St. Mary's Writers' Retreat

This is my design for St. Mary's. By researching the writing process, I re-designed it to serve as a pleasant and functional writers' retreat. Utilizing a minimalist design, St. Mary's can successfully become an organized, fresh, and productive environment for visiting writers.

Material and Value Studies

We were assigned to experiment with pen, pencil, and marker and create a value scale for each. After that assignment, we picked a wood, carpet, textile, and stone to draw at two different scales and in five different values.

One-Point

These are examples of one-point perspectives of the Gatewood Building. The first two show studio spaces and are rendered, the last one is a hallway and only utilizes graphite pencil.

In-class Scale Figures

These are drawings from when we experimented with observing and drawing people in motion.

In-class Sketches

These are a few examples of in-class sketches dealing with observational perspective.

In Class Discussion

     Today we split up into groups and discussed how the Eames' legacy plays into today's "Design Star" philosophy. Design Star is a T.V show, through which contestants compete for their own design show. Judges assign projects that have to be finished in a certain amount of time with limited resources. Participants do not need to be educated in design or have design experience.

As a student with a design-based major, I spend countless hours working on projects and presentations. In my opinion shows like Design Star, where the design industry is basically available to anyone, are incredibly frustrating. I think that education and experience play a huge role in the 'real world.' When someone wants to hire a designer they want someone that knows what they are doing. Education can be a huge reassurance to clients that you are not only knowledgeable but have also had professional guidance. Experience adds to your client's and your confidence in you as a designer.

Charles and Ray Eames' design process and the TV contestants' are very different. Eames' design has evolved through a lifetime, it is real and passionate. Their designs are well thought out and detail oriented.  Eames' products are not only made to please, they are made to last. The media portrays the design industry as this glamorous career (in fact, Design Star's logo is "Guts.Glory.Glam.") that anyone can do. I think that the media can be seen as insulting to the designers who have dedicated their lives to their passion for design.

"Scandinavian Influence" BP13

         Scandinavian modern design has had a beneficial affect on present day design. Scandinavian design began in the 1950's as a design movement focused on simplicity, fundamentalism, and performance. Much of what was affected by this movement was both inexpensive and mass produced. A good example of how Scandinavian influence is still existent in today's design society is IKEA. IKEA is an incredibly successful Swedish company that sells home decor and appliances. The majority of IKEA products are not pre-assembled, saving the company time and the consumer money. There are IKEA stores all around the world and appeal to customers because of how inexpensive and simple the designs are. Scandinavian modern design has had an interesting influence on present day design.  

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/index.html

http://www.kitchenandtabletop.com/2008/08/ikea-urban-chair.html

http://www.finnishdesign.com/

http://www.scandinaviandesigninc.com/