A Student – Page 17 – Wearable Studios

September 27, 2018November 15, 2018

Documentation for Prototypes vs Models – Clare Chang

Prototype Creation Process Creative Practice

Pottery/Ceramics

Tools Used

Wooden Modelling Tool
Trimming Tool
Loop Tool
Sponge
Ribs and Scrapers
Potter’s Needles
Shape Tool
Cut-Off Wires
An organiser

Ideation for Prototype

The idea for this prototype derived from the potter’s difficulty in using an organiser to store their tools and also use during their practice. This is because the organiser would get dirtied easily with bits of clay. Additionally, there is also a hassle in pulling out the tools when all of them are jumbled up in a pile on the work table. Therefore, for this prototype, it aims to help ease these two difficulties.
Firstly, the arm band that I sewed together is using an elastic strap, this is to ensure that people of different arm sizes will be able to use it with less discomfort. The placement of having it on the upper arm instead of other places such as the lower arm, leg, or even waist is because the upper arm is the least obstructive area. The lower arm would get in the way of the potter’s work, the waist would also be an obstruction and safety hazard if the potter decides to sit or bend down. Lastly, the leg would be the furthest and most inconvenient for the potter to access.
Also, the prototype is also created with water resistant pockets that are not sewn shut at the end so the potter is able to easily wash the tools and let the water drain out. For this first prototype, there are only 3 tools available. In future iterations, I hope to redesign this to be able to fit more.

Prototype

Model Creation Process

Creative Practice

For the model, I challenged myself with another creative practice which was Yoga. This was a challenge because yoga is a practice that requires a lot less tools.

Tools Used

Yoga Mat
Yoga Blocks

These are the two basic tools used during a yoga practice.

Ideation for Model

My inspiration, and uses of the model grew throughout the creative process. The starting point was to be able to make the yoga mat and yoga blocks into a miniature size so I did not have to carry them around. It then evolved into creating a Handy Imagine box which would be your one stop box that you could carry around with you that provided you with everything you need.
The strap of the box would be slinked on your shoulder and this contact with the users’ body would send signals of what the body desires (e.g. food) or what the user needs at the point in time. The box would then create a miniature version of what it predicts the user wants and alerts him/her. The user would see the item in the box, and if it is what he/she wants, then they would press one of the coloured buttons on the cover (each representing a different item category). Upon pressing, the user would then open the box, where the item would become full size and fully usable.

Model

Inside of *Handy Imagine* and items made from mouldable clay

September 26, 2018November 15, 2018

Exploring Practitioners: Moisturiser Making – Joey

Taking advantage of the field trip, I decided to make the moisturiser making workshop as part of my participation with practitioners exercise.
The workshop was organised by Rachel at the Singapore Visitor Centre.
It was hosted by the company called Theo10 and the founder, Theodore, was the one who was teaching us.

Theodore introducing Theo10 and concepts behind soap making.

Process Documentation
The whole moisturiser making process was actually pretty easy.
1. Get a container
2. Fill it up to 10 drops of essential oils – can be mixed
3. Put warm aloe vera cream in
4. Stir & mix them together with glass rod
And you’re done!

Tools Used

Pain Points
It is a fairly simple activity that can be done within 15 minutes.
One possible challenge is perhaps the number of essential oils that are available. There was at least 15 bottles and they vary in size and shape.
It was also hard to get the oils from the smaller bottle as they do not have a dripper.
Another challenge could be having a big pot filled with warm water to warm and keep the aloe vera cream warm as it very bulky.
Other than these, once everything is set up, it is quite easy to get to the tools and use them.

BONUS
We also participated in making our own mosquito repellent.
Apparently their mosquito repellent has been featured on CNN etc. during the dengue outbreak. (pretty cool!)
The challenge was to mask the weird scent of their own trade-secret-formulated repellent. (it smelt like fish oil to me – wouldn’t want that scent to stay on your skin for 4-6 hours…)

Process Documentation

So we had to mix in lots and lost of essential oil.
But before we did that, we had to concoct the repellent first.
With the measuring cylinder, we had to pour in 10ml of water and 2ml of their repellent using a pipette.
Once that was done, we could begin to mix in our essential oils to create a better scent for the repellent.

Pain Points
It was quite tough to mask the smell of the mosquito repellent – it took at least 100 drops of essential oils according to Theo.
An obstruction was the volume of the spray bottle. With the repellent solution taking about half of the bottle, there was only so much room for the essential oils. For me, I filled the bottle close to the brim and luckily mine worked. (Smells ok.)
The solution also had to be very precise as Theo instructed that the proportions has to be accurate in order for the repellent to work well.

