Introduction: Form Using Planar Materials

About: I am an industrial design student and I love cycling without holding the handlebar! the rush that I get! I like multigrain biscuits, reading and experimenting.

I have created a form suggesting a complex surface or a volume, using planar materials. The planar material used here is mill board and thick ivory sheet. I chose two words -'Transition' and 'Encompassing' to depict using the planar material to suggest a complex surface.

The purpose of this activity is to increase and enhance our understanding of the third dimension, surfaces, volumes and creating user experiences through the effective use of form. Form is supposed to evoke a certain emotion in people and if the form is very strong i.e. the users can relate to it and remember it, it becomes it's USP.

Step 1: Brainstorming

To understand the words properly, write down all the words, objects etc. associated with Transition and Encompassing. You could also choose a word or a combination of words to make a form along similar lines. For instance words like Fluid, Consistent, Connected, Energetic, Integrated, Continuous etc.. Sketching can be used as a tool to visualize your ideas. For instance

Transition- Transformation, Change, suggests movement, caterpillar to butterfly

Encompassing- Enveloping, Encircle

Transition+ Encompassing- Something coming out, breaking the monotony, change of state(Solid, Liquid, Gas)

Step 2: Material Required

1. Mill Board Sheet -350 GSM

2. Thick Ivory sheet - 350 GSM

3.Scissors, Stapler, Cutter with extra blades, Ruler

4. Pencil, Fevicol/ Synthetic White Adhesive

5. Newsprint/ Copier sheets for sketching

Step 3: Exploring Forms

When we start making something, it is good to play around with the material for some time to get a better understanding. Also, sometimes instead of just sketching, playing around and making small explorations can generate more ideas. Therefore, make small 3D models incorporating Transition and Encompassing in the form. Use stapler, eyelets or a stapler to secure the points of joining.

Try to make the form out of one cutout. Although you can join more elements as well.

Step 4: Finding Some Direction

When you feel that you are just getting there, refine your form. Play around with angles and curves and see which one best suits the purpose. Also, this activity is very abstract, therefore what works for you might not for others. But if Some third party looks at your form, they should atleast be able to guess what you have depicted.

Step 5: Cutout of the Finalized Form

Cut the final form out with a very sharp blade. In this case, scoring has been done on the curve to give the required 3D curve very easily. Scoring is basically running over the blade with very less pressure on the sheet to enable smooth creasing.

Also, erase all the pencil marks because it makes the form look very shabby.

Step 6: Finish and Admire!

You could scale up or scale down your model depending on the size you require. In this case, the largest form fits in an imaginary outer bounding box of dimensions 15x12x12 inches. The final form could be made out of ivory sheet as well.

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