After receiving my second set of test prints, I was able to identify some issues with my software and perform some fixes (mainly that I had an almost invisible border - exported around each image - that was showing exactly where the repeat was happening!) I’ve now printed on three different fabric types (Linen-cotton canvas, Organic cotton sateen, and Organic cotton knit), and have determined that the organic cotton sateen, for its color vibrancy and feel, will be the most appropriate fabrics for my first official prints.
Top: $900 wifi tent on linen-cotton canvas. >>>>>Data: San Jose average rent from July 2009 - May 2015
Bottom: Mission Street Condo on cotton sateen >>>>> Data: San Francisco average rent from July 2009 - May 2015
The self-driving car races the California high-speed train.>>>>>Data: Number of people commuting alone in a car to Santa Clara county.
> Progress on tools:
While waiting for the test prints to arrive, I worked out a number of new parametric layout options, this is the latest version of my Processing design tool:
In an attempt to harvest more computing power for increasingly heavy image and data manipulation, I started building a second software tool in openFrameworks. At this point, it's still rudimentary but it has an operational GUI, loads images + data, and exports PDFs.
I’ve expanded my data options as well as my symbology. Some of the newest images (which I may or may not use), include: San Francisco mayor Edward Lee, a Quadcopter, and Internet of Things Palm Tree.
> Finished designs:
Wearable Tech Fist Bump / Battle >>>>>>> Data, represented as hearts from left to right : California quarterly E-waste intake by private companies (in millions of pounds) from 2005 - 2015. data source
Internet of Things / Environmental Data Monitoring Palm >>>>>>>>> Data represented as pink circle of lines: Numbers of recorded tree species in San Francisco. data source
(Design for test print only) Mission Street Condo on cotton sateen >>>>> Data: San Francisco average rent from July 2009 - May 2015
> NOW CONSIDERing:
- I want to make the imagery look more “block-print-like.” Only a few of the images have the look I want; I need to keep working the others.
- I'm thinking about more varied ways to represent and compare data sets.
- I still don’t know what I’m going to do with the fabrics. Here are the top ideas:
- Work with local tailors to make 2 fairly standard men’s outfits (or at least shirts) and 2 dresses. Then display these items on mannequins or on live people. Potentially against a wallpapered backdrop (I did do a wallpaper test). There might also be a table with a cloth made of yet another design? I love the idea of mixing a variety of crazy clashing designs.
- Display the fabrics on their own.
- Work with a CCA fashion grad student (assuming he still wants to) and see what we come up with together which will inevitably be on the wilder side.
