GDES1B26 — FW2010 — 14

The display is up (the photos) but the poster will be up on Thursday. 🙂

Psychogeographical Map

Since we’ve got negatives as our final photos I was very curious to see how they actually look like as normal black and white photos. So I inverted a few of the pictures in Photoshop and they look great!

http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

Click here to download pages 35-57 from Art as Experience by John Dewey (1932).

—
“Experience occurs continuously, because the interaction of live creature and environing conditions is involved in the very process of living. Under conditions of resistance and conflict, aspects and elements of the self and the world that are implicated in this interaction qualify experience with emotions and ideas so that conscious intent emerges. Oftentimes, however, the experience had is inchoate. Things are experienced but not in such a way that they are composed into an experience. There is distraction and dispersion; what we observe and what we think, what we desire and what we get, are at odds with each other. We put our hands to the plow and turn back; we start and then we stop, not because the experience has reached the end for the sake of which it was initiated but because of extraneous interruptions or of inner lethargy.

In contrast with such experience, we have an experience when the material experienced runs its course to fulfillment. Then and then only is it integrated within and demarcated in the general stream of experience from other experiences. A piece of work is finished in a way that is satisfactory; a problem receives its solution; a game is played through; a situation, whether that of eating a meal, playing a game of chess, carrying on a conversation, writing a book, or taking part in a political campaign, is so rounded out that its close is a consummation and not a cessation. Such an experience is a whole and carries with it its own individualizing quality and self-sufficiency. It is an experience.” (Dewey 35)

Eww.. mud…ew ew ew… mud. ewww.

Secret Balloons                                                

Along with other interventions,Secret Balloons experience was taking place in Trinity Bellwoods Park  on April 2nd,2011 at 12:00 . The field full of colourful balloons that were attached to the ground and risen up to the air, immediately captured people’s and children’s attention at the park. When curious observers were coming closer, they were informed by the organizers that these “secret ballons” are placed in the park in order to collect people’s secrets that are supposed to be written by them on the paper joined to  each balloon. Same rules applied to children, in spite of the fact that they didn’t know how to write; their parents were writing their secrets/wishes for them on the paper and children found this activity pretty engaging. However, when several mothers asked if these balloons can be given away, the organizers were trying to explain that they will be happy to release “secret balloons”, but it can be done only after 15:00. People around the park were not only participating in this intervention, but also were enjoying the view and taking pictures. The observation showed that some participants were giving a serious approach to this “game” and wrote their real secrets such as ” I really miss my boyfriend because he doesn’t call me anymore”, “I’m afraid to die alone” , “I wanna wish to my family always to be healthy”. The experience engaged people of different age and all of them were having a great time at Trinity Bellwoods Park. As was mentioned above, organizers refused to give balloons to participants during the experience until it’s done; however, the interaction was finished around 14:00 and because there was nobody anymore who would want to  have these balloons, organizers had to pope them all.

Click here to view Secret Balloons Experience video (updated  version)

I’ not sure that these photos should be on the pinhole camera website because they are not really about pinhole cameras; so I’m posting them here.

Talking lamps experience which was introduced by one of the groups involved a number of lamps set up in different places around the park. The lamps were wired and there was some kind of devise through which the person on the other end of the wire could communicate with people passing by.

Usually experience went like this:

People strolling in the park were attracted by the lamps; some lamps had music coming out of them so people were even more curious about them. As a person approaches the lamp it starts to talk to the person; this was supposed to stir up surprise, curiosity and excitement and engage the person into conversation. The person exits the experience as soon as he or she gets bored. It is not clear for me if there is some kind of extension of the experience.

I observed two lamps. One was standing on the side of the park path near the entrance and the other that was standing on the wide tree stump in the middle of the park. The first one was very attractive: it sanded on the visible spot, had a very interesting look and there was music coming out of it. People, who passed by the lamp, did pay attention to it but did not try to engage. One third of the people who did try to enter the experience heard the phrase “Dance with me!” coming out of the lamp; and after that the person was either trying to communicate with the lamp or simply was walking away (the last was more often).

The second lamp had the same idea but it did not have music so it was heavily relied on the conversational aspect.  There were more people trying to communicate with this lamp. Parents were enjoying tricking their kids with the talking lamp. And kids were really engaged in this experience, but lamp did not hold the conversation and the kids’ attention and interest were shortly lost.  Then there was a group of “business” people hanging around the lamp, joking about it and engaging in the conversation with it.

Overall, the idea of talking lamps experience seems compelling to me and people would enjoy it more if the person who was talking on the other end of the wire would not be so obviously noticeable. When I approached the lamp, the first thing that I’ve noticed (except the lamp itself) a bench full of people spying on me and that made me uncomfortable and constrained because nobody likes to be under surveillance. Second, the location of the lamps was important because some lamps were standing along the paths and people just passed them by especially the ones near the entrance. The lamps that were in the middle of the park were more popular as a lot of people were congregating there.  Third, I think that it is very hard to achieve great results in this kind of experience because the person who is suppose to hold and develop the conversation has to have a bit of a talent in talking with strangers and engage them into discussion and also finish up the discussion at the very right moment in a very nice way so the interlocutor won’t get bored and won’t feel rejected. This did not go so smoothly when I was observing the experience probably because it was already too late and students were tired of talking.

Photo: kid is saying goodbye to the talking lamp 🙂

Congratulation on the successful implementation of your Urban Intervention! A lot of you worked very hard to make it happen. Everyone I spoke with had a wonderful day in Trinity Bellwoods last Saturday, thanks to you (and the weather).

I look forward to having one final chat with you on Friday about all of the different interventions, including yours. A couple of notes:

• Anything and everything that needs completing — e.g. documentation, recycling, refunds, experience evaluations — must be complete and posted to the blog by the end of class on Friday
• Friday is our last class, and is not optional. Please be there.

See you Friday!

Cooking is a pastime enjoyed by many, however in today’s fast-paced society many are grabbing a quick bite to eat rather than taking time and cooking for their family. Building blocks for adults aims to promote fun in the kitchen again. These magnetic blocks can serve as both a fun toy and as a useful storage option for one’s spices and seasonings. The magnetic blocks can be attached to one’s fridge and can be filled with what ever spices are popular in the household. The user can quickly grab a spice (block) off of the outside of the fridge, saving time in one’s busy schedule and allowing the cooking process to be a fun experience rather then one simply feeling as though they are slaving over a hot stove.

