October reflections

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.