9/11 Memorial

This past weekend my family and I went to New York City. We visited the 9/11 Memorial and I found the design of the memorial very interesting and creative. The memorial consists of two large waterfalls leading into reflecting pools which are located where the towers once stood. On the panels around the pools are the names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks. A variety of trees surround the pools. When I got home I looked up the design of the memorial on their website and discovered that it was chosen from an international design competition consisting of 5,201 submissions. The website shows what the finished memorial is supposed to look like and it was neat to compare with what it looks like while it is still in the process of being built. I found that the memorial is very environmentally friendly as well. The website also says that "its design conveys a spirit of hope and renewal, and creates a contemplative space separate from the usual sights and sounds of a bustling metropolis" which is a feeling I really got when at the memorial. Overall I think the design is a very successful way to commemorate such a significant tragedy and to remember all of those who gave their lives to help our country. Here are some pictures I took while at the memorial:

According to my parents and other Tech employees, many people actually noticed our projects and used the maps to go see the other ones. Great success!

Clay Piece

My clay piece ended up being very brittle. Today I tried to take it inside my dorm before I left but when I tried to pick it up, another one of the walls snapped completely off. This is the second wall that has come completely off and now I think that it looks better than I had originally made it. At first, it was lopsided and the walls were not completely connected but I like the way it looks now. I'll post a few pictures later.

site specific pieces

Walking around to all of the site specific pieces on Wednesday was a really great experience. Everyone did a wonderful job and I was really fascinated by some of the pieces. It was cool to how everyone's piece interacted with the site and what it revealed about the site. I was interested by Dani's because of its placement, it really made you wonder how she got it out in the middle of the waterfall. I liked the thought behind Mohammad's piece and how each cluster of clay pieces represented CO2 molecules. I loved Maureen's and how it fit so well with the tranquility of the space. It was also really cool to see the quality of some people's work like Conor's and Ginny. Their textures were so clean and really communicated the textures that were depicting very well and clearly. Overall it was just cool to see the wide range of products that came out from one assignment! Good job everyone

Jennifer Maestre

In my group's presentation today ( we were pencil and Albers) we had one slide about interesting things you can do with pencils, besides mark making. There was one image that really stood out to me when I was doing research on pencils. This artist, Jennifer Maestre, creates sculptures out of pencils inspired by sea creatures. The forms are really interesting to begin with but then the texture of the sharp pencil quills sticking out makes the piece really sand out. I am inspired by artists who transform mundane things into beautiful forms. If you're interested check out her website, she tells you how she does it:

Jennifer Maestre's website

group presentations

I thought that all of the presentations today were very interesting. Some of the comparisons were so different and dynamic between things that you think wouldn't easily be compared such as the refrigerator and the bed posts. A comparison so abstract like that really forces you to look at the formal qualities of each piece and evaluate each piece's use of space, form, and material. One principle of design that I had never thought of as a principle was parts to whole. When thinking of elements and principles, I usually think of terms such as volume, space, line, ect.; things that describe a zoomed in element of on part of a design. If evaluating an art piece, you think about that one piece. If evaluating a structure of architecture, you think about looking at that building as a whole. But what is just as valuable is looking at that architecture as a whole in comparison to its parts such as the interior and how it works with the surrounding landscape or urban planning. Furthermore, if evaluating one of Ziesel's it is important to evaluate and individual piece of the ceramics but also how say a dish compliments other parts of that particular dishware collection or the salt shaker with the pepper shaker.

Wednesday Lecture

Although this most recent wednesday lecture was agreeably disorganized, I think many interesting points were brought up. The "suburb-effect", as he described it, probably influences your lives, although you may not realize it. I thought it was interesting how the suburbs were created, in his opinion, to get away from the hustle and bustle and dirt of the city. How they began as hybridized rural-urban living areas with connections to nature but evolved into sanctuaries of boredom, repetitiveness and uneventful lives.
At first I remarked upon the unconnected nature of the lecture's points, but now I realize that some may be applied to design, even if the comparisons are reaching.
In design, products have been simplified and had their appearance toned down in an effort to reduce user confusion and wariness towards complicated features. While the basic idea is helpful; create a user friendly layout to familiarize the public and increase sales, the reality is that a slew of indistinguishable products have overwhelmed our culture, lacking unique design and sacrificing aesthetic interest for comfort or ease of use.
I think the challenge for up-and-coming designers is to create quality, lasting products that introduce new and exciting layouts without forgetting about the all important aspects of ergonomics and simplicity.


Let's have this first one, not the second we are so familiar with.