1. What have I learned
from the assigned readings and videos that we can include in our
design?
The content we’ve
covered has raised a critical awareness of the impact we have individually and
collectively on our Earth. I’m left in awe of our planet’s elasticity. The
force of our world must be represented in our design, evoking a deeper
appreciation for its majesty and central role in our survival. For me, that
means the difference between simply using plastic water bottles as a
representation for our waste, and allowing them to become a medium for a
broader, more abstract message.
2. What have I learned
from our site visits, photographs & videos that can inform our design?
Visiting the Baltimore Foundery was
an experience that enlightened and inspired. In a practical sense, I learned
the names of various tools and their applications: the difference between a
drill press and a miter saw, for example. I also learned about the work that
they’re engaged in, and how it relates back to my own interests. As always, the
site visits have reminded me of the interconnectedness of all things. This
relates back to our design in a more abstract way, when discussing the thematic
elements and how to communicate a vision of sustainability that speaks to its
interdisciplinary nature.
3. What have I learned
from the kinetic sculpture web site and KSR blog that can inform our design?
The KSR website and others have grounded
my thoughts in the practical realities of creating a sculpture that will make
it through the race. Having our resident engineer visit the group was
particularly insightful, and the axioms he spoke to, “the more wheels you have,
the more points of contact you have with the ground, the more trouble you can
run into”. That’s very the kind of common-sense driven engineering that pulls
me back toward what can actually be executed.
4. What have I learned
about the importance of building partnerships in our community?
The more we progress, the more I
realize how many people we will need to be involved in order for us to be proud
of what we put out. I’ve put much of my time into thinking about what groups to
engage, from artists to engineers, in order to ensure our project’s success.
5. What have I learned
about the design process (about developing a design in collaboration)
An Aristotelian quote comes to mind,
“How many a dispute
could have been deflated into a single paragraph if the disputants had dared to
define their terms!" It’s not that there are any ‘arguments’ during
our process, but rather that the best outcomes come from each participant
engaging in a carefully edited thoughtfulness, so that questions and answers
are understood as they were intended. Allowing for this process to flourish is
something I think often about.
6. How can I draw from
all of the above in order to “tell our story” (describe our project) to a wider
audience?
I
think the most appealing way to describe KSR and our class’s involvement is by
allowing everyone to see their own interests in our process. Like anything that
is truly interdisciplinary, it is our job to articulate the ways of knowing in
a way that is inclusionary, and broad enough to inspire all. In terms of
engaging folks, I think about it in similar terms of The Garden, allowing
people to self-select based on their own inherent talents and passions,
challenging our creativity to find the link back to our project. If we are able
to do that, then I think we have succeeded.
7. How is our work
interdisciplinary? Has there been any “transfer” of understanding from an
artistic perspective to
an engineering perspective, for example?
There has been a clear shift through
the semester in our process: individuals on either end of the spectrum have
demonstrated more thoughtfulness toward considerations that may not have to do
with their inherent interests, and in my opinion this has led to more
productive work.
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