Research

I started this unit with a group visit to the Whitworth gallery, where the theme of bringing the "outside, inside" became an initial starting point for research. This theme became more apparent throughout the day, from the 'Welly Walk', to the Gift Shop talk, and the tour around the gallery, everything was about creating links between the outside and the inside. 

Initially I started by taking photographs of the Whitworth park, capturing surfaces, textures and colours. 

My research always starts with nature, as I believe in encapsulating and revealing beauty in unusual places that are un-noticed and often ignored. 

I also believe in keeping the clients requirements in mind, therefore making this product as personal to the gallery as possible is my main focus, reflecting upon the words "playful, intelligent and personal".

 

I refined my photographs to be left with three that all contained very different yet effective colour pallets.
The first artist that I research was Michael Chase, I enjoyed the blocks of vibrant colors in his work, juxtaposing against the intriguing textures of his digital photography. Therefore I started to digitally layer colours found in my photographs using the eyedropper tool with the photograph the colour was taken from. 

 These initial photographs as a starting point all escalated from the renovation of the new gallery, the juxtaposition between the old and the new allowed my research and drawings to contrast against each other. Looking outside into the park I found detail, but looking back into the park it was very clinical and basic.  
 From my colour developments I made yarn wrappings and colour blocks to help define materials and threads to use when ready for sampling. Samples will all be made with everything 100% cotton, influenced by the Manchester cottonopolis era occuring around the same time the Whitworth became an institute, which led to it becoming a textiles based gallery. 

Reflecting upon previous projects, my strengths lie within designing towards fashion and accessories, and after researching the Whitworth gift shops I found myself working towards the cheaper of the two shops with a "buy now, think later" attitude. Aiming my designs at the target audience of families with children. 
After artist research exploring Ashley Goldberg and Emily Rickard, I decided to make a range of products with unisex colour palettes. I created drawings based on composition, influenced by both artists, using colours from the images above. 

 The 'Post-it Review' session opened my mind as I hadn't yet started to sample designs or create visualisations, which created obstacles as peers didn't understand my concept or product ideas. 
Comments from this orientated around my successful colour palettes and effective digital prints. Developing upon comments from this I will start to digitally combine drawings and photographs, to be processed again into digital prints that can be embroidered onto.
I also made visualisations of my product design ideas - choosing the 'DIY Bird Keyring' to develop on, as it had the most reflective concept of the Whitworth and the brief.