A new twist on a classic sketching assignment gives visitors to McNeal Hall a chance to compare student work directly with their inspiration. Using the Zappar app, students’ sketches are now on display throughout the building using augmented reality (AR).
From apparel designers sketching out their latest clothing line to architects drawing different iterations of their next project, designers from a wide range of fields use drawing to explain or articulate things visually, which is why it is so important for design students to learn the fundamentals of drawing. Students in GDES 1311: Drawing and Design in Two and Three Dimensions learn the skills they need to draw what they see and to understand objects in three dimensions. “Designers use drawing to work out ideas. They use it to increase their sensitivity to visual language and, very importantly, to communicate,” explained course instructor Fancy Trice (Graphic Design). In addition to drawing instruction, students in the course are introduced to different media, the use of the design process, and creative problem-solving, all fundamental skills for a designer to have.
For this particular assignment, students were tasked with sketching areas from around McNeal Hall, including the McNeal Hall Atrium, staircases, and study areas on the second and third floors. These images were then loaded into the Zappar app where they can be accessed by downloading the app and scanning the placard codes placed throughout the building. Once scanned, the full sketch is superimposed onto the view of McNeal allowing the viewer to examine the students’ work side by side with the subject manner.
“Drawing is a way of visually explaining things to other people, but it can also be a way of exploring a subject,” concluded Trice. Using this new system, visitors are sure to explore McNeal Hall from an entirely new perspective.
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