PROJECT LINK

"The computer offers another kind of creativity.  You cannot ignore the creativity that computer technology can bring.  But you need to be able to move between those two different worlds." -Tadao Ando

The DIGITAL STUDIO [digi- studio] is setup to expose the students to the digital side of making within the realm of design.  These assignments are intended to be more tutorial than explorative, but each student will get a designated amount of time to learn on their own both within the two hours allotted as well as during studio time.  

Week One Assignment W01_DS01_DAY03

Exploration of Google Sketchup.  Students will explore digital modeling with the patterns they have been provided for the studio assignment.  The tutorial will last about an hour, providing them an additional hour of exploration after the guided tutorial.

In this exploration students will be given a specific pattern that they will work with to extrude and find space within.  The digital tool, sketchup will offer the student the ability to quickly make design decisions while understanding the three dimensional result.  Students will be asked to take their two dimensional pattern and find ways to make the pattern spatial, meaning that it allows for a scale figure to occupy the resulting design.  Students should investigate how to capture the ideas found formally within the patterns as three dimensional ideas.  This digi studio exercise ties in with the same pattern exercise that will be introduced earlier in the day.  Students will have prior experience with drawing the patterns in axonometric.  Hopefully, the digi studio will allow the student to discover new ways to quickly and efficintly capture the same qualities found in their drawings now in digital form. 

Google Sketchup was originally designed and released by @LAST SOFTWARE in  in August of 2000.  The software has an easy to use interface that combines typical drafting tools with 3D modeling software.  Sketchup is available to download for free for student use and is compatible with such software as AutoCad, 3DStudio MAX and others. 

Week TWO Assignment W02_DS02_DAY08

Exploration of Photoshop and Illustrator.  Students will explore digital representation techniques to help assisst them with their mapping assignments.  The tutorial will last about an hour, providing them an additional hour of exploration after the guided tutorial.

In this exploration students will begin to explore the graphic and two dimensional qualities of digital technology.  Through a simple exercise that will tie into their room in a city project, students will be exposed to both Photoshop and Illustrator techniques that can be used to diagram out their ideas.  The project for the exploration will use both platforms to create an image that works to explore similar ideas found in both their mapping and house in the city projects.  By exploring the graphic and abstract, students will be able to illustrate simple ideas in tandem to create a large complex drawing.   

Additional resources and tutorials can be found on Adobe's website at this link.  Illustrator is a wonderful tool that allows ideas to find representation.  Take the opportunity to experiment with the tools within the program to find new and unique means through whcih your ideas can become illustrated.

Week THREE Assignment W03_DS03_DAY13

Exploration of Google Earth and other programs to allow them to understand their designs in relation to the larger context. 

Week FOUR Assignment W04_DS04_DAY18

Work session to allow students to finish final deliverables for final project.