Assignment 1

Brief: To find circles, triangles and squares in our surroundings that are a
part of our daily life. To find the hidden character in them and to analyze
the reason for it being so through discussion.

From this exercise, firstly, my observation skills improved, and I

discovered how everyday objects are made up of basic geometric shapes.
I found out how different people may see a variety of things in the same
image and perceive the same shape in different ways. Despite this, there
is some common feeling associated with every changing factor. This is
where we, as designers, are supposed to work in order to communicate
what we wish to the larger public effectively. I also learnt the importance
of context or frame of reference while looking at anything because
perception never takes place in isolation.

Triangles

The triangle looks more sturdy and balances because of its equal division
by the spokes.
Assignment 2
Brief: To cut triangles, circles and squares of given dimensions and to
manipulate their forms to a very small degree. Analyzing the changes
taking place in the character of the shapes due to these manipulations.

I got to experiment and learn what kind of changes in the shape lead to
which emotion or which adjective might be used to describe a particular
shape. I found that the feelings that evoke upon changing a big part of the
shape can just as easily be communicated by editing a small part of it. I
learnt how past experiences affect the way we perceive and understand
things to a great extent. It often becomes very difficult to see a shape
without associating it with something that looks similar. In the end,
through lots of experimentation and exchange of opinions, we could gain
some perspective on how certain manipulations may influence the
perception of a shape. I also observed the difference in results while
working with three different shapes. Triangle has inherent directionality.
Addition of vertices challenges this property while curving the edges
makes it more prominent. Square is balanced and making changes to one
side or vertex makes it look unstable, especially if it is at the base. The
orientation of the shape also plays a great role in its character. The circle
is a symbol of uniformity. Even the smallest of changes make a big
difference in the circle as this uniformity gets challenged.

We got to know the technical terms like radii manipulation, chamfer and
surface transition.
Assignment 3
Part 1
Brief: To make any desired changes in two thermocol cubes of side 10cm
through subtraction and using techniques like radii manipulation, chamfer
and surface transition.

I got the opportunity to work with thermocol for the first time. This
assignment was about applying the learnings from two dimensional
shapes into the third dimension. I went slow with the manipulations as we
were to keep the essence of the cube intact. It was interesting and fun as
we had the freedom to do what came to our minds without having many
limitations. In the process, we were asked to describe our cubes using
adjectives and set that word as what we wish to express through the form.
So, we got a direction in which we could work. There was still some
confusion about the way we could communicate that word through form
and a lot of us ended up communicating something else. However, there
was some clarity on basic properties like radii manipulation makes the
cube look softer and smoother while chamfering leads to additional edges
and may look sharper. Later, we were asked to go around and describe
everyone else’s cube which provided everyone with a new perspective on
their work.

Part 2
Brief: To select a word that describes your previous cube (according to
your batchmates) and to make a third cube which expresses that word.

Here, I chose the word ‘contrast’. Now that we knew our goal beforehand,
we could ideate the end product before starting. There were many ways to
show the concept. The first thing that came to my mind was the yin-yang
symbol. I decided to use that curve as surface transition. Secondly, I
thought the most effective way to show contrast in form was to show
smoothness and sharpness. I kept one vertex sharp and softened all of the
rest as radii manipulation makes the cube look smooth. Even though I had
a certain form in mind while starting, I ended up making a few changes as
I felt would be more suitable to the existing form. The concept could be
understood by others when I told them the word, but the form in itself was
leading to multiple words. I tried to analyze the reason for this and the
factors that may have led to a certain perception. Even though I made
some mistakes in representing the word, there was a lot that I learnt from
doing hand-on work.

For the next part we had to apply putty on our thermocol cubes to give it a
smoother and professional finish.

Assignment 5
Brief: To select a word, research about its meaning, associations, etc. and
to represent our findings through illustrations, words or any other
medium.

The word I chose was ‘flow’. On one hand, it was a word that was easy to
understand. But, on the other hand, there were a lot of associations and
meanings that could be found when I thought about it. The most obvious
one was a river. From there, I could only think of water bodies or places
where one might find flowing water. To break this linear way of thinking, I
divided my thoughts about the word into uniform and random, tangible
and intangible. tangible flow consisted of examples like water, air, fabric,
etc. while intangible flow had concepts like mind map, flow of thoughts,
etc. There were also other aspects that follow when we talk about flow like
directionality, continuity, organic, movement and such. Another
interesting factor about is how it can be found in patterns giving it a
geometric base instead of an organic one. Based on this primary research,
I made 2 sheets. One had a visual representation of what I think of flow
and the other had a written analysis of the different facets of the word.

