Al Karaby

Karaby is a group game that is based on ones ability in being able to maintain balance. Played by children between 10-13 years. Korab in Bedouin language meaning rabbit that is medium size. And maybe it was taken as a result of the player’s movement. The number of players is 2-6. Players stand on their right leg while holding their left leg, players then job by their right leg while jumping the other player will be facing them. Players try to push the other opponent off balance with their right hand. If the opponent falls on the ground then he is the loser and is out. Sometimes he gets substituted. The game continues until one player remains that is the survivor.As a group we got together and discussed the different steps of the game. We took turns playing and we looked at the separate elements that we would need to present. Because of the name of the game "korab" meaning rabbit, we initially went straight away to the idea of using a rabbit within our illustration. We spent the class brainstorming the idea of rabbit and the game. We decided that we wanted to create a diagram that was none gender specific and related clearly to culture.
When we presented our brainstorming and first draft of our diagram some of the feedback we got included; our figures looked too much like adults, we needed to make it more abstract, and the class wasn't too keen on the idea of using rabbits for our main concept.Joanne drew a few more examples. She basically used the original diagram and then made them look more like children and put bunny ears on them. From these sketches we started to create our concept for the presentation. We thought initially that we wanted to create a pop up book and that we wanted to show the pictures in first person as much as possible. The reason for having the book done in a first person view is so that it would relate more to video games and movies and perhaps draws in our audience more. But yet again when we went for the critique, we found that we had a lot of changes to make. Even though we made the characters seem more like children, our icons needed to be abstracted even further, and Pornprapha wanted us to focus more on the motion of the game.


So what we first did was to break the game down into its bare elements so that we could see the essentials. Every step of the game only involves two parts of the players, their arms and legs. So we drew the legs and arms from a top view and used lines to show the movement that occurs between them. This sketch was the absolute minimum of the icon. From there we developed it further and after several trials came up with our final icons. Then the next step was to decide on colors and presentations. From the beginning we wanted to come up with a way of incorporating the culture in some way. So after testing several different colors we decided to use yellow to represent the sand and then we chose to use green because they complement each other.



For the presentation we were originally thinking of posting each square on a cube so that the children can interact with the images. But then we realized that it would be too difficult to use a cube because there would be no way of showing the direction. So from thinking back on past projects, we decided to use the concept of a zoetrope. We would create a 3D octagon and we would place each frame on a side, and the whole octagon would turn to show the steps, and to relate to the idea of pushing with the interaction of the image and spinning.

Color selection and Application

I selected this color palette based off of the blue that is used throughout Aspire on the buildings and other architectural features. Then I decided to use orange, it's an accent color used in aspire in the mulch and paths that surround the area. Then I wanted to use a grey blue to offset the bright blue.


These are my final icons. I put the orange around the edge so that the signs would pop out. Aspire is a very large open space and the icons if i just left them blue for the back it would blend away and not be noticeable in its surroundings. I made most of the objects in the darker blue and just used the grey for the background color. I was very happy with my color icons I felt like i did a good job matching the color properly to the building especially when the icons were printed. the orange is just light enough to stand out and doesn't cause vibrations between the blue. One icon I would have worked more on if time allowed would have been the no smoking icon because the line of the cigarette is to thin and it disappears.

Type and Icons

For my type selection I chose to use Grotesque and Naskh. Both typefaces I felt had a good balance between the curved and straight strokes that both relate well to the concept of Aspire. What I noticed most while selecting Grotesque for the latin typeface is that the curse especially on the lowercase r, reflect the curve of the track. I also feel that Naskh and Grotesque balance each other well through stroke width and their x can easily be balanced. And they are both very clear and legible.

Creating My Icons

It took me several different refinements to be able to finally get my system right. I kept jumping around from one idea to the next.


