DESIGN IN CRISIS
SENSING LIKE AN ANIMAL
The Ant Experiment
For the first part of the experiment, we built couples with in each couple one blindfolded person and the other inventing a path for the blindfolded one ? with landmarks like trees or benches. From point A to point B the blindfolded partner was guided and after a few rounds tried to orientate independently by counting steps, using an umbrella to walk straight and to feel the consistensy of the ground as well as anticipate obstacles. It was hard (however necessary) to concentrating on sounds in the meantime, like the cars on the road and the playing kids.
For the second part, we had to start working as a collective to acquire materials to build a refuge. Therefore everyone was blindfolded. With one person staying at a tree as home base and orientation point, we spread out to collect the hidden umbrellas.
The final part existed out of building a nest out of the seven, collected umbrellas. After collecting, we tried to find a favourable spot to construct our nest, because the tree didn’t seem to give enough physical protection and we looked for something we could use as a roof structure. We finally found a slide and sat down underneath and opened the umbrellas around us. Essential learning outcome was the teamwork and the full concentration on communication on the one hand and the synaesthetic experience in terms of feeling, hearing and smelling on the other hand.
The Final Work
“Playing with the aesthetics of your choosing use drawings and words to create a how-to guide describing the methods you developed to move like an ant, conveying your feelings and sensations in exploring space in this way. This depiction not only should contain instructions on the appropriate way to do it, but the sensory landscape of your explorations: it should be a non-cartesian topology, depicting the space as experienced when being blind-folded, also showing how space is created in the act of receiving and giving collectively.”
ANTS
After one day of “anting” and examining the ants major senses such as smelling, hearing and feeling, I made a draft design for a toolkit to become an ant.
Smelling as skilled as an ant and interpreting pheromones of other ants is not possible with this toolkit, but their communication can be compared with our spoken language, which would be used instead of the chemical signals. The kit covers an improved protection and additional sensors.Therefore, using this toolkit and blindfolding yourself should enable people quite precisely to imitate the experiences of ants.
After one day of “anting” and examining the ants major senses such as smelling, hearing and feeling, I made a draft design for a toolkit to become an ant.
In this deliverable I show my own experiences I had during our first excursion where we learned how to become an ant. These experiences are visualized through drawings and explained with tips which helped me throughout that day on how to become an ant.
In this deliverable I show my own experiences I had during our first excursion where we learned how to become an ant. These experiences are visualized through drawings and explained with tips which helped me throughout that day on how to become an ant.
For this deliverable, we were instructed to make a guidebook. To show the experience, I chose to use multiple tools. First of all I used text, that could make links between the experience and real ant facts. In order to show the things we used and did on the sensorial exploration of the ant, I made sketches. Furthermore I used pictures, to express the feeling I had touching some materials throughout the day.
For this deliverable, we were instructed to make a guidebook. To show the experience, I chose to use multiple tools. First of all I used text, that could make links between the experience and real ant facts. In order to show the things we used and did on the sensorial exploration of the ant, I made sketches. Furthermore I used pictures, to express the feeling I had touching some materials throughout the day.
In this assignment I tried to simplify and illustrate a guideline of how to behave like an ant from what i learned from the experience. Steps 1-4 are tips for the initial struggles as an individual and steps 5-10 are concerning the whole ant group.
In this assignment I tried to simplify and illustrate a guideline of how to behave like an ant from what i learned from the experience. Steps 1-4 are tips for the initial struggles as an individual and steps 5-10 are concerning the whole ant group.
This how-to-do-guide is a short explanation how you can try to be an ant.
This how-to-do-guide is a short explanation how you can try to be an ant.