The blocks can be purchased individually to allow consumers to collect and grow their collection. The blocks are also available in a wide array of colors to allow consumers to choose colors to coordinate with their kitchen décor. As well, the colors can be used to differentiate spices so the cook can quickly identify the desired spice needed for the recipe.

The blocks have a dual purpose as they serve as an excellent storage and organization option for spices as well as a refrigerator magnet, which can be used to attach notes or shopping lists to the fridge. The blocks can also be used as a graphic focal point in the kitchen where the user or guests could rearrange the magnet blocks into a design, pattern or picture. The blocks can also be organized for certain recipes, certain blocks can be kept together if they are always used for specific recipes such as one’s favorite chicken dish etc.

When the prototype was created, users responded positively to the design. Users enjoyed the freedom of the design and the options for creativity. Users also felt the design was fun and enjoyed rearranging and playing with the blocks.

Reid and I talked and since the photo’s turn out aren’t so great; we are thinking of not displaying them either in the restaurant of the lomography store. An option we came up with is that if we still decide to display them would be to make a collage and display them somewhere in OCAD. Reid suggested a small collage to put up somewhere. If we as a group decide this is a good idea please comment, and maybe I can get Jesse to get us some wall space?

Secret (ish) documentation will also be taking place so as to extend the life of this project but we don’t want to discourage participants from taking part or make them uncomfortable with cameras obviously in view.

It is important for the class to monitor the leaf-cards as they’re being hung, as well as make sure each participant gets an information card.

Attraction: brightly-coloured leaf-cards that hang from multiple trees will peak interest/curiousity from passersby; the class could also be wearing a distinct colour t-shirt to make it obvious that an event is going on

Entry: self-explanatory instructions; a table will be set up beside a tree with leaf-cards and writing utensils ; a question will be written on a large card and left on the table for people to answer

Engagement: answering controversial/personal questions by writing them on the cards provided; taking those cards afterwards, and letting each participant hang their answer on whichever branch/spot on the tree they prefer

Exit: select classmates will ensure that each participant receives an information card that lets them know where they can learn more about the ubran intervention project and where they can see their responses, along with the others

Extension: a website will be set up so that everyone who participated can see the project as a whole and how they took part in it; also, the documentation team will compile all the appropriate responses and post them on the website; videos and pictures of the even will all be up as well

The budget is small for this project. We would only require buying bristol to cut the leaf-cards out and printing x number of information cards to hand out. Afterwards, these leaf-cards can be made up into some kind of mural/art project as a method of recycling.

The images turned up pretty abstract, but there is a lot of variation in the tones and forms, so it will still make for a nice display.

This is just to remind everyone that we all need to meet up at the park for 11:30 tomorrow to get set up and ready for the urban intervention. Dayna, Reid, and I will be picking up the cameras and getting them down to Trinity Bellwoods where we will meet everyone at the Queen Street entrance to the park. Please try to be on time so that we can get everything ready for 12:00!

Reid, Dayna. . . what’s the story?

-J

If necessary, my phone number is:

(647) 201-4255

I’ll be in the park 11:30-3:30.

-Jesse

There will be six other Urban Intervention experiences taking place in Trinity Bellwoods Park on April 2.

One final task that requires volunteers is the observation and documentation of these experiences, for discussion during our last class on April 8.

I’ve prepared a form that can will help you perform this task. Part 1 features space for ethnographic observation, and reminders regarding how to best do this. Part 2 features a matrix conflating the five stages of experience with the five senses: how are the users’s senses stimulated in each stage, and what is the user’s response?

Each volunteer should prepare a blog post that includes:

• A description of the experience,
• Some documentation of the experience (as always, any blog-friendly medium is encouraged),
• The field notes collected in Part 1,
• The stimulus/response data collected in Part 2, and
• Any commentary or critique.

Volunteers, please organize yourselves so as to cover all six experiences. There can be duplicate efforts, but please don’t leave any of the experiences out (other than your own). So far, Keight, Melanie, Inwoo, Ainura and Queenie have volunteered for this task. Anyone else who wants to volunteer, simply comment on this post.

This is an essential task, and a great opportunity for anyone who feels like they haven’t sufficiently contributed to the Project Three effort.

Click here to download a PDF of the Experience Evaluation Form.

EVERYONE,

Please bring:
– 20$
– 10 pinhole camera bases

If you have it:
– thumbtacks
– duct tape
– cutting mat, metal ruler, knife

(Don’t forget to refer back to the initial Pinhole Camera Club! post, which has links embedded into the text to every other post, as well as check out the schedule for Saturday April 2nd, and give feedback.)

Reid:

“So I went to restaurant (Parkette) and spoke to the owner. He likes the idea and is happy to help us, and between brunch and dinner (when he normally closes the restaurant) he will keep it open as a gallery, specifically so people can come in and view the photos over the course of the week. He may also be interested in keeping it as a permanent display. Lomography is way down from the park, but the restaurant backs onto the park… so I want to know what you all think?”

t’s Keight here, desperately asking anyone with any darkroom experience to considering taking over my place in the developing team. I’ve run into a lot of difficulty this week, and I feel that if I continue trying to hold myself up to developing these photos etc, our project will suffer.

Suggestions are appreciated from everyone. I was a little too ambitious coming back to school so soon and taking on so much work and my body and school work are both suffering greatly.

Thank you all in advance,

Keight-development team

Do you guys like this one or do you prefer the old one? http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

I found a theme that has orange and black in it. The orange doesn’t really match our logo, but I could use the black logo on the site and the title will still have orange in it. Maybe the person who creates the final round logo can send me a copy to dibiase.jess@gmail.com? (the current one was taken from the blog)

Also I’m pretty horrible with words, so does someone want to write the ‘About Us/Exhibition Date’ info? (doesn’t have to be long)

This is my rough logo. Sorry about the quality..Our group decided to go with the colours that well represent OCAD, which are turquoise and orange.

I think Futura looks fine, but I tried some other texts. I think Gill Sans and Myriad Pro have that modern feel like Futura, but I think these are a little softer? because these are a bit round compared to Futura.

