Fish Therapy: Week 4 After Tutorial thoughts

I hate my project and want to quit uni and not grow up and think about anything ever again. 

Taking a break from "Fish Therapy". . .

Fish Therapy: Week 4

Context:

Over the past week, I have been working towards a different context. The idea of an installation for Alzheimer's patients didn't inspire me enough, and I found it difficult to imagine it in context. In my tutorial last week (24/10/13) with Mark Beecroft, we discussed the idea of designing material for smaller, more everyday items for around the household. For example, coasters, tea towels, mugs, blankets as well as canvas wall art. I have also been reading a book "Designing for Alzheimer's Disease" in which it gives advice on pattern design in domestic environments for Alzheimer's sufferers, including research in to how they generally reaction to types of patterns. I feel smaller settings for my prints would work best as both stimulating materials and a brand, because of the way (from what i have experienced and researched) household objects that catch the eye of the patient will produce a more relaxed, less forced reaction, rather than if you were to make them look at, or touch an installation, or interactive wall piece. 

I am going to look in to using embroidery machines to re-create my digital drawings of the fish. I also want to use the laser cutter to provide layers and depth to my designs. 

Practical:

With this in mind, I have been carrying on knitting to build a portfolio of samples to use digitally in prints:

Another idea of context I have, inspired by the market research I have carried out in to what 'toys' are available for patients, is to create 'feelers', knitted and material hand held objects which provide tactile stimulation. Something for the patient to hold and exercise their hands whilst sitting down, watching tv or having a conversation with a care giver or family member. 

Mark introduced me to a project similar to what I have been doing myself, but on a much larger scale!:

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project:

I think this is a great piece of community work, and impressive! The use of colour is inspiring for me, as it is full of so many different colours, which go so well with each other as they're all bright, and weirdly, natural colours!

This week I also worked digitally, on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I found it difficult to sit down and start this, so just began experimenting, creating motifs and scenes, using my visual research and knitting samples:

(above) I thought this motif worked really well as my samples have been both fluid, and heavily structured

  (above) I really experimented trying to use my own digital drawings as well as my own photographs here, trying to create prints which abide by the research I have found. Designers are discouraged from using geometric designs as it can make the patients unnerved and confused. I want my designs to have depth, to catch the eye but also provide something to concentrate on.

Fish Therapy: Week 3

My tutorial with Julie at the end of last week (17/10/13) involved a discussion of what I am aiming to create for this project, Julie had suggested an installation, something on a wall, or in a space in the room for patients and their caregivers to look at, feel and discuss. At the time I thought this sounded like a great idea- as it really involves the use of senses that I want to respond to, however having never designed/created an installation before, I'm not sure where to start.

Last week I was working on a digital sketchbook on Illustrator, so it was very flat work. This week I decided to start working with materials- to inspire my installation design. I have always enjoyed hand knitting, and so responded to my visual research with knit:

I enjoyed working with knit again, and felt really inspired using different techniques and needles to create these samples. It also made me begin to think about colour. My next tutorial is an option tutorial with Mark Beecroft- I chose to see him because of his use and knowledge of materials, and I hope he will give me a bit of a different approach to the project to think about. I created a new moodboard for this tutorial to show my project up to date- which also helps me present my project to a group tutorial:

Fish Therapy (working title) project: Week 2

This week we had our first CP3 tutorials, so a lot of my week was spent doing research for that, however it has been a bit of a learning curve to manage my time a little better than I have done this week. 

In terms of this project, I have began some visual research focusing on movement. I spent the whole day on Wednesday refreshing my Illustrator skills (one of the reasons I need to manage time better is because everything takes so long!). 

I have experimented with different Illustrator techniques to create a moving effect in my digital sketchbook.

I have tried to approach images in different ways, also looking at forms of the fish as they move.

I would like to use digital print to convey the movement and pattern of the tropical fish life, and then work over it using materials to add texture to the design.

I found a textiles artist, Rachel Gornall who explores colour, light and patterns in her work which has been commissioned for hospitals:

Gornall's work has reminded me that my designs don't have to be literal, and that I should be experimental with materials and techniques (I am interested in doing some laser cutting to aid my designs).

A quote about Gornall's portfolio on her website:

"Light is very important to the work, often informing an inspiration or starting point and always influencing the viewing of the work, creating shadows and interaction between the layers"

http://www.rachelgornall.co.uk/index.htm

Practice Unit: Summer Project and the beginning of Third year.

Over the Summer we were asked to find inspiration which we could bring to the new Practice Unit- the first of third year. I found this difficult to start. The initial thought of third year for me has always been that all my work must be perfect for that year- so finding inspiration was the first struggle, especially since my summer consisted of work! I soon got over the fear and just started to take photographs of everything I liked. My Mam and her boyfriend got a tropical fish tank over the Summer, which I enjoyed helping tend to, and take photos of:

 When it came to starting a sketchbook I was inspired by the colour, movement, and forms which were in the fish tanks I looked at (I went to a couple of aquariums, too):

Initially, I wanted to use this theme for children's wear again- a context I enjoyed working with last year. However, then I REALLY struggled with a concept. Having prided myself last year on introducing original, interesting concepts to my units, the thoughts of fish and children felt really over-done and uninspiring- which my tutor agreed with in the first tutorial (3/10/13). Queue another panic as I was convinced after this tutorial that I was going to fail my degree. I took a couple of days off and threw out my timetable (to help relax and not let organisation ruin the exploration this unit should include). 

I tried to think of other contexts which weren't young women's fashion, or children- which has been a good context for me because of all of the children in my family. Also in my family, is the matriarchal figure of my Nanna Sheila, who has suffered with Alzheimer's and Dementia for 5 years. Much like the young children of the family, she requires constant care, has difficulty with language and needs stimulants to keep occupied, unfortunately, much like other families, I don't feel the service she receives  has included enough stimulants. In the nursing home she lives in, they specialise in Dementia care:

 

The interior decor is uninspiring, but not old fashioned per say, and includes a lot of memorabilia in the hallways such as records, old movie posters, and "Then and Now" columns from the Hartlepool Mail on the walls to jog the memory of those who look at them. Sufferers like my Nanna pay no attention to visual objects, and when they do it is often described by them as distorted versions of what they actually are (e.g feet are often small dogs, hand bags are stroked like cuddly toys). However, despite difficulties with reasoning and language, a lot of patients still have all of their senses fully working. 

As a textiles designer, two senses I can work with the best are vision and touch.

Fish tanks are often placed in the lounge areas of nursing homes because they have a calming effect. I want to use my tropical fish inspiration to design and create sense-stimulating materials for the context of Dementia patients and their care-givers. Possible outcomes of this are: wall paper and soft furnishings, toys, puzzles, clothes and homewares. 

I will focus on colour, movement, texture and pattern throughout the project. I would also like to showcase my branding skills in this unit, as I feel it is professional and something I do well- I am keen to feature branding and contextualising abilities in my portfolio more.

Concept Proposal board for "Fish Therapy" (working title):