Scratch Scratch Revolution... "The Itch Be Gone!!!
So due to some difficulties presented by my relatives for my last project suggestion, my new focus will be on the chihuahaha that i currenlty "dorm" with. He isn't very fond of me, but lately, I've been getting under his skin... In a good way I mean! He has some what made "contact" with me ever so often when he wants a good back scratch or rub. The way he does this: He locates me sitting on the couch. He notices my leg hanging mid way of the couch. He approaches with caution, and sits below my dangling foot. If I do not acknoledge his presence, he gently lifts his rear end, and begins swaying his hips from side to side, and front to back, getting a good rub from my foot. When I notice this, I agree to bend my toes alittle, to give him that nice itch relieving feeling my toenails are capable of doing. He sways his little body as if he was in some type of ritual dance.... and this little routine of his (which is now becoming quite often) has inspired me to develop some type of pet scratcher that can be worn.... *dun* *dun* *dun... on your feet! i'm think about hands and maybe furniture, and other body part gear/wear/apparel too... all in the name of "itch be gone"... or just a simple nice "get yo' body rub on!" detail on products - still to come!
the collaborator: dogs, and maybe eventually cats! & humans
people and pets involved: ding ding (the chihuahaha), occasionally scottie (my relatives poodle), and other volunteer dogs and pets are welcomed! please, just notify my if you would like your pet to take part in this test/study! email: peachy_cheeeks@hotmail.com.
Product: Design to allow pets to rub against you... alotting them some more daily exercise... or just cause they like to, and now, they may be given a reason to do so more!
Mission: hopefully to allow me to get to know this chihuahaha alittle more before I graduate. I hope he warms up to me and eventually feels comfortable around me in any given environment and situation.
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the collaborator: dogs, and maybe eventually cats! & humans
people and pets involved: ding ding (the chihuahaha), occasionally scottie (my relatives poodle), and other volunteer dogs and pets are welcomed! please, just notify my if you would like your pet to take part in this test/study! email: peachy_cheeeks@hotmail.com.
Product: Design to allow pets to rub against you... alotting them some more daily exercise... or just cause they like to, and now, they may be given a reason to do so more!
Mission: hopefully to allow me to get to know this chihuahaha alittle more before I graduate. I hope he warms up to me and eventually feels comfortable around me in any given environment and situation.
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Project Updates
05/08/06 12:15:34 - Part II / III...
This week has been quite a chaotic one... With two midterms, two print projects, and a paper, I have been hibernating on campus in the library! As for my project, I have been testing out bristles, bumps, and other usable "itch or ache begone" rubbing devices that i may attatch to my sock. I think i will be using a metal snap fasterners so that way pet owners can easily snap on the desired sock bottom, instead of using velcrow, which I think would be a hastle eventually to work with... But it would be easy to take off, and safe to throw into the washer/dryer.
I am also currently working on the conceptual design for my product. I am trying to create a packaging/logo design to go along with the socks. My trips continue to the hardware store and craft shops in downtown santa barbabra.
As for the dog, ding ding, he has been out with his family on vacation to Northern California since last wednesday, so I will be able to test my socks tonight and this upcoming week.
As for scratch and rub gloves, those are still in process... My goal right now is to focus on the socks and figure out and get test results for likeable-ness, and comfort, as well as design some supporting packaging that the socks can be distributed in!
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This week has been quite a chaotic one... With two midterms, two print projects, and a paper, I have been hibernating on campus in the library! As for my project, I have been testing out bristles, bumps, and other usable "itch or ache begone" rubbing devices that i may attatch to my sock. I think i will be using a metal snap fasterners so that way pet owners can easily snap on the desired sock bottom, instead of using velcrow, which I think would be a hastle eventually to work with... But it would be easy to take off, and safe to throw into the washer/dryer.
I am also currently working on the conceptual design for my product. I am trying to create a packaging/logo design to go along with the socks. My trips continue to the hardware store and craft shops in downtown santa barbabra.
As for the dog, ding ding, he has been out with his family on vacation to Northern California since last wednesday, so I will be able to test my socks tonight and this upcoming week.
As for scratch and rub gloves, those are still in process... My goal right now is to focus on the socks and figure out and get test results for likeable-ness, and comfort, as well as design some supporting packaging that the socks can be distributed in!
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05/08/06 23:23:27 - Media File
I am trying to put up my media file that I took a week ago (thank goodness- i thought I had deleted it from my computer!)... however, I am having trouble because the file is 46 seconds longs with 16 mb to upload... =[ I will try uploading it onto a site.... but if i can't do this, can someone teach me how to shrink my video or something!? -thanks! =]
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I am trying to put up my media file that I took a week ago (thank goodness- i thought I had deleted it from my computer!)... however, I am having trouble because the file is 46 seconds longs with 16 mb to upload... =[ I will try uploading it onto a site.... but if i can't do this, can someone teach me how to shrink my video or something!? -thanks! =]
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05/24/06 00:02:28 - A long and overdue update
5/12/06-5/15/06
The family is out and has taken the dog with them... (to SF) for personal matters.
