Outdoor Classroom MIAD
Title: Outdoor Classroom Chair
Size: -
Completed: December 2022-April 2023
In the future, there is going to be an outside classroom created at Reagan
for our art class. We had to gather some information about how
students feel currently about their space and comfort in their classes.
That way, based on the information given, we can make improvements
for the outdoor classroom to give students more comfort.
Inspiration
I went around to ask other students and peers about how they currently feel about the classroom environment they are in. I gathered lots of information for dislikes and likes about their current classroom spaces:
I went around to ask other students and peers about how they currently feel about the classroom environment they are in. I gathered lots of information for dislikes and likes about their current classroom spaces:
Dislikes: Likes:
-Classrooms are too small -Some classrooms have great lighting
-Messy -String lights/Christmas Lights
-Dirty -Good service
-Uncomfortable seats - Bean bags ( in some classes )
-Horrible Lighting
-The colors of the classroom-
-Classrooms are too small -Some classrooms have great lighting
-Messy -String lights/Christmas Lights
-Dirty -Good service
-Uncomfortable seats - Bean bags ( in some classes )
-Horrible Lighting
-The colors of the classroom-
POV Statement:
We met: Current Reagan Students
We were surprised by: Very strong despise for chairs.
It would make a difference if: There were comfortable seats and desks.
Whole Classroom Planning Day
Everyone in our art class had to sketch out their plans for their outdoor classroom on whiteboards and present their ideas to us and Murph. It's just to give us some insight on their perspective, and their overall ideas and plans with things they wanted to do for their outdoor classroom design.
We met: Current Reagan Students
We were surprised by: Very strong despise for chairs.
It would make a difference if: There were comfortable seats and desks.
Whole Classroom Planning Day
Everyone in our art class had to sketch out their plans for their outdoor classroom on whiteboards and present their ideas to us and Murph. It's just to give us some insight on their perspective, and their overall ideas and plans with things they wanted to do for their outdoor classroom design.
Ray Eames
Was an American artist and designer who worked in a variety of media. In creative partnership with her husband Charles Eames and The Eames Office, she was responsible for groundbreaking contributions in the fields of architecture, graphic design, textile design, film, and furniture. Known for also making very comfortable chairs.
Was an American artist and designer who worked in a variety of media. In creative partnership with her husband Charles Eames and The Eames Office, she was responsible for groundbreaking contributions in the fields of architecture, graphic design, textile design, film, and furniture. Known for also making very comfortable chairs.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. was a great architect. He designed some 800 buildings, of which 380 were actually built.
Was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. was a great architect. He designed some 800 buildings, of which 380 were actually built.
Planning
Beginning my planning process, I started off by focusing on one major issue, the uncomfortable chairs almost every Reagan has complained about, (including myself.) I digitally decided to sketch a chair design that would be the most comfortable. Especially, after doing some research behind the reason why many students find the chairs in our art class, and in other classes, uncomfortable. It's called, "Active Sitting." When sitting on a stool, our bodies and backs are forced to "Active Sit" causing us to force ourselves into good posture. Many people aren't used to sitting in a good posture all the time, which is why after a while, our backs tend to get sore and ache. Research says that "Active Sitting" is good for us and will improve our posture, but we don't want to do this, we all just generally want comfort. So, I planned out a chair that will adjust to your weight and be comfortable for us.
Beginning my planning process, I started off by focusing on one major issue, the uncomfortable chairs almost every Reagan has complained about, (including myself.) I digitally decided to sketch a chair design that would be the most comfortable. Especially, after doing some research behind the reason why many students find the chairs in our art class, and in other classes, uncomfortable. It's called, "Active Sitting." When sitting on a stool, our bodies and backs are forced to "Active Sit" causing us to force ourselves into good posture. Many people aren't used to sitting in a good posture all the time, which is why after a while, our backs tend to get sore and ache. Research says that "Active Sitting" is good for us and will improve our posture, but we don't want to do this, we all just generally want comfort. So, I planned out a chair that will adjust to your weight and be comfortable for us.
After really finalizing my ideas, we were then asked to print out our sketches and planning onto a giant piece of paper for a poster to go and present at MIAD, just for some critique on our process and ideas on everything so far!
