Tag: expansion phase

Design & Color, Winter 2017 week 8

The eighth session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 22. We shared the last collection of cardboard creations, discussed the results of the last assignment Find A Design Need, viewed another slideshow of What ifs, and had a guest visitor, Valérie Richter, who shared her explorations in color relationships. See the full post for class photos and a full recap.

The eighth session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 22. We shared the last collection of cardboard creations, discussed the results of the last assignment Find A Design Need, viewed another slideshow of What ifs, and had a guest visitor, Valérie Richter, who shared her explorations in color relationships.

Class recap – some key ideas

Critique – On a Roll

We began class by sharing our final round of cardboard roll creations, which included people’s further development and exploitation of earlier designs. What stands out most about the designs are the ways in which students have incorporated many different techniques and tips that were shared in class. Dick commented on the process of synthesis, and how it utilizes the process of ‘What if?’ Research and exploration are an invaluable part of the process in problem solving, and looking at what other people have done can create ‘a-haas’ for further exploration.

Dick pointed out that the first step of this assignment had been to identify all your options: what are the inherent qualities of this cardboard roll, and what can be done with it? We found out we could cut it, weave it, slice it, paint / dye it, wet it, bend it, etc. This basic question opened the doors for all sorts of explorations, and the results were far better than anyone could have imagined. Many of the resulting designs were also based on identifying a need, such as an eyeglasses holder, or a way to keep salt from clumping up, or containing wires or electronic device chargers.

Dick spoke again about heuristics, and how important it is to be able to identify your thought processes. As he said, “How many of us are really aware of what it is we’re doing?”. As an artist, it is crucial that we recognize consciously what it is we are doing while we are doing it. If we are not aware of what we’re doing, we risk falling into an artistic rut, or not being able to clearly communicate our message to others, or both. By identifying our conscious patterns and framework, we stand to be liberated as ‘educated people’ aware of our options.

Critique – Find a Design Need

The class shared their answers to the last assignment, Find a Design Need.  As could be guessed from the subject, each participant had a personal answer to what they found to be a problem in their lives. The answers ranged from large-scale projects (designing and building a robot, urban planning) to small-scale design needs (lighting for an art piece, recreating a quilt, how to make the perfect egg sandwich). Here is a list of what we heard in class:

  1. Needs a robot for kitchen help, entertaining (like a butler), doing house chores, etc. Has to be portable, efficient, and multi-talented
  2. Sliding induction burners – concerns: venting, space, aesthetics
  3. Colored lights to place behind decorative wood carving – thought of using thin silicone pads, hearing aid batteries, LED lights
  4. Weed control – wants something biodegradable, made from recycled material, and has to be aesthetically pleasing
  5. How to stop a water bottle from rolling inside the car – used Velcro straps and discovered various anchor points inside the car
  6. Wants to mount silk cocoons / silk squares, and wants mounting to disappear – how about using plexiglass, pegs, magnets, wire, etc.
  7. Would like to recreate a quilt that went missing, and also a device to help incorporate all that she has learned in this class so that she doesn’t go back to her old habits
  8. A solution the traffic problem in Paia – solution includes a town redesign, with various facilities for business, education, and tourism
  9. Designing a better egg sandwich so that the egg fits on the English muffin – solution was to cook the egg in a ring so it matches the shape of the English muffin
  10. How about a left-handed bar scanner at the airport, since the current design is meant for right-handed people and is cumbersome for lefties

It was an enjoyable and sometimes hilarious conversation, and it was fun to hear people add their own “What ifs” to other people’s ideas. Dick reiterated that this class was more about process over product, and that the essence of all we learned goes back to using and incorporating the 6 phases of problem solving in our own lives.

And what is the most important phase? Dick reminded us, “What are the givens?” Learn to recognize and identify your preconceptions before beginning a project, and you will uncover more possibilities than you initially imagined. As Dick put it, “A lot of people don’t recognize their problems; they keep stumbling over the same stone in the garden.”