Brief: To create combinations with a pair of geometric shapes (squares,

circles, triangles) that represent our chosen word.

My first approach towards this assignment was to try to make curves out
of the shapes. I thought repeating the shapes would be more effective.
However, this whole concept was quickly proven wrong. The rigid
geometry of the shapes did not represent flow when placed in this
manner. This was the main challenge I faced in this assignment. The
geometrical shapes were the complete opposite of flow. They are stable,
rigid and uniform. Since my first approach did not work out, I chose to
focus on the pattern aspect of flow. This worked to a certain extent. I also
tried to apply circular flow instead of the conventional straight direction. I
tried to play with the orientation of the shapes and found that a
composition that was horizontal or diagonal was more likely to show flow
than a vertical arrangement. Focusing on directionality also proved to be
effective. After initial ideation sheets, we had a discussion in class where
we debated on which forms represented the word well. I found that one
key aspect that I had missed to acknowledge was to look at the
composition as a single form rather than two individual shapes coming
together. Some of the ideations were agreed upon by almost everyone.
They were the ones in which two shapes blended together seamlessly. We
continued making more ideations while keeping the feedback in mind.
This time, I made sure to perceive the form as a whole and focused on the
way the mass of one shape was carried to the other as smoothly as
possible. Next, we were asked to decide and shortlist 10 combinations out
of all our ideations and to collect reviews about what each person thought
of them, irrespective of their discipline or year. We analyzed why some
ideations were more appealing to people than others.
Brief: To alter the chosen forms in terms of radii manipulation and
chamfering to further enhance the idea that is to be communicated
through them.

Out of our 10 chosen ideations, we were to further select two based on

the reviews we got from our batchmates, seniors and faculty. Then, we
had to edit them to make them more suitable for our word. Through radii
manipulation and chamfering, the form developed concave and convex
surfaces. Simultaneously, we were also learning how forces interact in a
form in our theory sessions. This theoretical knowledge was put to work in
the assignment and so, theory and practice went hand in hand. I tried
various alterations and found that flow indicated a sleeker form. So,
convex edges did not work out for me as they made the form look more
bulky or heavy. Same logic applied for rounded corners. Rounded corners
also hampered directionality while sharp vertices enhanced it. So, I
explored more concave edges and sharp vertices. Choosing the degree of
manipulation to decide the most suitable form was very confusing and we
ended up taking each other’s help through give and take of opinions to
come to a final form. For each of the two shapes selected, we made
enhanced forms that would better represent our word.

Brief: To create a metamorphosis sequence connecting our two final

forms and to make corresponding two models with a vertical axis, one
straight and the other twisted or bent, out of sunboard and wire.

While making the metamorphosis, it was most important to maintain the

degree of change made in each step. Through some of my batchmates’
experiences, I learnt how we may sometimes tend to undertake an
unnecessarily complex journey and how we can find the direct and simple
way to do the same process. After many trials and corrections, we
finalized our metamorphosis. Then, we had to transfer these steps to
adobe illustrator and get the shapes laser cut out of sunboards. It was our
first time operating the software and it was very fun for me to learn the
different functions. The satisfaction I got after perfectly tracing one shape
made it worth the struggle and frustration that we all went through
initially. The few of us who completed illustrating on time got the shapes
laser cut and we all went to see the process as it was a new experience
for all of us. The rest of us cut the sunboards by hand. Both processes had
their own set of pros and cons. After cutting out the shapes we were to
stack them on top of each other in the same sequence as our original
metamorphosis by using a thick wire as support. This was also the vertical
axis of the form that would be made. We cut a second set of shapes and
made a similar second stack but this time, we were supposed to either
twist the axis or bend it to make a curvilinear form.

