Week 4:

Prompt: This week you will move your project forward in two parts. You should be able to clearly answer these questions. What are you interested in? Why are you interested in it?

Part 1, begin to focus on a subject.

All of my directions have a decent amount of overlap which has come to my attention after answering a few of these prompts. This overarching topic has become more of customization about these fields rather than the fields themselves and how subcultures develop from these. This makes my new direction and area customization of cars and computers and why these fields exist. But how do professional designers fit into this customization culture.

Researching cars and computers with a customization lens I have found so many subcultures that I didn't know existed or found a lot more about. Car and vehicle cultures like Bosozoku, low-riders, Vintage electric, crotch rockets, and sleepers seem like works of art rather than any form of function. Computers also have a lot of subcultures that seem like their motivation is art first and function after. Sleepers are actually a subculture that branches both cars and computers but I found with computers the subculture lines are blurred. Customization in the Computer subcultures are not as defined but the amount of people desiring to build their own computer is at an all time high due to the internet age and corona.

I found both these fields, while both being the pinnacle of the customization, generally design their customizations on the function of the object over anything else. Both topics are extremely mechanical and machine driven, making this aspect usually the center of attention. This allows for customization to pass just visual aspects such as a complete engine swap or a processor upgrade.

Part 2: begin to explore adjacent phenomena.

One thing I have noticed is these customizations usually branch from one source. There is an initial person that tries out something new and it slowly gains a following base until it becomes popular enough to become a subculture with many aspects revolving around it. When major companies try to “force” a custom thing onto the consumer market it usually flops because it appears gimmicky and strange. Instead, when a subculture develops enough to become somewhat popular, companies usually develop the idea into something purchasable and able to be mass produced. One great example of this is putting glass on computer cases. Computer builders and pc enthusiasts wanted to show off what they created rather than hide it in a box so they started cutting holes in their case and mounting a piece of glass. After this fad gained a bunch of popularity, computer cases were created with doors made of tempered glass to showcase the hardware inside. Apple, known to start and jump on a lot of trends, also created a desktop with clear colored plastic to show off the inside.

Designers, both professional and hobbyists, engineers, and idea makers are the foundation of customization and have developed the culture and mass collection of subcultures into what it is today. In my opinion, professional designers have a hard time in this category because it is impossible to create a product that pleases everyone. This kind of mindset has really discouraged people in the past in trying to create many different things. Some designers have found a solution by basing companies strictly on making a single person’s vision a reality. This benefits the client if they don't have the skills to make their vision and the designer because they get to create something very different than what they have seen before as well as making someone happy as a bonus.

One example of this, a bit ridiculous but, pimp my ride. While the show is very silly and they try to design a car around a person, they employ professionals that actually do great work while doing something they love. The car illustrationist makes beautiful preliminary drawings and the structural engineer does amazing composite body work. Another example is bitwit, a computer builder that is hired by huge computer companies to make one-offs to showcase new pc parts. His creations are nothing less than works of art and are based around the de-

signs of the product he is showcasing. While these designs are very niche and not meant to make money, when they are shown to the world, they spark the ideas and creativity of viewers to build on top of it and create something the whole world might enjoy.