He also cautioned us to give ourselves time to work and explore and play: as he has said before, if you don’t like to play, then you shouldn’t be an artist. “Give yourself the opportunity to let the subconscious work on it”, and also give yourself permission to be frustrated, confounded, or stymied in your creative work – the answers won’t always come easily, and learning what doesn’t work is just as valuable as learning what does work.

Guest visitor: Valérie

To show us a successful result of what happens when we don’t give up on our what ifs, Dick had invited a visitor, Valérie Richter, who has been working on color mixing and the tri-hue watercolor technique for the last couple of years. She shared with us her recent work, including more stripes and explorations with landscapes and flower studies. Dick spoke of her work as a shining example of what happens when you stick with a project and don’t give up when faced with frustration. Please see this post (Valérie’s stepping stones) to hear about her journey in her own words, and this post from Color Relationships 1, Spring 2016, for more information.

Video: Red & Blue are not primary colors

This video demonstrates the principle by which the rich variety of colors in relationship Valérie achieves are created using only the three primaries, yellow, magenta, and cyan. (Stripes start about 1 minute in.)

Class photos

Class materials

Dick’s last slide show of What if images came with this statement and question, “As artists, we have choices. The DNA of our art – does it come from our core beliefs?” Something to think about as we end this eight-week session.

Presentation – Final What If?

Additional / supplementary materials

Dick asked the class to watch a recent PBS Nova episode, The Origami Revolution, before today’s session. It’s no longer available online, but here’s the description:
The centuries-old tradition of folding two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional shapes is inspiring a scientific revolution. The rules of folding are at the heart of many natural phenomena, from how leaves blossom to how beetles fly. But now, engineers and designers are applying its principles to reshape the world around us—and even within us, designing new drugs, micro-robots, and future space missions. With this burgeoning field of origami-inspired-design, the question is: can the mathematics of origami be boiled down to one elegant algorithm—a fail-proof guidebook to make any object out of a flat surface, just by folding? And if so, what would that mean for the future of design? Explore the high-tech future of this age-old art as NOVA unfolds “The Origami Revolution.”

Design & Color, Winter 2017 week 7

The seventh session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 15. We discussed recent media coverage of innovative and influential designers; shared more On A Roll creations; critiqued the homework; and Dick revealed the final assignment for the class, Find a Design Need. Please view the whole post for photos, links, and class materials.

The seventh session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 15. We discussed recent media coverage of innovative and influential designers; shared more On A Roll creations; critiqued the homework; and Dick revealed the final assignment for the class, Find a Design Need.

Homework assignment – Find a design need

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DesignFinal.pdf”]

Class recap – some key ideas

Design stories and exemplars

We began class by sharing design stories, with Dick asking the class, “Can you think of a time when you invented something that filled a need for you?” A few people shared examples, while most students knew that they had, but could not think of a direct example off the top of their head. Dick asked them to think about something that had frustrated them, or a situation that called for a quick fix or a creative answer to a sudden problem. To alleviate frustration, or help people by making life easier in some way, is often the starting point for new inventions (or updates on existing ones).

This topic led one student to share her experience watching a recent show, “Abstract: The Art of Design”, produced by Netflix. It is a design docuseries with eight episodes that showcase one designer per segment (featuring well-known names in the fields of illustration, graphic design, set design, photography, automobile industry, product design, architecture, and interior design). As the tag line says, “Step inside the minds of the most innovative designers in a variety of disciplines and learn how design impacts every aspect of life.” In the episode that Christine watched (Episode 2 – Tinker Hatfield: Footwear Design), she was struck by the designer’s statement about his work: “It’s not about self-expression, it’s about problem-solving.”

