Geocentric Clock

Tags: Experiment Date: 2011/12/09

The clock is 15 inches in diameter, which is big enough for viewers to read from 20 feet and is made of plywood. The clock face is white and has a bond-paper texture. I see God’s design, such as clouds, stars, vapor, rain, snow, and birds in the sky that look light in weight. So I designed the typeface; the black numbers on the white face have a minimal look; the numbers represent objects in the clear sky; the font weight is light and thin. This analog clock displays time by an unusual movement.

Standard analog wall clocks have two arms for indicating hours and minutes. The arms rotate clockwise over the twelve stationary numbers. I interpret the components as surrounding things like the sun and stars and the display numbers of fixed objects on Earth. The system looks like a heliocentric theory, which is a scientific fact. However, I reinterpreted and designed an abnormal geocentric clock; the numbers on my clock move to the stationary arm. The geocentric clock style fits in domestic areas such as a school, home, office, lobby, and library, where the viewers relax and enjoy the clock. It also is in a fashion store where people expect to see exciting objects. A hospital is not a good place for the clock because the viewers care more about time information than the clock design.

Here is how to read the time. The clock has a stationary light indicator at the top of the circle and a rotating clock face with three dots between each hour. The gap between dots is 15 minutes. So the second dot after two at the light means 2:30. How do we read times between dots? It would overly inform, saying, “It is 5:36 pm,” but instead, we usually say, “It is a quarter to 6.” Many people already use their subjective analysis to share time with others. So, I designed the clock to be a popular reading method.

Some analog wall clocks have a third arm for seconds, which is not very useful. In what circumstance do viewers read seconds from a wall clock? Doctors read second to check patients’ heart rates. Running coaches check seconds for runner’s times. But a wall clock with seconds seems to be information pollution.

Inside of the clock

Custom Typeface for the display

[Final outcome](Geocentric%20Clock/mica_geocentric_theory_clock_(720p).mp4)

Final outcome

End.