BRIDGE #5- ‘Where are we going? What are we taking in?’

Bridge #1: Spaces of Joy

This was the first major group-oriented projects and I learned to accept and appreciate group reviews and communication much more than before. We took elements from each person so that it was not biased but later we also realized that all the ideas actually need to be critically judged for their context and relevance. It was almost like taking each one’s strength and putting it to correct use while also learning new things. Since it was also our first bridge, we also weren’t sure of how precise elements had to be, how we would be critiqued and what direction were we really heading in. Hence this project was important to understand criteria, aims, and expectations. At this stage I also learned how “constructed environment” is not just a physical environment or space, it’s anything manmade that has a purpose.

 

Bridge #2: Collecting and Presenting Data

I believe this was one of the most surprising projects because I never thought of it to come under “constructed environment”. It taught me how to gather and organize qualitative and quantitative data in form of visual content to present the bigger picture. I think the main individuals to keep in mind for such an assignment are the audience. The way viewers grasp information can be more efficient when we capture their attention with more simplistically and graphically presented data. Selection of important data is also crucial so that the viewer isn’t tangled in a chaos. The choice of my background color could have been subtler because it is subduing the legibility to some extent. However, with the icons and images, I believe the audience learned and related much more.

 

Bridge #3: Issues/Questions/Needs/Potentials

This project let me explore the stage of identification from every angle. It was about boiling down the problems to the ones that were really important and understand which stakeholders were getting affected by them. I think I really learnt a lot about 3d forms and how I can use properties of different basic materials to create various structures. On the other hand, I could definitely have finished it cleaner and polished. Looking at the area from a very concise and defined lens, made it easier for me to choose a problem and focus on it.

 

Bridge #4: Final Interventions

This was the biggest project of the semester wherein I had to apply all the learned skills and methods to explore and make sense of the environment around I chose and to respond to it as a designer in an informed, thoughtful way. Finding a solution that is realistic as well as keeps the constraints in mind is a very difficult task. While I played with a lot more materials in the model, I didn’t forget the context of the situation. The process of creating each element was very rewarding and at the end to see them come together was even more amazing. It makes you realize that designing is not a sketch-approve-result kind of process, it has many layers and barriers to pass through. I also learnt the importance of documenting each stage and modifying parts to suit their needs. Discussions during the process also helped me improve and stay motivated.

A few important ideas I learnt:

 

I think it was extremely important to see the TED talks and read essays along the entire semester because those were few of my inspirations. The one that really stood out for me was ‘From spider webs to elevators: leveraging biomimicry’ by Rene Polin & Daphne Fecheyr.’ The idea behind a cobweb, a simple part of nature, was the solution to an otherwise complex design. Designs can cross boundaries of studies and making such connections can really make them more efficient and smarter.

Failures:

1. I think I could have tried involving more skills with different materials rather than sticking to the ones I already know. More than a failure, it was my inability to get those materials in time to discover and experiment with them. Although I used a lot more materials in my bridge 4, most of them were already known.
2. I would have really wanted to use renderings and digital tools for my conceptual sketches. A little bit more time and experimentation with them beforehand would have helped me. I tried to keep away from it because it seemed difficult but it could have helped my projects get a final touch and better presentation.

Successes:

1. I think with every project, I got better at questioning elements and trying to answer them. What is this for? Why is there? Is it really needed? Every element needs to have a story. Working with constraints and even identifying them was a development that I made. I think a lot of it also came from actually hearing and utilizing the feedbacks that I received.
2. I loved working on data visualization. It made me realize that you need to grasp the viewer’s attention at every step and if data starts getting boring, it is eventually forgotten. Now anytime that I think of numbers, facts or statistics, it’s more images and graphics than boring figures.