I think one cool way to bring all the essential oils around is to make a coat with many many pockets storing each oil in each pocket. (looking like doctor gadget) Also a hot pocket (pun intended) to keep the aloe vera cream warm.
As the activity is fairly simple, just involving pouring liquid, once the workspace is set up, everything should go well.

September 26, 2018November 8, 2018

Explore Practitioners 1: Illustrator – Yukie Miyazaki

I visited the Illustration Arts Market (held at Lasalle) over the weekend with my sister, and we had our portrait live drawn by an Tran Tran Thi Huyen, a Vietnamese illustrator based in Singapore. It was quite interesting because there wasn’t an official worksite allocated for the illustrators. There were only two long benches parallel to one another. My sister and I were seated on one side with Tran opposite us. Her tools were sprawled on the remaining space on the bench beside her as well.

Tools Used

She had a wrap pencil case that contained most of her drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, brushes). It’s pretty snazzy, considering it can hold quite a number of pens and stuff and allow you to look at everything clearly when you open it up. Also, it protects your brushes because they are all held down securely and wouldn’t be pressed against the other stuff in the case.

(picture can’t flip) Tran’s art work consisted of more than using pens and pencils, but had a mix of colour pencils and watercolour pencils as well. She kept her colour pencils in an upcycled cookie tin box.

She also had a physical watercolour palette and a water paintbrush as well (a paintbrush that had water stored inside it, so that you wouldn’t need to have a cup of water in order to use the watercolour).

Workspace

As mentioned, her workspace consisted of a bench and she made use of her knee to hold up her drawing pad in order to support it. The artist beside her brought her own board to hold up the paper.

I personally think it’s really amazing how she can just draw on the spot without being afraid of messing up or making mistakes, because she is really forced to work under pressure as we (and her other customers) just sit there and watch her illustrate us/them. Each of the illustrators there have their own styles and they really do deliver consistently!

September 26, 2018November 14, 2018

Explore Practitioners 2: Preschool Teacher – Brenda Tan

I have always thought that being an early childhood educator is the most rewarding and heartwarming job because you get to see young kids grow and achieve their little milestones. This morning, I sat in for an English class at a neighbourhood preschool center as I wanted to gain more insights on what it’s really like to be a preschool teacher.

*Note: I didn’t get to take a lot of photos of videos without an official permit.

Practice Documentation

There is no fixed process or steps when it comes to teaching a group of 6-year-olds. While the teachers have a lesson plan that they have to follow everyday, they usually have to be on the ball and ready to respond to the unpredictable needs of the kids. During the English lesson, the kids became a bit rowdy and they started to ask a lot of questions at the same time. Since the teachers need to face similar situations like this everyday, they need to be able to multi-task and learn to give her attention to more than 15 children at once.

Tools Used

Portable whiteboard
Magnetic whiteboard – for writing or attaching pictures/ news articles to facilitate the lesson
Stationery basket – contains whiteboard markers of different colours and magnets
Chair
Tissue box – to clean up after the children

Evaluation of tools used
In my opinion, the stationery basket is a little inconvenient because it has no handles for the teacher to grab on to. In addition, the basket has no lid, thus increasing the risk of all the stationery falling out of the basket if the teacher does not hold it properly. Furthermore, although other tools like whiteboard markers, duster and tissue box are placed near to the teacher, she still has to look around for them whenever she needs them, while paying attention to the kids at the same time.

Worksite Documentation

The classroom is generally organised as everything is packed neatly in the shelves. The kids’ bags and water bottles are also placed nicely in the cubby holes provided. However, since everything is placed in different shelves, whenever the teacher needs something other than the tools stated above, she would need to walk to the shelves to take it.

Personal Insights

Apart from sitting in for the class, I was also given the wonderful opportunity to conduct a short lesson. Since I’m not a professionally-trained preschool teacher, I could only conduct a drawing lesson. Also, since I was not familiar with where everything was kept, I had to ask the teachers and this made the process slightly more time consuming.

In my opinion, since the kids can be rather unpredictable, it is better for the teachers to have a portable toolbox, or a wearable kit, with all the tools that they need. This way, the teachers can spend less time searching for the things they need and they can pay more attention to the kids around them.