Futura and Gill Sans

This is just a rough

Details as-of-yet:

BEFORE NOON:
Transport the cameras to the park.
– pick the cameras up from the classroom in garbage bags
– transport by car, if anyone has a car available
– otherwise, transport by streetcar
Set up 3 stations for distributing/collecting the cameras.
– spread evenly through the park
– use picnic tables

AT NOON:
Meet in the centre of the park.

AFTER NOON:
Manage the stations.
– a few people will manage each station
– others will wander around helping those who are having difficulties with the cameras
– everyone will wear a distinct colour (or a button/badge) so as to be easily recognized as part of the Pinhole Camera Club

AROUND 3:00 (once all the cameras have been used) :
Transport the cameras back to OCAD.
– transport by car, if available
– otherwise, transport by streetcar
Develop photos.
– cut the cameras open, and develop the photographic paper inside

We are able to display the photos at the Lomography store on 536 Queen Street West. It’s a great space; very big and the photos would look great here.

I just basically need to send the developed pictures ahead; they need to look over them and make sure that they are not terrible (fair, since this is a photo store). So if I could know when these pictures will be developed so that we can scan them in and send them that would be great. Otherwise they won’t be able to be displayed at this space.

Laura

http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

wordpress doesn’t give much flexibility in terms of changing text and colours and so I chose this one since it’s pretty standard

This is the site with the rest of the themes:
http://theme.wordpress.com/themes/

Just double checking; the pictures are to be 4” x 4”as we discussed Friday right?

And also….

When are these pictures supposed to be developed? I need a deadline so that I know when we can set them up at the exhibition. The sooner that you guys can know the better, of course.

Hey guys,

It’s $11.75/ year to get a .com domain (pinholecameraclub.com) OR we can do a tumblr site for free (pinholecameraclub.tumblr.com)

Please comment on which you would prefer so I can start setting up the website sooner rather than later!

– Jess

So, after I left class on Friday, it started to sink in how (over) ambitious I was.

I was just wondering if there would be anyone willing to help cut photo paper and load it into the cameras. This doesn’t take any knowledge of film photography, it just has to be done in a dark room (could probably use the class room or another room for this).

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, or would like to volunteer, drop me a line.

Thanks!

-Keight

Instructions

Cut out the standard cube pattern pictured from single-layer corrugated cardboard (one zigzag layer, see below). Each square in the pattern should be exactly 4.5 by 4.5 inches. Make sure that you clearly mark out the squares, like in the diagram (above).

Remember, everyone is responsible for ten of these!

Hi Class,

Congratulations on all of the progress you made today consolidating around an idea. Your idea has a great deal of potential but much work remains to be done. Remember that this project came from you – all of you – and it will only shine if you all bring your energy to bear on it.

Your Urban Intervention will launch at 12:00 on Saturday, April 2 in Trinity Bellwoods Park. I will gather all seven sections together at that time in the centre of Trinity Circle (see attached map). Tori, Shawn and I have each invited guests to experience your Intervention, and we will introduce them to you at that time. Please remember to actively seek feedback from each of them at some point in the afternoon. Your Interventions will end at about 15:00.

Four final thoughts:

• The blog is yours: make use of it. Each task-specific team should report their activities on the blog on a regular basis. If you need something – feedback, an item, an idea – ask for it on the blog. Everyone should be checking the blog at least once per day between now and next Saturday.
• High quality documentation is essential. Documentation is the most useful way that your experience lives on once it’s over.
• No decision should be left until next Friday. Task-specific teams should feel empowered to make decisions as necessary. Use the blog to obtain feedback as necessary, but don’t defer any essential decision for too long.
• Let me know right away if your Urban Intervention requires a specific location in the park. I need to confirm that none of the other sections are using the location. In general, be flexible: the park is a public place, and there will be other users there.

You have seven days, sixteen hours and fifty-eight minutes: use it wisely!

The Pinhole Camera Club! Organizers (Reid, Anna, and Dayna) will be keeping track of the money going out as well as the money coming in.

For this to balance out we will need everyone to bring 20$ to class on April 1st.

Also, could the Group Leaders (Keight, Danijel, Lauren, and Laura) please continually make updates on your group’s blog post stating what has been spent (as well as bring the receipts to class on April 1st).

ORGANIZERS: Reid, Anna, Dayna

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PINHOLE CAMERA CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Members: EVERYONE!

– Josef has posted a template and instructions for cutting the pinhole cameras out of single-ply corrugated cardboard (don’t buy it, just find some cardboard and recycle it)

– follow the template and prepare 10 pinhole cameras (the class goal is to make at least 200)

– IN CLASS, Friday April 1st, we will assemble the pieces (bring duct tape if you have any)

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LOADING & DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Group Leader: Keight

Group Member: Jina

Entails:

– buying an access card for the OCAD darkroom

– buying photographic paper (16×20 inches)

– in a dark room, cutting the photographic paper down to 4×4 inches and sealing it into the pinhole boxes (volunteers are needed)

– after the event, developing (problem) the photographic paper in the OCAD darkroom

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GRAPHIC DESIGN GROUP

Group Leader: Danijel

Group Members: Laura, Katie, Talisa, Eman, Jina

Entails:

– buying buttons (to be handed out to participants once they’ve brought the pinhole camera back)

– creating a logo

– choosing colour + font scheme etc.

– creating the ‘look’ of exterior of the pinhole camera (including placement of instruction)

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DOCUMENTATION GROUP (details)

Group Leader: Lauren

Group Members: Jessica, Tanya, Heejae, Debbie, Eman

Entails:

– organizing some sort of webspace (optiton 1) (option 2)

– taking pictures and film

– posting the results

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EXHIBITION GROUP

Group Leader: Laura

Group Members: Ainura, Jessica

Entails:

– finding a location to display the developed photographs (Parkette as a possibility)

– scanning the developed photographs and sending them to Lomography to be displayed

– organizing the display before the final class (Friday, Aprill 8th)

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PLEASE TAKE NOTE

* You can participate in multiple groups, just contact group leader through blog to find out what else needs to be done.

* Group leaders, please make a post to the blog describing what your group is up to, in more detail.

* KEEP THE RECEIPTS from anything that you buy for this project so that you may be reimbursed. Don’t buy anything without checking with the group leader first.

(This post will be updated as necessary.)

Storyboard

In case of rain a large umbrella may be attached to the bench.
Hidden cameras will document the interaction.
A few students will hang around nearby, under the guise of park-goers.