This was my first set of icons. Originally because of the time that I had spent on developing the trash icon, and because of how refined it was, I decided to us the embedded concepts for my system. The idea was that it is clean balanced between curved and balanced between curved and straight lines. But the rest of my icons dont fit in at all and each seemed to have their very on system. But I could look at these icons and take certain elements from each that I could then put into my system to make them work.

Now with this set of Icons i created I was getting closer. I had zoomed in close on each object, made them more equally balanced by color and I added the element of the socks to the legs so I could break up the space more. But during the critique I noticed that I hadn't followed the diagonal on all the images and that they all needed to include and object combined with an action; like the bottle being thrown into the trash, the foot stepping on the flower. I needed to come up with some way that there would be interaction between the bench and the cigarette, and most of all I needed to still develope a good icon for the restroom that followed the system. Also I needed to come up with a way that my walk and run icon could be unified but at the same time could have distinguishable characteristics so that they could be read as separate signs.

For my final set of icons I fixed the above problems by giving them all the same angle, I created a hand that was holding the cigarette to create some sort of interaction, as well as the ball resting on the bench, and then finally I made the walk and run icons exactly the same but added texture to the running to separate the two. Then for the bathroom signs, I illustrated a womens and a mans shoe, this idea I still should have pushed further if the time allowed for me to do so.

Overall while creating my icons I was very frustrated, it took me until the end to understand the idea of a system and especially what exactly my system was. The icons would have been much easier for me to complete I feel if I had spent more time on research and developement through sketches just like I did with the trash icon. But what I liked about my icons is that by including interaction between objects as a part of my system made the icons more interesting and exciting to work with. It forced me to be more creative and to generate ideas that you wouldn't see on a normal basis. I feel that signages systems is definitely and area that Ill still need to improve on but feel like I do have a good basis for it, and also even though I struggled with my system, the fact that I kept working with the idea helped me to learn about the concept within design more, and that was definitely a good outcome for the project.

Icon Development

After having done the book where we had to find certain problems within our space, I used these ideas to begin my icons. I took different photographs from my space and as well as looked back at some of the photos I took from the beginning of the problem and started sketching ideas. With each sketch I would try to look at different element within the photo so that I could abstract the image. Here are some examples:

Most of what I did was to highlight the different shadows. what I noticed while doing these sketches was that it took several different trys to find a way that was affective so that both the bottle and the hand would remain clear. If I highlighted one area the bottle would disappear and if I highlighted another it would blend in with the hand and create a blob.



Another step I took when I first started to create my icons was to look at the different features within Aspire so that I could try to develop A system. I definitely wanted to keep the idea of a some was organic feel but very clean and sharp. But some of the designs I was coming up with still didn't really fit with the surrounding fill especially with the audience. So I kept trying to develop my concept for a system

Book Structure

I decided to create a accordion fold book. The reason why I decided to use this setup was for two reasons. One the reason why was so that I could stretch out all the images in one line and emphasize the idea of the images being in a series. The second reason is because I'm focusing on the track area of Aspire so I wanted to also in a way show this concept.



For next class I need to still work on the images that I have collected for the sequence and then I have to come up with some sort of idea of how to separate each of the problems. I either need to decide to have a fluid sequence or develop some sort of idea for chapters. I also plan to work on my title page and to connect the cover to the inside spreads. I plan to do this through the use of lines since that is my over all concept for the book.

Group Critique

Yesterday we were split into groups to discuss our projects to get feedback on the development of our stories and whether or not the photographs we took clearly showed our selected problems. Each of us took turns and laid out our photographs and described the different situations to the other team members. When I showed my images, my group gave me a lot of good feedback. Sara and Mahmoud both agreed that I had too many pictures for what was really needed. They gave me suggestions on how I could shorten my number of frames and they also thought that by doing this my portrayal of the problems would be clearer. Sarah also suggested that because I have two problems that I'm working with, maybe if I combined the two into one situation, this would not only shorten my number of frames but would make the story have a better flow. (Katie Coston, Mahmoud Abbas, Sara Al-Qatami)

