The Process Is A Processs - Vinyl Design

Designing a Vinyl Object Tattoo: Step 2

The reality of designing something real that will exist beyond the ephemeral digital universe feels a bit paralyzing - and I wasn't expecting that. Where I left of last week was with my top 3 approaches shown below:

(unfolding cube, typographic play, and woven islamic patterns)

Continuing from my last post I also explored what I didn't pursue last week: abstracted architectural lines from architects that inspire me. But, I found these to be too illustrative and not shapes that utilize the tools we are working with in a powerful way. 

  

I went back to the geometric approach that could become a pattern, and I thought it would be cool to use the vinyl and incorporate the quality of light and how it plays with the pattern when casting shadow. Two ways I thought of doing this: a lampshade and a window. 

The critique from peers in the class was encouraging and they felt a patterned geometric approach that retains the thin construction lines could yield interesting results. They also said to play with an 'incomplete' pattern that sort of breaks up as it cascades so on forms like the lampshade I don't need to be concerned with it being totally connected. The typographic concepts didn't connect with them as much and they much preferred the detail within the layered pattern. 

When I spoke to my instructor (Hi Bryan!), I was encouraged by the idea of site-specific designs, particularly for the window - but it became clear that my objects had no meaning to me and felt like a disconnect with the autobiographical element of the assignment...

Shit. 

I was lost.

I was stuck.

I wanted to pursue the creation of a custom geometric islamic-inspired pattern, but what am I going to put it on? My laptop? It was what I used daily but it's more like an object of utility than adoration. It represents what I do but not who I am.

Then, I was unstuck - I went to my last blog post and right there in the second sentence I was reminded of who I was: a huge stationery nerd. 

(one book to rule them all)

My first idea for a vinyl tattoo was to solve the problem of my 4-notebook trivial-but-infuriating issue. Well, over the week I decided to re-write my notes into one book and go back to a one book system. Originally I felt a bit blah about this decision but as I heard Frank Gehry say last Thursday in the film Briefly "Trust yourself - for better or worse, that's you".  

Well, for better or worse... I LOVE NOTEBOOKS!

In particular, I take great pride in this well-used tool I use daily over each school year. This is the first year I didn't bind my own sketchbook, so it will be wonderful to put my own mark on this notebook another way. 

The re-focus of this project onto the object drove me toward a more in-depth analysis of what I'm working with:

  

• Exposed binding 
• Black cardboard paper
• Back panel has a flap to hold papers
• Used in conjunction with small planner and blackwing pencil
• Tabs on the right are inserted to mark each class, colour-coded for each course

I want to improve the aesthetics and functionality of this notebook with this vinyl tattoo, and I think the unique binding will serve as a unique surface to traverse. Aesthetically, a metallic vinyl would be a great way to tie in this notebook with the other tools I rely on daily. Functionally the lines could serve as markers to indicate where each tab should be placed for each class for a course. 

Using the concept unfolding and geometric islamic patterns as steps (or progression), I began to explore how it could interact with this object:

Using the tools of this class is an important aspect of this project so I dove into rhino quickly after realizing that how I was going to build it was important (even at the sketching stage). 

(building the notebook - with the spine detail and tabs )

(playing with patterns and compound shapes)

(building the base pieces to 'weave' with)

I used tools like polygons, trim, array, offset, hatch and polylines to play around and start building. One thing to note is that I will have to create a 'thickness' or surface for the construction lines to remain. But I ran into an issue when building this base pattern... issues of alignment. Although I relied heavily on o-snap, I realized I'm having trouble with precision when angles are involved. It's something I'll be asking you about on Monday!

(alignment issues - see left intersection vs right intersection)

Next steps will be building the base pattern out and then trimming + patterning the interior of the cubic polygons. I'm not stuck anymore. I'm excited again. I'm an excited stationery enthusiast ready to geek out on this notebook. YES.

-SP