These students will:

– monitor the typewriters to prevent them from being stolen or damaged
-collect the typed page once full, insert a new one, and type a new prompt
– hand the participant a card with the url on it, as he or she exits the experience
– later, students will scan the typed pages and post them to the site, organized in chronological order

Ainura, Danijel, Dayna, Laura, Sara, and Tanya.

Idea Storyboard

You have chosen three ideas that demonstrate promise as compelling interactive experiences for Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday, April 2. You have also been organized into groups, each charged with the task of propelling these ideas forward. These ideas and groups are as follows.

• The Vintage Communication Experience: Dayna, Ainura, Tanya, Sara and Josephine
• The Pinhole Camera Experience: Reid, Melanie, Inwoo, Heejae, Min Jee and Josef
• The Question Tree Experience: Anna, Debbie, Katie, Talisa and Eman

1) A fully specified experience. In your groups, re-read the project brief, and contemplate the idea you have chosen. Brainstorm variations on the idea, and develop a fully specified version of the idea that best suits the constraints described in the project brief: limited budget (make it cheap), material flows (make no waste), intuitive functionality (make it easy to use), temporal sequencing (12:00 – 15:00 on Saturday, April 2) and site specificity (Trinity Bellwoods Park). Explicitly account for how your version of the idea satisfies the five phases of a compelling experience that we discussed in class: Attraction, Entry, Engagement, Exit and Extension.

2) A storyboard of your fully specified experience. Make a storyboard that outlines your new version. Post the storyboard to the blog, and annotate it (i.e. describe with text) with any important details. This storyboard will necessarily be more elaborate than the ones you prepared individually. Bring a physical copy of the storyboard to class.

2) A role-play of your fully specified experience. Come to next class prepared to role play your new storyboard: act it out for us. Bring any props and equipment you might require. Engage your colleagues: they can take part in your role-play too.

This is effectively a competitive exercise. May the best idea, that is the most convincingly storyboarded and role played, win us over.

SKETCHES

THREE MAIN IDEAS:

1. The Remote control climbing gorilla. This guy can be controlled to walk and climb almost anywhere in the average household. His hands and feet are suction material so he is able to walk up walls, climb up posts and even walk along the ceiling! He is fuzzy and cute, and with the remote control you can bring him to life to become your new best primate friend.

2. Human Anatomy Doll. It would be amazing to have a handsome man doll to play with, one who listens intently, but one who also keeps you guessing. Human Anatomy Doll comes apart starting with the skin, down to the veins, then muscles, organs and skeleton. Your job is to put him back together again while learning the proper anatomy of your own insides.

3. Roy’s Paint Pen. When deciding on a colour palette don’t you wish it was just as easy as chosing a prime or secondary colour, pressing a button and have it right at the tip of your brush ready to mix? Roy’s paint pen has all the colours of the rainbow, just press a button and a spot of paint will come out. It’s easy to use, and easy to refill with your own paint. Handy tool for painters that are just beginning or painting experts.

PROTOTYPE

Tired of the average doll? The boring figure that moves it’s arms and legs around to a limited choice of poses? Do you find a lack of life in your life-like friend? It’s time to take dolls to the next level…the next state of being…the zombie state. Introducing the Zombie Anatomy doll. He can be your new best dead friend, and he will teach you all about the anatomy of a zombie! You can take him apart, re-arrange his arms and legs, open up his chest and see his organs, take them out to play. All parts are magnetic, as well as the opening chest. Doll comes with red paint so you can decorate him with wounds and blood stains! Collect several different dolls and parts as there are several different versions. Girl Zombie, Zombie Teacher, Zombie Police, etc. Improvements include rubber material for body production, and zombie clothing. Barbies are so last year!

P.S. bubble speeches contain the quotes from the conversations with park-users about the park.

(you have to click on it in order to see the map in good quality )

The world – and everyone in it – move at such a fast pace, it’s sometimes hard to keep up. It seems everyone always has somewhere to be without time left to waste, carrying everything they need with them to get through the day successfully. Whether it’s to get to school or work, backpacks, handbags, and shoulder bags are all essential tools for any traveller – so why are they all so bland?

It’s time to breathe some life into the item you rely on a daily basis. With the new line of Dolberg Haus shoulderbags, you have the ability to customize your bag like you customize your outfit. The Dolberg Haus come with tons of accessories, lots of colour, and a variety of touchable textiles, so no matter what your preference is or what your style is, you can make your bag one of a kind anytime of the day. Forget about your boring and generic shoulder bag. It’s time you made a change to your style without breaking the bank. And with a wide selection of materials and designs, you can’t ever go wrong.

The bags come in sets with their own different themes and include up to 48 separate design pieces – all removable and adjustable to any spot on your bag. Not liking a motif in the set? Make one of your own with the materials included in the package and be as creative as you want!

The various adjustable straps also allow you to mix and match with the style of your bag. Whether you want a clear, fuzzy, or bright red strap, just use the built-in clips to fasten your choice of strap onto the bag itself and you’re on your way.

And of course, optimizing space is an important aspect to the product. With up to 14 zip-able pockets located around and within the bag, organization and room for all your essentials is never a problem. With so many choices and fun ways to stylize, you won’t ever get bored of your Dolberg Haus shoulder bag.

When a prototype was made and tested, users responded positively to the tactility of the object as well as the option to customize it however they felt. They liked the idea that they could alter the appearance of the item at their convenience and were very attracted to the feel of the material in particular.

For previous sketches and ideas, click here.

(Above Image Source: Tatiana Ilina)

The toy I created is a toy that caters to the OCAD student body, as well as all other adults. It is meant to be a toy than can be kept forever and be a challenge for a wide span of generations. It can be used occasionally to pass time or to create conversation and therefore would be kept in places like an office or work studio. Although the prototype created for this toy was made out of found objects, it clearly demonstrated the toy’s objective and proved to be a challenge for its entertainers.

Observations
Most people in class initially passed by the toy and didn’t pay much attention to it. Once someone gave it a try, they found it to be quite challenging. Others then saw the frustration the first person was getting while playing with the toy and they then became intrigued. Most classmates didn’t pay much attention to the toy, but those who did found themselves returning to it. I noticed that many people struggled to see inside the ball since it was half transparent and half pink which caused a problem since it made the toy more difficult to accomplish.

