Author: Vicky

Vicky Zhou – Project_02 – Variable Face

sketch

/*
Vicky Zhou
Section E 
vzhou@andrew.cmu.edu
Project_02
*/ 

var eyeSize = 50;
var faceWidth = 250;
var faceHeight = 250; 
var noseWidth = 23;
var noseHeight = 40;
var noseColor = 155;
var faceColor = 320;
var lefteyeColor = 190;
var righteyeColor = 190; 
var mouthColor = 50;
var mouthWidth = 150;
var mouthHeight = 10;
var earWidth = 31;
var earHeight = 42;


function setup() {
    createCanvas(640, 480);
}

function draw() {
	noStroke();
	background(165, 221, 208);
	//face color 
	fill(248, 206, faceColor);
	//face size
	ellipse(width / 2, height / 2, faceWidth, faceHeight);
	//variables for eye location 
	var eyeLX = width / 2 - faceWidth * 0.25; //variable for left eye location
	var eyeRX = width / 2 + faceWidth * 0.25; //variable for right eye location 
	//left eye color
	fill(55, lefteyeColor, 58);
	//left eye size
	ellipse(eyeLX, height / 2, eyeSize, eyeSize);
	//right eye color
	fill(48, 123, righteyeColor);
	//right eye size
	ellipse(eyeRX, height / 2, eyeSize, eyeSize); 
	//nose color;
	fill(216, 173, noseColor);
	//nose size
	rect(width / 2 - noseWidth / 2, height / 2, noseWidth, noseHeight);
	//variables for mouth location
	var mouthLY = height / 2 + faceHeight*0.25 //variable for keeping mouth in center
	//mouth color 
	fill(239, 136, 120);
	//mouth size
	rect(width / 2 - mouthWidth / 2, mouthLY, mouthWidth, mouthHeight);
	
	//variables for ear location
	var earLY = height / 2;
	var earRY = height /2;
	//left ear color
	fill(248, 206, faceColor)
	//right ear color
	fill(248, 206, faceColor);
	//left ear size
	ellipse(width / 2 - faceWidth*0.53, earLY, earWidth, earHeight); 
	//right ear size 
	ellipse(width / 2 + faceWidth*0.53, earRY, earWidth, earHeight);
}

function mousePressed() {
	// changes face when user clicks
	faceWidth = random(100, 200);
	faceHeight = random(100, 250);
	eyeSize = random(10, 30);
	faceColor = random(0, 320);
	lefteyeColor = random(0, 190);
	righteyeColor = random(0, 190);
	noseColor = random(0, 155);
	noseWidth = random(10, 23);
	noseHeight = random(20, 40);
	mouthWidth = random(45, 65);
	mouthHeight = random(5, 10);
	earWidth = random(30, 31);
	earHeight = random(36, 42);
}

I had a lot of fun with this project in particular because I really enjoyed how the random process generator was able to create a wide variety (or small variety, depending on the limits constructed) of faces with each click. I spent a majority of my time fluctuating between what features I wanted to have change the most (for example, face size and color), and what features I wanted to stay more static (for example, the mouth).

Vicky Zhou – Looking Outwards – 02

Generative Neural Network produced chairs based on solely aesthetic.

Final series of four physical chairs based on GAN generated chairs

“The chAIr Project” is a series of four chairs that were inspired by a generative neural network, and then created and brought to life by designers. The data set utilized by this neural network consisted of hundreds of 20th century chair designs gathered from Pinterest. Based on this data set, the neural network system generated hundreds of chairs simply based on aesthetics, many times resulting in unpractical renditions and/or pieces that did not even resemble furniture.

I found this project really interesting because of the results that ensued due to a focus on simply the aesthetics and physical classic qualities of a chair, rather than the technical qualities, such as maximizing surface area in ratio weight distributed and so on. Because of this focus towards aesthetics, many of the chairs were completely unsuitable for actual use, and served as images for inspiration and unrestricted ideation. It was ironic to see how impractical some of these chairs became, as chairs are commonly viewed as practical, everyday products. What ties this project all together and makes it the most engaging, however, is when the two designers, Phillip Schmitt and Steffen Weiss, chose to bring some of these generated prototypes to real life. Seeing the four designs in real life brings it into our dimension of reality, and allows us to fully engage with a familiar concept repackaged in an unfamiliar form.

Vicky Zhou Project_01

sketch

/*Vicky Zhou
Section E
vzhou@andrew.cmu.edu
Project-01
*/

function setup() {
    createCanvas(600, 600);
    background(247, 204, 70, 90);
}

function draw() {

	noStroke();

	//hair
	fill(33, 3, 3);
	ellipse(300, 320, 340, 305);
	ellipse(300, 165, 100, 100);

	//face
	fill(238, 204, 175);
	ellipse(300, 330, 275, 275);

	//shoulders
	fill(171, 121, 59);
	rect(100, 500, 390, 290, 90, 90, 0, 0);

	//cheeks
	fill(228, 158, 104);
	ellipse(210, 390, 60, 60);
	fill(228, 158, 104);
	ellipse(390, 390, 60, 60);

	//mouth
	fill(211, 96, 78);
	ellipse(305, 420, 90, 30);
	fill(238, 204, 175);
	ellipse(305, 405, 70, 25);

	//ears
	fill(238, 204, 175);
	ellipse(165, 350, 50, 65);
	fill(238, 204, 175);
	ellipse(435, 350, 50, 65);

	//nose
	fill(204, 180, 149);
	rect(285, 380, 40, 15, 20);

	//bangs
	fill(33, 3, 3);
	arc(300, 240, 220, 110, HALF_PI + QUARTER_PI, TWO_PI + QUARTER_PI);

	//eyebrows
	fill(111, 97, 80);
	rotate(radians(340));
	ellipse(120, 370, 60, 25);
	fill(111, 97, 80);
	rotate(radians(40));
	ellipse(445, 160, 60, 25);

	//eyes
	fill (255, 255, 255);
	ellipse(350, 250, 30, 30);
	fill(255, 255, 255);
	ellipse(460, 210, 30, 30);
	fill(34, 4, 4);
	ellipse(350, 250, 19, 19);
	fill(34, 4, 4)
	ellipse(460, 210, 19, 19);



	

}

Vicky Zhou-Looking Outwards-01

Cooper Hewitt Interactive Pen

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Museum of Design, located in New York, New York, has an interactive pen component experience. This interactive pen allows the user to engage with certain exhibits, manipulate objects across interactive screens, and save exhibits that users find interesting and want to revisit later over time.

I personally had the pleasure of visiting the Cooper Hewitt with my friend this past summer, and was incredibly inspired by the uniquely engaging atmosphere. Unlike conventional museums where the most interactive component is an audio device that guides you around the exhibits, Cooper Hewitt’s interactive pen allows you to interact with certain exhibit pieces, create drawings and patterns on touch screen surfaces, and curate a collection of exhibits that a visitor finds particularly engaging and wishes to revisit over time.

The original origin of the Cooper Hewitt pen originated from Local Projects working with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and then later expanded upon by the Cooper Hewitt team. This project allows not only future museums, but other areas of entertainment, such as theaters and amusement parks, to adopt and select certain points of the Cooper Hewitt pen that most engage users and apply it to their own respective businesses and environments.