DSDN 104: Precedent Images

So, well into our third project now, and it's just starting to get really interesting. We'll be transforming a concept of pattern into a 3-D printed model. It's going to be really, really cool, and I can't wait to get my model printed for me! It's just such a cool concept of design! You can create something on the computer and then have a machine make it for you. That idea is just fantastic, and seems almost otherworldly.

So, for this new project, a lot of the inspiration is going to come from patterns. The idea behind patterns is something highly iterative, that can be repeated and transformed. through the presence of many copies of itself.

Image acquired from: http://www.123rf.com/photo_13117221_experiments-with-the-golden-ratio-top-view-of-dandelion-seeds-with-black-background-notice-the-spira.html

This dandelion is such a cool example for the use of spirals in nature. The Golden ratio is all through this image, and just the actual mathematical elements behind such a base iteration of nature is fascinating. And then the fact that it is translated onto an actual sphere makes the whole pattern even more intriguing. The pattern feels both light and very very deep and controlled at the same time.

Image acquired from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/DirkvdM_natural_spiral.jpg

Here the spiral is much more pronounced,  but in a 3-D state. I always love playing with these plants when I come across them. There's something really fun about them! And it's really fascinating that nature chooses to create such forms. I can definitely see this being a prominent inspiration for my models, using a spiral to increment the design of the model height-wise.

Image acquired from: http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/075/5/9/Fibonacci_Spiral___Flash_Art_by_Rahzizzle.jpg

Here we can see the Fibonacci spiral in much greater depth and clarity than what we could see before in the natural examples. The growth of the spiral through not only a larger spread but also a larger "strokeweight-of-sorts" makes for a very interesting composition. Again, I do really want to combine the elements that make up this spiral into a composition, for sure.

Image acquired from: http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/422971.html

Again another natural structure that has been heavily adopted into our man-made world. The hexagonal structure of the honeycomb allows for very structurally integral designs, and also just feels futuristic. While adapting from nature is by no means a new practice, for this particular structure any design that uses it just feels like it benefits massively from a burst of futurism. While I do love the concept of spirals, I also love the geometry of mathematical forms, which can be beautiful in their own right.

Image acquired from: http://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-patterns/miscellaneous-geometric-patterns.html

Drawing from some Grecian inspiration here, this Classical motif is used heavily in Ancient Grecian designs and façades. The optical illusion of such a 2-D form means that while in 2 dimensions the planes being how they look in 3-D would make the form impossible, but if we were actually to play with the design in 3 dimensions, we could actually make a very interesting form that could emulate a sort of torus knot.

Image acquired from: http://graphicleftovers.com/graphic/seamless-geometric-pattern-1863/

Another form that gives a sense of depth is this one here. Our eyes play tricks on us and we perceive a whole wall of protruding cubes. This is a really interesting pattern, and potentially playing with the idea of having a textured surface might be really interesting for the design. I'm not sure how easy it would be to make a texture stand out really well, but it could be very effective.

Image acquired from: http://www.patterninislamicart.com/drawingsdiagramsanalyses/?book_id=2&iid=3248

This design here stems from Islamic patterns. Islamic architecture and façades feature very large amounts of patterns. If we think of buildings like the Babylon Gate, the textures there are vital for making the building what it is. Without the patterns, the gate would not be the same. The patterns that I'll therefore draw on are critical to the success of the design.

Image acquired from: http://designfluff.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/free-greek-key-and-other-stencils.html

This is another Grecian design, referred to as a Greek "Key" Pattern. The use of this pattern around columns and the edges of façades was extensive, and shows the Greek devotion to very simple ornamentation in their work. This design is simply geometric and yet still leads the eyes on a very interesting journey.

DSDN 112: Aesthetic Design

So, in class today I decided I definitely needed to take steps towards completing my frames for my interactive flash project. The most critical point at the moment is the actual design aesthetic of the holographic system on the arm.

Another decision I've decided to make is reduce the complexity of the future vision project and ditch the glasses. The project is now a holographic display that projects from micro-projectors situated along the arm. When the system is in private mode, it is only visible to you, because, well, magic fairy dust. 

But yes, aesthetic. I did a few sketches and came up with some different designs. One option that I could possibly integrate is an element of theme customisation, but I think I'll choose one aesthetic and say deal with it to the users.

The first aesthetic that I came up with was a circuitboard-based system. Interestingly, this one has elements of futurism and elements of industrialism to it. It feels a little grungy while still maintaining an electronic, futuristic connection.

