Originally I had set out to create a set of markers that would make it easier for disabled artists with limited mobility to remove marker caps, but over time as I grew to know the artists I was working with I began to see markers as more then just mark making tools.
Each art tool is part of a larger experience, and something as simple as a set of markers can set the stage for that experience. The suction cup marker set came out of the idea that an art tool might embrace and enable behaviors that many artists already find themselves drawn to. behaviors like building walls around themselves, or using their tools as props for presence.
Each art tool is part of a larger experience, and something as simple as a set of markers can set the stage for that experience. The suction cup marker set came out of the idea that an art tool might embrace and enable behaviors that many artists already find themselves drawn to. behaviors like building walls around themselves, or using their tools as props for presence.
I began my investigation at the operational level – removing and replacing marker caps.
After conducting a workshop with the teachers and staff at NIAD my focus broadened. I began to examine unique behaviors, which were at play within the larger context of disabled artist using markers. “Tools can be props for presence.”
"Some artists might use art tools to build walls around themselves."
The first thing an artist does is set up their space and put out their tools. How might this experience be made easier and more enjoyable?
Quick and dirty prototyping leads toward new insights.