Think Mandi Think

// Just remember that thoughts become things //

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More sketch models:

The first two pictures describe the springing mechanism with which the I imagined the hind legs to incorporate when they propel the shrimp upwards.

The second model is a bit of a cop-out, but the description mentioned that the head was composed of two pointy pieces with whiskers. 

The next model is trying to capture the essence of the phrase “skeleton finger”, which the individual described the front legs of the shrimp to resemble.

The description mentioned the 5 pairs of hind legs often, so I decided to make a “looks like” model that really showcased the detailed shape of the hind legs. The same transparent paper was used to mimic the shrimp’s physical properties. 

To improve one property of the shrimp, I wanted to give it the same punching ability as the mantis shrimp. The spring allows the piece with the weight on the end to snap back and effectively “punch” its victim. 

The last model is another “looks like” model that really gets into detail with the shrimp’s head and front legs. 

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Sketch Models, created from a description inspired by a shrimp 

The first two were my interpretation of the layers that would cover the shrimp’s body.

The description mentioned a milky/almost transparent body with orange streaks, so I decided to make a prism and cover it with paper that mimicked these properties. 

The foam core tubes within tubes was inspired by the “skeleton” nature of the shrimp. I thought the creature could have a hard exoskeleton-like base for its many legs. 

The individual described the body as having a textured, muddled part that seemed like it could carry waste. I explored that property by hot-gluing a foam block and created a bumpy, gelatinous texture.

The last models focus on the “cartoon lightning bolt” shape that the description mentioned.

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Intro to ID 1st Assignment: Research & Modeling

For our first assignment this Wintersession, we went to the Nature Lab at RISD to record information about a creature of our choosing. This information had to encompass behavior, physical appearance, and environment. Before beginning this assignment, we were given a quick tutorial on the light microscope and scanning electron microscope which showed us how to view specimen available in the Nature Lab. After the tutorials, the class was given time to sketch our creatures and record our observations. 

Tom swapped everyone descriptions, and we were given someone else’s description to work with and create 11 models: 5 that showcased the creature’s physical appearance, 5 that showcased its function, and 1 that improved its form or function in some way. It is important to stress that we could not assume what creature our description was referring to; we could only model what the individual wrote down. To create our models, we were given demonstrations in the model shop on foam cutting, using the wire cutter to cut foam, foamcore cutting methods, etc. 

After working 20+ hours on my models, I can name a couple lessons that I learned:

1) Sanding is everything. Also, wear your mask when sanding foam. 

2) Do the harder models in the beginning.

3) Overestimate the time you’ll need to finish these models.

4) Most glues corrode polystyrene foam. 

5) Change the blade of your cutting knife frequently, because it will dull between models. 

6) Bring Band-aids, because blood on your models is not pretty.

Photo documentation to come!

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More photos of the process!

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Final bench!

We still need to do some work woodglue’ing the top upholstered piece to the bottom two pieces of plywood, as well as make a better cover for the middle piece containing the circuitry. We were also able to get the WAV shield working and playing the files on our SD card, but could not connect it to the pressure sensor. This is for further development next semester.

This bench is ultimately for the outdoors, so we would also want to test more ways to make it waterproof in the future. All in all, for my first time making a bench, I learned A LOT through this project. I was able to learn coding, circuitry, soldering techniques, woodworking techniques, methods of joinery, metal welding, and upholstery techniques.

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Every step of the bench fabrication ... from metal welding to soldering the WAV shield/heating pads to cutting and drilling holes into the plywood to the first cardboard prototype. What a journey.

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#PassItOn

Project Brief

Our goal with this project is to increase social capital through encouraging face-to-face interactions within a community. Our chosen medium is storytelling on universal and personal human experiences that will hopefully lead to further conversation between strangers. Volunteering participants will take a card with a random curated question, share their answer with a stranger and pass the card to them. Tracking the card through each exchange gives each a unique narrative.

Website intro

Fun

Get to know your neighbors!

Who is that!

Need an excuse to talk to strangers?

Join a community!

Serious

Social Capital

Strengthen Community

Physical social network

Snap back to reality

This Society has never been better connected, yet people increasingly report feeling lonely. Snap back to reality and use #PassItOn to reconnect to your community.

Variations:

Ask the stranger to share a story of their choice

Ask the stranger to answer the prompt

You tell a story around the question

Why it’s important

For you:

Safety

Trust

Happiness

For your community:

Bring together opportunity

Facilitating information flows

Political / economic benefits

Bringing attention from “web” to real life

Civic participation

Story / Narrative

Building a history

Social capital

Info page on site

Where, when, how

Instructions:

Scan the QR code and fill in the 2 question form

Introduce yourself to a stranger! “Excuse me, hi! My name is ______, I am participating in a storytelling project. Do you have 5 minutes to hear my story?”

After you’ve gained their consent, share your story and have a conversation

#PassItOn - give the card to your new friend

Website Questionnaire

Where were you when you obtained the card? Country, City, District

Approximately when did it happen? Year, Month, Date, Time

Card Questions

What is your most vivid childhood memory?

What advice would you give to your younger self?

What are you most grateful for?

What is one goal you have?

What is your golden rule?

What makes someone a good friend?

What are your family traditions?

What do you like about your city?

What do you dislike about your city?

What is the best food in the city?

Where in the city has the best views?

Card Text

Front

Start a conversation with a stranger

“Question”

Need a way to start?

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Finalized dispenser dimensions

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Demonstrating the success of the dispensing mechanism! We are using a stepper motor to “push” the cards out as gravity weighs them down.

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Self-standing dispenser

Too much space in the base that has no use, better to stick with a table top dispenser

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TV-like dispenser: “Tune into someone else’s conversation”

Might be too much of a novelty, and doesn’t scream “conversation” because TV’s are typically not very interactive and one-way rather than a two-way effort

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More ideating about what the dispenser should look like

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“Pass It On” idea, which is basically a card of some sort (could be made of acrylic/wood/paper) that gets passed from person to person to facilitate face to face interaction and storytelling

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Downtown field trip to collect some observations!

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We had a really interesting discussion in class today about the trajectory of our final projects. I pushed for the idea of a storytelling bench because I think that it creates a space that stimulates conversation between two strangers. A problem I often encounter is being in a space with a stranger and feeling uncomfortable talking to them, or them feeling uncomfortable in my presence. This typically occurs when I am waiting for a bus or sitting on a bench in a public park. We often resort to using our smartphones in the presence of another human being, which is absurd when you really think about it. We would rather pay attention to a piece of metal than talk to another real, breathing individual about something meaningful. I hate that we tend to avoid eye contact with people we don’t know when in reality, we may have more in common with them than we think. By designing a space that facilitates conversation between to unsuspecting strangers, perhaps we can break that barrier and bring people out of their comfort zone. Doing this in an area with individuals that don’t have the opportunities for stimulating conversation that I’ve had the privilege of experiencing in a college campus setting would lead to the spread of information, personal narratives, and above all, a prolonged willingness to share afterwards. I really believe that the concepts of awareness, mindfulness, and reflection are stepping stones to conversation that we can simulate in a space. This could mean posing an interesting question for people to talk about, incorporated into a physical object or furniture, or creating an event that inevitably brings two people together and puts them on level ground. There is also the notion of visuals versus words: could having a bench project a short film onto the sidewalk bond two people together better than a written question could? 

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