Reflections on Documentary “Cas Holman the Design of Play”
Post on the blog your reflections about the movie and finally describe what play is for you. (two to three paragraphs)
Cas’s idea of play is the act of creation with one’s own imaginations rather than following instructions. The toys she created aim to let the kids take over, building their own worlds with their own hands. Aside from her philosophy of play, I am truly impressed by the designs of the toys she created. I am extremely fond of “Geemo”, which is inspired by nature and bone marrow. While assembled, no matter what the configuration is, the toy almost gives you a sculptural quality, which to me is aesthetically pleasing. I also love when she refused to add faces or colors to Geemo.
I should also learn from her process of designing toys, which she had a hard time distinguishing from play. What she meant is that the design process is a form of play itself. We should have fun while designing toys, testing different concepts and prototypes while playing with objects in space. First, she set an experimental goal. Then she designs around the goal. According to the footage, sketching is also an integral part of the process, which she called “an extension of the brain”. Sometimes ideas could be better illustrated and developed by putting them on paper as illustrations.
My Favorite Toy
When I was a kid, I drew anywhere. My most common media are my textbooks and desks. However, most of the time I have to unwillingly erase them. The residual of erasers gained my attention. Then I became fascinated with eraser crumbs. When they are rubbed up and blended well, they have an amazingly soft texture. I could then make different shapes and forms with that. When the crumbs are pushed flat on a surface, they have a completely different feel, a texture soft wood crumbs. I even began to collect them from my friends and storing them in a box. They became my favorite toy until I discovered a thing called kneaded eraser. Also known as a putty rubber, is a tool for artists for picking up graphites and charcoal particles. Kneaded eraser’s texture is completely different from plasticine and clay. It would never be dry and stiff, which allows me to make different sculptures for fun. It is a creative yet multifunctional toy.
