Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really, really good.

My name is Ms. Afsal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really good about it because today we're looking at "Objects in 3D Design." That's the title of our lesson.

It comes from the Unit of work Foundation workshops.

So I hope you're feeling interested and curious in this subject, looking at objects in 3D design, and if you are all set with some energy, focus and enthusiasm, we will begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can review the range of ways artists have been inspired by objects in 3D design.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

They are ergonomics and prototype.

Let's find out what they mean.

Ergonomics is the study of how objects can be designed for optimal comfort, efficiency, and safety in human use.

Prototype.

This is a preliminary model of a product used to test and refine design ideas before final production.

So here are our keywords, ergonomics and prototype.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Objects in 3D Design, and it has three learning cycles.

First of all, artist spotlight, objects.

Next, visual deconstruction, objects.

And then personal connection in art, objects.

Let's begin with artist spotlight, objects.

Why do you think objects are important in 3D design? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

In 3D Design objects are not just the end result.

They're central to the entire creative process.

Objects are at the heart of many 3D designers work both as the final product and as a way to communicate, plan and try ideas out.

They use a wide range of materials and techniques to bring objects to life in different ways.

3D designers create objects for a variety of reasons.

Pause video and share with someone.

What do you think some of those reasons could be? Thanks for sharing.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why 3D designers create objects? As a creation of functional objects, consideration of ergonomics, prototypes and mockups, emotional and cultural meanings, personal expression.

3D design involves making functional objects that also think about how people will use them.

What factors should a designer take into account to ensure function and user interaction? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"The designer should think about the object being easy to use and if it works well." Lucas thinks that, "They need to make sure it's comfortable and that people know how to use it." And Sam, "The object must look good so that people enjoy using it and want to keep it." So great ideas there.

Maybe you had some similar ones.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? 3D design is only about how an object looks, not how it works or how people use it.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"3D design is not just about appearance.

It also focuses on function, how well the object works, and user interaction, how people use and experience the object.

A good 3D design combines how it looks with how useful and user-friendly it is." One part of how an object works is how comfortable and easy it is to use.

This is called being ergonomic.

Can you think of ways a 3D object like a chair could be ergonomic? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha with a couple of chairs.

Which chair is ergonomically designed for Aisha? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

It's chair B.

Both chairs are balanced, made from sturdy materials and will stack on top of each other.

Chair B is the correct size for Aisha.

It's designed ergonomically for optimal comfort, efficiency, and safety.

3D designers who have created objects which are both aesthetic and functional include, Mac Collins is known for his aesthetically pleasing Afrofuturistic timber pieces.

Samer Saadeh is a lighting designer whose works have won the 2024 Design Doha Prize.

And Katie Walker is a furniture designer whose Ribbon Rocking chair blends ergonomic functionality with sleek aesthetic appeal.

Prototypes and sketched mockups help designers evaluate how a design performs in real space.

Why do you think prototypes or sketch models are helpful for designers? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Designers can use drawings, prototypes, and mockups as part of their designing of objects.

Examples of these designers include, Filippo Brunelleschi created prototypes for his ship designs.

Yuko Nishikawa creates loose sketches and small 3D prototypes before completing the creation of her whimsical, colourful furniture and lighting fixtures like Pink Kettle.

And James Lake includes creating scale models of furniture as part of his Ikea Commission 2018.

The materials, colours, and shapes that designers include in 3D design can impact how people see and feel about an object.

How do you think material, colours and forms in objects can show the culture and values of the people who made them? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"Scandi design uses simple and clean forms. It shows how some people like things to be calm, practical, and linked to nature." I quite like Scandi design.

And Jacob, "Chinese porcelain often uses the blue with dragons or flowers.

The colours and symbols show beliefs and respect for tradition." And Sofia, "The Acoma people choose clay as a material because it comes from their land, so their pots connect them to nature and culture." What themes might a designer be working with if they use waste objects in a 3D design work? Pause here and chat with someone.

What could these themes be? Thanks for sharing.

