Midterm Project: Follow the Materials #

Your midterm project is to produce a series of swatches that explore a particular goal according to heuristics you define. This is a chance for you to explore one technique or material more deeply, and to present it to the class.

The Assignment Description:
Your swatch should emerge from a challenge that you define. Perhaps that challenge is figuring out how to best integrate a given material, a new approach to drafting, or the desire to achieve a specific function. Maybe it will function as some kind of sensor (stretch, bend, force, etc), have the ability to actuate (change shape, color, stiffness in response to a stimulus) or have a unique and intentional property (biodegradable, super softness, texture change on interaction, etc). For your swatch book page, you must title your swatch and write a description of its behavior.

Please review the deadlines and phases of the project in the table below for details on each phase:

Deliverable 1: Concept - Due Wednesday 10/12 #

Bring a concept that you’d like to explore, some materials you might need to achieve it, to class October 12. You will use this class to present your concept to your peers for feedback. Come to class prepared with a description of the swatch you are planning to develop as well as a sense of what you are going to test, why and how you are going to do those tests.

Deliverable 2: Physical Swatches - Due 10/31 #

Bring all the swatches you have produced as part of your midterm to class in a plastic (preferably zip lock) bag with your name on it.

Deliverable 3: Documentation - Due 10/31 #

Use the weekly template to describe the process of your midterm. Your documentation should include photos of at least three swatches that you created as you worked on the midterm as well as the drafts for those swatches.

Identify at least three key decision points in your process where you changed plans, tried something new, or developed a new approach to optimize your swatch towards your hueristic. Describe these in writing. This is the primary place in the assignment where I will grade you on your decisions so provide strong reasoning for why you tried different techniques at different times.

Include a reflection at the end of the documentation about what you would still like to try or what you think you should have done differently.

Deliverable 4: Presentation - Due 10/31 #

You will present your swatch to the class on 10/31. Each student will have ~5 minutes for presentation and feedback. Prepare a short (about 3 minute) presentation that explains what you have made and how you developed the concept.

Please submit this presentation via Canvas as a Google Slides Presentation so professor Devendorf can load them all, and present them all, Please also prepare one question for the class so we can provide you feedback on your idea.

Turn in a link to your presentation on Canvas by 9am on 10/31

Rubric #

We will grade according to the following template

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