September 25, 2018November 6, 2018

Explore Practitioners 2: Pottery (Cups) – Chia Li Hui

Pottery is one of my many interests that I have always wanted to learn but have no time to do it. As I wish to create my own plates and cups in the future, I decided to choose my second creative practice to be pottery. As my cousin opens pottery workshop for children, I decided to approach him to learn the basic skills of pottery.

Process Documentation

Steps:

Take a fair amount of clay and put some water on it.
Make sure that the clay is not too watery. If it is, leave it to dry on Plaster of Paris. The clay should be partially sticky and not too hard.
Put it on the middle of the pottery wheel and set the pottery wheel to be turning at a pace you are comfortable with.
Shape the clay into a cone-shape and use your thumb to push the middle of the cone down to create the opening for the cup.
Move on to shape the body of the cup.
Use the wooden carving tool to shape the bottom of the cup.
Use the sponge to remove air bubbles in the clay and the tip of the cup so that there will be consistency.
Use hairdryer to dry the clay.
Use the wire clay cutting tool to remove the cup from the pottery wheel.

Tools used

Plaster of Paris (Calcium Sulphate Monohydrate)
Pottery wheel
Wooden Carving tool
Sponge
Hairdryer
Wire Clay Cutting Tool

Worksite Documentation

My cousin conducts the workshops in his house. Although I find that the worksite is a little cramped, there was still enough space to learn. As his stuffs were surrounding the pottery wheel, I had to be extremely careful so that I would not dirty his stuffs while learning.

Pain points

As it was my first time trying out, I find it hard to gauge how much clay to use and how to determine whether the clay was ready to put on the pottery wheel. It is also important to have firm hands so that the sides of the cup were even. In addition, the cleaning up was quite tedious as for an amateur, the clay will splatter outside of the pottery wheel. However, despite all these difficulties, I still enjoy the process of learning pottery!

September 25, 2018November 6, 2018

Explore Practitioners 1: Mooncake Making – Chia Li Hui

As mid-autumn festival is around the corner, I have decided to learn how to make handmade snow skin mooncakes to give out to my family and friends. Therefore, I chose to approach my friend who sells snow skin mooncakes.

Process Documentation

Making handmade snow skin mooncakes may seem easy but it is a very tedious process. It takes up one whole day to create just a few pieces!

Steps:

Mix the flour with water and butter. Knead until the dough is form.
Add food flavouring and colouring to the dough. Knead the dough until the colour is evenly spread out.
Scoop about 20g of dough and roll it into a ball.
Leave the dough one side and scoop about 40g of paste. Roll the paste into a ball.
Flatten the dough balls using a wooden rolling pin.
Wrap each flatten dough around each paste ball.
Dust some premix flour around the wrapped ball to prevent it from sticking to the mooncake mould.
Put the wrapped ball into the mooncake mould to create your final mooncake!
Refrigerate the mooncake.

Tools used

Bowls
Wooden rolling pin
Mooncake mould
Electronic weighing scale
Spoon

Worksite Documentation

As I made the snow skin mooncakes at my friend’s house, it is very convenient to get extra bowls. Additionally, it was easy to clean up and we prepared a plastic cover on the table so even with all the flour, we did not make a big mess. As there were several types of paste and dough, we are also required to wash our hands every single time we change a paste or dough. Hence, it was very convenient for us to wash our hands as the workspace was just beside the kitchen. Therefore, I find that I was at a very comfortable state to learn this new skill.

Pain points

Kneading of the dough takes the most effort. It takes skill to knead it properly and we are not supposed to knead the dough for too long as it would become too soft. When it becomes too soft, it would be hard to flatten it and wrap it around the paste balls. At the same time, the colours may not be spread evenly if the dough was not kneaded properly as well. From this, I learnt that making handmade snow skin mooncakes are not as easy as I thought it will be. It is a very tiring process and it takes up a lot of time to produce a small amount.

September 25, 2018November 11, 2018

Practice Storyworld – Muhammad Hazzry

Storyworld

Global warming has reached an entirely new level and the ozone layers have depleted beyond repair. Due to the multiple kinds of pollution due to human activity, the environment has changed and the sun’s UV rays now have adverse effects on creatures dwelling the Earth. The rays can harm the human skin within seconds and it turns plants into rabid, dangerous creatures. Hence, the only way to survive is to avoid the daylight and only come out at night.

