Week5

		WEEK 5

	

		Collecting & Storytelling

	

We will do critical mappings of the Knowledge Mile (the area between Nieuwmarkt and Amstel Station). Each group will pick a topic from the list below, and go on a datawalk together. You will create a visual representation of your datawalk that tells a compelling visual story about the data you collected and the area you explored.

On the walk you will collect the “data” you will use to then create a visual representation of the area around a particular topic/angle/perspective. Record your data through a combination of: note taking, drawing, mapmaking, voice recording and photographing.

ASSIGNMENT

For the assignment I agreed to walk with:
- Andy Pinto Alvarez >> Drawer
- Rick van der Straeten >> Pictures
- Asle Lundorff >> Notes and Observations
- (me) Melissa >> Collects Objects

Before we walked the Knowledge Mile we collaberated about what we want to capture during the walk.

We wanted to combine two of the topics.

- for a homeless person to use
- for a blind person to use
- for a person who uses a wheelchair to use
- to do an ethnography of people’s window sills
- that shows places for public announcements
(commercial, public, personal, illegal)
- that shows places where you can buy a healthy meal under €5
- that shows commissioned and uncommissioned art works
- that shows street security cameras
- that highlights gender bias (in imagery, slogans, street names etc)
- that shows places of worship
- that shows the type of cuisine you can find on the Knowledge Mile, and where it’s from (French, Lebanese, Italian, American)

TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM...

The Knowledge Mile is the area in the heart of Amsterdam which runs from the Amstelplein to the Nieuwmarkt. A coalition of universities of applied sciences, citizens, municipality, organisations and companies has formed an applied research ecosystem to develop, test and display smart solutions for metropolitan challenges in the area. The Knowledge Mile is an initiative of the Amsterdam Creative Industries Network.

WHAT IS THE KNOWLEDGE MILE?

CONSULTATION

MAKING GROUPS

The boys wanted to combine two subjects. This led us to record gender biases for the blind.

The real question is:
Are there any signs of gender biases on the knowledge mile?
We will look at illustrations that show that there are gender biases on the knowledge mile.
We want to translate this for the blind people so that they can experience this problem.
We have looked at folders for blind people. These are mainly focused on touch and sound.
We will try to recreate this with braille and audio recordings.

		WALKING THE KNOWLEDGE MILE!
	

We started our journey at Waterlooplein by looking for the male-female ratio in different visual levels. Some very conspicuous such as advertisements, others less visible such as street names.

		STARTING THE JOURNEY
	

It quickly became clear that the street names were mainly male names. Of course the street names were determined a long time ago and now we live in a time where women are becoming more equal to men.

The advertisements at gyms, for example, were also biased. In gyms, a muscular man or woman is quickly used to promote the gym, while in reality you have people in all shapes and sizes.
In addition, it was also striking that in clothing stores the women often wear less clothing than the men, because of course ''sex sells''.

What struck us the most is that the most iconic figures have male features. When it comes to work on the road, the icon always has male elements. Even in the traffic lights...
I found it strange that no effort is being made to make it at least gender neutral.

In general, there were no extreme forms of gender biases, but the small details should not be overlooked.
Conclusion: There are no extreme gender biases at the Knowledge mile.

It's been a long journey, but we made it. Asle and Andy were completely demolished after the walk!

		CONCLUSION KNOWLEGDE MILE
	

		DIVIDING THE GROUP
	

After walking the Knowledge mile and collecting information, we divided the group by two. Asle and I shared the same vision for making the map.
Rick and Andy wanted to do something with sound and Asle and I wanted to do something with Braille.

While making the Braille Andy decided to make some moulds with the laser cutter. He made a mould with engraved circles, double engraved circles and fully pierced circles with a diameter of 3mm. Afterwards he used the vacuum machine to make Braille with a white PE plate with a thickness of 0,5mm. The cut circles gave the best result! Thanks to Andy, Asle and I had something to work with.

		DOING RESEARCH
	

After the conclusions of the Knowledge Mile, we didn't have very strong facts about gender bias. That's why Asle and I decided to look for more information. For example, it turned out that 90% of the street names are named after men. With these facts we wanted to inform blind people in the form of Braille.

