Connected Emotions
collaboration with
Queens University, Belfast.
Joy, Disgust, Trust ever related emotional words to design characteristics?
Design and Pyschology collide., working in partnership with Dr Tim Fosker, Queens University, Belfast, researching. the possible relationship between emotional words and design charactoristics.
Milan 2005, April was the time of year, warm (for us Irish folks) and here I was standing in Milan Furniture Fair introducing Aemelia to the world. My inspiration comes from harking back to through history to examine the glories of previous years and bring them into a new contemporary form. Mahogany, classic wood turning and marble all complete in one solid form. The contemporary twist came in the placement and number of legs. It was only during the fair that I discovered That on examination it took the attendees anywhere between ten and thirty seconds to recognise that the table had 5 legs. What we recognise as familiar, the brain reaches a rapid conclusion, speeding up processes before all the actual detail from the eye fully reaches the brain. This was my introduction to the art of cognitive science. Totally enthralled, I examined the brain and the eye connection in more depth.
Please take a set of ‘emotional words’ from the table, complete the permission form (to confirm we aren’t making you do this) and place the number on the back of your card on the permission page. No other information will be required. Move on to the textile sculpture. There are a set of 18 pockets, all with different design characteristics. Please place your 8 emotional words into any of these 18 pockets. Moving around the sculpture you are invited to see the front and back of the pockets. Please note as you stand in the enclosed curve section this represents the feeling of being in a pocket. With all emotional words placed in pockets you may move on to part two. Previously, this textile sculpture had been displayed in the FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge to enable us to gain the findings from our study. From these findings we collected the results, examined and compiled them.
Aemelia Started It...
The Study, Part One
Framed Works, The Results, Part Two
Now that you have completed part one, we can reveal the design classifications that we used. All of the 1 to 18 pockets have the following design characteristics in a variety of combinations. They have been classified using shape, depth and closure. Did we find a correlation between design characteristics and emotional words; - Yes, we did. In the windows and wall sections of RSpace Gallery framed pockets reside in all their glory. The results of the research from the first phase of this study are on display. From the information gathered I have created and displayed what has been important design features for each emotional word.
To honour all conversations as a moment in time. I used linen because for me it represents many meetings and greetings taking place at the table. We eat and drink throughout the day, the table is a place for communication, whether it be relaxed or formal. The crisp white linen tablecloth has heard many a story and this project began with the art of conversation. The Irish linen represents the fine art of quality communication.
Whats The Linen Connection?
Why Is It All White?
Why Did We Use Pockets?
What Next?
An everyday item full of design characteristics. (Apart from my personal interest in fashion) We wanted to explore design characteristics, pockets come in many shapes and forms, yet is an item that we constantly see/ use but admittedly take little interest in the finer detail. The pocket was the perfect combination of shape, depth and closure for this project.
No outside influences into favourite characteristics were permitted. Colour was purposely not used in this experiment. There have been previous explorations into colour theory and all the effects that colour has on our body, colour can speed cell growth or slow it down, colour can have a positive impact on us or a negative one. It was important to keep this study neutral from any outside alterations.
We have already begun… Stage two has been completed, we moved the research online to examine if there was a difference between physically placing the word into the pocket or digitally choosing your pocket online. This online survey also examined if there were any coherence/ differences between the pockets and a series of cuffs using the same design characteristics. And finally, to examine if we have any tendencies to anthropomorphism.
Pocket design characteristics were divided into Shape, Depth and Closure. Shape characteristics- Angle, Square, Round, Pointed. Depth characteristics- Shallow, Expanding, Deep. Closure Characteristics- None, Single, Double. Pocket 1- Angle, Shallow, Double Pocket 2- Pointed, Shallow, None Pocket 3- Square, Deep, Single Pocket 4- Square, Expanding, Double Pocket 5- Round, Expanding, None Pocket 6- Angle, Deep, None Pocket 7- Angle, Shallow, Single Pocket 8- Pointed, Shallow, Single Pocket 9- Square Expanding, Double Pocket 10-Round, Deep Single Pocket 11- Round Shallow, None Pocket 12- Square, Expanding, None Pocket 13- Angle, Shallow, None Pocket 14- Pointed, Shallow, Double Pocket 15- Round, Expanding, Single Pocket 16- Pointed, Deep, Single Pocket 17- Square, Expanding, Double Pocket 18-Round, Shallow, Double
Pocket Classification- Textile Sculpture
The Results
Happy favoured an angled pocket with no closure. Anger favoured a square pocket. Trust had no favours at all in any characteristic. Sad favours a deep pocket. Joy favours an angled pocket with no closure. Fear favours a square pocket that is deep. Suprise favours and angled pocket that is deep. Disgust favours a deep pocket. When characteristics have not been mentioned above this means there has been no strong response from the results to suggest a common link.