Final Project: Sampling and Swatch Exchange #

Your final project is to extend what you learned throughout the course by conducting an iterative exploration into a technique or topic of your choice. We take inspiration in this assignment from the e-textiles swatch exchange, where practitioners develop small samples of a material outcome of a technique they developed and instructions for replication that are shared into a physical book with other practitioners. This is a chance for you to explore one technique, material, or history more deeply, and to present it to the class.

We expect students to complete at least four high-quality swatches as part of the final assignment. Each student, then, will pick one of those swatches, make a duplicate, and turn it in for inclusion in the course swatch book. Alongside the swatches, the student will produce a weekly-style recollection of their sampling process as well as a short presentation of their swatch to the class.

The Assignment Description:
Your swatches should emerge from a challenge that you define. Specifically, you will set yourself up with a question and a heuristic* that you’ll use to evaluate your responses to the question. The aim can change, but try to stick somewhat the the original question and heuristic. For your swatch book page, you must title your swatch and write a description of its behavior. You must include a list of the materials and tools used to create it as well as the draft or AdaCAD workflow you used to create it. Depending on the function of your swatch, you can either include a technical circuit diagram or instructions for replicating your swatch. The draft should label all the parts of the swatch, how they function, and how it can be connected to. You must also cite at minimum two sources/references.**

Maximum swatch dimensions: 5.5" x 7.75" x 0.25"
Quantity: 3 copies of the same swatch

You will keep one copy and give the other two to the instructor for grading. We will also compile them into course books that will live on in our institutional library (and possibility digital archives).

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

Below, you will

Project Proposal - Due 9/29 #

Turn in the question and heuristic that you’ll consider for your final project throughout the semester. After you turn in the proposals, Prof. Devendorf will read each proposal, reply with comments or suggestions that you will address, and eventually “approve” when it is scoped appropriately for the final project.

Project Background Research - Due 10/20 #

After your project has been approved, you will need to complete some background research into your question and heuristic.

In this assignment you will turn in the following:

1. Read through the list of available talks in the Experimental Weaving Talk series and pick one to watch that you feel might be related to your project.

2. Submit a PDF to canvas including:

• The name of the talk you watched, and what, if any, ideas did it provide to you about how you will approach your final project.

• A three paragraph response to the question “who else has asked your question, or a question related to yours?”. Your response should include at least three different links/citations to research publications or art projects that have investigated the same or similar questions to yours; a description of that work and the techniques they used; a statement of how it is relevant to your project; and how your project will build on or advance the question.

• An artistic rendering (or mood board perhaps) that includes imagery, sketches, color palettes, video, sound, etc. that can guide the look and feel of your sample. This should not be a rendering of what you want to make, it is a set of visual inspirations that will help guide you as you seek to achieve and develop your heuristic. The rendering should address: what should someone interacting with your sample feel on their hands? Where would they be interacting with the sample? How might the sample be engaged socially?

Sample Round 1 Report - Due 11/10 #

This deliverable will require you to turn in via canvas a weekly-style reflection of your round 1 sampling activities. Use the weekly template to describe the process. Your documentation should include photos of at least two new 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 heuristic. Describe these key points 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 will attempt in round 2. Turn this in as a URL via canvas.

Sample Round 2 Report - Due 11/19 #

This deliverable will require you to turn in via canvas a weekly-style reflection of your round 2 sampling activities. Use the weekly template to describe the process. Your documentation should include photos of at least two new 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 heuristic. Describe these key points 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 which swatch you consider to be the furthest along and that you will duplicate for the final. Turn this in as a URL via canvas.

Duplication Report - Due 12/3 #

This deliverable will require you to turn in via canvas a weekly-style reflection of your duplication activities. Use the weekly template to describe the process. Your documentation should include photos of you duplicated swatch and a reflection about your experience: was duplicating easy? harder than you expected? Did it bring any new ideas or considerations? Turn this in as a URL via canvas.

Deliverable 3: Presentation - Due 12/8 #

A 3 minute presentation about your process and outcomes. We will present our projects on 12/8 and 12/10. Please submit this presentation via Canvas as a Google Slides Presentation so professor Devendorf can load them all, and present them all. Turn in a link to your presentation on Canvas by 9am on 12/8

Deliverable 4: Swatches & Swatch Book Page - Due 12/10 #

Turn in one copy of your final swatch for inclusion in the course swatch book alongside a PDF documenting the swatch.

Turn the swatch in, in person, in class on 12/13 or before. Please clearly label the swatch with your name (e.g. put it in a bag with your name on it or add a piece of tape with your name)

Submit a PDF of your documentation page for the course swatch book. Use the template provided in Canvas. This page must include a list of the materials and tools used to create your swatch with enough detail that a different student in the class could implement what you did. Include details about the loom you used, the materials on the warp and the warp density. Depending on the function of your swatch, you can either include a technical circuit diagram or instructions for replicating your swatch. You must also include an illustrated diagram. The illustrated diagram should label all the parts of the swatch, how they function, and how it can be connected to. You must also cite at minimum two sources/references that you used to guide your process.