Upon their return I have finally developed my sock, and started testing it with the dog. However in the past week of 5/16/06, i have also learned that the dog owner had kidney stones , and was sent to the hopsital on Monday night. The dog has been very clingy to his owner (prior and after the incident). i find this to be amazing, cause it seems as if the dog senses something is wrong... it's that acute 6th sense... However, i have not been able to really work with the dog this week. If the owner is home, he is usually in the room, and the dog often is in the room as well. When ding ding comes out, he often looks at me and just runs off or troddles off into the owners room.
5/23/06
Circumstances have been improving, I have been able to collaborate with the dog this past weekend, and i got the chance to test out my sock creatiion! muahahahhahaaa! although the dog still following his owner quite often, the dad is spending more time in the living room now at night. In the daytime, he is out at working and helping his wife at their restaurant in downtown. I have taken some time inbetween classes and work to come back home and test out the socks on the dog. When the owners are not home, I have discovered that the dog spends alot of his time sleeping out on the couch.
The sock:
I find that my sock is quite comfortable, although a little bulky and abit hard to control and manuever on the dog when needed. You will see with the media i have attatched. I am working on making a similar sock but with thiner material for the sock. So i checked out K-mart today after class, and went back to home depot for more supplies and to see if could find more types of "scratchable" material that would feel comfortable against the skin. I have cancelled out the brush idea, and instead, I have decided to use velrow, bumps, and these spikes (but not painful spikes) that act as a brush.
pictures are coming soon! sorry for the delay.
i am also trying to compress my files! so expect those soon too!
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Comment by markb (05/29/06 22:47:02):
a website about "mychi"---- accupressure clothes for people
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb388938.htm
5/12/06-5/15/06
The family is out and has taken the dog with them... (to SF) for personal matters.
Upon their return I have finally developed my sock, and started testing it with the dog. However in the past week of 5/16/06, i have also learned that the dog owner had kidney stones , and was sent to the hopsital on Monday night. The dog has been very clingy to his owner (prior and after the incident). i find this to be amazing, cause it seems as if the dog senses something is wrong... it's that acute 6th sense... However, i have not been able to really work with the dog this week. If the owner is home, he is usually in the room, and the dog often is in the room as well. When ding ding comes out, he often looks at me and just runs off or troddles off into the owners room.
5/23/06
Circumstances have been improving, I have been able to collaborate with the dog this past weekend, and i got the chance to test out my sock creatiion! muahahahhahaaa! although the dog still following his owner quite often, the dad is spending more time in the living room now at night. In the daytime, he is out at working and helping his wife at their restaurant in downtown. I have taken some time inbetween classes and work to come back home and test out the socks on the dog. When the owners are not home, I have discovered that the dog spends alot of his time sleeping out on the couch.
The sock:
I find that my sock is quite comfortable, although a little bulky and abit hard to control and manuever on the dog when needed. You will see with the media i have attatched. I am working on making a similar sock but with thiner material for the sock. So i checked out K-mart today after class, and went back to home depot for more supplies and to see if could find more types of "scratchable" material that would feel comfortable against the skin. I have cancelled out the brush idea, and instead, I have decided to use velrow, bumps, and these spikes (but not painful spikes) that act as a brush.
pictures are coming soon! sorry for the delay.
i am also trying to compress my files! so expect those soon too!
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[Write Comment]
Comment by markb (05/29/06 22:47:02):
a website about "mychi"---- accupressure clothes for people
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb388938.htm
05/30/06 12:43:00 - noticable patterns
after working with ding ding for several of weeks, i've come to notice a couple of patterns with the dog's habit and his awareness of my "sock."
the first pattern i have begun to notice is that the dog is not active and interactive during the day time, such as lunch time, like right now. After going home around 2-3 to work with the dog, i've realized that he spends his afternoon sun bathing or sleeping, so it is a bit difficult to "collaborate" with him during the noon time. Ding Ding gets very active when his owner come home late at night around 9-10pm. I have video that I need to compress to this excitement and his energy extremes during the day and night. But I've realized that night time is the best time to interact with the dog.
Another thing i have noticed is that the dog is well aware of when I put on the sock. I think he's come to identified the sock as a "comfort" object, and he wags his tail and looks at me with his big "goo goo ga ga eyes" and prepares to run under my foot as I put on one of the sock. It is similar to when his owner takes out his canned dog food and prepares to put it in his dish.