Critique
At MIAD I got an amazing critique from the professors and some current Junior students as well. They gave me helpful suggestions such as adding wheels to make the chair more movable easier, add a knob on the side of the chair to make the chair more adjustable to height ( so we're not so leaned back when doing artwork ) and even try to include perhaps a mini desk/table onto the chair to help students even more? Make the chair more adjustable, the more adjustable, the more comfortable. They also gave me critique in doing a good job in researching ahead of time in order to create the perfect chair based off the research I had done.
At MIAD I got an amazing critique from the professors and some current Junior students as well. They gave me helpful suggestions such as adding wheels to make the chair more movable easier, add a knob on the side of the chair to make the chair more adjustable to height ( so we're not so leaned back when doing artwork ) and even try to include perhaps a mini desk/table onto the chair to help students even more? Make the chair more adjustable, the more adjustable, the more comfortable. They also gave me critique in doing a good job in researching ahead of time in order to create the perfect chair based off the research I had done.
Reflection
Honestly, doing this project was a very fun and exciting thing to accomplish. Making the poster was insanely difficult for me, especially since I continued to mess up the size of my jpeg, causing my poster to come out very tiny. Next time, I know for sure, how to get the correct size because it almost took me forever in trying to fix my jpeg into the correct size so it could be large enough for me to print and present. I also really enjoyed going to MIAD and being able to present my ideas and plans to an actual teacher and some junior students. It was very nerve-wrecking and terrifying but it went very well, and I truly enjoyed all the feedback they had given me. Surely, I will take all their critique, ideas and suggestions into consideration and try working on this chair concept a bit more to make it just perfect.
*EXTRA: PICTURES FROM MIAD*
Honestly, doing this project was a very fun and exciting thing to accomplish. Making the poster was insanely difficult for me, especially since I continued to mess up the size of my jpeg, causing my poster to come out very tiny. Next time, I know for sure, how to get the correct size because it almost took me forever in trying to fix my jpeg into the correct size so it could be large enough for me to print and present. I also really enjoyed going to MIAD and being able to present my ideas and plans to an actual teacher and some junior students. It was very nerve-wrecking and terrifying but it went very well, and I truly enjoyed all the feedback they had given me. Surely, I will take all their critique, ideas and suggestions into consideration and try working on this chair concept a bit more to make it just perfect.
*EXTRA: PICTURES FROM MIAD*
ACT Connections
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
My inspiration heavily impacted my artwork and my ideas because I focused on their main concepts and plans and tried incorporating that into my finalized idea.
2)What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I feel as though my inspirations would both highly like my plan that I had for my chair because it sort of conveys their plans for their chairs as well.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my artists and inspirations I kind of discovered how they really use a simplistic and minimalist design and I wanted to incorporate this into my art planning as well.
4)What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
I'm more so focused on the comfort of chairs for the students in our school to better improve their mood and comfort. ( no more back pains)
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I kind of inferred that between my two artists that they would be very similar due to both their use of simplistic and minimalist design so they sort of tied in and correlated to one another designs.
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
My inspiration heavily impacted my artwork and my ideas because I focused on their main concepts and plans and tried incorporating that into my finalized idea.
2)What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I feel as though my inspirations would both highly like my plan that I had for my chair because it sort of conveys their plans for their chairs as well.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my artists and inspirations I kind of discovered how they really use a simplistic and minimalist design and I wanted to incorporate this into my art planning as well.
4)What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
I'm more so focused on the comfort of chairs for the students in our school to better improve their mood and comfort. ( no more back pains)
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I kind of inferred that between my two artists that they would be very similar due to both their use of simplistic and minimalist design so they sort of tied in and correlated to one another designs.
MLA Citations:
“Official Website & Online Store.” Eames Office, 18 July 2022, https://www.eamesoffice.com/.
“Peek inside 7 Iconic Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings.” Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 15 Jan. 2018, https://franklloydwright.org/peek-inside-7-iconic-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings/.
“Official Website & Online Store.” Eames Office, 18 July 2022, https://www.eamesoffice.com/.
“Peek inside 7 Iconic Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings.” Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 15 Jan. 2018, https://franklloydwright.org/peek-inside-7-iconic-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings/.
December 2022