Natalie's brief:

This project sheds light on the dangers of pollution and plastic. 

This project grabs the attention of various people due to its interactivity, and strong message. This exhibit teaches those who see it about the effects trash and plastic have in the ocean. There is on average 5.25 trillion pieces of trash in our oceans, killing up to 100,00 marine animals annually. The hope is that this project will get the viewers to understand the effects of their actions and help them to see just how important recycling is.

The project is essentially an interactive scale. Made with a support beam that's able to rock back and forth, there's a flashlight attached to one side of the support beam and a trash bin attached to the other side. Underneath that, is a net, which is mostly blacked out by recycled materials. The negative space is in the shape of a turtle. When the flashlight shines through the turtle, the shadow is reflected onto the ground. The more trash that is put into the trash bin weighs it down, making the flashlight rise up. When the flashlight rises up the shadow gets bigger, representing more turtles dying annually, and when there is less trash in the bin, the shadow gets smaller representing fewer turtles dying annually. 

Lia's Brief:

Projecting Change: an interactive art sculpture that raises awareness of how much trash ends up in the ocean and how it affects marine animals, with the aim of encouraging people to reduce, reuse and recycle more. 

The interactive and educational art installation would grab peoples attention and teach them that when they put more trash in the garbage, it will end up in the ocean and will eventually kill many sea animals, like sea turtles. Projecting Change consists of a balance scale. On one side is a light, and on the other is a trash can. Under the light, there will be a net filled with trash, except in the middle of the net, where there will be no trash in a shape of a turtle. When trash is put in the trash can it will weigh down the right side of the scale, causing the light, on the left side, to rise and create a smaller turtle on the ground, implying a decrease in the turtle population. When weight is taken away, the light lowers, and the turtle expands.

Every year millions of tons of trash, including 5.25 trillion pieces of non-biodegradable plastic, are dumped into the ocean. This plastic either suffocates marine wildlife or kills them when they ingest it. The user of Projecting Change realizes that they should be recycling more and reducing the amount of trash they throw away. This installation is designed for a well-populated public place; the more people who see and interact with it, the greater its impact will be. The hope is that its innovative design will surprise people so that they will post pictures on social media or tell friends and spread the word.