tools


OBJECTIVE (revised)

Based on the briefing I created some personal goals

  • I wanted to work on 5 threads (initially i wanted to work on more than 5 but having lost 4 days I had to impose some boundaries)

  • I wanted to ensure that I made at least 30 sketches per thread

  • I wanted to have at least 40 3D explorations as a whole ( my goal for the number of 2D and 3D explorations remained unchanged)


PLANNING (revised)

like the last stage I created my plan by dividing my work according to days and threads. It was flexible for changes that may come about in the coming week.



 

PHASE 3 ( DAY 5 - 19 APRIL 2021)


SELECTION OF TOPIC

During my first attempt I had selected topics instead of threads. Now I used the 6 thinking hats to narrow it down to one topics and then created threads under it. My selected topic was panicle of the paddy plant



WHY PANICLE?

panicle is the most distinctive part of the paddy plan. It’s curved and long. The spikelets are diamond shaped. It is flowy and is the focal point in the paddy plant. It is the nurturer of the rice grains. It reminds me of a wrinkled piece of cloth as well as the jute rope. I want capture and represent this essence of the panicle.



SELECTION OF THREADS

Using the 6 thinking hats I once again identified the 5 threads I would work on for the rest of the week.


My 5 threads where

  • GEOMETRY OF PANICLE- panicle is very symmetrical much like the human body. It is beautiful with unlimited geometrical possibilities. This inspired me to explore its geometry in a perhaps more asymmetrical manner while trying to maintain its visual balance.


  • SHAPE/FORM/ STRUCTURE OF PANICLE- the panicle has a very distinct structure which is very much recognisable. This is evident from its use in multiple logos. This opens up new possibilities of explorations within this framework to try and maintain its easily identifiable character


  • ABSTRACTION OF PANICLE- panicle is easily recognisable when expressed via its original shape and structure. This inspired me to explore a possibility beyond this rigid structure while still trying to maintain its unique identity which makes it beautiful.


  • LINES IN PANICLE- the panicle itself is made with 2 components- the stem and the spikelet. Each of these can be considered together or individually. They both are structures made with distinct and prominent lines, whether it’s the wrinkles on the seed that resembles a wrinkled cloth of the curved stem like the backbone of an aged human. I want to explore these complex and detailed elements of the panicle through the simple unit of line.


  • HISTORICAL SYMBOLISM (SLAVERY)- rice is seen as a plant having to positive associations. However it’s contribution to the rise of slavery adds a dark chapter to its green history. I want to capture this negative aspect of its history and present it as a contrast to the nurturing image.


 

PHASE 3 (DAY 6- 20 APRIL 2021)


During day 6 I focused on the 2D and 3D explorations of 3 threads - Geometry, Abstraction, and Lines. I made the doodles on my physical log book, and then transformed them into 3D or 2D explorations.


GEOMETRY


DOODLING

I doodled on my sheet and creates a bunch of ideas using different rules of geometry as well as geometrical shapes. I explored a divergence of ideas, selecting the ones that i believed had the potential of being explored further in 2D/3D forms.


2D EXPLORATIONS

My 2D explorations for geometry were mainly my large scale doodling, I didn’t feel like there was a need to re create the doodles in an elaborate way as they were self explanatory. However i did adopt a new approach which involved drawing shapes on top of the panicle to get a more organic geometry.


EXAMPLE:

I subtracted a quarter from the base of a sphere and used negative space for the depiction of panicle. Here I followed the organic form of the panicle and tried to replicate it using geometric shapes.



3D EXPLORATIONS

I first created paper cut outs of the geometrical shape. My goal was to analyse which arrangement looks appropriate and then transform them into something more 3 dimensional. However looking back I feel like that was unnecessary as I could not full grasp the imagery the form conveyed just by looking at the paper cut outs

I explored all these paper cut outs in 3D by using paper mache, fold up shapes, aluminium sheets, bamboo sticks, aluminium foil and many more.



EXAMPLE :

played with the molecular structure of rice and tried to manipulate it in the form of a panicle. I used a prism/ pyramid shape to capture the curve and arrangement that is present in the panicle.