As for the sock, I have made thinner socks with bristles from a velcrow squares, and one with bumps . I will be testing these socks out later tonight! They are ALOT thinner than the previous sock, and do not require an aid of a button. However, I cannot put the plastic spikes, and I am thinking of replacing that with a bristles from a hair brush. I have more videos to come!
As for the showing, I hope to show a video off my laptop, and I will design and print a packaging concept for my sock product (as if it were a real product ready for marketing) since print and product development is the type of art that I am interested in!
Also, my parents are coming up this weekend and I hope get the oppurtunity to get my mom to try the socks, since my parents don't come up that much and so they would be strangers to the dog. Ding Ding isn't exactly stranger friendly, so we will have to see what happens then! More news to come!
[Write Comment]
after working with ding ding for several of weeks, i've come to notice a couple of patterns with the dog's habit and his awareness of my "sock."
the first pattern i have begun to notice is that the dog is not active and interactive during the day time, such as lunch time, like right now. After going home around 2-3 to work with the dog, i've realized that he spends his afternoon sun bathing or sleeping, so it is a bit difficult to "collaborate" with him during the noon time. Ding Ding gets very active when his owner come home late at night around 9-10pm. I have video that I need to compress to this excitement and his energy extremes during the day and night. But I've realized that night time is the best time to interact with the dog.
Another thing i have noticed is that the dog is well aware of when I put on the sock. I think he's come to identified the sock as a "comfort" object, and he wags his tail and looks at me with his big "goo goo ga ga eyes" and prepares to run under my foot as I put on one of the sock. It is similar to when his owner takes out his canned dog food and prepares to put it in his dish.
As for the sock, I have made thinner socks with bristles from a velcrow squares, and one with bumps . I will be testing these socks out later tonight! They are ALOT thinner than the previous sock, and do not require an aid of a button. However, I cannot put the plastic spikes, and I am thinking of replacing that with a bristles from a hair brush. I have more videos to come!
As for the showing, I hope to show a video off my laptop, and I will design and print a packaging concept for my sock product (as if it were a real product ready for marketing) since print and product development is the type of art that I am interested in!
Also, my parents are coming up this weekend and I hope get the oppurtunity to get my mom to try the socks, since my parents don't come up that much and so they would be strangers to the dog. Ding Ding isn't exactly stranger friendly, so we will have to see what happens then! More news to come!
[Write Comment]
05/30/06 13:06:02 - Showing- Product development
So I have decided that the sock product and its line of designs will take on the name: Calmfort Socks. The idea behind the product is that your pets deserve the best, so i will have this catchy phrase to go along with the title: "Because pets aren't just pets... They're family" ...
if you guys have any better suggestions for concept identity or any ideas on the product name/catch phrase, please help me out and let me know! -Thanks!
[Write Comment]
So I have decided that the sock product and its line of designs will take on the name: Calmfort Socks. The idea behind the product is that your pets deserve the best, so i will have this catchy phrase to go along with the title: "Because pets aren't just pets... They're family" ...
if you guys have any better suggestions for concept identity or any ideas on the product name/catch phrase, please help me out and let me know! -Thanks!
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05/30/06 14:51:08 - Doggy daytime routine
here are a few pictures taken just a last week and today. they are of the dog's daytime daily rituals! When I come home hoping to interact with him, this is what he is found doing!
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here are a few pictures taken just a last week and today. they are of the dog's daytime daily rituals! When I come home hoping to interact with him, this is what he is found doing!
dog time! and he sleeeps, and sleeps, and sleeeeeeeeeeeps! |
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dog time! |
dog time! |
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05/30/06 15:04:32 - Doggy daytime routine...continued!
the pictures above are from today!
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the pictures above are from today!
dog time! new sock trial- noon time |
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dog time! new socks |
dog time! new socks |
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06/05/06 12:35:48 - Operation Scratch 4: Failure
So my parents came up on Friday and stayed with me the whole day. They came up to help me get a heads start on packing and moving since they are unable to come up on certain days of next week before my lease ends.
With my parents visiting, I had in mind to test my "Calmfort" Sock on my mom. When they did come up, I was relieved to see that Ding Ding did not bark excessively like the first time he was introduced to my parents. He didn't bark at all (and this is only the third time they've met!). So with that, I was excited and optimistic about getting some results that day.
However, I was wrong, the dog just ignored my parents, or whenever he did come across them in a room, he would look and stare at them with big cold and scared eyes (especially my dad). After greeting them at the door, he would spend most of his time in the masterbedroom, or occassionally walk to the backyard. He did not respond when we called. I got my mom to put on the sock (but I forgot to take pictures! - SORRY!!!!), but Ding Ding never came over. I don't know if it is because it was the daytime and he was just doing his own thing, or if it was because he still wasn't very fond of my parents. I don't know, but he did not respond to the sock when it was worn on another stranger/individual.
