[09/09/2016] Advanced Interior Design Projects I: Project 1 - Cultivating the Sea - Float Farming.

My final year officially starts. Currently in semester 6 and just one more semester to go till I graduate.

For this project 1, is just a starter pack to our final project for this module. We are required to come with a device for an activity related to the sea. Per say, you choose scuba diving as your activity, then you have to design a device that's useful for the divers to use or from an existing device, you try to improve it.

But before starting on anything, we had to research and understand the project title. So I did exactly that. I researched what "Cultivating the Sea" and "Float Farming" means. From what I found, both are similar in definition.

Cultivating the sea is basically contributing with sea to produce something. Example above is a group of scuba diver experts build a balloon-like pods underwater to try and grow vegetables by using the hydrophonics method.

The two sentences given in the project title are basically saying that we are always meeting future demands. When land is limited, we resort to using the ocean.

Going into the project itself, I had 3 different ideas.

1. Scuba diving as my activity and thought of a device where they are able to scan/capture marine lives and it will tell you the facts and information about that marine life.



2. Tourism as my activity and thought of a device where you can detect when the dolphins comes and swim in groups for the tourist to enjoy.



3. Scuba diving as my activity again and thought of a built-in camera goggles where the camera are the lens of the goggles.



After showing these ideas to the lecturer, we conclude with me doing my first idea but changed it to being an app instead. So for this project's submission I have to submit an interface design of my app. Show the panels how my app will work.

But before designing the interface, I had to think like the end user and list down the pros and cons of scuba diving and also the rules and with this list, I try to include solutions through my app. With the help of my cousin whom has experience in scuba diving and the Internet, I managed to list down the issues without problem.



Then I started doing a draft of how my app is going to look like and create a logo and name for my app. To which I named it as "CAPTUM" it's Latin for the word 'capture' and also because the whole point of this app is to 'capture the marine life'.



I designed the logo by using the camera aperture symbol and a fish/fish fin to represent the app. It is an easier to explain the whole meaning behind the logo 'CAPTURING THE MARINE LIFE'.

After having our pin-up last Thursday (8th September 2016), my lecturers told me to make it more interesting. Instead of a typical app, make it into an interacting app. Like a game. They told me to look more into Pokemon Go and then design the interface.

So after getting the feedbacks, I listed down how I want my app to work as a game. Of course I want the game to be available offline, to be able to play without the need of an internet. Since the players will be underwater and your mobile data won't work properly when you're deep inside.

The player has to capture a few amount of fish in a category in order to activate the information so they will be able to get information.

Updated at 2:13PM: My friend just said that it's possible to use your data in deep ocean as long as there's line. Therefore, making my game app a game that needs Internet is possible!

After listing everything down, I tried making the interface design on Photoshop.








Still in the process of trial and error.

Bobby the Little Brown Whale.

So, last time I chose to do a kangaroo stuffed animal but while I was Googling for a pattern template for kangaroos, I found a template pattern for whale and I can't resist whales. I love whale, like in general I find whale so adorable. So instantly I changed my mind and chose to do whale. 

To be honest, I already bought all the materials needed to make a stuffed animal before deciding to make a whale, hence my whale being brown and not blue. But hey there's nothing wrong with having a brown whale stuffed animal right.

So, this is Bobby the little brown whale (yes, I named it because of my dear friend insist of naming it). He's very tiny and cute but friendly. He plays with everyone and everyone likes him a lot.

This is Bobby after having a meeting/hanging out session with his other stuffed animals friends.

This is Bobby planking at the side of my bed.

I added bells around Bobby because I know how much kids like when their toys make sounds so that way Bobby can attract their attention.

I made a video on how you can play with Bobby.

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[28/08/2015] Interior Design Projects III - Workshop 02: Web of Word.

On the same day, after completing workshop 01. We were supposed to do another workshop but due to time constraint, it became a homework instead. So we were told to explore the word "PLAY" and make a web of word out of it until we have decided on the word we want for our playscape. This way it will help us in designing our playscape. After creating the web of word, we were to do a 5 conceptual models based on the word chosen. We were allowed to do 5 different conceptual models or a continuation of forms.

The words I chosen is imagination, freedom and opportunity.

These are my 5 conceptual models

We were also given a specific site to design this playscape at which was around the KLCC park. Each lecturers and groups has their own specific space. For mine, we got to choose any empty spot/space around the children playground and from there we further develop our playscape design and take consideration of the surrounding and the space. 

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[28/08/2015] Interior Design Projects III - Workshop 01: Making while Narrating, Narrating while Making

23rd August 2015 marks our start of a new semester which is semester 4. Our studio project this semester is to design an Interactive Library for Children with different age group to choose from (1-4,5-8 and 9-12 years). During the first 2 weeks of class, our respective lecturers held 2 workshops to help out with the preparation before actually designing the interactive library. The first workshop was to make our dream toy.