Communication within Aspire

After I found the issues within Aspire I went back and took some photos so that I could start a storyboard of the different issues. When I went to Aspire I had prepared an idea so that I would know what images I needed to capture while I was there. I decided that I would show a person walking within the space and showing them getting lost and not finding their way. I would show him going to the signs to look for direction but the signing being unable to read. Then once the walker found his way along the path, his next issue is that he finished his water bottle and is looking for somewhere to throw it, he considers throwing the bottle on the ground with the others but then decides to keep walking until he finds a trash can. This way I show two issues and how the people have to deal with these problems while in this space.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcoston89/sets/72157613190717783/

After the critique I was told that I needed to go back and get more specific images and to focus on the micro and macro aspects so that my message is clear and therefore I wont have so many empty photos in my sequence.

Communication within Aspire

Last Sunday I went to Aspire to search for examples of communication. While I was in the area I tried to find examples of signs, people communicating, and issues where signs were needed but were absent. The reason why I looked at these areas was so that I could find the issues in communication within the area. I took some photos so that I could look back at what I saw.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcoston89/sets/72157613190759081/


In the space I noticed that there were a lot of signs showing directions or maps within the area. But while these signs were provided, some were either in the wrong places or had been weathered and were not legible. Another issue i noticed were there were no signs for communication with public issues such as restrooms, garbage, or the separation between the public areas and areas that were specifically for the school. One time I was walking along on a path and a security guard told me I was not supposed to be in that certain area, but there were no signs to tell me this before he came. Also I found a lot of littering along the path, mostly of water bottles that the runners had thrown carelessly to the side of the track when they had finished them. They should have signs to tell people no to litter and provide information on where they can find trash cans mainly because it is an outside public area.

Katie Coston

When I first went to Aspire, I took several images and then I took notes on the surroundings.

-People- While the school uses the practice pitches, the track and surrounding park areas are open to the public. When I first arrived students from the American School of Doha were running around the track. After a few hours or so the Aspire students came out to use the fields. On the far end of the location their is a more public pitch as well as a playground where I found several families. At night the space is very cowded. All the pitches~6, are full of players and the track is crowded with walkers and joggers.

-Layout- The area is set up in a circle. the pitches are lower and the track is raised in a way that the walkers can view the players from above. there are two sections of the track one for walking and one or jogging. Throughout the patht there are stations where the joggers can stop adn do different exercises. There are also 2 tennis courts, a volleyball sand box and a climbing wall.

-Setup- I noticed that the paths and sections are all set up in a very organic way. Most paths are curving creating organic lines as well as the buildings are very curvilinear in shape. And the entire area is very green with plans accenting in pinks/purple/blue. These organic elements are set off by the consistant use of very metalic and concrete materials.

-Facilities- The pitches were all very well maintained trimmed to perfection and very green. Half of the the pitches were actually astro-terf. there are workers all over the grounds to maintain them. they ride around on golf carts, lawn mowers, and bikes.

-Senses- The ari was full of the esent of freshly cut grass and the ground to keep the area green was almost floating away in water. when you stepped on the grass it would soak though your shows/ and with the winter it got cold. the atmosphere is nice I felt very comfortable there and I enjoyed walking around because there is so much to see that while you're exercising it keeps you distracted.



More images can be viewed at...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcoston89/sets/72157613190603797/

The next step I took was to my space into the different senses; sounds, sights, and smells. I took this step so that I could start developing my concept.

From there I narrowed my list down to the essential elements found in my photographs.
-materials -sound - surrounding views
-shapes -feel/textures - noise
-colors -activities


After gaining an understanding of these areas I ordered my images and created a hierarchy between them and rounded my concept based off of space. This was because the area was nicely balanced between nature and the facilities that surround them. The landscape is done with organic spacing rounded edges/hills. The very contemporary desin of the building corrisponds with the natual feel by having rounded edges. The shift from the building to the green is done through the use of natural materials.

I then had finished my research and then created my compositions based off of space.

Katie Coston, Aspire