Proposal
The toy needs to be able to satisfy several factors for its entertainer. The first and most important factor being the ‘fun’ level that the person experiences while playing with the toy. A second factor includes its practicality and whether or not the person will continue to use the toy over time and or see it as something they would soon be putting in storage. The third factor is whether the toy is visually pleasing. This toy will satisfy these three factors since it is a toy that can be played by most and is very simple to understand. While doing the prototype testing, most people figured out how to play with it without any instruction. The fun level caters to those who like a small but satisfying challenge. Also while testing the prototype, it was observed that, depending on the person, some were able to focus on it for longer than others but those who weren’t able to focus on it for very long at one time, kept returning to it. The next important factor is the practicality involved with this type of toy. This toy is meant to be something that can be played with, but also can be put on display and kept for a long time. The third factor that would further the toy was the fact that it needs to be visually pleasing. Initially, the idea was to make the toy out of a clear plastic and have the four balls inside different colours. This, however, would not have catered to most people. The final toy idea is to have the outer sphere to be a clear glass and having the inside balls and their sockets made from a light but durable wood. If the materials used are kept simple and organic looking, the toy would be gender and age neutral and by making the toy out of glass and wood, it is simple and timeless.

Receipt #9

Lily loved her husband, Jim, more than anything else in the world. Everyday, she cooked him his favourite meals and served him his favourite snacks. With every breakfast, Lily cut precisely 8 slices of pears to accompany his favourite banana pancakes, arranged just the way he liked them. For dinner, the meats usually varied, but Lily always made sure to cook broccoli with perfectly seasoned Basmati rice. He wouldn’t touch any other kind – once, she’d tried serving him Thai Jasmine rice for some change in his diet, and he refused to touch it. Lily always smiled at the memory, of Jim’s stubborn face as he stared daggers at the exotic rice. Finally, every evening, right before bed, Lily prepared some mint tea with an array of thin crackers and set them before Jim’s favourite lounging chair. Lily knew her husband like she knew the back of her hand – an aspect of herself she took great pride in.

On one particular Sunday, Lily’s daughter, Ofelia, was dropping by for a visit. While Lily was preparing breakfast, Ofelia made her way to her mother’s apartment, her son in tow, and his favourite toy car in hand. Ofelia intentionally made a rowdy entrance to let her mother know she’d arrived. Lily called out that she was in the kitchen; naturally, Ofelia followed her voice. Upon entering the kitchen, however, she came to a halt.

“Mom…” Ofelia started “…who’s that extra plate of food for?” Lily looked up at her daughter with a pleasant smile as Ofelia directed her gaze at the fourth plate of sliced pears and banana pancakes.

“Well, for your father, of course!” Lily replied, a bemused expression plastered on her face. Surprised at her mother’s words, Ofelia blinked twice and took a moment before answering.

“But…dad died two years ago.”

Oh no! We spent hours making this hot wheel car track for our kid’s 8th surprise birthday party, but just realized that the most essential pieces to the car track are missing: toy cars!
We should buy some toy cars from the store along with some rice for the party and crackers and pears for dessert after the party. I think we will also need some tea to relax from all the hard work put in.

Prototype and Proposal

Cooking can be very dull especially for parents who cook most of the time to prepare meals for their children. Staying at home and cooking may not require a lot of energy, but it does require a considerable amount of time from preparing the raw food to combining the right ingredients and this process may make the whole cooking experience to be rather boring. However, if you have the salad ball in your kitchen, this will make your cooking life more interesting. Whenever you get bored while cooking, you can always take out the salad ball and start making your own choice of salad. You do not need any stirring or mixing using your hands as this can be done by putting all the prepared ingredients inside the salad ball and passing it or rolling it around. You can also put a variety of your favorite sauces using different recipes to make up your customized salad meal. It is also very lightweight and portable. The great thing about salad ball is that not only parents, who cook for their children can have fun making salads, but regular students like us, who enjoy having salads as meals or snacks, can now transform the less fun stirring and mixing process into a more entertaining passing and rolling a ball process. If you think about it, it’s quite beneficial for your health since you can engage in light exercises such as, passing or rolling the ball around while preparing a healthy meal.

Improvements

The only drawback of using the salad ball to create a customized salad is the necessary step that needs to be taken after creating your own choice of salad. If you decide to create your salad with sauces, after you use the salad ball, the interior of the ball will have tiny pieces of salads and the interior wall of the ball will be smeared with sauces. People would only use the salad ball once and throw it away if they feel like they are not able to clean the interior of the salad ball. The model needs to be re-designed to improve the cleaning experience after using the salad ball. This can probably be done by designing the ball to open in half to make it easier to clean properly.

In the Third Stage (Scenario Storyboarding), you will each develop one experience for presentation to the class. This presentation will take the form of a user scenario storyboard: a graphical narrative of the experience through the senses of one or more specific persona(s).

“In a sense, scenarios are prototypes built of words. Scenarios are, at their heart, simply stories – stories about what it will be like to use the product or service once it has been made. The protagonists of these stories are the personas. Using a scenario, designers can place their personas into a context and further bring them to life. Indeed, scenarios are one of the factors that make personas worth having. Running through the same scenario using different personas is an excellent technique for uncovering what needs to be included in the final product. . . . Once a scenario and sketches have been created to show what a product or service could be like, designers can create a storyboard (figure 5.10) to help illustrate the product or service in use. Storyboarding is a technique drawn from filmmaking and advertising. Combining a narrative with accompanying images, designers can powerfully tell a story about a product or service, displaying its features in a context.”

(from Designing for Interaction)

—

For next class, propose an experience that would be appropriate for Project Three. Storyboard the user scenario experience: a graphical narrative of the experience through the senses of one or more specific persona(s). You may use the personas we began to develop in Class 8, or you may develop your own. Your graphics may be hand or computer drawn. It is likely though not essential that your storyboard include text; like a cartoon or graphic novel, your storyboard must narrate itself. Post your storyboard, as well as any necessary supporting information (sketches, personas) to the blog, and bring a hard copy of your storyboard to class. We will be reviewing each of your storyboards as a springboard to our collective development of a single proposition.

Your individual storyboards are due at 12:00 on Friday, March 18. Their evaluation will form a significant proportion of your mark for Project 3.

