NAARM SCULPTURE

3D | AR (Augmented Reality)
RMIT University Project
September 2021

The Melbourne City Council sought commissions for a large-scale typographic sculpture to be installed in the municipality.
The sculpture had to form the word "Melbourne" or alternatively the First Nations name “Naarm”.

Being aware of cliches, stereotypes, and cultural appropriations whilst developing visual representations around this theme, I have decided to further explore and produce patterns for the concepts relating to flora and fauna. Using my vector icons, I have created a range of pattern options, exploring variations of structure, detail, scale, and colour.

Based on the feedback and requests that the client made, I chose a design outcome to bring to completion, which displays elements and variations from multiple proposals.

The approach I took to create my 3D/AR illustration was to initially design my illustration piece in Adobe Illustrator, then prepare a 3D model of the word "Naarm" in Adobe Photoshop which was used to place my patterns and wrap them around it in Adobe Dimension. A problem that occurred to me with this approach was that the patterns did not wrap around the 3D letters neatly, and they would distort and stretch at certain angles. A way to work around it was to import each element as its own separate file in Adobe Dimension with the multiple-image files attached to the pattern of each letter.

The outcome was successful in meeting the requirements of the brief. Melbourne's native flora and fauna are depicted on a 3D model of the word "Naarm" which displays the artwork through augmented reality. Despite having the 3D lettering well anchored to the surface, this new technology was unable to operate at its fullest on my tablet. Adobe Premiere Pro helped me remove the 'shaking' in my videos, allowing an improved visual experience for the viewer.

Here is a range of postcards I have created to help me communicate my concepts and promote the city: