Design Statement
In my first design class in architecture school, we were asked to diagram using lines and dots on index cards, where we come from and where we are now. At the time, I was baffled at the task to reduce a complex answer into such simplistic elements. While I found the assignment interesting, I was more intrigued by the array of patterns and relationships that resulted in the full collection of cards submitted by students. This class ignited my interest in the pieces and processes of systems, and how the unique relationships between individual components inform and define the greater whole. My experiences from architecture school, interactive design, and web development have given me the opportunity to explore this at different scales across various technologies. I would like to merge my interests of the methodologies and techniques behind digital fabrication with the user experience and architecture of information technology, exploring the systems that integrate the fields of high-touch and high-technology.
Throughout architecture school, I was fascinated by the physical fabrication of digital models. The process of translating a computer model into a physical manifestation involved a sequence of deliberate actions that informed the final design. This might include first reducing the digital model into a 2-dimensional cut sheet, then using a laser cutter to extract the pieces, and lastly passing the pieces through a series of physical or material transformations. As the resulting individual parts begin to work together, they display parametric or emergent properties. With the growth of responsive technology, altering the process or pieces to adapt to our spacial surroundings or immediate needs is now a reality. I look forward to exploring intelligent fabrication systems that will impact all scales of the built environment, including textures, textiles, and large scale structures.
My experience in the information technology field has increased my design, programming, and business skill sets. As a freelance web designer and developer, I have been primarily operating within two distinct scales: the level of a project and the state of a business. Within these frameworks, I have had to perform associated tasks that include both technical operations and managing human interactions. While designing an online user experience differs greatly from establishing a business relationship, both are essential components within their relative scales. My freelance opportunities and part time work experiences have also further increased my programming knowledge and allowed me to explore new coding languages. I hope to use the valuable skills gained from my work experience to unite information technology and the physical environment with a human-centered approach.
As the integration of touch and technology becomes ingrained into our daily lives, the importance of intelligent design and responsive systems dramatically increases. Within new methods of fabrication, can a standardized procedure become adaptable and variable based on analytical data? How will we simultaneously preserve rich craft traditions, reduce environmental consequences, and transform the interrelationships between humans and our world? I want to explore these themes and the internal processes involved in the marrying of the digital and physical worlds.
