INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDENT www.kerrieannerushworth.co.uk/
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Link
My website is now finished and published - check out my portfolio to see my past and current work!
0 notes
Text
HEAD OF A PHARAOH
Looking into other ways of making exhibits accessible for visually impaired users, I replicated the head of a pharaoh which I have displayed in sand, replicating an image found online of it underwater which continues the concept of discovery within my exhibition.
Creating this model didn’t take as long as I thought it would and considering I have never sculpted before I was extremely happy with the outcome.
1 note
·
View note
Text
PERFUME REPLICIA
On Monday I collected the replica of the Egyptian perfume bottle I made at the pottery parlour. I was extremely happy with the outcome however there isn’t as much texture as I had hoped for. Once I was home, I soaked some cotton wool in Myrrh oil; a common ingredient in Egyptian perfumes (The closest thing to get to real thing without making it myself) and placed it in the bottle to create an interactive replicated exhibit for the exhibition, providing visually impaired visitors access to it.
1 note
·
View note
Text
PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM...
Nothing is ever simple....
After finally solving the issues with the lighting in my Revit model, I then had endless problems with applying materials to the display cabinets and the renders. Today was just not my day!!! As I couldn’’t to spend much more time on this file, I decided not to give the display cabinets materials in Revit but Photoshop them instead. In terms of the Renders, I spent all day sending them and re- sending them to the cloud, I eventually managed to get the renders I needed but it was just a tedious process to go through, sending them all individually having to reset the settings for all 23 camera shots. But at least now, I can start developing them in Photoshop, applying the content to produce my final images to communicate my design.
0 notes
Text
REVIT DEVELOPMENT
I spent the majority of Easter developing the layout of the space and applying them to my Revit model, a successful yet tedious part of my development and progress towards my final presentation images. However, and there is always a however, this task wasn't as easy when it came to adding lights to the model. I spent days modifying the document and trying to work out why I couldn't place lights into the space, something I needed to do to create realistic renders and show as part of my services. Jamie, one of our tutors was a life saver and spent a lot of time helping to figure out this problem, however it was unsolvable and it reached the point were he told me I would have to redo the file, something I did not want to hear, especially a week before final presentations!
Evaluating the situation, I eventually came to terms with the request and agreed this would be the most beneficial and quickest way to produce my renders. As I began to recreate my design in Revit for the second time, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to add lighting to the new file. And, again I had the same problem, so I restarted it for the 3rd time which still wouldn't work. I then tried to draw it up on the computer's at uni, where, I was presented with the same problem, luck was not on my side. After a very stressful and frustrating day, we eventually identified the problem and I was able to use my original file - hallelujah!!
0 notes
Photo
DESIGN BY DEBORAH: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
While I was in office I was shown the photos from a recently completed project I worked on with Deborah last summer. It’s an amazing feeling to be be able to see the final thing, especially since I had gone back to uni before the completion.
The client has owned the property for 40 years amongst others abroad which were sold when they retired in order to upgrade their UK home. With three extensions this property has a lot of character reflective of the times of its development. The challenge was to create a cohesive design which included their many treasured and valuable items.
(Image source: http://www.designbydeborah.co.uk/bringing-it-all-together)
0 notes
Text
EASTER BREAK
I would like to say the Easter holiday's were a nice break, however I was extremely busy with the development of my project as I felt like I was very behind, and that's not because I haven't been doing any work but the complexity of my project and the many elements of it that I need to consider and design. Although I did go home for a week which was lovely to catch up with my family. Throughout the week I was home, I met with some of my course mates who live locally, to have study groups, gaining feedback on our work to help us to develop. Meeting with my peers was extremely beneficial and helpful as we all have different skills and strengths so I was able to get help with creating an audio clip while I was able to help others with the communication and connections of their projects. I personally work better with a small group of people; I find it’s like networking, we are able to put our skills and ideas together to progress better than if we were to work alone as questions and issues are raised which as an individual may not be considered.
While I was home, I went into the office to work one day and get some feedback on my designs. While I was there, I also had confirmation of a full time job when I graduate which absolutely made my day. I feel so lucky to be able to finish my degree and go straight into work and it’s a job within the field of residential design which I have always wanted to peruse; it's something that not many people have the opportunity to do! My colleges told be about some of the new projects which have come on board which sound extremely exciting and it’s perfect timing for me joining as a full-time member of the team.
