School Design Project
Practicing the Iterative Design Process and Exploration of New Mediums
Synopsis
Fascinating Flour is a project that prompts the hands-on exploration and manipulation of flour through the use of steam to produce a fascinating outcome. This involves experimenting with various factors, including steam temperature, duration, flour types, flour quantities, and additives like baking powder and colourings.
This project provided multiple learning points that are crucial in the design process, which can be observed throughout the 6 weeks of documentation.
Week 1
The first week involved the use of plain flour, water, and 2 steaming durations. The exploration begun limited.
Week 2
Gaining a better sense of the additives we can explore and expand our explorations to experiment with colour, differing volumes of ingredients, and less conventional additives. Explorations felt deliberate in their appearance rather than being the discovered result of the steaming process. Hence, future weeks attempt to expand the variety and depth of the possible outcomes.
Week 3
Exploring in greater width and depth while noting unique characteristics we may wish to carry through in our final piece. For example, I noticed the web or coral like textures, as well as the glossy, crystal like textures, and thus experimented with various techniques to exaggerate these elements.
Week 4
Continuing to explore in greater width and depth, interesting visuals were discovered. Key characteristics that were of interest to explore further was the clear separation of distinct textures and densities observed in the highlighted examples.
Final Weeks
The following week's explored in the greatest variety and depth, narrowing down on the key characteristics desired while exploring how they can be executed in a piece.
Final Piece
The final piece was selected for its control in separating the distinct textures that compliment each other well.
It was formed by steaming 2 mixtures at the same time in an enclosed gacha ball. The textures were achieved with calculated amounts of various types of flour and unconventional additives. The outcome involves a round and dense top paired with its porous and fluffy bottom half creates an interesting visual that was reminiscent of a jellyfish to me - hence, Jellyfish.
No colouring was added to this piece; colours observed are the result of food additives.
"Thinking through Making"
TO TRY things out, no matter how strange, USELESS, or impossible it seems.
TO TRY things out, no matter how strange, USELESS, or impossible it seems.
Guided by Prof. Hans Tan
National University of Singapore, Industrial Design
National University of Singapore, Industrial Design
Photography of final piece by @studiowongs