INFERENCES DERIVED FROM EXPLORATIONS



TOOLS USED



 

LINES

DOODLING

I first started by doodling my ideas in my log book. I decided to divide the category of lines into 4 sub categories - stem of the panicle, whole panicle, a bunch of panicle, the spikelets or seed. I believe that this was a smart approach that allowed me to focus on all lines of the panicle both individually and as a well as a whole. I carried this approach forward during the 2D and 3D explorations. This helped me create a wide Range of explorations without coming at a point of exhaustion. Simultaneously I also kept on mentioning the thinking tools I had used and what ideas it helped me come up with. I explored a divergence of ideas, selecting the ones that i believed had the potential of being explored further in 2D/3D forms.




2D EXPLORATIONS

I followed my 4 divisions in 2D explorations. I used ink and water colour as my medium for more clean and bold lines. This also helped me create variations in strokes which provided for a good effect.



EXAMPLE:

I used curved lines to capture the fluid/flowy nature of the panicle. I used negative space for the representation of the spikelets/seeds



3D EXPLORATIONS

All of my line explorations were made with either wire or thread to capture the essence of the thin line and create frames. However I now feel that I could have tried and experimented with some more materials. My initial explorations with wire came our flat and were linear, which I was not happy with. To overcome this I started creating more geometrical wire frames which helped in adding some height and dimensionality to my otherwise flat frames.



EXAMPLE:

I used wire frames to recreate the physical arrangement of the panicle, I added 3 dimensionality to it by bending the wire in 4 directions instead of keeping it linear. I weaves the wire frame to capture the nurturing aspect and eliminate the negative space.



INFERENCES DERIVED FROM EXPLORATIONS



TOOLS USED



 

ABSTRACTION


DOODLING

I started by making quick sketches of my ideas. I also used thinking tools like SCAMPER to create more ideas. (Mentioned in physical log book). I explored a divergence of ideas, selecting the ones that i believed had the potential of being explored further in 2D/3D forms.




2D EXPLORATIONS

My abstraction work was dominated by 2D explorations. I decided to follow an approach similar to FVL 1 by using dots and shapes. However I found it too restricting towards the end and reached a point of exhaustion quite quickly. I then changed my approach and started using the approach similar to sense and sensitivity by using paint strokes to convey the idea of a panicle. Unfortunately out of the multiple explorations I made I was only satisfied with 2 -3. A majority of my explorations seemed to represent an image of corn rather than a panicle. I failed to create a sense of flow in my panicle which caused it to look to rigid.


EXAMPLE:

I tried to capture the curve of the panicle when viewed from the side by using overlapping shapes. I tried to make it appear fluid but rigid at the same time. I played with different brush strokes and brushes like that fan brush to create rapid representations.



3D EXPLORATIONS

Though my 3D explorations in abstractions were limited. I was satisfied with all of them. I used materials like aluminium foil and steel mesh, which are completely in contrast to the delicate panicle. I decided to use these materials keeping in mind what Tanya ma’am and Pankaj sir always say “anyone can depict softness with cotton but the real fun is in depicting it with nails”. I was able to harness the essence of the panicle by using these materials.



EXAMPLE:

I used aluminium foil to capture the alternative arrangement of the panicle. While I created a vague representation of the structure using cubes of steel mesh, this was a part of the experiment to use materials that contrast with the nature of the panicle.



INFERENCES DERIVED FROM EXPLORATIONS


 

PHASE 3 (DAY 7- 21 APRIL 2021)


Day 7 was about shape and form and historical symbolism. I followed the same 3 step approach which included the doodling 2D and 3D explorations



SHAPE AND FORM


DOODLING

Under the shape and form I wanted to focus more on capturing the organic nature of the panicle. I made my doodles accordingly.



2D EXPLORATIONS

I didn’t explore shape and form in 2D as I wanted to capture its organic nature and that caused it to start moving more towards recreation. Thus I decided to keep this thread dominated by 3D explorations



EXAMPLE:

In both of these explorations I tried to capture the organic form and curve of the panicle. I challenged myself to make it identifiable as a panicle by using different colours.




3D EXPLORATIONS

In order to capture the organic sense of the panicle I dived into a large variety of materials ranging from aluminium sheet to cloth and wax. I also heated a variety of materials like sunboard and acrylic sheet to add some curves to them. These explorations bore very fruitful as I have extremely satisfied with all of them. However I now feel like I could have added a sense or motion and curve in the panicle as a whole rather than just focusing on the spikelets or seeds.