1 note
·
View note
Text
MOCK INTERVIEWS
Before Easter we had our mock interviews for preparation to employment. In order to prepare for this I updated my CV; I was happy with it’s layout, I only needed to alter it’s content. I also ensured I had an up-to-date, fully functioning website to display my portfolio. I also went through the ‘typical’ interview questions, evaluating and critiquing myself to come up with answers which I could have ready if I was asked them. In terms of the job, it was difficult to prepare for as it was a fictitious company and although we were advised to research similar types of companies, I felt that it would be irrelevant as ideally I would want to find out the history of the company, job role, location ect which isn’t possible and doing this for another company wouldn’t be useful at all.
Considering I have never had an interview although I have worked for 5 different companies, I was a bit nervous which is unlike me as I’m normally quiet confident in these kind of situations.
I found the interview and feedback extremely useful. The main piece of feedback was to think about the way I phase things, because although a lot of the things I said were ‘correct’ the way I worded them made my response negative when it wasn’t intended to be. In addition to this, I was told not to be afraid to ask questions, she said, you need to know what the company is like to work for, do they do social events e.c.t; an interview isn’t just about answering the panels questions but interrogating them too, which is likely to make them want to see you again as they would feel like they need to prove a point and ‘wow’ you, just as much as you have to do that for them.
0 notes
Text
CAN CARPETS BE INSTALLED ONTO VINYL?
Installation of carpet:
The vinyl flooring must be clean in order for the adhesive to bond to each material
The base for the carpet does not need to be level but it needs to be flat which with is provided by the smooth surface of the vinyl
The carpet needs to be pre-cut and laid out so tack strips can be placed
Once the tacks are laid, the carpet needs to be rolled up to the side of the room
Begin to spread the glue with a trowel in the required place and roll the carpet out in the required position
(http://homeguides.sfgate.com/installing-glued-carpet-over-vinyl-50813.html)
TYPE OF CARPET:
Rolled carpet will be the most suitable choice of installation which will be cut to the required shape and attached to the vinyl. Choosing the correct density is vital for the design as thick carpet will not be suitable for wheelchair access however it needs to be dense enough to have a tactile contrast. There are 3 thicknesses for exhibit carpet: low grade (10-20 ounces), plush (26-30 ounces) and premium (40-50 ounces). (exhibit or online) Based on this a plush carpet will provide enough density to distinguish the two types of flooring and still provide an accessible space for wheelchair users. The colour of the carpet must contrast with the vinyl flooring while fitting the theme of sand. So if that there is a dark, dirty sand coloured vinyl, the carpet must be a light, cream colour and vis-versa. This will not only produce a tactile contrast but a visual contrast for those visitors who are partially-sighted.
(http://www.exhibitoronline.com/topics/article.asp?ID=869)
0 notes
Text
DEVELOPMENT OF TACTILE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
When I spoke to Barry, a Blind member of staff at the university, I explained my initial idea to create a tactile navigation system and he informed me that there are 28 types of tactile flooring and they are all inconsistent in their meanings and placement as so many organisations, design them and none of the designs are combined or linked therefore this design solution isn’t effective as it could be. From this information, I began to wonder whether my idea would provide a successful solution or whether it would make the the concept of tactile paving even more confusing for people with visual impairments.
Barry said “keep your designs simple, if I have to spend 90% of my time figuring out the system, it’s too complicated and I’m not going to use it. Create something simple like, put a strip of carpet on top of hard flooring and tell me to follow it and if I step off of it, I know I’ve gone wrong.” This made me think a lot about my design and how it will achieve it's purpose; I realised that I have been over complicating a lot of my ideas when in fact, because my project is so complex, designing extremely simple elements will create a more cohesive and effective design that is will provide better accessibility as each element will be easy to use and interact with.
Therefore I have taken Barry's comment very literal in terms of developing this concept. I carried out research in types and flooring and the majority of them have a hard, smooth surfaces and carpet is one of the only types of flooring which will provide an obvious contrast.
