Materials

Alright, so I've got the idea for my packaging. I know the shape I want, I know what I want in it. But what do I want to make it from?

• Vacuum forming <- can I make a 3-dimentional shape from this? Don't think so but I'll find out for sure anyway. It will need to not have protruding pieces.
• Acrylic sheets + rod <- sheets are costly, could go for this but I'll look into cheaper alternatives first.
• Acetate sheets <- cheap, but are they effective? Need to test this out and see if it works.
• Paper/card <- can't withstand rain if I have this outside. Also can be damaged easily.
• Wood <- I like this idea best, but I'm not sure if this will be the most practical. Will I be able to get the shape I want?

Overall I want to do it with wood, have to find out more about it. Also will probably use an acrylic rod for the stick/pole/rod thing it will be on. I'll order one, if I can. -even if it is just to test it out. Otherwise I could use a wooded rod for this aswell, it would blend in more than an acrylic one, if I make the rest from wood.

Critique

Had another group critique. We were in groups of two this time, reviewing eachothers sketchbooks. My sketchbook was found to be hard to follow, so I shall have to work into it more to make it easier.

What shall I put on my website exactly?

Okay, so back to the idea of packaing my website.

Anyone who wants to 'break into' my packaing will have some sort of interest in codes, otherwise they probably wouldn't bother. So, my website would be better to offer something that fits the intrests of the people visiting. Wouldn't be any good if I promoted a website in a childs comic, and that website was about something like insurance deals, would it?

Let's see, what's code related....

• Exhibition on codes <- would this be practical? An Exhibition would probably want a decent amount of people, would enough crack the code and visit?
• Documentry about codes (TV program) <- like this idea
• Coupon for something <- not sure about this, what would the coupon be for? Hmm...

I'll probably go for the TV documentry idea. I'll either have the link to my website in my package, or have the link + a password for a page on my website where I'll hide the information for the documentry.

If I go for the passworded page idea, I'll have to learn more Actionscript. Suppose that button effect I did will have to go as I can't seem to get any other Actionscript to work with it. Right now, it's the button effect, or a password page feature + pages that work.... Gonna have to be the latter.

Getting feedback

I've been getting feedback from my peers for my website. I showed them how it had gone so far, and asked them if they think I should change/add anything, or if it's fine as it is. They suggested that the font was maybe a bit too dark to read on the buttons. They thought the overall design was good, and the effects I had acheived were great, but thought the mosaic transition I was creating for the pre-loader might look a bit tacky, and that I could try it in another colour than white to make it work better.

I'll take these comments into account, I'll redo the buttons because if they are too dark to read, then they will need fixing. I'm not sure about the transition effect for the pre-loader myself, I might just take it out, I don't think the website even needs the pre-loader right now.

What to put in my packaging?

So I've been thinking about what I should be packaging. I know I'll be packaing the concept of code, but what can that concept be? It's quite a wide topic, so that leaves a lot open.

I think I'll change my website a bit, and perhaps package that. One concept of code is to hold information, and that's exactly what it will be doing.

I want a little more to it though, so I need to decide why anyone would visit my website. What information will I display here? Why would they bother coming here?

Also had a quick crit with some of my peers today. I showed them the test piece I had made, and suggested that I may turn it into a code-wheel. One of them said it would make a nice box alone, and that maybe I could make it out of transparent acetate.

I'm going to try making it out of acetate, and see how it goes. It might be hard to hide the glue though, if it will even hold.

Test pieces / Jefferson Disk

Made a few more test pieces for my project today. I tried making some sort of interactive packaging design, something like the Jefferson Disk. I made some origami hexagon box things, and put them onto a cardboard stick so they can be rotated similar to how the Jefferson Disk works.

I might try using circuits with this so that when you turn the 'disks' to the right position it does something. I'm not sure yet, I will have to try it out and go from there.

I decided to look into how we can read words as images, rather than working it out through each letter. I toghuht aobut how it wroks and taht mabye it culod be dnoe wtih mroe than wrods. What scentances about like this? Not sure if that works. I asked a few people if they noticed it as they read it and they said it didn't work for them like the individual works did.

Flash website + learning Actionscript

Been getting into the Flash website design a lot, that I'm doing on Friday's. Started it last week and I'm already comming up with a lot of ways I can use my theme of codes, especially since Flash websites themselves can be quite code heavy. I think I will use this Flash site to show my final piece when I create it, and possibly the development process with it.

I have also been studying Actionscript a lot, which is a scripting language used in Flash to create things from buttons, to rain effects and even interactive games. It's quite difficult, but I think I'm picking it up fast from trying out a lot of tutorials.

Decided to change from animation to packaging design

After doing a lot of research into my chosen theme, sketching out initial ideas, and working into images, I've decided I will change my FMP from animation, to packaging design. I've come up with a lot of ways that I could use the idea of codes in packaging design, rather than animation. I've been looking into Braille more, and how I can use the idea of it. The main thing is, that it's communicated through touch, which I could do a lot with that in packaging, but not so much in animation.

Group crit

Small group crit. I talked about my project, and the ideas I had so far. One of my peers suggested I look into this brand of tea, called 'Yogi tea'. It uses a similar idea of a creative barcode, like the ones created my the Japanese company, called D-Barcode.

Feedback from group critique

Had a group critique today. One of my peers suggested that I look at road signs as they are a universal code, which I think is a good idea. One also suggested that I look at codes at how codes are being used to represent people, and the conspiracys behind them. I think I will add this to my research and see what I get from it.