Project 4

1. Take pictures of light/illumination
   -source & effect
   -color temperature
2. PRINT (4 x 6)
3. Emotional effect when shooting different types of light

November 6:
Today in class we put up everyone’s pictures of lights and illumination that they found on campus. Through looking at these pictures, we were able to divide up the pictures into categories of types of light, what the light creates, and the function of the light. We also talked about how light can reflect temperature, and how this is related to color and form revelation. In addition, we discussed how some lights are directly shot down from above, while some lights on the ceiling are bouncing up on the ceiling which causes a wider view of light to be on the ceiling and the area. Bouncing light up can have two effects/reasons: illuminating more in general rather than specifically one area; making a microcosm of the world that I am living in.
Types of Light:
-harsh/soft
-bright
-direct
-indirect
-intermittent
-ambient
-reflective
-distributive
-warm
-cool
-decorative
Light Can Create:
-privacy
-intimacy
Function:
-work
-task
-navigation
-ambient (exists on periphery)
-signal
-informational
-status
We got assigned to play with paper and the rotating bulb that Steve brought for us. I have to take a series of photographs from 12 different viewpoints to make a sequence. We can print this sequence out and (optionally) make a stop-motion video.

November 7:
Today I experimented with the light bulb and paper. I wanted to keep it simple as it’s only the exploration step. I tried to only use geometric shapes and make different forms by folding instead of making cut-outs. Keeping it geometric and simple helped me to see how light functions on the tabloid sized printer paper, and how light can be portrayed differently depending on if I make the paper completely close the bulb or if I open one part of it. Making the sequence was interesting to see because I could see the full view at once. I also tried an attempt with paper where I just scrunched it up and covered the bulb with it. Each crease and fold was reflected so well through the light source; I think it was the most effective experiment out of all my other ones. I made a 2–3 second stop-motion video of this sequence to see a moving view of the rotations.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSTIKoNnVoM&feature=youtu.be

The above models are my first attempts working with light and paper. I experimented mostly with folds or overlaps with the paper and how that affects the ability of light to shine through with different shadows.

After experimenting with light and paper, I tried to make a lamp shape or something similar to a light engine. I look at Pinterest a lot to see examples of how certain cuts or folds allowed light to shine in certain directions. Because my context is navigating through a path, I thought it would be beneficial to include triangles as simplified arrow shapes to show a sense of direction with my light. At this stage, I mainly tried different cut outs, different folds, and different overlaps with paper to see which way the light works with each shape that I made.

After making these attempts and reviewing the pictures that I took, I realized that the type of paper is something that I need to explore too. For the pictures above, I only used printer paper and it was too thin to make sturdy folds and have them hold the light bulb and socket. I also learned through this stage that I need to consider where I need to make the light come through; whether it’s from the top or the side or the back or the bottom. The direction and placement of my light bulb and socket will heavily influence the type of paper and which forms I will use.

November 15:
In class, we made a list and had a discussion about which aspects were most important for this project. The picture below shows the notes that I took from class time. The most important thing for me was to not think of the path that I am navigating as something long. It can be a really short distance from point A to point B, not across a long hallway. This reassured me because I was struggling with how to make a lamp big enough to illuminate an entire hallway, and where I could possibly take pictures for that at the end because most of the hallway lights are automatic in the school buildings.

These are some more attempts that I made after class. I explored a lot of existing patio lights that are stuck on the ground because that navigates a path as well, and I also thought of designs with curves in them to make it hanging. The curves and the circular spaces could be used as a “tunnel” for light to go through them, enabling the light to shine down in all directions when it is hung from above.

As my exploration continued, I really wanted to incorporate the arrow shape in a simplified way. Therefore, I thought of making a light engine that has many parts to it, so that the pieces can function as one to create directional information. The main element that I want to focus on in navigation, guidance, and direction. I started to make this my focus by finding definitions for these three words and trying to develop ideas through these definitions.

