So first, since we are in a design class, I would like to talk about the design of my word cloud. I chose to make it in the shape of a gear for several reasons. A gear:
- typically reminds us of something mechanical and as a mechanical engineer I thought it would be appropriate
- works in a group of gears to accomplish some kind of action - like how we worked throughout this class together (from the assembly line to the PVC pipe activity)
- can be the starting point from which you go on to create something exciting and new
I decided to contrast the mechanical aspects of the gear (and mix in some of the art side) by making it with fun colors and a font that looks like handwriting. I tried to make this gear represent what is so special about this class: the mixing of engineering and art.
Now I would like to talk about some of the dominant words and how I think they fit into our class:
1. Make - it seems appropriate that I used the word "make" a lot since that is what we tried to do throughout the class. Throughout this class, the definition of making has changed a lot for me. I used to associate making strictly with physical products that served some kind of special purpose. After experiences like the clay, concrete, and chair labs, where we made things for no real reason other than to make them, and the inkscape lab (which featured digital making), I have come to change my definition of making to be much broader in scope. I now see making as the creation of new ideas and products (either physical or digital) and sculptures that communicate the maker's message.
2. Share - I was surprised that share was one of the more common words I used, but I quickly realized that sharing has been such a huge part of our class. Every week, our professors have shared insights about how our different disciplines connect and through every lab, we shared our findings with our peers. We also shared what we learned through our blogs, which people can explore to understand what we learned in the class.
3. People - Obviously people were at the heart of this class. We each brought our own unique perspectives and engaged in conversation every week about issues as diverse as the controversy of restoring historical ruins. Through this class, I have made friends with people from different disciplines who I may not have met during my PSU experience.
4. Learn and Try - One of the things I am most grateful for is that we had the ability to try new things and learn about different areas. I have always been interested in the intersection of different areas (e.g. my research in engineering and health and human development) and so it has been great to have a judgement-free environment to try new things (like laser cutting) and to do things that I have no expertise in (like sculpting). I think this community has been one of the best things that has come out of this class and it has allowed me to learn in a way that is very different from my learning in my other classes.
My top three labs:
1. One of the labs I learned the most from was the drawing lab. At the beginning of it, I had no idea what a scribble bot was and I had no desire to make one. I didn't understand the point of creating something that would make random markings because it seemed to go against everything I had been taught about art. But, throughout the process, I came to appreciate and enjoy the randomness of the mark-making and I loved seeing all of our bots at the same time to see how each of them was unique. Making the bot was definitely challenging, but it was also a very rewarding experience.
I also liked that I was able to use the laser cutting experience I gained earlier to make my spirographs. I really enjoy applied learning and appreciate the opportunity to do it since many of my other classes are theoretical.
2. The Concrete Lab - I really learned a lot from this lab and how art and engineering overlap. I had always previously thought of concrete as used exclusively for building because it's a very practical material. It was interesting to see it in a new context and to use it to make art. I also enjoyed the opportunity to use my laser cutting skills and the freedom of the fabric formwork to just kind of see what happens. I am usually very deliberate when making something, so it was nice to experiment in an open environment. Finally, I liked the hands on aspect and the fact that I had something physical at the end to represent my efforts.
3. The Knitting Lab - This lab was one of my favorites and it taught me not only how to knit, but how I can use the internet and other resources to try something new. I think I often get in a rut in school of just trying to get homework done and study for tests, but at the end of that process, you have nothing to show for it except for a grade. It was so nice to break out of that cycle and try to learn something just for the fun of it. Going forward, I would like to do more DIY projects and really leverage the internet for inspiration and instruction.
Conclusion:
This class has helped me come up with my own making philosophy and shaped how I view myself. I now think of myself as a prototype - I am constantly improving and trying to learn more. It has also encouraged me to explore and helped me think more about my long term goals. Throughout this year, I have become very interested in industrial and human-centered design and I hope to work at a consumer product design firm in the future. What I love about these firms is that they combine engineering expertise with psychology and art to make products that are functional and pleasing. Making for the Masses has given me several skills (like laser cutting) that are directly applicable to this field, but it has also taught me more about the maker movement and encouraged me to learn more about the intersection of art and engineering. Thank you for a great semester!
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