This prompted Dick to talk about the article and video clip he had sent out to the class the previous week about a British designer, Thomas Heatherwick. This innovative designer is known for his striking creations, including a redesign of the classic double decker bus in London; a rolling pedestrian bridge that curls up to allow boats to pass by, and his ethereal “seed cathedral” at the World Expo in Shanghai 2010. But what struck Dick the most about his interview was Heatherwick’s playful and curiosity-fueled mindset, a way of viewing life that leads him to consider all the alternatives, and especially the ones that most people write off as being ridiculous, bizarre, or impossible to build. In Heatherwick’s own words: “There’s great benefits to globalization and things that are wonderful and fantastic, but it means you need to put very deliberate effort now into helping things have their own soulfulness … Why do something if it already exists?” As Dick pointed out, this exemplifies the spirit of What if?

Critique – On a Roll

Students then shared this week’s round of cardboard creations, with most students expanding or refining previous ideas they had brought in. Cindy showed us the latest development of her lamp idea, where she had taken several of her previous cut out designs and spray painted them copper, also adding battery-powered candles to light the interior. The combination of copper color and little “caps” for the tops made them look very earthy and brought to mind toadstools or mushrooms found in the forest.

Patt decided to use some of the techniques others had used before, and incorporated weaving, shibori, and wet cardboard to make a covering for an old vase that had lost its original coating. The result was an engaging study in contrasting textures, and a showcase for how beautiful the cardboard could be on its own (without added colors or varnish).

Linda had brought in more bowls, and shared a hilarious story about her and Mary working together to try and flatten the cardboard “mush” as much as possible by using Mary’s car as the weight. The story delighted Dick with its example of “What if?” and he said that he could never have imagined the things people would come up with as a result of this assignment.

The logo on Dick’s website

Keri shared a mobile she had made based on Dick’s logo (as seen on his website, which is also an interactive tool to explore color combinations and CMYK mixing. Click on the logo on Dick’s website and see where it takes you!). Dick led another discussion on the what if’s of Keri’s design, and also the considerations a mobile has that makes it different from other forms of design (such as being a kinetic sculpture, focusing on balance and movement).

Critique – Exploit geometric shape modular design program

Modular paper design
A modular paper design by a Punahou student

Before beginning the critique, we took time to view this image of a paper sculpture done by a student of Dick’s while he was a teacher at Punahou School. This piece was done by scoring and bending paper, with little to no glue or tape to hold it together. The design was achieved with the same methods of natural progression (module and program) that we have been studying in this series.

The homework discussion focused on the ways students had used last week’s critique comments to further develop and refine their designs. Much of what Dick spoke about last week was continued here, with more commentary on identifying your color arrays (identification based on color and value); integrating figure and ground; and making sure the entire design (including shape, color, value, orientation, etc.) is related to its original DNA or blueprint. This last concept was further elaborated on by discussing the way shape and color could work together as they change to enhance the visual result. Dick recommended maintaining consistency through shape, scale, and color, so that as the color changes, so would the shape (or the scale of the shape). For example, if the artist chose an array with 11 color steps (2 parents and 9 children), then the shapes would also follow a pattern of 11 shape or scale changes. This kind of consistent progression in both shape and color would help create a sense of completion in the piece, or a “logical conclusion” as Dick likes to call it.

Most of all, Dick stressed again the importance of KNOWING YOUR OPTIONS, and it is the educated person who has true freedom, while the ignorant person remains trapped by their lack of alternatives. To check your available options, the best thing is to have a list of all the formal elements of your work, and to go through it systematically and thoroughly. Dick has created lists to use as a starting point, and it is a fantastic tool to help artists see where they may be making design choices on autopilot mode, and have ignored other possibilities.

A comment was raised about the seemingly endless variations you can create using the Illustrator program, and how overwhelming it can be to have so many options to choose from. We discussed that as another consideration of the artist or designer: when do you Converge on an idea? When do you stop the Expansion phase, and choose to add the fence posts and decide on the boundaries? Knowing when it is time to move on to the Convergence phase will be different for every project, but it is imperative that you do move on. For something to take shape in the real world, it has to have boundaries and limits, and sometimes, more is better: remember, restriction breeds creativity!

