筑波学院大学紀要第11集
Kei TAKASHIMA
49 〜and56 Tsukasa
ページ SANO: Design Expression of the Civic Participation Type Flower Art

2016年

Design Expression ofthe Civic Participation Type Flower Art
Kei TAKASHIMA ＊ and Tsukasa SANO ＊Abstract
In recent years, participatory community events have been increasing. Efforts to develop links
between community members and universities or local governments by holding various events
have also increased. The “Making Flower Art” event has been held since 2011 as part of the Tsu1
kuba Festival , with between 2,600 and 4,000 potted flowers being arranged in a space of 15 metersby 15 meters to create an image. We proposed and drew the designs for these events, and students
and city residents laid them out. This paper proposes a method for transferring designs from paper
to a large, 15 meter on each side space. To create the image with flowers, the design must be converted into dots. Beginning in 2014, We also surveyed viewers about their impressions of the flower
art.The process of creating flower art at the Tsukuba Festival with participation from both university students and city residents has provided opportunities for developing communication skills.
Key words: Graphics Education, Area Design, Community Service

1. INTRODUCTION
Making Flower Art originated as a gesture of hope for recovery from the Great East Japan
Earthquake of March, 2011, and has continued every year since. Following the event, the pottedflowers are sold and the proceeds donated to the non-proﬁt Revolve Institute for School Education,
which uses the money to purchase potted flowers for elementary schools in Miyagi Prefecture thatwere affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

2

One of the authors commissioned by the Tsukuba Center Area Revitalization Committee tohandle event planning, image design, and event management on the day of the event, starting in theprojectʼs ﬁrst year.
The commercial district near Tsukuba Station is lively, but the nearby Center Square and thepedestrian path that runs north-south through the central area sees only scattered foot trafﬁc andis often deserted. This paper evaluates the flower art event and proposes effective design methods,
with the goal of contributing to the community by creating a space where people can gather and interact with visitors from out of town.
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筑波学院大学経営情報学部、Tsukuba Gakuin University─ 49 ─筑波学院大学紀要112016

2. Designing the flower art
When planning the flower art, only a certain number of potted flowers were available, so thedesign took into consideration both the varieties and the number of pots per variety available. Basedon the design, I calculated the ratio of varieties required. It was also necessary to link the designconcept to the theme of the Tsukuba Festival. Decisions were made on a holistic basis taking all ofthese factors into consideration.
(Fig. 1) intended to express mourning for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and hopefor their recovery.
The theme for 2012 was Tsukubaʼs science and hopes for the future (Tsukuba is a major centerof scientiﬁc research). The flower art design combined the Tsukuba Expo Centerʼs H-II rocket, asymbol of the city, and a rainbow expressing hope for the future. This Rainbow and Rocket design(Fig. 2) represented harmony between science and nature.
The festival theme for 2013 was innovation through robot technology. The flower art design
includes the Robotics Tsukuba mascots as well as the word 50th to mark the 50th anniversary of
the founding of Tsukuba Science City, a science center within the city (ﬁg. 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Dove and Ribbon design for 2011

Rainbow and Rocket design for 2012

Robotics Tsukuba and Tsukuba Science City 50th Anniversary design for 2013

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Kei TAKASHIMA and Tsukasa SANO: Design Expression of the Civic Participation Type Flower Art

The design for 2014 incorporates the logo from the Real Tsukuba! slogan that was launchedas part of efforts to enhance the cityʼs image. In addition, to express Tsukubaʼs balance of natureand science, the design includes the Earth and stars representing a flash of inspiration (Fig. 4).

3. Converting designs to flower art
To draw up the plans for the flower art exhibition, it was necessary to take into consideration
the color and quantity of each type of potted flower. The size of the flower art and the spacing between flowers had to be adjusted each year based on the number of flowers available that year.
Using this plan, the design was enlarged and the flower placement checked against a plan of
the Tsukuba Center where the event is held. The flower art was then created.
3.1 Drawing the exhibition plan
In the plans for the Dove and Ribbon created in 2011, the projectʼs ﬁrst year, the base of thewings connected with the birdʼs body. However, since the flower art was exhibited for 12 days, it wasnecessary to water the flowers, and a 50-centimeter pathway had to be added between the wings
and body (Fig. 5).
3.2 Expressing color gradations
To convert color gradations in the plan into flower art, dots were used to express the color of
the boundary between flowers of different colors (Fig. 6).

4. Creating the flower art
About 30 students from Tsukuba Gakuin University and visitors to the Tsukuba Festival wereinvited to participate in making the flower art. The students explained the projectʼs signiﬁcance tothe festival visitors and encouraged them to participate.

Figure 4

Real Tsukuba, Stars, and Earth design for 2014

Figure 5 Exhibition Plan for Dove and Ribbon (2011)─ 51 ─

筑波学院大学紀要112016

4.1 Making the outline
Masking tape was used to outline the design on the Center Square. Pots were placed on theground starting with the borders of the shapes, following the taped outlines (Fig. 7). This provided
a sense of the overall scale of the image as the pots were being laid down.
4.2 Flower placement by community participantsStudents invited visitors at the Tsukuba Festival to participate in making the flower art. They
encouraged a wide range of people to join the activity, including parents with children, city residents, and visitors from out of town (Fig. 8).

5. Exhibition of the completed flower art
Because the completed flower art measures more than 20 meters across, viewing it from above
is ideal. Fortunately, Tsukubaʼs Center Square, where the flowers were exhibited, has a tiered design that allows the image to be viewed from the top level.

