Phase one (research and design concepts exploration):
- Written and visual Research (mood board) on what a community is:
The community I will create my project around is my hometown community, specifically the people I spent my every day with. There is no deep background on this subject except for my personal background, so the research I did was centered on looking back into my past and focusing on the people important to me throughout my life. I used photographs to help me with this journey, as seen below:
I also looked at some writings that the loved ones in my life and I have written, and reflected on what exactly my hometown community means to me. Everyone here has impacted each other’s lives in such great ways that will mean so much to me for the rest of my life. Without this community, I wouldn’t be who I am today and I would not be as proud of myself as I am now. They’ve shaped me into who I am and made me feel like I have a place I will always, no matter what the circumstance is, belong.
I also created a mood board/ethnographic research board. I looked throughout my room and throughout my memories and drew images and figures that have a connection to other people in my community.
Digital Inspiration Board:
Design Proposal
For my design, I am going to construct a wooden 7-day pill holder. I want to make this because I want to show the love that I feel for my hometown community and the love I feel from them. A big part of showing love is wanting your loved one to take care of oneself, which is where the pill box comes in. I want my loved ones to stay healthy and take their medicine, and I know they want the same from me. This is why I want to create a creative pill holder that will influence a member of my community to take care of themself and show them love and kindness. I am going to make it both functional and beautiful, making sure that it reflects both the loving community and the functionality of a pill holder.
Phase 2 (Ideation):
Phase Three (3D Sketch Model):
I spoke to my professor about the layout/format of my “memory box” and she suggested I flip it onto its back for a more stable approach. I started with the idea of a roof, but I didn’t like that and thought it looked reminiscent of a barn. I then decided to use doors, and create a box that I would open like an entryway to a home. I really liked this and went further with it by adding designs and holes in the top part of the door to create a window into the design.
Phase Four (final piece)
In-Progress Work:
Final Piece:
Stylized Shots:
Reflection:
Compared to the first project in this class, I really loved this project. I initially struggled with finding an idea that I connected with, and a community I felt strongly enough about to create a project in homage to. After brainstorming, I realized that my favorite and most connected community would be my hometown community: my family and friends in St. Louis, Missouri. I love all of my people back home, and I decided to create something to reflect that love and carry it with me in New York. Beginning with the idea of making a 7-day pill holder (I really wanted to make my own pill holder) I decided to make a container of sorts, something that could metaphorically hold the love of my people, and physically hold items that remind me of them. Once I got to working on my wooden box, I realized the amount of work it would take. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for so long on a project before, and it really made me appreciate the piece and the process I went through to complete it. I decided from the beginning that I wanted the entire piece to be handmade, so I didn’t utilize the laser lab, despite the ease it would’ve given me. I wanted to put my heart and soul into this piece, just as the people at home gave to me. In the end, I’m extremely happy with how this project turned out. I think that the work I put into it is reflected in the final result. I ran into many issues while staining it; the piece expanded due to the water in the stain and became very sticky. These issues set me back while working and caused me to have to slightly adapt my idea of what the piece would look like. I had to sand every surface down, taking a lot of the stain off, and remeasure the shelves inside. Despite this, I enjoy the ‘old’ look that it gives the wood, and I think that it gives it a lot of character that it was lacking otherwise.
