Using Leather

This is my first time using leather to create things and I don't think it will be the last, it is an amazing material to use.

I have looked into how to make a wallet getting inspiration from the website: 'the art of manliness'
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/11/30/how-to-make-a-wallet/

I have bought leather from Goldings on Marion St and some other bits and pieces and practiced how I will make create some of my wallet designs.

Leather is to be cut,

Holes were punched by hammering nails through the leather.

Curtain Cord is thread through the holes of both pieces and tied at either end.

The Curtain Cord ends are melted to prevent unraveling.

Big holes are punched with a hammer and punch.

Eyelets are fastened in big holes by hammering them with en eyelet tool.

The above test piece was made, with skills used on this I can create completed test wallets.

Possum Skin

It turns out Possum skin isn't a readily available item for purchase. I am going to have to reconsider how I go about this idea.

I do remember as a child having the skin and fur off of a possums tail which was bought as a souvenir among our family's travels.
It could also be possible to catch a possum and skin it myself using that for the wallet. This would make a real statement.

Possum: The Pest

One of many gorgeous creations made with Possum Fur

Images found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/possumnz/sets/72157606426355886/
http://jriddell.org/photos/2005-04-24-sydney-possum.jpg

Wallet Concepts

Concepts for three different wallets are under way.

#1. Exploded wallet.
Wallet that falls apart in a controlled way. It is different. I hope it will be useful. Could be attractive to a niche market of non-conformists. Intended mood: Rebellion

#2. Possum Fur Wallet.
Wallet made of Possum skin and fur instead of leather.
Fur will create a soft tactile experience on users fingers. User should feel pleased for using a product originating from New Zealand and a product made whilst ridding New Zealand forest of possum pests. User should feel elegant for possessing a fur wallet.
Intended moods: Austerity and Glamour

Note: objects made from animal fur are usually fairly expensive and often frowned upon. In this idea I am (hopefully) inverting both of these notions, as possums are everywhere in New Zealand I assume it isn't too expensive a material to purchase; Also as possums are a pest I am hoping that people will be for this product as it encourages the eradication of the pest in a humane way.

#3. Wallet with Digital Swipe Lock.
A wallet with limited accessibility to people who do not know the swipe code.
Inspired by  the swipe lock security in LG touch screen cellphones. The wallet will not open until the swipe lock has been figured out.
Intended mood: Comfort.

Note: I am not confident in my ability to make a working prototype of this. Instead I will aim to create a wallet with a space to hold an LG cellphone. The use of this will require some imagination.

Final Hand-in Sensory Ethnography Research Diary

The Wallet.

Open it up and see what is inside.

You will find information

 And interesting, personal bits and pieces

Exploring this wallet is an experience created through five peoples own experiences
Look at all of the senses and secrets it has to offer.

My sensory ethnographic research diary was concerned with a person’s wallet. I observed five people while they each made a transaction focussing intently on their interactivity with the wallet as well their sensory experience as a whole.

The information I have gathered is to do with the intimate relationship a person has with their wallet and also the awareness of sensation had throughout the entire experience.

I interviewed each of the people I observed. I first asked them to explain the transaction in their own words. I then asked them a series of question focussing on the five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. I then asked them to once more explain the transaction in regards to their sensory experience. Lastly I asked if there were any objects within their wallet they have a personal relationship with.

There was a large variety of information given during the interviews. There was a lot to tell about some of the senses like touch: “I picked up the can which was perspiring. There was moisture on it. It was a bit cold”; but not much at all to say about others like taste for instance where there was no taste at all. Some of the senses evoked more emotion than others: “I saw the male server. I was happy I got him because I don't actually like the girl; she messed up my coffee one time”, some none at all. 

My final ethnographic diary is presented in the form of a wallet. I have taken the information about the sensory experiences of people with their wallet and of the larger area of where the transaction took place and presented this on business cards, objects commonly found in wallets. The images on the business cards are of the people who I observed; and the contents of these people’s wallets at the time. This is more visual information that we can use to observe the people’s character.

Also contained within the wallet are the following things:

A key. One person had a key in their wallet to remind them to take their wallet out and to unlock the house.

A Poem about death. This was one of the interesting things a person’s wallet, reminding them of a loved one.

Train tickets. Several people used the train. One person collected them because they liked the colours.

Coins. Most people I observed had some coins in their wallet. These were described as making a “ting tinging” noise.

Stamps. One person had these in their wallet for when they needed to send a letter.

Raffle Tickets. One person obtained outside of Hope Brothers Bar to gain cheap drinks in the bar.

The results of my research are:

I have gathered information concerning each of the five main senses throughout a paid transaction done by different people in different locations.

I have an appreciation for the small things that people notice when making a paid transaction.

I have insight into the diverse uses for a wallet based on the contents of wallets I have observed.

I am more conscious of the emotional attachment people may have with items concealed in their wallets.

I am aware that some people have specific sensory interactions with their wallets, items within their wallets and the different environments where paid transactions take place.

CCDN231: Experimental Design Ideas

Jayden Hamilton

ID number: 300251169

Tutor: Kath Foster

15/08/2013

Interview Snippets.

These are the best snippets from the interviews which I will use in my final Sensory Ethnographic Diary Wallet


#1
It was regular fabric. It was rough along the seams. It was relatively easy to pull out of my pocket.

Sound: Not much because it [My wallet] was empty.

Smell: The pies in the warmer next door.

It was fairly empty at that time of day. Normally there are more people around.

I couldn't taste anything.

I picked up the can which was perspiring. There was moisture on it. It was a bit cold.

#2
I can usually tell which card I have in my hand just by the touch of the numbers on my EFTPOS card.

Sound: The card leaving the wallet. The sound of friction of the leather against the plastic.

