COMPUTATIONAL FABRICATION

Erin McClureSmall Assignment - Final Project Proposal

Printing with Beet Powder

Description

I would like to explore printing in beet root powder. I have thought of two applications that I would use the beet powder clay. Additionally, I would like to gain more experience in detailing and understanding this material’s physical characteristics. The two applications are, a three-dimensional blush object that would look pretty left out on a vanity, and a beautiful patterned fabric from the pigment of the beet root. 

Deliverables

  • A versatile and robust recipe
  • A description of experimentally derived material characteristics
  • Two physicalized applications made with the beet root clay.

Timeline

  • Week one: Identify Recipe (DUE: 11/10)
  • Week Two: Test characteristics (DUE: 11/17)
  • Week Three: Create Applications (DUE: 11/24)

Related Work

Material images from the Hand and Machine Calydough Project.

Most of my related work will be based on work already completed by the Hand and Machine lab. Links to those are here: 

I also wanted to include work from outside of the Hand and Machine Lab. Because the lab has extensive information on methods for the creating and testing 3d printed materials I wanted to look for sources that pertained to my applications. The first piece of related work is a focused example from another researcher’s work and the second is an article on a design philosophy for sustainable and intentional design. 

   The color of beet root powder is distinct, and both of my applications focus on the material’s pigment.  Currently I am thinking of make a beautiful blush pallet.  In the paper “iMake: eye makeup design generator,” a software allows the user to select images and colors to create an eye makeup look that is printed via an inkjet printer onto a transfer paper.  This eye make-up application is also an avenue I might explore, especially if time allows. I am intrigued by the fun software application and the potential to look at other base material powders like turmeric or walnut husks to create a more interesting makeup look. 

Image from the iMake: eye makeup design generator

I know a little about the world of sustainable HCI but would like to know much more. This project is inspired by work currently being explored within the Hand and Machine lab and I feel that I have some educational deficits in and around this specific topic within HCI.  As I have seen some of the 3d printed materials currently being explored in the lab I have left wondering, “what is the application?” So I found this article “Designing for Sustainability: A Philosophy for Ecologically Intentional Design” In the article one of the most compelling arguments made was that design makes an argument for how people should live. Additionally in this article the author points out that it is typical to design a new product or technology based on the characteristics of some physical issue. I think that designing only considering the pigment of the beet powder follows this design pitfall and ignores how my applications could fits in a person’s everyday life.

Make up is another way we get to express ourselves everyday. It is unique and something chosen based on other traits of the person wearing it. For the make-up application I want there to be a component that is custom to the user. I am not sure if this element will come from the software or if I can control the intensity of the beet pigment within the material. Either way I want the make up to have a component that is special to the wearer. The application needs to communicate to the owner that this object is uniquely for them, thus making the notion of making your own make up appealing beyond the makeup ingredients.

Fashion is another obvious avenue for self expression. For the fabric dye application, I would like to use used clothing. This application can reinvent old clothing by printing a new pattern them. I am also interested in seeing how fine of a filament I can get with the material and how intense the color will be from the dye. As I could also see this application as being a great alternative to temporary theme t-shirts that could be made with a vinyl cutter, provided the dye could be washed out or be removed later. 

Refrences

In addition to the list bellow I linked to each of the sources within the post.

(1) Ayano Nishimura and Itiro Siio. 2014. IMake: eye makeup design generator. In Proceedings of the 11th Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology (ACE ’14). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 20, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/2663806.2663823

(2) Stegall, Nathan. “Designing for Sustainability: A Philosophy for Ecologically Intentional Design.” Design Issues, vol. 22, no. 2, 2006, pp. 56–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25224047. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.

(3 )Projects. Hand and Machine. (n.d.). https://handandmachine.org/index.php/category/projects/ 

3 thoughts on “Printing with Beet Powder”

  1. Wow this is really interesting and looks like a fun project. Have you worked with beet powder before? This is very new to me and find your research very interesting.

  2. Hi Erin, this concept is really fascinating! I didn’t think about naturally coloring materials and I think this is a great way to do that. I wonder how you could get creative with the vessel to hold your blush product, maybe something beet shaped, or a 3d beet-bitmap-esque lid! Excited to see what you make:)

  3. Hey Erin, your approach to using beet root powder for printing is intriguing. Combining sustainability with personal aesthetics, particularly in the blush object and the fabric dye concept, is a well considered perspective on eco-friendly design. I’m interested to see how it unfolds!

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