Because the sun rays can be harmful even when one is not under direct sunlight, humanity has now decided to migrate underground – people live in underground bunkers/ vaults. Not just homes, but work, entertainment hubs, malls are now fully underground.

Effects of sun rays on human skin and plants

Genre: Dystopian

Story: to be told in a commercial-style, for the people in the bunker. I drew up a storyboard for the commercial and attached a sample advertistment of the kind of aesthetics I had in mind for the commercial. Basically the advert is trying to sell a suit that allows humans to go into the outside world in broad daylight unharmed.

Storyboard for the commercial (sorry for the amateur-ish drawing)

September 25, 2018November 15, 2018

Exploring Practitioners: Starbucks Barista – Joey

I went to participate in my friend’s work who is a Starbucks Barista at One-North. He has been working at Starbucks for close to 4 and a half years.
I wanted to see how the usual Starbucks barista works around the many professional tools behind the counter, facing crowds and rushes.

Process Documentation
The space is quite spacious with about 3-4 staff working behind the counter each time. There is the oven section for heating food, the frappuccino area with the machine for frozen blend goodness, the sink area for washing, the cold brew area for their latest nitro coffee and of course the coffee machines area for brewing coffee.

To make coffee, he would pick up the cup for the right size then make the coffee by using the fancy coffee machine. The machine will then dispense the coffee into small glasses – shots.
While this is happening, my friend would pump syrup (if needed) from the syrup bottles into the cup.
After this, coffee would be poured into the cup and topped off with more syrup/milk/milk foam/whipped cream.

Tools Used
These are some of tools he usually use.

One really interesting “machine” or appliance the dispenser for the cold nitro brew coffee – it looks like a beer tap.
Also got to try it with the courtesy of my friend!
It tasted pretty sour and acidic to me – not a fan (hahah)
But the foam is pretty cool!

Pain Points
I think one main challenge was that tools and appliances were spread out over the counter.
If the space was contrainted or if there were too many people, it would be hard to get to the tools needed and may even cause an accident as the staff walk from the fridge/oven/food area to the cashier counter to the coffee area etc.

Another problem I observed is that there are extras of tools, such as extra chocolate/vanilla/caramel syrup in bottle and pump form and they can be all over the place at crowded times like the lunch or morning rush.
There is also 2 coffee machines although they only use one. Perhaps it is in the case where one might broken/spoilt/malfunctioning.

I think a Starbucks barista has to learn how to use a lot of tools and get comfortable and used to his/her space in order to work efficiently.
From the fridge, to the cashier machine, the oven, the coffee machine, the frappuccino machine, syrup bottles and pumps and cups, lids etc, it would be a challenge to come up with a wearable tool that can do the job of a Starbucks barista.
Perhaps it would be more worthwhile to think of a specific function that can benefit with a wearable tool and make him/her more efficient.
I was thinking a portable/movable coffee machine or even a cafe would be really cool too! (Imagine carrying chairs and open them up for your customers and you make coffee on your body)
A portable coffee grinder might work although the quality might not be machine grade and the person would have to stand near a drain/grass to get rid of excess hot water and coffee grinds.

September 24, 2018November 14, 2018

Explore Practitioners 1: Traditional Hawker – Brenda Tan

I have always been very supportive of Singapore’s hawker culture as I always visit hawker centers when I am craving some comfort food or a taste of nostalgia. Hence, for my first practitioner, I decided to approach a family friend who owns a coffeeshop, to teach me how to make one of my favourite dishes – lor mee, which literally translates to “braised noodles”.

Process Documentation

Usually, the chef wakes up at 1am to prepare the gravy beforehand! After the gravy is done, she will move on to prepare the toppings for the noodles. Below is a short video of how a typical bowl of lor mee is prepared and served to customers.

Preparing a bowl of lor mee involves a systematic and arduous process. Here are the steps according to the video above:

Firstly, the amount of noodles and beansprouts are estimated by hand and placed into a noodle strainer, before being blanched in piping hot water.
After the noodles are cooked, 1 1/2 ladles worth of thick, sticky gravy is poured on top of the noodles, just enough to cover the noodles.
Next, toppings such as braised egg, fried fish, braised pork and parsley are added to the bowl.
Last but not least, condiments like black vinegar, chilli paste and minced garlic are added before serving the bowl of noodles to the customer.

Tools used

Stainless steel noodle strainer
Thongs
Ladle
Bowl
Scissors
Hot water dispenser

Worksite Documentation

The worksite is a small and humble space, and it also very clean and organised. Below are a few photos I took of the worksite.

