(Un)Common Objects
Design Brief: Create a word from the marks left behind by common objects. This word should capture the essence of the mark that is used to create it.
Using ink and various common objects, I made many different marks. Some of these objects included a bag clip, an action figure, a keychain, and a coffee filter. Using Adobe Capture, I scanned these marks and brought them into Photoshop. From these marks, I selected a some that stood out to me and began making word associations with them.
Above are two of my options and the brainstorming I did for them. Ultimately, I choose to move forward with the marks below, which were made with a coffee filter.
When I looked at these marks I saw many different things: a brain, coral, worms, dancing figures, and more. Even though these marks look worm-like, 'parasitic' was not were my mind went when looking at them. I associated the marks with a much more positive meaning as they looked like they were dancing around one another. Because of this I began brainstorming words that had positive or neutral connotations: Suture, Bond, Union, Meld, Unity, Conciliation, Amalgam, Synthesis, Symbiosis, Coalescence, Entirety, and Eternity.
I was drawn to the word symbiosis because of how biological it sounded- like I was looking at these marks on a petri dish. Symbiosis also has a very positive connotation as it means to a close interaction/dependence between two organisms that benefits both sides. Symbiosis became symbiotic during further brainstorming so that I could incorporate more varied shapes, rather than try to recreate three different 's' letters.
I began with a rough mock up of 'symbiotic' with low quality scans to get an idea of what shapes I could use for the different letters. Above is the layout that ended up being closest to my final product. I presented these ideas to my peers, and with their critique I was able to determine which of the versions were illegible. From there, I began the slow process of cutting and pasting together the different 'squiggles' to form my final draft of 'symbiotic'
I choose to display my word on a long, thin strip of paper that has lines being cut off at the sides. The purpose of this way to imply that the lines continue swirling and out from the word, maybe even connecting to another word, which plays into the idea of interconnectedness.
