Most artists agree that ideas and inspiration seldom come out of thin air; rather, quality works and designs are usually a result of much work, research, and exploration. If you're interested in participating in this opportunity, use East's Intellectual Mission steps to lead you through the designers process.
Understand (define the problem)
General Info.
-Racks will be located on 3rd Street - on the north ends of 400, 500, & 600 blocks in triangular spaces next to street parking (see photo left)
-Competition open to high school & NTC teams.
-East High has formed a team. Tech Ed & Art students will work collaboratively in this competition. Mr. Sikowski, Mr. Somers, & Mr. Pataconi are team leaders.
Rules
- racks must hold a total of 3-5 bicycles.
- all attachment points for bikes must allow user to attach a lock to the bike frame or frame & wheel (not just a single wheel).
- safety of pedestrians walking through spaces needs to be considered (no trip hazards, sharp edges or ends, etc.)
- height of any portion of rack must not exceed 5 feet.
- color can be incorporated in the design if it will enhance idea/concept.
- designs with a bicycle motif or Wausau theme (pines, river, etc) will be favored by judges.
Gather (visual collecting & written idea list)
-Identify the qualities of a bike rack (what makes a bike rack a bike rack).
-Define the physical & visual properties of a bike rack.
-Look at existing designs.
-Define the physical & visual properties of a bike rack.
-Look at existing designs.
-Find reference images online:
-Collect objects or take own photos:
-Make a written list of themes ideas/inspiration:
- Text/words = WAUSAU, etc.
- Existing Wausau logos.
- What is Wausau known for? The essence of our town? = pines, river, mountain, etc.
- What do people do downtown? = eat, shop, enjoy concerts, etc.
- Look to 3rd Street businesses = Janke Bookstore-book, La Prima-fork, etc.
- Bike parts = pedal, gear, etc.
Analyze (take an existing idea & develop something new. play out options. rough drafts).
-Sift through collected ideas.
-Eliminate. Discard ideas that won't work for project.
-Explore. Inject your personal style into something you've collected.
-Know your audience. Consider your demographic, while keeping your design current & "cutting edge".
-Consider materials & color.
-Eliminate. Discard ideas that won't work for project.
-Explore. Inject your personal style into something you've collected.
-Know your audience. Consider your demographic, while keeping your design current & "cutting edge".
-Consider materials & color.
Drawing Foundations Sketchbook #1 (instructions)
-sketch 3 bike rack designs following rules & using above design process.
-these should be line drawings/sketches in rough draft form/diagram style.
-3 designs can be related in theme/concept as a series or can be 3 separate/stand-alone ideas.
-drawings should be completed on 1 sketchbook page.
-include written descriptions/explanations as needed.
Due: October 4th.
-include written descriptions/explanations as needed.
Synthesize (select the best design & revise. put it all together.)
- all drawing students complete 3 designs to be collected for review on October 4th.
- the best designs will be selected by Mr. Pataconi for revisions.
- students will modify best design for contest rules, "do-able" construction, increased functionality, & clear communication of idea.
- selected students complete final draft to submit to Tech. Ed team for review by November 1st.
Mr. Sikowski and welding students review all rack designs.
The team reviewed all designs asking the following questions:
- Is it build-able? Can it be made in the metals/welding labs at East High by East students?
- Is it cool? Appealing & original design?
- Is it Wausau? Does it fit/reflect our city?
- Is it functional? Will people know its a bike rack? Know how to use it? Be able to lock their bike easily and securely?
- Is it durable? Will the rack hold up to use and abuse?
Selecting a top 12, narrowing to a top 4, then deciding on the final 2.
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| Top 12 Designs |
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| Final 4 |
Final 2 designs (below) are given to Mr. Somers and engineering students to be transferred into CAD drawings including a materials list.
All designs & CAD drawings need to be submitted to the City of Wausau by December 31st.
If one of our teams designs are selected by the jurors, it will be time to Create!
If one of our teams designs are selected by the jurors, it will be time to Create!
CAD drawings of selected design completed and submitted for judging.
Create (make it.)