EXAMPLE:

Here I used wax and cloth to make the wrinkles that appear on the surface of the panicle. I arranged these pieces like a panicle however I now think that it would have looked better if I had added a curve to it. On the other hand I used burnt plastic mesh to create the structure of the panicle. Each mesh piece takes a unique shape when burnt, this added on to the organic nature that I was going for.



INFERENCES DERIVED FROM EXPLORATIONS


 

HISTORICAL SYMBOLISM (slavery)


DOODLING

This thread gave me a lot to ponder over. I wanted to show the contrasting sides of the panicle. Exposing its negative past in contrast to the positive nurturer it is. I used a lot of thinking tools to come up with ideas



2D EXPLORATIONS

I wanted to use the elements of the plant such as the panicle and the roots to portray slavery. This approach yielded interesting compositions however I believe that they were too complicated to be turned into a 3D exploration in the ideation phase. That’s why this thread is dominated by 2D works


EXAMPLE:

I used a rice sack as a representation of the lives which were trapped by the roots and panicles of the rice plant, thus depicting slavery. I also tried to convey the idea of slavery by using dark colours and splatter them with some bright colours to showcase a tiny ray of hope.



3D EXPLORATIONS

I found myself struggling a lot with the 3D explorations for this thread. The idea of transforming a intangible concept into something more materialised was really difficult. Fortunately a mentoring session with Pranay sir helped me get back on track. I used some barbed wires, aluminium sheet and mesh as well as other extremely tough materials and manipulated them to add a sense of movement to them, hoping that they would capture the sense of of pain and suffocation that I wanted to portray.


EXAMPLE:

I used barbed wire to showcase the idea of being trapped and pain. While I used aluminium sheet with sharp edges to showcase the feelings of being tortured.



INFERENCES DERIVED FROM EXPLORATIONS

TOOLS USED



 

PHASE 3 (DAY 8 - 22 APRIL 2021)


Day 8 was about connecting my research in phase 1 with my ideations and trying to create my context. I also used this day to organise my information and observe the explorations done.

The following were my key inferences based on the observation of my explorations :

  • more than the material it’s the compost/ arrangement of the material that adds a panicle like character (for instance I found out that adding a curve makes the exploration look more organic instead of just a straight line)

  • Jute / cloth bring out a feeling of nourishment due to there association with nature.

  • Materials like acrylic sheet/ sunboard/ plastic mesh bring out the feeling of delicacy and preserve the organic nature of the form.

  • Wire as a material work well only when it’s manipulated to add 3 dimensionality instead of keeping it linear

  • Aluminium sheet and mesh when cut at a sharp angle can add a feeling of pain/ danger.



 

PHASE 3 (DAY 9 - 23 APRIL 2021)


On day 9 I worked on analysing and exploring my context. Based on the connections I made as per yesterday. I identified my options and created visual boards to help me visualise the possibilities and outcome. I then examined the merits and demerits of each these.


The following were my chosen design opportunities :-


1. RICE AS A STAPLE - rice is a staple for a majority of the population, in many culture the word rice is synonymous to food. In this way rice acts as a nurturer quite similar to a mother that provides satiety to her baby. In order to capture this essence of rice I took on the idea of a vase or a pot that nourishes a plant and allows for growth.


2. RICE AS A SYMBOL OF SLAVERY- rice is a major contributor to the rice of slavery. It’s a dark chapter in its history that is often forgotten. I wanted to capture this dark past by the development of a door or window jali that restricts our freedom and the ability to move out.


3. RICE AS A DIVINITY - in many cultures rice is so important that is is used in religious practices and associated with deities. Rice in this sense is seen as something divine and beyond the human world, something above it. To capture this essence of rice I wanted to look into a hanging arrangement perhaps a chandelier or wall light that stays above the humans.


4. RICE AS A SYMBOL OF PATIENCE - rice as a crop has a long growth process taking over 4-5 months to develop completely. In this sense rice can be seen as a symbol of growth, change and patience. To represent this I wanted to develop the idea of a clock or a stair that seems to never end


5. RICE AS A DESTRUCTOR- rice is one of the most environmentally polluting crop grown. However despite this large contribution it is rarely mentioned when talking about environmental degradation. It is something we tend to sleep on it, to give a literal meaning to this I wanted to develop a pillow or carpet that people then to step/ sleep on.