I saw the male server. I was happy I got him because I don't actually like the girl; she messed up my coffee one time.

There is one thing I usually look out for. I'll see if they have this choc-berry thing. If it's there I get it. It's vegan but it's good. You can't say no to good food.

Taste: The taste of coffee in the air.

The wooden counter-top. 'Touch Wood'. That's always something that I like to do.

I always have my key in my wallet. It reminds me to take my wallet out. And if I have it I can get back into my house.

#3
But I didn't see her put the money in the cashier.

I did touch the desk.

There may have been some workshop noises.

There was a wooden smell. A workshop aroma.

No taste.

#4
I've got lots of cards so when I open it it's very colourful.

There are receipts over flowing from the pockets because my EFTPOS card takes a bit of a thrashing.

I really hate touching the EFTPOS buttons. They were rubbery and gross.

I tasted my coke after the transaction.

Smell: Food smell. Subway. Bread and meat.

I collect train tickets because I like the colours on them.

I keep this poem in my wallet. It's about death.

#5
My wallet has its own smell because of the different places I've used it and the different places it is kept when I'm not using it.

The sushi shop was low in stock because it was coming to the end of the day. There was not as much to choose from.

The environment had a chill to it, that could have been from keeping the sushi fresh.

The only smell I smelled was sushi.

Most objects have a special memory associated to them which is why I keep them in my wallet.

I have also got little gum wrapper messages from my boyfriend.






These will be compiled into business cards and put into a wallet diary.

Sensory Ethnography

3 Sensory Ethnographies.

I will write out a sensory ethnography for each of my three chosen actions
Using these senses:

Sight

Smell

Sound

Touch

Taste

Poetic Description
An interest of mine that hasn't really led me anywhere is to try to write songs or poetry about anything of interest.
Using my sensory ethnography' as inspiration this is what I will attempt to do.

1 Playing Guitar
There are many ways to play guitar, I want to focus on finger picking on my accoustic guitar, especially the movements of the picking hand.


Guitar/Sight
I can see the strings vibrate as they are played. I'm conscious of how I look and my body look whilst playing. I sometimes close my eyes and forget sight.

Guitar/Smell
A mixture of the wood of the guitar, sweating calussed hands, metal coils. Wherever I may be.

Guitar/Sound
Light notes that fade into nothingness, emotive

Guitar/Touch
I can feel each of the strings as I pluck them, each string has a different weight to it. Occasionally I feel the wood of the guitars body. The scratchy top strings. The light bottom strings. The impact of the strings which blisters calluses my thumb and fingers

Guitar/Taste
There is an imagined taste of the things I touch, a woody taste whenever the body is rubbed, A metallic, oiled or rusted taste when feeling the top strings,
no taste when feeling the nylon

Creative Writing

Twisting and turning.
Head full of nails.
Feeding on coils.
Soft?
Loud?

Picking at twine.
Blistering me.
Colour my fingers in calluses.

My fingers are like giraffes.
Each joint, each knuckle, a cervical vertebra.
Fingers feed on guitar strings like a ruminant feeding on foliage.
Grasping and then plucking.
Each bite bringing satisfaction.

2 Driving Scooter
Driving a motorbike/scooter is a lot different to driving a car, instead of turning a wheel you must lean your body from side to side. Also, pulling the throttle instead of putting your foot down on an accelerator is an interesting experience.


Scooter/Sight
The sights of locations. The edges of my helmet. The globe of brightly lit area when driving at night.

Scooter/Smell
Depending on where I am driving and what I am driving past. I hold my breath as I drive past dead possums,

Scooter/Sound
The continual droning of the scooters engine is quickly forgotten when drving through serene rural areas or drowned out when driving through the city. Other sounds hold much interest.

Scooter/Touch
I grasp the handles and throttle with my hands. I am usually gloved and when I forget my knuckles freeze white. The cold attacks me, finding its way through my clothing.

Scooter/Taste
I breathe in long rushes of fresh air. the occasional fly. I restrict breathing to my nose when vehicles emmiting much gas or diesal are ahead of me. Dead possum tastes bad.

Creative Writing

Fall to the left but don't let go, fall to the right still holding on.

Pulling tight. Moving forward.The faster I go.
Air roars around me my chest inflates.
Breathing life? Breathing ice!
Bleach My knuckles. My face is white.

To shake the cold I must go faster
The faster I go the colder I get

Breathing life? Breath of death.
Decomposition taints my throat.
I pull ever tighter and grow ever colder.
Is this my life? Am I getting older?

3 Using a Wallet
Almost everyone has a wallet, our wallets contain a slice of our identity, and are imprinted with our daily movements. I want to focus on taking and putting back a card e.g. eftpos.


Wallet/Sight
A wallet. Stacks of cards. A bulge in my jeans pocket. Sometimes I can see all but the card I want. It is worn, it has an imprint of my character.

Wallet/Smell
Rubbed Leather. Plastic. Money. A piece of Christchurch.

Wallet/Sound
Jingling of keys and coins. Clip opening and closing.

Wallet/Touch
An automatic process I do without thinking. Feel a lump in my jeans pocket. My wallet contains many textures

Wallet/Taste
An imagined taste of the smooth leather.

Creative Writing

Heavy.
I am heavy but I am not rich.
Curious?
More of a reflection than a fruitful wish
Contents
Methods of unlocking. Change.
Heavy
Weighing me down. A reminder not a burden


Public Transport
Pull out, Scan, Stuff it in.
Grocery Shopping
Pull out, Swipe, Stuff it in.
Building Access
Pull out, Scan, Stuff it in.
Every day
Pull out, Use, stuff it back in.

Lost
Without you I cannot live my day
Need
Without you some things block my way
Have
In my pocket first thing every day