I guess I was expecting this to actually happen, since he ignored me during the daytime too, even when I did put on the sock on to tempt him into collaborating with me! I mean, if he doesn't come to me, why in heck would he come to my mom (when he sees her almost as a stranger).
Well, as for my sock, I've been trying to upgrade it ( i will upload photos later). Instead of just patches of velcrow, I have cut shapes to make the sock look more presentable, more marketable and consumer friendly.
[Write Comment]
So my parents came up on Friday and stayed with me the whole day. They came up to help me get a heads start on packing and moving since they are unable to come up on certain days of next week before my lease ends.
With my parents visiting, I had in mind to test my "Calmfort" Sock on my mom. When they did come up, I was relieved to see that Ding Ding did not bark excessively like the first time he was introduced to my parents. He didn't bark at all (and this is only the third time they've met!). So with that, I was excited and optimistic about getting some results that day.
However, I was wrong, the dog just ignored my parents, or whenever he did come across them in a room, he would look and stare at them with big cold and scared eyes (especially my dad). After greeting them at the door, he would spend most of his time in the masterbedroom, or occassionally walk to the backyard. He did not respond when we called. I got my mom to put on the sock (but I forgot to take pictures! - SORRY!!!!), but Ding Ding never came over. I don't know if it is because it was the daytime and he was just doing his own thing, or if it was because he still wasn't very fond of my parents. I don't know, but he did not respond to the sock when it was worn on another stranger/individual.
I guess I was expecting this to actually happen, since he ignored me during the daytime too, even when I did put on the sock on to tempt him into collaborating with me! I mean, if he doesn't come to me, why in heck would he come to my mom (when he sees her almost as a stranger).
Well, as for my sock, I've been trying to upgrade it ( i will upload photos later). Instead of just patches of velcrow, I have cut shapes to make the sock look more presentable, more marketable and consumer friendly.
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06/05/06 12:41:46 - A walk on the beach
Besides mission failure stated above, my parents and I went down to downtown SB and the beach. We went walking along the peirre, and found some interesting birds there. I forgot what the name of this bird was, but it just stood / sat/ sunbathed/ slept in the middle of the wooden floors of the peirre. I came almost just a few feet from it and it did not budge. But it did keep an eye on me! It was amazing! Sorry, I did not have my digital camera with me so I had to take this with my camera phone! Please keep in mind that my camera phone does not have a zoom, so I had to get real close in order to get this picture! It was so cool, the bird just let onlookers take their pictures as he continued to just chill in the middle. I think he actually like the attention. Mean while, his friends were down in the ocean, trying to catch bate or the fisherman's catch! They are so smart! They start moving towards the line when fishermen cast their line into the water, knowing that someone is going to pull out some food! These birds were swimming back in forth to different lines that were being casted!
(sorry if my fising terms were not up to par... i am not very used to the terms!)
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Besides mission failure stated above, my parents and I went down to downtown SB and the beach. We went walking along the peirre, and found some interesting birds there. I forgot what the name of this bird was, but it just stood / sat/ sunbathed/ slept in the middle of the wooden floors of the peirre. I came almost just a few feet from it and it did not budge. But it did keep an eye on me! It was amazing! Sorry, I did not have my digital camera with me so I had to take this with my camera phone! Please keep in mind that my camera phone does not have a zoom, so I had to get real close in order to get this picture! It was so cool, the bird just let onlookers take their pictures as he continued to just chill in the middle. I think he actually like the attention. Mean while, his friends were down in the ocean, trying to catch bate or the fisherman's catch! They are so smart! They start moving towards the line when fishermen cast their line into the water, knowing that someone is going to pull out some food! These birds were swimming back in forth to different lines that were being casted!
(sorry if my fising terms were not up to par... i am not very used to the terms!)
bird eating fishermen's catch? or waiting to! These must be his friends who got hungry and decided to catcht he fishermen's catch! they wait in the water and swim towards the line when fishermen cast their fishing bate! It was interesting to watch, the dual between fisherman and bird! When ever the birds came near, a fisherman would pull his line up immediately to no risk lost of bate and line and sometimes a catch.... and when the bird sees a line go up out of reach, it swims away a few feet and come back if the bate and line is casted again. This went on, back and forth, the whole time we were there! it was quite interesting to watch! |
bird This is the same bird. He was situated in this spot when we arrived, and he stayed here till we left (and even until we left)-which was about an hour. He must have been chill'n here the whole day! (show off!) |
bird Bird is King of the Pier! |
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