I fully intended to do this project with campers. But it was a slow week. And my only camper arrived after I had finished the project and she just wanted to skate.
The past two weeks we’ve spent discussing and thinking about design. I think I have a pretty good idea of what good design looks like, so I’m going to help you by showing you what I often see as elements of good design. Ahem *cough*.
Once upon a time, Meredith went into the craft closet to find some design. And what did she find? Meredith found…
Pom-poms! They showed her about space and how overlapping objects can give a feeling of depth to an image. And then she found…
Buttons! So many red buttons! All different shades and sizes, they gave her photo a sense of scale between big and small buttons. Up next was…
A selection of googly eyes! So flashy, these eyes helped guide the way to an understanding of hierarchy. Who’s more important here? Meredith then reached into the closet and she found…
Popsicle sticks! The repetition of these sticks was a dramatic change from fluff balls and buttons. All the same, they have a similarity that’s easy to spot. “If only there was something fuzzy,” Meredith thought to herself…
Pipe cleaners! How perfect. These fuzzy pipe cleaners are great for showing off line and maybe even movement, since we know they had to be bent to get this way. It looks like there’s something fun at the bottom of the closet…
Legos! Excellent! Legos are some of Meredith’s favorite toys because of the texture they have. The texture is especially apparent when you step on one in your socks. Ouch! Now it’s time for a project…
Origami! Just what she was looking for. The best part of origami is that it shows you in graduation how one step leads to the next and then the final result. Paper cranes are cool! Let’s see what else is on the shelves…
Colored squares of paper! Look at how well each of these squares shows us shape! They’re all slightly different, but they work together to complete the image as a whole. The color of these squares is neat, but what about…
More buttons! Oh, but these buttons are different. They aren’t in a line. These buttons show us about color and the subtle changes in shade from white buttons, to cream, to brown, to black. These buttons are awesome! Meredith thinks for a moment and realizes her composition is missing something. Better look in that closet again…. Aha! Here they are…
Crayons! All stacked on top of each other, the shadows in this image show that these crayons take up a three-dimensional space. Their form helps give a sense of space and the area that these crayons inhabit.
Meredith felt absolutely spent after searching through the closet for inspiration on design. But there was so much there to inspire her creativity and send her in the right direction. But then she looked around at the mess she had made and whined, “I wish I could design a maid when I needed one!” She then collapsed into a pile of tears and was never heard from again.
THE END
Probably the most important thing that I learned from this project was that you don’t have to look far for design inspiration. As soon as I was done shooting I immediately seemed to see design everywhere. And there were so many other elements that go in to good design that I didn’t get a chance to mention. I made a list of probably 20, then took pictures and analyzed which property seemed to be embodied best in each picture. As you can see with a few, they embody more than one element/property of good design. Aesthetically I usually have a very simple idea of design and I’m glad I was able to work that into this assignment. These photos are really reflective of my style… when working with a dinky digital camera and not my beautiful film camera 😦 Maybe I’ll get it mailed to me…
thepostcollegeblog 
Very crafty, indeed, Meredith! It’s amazing what visually interesting and engaging images you can make with a “dinky digital camera.” The origami is my fave with the Legos close behind. Would love to see what you do with your beautiful film camera.
Just curious. You’ve obviously got a sense of design that seems naturally part of you at this point. Did you have that before your Art minor? How intuitive was it and what advice might you give someone just beginning to think about such things. How long before automaticity kicks in? And when do you purposely begin to think with such principles?
I would probably have studied Art full-time if I thought I could make a career out of it, but I think I would rather have a job that encourages and rewards creativity rather than expects it. I’ve been drawing and doodling since before I can remember, so at this point thinking creatively and trying to do something differently is intuitive.
It’s hard for me to think of it not being intuitive since that’s how my mind works, but my advice to others would be to stop thinking about it. I always tend to over-think things but when I stop, and observe, I find things come to me more easily. Nature tends to arrange itself in ways that are automatically aesthetically pleasing, the way a river runs the path of least resistance. I think that’s why nature photography is so popular… things naturally look good in nature. My favorite photographs are the ones with the least fussing, which capture the moment exactly as it is. To become naturally creative or with an eye for design, I would advise someone to close their computer, open their eyes and look around them. It’s out there.
“… things naturally look good in nature.” I agree wholeheartedly!
One of my favorite photographers, Ansel Adams ! http://www.anseladams.com/contemporary-art/
I have one of his prints facing me in my study. Just a tree covered with snowy branches.
I enjoy your pictures of the buttons, so simple, yet elegantly illustrate scale and colors.