 

REFLECTION PHASE 2


Phase 2 really took me back to the previous projects, especially think lab. I found myself referring to my Think Lab blog and reading my description of various tools in order to understand how I can use them in the ideation phase. While working on abstraction and lines, I went back to the work done in FVL 1 and the teaching I gained. Doodling, which I incorporated first during transform, was my greatest aid. However unlike the first time, I was now able to apply these learnings and use the tools in a more matured manner. Earlier I approached doodling as a final sketch, however I now understand that doodling is the first step to future explorations. Similarly the use of dots and lines was way more matured and “crazy” than the explorations done during FVL. I was and still am not satisfied with the quantity of my explorations. I believe I could have done more if it wasn’t for the fact that I had lost 4 days in the beginning. However I understand that regretting over something that can’t be changed is only going to hold me back. I might be disappointed right now but I realise that even if I had achieved my goal I still wouldn’t be satisfied and that’s just a part of design learning. I was however extremely satisfied with my ability to adapt my plan according to my initial failure and get back on track as soon as possible. In general, this phase was like a rollercoaster ride that tested my patience, planning, organisation & time management in many ways and i am glad that i was able to overcome that effectively.


 

PHASE 3B


ITERATIVE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 2



NOTES FROM THE BRIEF

Phase 4 was all about iterating on our selected design opportunities and adapting it to the context of our selected field. The briefing was pretty clear and it made me excited because it was finally the time to start working towards a final outcome. The following were the points I kept on my mind

  • follow the process of divergent and convergent thinking

  • Have a clear direction

  • Keep your explorations within the range of our selected context


OBJECTIVES

  • I wanted to come up with at least 100 new iterations of my selected idea

  • I wanted to have a minimum of 20+ 3D explorations


 

ORGANISATION OF WORK


All of my work and explorations were uploaded on my Miro board : https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lL3FuUI=/


My visual board was made on Pinterest: https://pin.it/5Yw7RgO



My goal setting/Pin up board/ inspiration board was uploaded on google slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zkhO3YkcOJ9xovRrBayKYaOSoAGKCDkBZodiT3ihFs8/edit#slide=id.p


Finally all this was uploaded on my google drive : https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1phWZPGSqkAWTkVJoU4wsXGpWK4UcNNqR


 

PHASE 3B (DAY 1- 29 APRIL 2021)


REFLECTION ON WHAT WENT WRONG

During my feedback the faculty continuously kept saying that my explorations show a lack of observation. Initially this confused me a lot since I had been observing my panicle intently. Despite the fact that I only had access to the images of the panicle I was able to acquire resources that enables me to study it. On the first day of IDD 2 my faculty asked to go back to the observational drawings. Initially all my drawings came out to be the same, they all looked rigid and identical to one another. However while I was looking at the image I clicked at ICAR (Indian centre of agricultural research) I noticed how their diagrams were very similar to mine. This led me to wonder that why would an institution of scientist and botanist make such rigid diagrams, and then a light bulb went inside my head. Because they have no other options. Each and every panicle is different, no 2 panicles are exactly alike. In its diagram ICAR could not represent the organic form of a panicle because it’s different for each one, all they could do was give a general idea of what a panicle looks like. And that’s what I had been doing. Since I was looking at 10 images to make one drawing (in order to explore the different angles) I couldn’t capture the organic sense of all of them. All I could do was give a general idea. After this, I stopped following the rigid pattern and focused on one panicle at a time, trying to capturing its unique curves.



On day 1 I created a day wise plan on how this stage was going to unfold. I also started to work on my observational drawings. This helped me get a better idea of the organic arrangement in a panicle and greatly sensitised my future explorations

PS- nothing went according to plan


 

PHASE 3B (DAY 2 - 30 APRIL 2021)


On day 2 we started the process of narrowing down the design opportunities. Out of my 5 design opportunities I was able to narrow it down to 2 using the SWOT analysis. However i was still confused on which one to carry forward and hence my faculty suggested that I should take forward both and consider the option of combining them both. They also asked me to not focus on the nature of the final outcome yet, (whether it’s a jali, pot or chandelier) and explore anything and everything.

The 2 design opportunities were rice as a nurturer and symbol of slavery. I was interested in nourishment aspect of rice since it is the most commonly knows association with rice. Slavery on the other hand was the complete opposite of nourishment and reflected how something which is so beautiful and healing can have such a dark past. I worked on both of these individually and together. Highlighting the contrasting elements of the two.


