SPRINT BRIEF

Just as an eclipse transforms the light beneath a tree, we can creatively shape light and shadow to express ideas. Using simple materials, students will experiment with light as a medium to represent abstract words and concepts, exploring inventive techniques and tools along the way.

They will use folding, layering, and perforating or cutting materials to craft dynamic sculptural lighting fixtures that embody and communicate the essence of these abstract ideas.

WHAT WE ARE MAKING

WHY WE ARE MAKING IT

By using simple materials, students will use light as their medium to express abstract concepts and words.

Explore how to manipulate light and shadow through simple tools and strategies.

Final Project Expectations

Your prototype will consider factors such as pattern, density, transparency, and dynamism in your compositions.

You will translate the abstract concepts and words from the poem into visual representations using light and shadow.

You will use low-fidelity prototyping materials such as craft/durable paper, translucent/trace paper; colored tissue paper; basic prototyping tools (scissors, xacto knife, tape).

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The design process will include those steps:

؜SPRINT STEPS

Look at past examples to get inspired, pick one poem in the language that you want

Poem Reading

Abstract the meaning behind your poem

Conceptualization

؜Explore how different materials react with light, and start building your project

Model Making

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



1

2

3

4

15 min

؜45 min

~4 hr

؜~2 hr

Documentation + Presentation

Using a source of light, capture the essence of your project in different frames

Week 3 - 4

Weeks 5 - 6

Week 7 -8

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Cutting Mat

Cardboard

Colored Acetate

Bristol Papers (180g)

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil

Markers

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Popsicles and wooden skewers

Sketching in design thinking is a quick and visual way to explore, communicate, and develop ideas. It helps designers think through problems, test concepts, and share their thoughts with others—without needing polished drawings. Sketches can be rough, but they’re powerful tools for brainstorming, prototyping, and collaboration.

1st

Head to the toolbox to learn about Abstraction 101 and do the 3 practice exercises

Choose a poem from the Resources tab or one approved by your teacher.

Read it closely and select 6 words that feel powerful, emotional, or visual to you—words that evoke an image, feeling, or movement. Write down your choices and take a few notes on what they make you feel or imagine. These will help guide your creative decisions later, turning the mood and meaning of the poem into visual ideas.

2.1

2.2

؜Analyze each word for its essence or feeling — then sketch that into a symbol/pattern

For each word, ask:

1. What kind of symbol/pattern would express it? (e.g., spirals, jagged lines, thick smudges…)

Climb

Light

Wind

Prototyping is the process of turning your sketches and ideas into physical models that you can test and improve. It starts with drawing your concept, then building simple versions using materials to explore how it moves or works. Prototyping helps you test mechanisms (how parts move or connect) and kinetics (how motion happens), so you can find what works and what needs fixing.

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

2.1

Head to the toolbox to learn about Cardboard 101

Cut out three cardboard squares and transfer your patterns onto each one

3.1

Cut out the negative or positive spaces — it’s up to you! Think about which parts of your design you want the light or background to shine through.

If your design uses dots, you can use a pencil, push pin, or hole punch to poke holes in the cardboard. Try varying the size and spacing of the holes to express different emotions. The more creative and thoughtful your cuts are, the more interesting your final light or shadow effect will be

3.2

Vocabulary

1. Negative space = the areas around your shapes — cut these out to leave your design showing.
2. Positive space = your actual shapes — cut these out if you want them to "glow" or show up when lit.

3.2

Assemble your stencils !

1. Stacked Layers: One stencil on top of another to create a deep, complex light or shadow effect.
2. Side-by-Side: Arrange them like a triptych (three-panel artwork) to show a beginning, middle, and end.
3. Hanging Display: Suspend each square with string so they move gently in the air — a mobile of emotions!
4. Triangle Form: Connect your three stencil panels at the edges to create a standing triangular shape (like a tower or lamp).
5. Spiral or Maze: Arrange your stencil panels in a spiral or zig-zag pattern, creating a path the eye can follow.

3.3

Adding Transparency & Colors

Here are some options:

1. Transparency: Tape or glue thin materials (like tracing paper, colored plastic, or tissue paper) behind your stencil cutouts.
2. Add Colors: Think about your emotion or word (Anger = red/orange, calm = blue, confusion = mixed or chaotic colors...)
3. Experiment with Layering: Try overlapping different transparent colors to see what new shades or moods you create when light passes through.
4. Texture Additions: You can also add fabric scraps, mesh, or cellophane

As you are working, test with a light source:

1. Shine light through your stencil again — do the colors create interesting shadows or glowing effects?

3.4

The goal of desk crits is to receive feedback on the ideas and prototypes you've developed so far. At this stage of the design process, it is preferable to have a couple of ideas you're exploring. By presenting and receiving feedback, you'll be able to consider a singular direction for moving forward.

Kinds of Feedback

There are three forms of feedback. Understanding these can help us understand the conversations we have with our teams and improve our own ability to react to and use feedback to strengthen our designs.



Reaction-Based

Feedback

Direction-Based

Feedback

Question-based Feedback

X

X



Feedback time!

Teachers are going to move around the class and give feedback to each group!

Make sure you have your research, sketches, and prototype.

Add a Light Source:

Place a light behind or inside your stencil structure.

1. Use your phone flashlight
2. Use a small 6v light bulb

Test Different Lighting Angles: Try lighting it from the front, back, underneath, or inside — each one will create different effects with shadows and colors.

4.1

Test in both a light space and dark space

Take Photos or Videos:

1. Capture your sculpture in the dark to show off the glowing colors and shadows.
2. Take photos from multiple angles — above, side, through the stencil.
3. Try a video showing how light moves or how the shadow changes.

4.2

1. Document photos and sketches with the stanzas that inspired them. Collect at least 5 photographs that remind you somehow of your poem and its imagery.
2. Write a short reflection (3-5 sentences) about what you discovered through this exercise.

Deliverables

END OF CHALLENGE!