So last week, following another discussion with Helen, she suggested I change direction within the project- (8 weeks left!!!). At first I thought ‘panic, panic, panic’. However on reflection, this conversation may have been the boost I needed. For the previous 8 weeks, the majority of the project has just been focused on drawing, printing, and creating textiles and fabric samples, amongst an element of research to back my ideas up along the way. Helen’s opinion was that my floral designs don’t necessarily fit the context of therapy vests and weighted products, and she felt my designs were further suited to work in a wallpaper context. Naturally, I didn’t feel like abandoning the last two months worth of work, having had in mind that they would fit this particular context (weighted therapy objects)- this was what I was interested in, and I didn’t feel as though focusing this last project at NUA on creating your standard wallpaper would play a huge part in my future career. Interactive wallpaper though?, ‘Sensory’ wallpaper? Maybe I could work with it. 

The weekend passed, and the following week I had a chat with Les, who agreed with me that the weighted products side of the project was not something I could, or should, just abandon. He said there was too much scope there, and a lot of potential for textile design, which is also exactly how I felt. So there we were; problem solved. DO NOT ABANDON SENSORY PRODUCTS CONTEXT. 

Now how to tackle new approach- I was interested in this idea of interactive wallpaper that could enhance the senses and provide visual support, whilst also aiding development. I write it as ‘interactive wallpaper’, but the concept of wallpaper already made me feel restricted. These repeat designs didn’t have to be wallpaper, they could simply be images on a wall, murals, fabric wall hangings, ceiling hangings, the list continues. There was no escaping the fact I’d opened up a second project for myself without really meaning to, though it was most likely needed and would only broaden my opportunities and choices for the degree show. Following the breach of this project I began sourcing images, including images of different environments where these type of designs may already exist, such as sensory rooms, care homes, and hospitals. There was chance that the thoughts behind my ideas may also be fully successful in the form of projections, room dividers, back drops and wall stickers. To add to this and to gain an actual perception of what I was visualising, I went for a walk around the city centre and let my interest fall towards window displays. I took no photographs, but spent time looking and visualising my designs in similar ways to how some back drops (which were often repeat designs), were placed, and what effect they had when walking by- whether they did have an effect visually, or didn’t, this would contribute to how I thought about my repeats when putting motifs together and adding and taking away certain elements. 

Designing- 

I viewed this project as another chance to improve, work on, and extend my Photoshop skills. This was something I was adamant on achieving before leaving NUA, and I needed to feel more comfortable using this software if I were to ever put my skills to use, (which would be when I finally stepped out into the big wild world). I’d used Photoshop within the previous project, however the brief for this one gave me much more scope in regards to colour and shape, and figuring out background spaces and the effect they would have on the overall image. Although I was using digital software, I wanted my images and each overall design to maintain a hand-drawn, almost ‘artful’ (if you’ll say) element. I began by drawing with different medias and finding out what worked in regards to the context I’d chosen. I needed bright, painterly, but modern and adaptable motifs, which would form a multitude of designs that aimed to be suitable for my target audience.