 

PHASE 3B (DAY 3 TO 4 - 1 & 2 MAY 2021)


Over the weekend I developed a divergence of ideas from my opportunities. I started by doodling, trying to focus on the quantity. Majority of these doodles were an extension of the ideas developed in phase 3, while some of the ideas emerged from my improved understanding post the observational studies. Following this I selected the ideas which I through had the most potential. The selection process was based on the quality of the idea. During the selection I tried to select diverse materials and ideas in order to provide a wide variety of options.

I also noted down the inferences I gathered from these explorations

This was followed by 3D explorations of the selected ideas using a variety of materials such as sunboard, acrylic sheet, mesh, aluminium sheet, bamboo sticks, jute rope, threat, nails to name a few.

 

PHASE 3B (DAY 5 - 3 MAY 2021)


Based on my exploration I came up with a few rough idea. These were the ideas that came to my mind spontaneously and were not well developed. I did not restrict myself to a particular outcome like suggested by the faculty and presented a variety of ideas ranging from window jali to chandeliers and even curtains.

On day 5 I presented my work to the faculty and we had a peer voting for the selection of idea. The faculty believed that my ideas were leaning towards slavery and maybe that’s what I should take forward.

For the peer voting we all shared our miro boards and wrote comments for each other, this was a very interesting experience and I got to know the views and preferences of my peers as well.

Though the peer voting was interesting at really helpful, I later found myself in a dilemma when no one voted for the idea that I believed had the most potential.

After analysing the comments of my peers I planned to take forward the explorations that were liked by my peers as well as the one that I preferred (circled in red ) . Over the course of the week I iterated on both of these extensively. I decided to go forward with the idea of slavery and depict it through a chandelier.



 

EXPLORING CONTEXT


based on the feedback, my exploration & my personal analysis i decided to go forward with the design opportunity of slavery.



Why slavery?

Unlike all the other design opportunities slavery was the one that was the most difficult to depict. It is an intangible feeling of being trapped and used like an object. Something that I, as an independent person, can only imagine seeing in movies. The worst of all, this sin is rooted in the rise of a grain that fed half of the worlds population. Rice which in the present times is seen as a symbol of satiety, Nourishment and often associated with the divine gave birth to one of the darkest phases in the history of humankind. Not only that, this chapter is often hidden and rarely mentioned even in the footnotes of history. I wanted to give representation to this historical crime , and provide justice to all those whose story and names where forgotten in the shackles of these panicles.


What is the context?

Like mentioned slavery is a hidden chapter in the world history. I wanted to capture this sense of mystery, and represent the dark past that is hidden behind the beauty of the panicle. Thus I decided to create a hanging structure with light aka a chandelier in order to encourage everyone to “shed a light” on the situation, literally and view the history of the nurturing rice from a different perspective.


How did I arrive at this context?

The process of connecting my subject with my chosen field, that’s Interior Architecture and Design emerged through a process of back and forth enquiry’s. I constantly kept connecting my research done in phase 2 which my experiments from IDD 1 & 2, these links were mapped out on my pin up board. This helped me create a narrative which I later placed in the context of different environments where an IAD professional would work - This ranged from homes to schools to hospitals and even offices. I found that my narrative was best suited for a light source - something that casts a shadow and that’s when I decided to go for the chandelier.

This tell me that I have the capacity to think about not only 1 but many different fields of application that might concern my disciple. I explored everything from window jalis to stairs and even pillows, which reflects my ability to think in terms of space and it’s usage. I have always been the person who ideates using materials. I have a hard time coming up with 2D ideas, and most of my 2D explorations are inspired by possible future materialisations of the same. My inclination towards material exploration, combined with my excitement on the thought of creating something that is related to IAD makes me believe that this is the perfect field of me.


 

REDEFINED BRIEF

After finalising my context i worked on my redefined brief.


 

PHASE 3B (DAY 6 & 7 - 4 & 5 MAY 2021)


I further iterated on my selected ideas. I did more experiments and played with shadow and perspective to add the mystery aspect to my form. I refined and even combined the ideas that were selected by my peers. Based on this i came up with a divergence of ideas which were once again subjected to peer voting & feedback. This helped me select the idea with the most potential & carry it forward.


