500 Words on my Grid project

Grid 1
The group decided to keep our game a simple more "old fashioned" type boardgame.
Taking inspiration from each of the grids of Huddersfield we were given we wanted to create something that would be able to portray each one in some literal fashion, the idea, that each of us can create a different playing board, but play the same game with the same rules and playing pieces.
The basic gameplay is to build up as large a group of blocks (or buildings) on your gameboard, each one being a different shaped geometric shape before your opponent, while also trying to hinder your opposition doing the same.
I recreated my grid as a usable gameboard, playing cards and set about designing the pieces in a way that would make them usable but still show some connection with my area of Huddersfield.
Finally I made the official rules up and collected it all in it’s own box.
And of course got it stocked on the selves of a major high street store!

Grid 2
The first step was to explore the area of Huddersfield on the grid that I had been given to look at.
It followed New Street, the main shopping high street in Huddersfield, and is an area primarily given to pedestrian transit and high street stores.
I visited the area on several occasions, mainly sketching or taking photographs and started building a profile of the area.
As it is quite a straight forwards area with no traffic and very similar buildings on either side I began experimenting with different ways that I could gather information about the square.
Eventually I began taking notes on the passage of people through the High Street, and made sheets that would allow me to make a form of chart allowing me to display the comings and goings of the different kinds of passing visitor.
This led to me creating an animated map of my grid, plotting this passage of people and an animation of their journey without the map.
This in turn led me to think of star charts and constellations, giving me my final scene and name.

Grid 3
My third project led me to want to expand on the idea of the grid, and with the idea of charts and navigation by the stars from my previous project I began to look at a much larger idea of grids and maps.
This led me in turn to look at atlas’s, charts and globes and I began to experiment with making one of these flat 2D maps into a 3D object.
Beginning with as simple ideas as possible I began with origami shapes, this also meant manipulating the maps on the sheets so that they would still resemble an accurate globe.
Finally I found a way of creating an entire, and quite accurate globe out of separate detailed flat pieces, making 2D, 3D.
This was then stop-motion animated and edited in flash. Eventually to become a spinning globe logo for my website.

GLOBE VID

Here it is!

The Globe...

The Flat Earth...

And here it is,

A fully 3D detailed globe that a few days ago was nothing but small card like pieces of card, I'm quite pleased with the way that it has turned out.
The photos are below but for some reason I am having trouble posting the stop-motion that I have put together with it.
The vid will be on asap

Just for fun...

Available in all good shops...

More complicated...

More Water Bombs
The making the origami has proved the easy part, more difficult is the fact that your map is folding in on itself so just ends up looking terrible if you don't account for it.
The globe below has had the map on it altered her and there to make sure that you can recognise it as a globe.
I am also using cut out techniques to try to find something suitable.

Eureka!

The idea

I have settled on still trying to make something 2d into 3d but have found a way of connecting small cards of paper together and slowly, slowly creating a full globe.
Hopefully from there I can play with some animation for it too.

Gallery 2

Gallery 2

Globes

Making a globe (sort of)

I am going to start making artifacts for this module that are still in essence a flat map or piece of paper but I want to try and make a 3D item from them.
I had the silly thought of making a paper aeroplane out of maps and charts but obviously want to make an entire piece out of paper planes (tempting though.....) but the thought has stuck with me and I really like the idea of creating something out of them.

So I have decided to see what can be done with 2D paper to make it 3D

The GRID game gallery

Gallery 1:

 

Final Piece

The Final Piece:

I have realised my projects final piece by stylizing my Grid area and redraw the mapped out section, I have then animated the paths and peoples who are passing through it for whatever reasons.

My next step was to remove the map completely so that the pathways can be seen making their own routes without the distraction of the buildings and map.

And then I did one more thing.....

First attempts....

First attempts...
Just playing around with what I already know how to do to be honest, and having some fun.
The easiest was I could think of creating a sphere out of flat paper was to scrunch it up!
The second is a little more mechanical, paper folding and creases were required but it isn't much more than a school "paper water bomb".
But I did put my grid to good use again!

Charts

More nice maps/charts

2D or not 3D?...

2D OR NOT 3D? That is the question....

Having been more drawn to using Flash to complete my other solo project, and with the group project being, obviously a little of everything from everyone I have been looking at what maps and charts mean in a hands on sense, a little piece of world that you can fold up and put into your pocket, taking out when you need it.

I like the idea of taking those little pieces of map and making something more tangible out of them and am going to be using modelling, photography and hopefully some stop-motion animation to make my artifacts and evidence to support my last project in the Grid series.

I have been looking at different kinds of maps, charts and even atlas to give myself some thoughts as to what I can make out of them or do with them.

Some of my maps...

The GRID game!

The GRID game!

The finished game.

Here are the results for my portion of the group project.

• I have written up a working rule system (based on my version of the brief)
• Created a working geometric board
• fashioned pieced (buildings) in various different shapes for variation to play with
• Created a box and logo for my set (each member's will be different)
• Created various cards to play with, boons and pitfalls.
• Made up an ad for the game

The photos will follow in the next gallery....

Plotting Cont...

Plotting Cont.

I have been using sketches like this to give myself a chance to plot the people passing, it becomes a bit hectic, so apologies for the mess above, (and this is one of the quietest ones!) and there are often tangles that I think only I understand. I've created a new language! 

I have built a selection of these plots and am now looking to draw and animate a piece accordant to the information that I have managed to now gather.

The next version will be much prettier.

The Playing Board

...And here is the board to play the game on.

Again, I have designed it on a computer and then printed it onto a board that I have made to size.

The playing pieces...

Game Pieces

Here some of the basic playing pieces for the board game. 

Wanting to make the game fun to play and quite a tactile experience I have designed the buildings, many of which have real-life counterparts from my grid of Huddersfield and then printed them onto card and assembled them together, each should fit in a variety of ways to keep the game-play interesting and different each time.

Plotting Paths

After looking through my evidence so far and making some general outlines this is now my plan to complete my project:

I am going to purely study the patterns of pedestrians, shoppers and wandering folk as they pass through or across my grid and plot their courses to see what kind of random shapes and dances there maybe once I can see their journeys across the area.

Ideas

Ideas, ideas, ideas

I have visited my grid several times over the last few weeks, with it being such a main street within Huddersfield I have also found myself wandering though on missions completely non-project related, and have been playing with ideas of what I can do to somehow re-plot or re-imagine this area.

I have found that the shops in the area have not been that busy on my visits, however it is a very busy threw route for people it seems (myself, as mentioned often among them) so I have began to take note of the people rather than the place itself, and am thinking that it may be useful to include them in my ideas rather than the locale itself.

The weather has been my worst enemy, and whenever I am going to go with my camera and pad it is deserted.

Maybe I should wander through at pub kicking out time?!

Watching the pedestrians...

The GRID Game Rules...

The Grid Game Official Rules....

Rules of The Grid Game: