Yiming Zhao

How does 3D scanning technology complement traditional photography in visioning the dynamics of urban milieu?

Although photography is a common tool used by graphic designers to document urban phenomena, this study finds this medium inadequate in capturing the complexities of spatial-temporal and affective aspects of it.

Aiming to expand the visual toolkit available to graphic designers as well as raise the awareness of camera’s inherent limitation, this study investigates whether 3D- scanning technology has complementary potential, compared to traditional photography, for recording and observing dynamic spatial environments and human activities.

This research selects five representative cultural event scenes in London as case studies, encompassing a wide range of types of events and varying scales. Through continuous documentation, recombination, and analysis of these case study sites, it systematically evaluates the potential and inherent limitations of 3D-scanning technology in capturing dynamic spatial functions, crowd behavior patterns, and emotional clarity.

The creative works confirms the effectiveness of mobile 3D-scanning technology as a spatiotemporal recording tool within the domain of graphic communication design.

Most importantly, the application of this tool is further purposed to have potentials beyond graphic designers, for event recorders, cultural researchers, and urban planners, offering an alternative perspective and approach to the communication of spatial-temporal information.