LA 280 DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS 1 MAPPING THE INVISIBLE (20 points)
Bo Pang, Fall 2017
Simon Pokorny, Fall 2016
MATERIALS
Sketchbook
Phone, for creating sound recordings
Drawing materials of choice (no color)
One 22x30 sheet of Strathmore paper
INSTRUCTIONS
In this assignment you will be mapping sound. Your site of study is McFarland Carillon (the bell tower located next to Temple Buell Hall).
Visit the space with your sketchbook and close your eyes for intervals of 30 seconds. Afterwards, make a list of sounds you hear. Try to identify as many different sounds as you can. Sounds to pay attention to include insects, birds, vehicles, voices, walking, and biking, as well as the clock striking. Do several iterations of this exercise on different days at different times. Make sure you note in your sketchbook what time and day of the week you are there.
Select one time of day that you find interesting to focus on further. Record 2 minutes of sound at your selected time on your phone.
Develop a system of notation for all the different sounds in your recording. Qualities like volume, pitch, and texture can guide your notational logic. On one sheet of Strathmore, draw a 2-minute timeline for each sound. Think of this exercise as separating out the layers of sound you hear into individual drawings. Methods from your previous assignments, like lineweights, dashed lines, shading, stippling, and hatching should be utilized here as well.
After you have created the timeline layers, draw a “sound plan” of the bell tower space using the same notational methods from the timelines. You will translate the linear, time-base layers into space. The scale is up to you, but it should be clear where the bell tower is located. Do not draw the formal spatial elements like the tower, hardscape, or green spaces; rather, represent the sound waves and sound clouds that define sonic the experiences of these spaces.
NOTES ON DRAWING METHODS
The line types and tone types should reflect the qualities of each layer of sound—you are translating something ephemeral into something fixed and graphic, so be loose and creative with your methods.
Your time interval lines should be drawn like construction lines, so that when the drawing is pinned up, only your sound lines, textures, and notations are graphically prominent.
See the layout guide below for setting up your drawing sheet. This guide shows seven sound layers, but you may include as many as relevant. Be sure the timelines are spaced evenly down the page.
Use the same lettering principles as before. Your drawing title can be 1/2” tall, while the smaller text and notes can be 1/8” tall.
REFERENCES
Kate McLean: Sensory Maps
Responsive Design Studio: Sound Mapping