Figure 6 Color layout drawing for Dove and Ribbon (2011)

Figure 7 Creating the Dove and Ribbon ﬂower art (2011)

Figure 8 Community members placing potted ﬂowers (2011)─ 52 ─

Kei TAKASHIMA and Tsukasa SANO: Design Expression of the Civic Participation Type Flower Art

Completing the flower art took about three hours from start to ﬁnish (Figs. 9-12).

6. Evaluating viewer impressions of flower art using the semantic dif ferential
methodAt the events held from 2011 through 2013, assessing ordinary viewersʼ impressions of theFigure 9 Completed Dove and Ribbon ﬂower art (2011)

Figure 10 Completed Rainbow and Rocket ﬂower art (2012)

Figure 11 Completed Robotics Tsukuba and Tsukuba Science City 50th Anniversary
ﬂower art (2013)

Figure 12 Completed Real Tsukuba, Stars, and Earth ﬂower art (2014)

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筑波学院大学紀要112016

flower art was difﬁcult. For that reason, during the 2014 Making Flower Art project, we administered a questionnaire using a semantic differential scale to viewers in order to assess their impressions of the flower art from the perspective of kansei (affective) engineering.
6.1. Methods
The survey was administered to 122 city residents who attended the 2014 Tsukuba Festival.
Data from respondents under the age of 12 were discarded based on the appropriateness of answers, resulting in a total of 118 survey subjects (36 male, 82 female, average age 39.9 years).
The 20 adjective pairs in the semantic differential scale were adopted from Suzuki and Gyobaʼs[1](2002)assessment of stimulation from abstract paintings. The target of our assessment was theflower art created in 2014, comprised of the three images: the Real Tsukuba logo, the stars, and theEarth (see Fig. 4). Rather than asking respondents to assess the entire design including its arrangement, the survey presented the three comparatively simple objects independently, with the goal ofclarifying

ordinary viewersʼ sensory evaluation factors for flower art.

The survey was administered in the form of a street questionnaire. Each survey subject was
asked to look at the completed flower art and then rate each of the three objects on a 7-point scale.
The survey took subjects approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
6.2. Results and discussion
The mean ratings of the adjective pairs for each object are given in Fig. 13. In addition, ratings

Figure 13 Proﬁles of semantic differential rating scale values for each object, Earth, Stars,Logo─ 54 ─Kei TAKASHIMA and Tsukasa SANO: Design Expression of the Civic Participation Type Flower Artof concepts such as relaxed and mild were relatively high, suggesting that respondents formed
impressions encompassing the flower art and the atmosphere of the event as a whole, rather than in
response to the speciﬁcs of each objectʼs design.
Next, to determine the factor structure for sensory evaluations of flower art, we carried out an
exploratory factor analysis. Based on a scree plot, we determined that four factors were pertinent.
Factor loading after maximum likelihood estimation and promax rotation is shown in Table 1. Eachfactor was designated as activity,integrity,value, or fluidity.

In contrast to the factor structures that are typically indicated by semantic differential scales,
capability and activity factors were subdivided. However, to determine whether this is phenomenon
is unique to sensory evaluations of flower art designs, comparisons with evaluations of the designs
prior to their transformation into flower art will be necessary, along with other research.

7. Conclusion
Creating flower art requiring an exhibition space larger than 15 meters long on each side wasa signiﬁcant undertaking. By communicating with local residents and other event participants, theparticipating university students came to understand the power of the form of design.
When explaining the signiﬁcance of the flower art project to community members and encourTable 1 Factor loading for adjective pairs used in semantic differential scale
Adjective Pairs

F1

F2

F3

F4

Active/Passive
Dynamic/Static
Unsatisfying/PowerfulStrong/WeakShowy/Plain
Quiet/Lively
Cheerful/Gloomy
Sharp/Dull
Dry/Moist.707.691－.686.670
.622
－.531
.414
.355
.199

−.134
−.155
.093
.068
.127.008
.160
.307
.022

.112
−.137.048
−.191
−.079
−.160
.372
−.294
−.054

.277
−.122
−.287
.141
.092
.224
−.265
−.118
−.139

Clear/Clouded
Soft/Hard]
Refined/RoughLikeable/Unlikeable
Light/Heavy.020
−.187
−.045
.173
.098

.875
.635
.485
.414
.306

−.065.014
−.036
.215
.084

−.168
.102
.380
.038
−.104.105.224.483.166.193.039
−.012
.133

.560
－.544
－.542.523

.071
−.067
−.174
.109

−.010
.009

.272
−.111

.157
.093

.442
.392

Pleasant/Uncomfortable
Nervous/Relaxed
Intense/Mild
Beautiful/Ugly
Stable/Unstable
Smooth/Prickly─ 55 ─筑波学院大学紀要112016

aging them to participate, showing them the plans on paper was effective. Seeing the drawings
likely made it easier for participants to visualize the image being created.
This study suggests that the evaluation characteristics for flower art are unique. Future research will compare impressions of flower art with impressions of designs printed on paper to investigate the differences in viewer evaluations of the two.
Notes
1The festival began on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Tsukuba Science City in 1988, and includes
many events such as an international exchange fair and the flower art project.

2The committee was launched in 2009 by public institutions, companies, and universities located in Tsukuba
Center Area. The organization aims to encourage local development and contribute to the community
through clean-ups, crime prevention, disaster preparation, and other activities.
REFERENCES

Suzuki, M. & Gyoba, J. (2002) Contrastive Analysis of Sensor y: relevance of Factors Affecting AestheticImpressions. The institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Technical report
Information processing of human 101 (698) 31-38.

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