View all online submissions

Roll the Die

Before announcing the last assignment for next week, Dick asked everyone to spend a few minutes filling out their What If sheets from last week. The worksheet had 7 categories, listing components such as Container, Material, and Durability, and spaces for 6 different responses to those categories. Once everyone had filled out a sheet, Dick rolled a die and called out the numbers. After we had gone through every category, Dick asked each student to read out loud their particular combination of items.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DesignOpts.pdf”]

It was a fun and entertaining way to get our creative thoughts flowing, and some of the results recalled the game ‘Mad Libs’, where the answers don’t always make sense, but can be much more interesting than the ‘correct’ answers would have been!

Dick recommended playing this kind of game whenever an artist is feeling stuck or having ‘artist’s block’. By taking elements out of context, and combining things that our logical mind tells us don’t make sense, you can form new connections between what you had thought were previously unrelated components. Again, this is where Dick’s Objective Critique Guide is the perfect list to use for this activity, as he has already given us several categories to fill in with options.

Final assignment

Our last assignment asks us to address a design need or problem. What bothers you in daily life, or what do you think could be improved? Where do you see a problem that could be addressed, or a common complaint that could use an innovative solution? This assignment is more about looking and listening and being aware of the world around you than it is about the 6 phases of problem solving. As Dick wrote in the homework, “Time won’t allow for full closure on this assignment, but especially if we are first unable to recognize a NEED.” What does the world need, in large and small ways? We will find out next week!

Class photos

Design & Color, Winter 2017 week 5

The fifth session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 1. We continued our exploration with cardboard rolls; Dick shared a slideshow of inventive and often humorous examples of ‘what if?’; and during the critique Dick discussed the importance of considering the full range of artistic options by way of using a ‘check off’ list before committing to a project. In preparation for the new assignment, to Converge and Develop their own geometric modular design color program, the class examined a design Dick created. View the full post for a full summary, class materials, and photos.

The fifth session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, February 1. We continued our exploration with cardboard rolls; Dick shared a slideshow of inventive and often humorous examples of ‘what if?’; and during the critique Dick discussed the importance of considering the full range of artistic options by way of using a ‘check off’ list before committing to a project. In preparation for the new assignment, to Converge and Develop their own geometric modular design color program, the class examined a design Dick created.

Homework assignment – Geometric shape modular design program

Continue the geometric shape modular design programming, by doing one or both of the following. Either way, make use of the worksheet below, and bring it to class next week. Bring your project to class and/or submit it online.

  • Move on to the Convergence and Development phases of the creative problem-solving process – setting your own fence posts, and developing according to your decisions. (And evaluating as you go, changing course if you have good reason.)
  • Continue playing in the Expansion phase, noting intriguing discoveries for Convergence and possible later Development.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ModDesign2WrkSht.pdf”]

Class recap – some key ideas

Critique – On a roll assignment

We began class by sharing our On a Roll creations, with many students furthering their exploration into what can be done with the raw material, i.e. – the cardboard itself.  This is what Dick had talked about earlier, that usually at the beginning of a project, we are so caught up in what we know about something (for example, that this is the “end” of a toilet paper roll, something useless since it no longer has toilet paper attached) that we fail to see all of its potential. Once we have moved past that kind of automatic labeling, we begin to see aspects of the object that we failed to notice before. This week, many students focused on what could be done to the cardboard: we saw investigations into soaking, blending/mashing, slicing/cutting, removing portions, weaving, etc. Students looked to see how tough or resilient the material was, or how flexible and springy, or both at the same time!

View all On a roll assignments submitted online.

