The results of experiment phase one: using conventional media

Subject A

Subject A spends fifty minutes to complete phase one of experiment. At the beginning, he reads the source material and searches some keywords relating to space, such as flocking together, illuminated, transparent, water jet and moving in reverse direction, and so on. Then he begins to select some interesting images and learns the forms. He tries to find some special forms or structures from the jellyfish; therefore, he firstly draws jellyfish, and then responds to the design topic” roadside stall.”

Fig 3.3.1.a Subject A’s design result

The process of imitating and sketching the form of jellyfish takes about 23 minutes. Firstly, he sketches simple patterns of jellyfish (Fig 3.3.1.b (a)). Later, he draws the umbrella structure of traditional stalls, or is the style of traditional roadside stalls (Fig 3.3.1.b (b)).

Finally, he tries to connect sources and target. He puts the simple sketches of jellyfish and the sketches of roadside stalls together (Fig 3.3.1.b (c)), and thinks how to build a relationship between them. He draws, thinks, ponders, and sometimes goes back to read the source material. In the process, he finds new keywords or new meaning and writes them down, such as clusters symbolizing combination, eight meridional canals, water signifying transparency, and so on.

Fig 3.3.1.b (a) Imitating the form of jellyfish

(b) sketching the umbrella structure of traditional stalls

(c) putting the simple sketches of jellyfish and the sketches of roadside stalls together

“When I generate my design, I could not always draw and draw. Sometimes I need to stop sketching and thinks which sketch has the potential to develop. There is a transitional period from simple imitation to design. Moreover, the previous sketching also help me to has a flash of inspiration for my design.”

Then, Subject A chooses jellyfish tentacles and jellyfish’s character “flocking together” to sketch, and tries to use the two key points to stimulate his thought. When he draws one sketch (Fig 3.3.1.b (c)), he makes sure that this one is his conceptual diagram. Then he draws a simple elevation to show the concept of his design (Fig 3.3.1.b (c)). Finally, he uses another paper to draw details, functions, or structures about his design.

Fig 3.3.1.c (a) conceptual diaram

(b) Elevation of final conceptual design

“I think that the first step of analogical thinking oriented design should be search, and then draw something which you see in the source material. The intuitive process can make designer quickly understand its structure, and it is helpful to the later exploration and development. In fact, the form would be transformed. At the beginning, the first sketch is really like a jellyfish, but designer may find some important points in the first sketch, and applies them to the next sketch or transfers them to other new thing. The process of sketching many diagrams could be accumulated a power to provoke designer’s creativities.”

As far as the analogical ideas are concerned, Subject A searches some key words at same time, but every diagram are discussed only one key words. After sketching many diagrams, he starts to consider how to integrate these ideas. The definite transfers of analogical ideas would be presented in final conceptual design. For example, at the beginning, he catches the some key words, such as cluster, light, water jet and moving in reverse direction, tentacles , and so further. The final design represents the large or small group of stalls, LED light source, the line-shaped skeleton framing, and so on.

Subject B

Subject B takes 45 minutes to complete phase one. Like Subject A, he spends almost time on the mapping stage and he decides his final conceptual design at 33 minutes. At the beginning, subject B reads source material and write some keywords quickly, including zooplankton meaning can morphing, flocking together symbolizing combination, containing water meaning inflated. In addition, because he thinks intuitively that the jellyfish is a “round”

animal, so the basic form of his every sketch is round.

Fig 3.3.1.d Subject B’s design result

He begins to think how to integrate these ideas and how to make them become part of a design. He draws umbrella structure of traditional stalls, and parallel relationships of roadside stalls (Fig 3.3.1.e). Then he starts to think how combine the source “jellyfish” and the design target” roadside stall” together.

“When I think about how to connect jellyfish with roadside stalls, I draw a basic form of roadside stalls to understand what its characters are. Then I look at the previous diagrams describing jellyfish, go back to draw the form of stalls, and look at the jellyfish diagrams again. The process makes me know how to combine them together. For example, I find that stalls have the character of horizontal arrangement, so I try to draw many circles to see whether these circles are arranged to has some direction(Fig 3.3.1.e Right), but I feel it is very difficult.”

