In 2021 Camosun College trades instructor Brian Coey requested a set of custom animations to accompany his open education textbook Pattern Development for his sheet metal and metal fabrication students. His brief was to provide an alternative way for students to visualize the steps involved in the sheet metal pattern-making process.

“Pattern development, or layout, is a very conceptual, hands-on process, and requires the ability to imagine. Unfortunately, most, if not all, student resources are text-based, which doesn’t lend itself to such a creative process. I therefore decided to make a more interactive book, full of videos and digital animations.”

– Brain Coey, Sheet Metal & Metal Fabrication Program Lead and Instructor (as cited from Camosun College Showcase Magazine, 2021)

The project was funded by the Open Education Sustainability Grant from BCcampus, to develop or redevelop courses using open educational resources. The Open Textbook Project makes post-secondary education in British Columbia more accessible by reducing students’ costs through the use of open textbooks and other open education resources.

Over three months I designed and developed 200 animations that would accompany Brian’s written instructions. I believed that if the animations could help me to more easily memorize the procedural steps of the geometry used in pattern makers, then they could help any student, especially those who are predominantly visual thinkers. 

I chose bright, complementary colours for contrast, and added subtle motion eases to add some character to the movement. I also developed some 3D modelling to add further clarity to the more complex patterns. The end results have been well received, and have led to higher pass rates for students in the sheet metal and metal fabrication class.