“What if” presentation

At the beginning of the modular design critique, Dick showed a brief slide show with images that represented people asking “What if?”. We paused at one image – a metal sculpture that showed a portrait of Nelson Mandela – to talk briefly about the choices the artist made that lead to such a stunning final product. Dick asked, “Why metal, why this technique? Why [these particular choices], and how do [all the elements] relate?” Dick reminded us that the artist had to weigh all these options before the final result, even the decision of Mr. Mandela as the subject. Students commented on a few associations between the material (metal) and the subject matter: the strength of Nelson Mandela’s character; his endurance under trying circumstances; his lasting legacy and impact on history. One student mentioned that the vertical orientation of the metal sheets reminded them of bars, relating to Mr. Mandela’s long imprisonment.

The point is that when all the elements relate to the core of the message, the result can be a real WOW. (See the full slideshow in the ‘Class materials’ section below).

Critique – Modular design (geometric)

For the critique, Dick focused mainly on one question: have you considered all of your options? He reiterated that we are only supposed to be on phase 1 (Point of Entry) and phase 2 (Expansion) of the six phases of problem solving, which involves recognizing our preconceptions, and researching or considering our options. He asked us again, “What are your preconceptions? The given: a square or a circle – what do you take for granted [about these shapes]?”. The more we reconsider our initial thoughts on our “givens”, the greater the number of alternate possibilities that come to the surface.

For the Expansion phase, Dick recommends using a “check-off” list of all our considerations before we commit to a final idea. He relates this to the preflight checklist pilots use before takeoff, a list covering all the systems that must be operational before takeoff (see sample lists and explanations here.) In the artist’s case, we would substitute checking the landing gear, brakes, and fuel quantity, with our decisions on color, composition, line quality, subject matter, etc. For this assignment, Dick gave us a partial list for consideration:

  • Edges: What if I used soft edges? Hard edges?
  • Color: color themes? Tones, tints, shades?
  • Value: What if I choose to use equal values? What about strong values?
  • Optical effects: Have I considered using transparencies? Veils? Films?

(Dick has made and handed out checklists before; please see the handout in the ‘Additional / supplementary materials’ section below.)

Dick stressed the importance of these kinds of lists so that you are really aware of all your possibilities, instead of falling into a rut and repeating the same thing you are used to doing. If you never recognize that there are other options available to you, you will continue to stick with the same visual style without realizing there might be other ways to communicate your ideas. He spoke about this same subject in a Drawing & Composition class, “The important thing is to have a list: have I really taken advantage of all the visual possibilities?”

Why is recognizing your options important to the visual artist? As Dick says, it all comes back to RELATIONSHIPS. “At the core, if there is no relationship, then the final result will be out of sync … You can’t come in midway and impose, impose, impose.” In other words, if you do not recognize the core of your message, and you don’t explore all the options available for communicating this message, then you run the risk of mixing together styles and techniques that do not actually match your core message. You can get lucky sometimes (and we all do!), but to be an effective visual communicator, you can’t rely on luck every time. Use the checklist you generate in the Expansion phase to develop your criteria, your fence posts, for the Convergence phase. Refer back to it as you Develop your project, making sure it’s going according to plan.

The last major point in the critique was to be aware of the figure/ground relationship, and he implored us: “Don’t leave the ground as the ground.” Too many artists forget about the background of a piece until they are done with their subject matter, and then to cover up the (usually) white space, it becomes ‘fill-in time’. He discussed this important consideration at length in a Drawing Foundation class, using examples of his own work, and images by the artist M.C. Escher, to show how powerful the figure-ground relationship can be.

View all Modular design assignments submitted online.

Dick’s modular design example

There is a colorful geometric design that hangs on a wall in Dick’s house above his stairwell. In preparation for the new assignment, to Converge and Develop their own geometric modular design color program, the class spent some time studying it, trying to understand the design program that produced it. Dick pointed out details, and gave some explanations.

