There is no perfect solution. There is, however, always a better one.__
Even before taking this class your body knows plenty about the physical world. How and why we understand physicality relates directly to our real-life experiences. When we touch something smooth, we react differently than when we touch something sharp or jagged. We know how to move through space so well that we ignore the huge brainpower dedicated to the task. Our eyes are stereoscopic instruments by which we determine our relationship to the 3D world using perspective and visual differences between our eyes. Our ears tell us amazing things about our environment: not only do they pick up directional and distance cues from vibrations in the air, we can hear the difference between textured and smooth surfaces: hard and soft, thick and thin! For the most part we do this subconsciously. Your job is to grow your awareness of the physical world, and to use this knowledge to solve problems.
It is the art of understanding and manipulating volume, space, and form, as they relate to many creative areas: fine art, product design, package design, architecture, 3D animation, CAD, and just about every aspect of our world. Every object created by human beings has design at its core. In essence, what distinguishes humans from other living creatures is our ability to intellectualize the why of form, and to apply an analytical approach to problem solving. Most living things build efficiently from the materials around them, but do you think bees know why their honeycombs are hexagonal?
Most people go about their lives with little understanding of the problem solving involved in creating everyday things. Without the drive to question and discover, we become creatively stagnant and observationally blind. The “why” question is very big and broad, and must be pursued. Some of the assumed whys are not based upon reason. Rather, they may be informed by myth, misconceptions, or even deception. How do we define what is true or false in a complex and nuanced world? Is it right or wrong to weigh cost over safety, time over quality, or creativity over technique? In these examples, differing goals motivate differing answers. Almost no answer is black and white.
Here is a truth about design: there is no perfect solution. There is, however, always a better one. Is the Rubik’s Cube perfect? Conceptually, perhaps it comes close. Practically, no. It can break apart. It is made from fossil fuels, which contribute greatly to climate change, health challenges, and environmental degradation. To some, the Rubik’s Cube is a nemesis that will drive them insane! Does it have to be perfect to be the most popular puzzle in history? No. Can it be improved mechanically and materially? Absolutely.
Our mission is to study form (the shape of things) from many points of view. We work to gain skills in defining it visually. We study its construction and function. And we physically create results.
We will examine issues such as scale, structure, volume, spatial relationships, and transformation of form through time. Although we separate and categorize art, all physical art forms are 3-dimensional. For example, paintings have thickness, texture, chemical and mechanical properties. Etchings have height, depth, and width; the controlling of which determines its outcome.
When working large or small, physical attributes of materials change. The smaller something is the “grainier” it appears. The larger it becomes, a greater role is played by weight and stresses. How do things hold together? What are the defining elements that give it strength, surface, and mass? Everything has structure, which is informed by material characteristics. This in turn influences function and form. In the immortal words of architect Louis Sullivan, “Form ever follows function.” This means that the shape of a thing is determined by what it does. In a system, what is essential? What can be taken away while still maintaining its function?
What makes something ugly or aesthetically unpleasing? What makes it beautiful? Can something at its most simple be ugly? Can something at its most disturbing be beautiful? What makes something feel discordant? Do we make these decisions through societal bias, or is there a fundamental reality to aesthetics? Are you interested in considering these questions?
3-D thinkers must relearn how to play. They must also be curious and adventuresome. Failure comes to those who do not learn from mistakes. Thomas Edison said after finally making a working lightbulb, “Now I know 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb!” Mistakes are normal, expected, and in fact proof that you are trying to figure out unknowns. If something works out perfectly the first time, you may not be challenging yourself intellectually or learning something new. You are expected to try things that do not work out, they are not failures, they are the learning process in action.
