Now That's What I Call Cooking (Vol. 1)

I have begun looking into the idea of using other methods or objects as time keeping devices.
The most successful and certainly most interesting has been the concept and model for a CD that you can cook along to. It includes a CD of 6 (loosely) food related tracks and a recipe that involves using specific points within the soundtrack as a gauge of timings.
FOR EXAMPLE, one step reads; "Start slicing the red onion as the first chorus of Fat Children opens..."
This was to examine whether I would be comfortable using an unofficial method of timing whilst undergoing a task where timings are quite important. I was not.
I definitely intend to develop this object further, maybe give it to a couple of friends/colleagues to try out. Here are a couple of images from my... experience. (They are a bit blurry because as soon as the CD started I became flustered and manic).

What do you Give a Food Lover for Their Birthday?

That's right, massive, lurid pink, homemade cupcakes.

Wise Anti-Clocks

I have progressed with my final project to a stage where I am now trying to communicate my research into Reliance through a single object.
The object I have opted for is the clock.
At the moment, I'm just taking apart 99p travel clocks and distorting their function/visual language/familiarity, as a way of questioning their reliability.
Here are some examples...






I took one apart a little too much and now can't get it back together...

I'm sure it goes something like this though.

Context Reported

Today is hand-in day for our Context Report documents so I thought I would take a few photos while it is still in decent condition. This is not to imply that they get marked down the pub by a rabble of rowdy lectures who use them as beer mats/ash trays. But honestly, you never know.

I could explain a little about its content (because, as Desmond kindly pointed out "Doesn't that title just apply to everything?"), but for now I will just put up some pretty pictures.
Overall though, it is focussed on the idea of the relationship between user and object being based on reliance and how, as a designer, I am able to manipulate this.
I will post a more detailed abstract soon.

So, here it is I hope you like it:


I heart transparency paper.

Christmas and Context Reports.

This is (a poor photograph of) my mum's crimbo present last year. She is is a character that features in my illustrated cards and mum has become quite fond of her.
I wasn't as creative this year. Although I was just as frugal (part of mums present this year was a small card announcing I was cooking Christmas roast and giving her the day off).

Recently, my time has been taken up by theoretical workings (I'm currently writing my Contextual Report) so I haven't had much to show. But, the writing is (potentially) over and I am now on to the design of the document.
Thing is though, in all my remembering how to write, I have now forgotten how to design.

I don't have a monkey costume!

I find, you can do almost anything with your own hair.
Like that Lady Gaga bloke.

Last Minute Monkey Ears
Rachel Howe
Dec. 2009

What it all Comes Down to

It's hard to tell any more, but I want my final degree project to explore the idea of Subconscious Reliance, people or forces that we rely on without consideration or gratitude.
I particularly am interested in the idea of the hidden worker.
There are several angles I will approach this from, I think;
The Invisible (ie. electricity)
The Natural (ie. gravity, earthworms)
The Hidden (ie. night shift workers)

This post was really just to remind myself that I need to be constantly thinking about this.
Rather than just taking each workshop week as a separate, disconnected activity.