3D waste objects can signify shared meaning such as, Jay Sae Jung Oh's Salvage Chair transforms discarded objects into seamless furniture by wrapping them in raw leather, turning everyday waste into a collective memory piece where each item carries its own hidden story.

Weaving the Ocean by Ari Bayuaji is an installation where waste plastics from fishing ropes are woven with traditional methods.

Artists and designers can use other meanings in their 3D design works including, Nicole Monks designed a communal sitting collection.

Nyinajimanha, sitting together, which responded to and continues aboriginal storytelling traditions.

Robert Gober's iconic sink sculptures from the 1980s, crafted during the height of the AIDS crisis, evoke themes of clinical sterility and mortality, reflecting both personal and communal loss in the gay community.

Artists and designers may use objects which have personal significance rather than a shared meaning.

These objects can evoke emotions like nostalgia, joy, or reflection for both the artist and the viewer.

Can you think of a local artist or designer who uses personal objects in this way? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Artists making personal connections with objects in their 3D design include, In Daily 2015, 16, Annette Messager transformed sentimental personal items into symbols of the inner self.

Her work is often autobiographical and uses her personal connections with objects.

Faye Toogood has talked about the influence of her life on her designs with her iconic Roly-Poly chair, with its playful, rounded forms, which was directly inspired by her experience of pregnancy and motherhood.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following best explains why artists or designers might use personally significant objects? A, to express emotions that can connect with the viewer.

B, to follow traditional techniques and processes.

C, to make the artwork look more realistic and detailed.

D, to show that they own valuable important objects.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you chose answer A, to express emotions that can connect with the viewer.

Artists can work creatively with objects to produce unexpected results by, rearranging objects in different compositions, changing viewpoints and angles, experimenting with materials and techniques, altering scale or proportion, combining ready-mades in their work, changing and altering the surface or material of objects.

What other surprising approaches can artists take when working with objects? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Check for understanding.

True or false.

Artists can use objects as a subject or material for their artwork.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true.

Now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Artists use objects as a subject for their artwork in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons.

Objects can also be used directly as a material to create artwork as a ready-made or found object." Artists may also use objects as a product or material in 3D design to, challenge ideas of beauty through decay of objects, play with traditional process or approaches, to improve the function or aesthetic of an object, tell stories through objects, reflect cultural history through objects.

And now it's time for your first task.

I'd like you to select two or three artists or specific artworks and compare them.

Consider these questions.

In what ways are the artworks visually similar or different? Subject, colour, tone, shape, style, composition, and materials.

What themes, symbols, or ideas do the artworks explore? Are there any connections between them? Pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

You may have said something like this.

This is Andeep.

"Nicole Monks uses natural materials in her designs which aim to allow for group storytelling.

But Faye Toogood's Roly-Poly chair is not designed specifically for a group setting and is made of plastic." Here's Laura, "Both Monk and Toogood use organic forms and shapes, which are natural and rounded, and they both considered the ergonomics of the seating they designed so that it is safe and functional for people to use." You may have compared it this way.

Nicole Monks and Faye Toogood both use natural forms. And have personal connections in the work.

Nicole Monks designed for communal seating.

Use natural materials in the design, personal connection with cultural heritage.

And Faye Toogood designed as single chairs, use plastics in design, personal connection with life experiences.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle.

Visual deconstruction, objects.

What is the first thing you notice about this artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Artists use various techniques to communicate in their work, the elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, texture.

Composition, space and perspective, materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

We can deconstruct these techniques to understand the work more deeply.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is not one of the main ways artists communicate ideas in their work.

A, colour, line, form, shape and texture.

B, imagery and subject selected and shown.

C, materials and techniques used in the work.

D, the artist's age and personal information.

Pause there while you decide which is not one of the main ways artists communicate ideas in their work.

Well done if you selected answer D.

Laura is deconstructing the visual elements of A 3D object design.

She notices different materials and surfaces for differing purposes and aesthetic textures.

Design shows a range of angles of the 3D object.

