Robot designers
UD's Pigford lectures widely on robotic drawings and typography
11:32 a.m., Sept. 22, 2014--Ashley John Pigford, associate professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Art, recently led workshops at two international venues showcasing his approach to design as “thinking through making” — a creative process that involves electronics, mechanics, materials, robotics and typography.
In August, Pigford presented a hands-on workshop in robotic drawing machines at the international conference Siggraph 2014 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The conference, which is widely considered the most prestigious forum for cutting-edge computer graphics and interactive techniques, also features displays and demonstrations of digital art and emerging technologies.
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This month, Pigford was invited to lead the same workshop at the annual conference of the Association Typographique Internationale, held in Barcelona, Spain, from Sept. 17-21. At the gathering, he worked with internationally known designers and typographers to create typography with robots.
He will offer another invited workshop in October at Virginia Commonwealth University as a visiting designer. The presentation will include his collaborator, Tricia Treacy, assistant professor at Appalachian State University.
At UD, Pigford recently was awarded a 2014 Transformation Grant, funded by the Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning and IT Academic Technology Services. The grant supports the redesign of a course he teaches, “Artist’s Machine,” which takes an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach including engineering, design, computer science and business. Students in the class design and create prototypes of ways to embed technology in everyday life.
Pigford has a collaborative studio, Design Is Good for You. For more information about his and Treacy’s workshops, visit this website.
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson