MS+Q3+Explore+-+Dario

= = =Design Folder - Dario=

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Mind map about the DT Unit Question:
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Sunday, February 12th, 2012

My Restated version of the Unit Question:
Unit Question: Why and how do societies convey the importance of global issues to its members? Here at AISD how can we promote the importance global issues so that we can better live the school's vision of “being stewards of a just and sustainable world?"

For what reason, and how do communities show and spread the significance of global problems to it's followers / supporters. How can we, at AISD show the importance of problems worldwide, and start a change, so that we can meet the goal and expectation of our school's vision of “being stewards of a just and sustainable world?"

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Design Brief:
My product will be some sort of sign, raising awareness about the importance of recycling. This sign would be meant for anyone, of all ages. This solves the unit question due to the fact that it would raise awareness about the ever growing amounts of trash among the AISD community.

Design Specification:

 * Has to be produced using available class resources.
 * Has to be finished in the amount of time given.
 * Should be eye-catching.
 * Should be placed in a location with many passers-by.
 * Should be made out of environmental friendly / sustainable material (it would be very ironic making the product out of plastic, since this could not be recycleable).
 * Has to be quite robust, afterall this will be placed somewhere in the school, and you never know what some people get up to!
 * Should send across the clear message of "RECYCLE!"
 * Product should be visually appealing to the intended audience.

Guiding Questions:

 * Will I have enough time to complete my project?
 * Where will I place it once it is done?
 * Will it catch the attention of ALL passers-by?
 * Is all the material that I need available?

Number 1:



Number 2:



Number 3:



I will use Design Number 3, due to the fact that it can be hung on the wall, doesn't use as much material, and is almost certainly possible to complete in the given time frame. I will create the sign using plywood wood, and I will paint it after it is cut out.. I will then cut out the pieces of lettering separately, out of another piece of plywood. I will do the same with the graphics.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Parts List:

 * 40 by 45 cm. piece of plywood (half inch thick).
 * Piece of wood which I am going to cut the letters and graphics out of.

Building Technique:

 * 1) Get the needed wood.
 * 2) Draw an accurate outline of the sign on to the piece of wood, using the correct dimensions (40 by 45cm).
 * 3) Cut the wood out, about a centimeter from the outline (to allow space for sanding later on).
 * 4) After it is cut out, sand it down to the lines drawn in step two.
 * 5) Then start on the letters. Write RECYCLE on a word document, make the font into a sans-serif one (to make hem easier to cut out), increase the font size into the correct size, and print it.
 * 6) Glue the page onto a piece of wood and use the letters as an outline and cutting guide.
 * 7) Repeat steps 5 & 6 with the words 'Make the World a greener place'.
 * 8) Repeat steps 5 & 6, this time with a recycle logo instead of words.
 * 9) Redo steps 5 & 6, with a picture of a cartoon tree.
 * 10) After all the pieces are cut out, I'd paint them by referring to the image above (Found under - Tuesday, February 14, 2012 > Ideas for my project > Number 3).
 * 11) After the paint dries, lay the graphics on (Don't stick them on yet!).
 * 12) Once the arrangement is visually appealing, stick all the graphics (, as well as the tree and recycle logo) on.

=Create:=

Outline and Cuts in the Base
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Today, I got my base. I drew on the measurements for the gaps which I had to cut in the sides. During this task I noticed that the plywood wasn't the size I asked for, so I had to change my measurements. After doing that, I started to cut the straight lines that were necessary for the gaps on the band saw. Due to these measurement corrections, this is all that I was able on this day. I wasn't satisfied with the work that I had accomplished, and I think I could have done more

.

Finishing of the Base and Printing
Thursday, March 15, 2012

Today I got a fair bit done. I finished cutting out the gaps in the sides, and I printed the letters that will be cut out. I have stuck some letters on the wood already. I had to redo the 'stick-on' step because I had my letters too spaced out, so I redid it closer together in order to save wood. What I learnt was that even though spacing the letters out, may make it easier to cut, our consideration for the environment is 1st priority.



