When I began to think about what I wanted to make for my toyhack, I started by thinking of what toy, or "medium" if you will, I wanted to use. One toy we discussed in class that resonated with me was Lego bricks. It was something I had used in my previous make so I realized I was taking a risk at being repetitive, however I knew I could make a great build with a lot of meaning and symbolism by using the bricks. Next I brainstormed some problems or issues I could raise in my toyhack. As if a light-bulb went off inside my head, I realized what message I wanted to convey through my make, the idea of nature and mankind interacting and the delicate balance between preserving rural environments from urban expansion. Once I settled upon this theme, I got to work on sketching out my vision for the make. These pictures show my thought process as documented in my day book.
These drawings gave me a starting point to visualize what kind of Lego bricks and pieces I was going to use for the make. The idea behind the layout was to emphasize the contrasting elements of a rural and urban environment by juxtaposing the two. As I transitioned into actually building my idea with Lego bricks a few changes were made from the original sketch, as you can see in the pictures below.
These few minor differences from the sketches to the actual product were as a result of me working through problems I faced, whether it be lack of bricks or space. I am personally happy with how my toy hack came out. I feel that I adequately symbolized the problem I aimed to encompass. I took an approach that included some good planning and prior thought which led me to successfully display my vision in my make.
Using the Legos was such a great ideas because it clearly shows the contrast of rural and urban living. Although Legos are toys, I feel as though this could have been one of the best types of "out-of-the-box" visuals for your topic even if this wasn't a toy hack!
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