Week 1, Lab 1: Primitive Breakdown.
Exercise 3:
Discuss the following points:
Prisons are meant to be scary, powerful looking places, while Toontown is meant for fun and childlike enjoyment – how is this reflected in the lines and angles of the buildings?
- How does the sense of scale reflect the different purposes of the prisons and Toontown?
Note: don’t compare the colours of the buildings – just focus on the form, the shapes and spatial relationships between different parts of the buildings.
1) Firstly, the shapes used in Toontown are all variety of shapes where kids were taught since young for example the basic shapes like triangles, squares, circles etc. Comparing it with the prison, it concentrates more on just a plain shape which make it look appalling and unattractive for kids.
2) The edges of Toontown buildings are made up of curves too rather than plain and boring-looking straight lines like the prisons. Which also shows that it is safe and secure not wicked.
3) The plain sharp lines for the prison building made it look dangerous and scary thus having curvy and cute coloured edges for the lines of the Toontown buildings.
4) At the top of the roof for Toontown, are also made up of friendly-looking shapes that made up into a structure of cute characters while the prison have a very dull looking roof that reflects more of a wild place for kids.
5) Toontown is also surrounded with trees that made it look garden/park kind of look where people usually go to enjoy themselves while the prison have a wide space with little greenery which make it look more dull and not lively.
6) (Second prison and Toontown photos) The fences are also built such that it is made up of horrifying metal fences that is enclosed where no one is allowed to break-free for the prison while short and good-looking fences were used. This also resembles that Toontown is free and easy where you are free to go in and out of the place, not feeling controlled.
7) The windows of Toontown buildings are also made up of different shapes compared to just one same shape as the prisons.
Reflection: By doing this exercise, it really did open up my mind that the shapes used for a building play a role on having an impact on people's impressions. The colours and designs are the definite points that have to take note for designing the buildings, thus seeing the differences between prisons and play lands.
