WayGo
WayGo was an entry for T-Splines Design Contest 2011: Make the World a Better Place.
Abstract
WayGo Project was started in summer 2007, assessed as test case for product design five during schools. The theme was how to revitalize Sundanese culture in modern world.
Preliminary research indicated about ninety seven percent (97%) children aged seven to twelve had no recognition to Golek either in substance, nor general knowledge.
WayGo was designed as tools for introducing Golek Puppet for children. It was expected, with this tools, they would obtain better understanding about Indonesian local culture.
Keywords: Toys, Revitalization.
Elaboration with Contest
T-Splines 2011 Contest theme was set: “Design for a Better World”. This revitalization project, could be considered as action to conserve historic legacy for next generation.
Design Process
Within design process, strategic steps were set to adjust characteristic, system, and visual appearance. Golek is strongly influenced with its unique semiotics. Every visual aspects have their own meaning. Red color on Cepot’s face (one of Golek famous character), meant aggressive and angry character.
WayGo’s design methods were derived as compromise phase, visual simplification, and trend fusion.
Compromise phase needed to define what visual aspects will be carried over, what systems should be developed, and what semiotics would be taken into new design.
Visual simplification was a phase in reducing visual complexity within traditional Golek Puppet. Main purpose of this simplification was to let children had better understanding, without being too distracted by its visual complexity.
Trend fusion was done by melting current trends with traditional values lied within Golek.
Test Case
Based on research, most popular Golek’s character should be Cepot, for sixty four percent (64%). Gatotkaca came second with twenty two percent (22%).
Within this case, Gatotkaca was developed further, as he represents a hero (which most likely kids would love so much).
He is like Superman in traditional Golek stories.
Compromise phase within this character was done by still representing green color in his face. His heroic character was also being supported by giving him a complete set of weapons, spear with integrated shield and a bazooka-arm full with arsenals.
Visual simplification reduced ornaments in his face. As this would also simplifies production process. Simplification would give children better recognition for this character.
Trend fusion by joining kids trend now who really love heroic character. As well as Gatotkaca, weapon additions and ability to be played exactly as Golek Puppet were implementation of this tools.
Product Innovations
Some innovations within these product could be described as:
- Could be operated as action figure, golek puppet, and diorama ;
- Made from safe colored Polypropylene ;
- Could be re-assembled easily, with ball-joints for free and better movements ;
- Used as educational toys, as well as interactive culture media.
Modeling with T-Splines
Modeling was done in Rhino with T-Splines for Rhino 3.0 Plug-In.
Started with caging to define overall dimension, and created solid quad-ball primitive (new addition in 3.0 version) for body, hip, legs, and arms.
Further details were added by manipulating faces, edges, and verts, until desired shapes achieved.
After T-Splines modeling steps finished, next detailing steps were done in Rhinoceros with its native commands like project, split, surface offsetting, and surface blending.
At the end of modeling phase, files were split into two different types. First file was intended for CAD/CAM purpose, with strict geometry validation. Second file was intended for visualization-related purpose. Some surfaces were extracted to have various colors applied. As final product, visual appearance could be achieved by paintings or stickers.
CAD data for machining must pass validation process for geometries. Bad object and naked edges should be cleared, in order to make the data printable or machine able.
Further Direction
WayGo project could be widely developed, and not only ends as just a product. Games apps, and other visual campaigns could also be made as a supportive actions for culture revitalization purpose.
