Mask Making
Published 2023/10/05 at 2:21 pm
Introduction
This project introduced the concept of peer to peer. We first interviewed our partners about their social identities in seminar class. Based on this, we started to create our mask using Design Thinking. The mask is designed to address issues that not only our partner is dealing with but also for people facing similar problems.
My Partner’s Struggle
My partner had both a rich background of Taiwanese and American culture, but she sometimes feels like she’s caught between two different identities. From my perspective, this is something to be proud of. Although it’s not always easy, she’s like a bridge between the Eastern and Western worlds. I admire her for embracing both sides of her background—it’s not just about knowing both cultures, but also about understanding herself in a special way. It’s like having a unique perspective that brings the best of both worlds together.
Design Process
Empathize
Through the interview, I gained a deep understanding of my partner’s struggle with her dual identity.
Define
The mask is meant to help overcome feelings of confusion, exclusion, and lack of belonging due to being caught between two cultures - being seen as American in Taiwan and Taiwanese in America (and struggles similar to this). The goal is to instill confidence, self-acceptance, and a sense of identity.
Ideate
Contemporary Mask Research
Thumbnails
Prototype
Test and Refine
Mask Symbolism
The white ball represents the moon, symbolizing my partner at different times. It may appear shadowed and flawed because of the angle of the light, but no matter the external evaluation, you are always you. You will not change because of the external environment; you will always be a bright moon.
The long black line dragging to the ground represents your life track. Your life is so long, never care about what people say about you, just be yourself.
The sea of blooming flowers represents the brilliance of your life, and the twinkling black leaves represent that you are not anyone’s foil.
Reflection
Successes
I think the most successful aspect of my mask is that I managed to make the head cover frame of my design and modify the decoration so that it completely echoes my mask. This is a really good exaggeration that I made, making new extensions of things without destroying the original meaning.
Challenges
I mainly encountered two problems, both related to my head cover. Since I had not taken the class on space, my awareness of structure was very weak, and I didn’t even know how to start. But as I continued to use the twister and adjust the direction and angle, I gradually began to understand how to construct a thing, and this allowed me to start to have information. The second problem was that when I was transforming the ornaments on the head cover, I found that I did not know how to apply the sequins correctly, but after three different attempts and experiments, I found the right direction.
Future Improvements
If I had more time, I believe I would be in a better position to develop my exaggeration by wrapping more black threads on the head cover and letting them drop to the ground to form a pattern and repetition.
Creative Making
I was “Creative Making” in this project when I was conducting preliminary research and conceiving the overall idea of the mask. I brainstormed, came up with a variety of ideas, and designed a creative and functional mask scheme. In the actual production process, I also made full use of the ability to solve problems. In the face of various difficulties and challenges encountered in the production, through repeated prototype design, continuous trial and error and adjustment, I finally successfully solved many technical problems and completed the production of the mask. Through creative thinking and problem-solving ability, I completed this challenging and rewarding project.