Poised For Retro by Dick Nelson
Poised for Retro by Dick Nelson

The entire thing is based on a single, simple module: a triangle. This shape is rotated and reflected and aligned to itself to form larger repeating and interlocking modules. Because of different values for the triangles, the modules read as three-dimensional steps, either concave or convex. The colors chosen for the triangles on one “side” have equal value – one is a hue, the other a gray of equal value. Colors of corresponding planes on neighboring modules change according to array relationships.

Detail from Poised for Retro
Detail from Poised for Retro by Dick Nelson: This design is based on a single, flat, triangular shape.

Class photos

Class materials

“What if” presentation

Additional / supplementary materials

Dick has put together many lists over the years to help students see their options and take into account all the possibilities available. These lists are by no means complete, and the more students take the time to consider every aspect of a piece, the more they stand to be rewarded by new insights. Develop your own personal list – it can become a valuable tool.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ArtisticOptions.pdf”]

There is a section on Dick’s website that lists formal qualities of art – considerations for critiquing a piece of art. They work equally well as the basis of a ‘check off’ list.

Formal Qualities of Art, under Lessons, 2003

Design & Color, Winter 2017 week 2

The second session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, January 11. We critiqued the various homework assignments; heard from Dick on ‘heuristics’ and the 6 phases of creative problem-solving; and explored further the meaning of a ‘module’ and how to create designs that are not ‘freaks’! Read the full class post for handouts, visuals, and more information.

The second session of the Design and Color class for Winter 2017 was held on Wednesday, January 11. We critiqued the various homework assignments; heard from Dick on ‘heuristics’ and the 6 phases of creative problem-solving; and explored further the meaning of a ‘module’ and how to create designs that are not ‘freaks’!

Homework assignment

  1. Exploit your discoveries and inspiration from the toothpick modules class critique, continuing to explore, or creating one or more finished (glued on black backing) designs. Remember to record your thoughts, discoveries, fenceposts (decisions/criteria), and critique.
  2. Continue exploring ongoing assignments “On a Roll” and “Draw a Square”.

Class recap – some key ideas

Critique – “On a Roll” assignment

Class began with students sharing notes, observations, and discoveries about the On A Roll challenge. Dick had the class break off into groups of two, and they followed the ‘On A Roll Critique’ sheet as they shared their discoveries with their partner.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/OnARoll-crit.pdf”]

After 10 minutes or so, we reconvened as a class to discuss the findings. Students had produced an array of objects, including seedling planters, eyeglass holder, a children’s mobile, and even a small lamp!

The highlights of the discussion:

  • “Recognize your fence posts.” What is the purpose of your creation – is the final design going to be utilitarian? Or decorative? What other options are there?
  • If you don’t have time to produce or act on your ideas, write them down.
  • Dig deeper … what else would you modify? “Some of the most creative things will happen when you are the most restricted.”
  • What did she decide as fence posts? “You’ve got to be conscious of what you’re assigning yourself … Look at all of your options.”
  • What is the given? What are the inherent qualities that you are dealing with? The cylinder. The cardboard material. Absorbency. Resiliency. Wrestle with the givens now, and you won’t find them limiting later.
  • “Synthesis is such an important design concept. What is synthesis? Putting two or more different ideas together.” Some of the best and most creative ideas come from synthesizing aspects from seemingly incompatible sources – you never know what might happen if you stretch your imagination!
  • “The subconscious is a marvelous tool – let it fester.”

See more solutions in the “On a Roll” homework submitted online.

Critique – “Toothpick modules” assignment

The class then moved on to viewing and discussing the past week’s homework: creating toothpick ‘modules’, and subsequent designs based on those modules.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Toothpick-crit.pdf”]

Dick had pointed out in the last class that the designs should have a logical sequence, like a DNA strand, where the growth of the design is not random or arbitrary, but refers back to its origins as it evolves. Part of keeping the design in relationship to itself is using the toothpick as the guide; or as Dick said, “The toothpick is the measure of all things.”