Brief: students are to spend an hour in the studio creating a toy for an age group. You are to bring the necessary materials such as scissors, fabrics, paper, thread, etc before arriving to the studio. Think of a toy that you once wish that you can make with your hands. You may use your design journal for thumbnail sketches as to develop ideas. Tell a story about the toy that you have created to your classmates.

While thinking of what toy we want create, we were asked to answer these questions to help us in understanding the toy we want to create:

1. INTENT: What was my intention? What follows is shaped by the intention?
2. DEFINE: What features exist in my design?
3. EXPLORE: What ideas does the design convey?
4. SUGGESTIONS: Where and for whom is the design most meaningful.
5. INNOVATING: How was the design produced?
6. GOAL GETTING: How innovative & effective is it & why?
7. KNOWING: What cultural significant does it have?

I made a toy that is very meaningful to me. A stuffed animal. The reason why was because it represent my childhood as a whole. I spent my childhood days with the stuffed animal I already had till today. So I was thinking of remaking the stuffed animal and innovate it in a simple way.

This was my result. A comparison with the existing one and the new one. I only had 1 hour to do it so it is not as perfect as I wanted it to be but we were told to upgrade/redo it again and submit it in week 4 (18/09/2015).

I learned a lot from this workshop. It was my first time stitching a stuffed animal. I actually find it fun and interesting though you need patient and time to make a perfect one. 

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[30/4/2015] Interior Design Projects II: Phase 2 - Site + Space.

Today, we had our presentation on our site analysis.

All 6 groups combined their A1 boards together to make it look united. With much hardwork and pushing from the lecturers, we all managed to finish it on time and come out with amazing presentation boards which both the lecturers were very happy about.

How we managed to make 6 A1 boards look like one? We came out with a pattern and placed it in the middle of a combine 6 A1 boards.

Which resulted to this,

I'm very happy with the outcome. It was challenging to come out with these kind of presentation boards, so through hardship and challenge, we learn together in groups how to work together and come out with something like this. 

Each of the group representative had to present on each of the topic. For my group, I was the representative to present and explain what we have found during our site visit on the activities happening there. I was a bit nervous so I was lost of words, probably because I was first to present and wasn't 100% ready yet but thankfully, my group members helped me out and we managed to explain whatever we needed to clearly to our respective lecturers.

I'm very proud and happy to be leading my group. This is my first time working with strangers that I barely know and just started knowing this semester. They all were friendly, helpful and nice. We helped each other out with everything and that makes us going. We have gotten closer which was very lovely.

Here's a group picture of us.

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[22/4/2015] Detailing and Working Drawings/Interior Design Projects II: Site Visit to Plaza Damas, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1.

Last Wednesday, with a collaboration with our Interior Design Projects II class, we were brought to our first ever site visit around Kuala Lumpur which was at Plaza Damas in Sri Hartamas. Our project for Interior Design Projects II class was to design your very own hybrid restaurant/cafe. We were brought here because to see how the environment of that area is and observe the different types of restaurants and cafes that are available there. Plaza Damas has 8 blocks of shop lots and a shopping mall in the center of all the blocks. All these 8 blocks has its own characters and specialty. All the restaurants and cafes there are actually very interesting to look it.

These are the 8 blocks taken from Google Map.

We were given NAKED Restaurant & Bar as our main site visit. We were told to observe every little details happening around the area including all the 8 blocks. We were also told to use that space as our space when designing our own restaurant/cafe. 

Before going to the site, Miss Diana, our Interior Design Projects II lecturer divided us into 6 groups. Where each teams has their own tasks to do when at the site. Our task were to do all the 5 AEIOU and M where A is for activities, E for environment, I for interaction, O for objects, U for users and M is for measuring the given space. Each of these task, she elected 6 leaders where I am chosen for doing the A task. In groups of 8 people, we were to observe the activities happening around the site.

We went there at around 2:15pm and reached around 3:30pm. The surrounding was very peaceful, calm and quiet. There weren't a lot of people around there. We could mostly see foreigners and working people having their late lunch or a lunch meeting. 

As for our Detailing and Workings Drawings class, we were told to do a report about our given building that we were tasked to measure on site. We are to produce a list of drawings of that building and do a report about its surroundings as well. We had to look into every details in that given space and produce an accurate detailed drawing of that given space. 

After going to the site, I learned how important it is to observe the surroundings and environment of the space you are using before designing the space as it will help you understand how the users uses the area and how friendly can your shop be. 

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