I critically analysed these ideas listing their pros and cons as well as my own inferences.

The two ideas where as follows


1. A circular panicle symbolising that the situation has depth, the front will have seed pods made with play to symbolise the beauty of the panicle, the back side will have black weave symbolising the darkness and slavery, in the centre there will be a paper mache ball made with news paper to symbolise knowledge with a light insides.

This ideas was selected because the ball of knowledge suited well to the context. It was aesthetically more pleasing. The idea very was different as compared to my other iterations

2. A shadow box representing the slave circle, two panicles going up and down- representing the beauty and flow of the panicle. The back side will have weave indicating the dark side of slavery


This idea was selected as it captures the flow of the panicle while the shadow box adds a sense of mystery. It’s form was more interesting than my other ideas which involved concentric circles


I took these ideas forward for further iteration


 

PHASE 3B (DAY 8 - 6 MAY 2021)


On day 8 i presented my further iterations of the selected idea. I was hoping to have my final form selected however my faculty bought it to my attention that in the process of iteration I seem to have lost the essence of my rice panicle. My ideas were rigid and lacked the flow of the panicle. To Bring this panicle back and to reconnect with my subject I started by doing large scale observational drawings, making them rapidly. I first made the first few sketches by using a reference image, later once my hand had become accustomed to the lines of the panicle I started to draw it from my imagination, creating new rice panicles of my own. This helped me understand the organic form of the panicle that was missing in my explorations.

 

PHASE 3B (DAY 9 - 7 MAY 2021)


I applied my previous knowledge to my selected iterations and refined them further. I presented my work to everyone. And received their opinions and feedback. Based on this and my personal analysis of the pros and cons of each idea I selected my final form. This ideas was a refined version of idea 2 developed on day 7 (5th may)


 

REFLECTION ON THE PROCESS OF WORKING IN IDD-2


IDD 2 was a much more complicated phase than what I had expected. I remember creating a solid plan to follow through the week, however nothing went according to my plan. IDD 2 required extensive back and forth enquiry, connecting the past explorations and studies with the present which was mind boggling at time. During the earlier projects I used to treat each phase like a new project all together, focusing all my energy on what was required for me to do for that particular phase. Naturally there were many areas where my connections with the past research were weak and this caused me to struggle during the culmination. It was only during Galaxy of art and design that I started to understand and the importance taking a step back and reviewing your work, and capstone helped me develop this to my fullest. Using my pin up board and a yarn I spent 10 minutes everyday playing detective and understanding how I can connect what I am doing presently with what I have done in the past. I followed this approach beyond my pin up board, during IDD 2 and allowed myself to go back and explore more. One day I was deciding my final form and the day after that I was doing observational drawings to reconnect with my subject. This, through tedious and time consuming, made my transition extremely natural and smooth. In the end, I realise that though having a plan and executing everything on time is important, there is no plan when it come to ideation, the ideas come and go as the please and sometimes you have to listen to them instead of the Calendar.


 

REFLECTIVE LOG - IDD2


IDD 2 was much more lighter as compared to IDD 1 as I was just iterating and refining the ideas I had already developed. However this “lightness” did not work out very well for me. I am used to having a pressure, and work best under it. I often associate my productivity with the quantity of work I do in a day. So having a less pressure and less work made me feel like I wasn’t doing anything even though I was fulfilling all that was required. However I was able to curb this towards the end as my excitement of the final outcome kept growing. I was able to get a glimpse into my future as an interior designer as I tried to stir my explorations towards an IAD intended outcome. I explored the different fields in which I could work. The moment I started reviewing my work from the point of view of an IAD professional its dynamics changes and I started thing more practically and became more conscious of space. We followed a great system of peer voting and review though this was an amazing initiative, towards the end I felt like I became dependent on there “vote” for the selection of my outcome. In order to prevent this from happening any further I decided to stop taking the peer votes and only listen to the feed forwards they had to give. My biggest achievement however Was my ability to connect IDD2 work with the past phases, which enabled me to develop a comprehensive storyline that added flavour to my final outcome. This phase helped me understand myself on a deeper level, and I was able to analyse what works the best for me and I am sure this will strengthen my work as I transcend into level 4.

 

PHASE 4


REALISING DESIGN OUTCOME


PHASE 4 (DAY 1 & 2- 8 & 9 MAY 2021)


I first began by creating a rough concept drawing of my finalised idea. The reason why I kept it rough was because I knew that I might make more changed in my idea during the prototyping.