Although these are rough sketches and ideas that only I can understand in my head, this step got me to think more critically and realistically about the project. I started to think about and make the actual form of the projects.

These are more sketches of the forms that I was thinking about. I really like the idea of the of having one big piece illuminate and shine the light downwards, and having a few of those “arrow” forms act as pieces that can bounce light back up or narrow it down to different directions.

This was my developed idea from the very beginning stage. A lot has improved from the beginning until this stage because I found a way to cover the light bulb and make the whole piece seem as one whole, and not all separate parts.

This is one way I interpreted the simplified arrow shape.

In class, we had a group peer review by table and there was another class time where Steve and Stacie came around and talked to us about our initial projects. I showed the class and professors the model (pictures shown above) and got plenty of feedback that I can work with.
With the peer reviews, my classmates said:
-they are drawn to the piece because of the smaller pieces at the bottom, but they are confused about the purpose of those pieces
-the form is associated with crystals, exploded locks (like shards), and seen as more of an art installation than a lamp
-the form confounds the task because all the different directions that the arrows are pointing to are confusing and misleading
-the form isn’t satisfying in on/off modes because the small pieces aren’t as pleasing since there is never any light going through them
-the associations are not appropriate to the context because the light engine looks like more like an art installation than a lamp that can navigate a path
- “I wish the form was more clear because I don’t know how to react or go”
With this feedback, I learned that the simplified arrow shape was not working because it seemed like only I understood that the form indicated direction. Even if some understood that the form provided a sense of direction, the arrangement of “randomness” was confusing because one wouldn’t know which way to go. Also, the design of the diagonals and the tracing paper part was not unified with all the pieces, so that is one thing that I can fix for my light engine to not look like an art installation. I actually have more to think about now on how to communicate that my light is supposed to navigate a path, not provide a sense of direction.

After thinking, visualizing, and making more iterations on my kept idea, I decided to unify the pieces to make it look as a whole by unifying the pattern on the pieces. I tried drawing different versions of patterns to see which one would look like the best and not confuse others about a sense of direction. I asked peers around me whether what they saw or thought when they saw certain patterns to eliminate certain ones.

For the measurements of the strips on the front, I used calculations derived from the width of the paper. The width was 19 inches, so I eventually made strips that were 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the original 19 inch width. In my opinion, using these calculations helped it seem like the strips were carefully considered instead of them being random lengths without consideration.

Looking at the final outcome, I really like how it turned out. I learned to simplify, unify, and minimize the unnecessary elements of direction and focus on the light doing its job to illuminate and navigate a path. The process from beginning to end was very challenging because even working with paper was difficult: from choosing the right paper to making sure you’re cutting correctly. I remember thinking that I was making my final model when I made a wrong cut so I had to start over, and then another time when I used Bristol Vellum instead of Bristol Plate. The Bristol Plate was a bit thicker, which helped in holding the main piece and the bulb together. During this project, I got to talk to Steve more than Stacie. I remember during one of the last stages of the project I was talking to Steve and we talked about the word “random”. I used the word random when I was explaining how I arranged the bottom “arrow” pieces. While talking to him, he and I talked about whether I really did arrange them randomly, because even randomness can have some sort of thinking. Even if I were to close my eyes and drop the pieces down on paper to see where they land, that in itself can be somewhat calculated to not be considered random. Then, as I was asking Steve questions about which arrangement is better (because I really didn’t know and I knew Steve didn’t know), Steve told me how this is just a light project. Of course, I’m not underestimating and devaluing the purpose of this project, but through Steve I learned that the product of what lasts with me is not a light project but the processes of learning that took place while making this light engine. This realization really got me back to thinking about what I go to CMU for, and why I come to class. Is it really just to finish the projects so I can get it over with and turn it in on time for the grade? Or do I value the teachings and lessons that I learn through professors, classmates, and myself? I’m glad that I got to get closer to Steve and talk to him more about my projects this time. I wish I wasn’t too afraid of going up to Steve or Stacie in the beginning of the school year, because I now know the value of having conversations with them.