Design Work by Sumit Basu

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part I:

-----gRaPHic deSiGn-----

This is a logo I did for my friends the infinite monkeys. below is a business card based on this logo.

I have many other designs; let me know if you're interested in seeing other examples.

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part II:

-----kIneMatiC deSiGn-----

Particle Art: This is a series of kinetic works I've done based on a very simple concept. I was interested in what would happen to images as they passed through gravitational fields. I thus built a simple particle system and modeled each pixel of the image as a particle, then ran the system through time. The results are sometimes breathtaking.

The frame below is from a piece called "shape of a woman". It begins as a single image moving away from two gravitational centers near the center of the view. As it moves, it cannot resist the draw of these dual centers of the universe and begins to slow and deform in response. Soon, it accelerates towards the centers and curls around, forming the center frame below (and so the title becomes clear!). As the particles continue through their fate, they come too close the twin suns and are hurled towards the ends of the universe. Only the two centers remain, burning bright, with a few persistent satellites that have found the transcendental rhythm of permanent orbits.

Click on it to see it in motion (2.3M Quicktime)...

Note that the image quality of the movie is quite low due to the Quicktime compression - please contact me if you would like to see higher quality versions or learn more about how this piece was created.

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part III:

-----fAsHiOn deSiGn-----

I've become really into modifying clothing. I love picking out the ugliest, most shapeless piece of clothing in my wardrobe and transforming it into something interesting with just a seam ripper, scissors, and a sewing machine. Some of the more interesting results are below.

This is my famous "blue shirt". It began as a hideous, shapeless T-shirt which was two sizes too large for me. I took in the size, cut off the sleeves, reshaped the shoulders, and added a patch on the chest (which was the only interesting part of a similarly hideous sweatshirt). What you see is the result of these modifications... unfortunately, I never had a chance to take a "before" picture.

This is the "wearables rocket pack". It began its life as a bulky shoulder bag that was handed out at the Wearables Symposium at the Media Lab in October 1997. At the time, I really needed a new swim bag. The biggest problems I had with the previous bag was that (1) my shampoo bottle would always spill inside it and (2) its contents were too hard to access when it was hung. I set out to modify the bag in a way that would solve these problems. I took in the sides, shortened the straps, and tapered the bottom. The tapered bottom forces the shampoo bottle to sit upright in the bag. The strap structure allows the bag to be hung from two adjacent locker knobs, opening for full access to all contents. I've been using it for six months now with a problem or a complaint! The name came from my friends, who for some reason are convinced it looks like a jet pack from some holodeck fantasy. Go figure.

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part IV:

-----wEaRabLe cOmpUtinG-----

more to come on my shoulder mounted design, from which the lingua trekka (in collaboration with brilliant designers from the Bunka School of Japan) and the tellevo (in collaboration with the equally brilliant designers from the Domus Academy of Italy) were born and developed...

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Comments? Questions? Let me know!!

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