I first started my doing experiments. My decided material was air dry clay, however due to lack of access I had to make do with the stuff I found lying around. I did multiple explorations to see what material helps me capture the curves and folds of the seed pods. While deciding the substitute material I made sure I had access to enough material to implement at-least 2 full sized structures.

I used plaster of Paris, modelling clay, wax, fabric, m-seal, paper, and wires to experiment.


Based on these I was able to find effective substitutes for my original ideas.

Here is a labelled diagram that explains the reason behind the selection of the substitute materials.


 

PHASE 4 (DAY 3 - 10th MAY 2021)


I decided that I wanted to make a prototype that was to the scale of my original ideas. That means my prototype was 2.5 feet (I know!) Initially my faculty were quite apprehensive of my scale and instead encouraged me to make smaller prototypes however a large scale model was felt fit for me because of the following reasons :

  1. My model was really complicated- the shadow box itself had more than 10 pieces inside it. Executing something like this on a smaller scale would be extremely challenging

  2. I had access to sufficient material to execute it on a larger scale.

  3. A larger prototype will help me get a better idea on how to attach, arrange, hang and balance a model of that scale and size, something which I would not be able to comprehend with a smaller model

  4. I had been looking forward to making a final form since the first day of Capstone and I felt like a small prototype won’t do justice to my vision


 

PHASE 4 (DAY 4 & 5 - 11th & 12th MAY 2021)


After deciding the scale I began the long process of preparing the components and assembling my final form. I faced many ups and downs during this process.


Here is a short video that shows the making process of my prototype and explains in details failures and triumphs.


 

PHASE 4 ( DAY 6 - 13th MAY)


With my final form complete I worked on my concept drawings. I drew 4 different views of my final ideas. I added explosive drawings of my shadow box to showcase its functioning. This was supplemented with zoomed in views and digital illustrations.



 

FINAL FORM


With the final prototype complete it was now time to name my creation. While naming the form I kept going back to yin and yang and the philosophy of good and bad. I adapted this concept to rice and named my form mae and maafa.

Mae phosop - the Thai rice god

Maafa - means disaster and is used to refer to the enslavement of African people


I initially felt like this name would be difficult to decipher for the people who did not engage in a 7 week long research about rice and considered going with rice and race. But then I realised that my form stands as a symbol of diving deeper, going beyond the apparent and shedding light on the situation, and hence it’s only valid that I give my viewers something else to ponder over.




Here is a short video that explains my final form.



 

CONTEXT


Users/ target audience


I believe that my chandelier is not suitable for a home environment and might seem extremely tacky due to its appearance and colour combinations. Instead I think this chandelier works better as a centre of attraction in a relatively larger building such as a hotel lobby. If I take into account the message it carries- the dark side of rice and it’s contribution to the rise of slavery - then this might be a structure that would complement the lobby of the slavery museum or perhaps even be a part of the exhibition itself.


 

REFLECTIVE LOG PHASE 4


While I was working tirelessly on my final form I was reflecting back on all the redo's and iterations I did. I remember feeling frustrated whenever I got a redo or felt dejected when ma’am asked me to iterate further instead of selecting my idea. However now suddenly they all made sense. I quickly realised that if it wasn’t for all those attempts, I wouldn’t have the form I have with me right now. Now looking back I can’t imagine myself making any other form but this. I devoted myself to my work and had faith in the process. I always had a slight feeling of worry when I was going slow or going back and repeating the observational studies. But I didn’t let that dampen my spirit and continued to work with all I had. I always imagined my final form to be a representation of my capstone project. However I now realise that my form is nothing but a synopsis of my eventful 7 week long journey.

 

What next?


The process of learning and exploring never ends - one thing that was constantly thought to us throughout foundation. And now when the time calls for it, I have decided to continue my capstone until my transition into level 4. After making the self assessment that my form was too literal, I took it upon myself to explore this in a more abstract manner. I am going to work on this during my vacations as a post capstone holiday homework. While also working and incorporating the feedback that was given to me by the faculties during the crit including - working on my compositional sense and paying more attention to detail in order to improve my final outcome.


 

FEEDBACK


Throughout capstone i was actively recording & working on the feedback given to me by the faculty


 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION FORUM



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