Comments about keeping the design in relation to itself:

  • Does the design have a conclusion? How do we know when it’s going to end?
  • What are the static / non-changeable elements? What factor does change? (See the handout on ‘Toothpick Programming Tips’ in the ‘Class Materials’ section).
  • Dick critiqued many of the designs as having “imposed” factors, and students wanted to know what exactly that meant:
    • “That someone has introduced change or a decision randomly: you don’t know it’s going to happen, you can’t predict it [based on the earlier design decisions].”
    • Change [in tempo, direction, etc.] should be in relationship to the other parts, based on the DNA of the design as it began.

About recognizing your fence posts:

  • How many options do you have at every step / for every decision?
  • At all junctures, remember your elements of restraint, and keep to them. (Remember, restrictions breed creativity!)

About composition:

  • “What does the black [the ground] creeping in between the ends [of the toothpicks] do?” Watch for opportunities to use figure/ground reversal.
  • “This is an example of ‘1 + 1 = 3’: when the toothpicks have made a secondary figure [that the viewer sees first],” or created an illusion such as an object seen in perspective. The design becomes more than the sum of its parts.
  • “A much stronger element [in terms of visual tension] is a vertical. A vertical has tension; a horizontal is at rest. The most stable orientation is the vertical-horizontal axis. The most dynamic is the diagonal.” Be aware of these factors when creating a design: what message are you trying to convey?

See more toothpick module studies submitted online.

Heuristics

Before giving the lecture, Dick spoke briefly about heuristics. The understanding of heuristics has been an interest of Dick’s for decades, and is the pivotal theme around which the entire Design & Color series is based. As Dick quickly defined it, heuristics is “being conscious of what you are doing while you are doing it.” Merriam-Webster defines it as: “involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods; also: of or relating to exploratory problem-solving techniques that utilize self-educating techniques (as the evaluation of feedback) to improve performance.” Dick asked that the following thoughts on design and heuristics be included in this post.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Design-Heuristics.pdf”]

Lecture on the 6 phases of creative problem-solving

For the lecture, Dick elaborated on the 6 phases of creative problem-solving, and discussed why these steps are key to the artistic process. For his notes on the 6 phases, please refer to the slide show images in the ‘Class materials’ section below, and the one-page summary near the bottom of the post. (And since I love words, I looked up synonyms to add to the descriptions of the six stages. – Holly):

1. PRECONCEPTIONS (assumptions, bias, delusion, favoritism, inclination, mind-set, narrow-mindedness, penchant, predilection, preference, prejudice, proclivity, tendency)

Dick calls this the most difficult stage, since it is very challenging to recognize your own biases. Dick spoke at length last week on this particular stage, calling our preconceptions (the ‘givens’) “our greatest enemy”. As a starting point, he encourages us to identify our givens based on our materials first (what do we take for granted about paint, pencil, canvas, paper, clay, stone, etc.). Discovering the preconceptions we hold about physical materials can help us later to recognize some of our interior, and somewhat intangible, blocks: what mental, emotional, and aesthetic biases do we harbor? And are these biases blocking our way as artists?

“You are telling yourself ______________, you’re just not aware that you’re telling yourself that.”

“If you make it a habit to ask yourself these kinds of questions [what are my preconceptions/prejudices/biases? What are my options? What else can I do here?], it will become second nature.”

2. EXPANSION (amplify, breadth, buildup, deepening, develop, enhancement, elaboration, enlargement, evolution, fleshing out, increase, magnification, opening out, spreading, unfolding, unfurling, widening)

In this stage you expand on the revelations you discovered in the first stage. Research, experiment, play, and see where your mind and the materials take you. At each moment of decision-making in the artistic process, you have a chance to discover more options, or alternative approaches. For the toothpick assignment, this means pausing whenever a new toothpick is to be laid down: why is it going here? What was my rationale? What other options are there?