Brief: To translate the stacks of shapes into three dimensional forms and
to make their models out of thermocol.
My shapes and metamorphosis were relatively easy. I had clarity about the
first model, and it came out pretty well on the first try. I struggled a lot on
the second model. It was twisting in such a way that it gave a false sense
of being bent. I drew guidelines but still ended up cutting off a wrong
chunk and had to redo. I took a way bigger piece of thermocol and started
carving only to realize later that the form was becoming bulkier than it
was supposed to be. The next day in class, I found that almost everyone
with a circular form was facing the same challenge. I had to work a lot to
reduce the diameter of my form. I was also extra cautious while cutting off
any piece because of the previous mistake I had made. But this made my
process much slower and more tedious. In the end, my final form was still
a little bulkier than expected but I had come a long way from where I had
started.

Brief: To make a form using the concept of gesture that would depict the
chosen word out of a block of siporex.

This was a group assignment, and the groups were formed based on the
previous assignment by seeing which forms communicated a similar
feeling. Then, we had to decide a common adjective that would best
describe all our forms. We chose the word flexible. Keeping this word in
mind, we had to ideate on a gesture and try those different ideations
through wire models where the wires would represent the axes. As a
group, we made more than 50 ideations and had a discussion to shortlist
the ones that looked most flexible. After finalizing the basic structure, we
went to the next step, which was adding mass to the form by using clay.
This was where we played with concave and convex surfaces, variation in
amount of mass at different points, the different forces at work and
explored the ways in which the form could be made more and more
interesting. Clay was an additive medium as opposed to the subtractive
material thermocol that we were working with until now. We got to
understand a new process of developing form through this exercise
because of clay. It gave us more freedom to make changes at any stage
and of any degree. After an interesting enough form was made, we moved
to the next and final part, that is, working on the big siporex block.

The first and most challenging part was mapping out how the form would
look on the block. Our form was especially more twisted and explores a lot
of planes and directions which made the process even harder. We mapped
out one surface at a time. The initial cutting away of the block was very
scary because siporex is a material where we cannot make mistakes.
Besides, it was our first time using power tools. We were afraid to cut too
much in the beginning, but as we became more comfortable with the
power tools, it became easier to bring out the shape. We still ended up
making a big mistake and cutting off more than required. We had to spend
a long time trying to correct it and bringing the form back on track. We
used hand tools also for a major part of the form. As each surface took
form, the next steps which were so confusing in the beginning became
clearer. We sanded the form to give it a smooth finish and thus our final
form showing flexibility was ready.

Brief: To design the form and scent of a perfume bottle based on a

person’s personality.

We had to form pairs of two for this assignment. My partner was

Peeyusha.

NANDA

Assignment 1

The first assignment was to look for basic geometric shapes (circles, triangles and squares) in
our surroundings and click photos. This improved my observational skills and opened my
eyes to the use of geometry in our daily lives. Later, we discussed the pictures among
batchmates and tried to analyze the character of that shape. I could see how different people
had different perceptions on seeing the same image. However, there came a point when
everyone thought of a common word upon seeing the shape. So, even though perception of
character is subjective, there are certain factors that objectively influence the character of a
shape. Our understanding also changed based on the circumstances around the shape and I
learned the role of frame of reference in everything we see.

Assignment 2

In the second assignment, we were to cut out circles, squares and equilateral triangles an
manipulate its elements like surfaces, edges and vertices to a very small degree. I ended up
making very drastic changes in my first attempt which distorted the original character of the
shape. Then, I went slower and observed what degree of change is needed to bring out a
certain character. We learnt technical terms like chamfer, radii manipulation and surface
transition and used them to make these changes. Different shapes have different inherent
qualities and every manipulation can either accentuate or challenge them. Circles show
uniformity and flow. Even the slightest break in its uniformity looks like a big change.
Square is a balanced and heavy shape. Following its symmetry accentuates its characteristics.
Triangles have strong directionality and look sharp. Rounding the vertices and convex edges
take away its inherent qualities whereas concave edges accentuate them.