Georg Simmel, The Metropolis and Mental Life, 1903

Guy Debord, Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography, 1955

Read and briefly ponder the above pair of excerpts regarding the psychological basis of our experience of the city.

Now: shake your arms, spin in a circle, and do a jumping jack: clear your mind.

Using the set of arbitrary directions you were provided with in class, trace a path departing from the Queen Street gates of Trinity Bellwoods Park. On a single sheet of paper, take sketch and prose notes of everything you see, think and feel. Scan your sketch and post it, unedited, to the blog.

Upon completion, re-read the collection of excerpts. How does the psychogeography of the city affect our ability to map its characteristics? You may find the psychogeographic approach useful in getting to know your Project Three site. Make an active effort to clear your mind of preconceptions and explore that which conspires to remain unexplored.

Exercise Ten is due at 12:00 on Friday, March 18.

This is your final Exercise.

Click here to download Project Three: Urban Intervention.

 reciept #6

if cats made their own decisions.

It’s my first time.

receipt #14

Josephine I Lai Lam

My list was – chicken satay salad and exotic tea.
This illustration is inspired by how much my boyfriend loves to eat (especially spicy food), and the fact that he will completely forget about my existence when there is food.

(Picture will be posted later)

Josephine I Lai Lam
Toy Proposal Video

The key to a killer cup of joe is that you have to grind up your coffee with a handsaw.

(picture coming soon…)

Receipt #3

Today is a BIG DAY. This guy from my work, I was interested in him ever since he started working here, but gosh! It was so difficult to just talk to him casually. I had no chance at all to get close to him.

But last night, after work, I was getting things organized and got out of work later than usual days, and who knew that he was waiting for me! Who knew!

We ended up going to a bar nearby and had a casual conversation, but when I went to washroom to check myself, I realized that I looked so BAD. Just plain bad! All the pimples and pores showing off around my T-zone, and I looked absolutely disgusting. What would have he thought about me? I decided that I had to get some emergency solution stuff right away after this.

Prototype and observation

My idea came from my grandmother. When I was little, she would always have two walnuts just roll around in her hand.

She said that it’s good for exercising brains and also helps to prevent dementia. And in Asia, lots of older people do the same

thing with walnuts. It was also proven scientifically that it helps with dementia, brain exercising and concentration. Also not

just for older people, it helps every age group.

When I observed people using my toy, most of the people thought it was “piece of a cake” to fit the pieces together with one hand,

but as soon as they held it in their hands, they found out that it was trickier than they thought. It seems more engaging and tricky

then it looks like.

Improvments

First when I was brainstorming for this project, I wanted to go with “stress-release” or “relaxing” toys. In my category, “challenge” attracted me more,

but I just assumed that building something like a “puzzle” was too difficult. So first, I wanted to build walnut shaped balls out of wood then I thought it

was too boring and it functions much like meditation balls. Then I could add the challenging part to this toy. I made holes and keys to fit them together.

Now not  just rolling them around in one hand. I’ve made 2 pairs of walnuts, so you can exercise both hands and both brains at the same time.

*****Images to be added later when more space is available.

Who doesn’t like a TV?

Since we like it, why don’t we make it more useful to us rather than letting people call it a stupidity box?

Why do some people call televisions, stupidity boxes? Because they think TVs do not help us to organize, decorate or get something done in time. TVs are not interactive except when you laugh because you feel like you need to.

This product, called The Box, will resolved these problems. People wouldn’t get zoned out when they are watching at TVs now on. Instead, they can turn the channel by the round button on the right side of the TV, and organize their schedules.  On the belt behind the scene, you can put pictures, blank pages or any of other things you want to see on the screen of the TV.

When people tried to play with The Box, people seemed to be scared of its fragility due to the limit of materials of the product made with. However, when people see the parts and the button, they get the idea and you need to turn the button around right away. Then second reaction is looking at the parts behind the screen and commenting about them.

Because it is made out of cardboards, it is not perfect and wheels do not turn very smoothly, but if I could make this with more precision and other material, like plastics, the problem should be solved right away.  Also I have make it easier to change the paper belt for the users since it is very tight and has a limit right now to rotate around the screen. However, the major problem is getting the wheels jointed together every time.

Turning buttons around and belt moving are always fun! Especial when you can turn the buttons yourself, create the TV screens, and draw or mark on them right away. The Box will make your desk the most fun place than ever.

(uploading pics when space is available)

She would slip into her best dress tonight. She would do her hair into the soft curls that the bar tender loved; maybe he liked her?

Unsure as to which shoes to wear…thick heels or stilettos, which would make her legs look better? She realized a crutial thing.

She sprung from the ground ; the shoes she was holding flew over her shoulders.

Opened the drawer.   Shuffled… fake eyelashes, eyeshadow(of every possible colour) bronzer, strawberry lipgloss, blush, mascara.

where is it? where the hell is it?

gone.

I can’t go out like this, she though. So she grabbed the closest shoes she could find. Running shoes.

She ran as fast as she; the people in there knew her already. She would spend hours gazing and trying on every new line of make-up that came in.

A coverstick… “come on hurry up!!! five people ahead of me? this is crazy!”

“FINALLY!

Oh, and mints. What if the bartender wants to come close tonight?”

After his long hours were finished at the construction site, he headed for the store.

Since his wife left him, he has been cooking and cleaning around the house by himself.

He wasn’t looking for anything special at the store, just picking what was needed or some stuff that went moldy in his fridge.

Instead of getting a water bottle for his dusty water purifier, he bought coke and some beer. he hardly drinks water now. It was because he was too

lazy to get a cup from his sofa, and he didn’t wanted miss a second of his shows. so he preferred canned carbonated beverages.

Then he finally got a new work overalls. The only overalls that he has been wearing it for a year was no

good anymore after enduring hard labor from his work site.

(picture to be added when space is available)

Prototype and Observation.

The prototype is inspired by a piece of Swiss cheese and mice going through it. The point of the mice going through is to balance the toy, and by this it should test rationing skills.

However, the toy was not very successful with adults. It was unclear as to weather one should position the Cheese and how to put the mice in. Most people simple put the wooden cylinders into the block of Cheese with the Cheese resting horizontally on the table; instead of resting it vertically which was the balancing edge. In this sense, the people that tried the toy found it engaging only for a few seconds as they tried to do the simple cylinder-to-carved-cycle action, much similar to a toddler’s shape sorter. Most people however, found the shape and colour of the cheese intriguing, which gives potential for a transition into something that an adult would enjoy.  And so the focus shifts into attention to aesthetics and interactions that will compliment it such as functionality rather than a balancing game.