Identify your options … You have to pay attention to what you are doing. If you can’t see what you’re doing, you’ll miss your options.

3. CONVERGENCE (amassing, application, assembly, centering, close attention, coalescing, combination, compacting, compression, concentration, confluence, consolidation, fixing, focus, intensification, joining, junction, linkage, massing, meeting, merging, narrowing, unity)

This is when you have done some experimenting, you have found aspects that you like, and you are ready to focus on certain features. At this stage, you gather and concentrate those elements that are going to be in your final piece. This is the stage of ‘fence posts’, and Dick speaks of ‘corralling’ your ideas and assigning boundaries. By consciously selecting boundaries, you give your work focus and identify your goals for the piece. As was written in a previous post: “Another factor in reaching independence is the acknowledgment of boundaries. … Part of this week’s assignment is to be aware of the boundaries inherent in any piece of work, including those set by the technical elements (subject matter, materials, forming process, etc.). These decisions are what become our ‘fence posts’, that which defines and dictates our goal.”

Build your fence; choose your fence posts – the fence posts are absolutely critical.

4. DEVELOPMENT (addition, advancement, betterment, build up, chrysalis, elaborate, enrichment, flowering, furtherance, go ahead, growth, improvement, increase, perfecting, progression, maturation, maturity, refinement, ripening, unraveling)

This is the stage of actual work: carrying out your ideas and inspiration. During this stage, you will most likely discover that not everything will turn out as planned: some ideas were better than you imagined, and some were not. The point of this stage is to create and make ‘real’ what was before only ideas and thoughts; every action, no matter if it is ‘successful’ or not, will inform you as you move towards your goal.

5. EVALUATION (analysis, assessment, commentary, critique, decision, determination, discrimination, extract, examine, finding, judgment, opinion, option, pick, preference, rating, review, valuation, verdict)

Dick often says this is one of the two most important phases (the other one being Exploitation). At this stage we objectively view our work, and evaluate how our decisions turned out: was/were the experiment(s) successful? Was the goal reached? Is the (visual) message clear? By critiquing your work, you give yourself a chance to applaud what worked (what was successful), and acknowledge what needs further development (what was not successful).

Dick says there are only 3 things to ask when evaluating work:

  • What was I trying to do?
  • Did I do it?
  • Was it worthwhile?

6. EXPLOITATION (act, action, activity, application, doing, effect, effort, engagement, enterprise, exercise, exert, handiwork, labor, manipulation, motion, movement, operation, process, progress, transference, undertaking, use, work, workmanship) 

The last stage is the blossoming and the maturing of all that has come before. This is another stage of experimentation, where you take everything learned in the previous stages and exploit it. The intersection of your ideas and the real world will add its own impression to the piece, the result of which you never would have predicted. From an Advanced Drawing post: “[Dick] also made note of how important it is to move on to the ‘exploitation phase’ of an idea: once you fully understand a concept, it’s important to play with it and see how it can be used in ways you had not previously thought of. This is the step that leads to true creativity, where you open the door for surprise revelations to occur while you experiment.”

Modules and programs

For the homework (to go further with our toothpick studies, and exploit what we’ve learned), Dick had a few pointers that he stressed (see ‘Toothpick Programming Tips’ handout near bottom of post):

  • Check your fence posts.
  • Write down the elements of change and elements of restraint.
  • Follow Nature’s design: it’s not from the outside in; it starts with those few [cells] and programs, and then grows outwards.

As Dick concluded, “If you really understand the idea of programming and relationship, then the constraints can be infinitely creative.”

Class photos

Class materials

Presentation: The Six Phases of Problem Solving

Additional handouts

Here is a convenient summary of the six phases of creative problem-solving all in one sheet.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/6-PhasesPrbSol.pdf”]

Here are some visual and verbal hints on the toothpick assignment.

[gview file=”https://dicknelsoncolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ToothpkProgrmOpts.pdf”]