I've used this aesthetic for a project in the past, and while it was a totally different thing, the aesthetic worked quite well on the whole. My tutor at the time did refer to the circles (derived from actual circuitboards) as space-grapes, so I guess it maybe wasn't the best idea. But it could possibly work quite well for this project. We shall see.

Deviating from a more "traditional" technology association, I tried to experiment with something that is very organic and draws from sinuous, natural forms rather than the harder lines of technology. This incorporation of elements of bio-morphism could work in my favour as this style is having a bit of a comeback, and futuristic design is incorporating forms from nature on a much more regular basis.

One thing I was thinking of was the possibility of having the connections between the different "pods" of data as status bars. When something is active in that area, the connection could light up or be a different colour, letting the user discreetly know what's happening.

Another idea I experimented with is the concept of an overlay of a mechanical-style robot arm. This could be a really cool aesthetic, but it also feels very heavy (despite the holograms weighing nothing) and contrived. This really isn't ideal. I want the user to feel connected with their technology, not feeling like it's just trying to be gimmicky. The human form is very fluid, while traditional robot forms are anything but.

The idea of connecting via joints could be quite cool, however.

Gravitating away from future aesthetic and back to large clunk pixels, despite what's actually happening here may actually be a step in the right direction. Games like Minecraft are really starting to bring back the pixellated aesthetic, and this could be an ultra-simple design style that might be quite successful. Using soft pastel colours in combination with strategic use of stroke weights could make this aesthetic very appealing.

Sometimes the future isn't completely clear!

This is a final aesthetic that I thought of. Yes, I know, the thumb looks really weird and is totally in the wrong spot. But that's okay. Playing on the simple aesthetic I created this idea, which I decided to name the "Lightning Connection" which uses stylised lightning to join the "pods" of the system. This shape is less fluid and sinuous than the organic aesthetic, but are still more natural than the other forms. It could be successful, but I really think that for this project I need to make sure that my aesthetic is powerful and can run the show.

I think I'll mock up the three best in Photoshop and see which one works best.

DSDN 142: Plant Growth Precedents

 So, the most difficult part of this interactive project is going to be creating the code for the plant that tracks where suns are, since I have to create some sort of algorithm for the plant growth, connected to a sort of distance meter, telling it to grow towards the light. It's going to be tough.

So rather than stress about that, I decided I would visit OpenProcessing and have a look at the masters of coding. That way I can just tell myself how awesome there stuff is and how I'll never make it to that level.

Spiral Growth by Sasa Zivkovic

Sasa's work is amazing. It's so simple and yet the interaction is pure joy. The mouse, moving from left to right, decides how large the circles are that emanate from the centre point. When the circles get bigger, the angle they leave the centre at is increased. When the mouse button is held down, the rotation reverses, and yeah...you just have to try it out for yourself. The patterns you can make are awesome.
You can find it here.

Roots by Greg Kepler

This is a totally different processing sketch. This sketch draws randomly generated roots when the user presses the mouse button. Each root created is unique and separate from the previous one. The result is very realistic. This was over 50 clicks down the line, and it really does look like what would happen in real life. Definitely worthy of a look at the code for some help.
You can find it here.

Still searching for more!

DSDN 142: Creating The Radial Gradient

This is the next section on my list of things to do for my coding project. The radial gradient development for the solar entities. This was definitely one of the hardest things so far. The nested for loops making up a function that wrote the circles creating the illusion of a gradient is rather cool, but might not be the best way of doing things.

I also managed to significantly advance it from what I had in lesson, so that now the location of it is linked to the mouseX and mouseY values. This allows me to move and manipulate the sun on the fly. I have the sun set to expand and brighten the longer the mouse is held down, with the effect slowing down the larger the sun gets.

However, being me, I wasn't satisfied with this result. It just really doesn't get across the effect that I really want to achieve, so I continued developing the code. Since at present my work is rather stylised, I decided I should stick with that current track record and continue onwards to make the solar entities even more awesome looking. 

Having the banded gradation actually makes them look far more awesome. I really like this look, but it still feels like it's lacking somehow. Not sure how.

This is immediately so much better. The actual central light makes it feel like a sun caught in some sort of foreign nebula. Having a bright point at the centre just makes sense too, and having the central point get slowly larger while the bands for the gradient move outwards with the mousepress makes this a very dynamic entity.

Now I just need to make them part of an array!