With my data visualisation project, an area that I explored and evolved further than just one maquette was shapes. By this I mean I used shapes in multiple moquettes to represent data in different ways.
My first shape involved maquette was this one made out of clay:
I had the idea starting with the shape on the bottom which was supposed to look like a Crescent moon. I did this because I am in Crescent halls and all the data shown by the shapes on top of it, is data i’ve collected in Crescent.
The shapes to me are, and seem meaningful and deliberate as were the factors contributing to my data. I thought that once it’s fired I could add different colour to the different shapes in order to make them stand out even more and seem even more individual. I could’ve also used a proper clay cutting knife to cut out my shapes instead of the kidney tool I used, as this would’ve given a cleaner, more definite edge to my shapes.
From this clay model, I was further inspired to make this in the 3D workshop:
I like to call it a jungle of shapes.
This is a development of my primary clay maquette as I have evolved it through the use of colour and increased visibility of the shapes. Furthermore I have also used more, and different shapes. Each different shape and colour shows a different part of data that I collected from that one specific week, for example, the blue triangles show the amount of times I used a taxi, and the more translucent sideways rectangles show how many times I ate pasta in that week and how big or small the portions were.
This is my favourite maquette because it appears the most obvious when trying to data visualise, as well the fact that to me it has more purpose and meaning as it was a development from a previous piece.
What I could’ve done better and taken more care to avoid was being messy with the superglue. I made quite a few smudge marks and spills on my piece of wood with the superglue that dried and stained and made it look quite careless and unpolished, even though with a bit more care and knowledge of how superglue dried and stained, I could’ve easily avoided this for a much cleaner finish.
Moreover, from my jungle of shapes which is very much a 3D piece, I created a more 2D version: 
This maquette follows much of the same trends as the other two in that it’s using shapes to show data over a given period, and the given period is represented in the piece (cardboard square) that all of the other shapes/bits of data, are on top of. This was my final shapes piece and I feel that it connects back nicely to my primary shapes piece as it is similar in that they both have a strong element of being 2D, even though this final shape maquette is much more 2D than the primary. To make it more developed and changed, I added a top layer of Sellotape that gives it a look as though it has been laminated. This is supposed to represent the end, the closing, of that data from that week. For example, if that Sellotape layer were to be a day of the week it would be Sunday as it’s the last day and can be used as a day of reflection for the week gone by.
In evaluation of this piece, I think it’s successful in the view that it’s a development/relation to my other two shape orientated moquettes, however from its 2D nature and the choice of materials I used for it, it seems quite basic and plain, potentially even boring and not particularly stimulating. I could’ve used more interesting materials such as cling film, and pieces of fabric etc, to come up with a similar, still quite 2D, piece that would’ve been more inspiring.
Ophelia Bate 