Personal Insights

After attempting to prepare a bowl of lor mee by myself, I took down some notes regarding my experience.
The most challenging part would be straining the water out of the noodles, because I need to leave the right amount of water in the noodles, and if there is too much water retained in the noodles, it will become too soggy. In my opinion, it takes a lot of time and experience for one to master this step. On the other hand, I learnt that preparing a humble bowl of noodles is actually a very laborious and meticulous process, and almost no machines or pre-made food are used. Everything from the braised egg to the braised pork are made with love by the chef and kitchen staff.

September 23, 2018November 5, 2018

Explore Practitioners 2: Crafting and Cosplaying – Teo Zi Lin

I am an otaku (anime lover) and cosplayer. I have been cosplaying for about 2 years, but I have never crafted my own weapons for cosplay (thanks Taobao). For this year’s Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention, I decided to cosplay Chirrut Îmwe from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I asked my cosplay friend, who is also a crafter, for help on making Chirrut’s weapon/walking stick because the weapon costs $200+ if I buy it online. Below is the documentation on the tools used and the crafting process.

Tools used

Reference picture for Chirrut (character) used in the entire process.

Reference picture for Chirrut’s weapon used in the crafting process.

Chirrut’s costume that I bought from Taobao (rip wallet).

Worksite documentation

The best part about crafting is that it can be done anywhere. Yes, that includes the comfort of your own home/room. I crafted Chirrut’s weapon in my room as my room has all the tools necessary. For cosplay, it’s usually done at conventions, such as Anime Festival Asia Singapore or Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention. The worksite for cosplay is usually really crowded with a mix of normies (casual visitors), cosplayers, exhibitors, and photographers.

The worksite for cosplay (convention). Picture belongs to AFASG.

Process documentation

My friend shared with me that as a crafter, I need to have the mantra of “lowest cost possible” deeply rooted in my mind. Crafters often think out of the box and figure out how to make a weapon using the cheapest items, including household items. They dissect the weapon into layers and build the layers one by one. To begin, we decided to use a stick meant for attaching a mop as the base for the weapon. The stick only costed $1 from a household items store. We wrapped the stick with pieces of drawing blocks so that the paint can stay on it easily.

Then, we used moulding clay to make the tip and the uneven bark-like structure of the weapon. After allowing the clay to harden over 24 hours, we used 3-seconds super glue to attach the clay to the stick.

Moulding the shape of the weapon’s tip with clay.

Creating the uneven bark-like structure of the weapon.

The next step is to paint the weapon. We used 2 different shades of brown paint to coat the weapon. By mixing the 2 different shades, we are able to get a couple of other shades of brown (saving costs). The varying shades of brown give my weapon the illusion of a more realistic texture similar to tree bark or wood.

We then proceeded to make the metallic parts of the weapon. To do so, we used pieces of red foam that I had at home (save $$). We used the weapon reference picture as a guide to layer the foam pieces in order to create similar mockups. We added more layers of foam for the parts that are “higher” and less layers for the parts that are sunken. After the mockups were done, we painted the foam silver in order to create the metallic effect, and used super glue to attach them together and to the weapon.

Layering the metallic parts of the weapon using foam.

Attaching the painted foam pieces to the weapon.

Finished metallic parts of the weapon (yay).

In order for the paint to stay on longer, it was paramount to add a layer of protective coating to the weapon. This is even more important if you are going to a crowded convention where people may brush against your weapon. We applied a layer of gloss varnish to add gloss and shine to my weapon (which appears better in pictures, according to my friend). After which, lo and behold, the weapon is finally completed! The weapon costed me about $20 to make (including leftover paint, garnish and glue), as compared to $200+ if I were to buy it online. I can proudly say we have fulfilled the mantra “lowest cost possible” for this weapon.

Applying varnish to the completed weapon.

Below is a picture of me cosplaying as Chirrut and proudly posing with the weapon I crafted together with my friend.

Pain points

Some of the pain points I experienced during the convention was trying to move around in my costume as it was really crowded. Also, it was difficult for me to see in those contact lens. I had issues trying to touch up on my makeup during the con, and had to leave my baggage unattended at some corner of the venue. For the crafting process, painting took a really long time. It would be nice if there were some sort of paint gun that allows me to spray the paint on according to how I wanted quickly.

Teo Zi Lin (A0160163R) – Practitioner 2/3