To develop this concept I have produced a drawing which looks at the flow of the interior and how I want visitors to move through the space and around exhibits. I then chose to develop one area in detail and propose that this concept will be applied to the rest of the space. I began looking at the direct movement around the space for the Ptolemaic zone, producing a symmetrical design which is still aesthetically pleasing; as shown below.
However I realised that the pathway doesn't allow for visually impaired visitors to reach the exhibits that are available to interact with so I have used the same idea but placed the carpet around each method of display.
I then began to look at how they physically move through the space and realised that both of these design don't provide a direct route, meaning a visually impaired visitor could repeat themselves or miss out an exhibit, an issue I'm trying to avoid. Therefore I have developed pathways which allows visitors to pass every exhibit avoiding repetition of the space.
0 notes
Text
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
I began researching and looking into examples of existing digital portfolios of students, companies and professional individuals for inspiration. I viewed some fantastic sites and some which were quite dull; this helped me establish what I should and shouldn’t do for mine. A lot of the websites had animations and fancy ways to navigate the site which looked really cool however, creating animations isn’t something I have much experience with therefore I felt that even if I created one myself, it wouldn’t be good enough and even if it was, I don’t want to have something on my website which I’m not confident in designing and producing.
I noted down features and layouts I liked from various sites which have inspired me for the redesign of my website. I decided to start my website again so that I didn’t get caught up in my original design and this has made it a lot quicker produce. I’ve been working on muse and creating several versions of my site with alternative layouts to help visualise which is most aesthetically pleasing. The image below shows the initial homepage I created and one of the pages from my portfolio; all portfolio pages have the same set up but vary in positioning of images.
This idea of this design is to have all the information (apart from details about my projects) on one page to keep the design simple and to make it easier to navigate. Currently the ‘about me’ section is at the bottom of the home page, something I don’t like as it seems illogical, but I was inspired by my research so this was an option I wanted to test and explore, however it hasn’t been successful and it will be something that will change as the design develops. I have kept the grey theme from my original site as I think it looks smart and professional and it is also a feature which runs throughout my blog and CV. I have also placed a rollover on the images which tells you the name of each project; I think this create more cohesive design which is smarter and more professional than having the text placed underneath.
I will continue to develop my website through further research and feedback from course-mates and tutors, until I am happy with the design. I’m pleased with the overall look I’m trying to create so I the bulk of the design is there, it’s now the case of completing the finer details to ensure that it’s an engaging, accessible and professional website.
0 notes
Text
EXHIBITION CONTENT
To help with the development of the layout of each space, I created bubble diagrams of what exhibits would be placed in each space. These visual diagrams helped me to access the connections between exhibits, helping to group them into display cases.
INTRO:
WHY: AUDIO-VISUAL
CONNECTIONS OF EGYPT AND GREECE:
MYTHS OF OSIRIS:
THE PTOLEMAIC’S:
REFLECTION: AUDIO-VISUAL
These bubble diagrams were extremely helpful when it came to organising the space of the exhibition and were a source that I kept referring back to. I showed these diagrams in a tutorial where I was seeking advice on the layout of the development pages as I have a lot of drawings and sketches as well a long explanation; I was unsure on the best way to communicate my progress. During the tutorial it was suggested that I should change the text in these diagrams to images of the exhibits to help the reader build up a picture of the space. Creating these bubble diagrams were for personal use for development of the spaces therefore I didn’t think about the communication of them to my audience because I know what each exhibit looks like; however I have, since decided to put them in my design report as it’s better than just creating a list. Therefore I will be making the suggested changes to the diagrams to provide a more visual and engaging way of communicating the content to build up the layers of my design.
0 notes
Text
DEVELOPMENT OF FOCUS AREAS
After more heavy analysis of the content of the exhibition I categorised and created a list of the exhibits to be placed in each space. I began drawing up layout ideas for each space looking into the arrange of exhibits and how they would be displayed. I found it difficult to visualise what these would look like so I create quick 3D perspectives to help decide which would be the most suitable layout.
