Sculpted Emotions
MDEF Challenge 01 (February 16th - February 18th, 2022)

Nikita Bandarevich and Ruben de Haan

P5.js script of programmed sculpture
website

This repo tells the story of objectiving emotions. We started our microchallenge by extensively specifying our interests and overlap between them.

Finding common ground

Initial idea

After defining 'sculpting emotions' as previsional common topic we raised the idea to create a tool which allows any user to communicate emotions better. Since we're both interested in social and emotional design this thematic was close to our interests.

References

What are sculpted emotions?

• Objects that give a emotions a form.

Process

We started with a questioneer-style format in which the user defines his emotion through a series of questions. In the questioneer the user begins by defining a shape by a series of variables which later gets colored based on answers on new series of variables.

Questioneer idea

We went trough a series of iterations, mainly differentiating between UX interfaces and types of visuals. Ruben used visualization tools to interpret the different approach, which Nikita utilised as targets for P5.js script.

First slider idea

Second slider idea

Adding third dimension

Visualizing three dimensions We realized that a 2D ecosystem would not justify the complexity of the emotion so we added a dimension in a series of new visualizations.

Now that we got a taste that emotions can be expressed through shapes we asked ourselves 'how?'. Starting in Blender complex shapes can be created relatively quickly. To have parametric functionality/adaptability on top of this was executed more convenient in Fusion.

The evolution on how the 3D geometry would be generated. Shifting from Blender to Fusion.

We continued by testing the parametric setup in Fusion with a series of divergent 'emotional inputs'; the parametric variables. This test resulted in the following series of items.

A series of 3D shapes created in Fusion.

Ultimately we created a Fusion file with eight parameters. Each parameter influences the shape in a way that the extremer the emotional value, the extremer the resulting shape. This method led to some interesting shapes, one of which we SLA printed.

SLA printing.

The SLA printed rings after hardening. SLA prints.

Applications

Possible applications of Emo Sculpting include a webtool for users to check, log and track their emotional progression over time or just getting an impression how their current emotion looks like.

Webtool. Online on https://emo-sculpting.webflow.io/

Another use-case could be to print the items into jewellery that can be worn as statement for emotional design or individual expression.

Materials and Tools

Bill of Materials (BOM):

• ABS plastic
• UV resin

Tools used:

• Adobe Illustrator CC for ideating, documenting and sketching.
• Fusion 360 for aligning.
• Programming as database for coding ideas.
• p5.js for programming the graphs.
• SLA 3D printer for printing the rings.

Learnings

• P5.js as tool for creative coding.
• The process of SLA printing and the treatment of the resulting material.
• Emotional design in an applied manner.