In the meantime I was working on the background of the map. We wanted to engrave the map on black paper. This was more difficult than I thought. By using Treshold-Black&White and Image Trace to made a file for the lasercutter. This happend with a lot of trial and error, but eventually it worked. For the paper we used the same settings for the laser cutter that Asle and Elisa used for their plotparty in week 2. I had to edit the file several times before it worked on the laser cutting machine.

		MAKING BRAILLE
	

Vacuum forming didn't always go well.
We had to do this several times to get a good result.

For vacuum forming, we initially wanted to use black PET sheets. These are available in the Makerslab, but are quite thick. The black sheets have a thickness of 1mm, but the smaller the holes in the mould, the harder it is to get sharp dots.

Because the black sheets did not work properly, we decided to use the white sheets with a thickness of 0.5 mm.
This gave us the best result.
The dots were very clear and this was necessary because we want to glue paper over it later.
It was very important that the text was cut in the opposite direction to restore the text to its normal state during vacuum forming.

		MAKING THE MAP
	

		VACUUM FORMING AND PAPER (Asle)

	

In the meantime, Asle was cutting the Braille. For cutting the paper he used the same file as he used for the vacuum forming.
But when we wanted to stick the paper over the braille, it didn't fit. The paper was larger than the vacuum-formed sheets. This means that the plastic shrinks after vacuum forming. After a number of tests and adjustments, Asle succeeds in getting the right ratio on the laser cutting machine. We started with 180mm but 178,4 mm was the key to end our struggles.

		PUT IT TOGETHER
	

After Asle had found the right settings for cutting the holes, the real map could be engraved and cut. The outer line was not fully cut, so I had to cut it with a Stanley Knife. Gluing the PET sheets to paper was not a great success, but second glue seemed to work best.

		THE END RESULT!
	

Asle, Andy and Rick

	

		Picture: Melissa de Bie
	

		2. The route from Waterlooplein to Amstelstation
	

		Source: Google Maps
	

		3. Selfie with the group.

		Picture: Andy Pinto Alvarez

		4. One of the streetnames from the Knowledge Mile

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		5. Streetlight

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		6. Sportcity 

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		7. The end is near

		Picture: Rick van der Straeten

		8. First Tests with making Braille

		Picture: Andy Pinto Alvarez

		9. Asle, translating the information into Braille

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		10. Vacuum forming the wooden moulds

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		11. Vacuum forming with Black PET 1mm

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		12. Vacuum forming with Black PET 1mm

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		13. Making the Map, illustrator

		Files: Melissa de Bie

		14. Making the paper fit the vacuum formed Braille. 

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		15. First test didn't fit

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		16. Cutting the Paper with the laser cutter

		GIF: Melissa de Bie

		17. Asle changing the lasercutting settings

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		18. Asle trying to find the perfect fit.

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		19. The right settings for cutting the holes.

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		20. The right settings for engraving paper with the laser cutter.

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		21. The laser cutting file from the whole map.

		Illustrator File: Melissa de Bie

		22. Cutting the outline.

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		23. The Braille fits perfectly!

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		24. All the glue we've tried.

		Picture: Asle Lundorff

		26. The final result

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		27. The translation of the Braille

		Picture: Alse Lundorff

		28. Front Side Map

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

		29. Back Side Map

		Picture: Melissa de Bie

			HOME
		

			MAKER SKILLS & ATTITUDE
		

			COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
		

			I really enjoyed working with Asle. What I admire about Asle is that he just wants to try things out and just does it. And his curiosity is exactly what puts him on the right track.  

			The tasks were well divided, and every now and then we had to help each other with illustrator or give each other some advice. We shared the same vision, which meant that the collaboration went without saying. Asle is very easy going, but so am I. And this matched well with each other. 

			Asle is also very good with words so if I didn't understand something he often knew how to explain it well. 

			Asle is critical and good at devising solutions - sometimes even creative solutions. So when it comes to collaboration, I've noticed that he often initiates ideas and that others then bring them to life. 

			I'm better with the design programs so if he didn't succeed I took the lead.

			We have learned that even though you use exactly the same file, each material reacts differently to it.

			Asle and I found out that after the vacuum forming that the plastic shrinks a little.

			If you heat-up a sheet too long in the vacuum former, wrinkles appear in the material. 

			The same sheets can be reheated several times if the fit the frame

			Keep an eye on whether you have converted the text in an illustrator file into lines.