Colours are contrasting to be eye catching, shapes and form consider ergonomics of how it will fit a foot and aesthetics.

Materials are considered for function.

Andeep has an alternative interpretation of the same artwork.

Ergonomics of how to put on shoe considered with laces.

The colours and patterns linked to snake skin.

The designer has shown a range of angles so we understand the 3D form.

Textures on the fabrics linked to snake skin.

Function of tread for running has been added.

When visually deconstructing a design or artwork, it's important to remember that, each person notices different elements in an artwork, opinions are subjective, past experiences shape our interpretations.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why is it important to remember that each person notices different elements and has subjective opinions? A, art has one fixed meaning.

B, everyone sees the same details.

C, only experts can understand it.

D, personal experiences affect understanding.

Pause here while you choose.

Well done if you selected answer D.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to select one artwork and describe it.

Describe what you can see in the artwork.

The elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form and texture.

Composition, space and perspective.

Materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

And how the artist has used these techniques to communicate with the audience.

You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork.

Write it as a paragraph or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

Pause here while you have a go at this task of selecting an artwork and describing it.

Great to be back with you.

You may have said something like this.

"Organic forms have been used throughout the collection.

Texture has been added using glazes and surface imprints.

The colours in the work are cool.

Natural clay has been used.

Patterns create interest.

High contrast tone with shining surface." And now onto our final learning cycle.

Personal connection in art, objects.

How can looking at an artist's work help us develop our own work? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"3D design with similar themes can develop my ideas more than similar techniques or imagery." Alex, "I'll look at techniques and compositions and try to apply them to my theme." And Jun, "Work that has similar imagery or objects can inspire even if the idea is different." Check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about taking inspiration from art.

A, inspiration only comes from the theme of the artwork.

B, you can only use the artist technique for inspiration.

C, you can use any combination of imagery, theme and technique.

D, you must use all three, imagery, theme and technique.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C.

There are a number of things which can cause us to have a personal connection with an artwork such as use of techniques or expression of themes.

We can establish a personal connection to an artwork by interpreting how objects can signify deeper meanings or a theme.

We can often find links to our own work through deconstructing both the themes and techniques used in an artwork.

What themes do you interpret from these objects? Pause there and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"This work inspires my theme of routines.

A ceramics like these are used at mealtimes, which are family routines." "My theme is religion.

I'll create objects which relate to faith celebrations and consider colours which enhance the meaning." And Sofia, "I wanted to look at motifs from different cultures, and this work makes me think of yin and yang due to the colour decoration." Can you think of other theme interpretations? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for reflecting on that.

Check for understanding.

True or false? We can only establish a connection with an object if we have a personal connection to all of the object.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you said false and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"We can connect to an object by finding links to our own ideas and developing work.

We can interpret different themes from the objects itself as well as any imagery, symbols, and techniques used." And now it's time for your final task.

Select one artwork and use the questions below to consider your personal connection.

What themes, symbols, or ideas does this work explore? Are there any symbols, imagery, or connections between them that help create a narrative or show meaning? Which techniques, processes, or creative decisions in this artwork inspire you and how might you use them in your own work? You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an art work, write it as a paragraph, or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? Maybe something like this.

"Theme: Home and away.

The design of these trainers makes me think of home as we have pet snakes and lizards and the patterns are inspired by these creatures.

However, for many people, this would link to away as they're wild animals.

For my own design, I'll consider other patterns which could create this sense of away and put it into a design for bike helmets." In our lesson, Objects in 3D Design, we've covered the following.

3D design enables the creation of functional objects that consider both utility and user interaction.

One part of how an object works is how comfortable and easy it is to use.

This is called being ergonomic.

Aesthetic choices and 3D design, like material, can contribute to how objects are perceived emotionally and culturally.

Prototypes and sketch mockups help designers evaluate how a design performs in real space.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson It was great to explore objects in 3D design with you.

Looking at ergonomics, aesthetic choices, prototypes, and comparing some designs and art works.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.