INDN 252: Design Physiology

This is one of my newest courses. It deals with human physiology and the relation of industrial design to the forms and functions of different elements of the human body. The course is already starting with a very quick project which we are expected to finish on Tuesday. That's one way of getting us back into the groove of things.

Our first project sounds like a lot of fun though. Split into two parts, we are expected to bare all and photograph our bodies. Well, maybe not quite bare all...but for the first part, we are expected to take photographs of what we consider to be anomalies on our bodies. These anomalies could range from genetic anomalies (birthmarks), to product-induced anomalies (scars and broken bones), to environment-induced anomalies (tan lines).

It's actually rather hard thinking of what would be work photographing on my body. I have a bit of a pigeon chest, so that's an obvious first port of call. It's always been something that people see at the beach or the pool, and their first emotion is that of disgust. So that's always been something I've had to deal with while growing up.

My second anomaly I'd photograph would most likely be the way my hand's tendons stick out like crazy when I move my hand in a particular way. It's quite alien, almost. Almost doesn't really look like a hand at all. I still quite like my hands though. In a weird sort of way.

My third anomaly would be a group of moles on my left arm. Moles have been a part of me for the longest time, and I'm not sure I'd be the same person if I didn't have them. I...wouldn't be me somehow. That sounds a bit stupid, but in a way it's kind of how it is for me. Just the presence of imperfections on my skin, they make me who I am.

My final anomaly would be a part of my skin that I always feel looks far older than it should. A small patch on the inside of my foot, I always feel like it's come from an older person. The veins and arteries that you can see through the skin feel like they are translucent and odd. In a way, I feel like this area of skin shows how much stress our feet go through every day carrying us.

I'm a weird person with a weird body.

On Thursday my partner and I are going to the ergonomic room to take some really good photos. Victoria University has a great ergonomics room, as it has a cyclorama, which will be fantastic for taking photos of ourselves.

As for the second section of this assignment, we have to photograph a moving, changing part of the body. While writing this blog post, I came up with the idea of exploring how the mouth moves in different ways, and the effect it has on the surrounding skin and the lips.