presentation
. core question + concept
. impetus + domains + precedents (props, women bags, kits)
. research + observations
. fall semester process
. objects sketches
. character back-story
. user walk-through
. tested prototypes
. storyboard
. popgadget
. production plan + next steps
Objects
. The butt-crack suspender
. The cleavage hider
. It’s written on my forehead hat
. Book Stand with stick and magnifying glass
. The intelligent book cover
Character Backstory
Leah she was born a fat baby, as she grew, the baby fat never came off. When she started school she was bigger than her classmates, even teachers treated her as though she was older and were sticker with her. Her height and her body developed earlier than the other in the class, she was always an outcast. She developed skills to amuse herself without the need of company, it took a lot intelligence and creativity, which were both very strong assets in her personality. Her father left when she was young, and her mother, in spite of her persistence, has not been able to find another great love. A man would walk out on her mom every two to three months, and with every heartbreak came the need to start a new life in a new town. So Leah had to go through the painful first day of school almost every semester. Every time she moved to a new town she would have her a new doll friend and she would dress her with postcards from that town. She finally separated from her mom when she got a scholarship to go Columbia University to study Chemistry, and ended working as a researcher in the laboratory of the school.
Although she grew up to be a decent looking woman, she never acquired the ability to socialize with others or to live by the norms of society. She dressed differently and responded bizarrely to advances, she was simply content on her own. The scars of being made fun of in her childhood and adolescent years, made her distrustful of others. She’s paranoid of gaining weight and avoids the possibility of overeating in her apartment. She then developed her own kit that she uses when eats alone in a public place. This kit became crucial to her and she cherishes it like any woman cherishes her purse.
Thesis Concept
I am exploring the state of mental unease when eating alone in public setting. My project is a single-channel short video depicting a survival-kit of items designed by an eccentric female character and is used while she’s dining alone.
I am making a commentary on social anxiety, the faulty perception of being watched and judged and on the vulnerability that women feel as they are thought to be more approachable. Today, the average urban woman already carries around a form of survival-kit that she believes she needs to make it through the day. She goes from the basics of wallet-keys-cell phone to carrying around her make-up, perfume, breath mints etc…
Through my observation, I have concluded that most people use distracters when they are eating alone. The most common props are books, magazines, cell phone, and music players. These distracters help create a shell that makes a person feel protected when eating alone. They isolate themselves by looking busy and unapproachable.
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