Assignment 3

For the third assignment, we were given two thermocol cubes. As in the last assignment, we
had to make small manipulations in its elements and convert the knowledge we got from two
dimensional shapes into three dimensional forms. I was more interested in exploring surface
transition since we could not use it in two dimensional shapes. So, I used it as the primary
factor while making changes in the cube. Working with thermocol was a new experience and
I learnt the properties of the material as well. We had the freedom to make any changes. The
only requirement was to retain the essence of the cube. Midway through working on our
cubes, we were asked to come up with one or two words that we would use to describe the
character of our cube. After deciding a word, we were to continue making changes so that the
cube would look more like that word. It was a difficult task since I still did not have much
clarity about expressing through forms. The two words for my cubes were flow and structure
respectively. Through the exercise we learnt some basic results that can be derived from
certain changes. Radii manipulation makes the form look softer and heavier whereas
chamfering edges makes the cube look sleeker and blends adjacent surfaces together.

Assignment 4

The fourth assignment was the other way around where we chose a word first and then
manipulated the cube accordingly. We had a discussion about the previous cubes where each
one of us went around and wrote down how we perceived each cube. Based on the reviews
left by our batchmates, we got to see whether our intention was communicated. Then we
chose the word which was most recurring for our third cube. Since my two words were
structure and flow, I took it upon myself as a challenge to show structured flow. I kept most
of the edges and vertices intact to retain the character of the cube and showed flow on the
surfaces by using curving lines to make the surfaces connect. I was successful in showing
flow as it was more dominant in my cube. I had to take more efforts to show structure along
with it. I also learnt a lot by analyzing the work of my batchmates and we all got to learn
from each other’s mistakes as well. I was surprised to see such a variety of opinions about the
same geometric shape from different people. In the end we had to apply putty on our cubes to
give them a better finish and make them look smoother. I noticed that a difference was
caused by the change in material as well.
Shapes photos

1. Circles

- Washroom sign

The circle formed is geometrically accurate and shows uniformity. The visual weight of the
circumference is more which makes it look balanced and stable. The red colour draws
attention rather than the white inner space.

- Wheel

The association of the wheel and its orientation makes the circle look dynamic. It suggests
circular as well as outward movement due to the equal division makes it look balanced. The
light and shadows show difference in plane and gives three dimensionality.

- Utensil

The play of light shows that the inner space of the circle is concave and that it is metallic.
Repetition of circles makes us perceive them in a pattern. The angle of the image makes the
circles look distorted.

- On floor

The circles can only be perceived in context with each other. The black circles look stark
with a clear distinction between positive and negative space. The white circles have a blurry
boundary which makes them look softer.

- Bracelet

The circles at the tip of the bracelet are spheres which is evident due to light and shadows.
The top circle has been slightly chamfered which breaks its uniformity. The edges are not
well defined which makes the circle look soft and smooth.

2. Triangles

- Dustpan

The triangle is elongated and the and the bottom vertex is rounded which enhances its
directionality. The thickness of the edge also decreases as it goes upwards. The orientation
and right angle makes it look stable.

- Mat
The edges of the triangles are not straight and have texture which makes them look rough.
The repetition makes us perceive them in a pattern due to which it looks organized.
Directionality towards both opposite sides balances each other out.

- Net

Repetition of triangles makes us see them together but they do not follow a pattern so it looks
random and messy. They show diagonal directionality. Many of them have chamfered
vertices which emphasizes the opposite vertex.

- Hazard sign

Radii manipulation has been used on all three vertices which counters the directionality and
brings attention to the centre. This is also because of the element present in the centre. Thick
border and orientation makes the triangle look stable.

- Charger

All edges are convex and vertices are rounded which makes the triangle look softer and
brings flow to the shape. The bottom has a dent in the middle. It makes the shape look
unstable. The orientation still suggests directionality.

3. Square

- Shelf

The thick border gives stability and rigidity to the square but it does not have a solid base
which works in the opposite way and takes away its sturdiness. The corners are precise and
suggest slight outward movement.

- Qr code

We can only perceive it as a square because of the law of closure. It does not have clear edges
which makes the shape look softer. Three vertices are highlighted. This also suggests
directionality.

- Threads frame

The visual weight of the square is very less so it becomes the secondary point of focus and
looks delicate or fragile. The various elements interfering with its edges make it look rough.

- Arrow button

The edges of the square are well defined. It looks hollow and suggests the third dimension.
Various planes can be seen. The elements inside the square break its symmetry.

- Green net
Repetition of the squares makes us perceive them in a pattern and they look organized. Every
square is not precise. Their vertices are slightly rounded which reduces the sharpness. The
line weight is thin. So, it looks flexible.

Brief