Design

I was in charge of the design aspect, focusing on the petal material selection, flower opening/closing movement, visual aesthetics, and overall organic feel of the Bloom installation.

Initial Prototyping

1. Material Experiments
   • Paper: Created origami-style flowers to test opening/closing movement.
     • Issue: Paper tore easily during repeated folding.
   • Synthetic Paper & Satin Paper: Tried for durability.
     • Issue: Folds didn’t form cleanly; petals lacked natural softness.
2. Petal Construction Approach

   • Shifted to individual petals instead of a single folded flower.

   • First attempt with synthetic paper: Movement worked but petals were too heavy.

Fabric Transition

1. Reason for Shift

   • Needed a lighter, more organic material for petals.

2. Fabric Trials

   • Organza (White): Light, translucent, worked well in first prototype.
   • Double-Shaded Organza: Added a magical color shift under lighting.

3. Center Void Problem

   • When fully open, the center looked empty and exposed the mechanism.
   • Attempted adding metal wire + pearl filaments but did not achieve desired look.

Scaling for Final Installation

• Each flower required 18 petals × 5 flowers = 90 petals total.
• Hand-cutting fabric - uneven edges + extra work sealing with heat.
• Solution: Laser cutting.
  • Tested multiple power/speed settings for clean cut + sealed edges.
  • Successful and consistent results.

Kerala Kasavu Saree Integration

1. Theme Alignment

   • Switched from organza to Kerala Kasavu saree for cultural relevance.

2. Cutting Process

   • Saree fixed on cardboard backing for stability in laser machine.
   • Folded layers- multiple petals in a single cut.
   1. Visual Variety
      • Selected sarees with woven designs (avoiding plain fabric).
      • Added tissue saree for unique shine.

3. Petal Composition

   • Used border & pallu (with golden accents) for inner stationary petals to hide mechanism + reduces central void.
   • Pallu designs also used for leaf cutting.

Stem & Base

1. Stem

   • Material: PVC pipe (3/4” dia) heated & shaped.
   • Painted in metallic gold.
   • Leaves attached via metal wire ****inserted into PVC.

2. Base

   • Material: Plywood, 3-layered for thickness.
   • Painted gold.
   • Stem fixed with a secure holder.

Lighting & Aesthetic Details

• Added 3d printed transparent dome with NeoPixel LEDs inside for glow effect.
• Petals arranged to enhance texture, lightness, and realism.
• Opening speed tuned for a gentle, natural blooming effect when visitors interacted by placing their hands near.

Final Outcome

• Achieved a lightweight, culturally rooted, visually rich flower installation.
• Petals opened slowly, mimicking real flowers, with lighting and textures adding depth.
• The combination of material choice, movement mechanics, and aesthetic detailing resulted in a highly immersive experience.