Introduction - Background of the cities, Thonis-Heraclion and Canopus and information about the discovery and excavation of the exhibits
Why they sank - An audio-visual of how the cities sank; explaining the processes of liquidfaction and added pressure from natural diasters
Connections of Ancient Greece and Egypt - A space introducting how the cultures were connected through trade, creating a context for the rest of the exhibition
Myths of Osiris - This zone tells the story of one of the most important gods and his family. Osiris was murdered by his brother (Seth) who dumped his body at the bottom of the ocean when his wife/sister (Isis) recovered it. When Seth found out, he stole it his brothers body back and cut it into 9 pieces which he distributed throughout Egypt. Isis and Thoth went on a quest to recover his body parts and once they had, Isis used her powers to conceive a child (Horus) who’s duties were to protect Osiris' body and warn of the enemies of Seth; a duty later passed onto the Pharaohs.
The Ptolemaics - This space provides a background of the Ptolemaic rulers before the Romans took over and how they impacted the cities.
Reflection - An audio-visual addressing natural disasters of the 21stC. It will address global warming and it's effects and question whether this exhibtion could be us in 1000years
0 notes
Text
SPATIAL FOCUS
Now I had developed a successful scheme for the exhibition I began to think about how I would communicate further development of the project as the space is far too big for me to produce a complete, detailed scheme in such a short amount of time. I asked myself what I need to consider to make it accessible for visually impaired visitors; access to exhibits and information, and consideration of lighting and navigation. 4 key aspects required throughout the design process in order to create a successfully accessible design. I also asked myself how the story can be communicated without detailing every space and I concluded that it would be best to focus on one section of each zone to show how the concepts will function and propose that they can be applied to the whole space if this was a live project.
0 notes
Text
VISUALIZATION
Quick axonometric sketches to help my visualise the development of floor plans in 3D which will help me move forward into the layout of the spaces.
0 notes
Text
PRESENTING EXHIBITS
Concepts of display methods which could be applied to the design of the exhibition to present the range of extremely well preserved artefacts.
0 notes
Text
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
These images are some quick concepts looking at how I could present the text within the space. These designs are all simple so that they can be easily accessed by visually impaired users. Throughout this development stage I considered the aesthetics of the information and how it would be lit as well if and how it would be legible for those who are blind or partially- sighted. I concluded that the most effective way to present the information would be to recess it into the wall so that it is still aesthetically pleasing for sighted visitors but accessible to the visually impaired. Recessing the information means that there is space for lighting to illuminate the writing which will not create a glare or affect visitors who are sensitive to light as they light will be facing the text to illuminate it, not their eyes.
RESEARCH:
It’s vital to remember that each individual with a visual impaired have different needs.
Considerations:
Clear text
Minimum point size for clear print is 14
Large print: 16-22point
Fonts
Sans serif
Ariel, Helvetica, future
Avoid stylised typefaces
Handwriting requires, felt tip pens, thicker lines and larger writing
Typeface
Avoid italics and underlining of text
Headings should be bold
Main body of text, bold and italics should only be used sparingly; difficult to read to large amounts
Avoid upper casing; gives less variation which is more difficult to read
Design and layout
Consistent, simple design that stands out
Clear, logical layout with easy flow
Text is easier to read when broken up into short paragraphs
Ensure consistency between spacing of words (not too close together)
Spacing between a line and the nect should be 1.5-2
Text aligned to left margin
Avoid setting text over an image
Avoid hyphenating words; disrupts reading flow
Contrast and colour
Sharply contrasting colours
Individual preferences vary but clack on white or black on yellow are generally regarded as the clearest combinations
If using reverse type; avoid switching between dark on light and light on dark; light out of dark has less glare, font size will also need to be increased with this method
Paper stock
Matt over glossy; glossy creates a glare
Numbers
Keep numbers distinct
3, 5, 8, 0 and 6 can be confused
1-9 should be written in full
Numerals from 10 onwards
Braille
3% of visually impaired people read Braille
The information should be identical to content of printed material
Needs to be printed on thicker paper
Audio files
Direct recording of the text from printed materials
Recording of the text as well as description of images and exhibits
Clear indexing on tapes and announcement of end
Voice-overs must speak clearly and not repeat anything they say
MP3 audio files can be accessed on websites for download
(https://actionforblindpeople.org.uk/assets/Documents/Fundraising/making-it-clear-colour-690.pdf)
0 notes