COGNITIVE TRACES¶
Initially, my teammate and I developed an idea to create a box that could quickly hide and transport spray cans for graffiti. Our first proposal was a Glovo-style delivery box with two compartments: a fake upper compartment that, when opened, revealed a pizza box, and a hidden lower compartment designed to store the spray cans.
The idea was that if a police officer stopped the writer and asked to check the box, they would only find a pizza, believe the story, and let the writer go without suspecting that they were doing graffiti.
After reflecting on it and discussing it with our professors, we realized that the concept behind the idea was somewhat weak and that the topic of graffiti was not aligned with the projects we were already working on. For this reason, we decided almost immediately to change direction and focus on the theme of flash mobs, which was much more coherent with our overall research path. This shift made me understand how important it is to question initial ideas and evaluate their consistency within a broader conceptual framework.
MORAL TRACES¶
During the week, we divided the tasks evenly. We made the main design decisions together. I was primarily responsible for soldering the piezoelectric discs, while Ishan created and 3D-printed a scaled model of the final project.
Finally, we assembled and tested the artifact together in preparation for the presentation. The use of AI in this project was almost nonexistent: the calculations regarding the required energy were done manually with Mickel’s help. This made the process more demanding.
There were no conflicts or moments of unfairness. The collaboration felt balanced and transparent throughout the process.
TECHNICAL / PROCESS TRACES¶
The biggest issue involved the piezoelectric discs. Since they are very fragile, the soldered connections often broke, forcing me to redo them multiple times. This required patience and precision, and it made me more aware of the material limitations we were working with.
After completing the final artifact, we decided not to test it again before the final presentation, as we were afraid of damaging it.
The most important design decision concerned the shape of the artifact. In the end, we chose a triangular form that could easily interlock with other modular units. This solution proved to be the simplest and most effective choice to ensure modularity and structural stability.
In conclusion, the week was very enjoyable and went by quickly. It was particularly useful for me because, after deepening my knowledge of piezoelectric components, I realized that they are not very reliable and are not the solution I was looking for in my personal project.