- Mr. Sikowski and welding students construct and manufacture metal bike rack in conjunction with local manufacturing J& D Tube Benders & Crystal Finishing.
- racks are installed in downtown designated areas for use.
- plaque installed on each rack recognizing teams & students involved.
- bikers in Wausau park and lock bikes into a one-of-a-kind bike rack designed & constructed by local high school.
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| Constructing a mini model/maquette to work through construction process and resolve any assembly problems. |
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| Framing sheet steel letters with tubing. Mitered corners. |
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| Student Welding Team |
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| Completed rack ready for powder coating at Crystal Finishing and installation on 3rd Street downtown Wausau this summer. Recognition and award ceremony in May at Jefferson St. Inn.
Wausau Daily Herald 04/22/2014, Page A01
Students create bike racks for downtown:Project combines lessons in form, function, public service
By Keith Uhlig
Daily Herald Media kuhlig@wdhmedia.com WAUSAU — Bicyclists in downtown Wausau soon will lock their rides to unique sculptural bike racks that will meld function and form, thanks to the work of local students. Workers will install the racks in Wausau’s central shopping district in early May. The racks were designed and handcrafted by students from Wausau’s East and West high schools, the Wausau Engineering & Global Leadership Academy charter school and Northcentral Technical College. Cycling advocates designed the project to give downtown Wausau’s bike-parking slots a local flair, and give students a hands-on learning opportunity at the same time. The idea stems from Wausau’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which has been grappling with a bicycle parking issue around the 400 Block for years, said Phil Valitchka, committee chairman. Committee members thought by inviting students to design and build needed racks, teachers could use the project to provide hands-on learning. The city budgeted $3,000 for the project, and companies such as J&D Tube Benders of Weston and Crystal Finishing Systems of Schofield made donations to the project. At Wausau East, students in the classes of art teacher Joel Pataconi, computer-aided design teacher Andy Somers and manufacturing instructor Dan Sikowski collaborated to create a rack that will spell out the name of the city. Teachers selected the “WAUSAU” rack, an idea that sprang from the drawing pad of Ben Olson, 17, a junior at East. “It’s pretty cool, because this contest was available to so many different people, and so many people will be seeing somethingthat I came up with; that’s pretty cool, too,” Olson said.
The bike and pedestrian committee, educators and students will unveil the racks May 2 on the 400 Block, Valitchka said. People will be able to judge the four racks on artistic and functional merit. Committee members are still working out details to allow the public to judge the racks online.
Pataconi required all his drawing students to submit sketches of three different rack ideas. Those ideas were supposed to reflect the character of Wausau. “I said, ‘Let’s come up with as many ideas as possible,’”Pataconi said. “For them to think about something that will be functional, that’s not necessarily something we do.”
Those brainstorming drawings were winnowed down by Pataconi, and then further revised and modified as the building process moved forward. Olson’s concept was changed and refined as it moved along in the process. For example, East student Barrett Stolzman provided the CAD drawing and student Gustav DeBels completed much of the welding on the piece.
The entire process was as much about learning about designing and building as it was about the actual designing and building. “I think what opened up students’ eyes was the amount of revisions that had to be done as we went along,” Somers said.
And because the piece will be used in a very public place, Sikowski said, “it had to have quality.”
At first, teachers had to press students to take the project seriously. But as the project loomed closer to completion, and they realized it would be part of the city, they became more motivated. “Then they all wanted to work on it,” Sikowski said.
The racks should “give the downtown a little more character or personality,” Olson said. “It’s just cool to me, I guess, that people can use it. It’s functional.”
The welding students who helped build the Wausau bike rack stand around it (left to right): Hunter Thorn, Gus DeBels, Brad Schroeder, Kyle Ostrowski, Adam Schroeder, Brandon Zastrow, Wyatt Uhl-Chmiel, Nick Piskula, Issac Stuhr, Collin Eiden, Max Piskula. Not pictured are Issac Sattler and Issac Comfort. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN SIKOWSKI
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| Bike Rack installed downtown 400 block. (Designer-left, Welders-middle, CAD drawer-right) |
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