Fig 3.3.1.e (Left) Umbrella structure

(Middle) parallel relationships of roadside stalls (Right) arrange some circles

Later, subject B finds that it is difficult to manipulate his design idea. He stops sketching and write down some key words promptly. In this time, he finds a new key word “reverse” that stimulate the developmental stages of jellyfish (the form of jellyfish reverses in different stages). He begins to manipulate the possibilities of “reverse”; however, reversing something with two-dimensional angle is restricted. He could not continue to test his ideas and finally abounds this idea.

Fig 3.3.1.e (Left) Subject B finds the new key word “reverse”

(Right) sketching process

“In the process, I test the possibilities of flocking together. When I search the new idea”

reverse”, my thought is really confused. Because there are too many interesting ideas, I do not know how to combine them with one design or how to present them with one angle.

Therefore, in the difficult circumstance, I continue to draw many diagrams. When I draw one diagram, my intuition tells me this is my conceptual diagram.”

The final concept is decided after repeating the process of writing keywords, sketching jellyfish diagrams, and roadside stalls diagram. Then he draws some detailed structure, functions about his design with another paper.

As far as the analogical ideas are concerned, subject B also reads the source material and searches some interesting key words. However, because there are many analogical ideas, he could not integrate them into one design concept at once. Therefore, he repeats many times in the process of writing keywords, sketching jellyfish diagrams, and roadside stalls diagram.

His definite analogical transfers also represent in the final stage, including the form, structure, inflated, and flocking together. In particular, subject B applies the concept of jellyfish’s flexible body to his stalls design that the form of stalls could be changed and spreaded on the surface by changing tangent lines.

Subject C

Fig 3.3.1.f Subject C ‘s design result

Subject C spends 46 minutes to complete the phase one of experiment. At firstly, he writes down some keywords, such as containing 95% water, transparent, three layers of jellyfish’

body, slender tentacles, cnidoblast(a type of cell as a means for jellyfish catch prey and defend themselves from predators), and luminous body. At the same time, subject C writes down some keywords to express the characters of roadside stalls, such as not fixed, cluster, luminous lighting for attracting people, and so on. Then he links the keywords of jellyfish with the characters of roadside stalls (Fig 3.3.1. g Left). In the mapping process, he draws one simple sketch of jellyfish (Fig 3.3.1. g Right).

Fig 3.3.1.g (Left) Subject C writes down some keywords and build relationships between source and target (Right) One simple sketch of jellyfish

After the mapping process with keywords, he confirms some relationships of functions between source and target. At 17 minute, he begins to use some sketches to visualize these

relationships (Fig 3.3.1. h Middle). At this stage, he tries to combine the relationship with the image of jellyfish in his mind. He draws four diagrams to describe his thinking.

“I think the jellyfish is a light-weight and transparent animal. I consider how to connect this image with my concept. Then I think maybe I can use inflatable membrane to symbolize the movement of contracting muscles and then releasing the contraction, the feeling of light-weight, and the transparent appearance. Moreover, I transfer jellyfish’s tentacles as a skeleton, so I start to draw my conceptual draft. After finishing the draft, I begin to consider more realistic parts, like how to inflate the stall, how the skeleton framing works, the scale relationship between the stall and the person, etc.”

Fig 3.3.1.h (Left) Subject C connects the relationship between source and target (Middle) Subject C draws several drafts to visualize the relationship (Right) sketching main sketch to show his design

At the final stage, subject C builds almost design ideas and he starts to draw the final conceptual diagram. He draws one main sketch to show his design (Fig 3.3.1. h Right). Then he draws several minor sketches to describe detail about design function (Fig 3.3.1.i Left), present how to link every unit into clusters, and show the three levels of service function symbolizing the three layers of jellyfish’s body (Fig 3.3.1.i Right). The analogical ideas that he uses is the same as the keywords which he search at the beginning.

Fig 3.3.1.i (Left) design functions

(Right) three layers of services, cluster, and inflation

“It is easy for me to generate design ideas with keywords because what I write can directly transfer a draft. The lines of draft are rough and ambiguous, but they are full of designer’s thought.”