My name is Helen Zheng and I am from Budapest, Hungary. I am currently a freshman at Parsons School of Design pursuing a product design degree.
Comparing my work from the first to the second semester, I think that my style definitely remained the same but the projects types have changed from the first semester. I kept my minimalistic style and had the chance to explore more this semester. I think first semester was more hands-on than the second semester, mainly because of Space/Materiality class which was about 3D space design and material experimentation such as wood, fabric, clay, acrylic, e.g. I mainly used wood as my primary material in this class because I personally think that wood is the most suitable material for my style. I continued to use wood in my 3D modelling techniques class this semester which is almost the same as Space/Materiality but there was definitely less work. It is a combination of technical and computer program, for instance, Blender.
In Studio and Seminar classes, there was definitely a significant change between the themes. I jumped from “Memory” which focused on self-identity and memoir, whereas “Constructed Environment” mainly focused on research, space and how do designers use reading and writing to help translate an idea into a finished product. The skills I adapted from first semester courses, like woodworking skills, time-management and research ability helped me through Seminar and 3D Modeling Techniques.
I personally did not see any close connections between Studio and Seminar. Both classes covered the same theme, however, I cannot find any relevant connections between every project. In Studio, we worked on Union Square for almost the past two months, whereas in Seminar we only covered Union Square in one project. Aside from Seminar, the classes do not have any connections with one another, every class has its own direction.
One of the assignments that I truly enjoyed was the Union Square essay in Seminar when we had to go and sit for a while and just observe. I chose the chess site at Union Square and wrote about the time I went to play chess with professionals. This was an interesting essay to write and one I truly enjoyed writing. Another project that I found interesting was the final model-making of Union Square installation. It was interesting to see the final project after working for almost two months on one project, adding different assignments from week to week. Now that I see the final project in one piece, I understand all the assignments we went through.
One of my most memorable highlights from the first year was when the “Abstract Cube” I made in Space/Materiality class got selected for a school presentation. When my professor first talked us through the project, I did not know what to think or do. I was rather confused and for quite some time, could not come up with any design. The requirement was to make an abstract cube that fits into the dimensions of 10 x 10 x 10 inches. I went online to look for inspiration and ideas but could not come up with anything intriguing. So I put the project aside and left it for the last minute. I noticed that whenever I am the most desperate, the better designs or writings I create/write. I left this project to the last minute and one day, I sat down and sort of just started sketching around and after a while, I came up with a simple yet difficult design. Throughout the process of making it, I came across many difficulties, such as off-measurement and wood problems which required me to redo it. One thing I could have done instead of just jumping right into the making process was to actually do some research on the type of wood I was working with. It would have saved a lot of material, time and energy but I learnt from my mistakes. It was a good lesson for me since I am going to be working with wood quite often in the upcoming years. This project got selected for first-year student work presentation for its creativity, precision and cleanliness. It also made me realise that if I put the maximum work and passion into something, I will get the most out of it.
Another highlight from my first year was when I made a wooden cake box for Space/Materiality class as well. We had the freedom to choose our own preferred material and type of food. The only instruction was to create something that can hold food. To test out our projects, our professor made us carry someone else’s bag and we had to take a trip around campus. This is to make sure that our containers are usable. The research was mandatory since our theme was “culture” and it was a requirement for the last project. The process was long. and unnerving. After hours of researching traditional containers, I could not come up with anything useful. I mainly looked up “traditional Asian containers” and did not give me any inspiration. I was too caught up with the word “culture” that I did not think about anything else. My original plan was to put small cubes in a spiral shape but that would have been too much so I thought to myself why not put the cubes randomly down on the surface. Everything was going smoothly until I started making holes on the sheets. Because of my lack of knowledge and research on the wood sheets again, I did not know that it was easily breakable. I even wanted to restart the project but the sheets I wanted were all sold out at Blick’s. I had to work with what I had and made the best out of the situation. The process only made learn more about woodworking and made me realise how fragile wood is which sounds ridiculous but is true. The number one lesson I learnt is to do more research and never assume things. In the future, I would definitely be more careful and precise before buying material. However, it taught me a lesson that no matter what happens, I can still make the best out of it. And I did. It turned out to be one of my best projects I have ever done so far.
In conclusion, there are a few professors that I am extremely thankful for because they not only guided me but encouraged me throughout the whole semester. In the future, I am looking forward to learning more about my major, new 3D modelling programs and craftsmanship from excellent professors. I am interested to see whether sustainability is going to be involved in our design studies, even it is, how much emphasis the school is going to put on it? I am also looking forward to learning from professors not only about major-specific stuff but life in general. I am extremely excited for next fall and I cannot wait to jump right into my major related classes.