Improvements

By incorporating the initial balancing action of the Cheese there could be an option if added with some sort of functionality. A possible option would be creating a key holder that is set on a nail on a wall that balances. The more keys that the person adds the more it would tilt to one side or the other. This is far more successful than the initial prototype as it would demonstrate a set standing of the Cheese and the different weights of the keys would incorporate to the puzzle of balancing. It would not necessarily be engaging for a long period of time but it would be a constant or daily small game of balance. Unless of course there are many keys and different weights, which then the user would have to balance them all out.

Phone Conversation

– Haha… Yeah, last night was fun ! I’ve got home at 4 am…    

No he wasn’t here…You know he doesn’t like my lifestyle!

He calls me ” a cat woman” cause I don’t really care about

anything. Ahaha..he’s so creative though! He left all this cat’s

stuff along with some snaks: food, milk, even a cat litter.

I guess that’s how he shows his protest…But he’s gonna

come back soon! How do I know? Hmmm…

He’s got me only two packs of cigarettes and I have

nothing to smoke tomorrow…

Assigned receipt

Igyeong (Jane) Kim

Are you bored and sick of these typical days at work or home? Want to have some fun, pulling pranks on people ? You are looking at the right stuff then. This self touch-sensored-toy will make it happen. Just place this toy any where you wish; the best place would be where your target would notice this toy at one sight. Your target will try to pick it up after noticing this on the floor. When this toy detects something approaching within 10cm of its boundaries, it will move away from its subject. Of course, you would have to turn the switch ON from the seperate controller given with this toy. After some failures of trying to pick up the hat, the targeted subject will realize that this is a prank toy. You can turn it OFF from the controller when you wish to pick it up. This toy will make your day fun to get through without stress.

After user testings, the users responded with very positive feed backs. They had fun pulling pranks on people. The idea of the classic black hat has been said to be too dark to notice, so in the final design, a bright purple with yellow outlined hat replaced the original idea. This resulted in more targets responding in shorter period of time. They noticed it on the floor better and the color purple seemed like a more interesting subject  to pick up.

 Receipt #15

-Forgot to pack my deodrant, need to get one before our BIG party tonight for ma LADIES.

-Anyone know what babies eat ? Should we ask those girls coming tonight to breast feed him?

Inspired by movie Hangover

– ???

–  NO, I’m not suffering from a severe depression or PMS, and my boyfriend didn’t dump me. I’m just preparing for Halloween!

Love:  Electronic dictionary is truly one of my favorite gadgets to use because it helps me look up definitions of new words efficiently and saves me time from flipping through the pages of a paper dictionary. My dad purchased this electronic dictionary from Korea for my birthday gift four years ago. It is a black and white CASIO dictionary. The only inconvenience is that you would not be able to see anything in the dark since it does not have a self illumination feature. At the time when I first received this electronic dictionary, I had no idea how convenient and helpful this would be. When I first came to Canada and started school, I found the dictionary very helpful as it not only allowed me to search every word in an English based dictionary, but it also allowed me to look up definitions of new English words in other languages such as, Chinese and Korean. Another specialized feature is the calculator, which has all the basic components an ordinary calculator would have.  Considering the Trade-Off between flexibility and usability, my electronic dictionary has less flexible design than any other recently released electronic dictionaries, but it is specialized so that it functions very effectively in one particular area: finding words and translations. Therefore, it is more usable since it is simple and less complex than the newer electronic dictionaries with more bells and whistles. Contemporary dictionaries, as shown in the picture, require larger sets of design, complexity, longer time, and more money for development. Also these are being developed as multipurpose devices that can be used for games, videos, and also serve as cameras or mp3 players. They function almost like cell phones without the ability to text messages and place calls. Since I only use my version of the electronic dictionary mainly for translations and looking up definitions, I only need to recharge the device once or twice a year. More recent electronic dictionaries have features that allow to be recharged through a computer USB adaptor. However, the recent electronic dictionaries require more battery power to support various features, and thus, it needs to be recharged more frequently as people are tempted to use it for many other entertainments. In this sense, recent dictionaries have more flexibility, but are less usable for people who use electronic dictionaries mainly for looking up the words.  Also, according to the principle of Forgiveness, a design that helps prevent errors and provide sense of security is also built in to my black and white dictionary. There is a “history” section where you can go back to find which specific words you have searched before so that you do not need to search for them again.

Hate:  I have always had a hard time using this remote controller for my dad’s old audio. This is something that I hate, and yes it might be because it is too old, ugly, and is the only audio remote controller at my house and it is hard to recognize what is written on the remote controller; white letters are written on a grey background. So every time I try to use the remote controller, I press the wrong key and the audio functions in a totally different way. For example, it would randomly turn up the volume when I want to mute the audio. Visibility is an essential factor of usability. Usability of an object will improve if the status and method to operate the object is clearly and visibly stated. In this remote controller’s case, it is not very usable because the letters written on it is not visible and does not indicate clear status.

Here is the receipt:

Inspired by the short story “the Diamond Necklace” and unhappy married couples.

credits: igyeong kim’s photos

Mornings suck. This is a fact. This product will make your mornings suck less. This too is a fact.

We know, you want to make your mornings go away entirely. We can’t do that for you. But thanks to this new morning companion, you’re one step closer to ultimately conquering that evil time before noon.

Thanks to this little guy, your morning routine will never be the same. You know when you think of something on your way into school? Of course you don’t. It’s morning, there’s no way you could remember these things. If you had a coffee mug you could write and doodle on however, this wouldn’t be the case. Owning this mug brings you one step closer to being a functional part of society.

The Dry Erase Travel Mug combines old school wipe board technology with a welcoming mug to create a morning companion for just about anybody.

People who love the dry erase travel mug:

• artists/designers
• forgetful people
• people who drink coffee
• people who can write
• people who like to write on things
• people who make lists
• people who love to doodle
• your mom

and many, many more.

Real life users of this mug call it “fun”, “thought provoking”, “creative” and “entertaining”. An everyday user adds “it’s as addictive as the coffee in it!”

