Lizzie Wa Design

To do:

• Exploded diagram
• Sign with installation
• Hand in Report
• Other considerations
• Feedback

Exploded diagram 

I used the sketch up model I created and exploded it out to show how all the parts fit together. As there is a lot going on with the installation it is quite hard to show how it all fits together. I might need to make more than one diagram to show it all clearly. 

Materials 

I want to ensure my installation is sustainably made and only has a small impact on the planet. An ideas that was mentioned to me was 3D printing. This is something i had always assumed would not be eco friendly as it takes alot of energy to produce and mainly uses plastic. 

However, PLA is the most common plastic used for the process and this is actually made from a Corn-based substance and is therefore biodegradable over long periods of time as well as being recyclable. https://www.makeuseof.com/is-3d-printing-eco-friendly/  

I did some research into eco-friendly playgrounds to look at the kind of materials used in them. 

https://miniwiz.medium.com/7-of-the-worlds-most-eco-friendly-playgrounds-3c70443bc7cc

A way many of these playgrounds use materials in an eco friendly way is by repurposing things that are already created and are now waste products. So many things have been created that it’s impossible to comprehend, and so many of these are still in existence today. If i can find a way to use things that have already been created it will use less energy to produce and mean my installation has a very low impact on the planet. 

When it comes to sections like the slide, I could easily buy and repurpose a second hand slide from somewhere. However the large size may cause difficulties. 

The best way to make this may be to repurpose as much as possible and then ensure all other materials used are natural and either biodegradable or able to be reused afterwards. 

Texture

Interesting textures are a good way to tempt people to touch something. The use of recycled and repurposed materials will mean that my installation will be made of a range of textures making it tactile and varied. 

Sounds

Sound often creates powerful emotional responses in people that others senses can’t create. I want to install sound within some of the pieces of my installation. The ear drum will create sound when the player bangs on it. The listening ear will amplify the sounds around it, drawing the players attention to the sounds of the city and the sounds of play. 

I also want the mechanisms to create sound while they are used, giving the player some audio feedback. The cogs should have a satisfying click as they turn and the cheeks will be filled with rice so they rattle when spun. 

I have decided against playing any music or sounds around the installation. This is partly due to not wanting to use any electricity in the installation, but also because I want the sounds that can be heard to be the sounds of play and for people to be able to hear how they collide with the sounds of daily life. 

Sign to go with it

I started designing up the sign that would sit alongside the installation to explain what it is and give adults the ‘permission’ they are always looking for to allow them to play comfortably. 

I wanted this to be simple, fun and in line with the branding style I created. I tried various designs to find one i was happy with.

I decided it needed to stay quite simple and mocked up this simple sign in a couple fo ways. 

Feedback

I reached out to some other designers and also to Holly Gramazio, the play designer I spoke to earlier on in my project. I showed them a rough document that outlined my idea and outcome.

That is really good and super clear- I love the idea! I think your illustrations really bring it to life and I like that you haven’t mocked it up, it’s your drawing outside the real kings cross- kind of plays into the element of play even more! – Courtney, Designer 

Ahh you added a face to it! This is awesome, I love the idea, and like Courtney said, keeping it in your illustration style really brings that element of playfulness into it. In some of the mock-ups, try adding silhouettes of people sitting or interacting with the installation, to better show scale. And I know this is a rough presentation, but it would be cool to see each and every element of the installation on their own separate page, sort of like a walk through of the installation but for those only seeing it through this presentation. – Yara, Designer

I LOVE THIS! And I would totally play! I think it’s ahead of the trend too – mindfulness colouring books and even the national museum lates show that adults want and need the play. I like your colour palette as it feels playful but mature. And the hand drawn illustrations are great as Yara and Courtney say. – Lizzie, Designer 

This is looking great. One thing that you’ve done with the design but not specifically called out is the choice of colour palette, which manages to be playful without being kiddy, which seems like it should contribute towards the sense of it being for adults. It seems like something that would really encourage photos as well, which is another thing that sometimes lures adults into doing playful stuff! I don’t know if you have the space or the need to identify those specifically but they struck me as elements that are a key part of why the design would work as intended that you haven’t specifically mentioned! 

You’ve got it pictured facing directly away from the station – I wondered about the orientation, and what the thinking was there? My instinct would be that people going towards a station are probably going to be more likely to be in a rush, and less likely to linger, but I definitely don’t have any stats on that, it’s just a feeling! – Holly Gramazio, Industry Expert Play Designer 

Deliverables 

I thought about the possibility of creating a website for the installation to give it some context and give people more information about it. However, i think the simplicity and playfulness of the installation would be ruined by a website as it somehow stops the installation from being a strange and childlike thing that you simply come across and enjoy within the moment. 

I do think that marketing around the installation, both digital including social media and physical marketing would be beneficial to spread the word and spread the message of adult play further afield, in the hope of sparking more projects and research into it as an idea as well as simply inspiring adults to want to play directly. 

Further development

I am still refining my installation. I decided to add buttons onto the back instead of handles as i think they look more tempting for people to press and get invloved.

After the feedback I received from Holly about the orientation of the installation, I decided to move the location of the installation and change it so it is facing the station instead.

I then added in the additional playground style lines around the installation and more details on the design, as well as adding my sign into the design.

Reflection

I sent my project out for feedback from a few people including the industry expert i had spoken to earlier on in the module. I am not satisfied with it completely at this point but wanted to gauge others opinions on the idea and look of the installation. Working completely alone on a project for this long is a very strange experience, so it was nice to reach out to others for feedback and their view on it as i find fresh perspective is always important.

Overall their feedback was positive and they found the installation to be fun and engaging which is exactly what i had hoped for. I’ve already taken some of their points into account by changing the direction the installation is facing and adding in a person to give the installation an easy to grasp sense of scale.