Beginning of Lettering
Monday, March 19, 2012

Today I worked with the band saw to begin cutting out the letters that will be used on my product. I have put in all the straight cuts that I needed, such as all the straights in the E. I also started sanding the sign base to make the surface a bit smoother. Overall, I was happy with the progress that I made today. Today, in the lab, I felt like I was getting the hang of things again. Due to the quarterly rotation system, I haven't had DT in a while, so it took time to get familiar with the machines and the equipment again.



Cut out of Letters
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Since the last lesson, I have completed cutting out all the large letters, of the RECYCLE title. I have sanded the E, C, and the L, so they are fully complete. I have also sanded the sign, to make a smooth surface, as well as the edges, to make the sign feel nicer, and look better. Overall, I am happy with what I have been able to accomplish today. I think that I will be able to finish this project by the end of the quarter. I also realized that I will have to do some extra work during lunch, and after school. To day I was exceptionally happy with the way I handled the scroll saw. My first attempt at the beginning of DT wasn't very good, but I think I did very well on the lettering.



Sanding of letters and cut out of logos
Sunday, March 25, 2012

Today I completed quite a bit. I finished cutting out all the small letters that will be used to spell 'Keep Earth Green'. I have also sanded them down, along with the R, C, C, and E, that will be used to spell RECYCLE. I also printed the recycle logo, and a silhouette of a tree, which I then stuck on some wood to use as a template. I cut out the logos using the band saw, and then the scroll saw for the curves. I'm quite happy with what I have managed to accomplish today, but I still think that I might not finish the sign, and even if I do, that I will cut the deadline really close. I will try my best to finish the sign by March 28, which is presentation day. If I could repeat today, the thing that I would do differently would be moving on with painting, and then sanding the letters later on, since they're not as important.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Product Evaluation:
My product solves the global issue of littering, and not recycling, by showing, and in some cases reminding people that they should dispose of their trash in environmental friendly ways. It follows on from my design brief because none of the information has changed. my product still remains a sign that raises awareness about recycling among the AISD community. It almost meets my design specification. All the points are met, apart from the point ' Has to be finished in the amount of time given.' I'm not far away from completion, but it's clear that it's not quite done yet.

Create Phase Evaluation:
I almost reached the end. All I'd have left to do is paint the letters, and stick the graphics and letters on. I think I planned well and executed it properly. I think I did well in terms of creating the product, as well as visualizing it, and crating it digitally before the actual manufacturing of my product. One thing that I would do differently next time is spend more times during lunch, and not just the last three lunches working hard.

Rate the following categories

 * (1) ** Does not meet expectations • ** (2) ** Meets expectations • ** (3) ** Exceeds expectations
 * Craftsmanship: 2
 * Appearance: 2
 * Appropriate use of materials: 3
 * Environmental Impact: 3
 * Time management: 2

Planning Phase Evaluation:
My plan made my life a lot easier because I knew what my final product should, and would look like. Due to the dimensions tool in Google Sketch Up, I was also able to get the dimensions for every component of the model correct. More details, the first ones that I made may have been a little broad, more of an idea rather than a design I could actually base my work on.

Design Evaluation:
I felt pretty good during the design phase I had a pretty solid idea of what my product was going to be like, and the methods that I would use to make it. The most challenging part was coming up with reasonable ideas in the first place. The internet helped a great lot, and served mainly as a source of inspiration. I searched signs, environmental issues, global issues, and products similar to what I had in mind. I then combined these many ideas and ended up with the product I have.

Process Evaluation:
I enjoyed the creation most. It was fun to finally get to have the satisfaction of doing something productive, which you could look at at the end of the day, and think 'not bad for a days work'. Plan. I think it was definitely helpful, although I'd argue that we spent way too long on it. I think I found out that if I decide not to mess about, and be 100% focused, that I could get a lot more done than I'd have ever thought. One area of growth for me is in creativity. Sometimes I struggle to come up with ideas that are right from my head, and I usually need a source of ideas/inspiration to get me started.