This revolutionary product is also handy as all hell. Lose things often? Don’t worry, the mug will work with any standard dry erase marker and the built in marker holder will accommodate writing utensils of all sizes. You’ll never need to worry about this mug being forever a blank canvas…unless you’re into that kind of thing.

The Dry Erase Travel Mug is the only legitimate way to wake up. Get yours  and show 8am who’s boss.

Katie Fraser

Material Art & Design

To ask where I think I’ll be or what I think I’ll be doing in 10 years from now is asking quite a lot. There really isn’t any way to know what the future holds, but what I hope for and what I will work towards is success. I think whatever is meant to be will be, however long (or short) that may take.

Technology and I usually do not get along. I’m a patient person, but for some reason I have very little patience when it comes to all things technological. That said, I am trying to increase my tolerance and patience for the love of design……sort of.

(As they say [and what I like to believe]…..Better late then never!)

Name- Albert

Age- 21

Clothing- Skinny Jeans and T-shirt

Music- Indie and Local Bands

Residence- Living with 2 other roommates in a studio-apartment space.

Likes- Painting, going to galleries, going to the MOMA, parties, coffee.

Dislikes- The ROM, Government cuts for the Arts, not enough time to finish paintings assignments, fine arts.

Most udes device- Canvas and paintbrush

Ocuupation- Student

Web usage- 10 hours a week

Pet- dog and cat

Hangs out- at galleries and music events.

Discipline- Drawing and Painting

Photo Credit: Tudorx Rose (Deviantart)

Photo Credit: Pati Pakulis (Google)

Photo Credit: Shoofly-Stock (Deviantart)

Photo Credit: Joe Buissink (Bride’s Website)

Photo Credit: Ashy- Stock; Liam- Stock; Lindowyn- Stock ( Deviantart)

Photo Credit: Sitored’s website (Google)

Credits:

JPott, beckzfizz, MargaretNapier, marc.cappeletti, aurora michele, & adamjackson1984

Image Credits- Official US Navy Imagery, flickr user AlicePopkorn, purpleslog, slideshow Bruce, rintakumpu

SICLY SMITH

Age: 18

Location: lives at home with her parents in the suburbs

Education: First year Graphic Design student

Clothing: large backpack, Chuck Taylors, American Apparel brand clothing, head bands, bows, vintage sweaters

Food: McDonalds

Hobbys: hanging out in the the learning zone/Annex building

Music: anything “indie”

Loves: art, music, babes

Hates: mainstream “bullshit”, computer moniters, intimidating third and fourth year students,

This exercise is designed to continue to get you thinking in narrative, and about how narrative applies to user experience.

Using one of the attached grocery store receipts as your inspiration/evidence, create a narrative. Post your narrative to the blog. The narrative should consist of more than just prose — in fact, it need not contain any prose at all. Consider images, video, poetry and sound. Be creative! Here’s an example of a variety of possible responses to a single receipt.

Your receipt assignments (the page number) are as follows:

Meghan: 1
Queenie: 2
Heejae: 3
Jessica: 4
Eman: 5
Katelyn: 6
Lauren: 7
Talisa: 8
Anna: 9
Dayna: 10
Laura: 11
Tatiana: 12
Jina: 13
Melanie: 14
I Gyeong: 15
Min Jee: 16
I Lai: 1
Reid: 2
Inwoo: 3
Danijel: 4
Kaitlin: 5
Ainura: 6
Sara: 7
Josef: 8
Deborah: 9

Exercise Nine is due at 12:00 on Friday, March 11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbwlumrZ8U0

Name- Jeff

Age- 19

Clothing- Casual wear (jeans, t-shirt, hoodie)

Music- Indie

Residence- Single Apartment

Likes- Reading, Gaming, Coffee, Puzzles, thoughtful people, good grades

Dislikes- Crowds, parties, wasting time, disorganization

Most udes device- Laptop

Ocuupation- Student

Relationship status- single

Web usage- 50 hours a week

Pet- fish

Hangs out- At home, library

Discipline- Industrial design

PARADISE PLACE

photos taken from:

ginger girl photography

the seafarer

sarri sarri

red_curttes

joyousjoym

via flickr

The working prototype and the formal proposal are the key deliverables in Project Two.

The purpose of the working prototype is to complete the design process loop we began in Project One. So far in Project Two, you have ethnographically observed people playing with toys, and analysed and interpreted this data in an attempt to deconstruct the nature and structure of fun. You have spent some time pondering the people you observed, by developing a set of personas that represent a cross-section of your target audience: OCADU students. You brainstormed several toy ideas, shared them with your colleagues, and questioned their “fun-ness” by subjecting them to the metrics you have developed. You will now build a prototype of the toy that seems the most promising (and feasible). “The prototype need not be exquisitely constructed, but should be robust enough to survive user testing. You will not be permitted to explain your toy, so any required instructions should also be prepared in prototype for.”

“With your colleagues, instructor and a guest expert, user-test your prototype.” It is through user-testing that the prototype becomes valuable, and we will devote substantial energy to this task during Class Six. You should once again ethnographically observe people playing with your toy. You are responsible for maximizing this observation phase, through photography, video footage, audio recording and careful note taking. You should continually be asking yourself the unanswerable: why is this fun, how is it fun, where is it fun, who is it fun for, and: what is fun?

Your observations will play a critical role in your final proposal. Think of this deliverable as a pitch to a toy manufacturer. It doesn’t need to be long, and it can be delivered in any medium that the blog supports. It does need to establish that the toy is genuinely fun, a fact which can be validated by incorporating user-testing results, such as raw observation (e.g. photographs of a dozen different users happily playing with your toy), representing users in their own terms (e.g. a video where a user exclaims “this is awesome!”), and analysis and interpretation of your observations (e.g. a statement such as “users were consistently attracted to the toy’s soft corners and playful colours”). User-testing will also help establish which parts of your toy are less fun: any potential design improvements that become apparent should be incorporated into your proposal. Finally, remember that you do not need to fabricate the final product: it is not subject to material and constructional limitations that your prototype was. Propose the funnest evolution of your prototype that you can muster.

Photo credits:
Frank Kovalchek
Swaminathan
Shine oa
Jojo Nicdao
Latteda
Eberhard

6 rough sketches

3 toy concepts

Prototype

Click here to view the  toy’s concept proposal