Float design 101 - Design Workshop presented for the Pride Committee, 4/23/2005
1. Your design should tell a story or at least evoke one. Think about having a beginning, middle, and end. Tell a story about pride, or about joy, or about action.
2. Remember that the audience will have three possible views of you, two of which are important: front 3/4 as you are coming towards them, side as you pass, and rear. Rear is least important since they will be looking at the next unit.
3. Identify your float base as soon as possible so you know the width, height, number of levels, and length you will have to work with. Also find out how many people the float must carry.
4. Refer to diagram below
These are the areas to focus on in working out a design. Obviously, not every float will have all of these areas, but they are all possible depending on what you want to achieve.
5. Front focal point: In a mardi gras style float, it's common to have a large something-or-other here, usually a head, torso, or animal related to the float theme. In parade floats where the people are more important, the focal point or most elaborate part of the float is at the rear.
6. Rear focal point - in most parade style floats, particularly those that focus on displaying people, the float starts low and then steps up to the focal point at the back
7. Frame float - here, the float design frames the people.
8. No-riders float - If you don't have to be concerned with how many riders you'll have, the sky is the limit with design
9. Truck float - this design focuses on maximizing the number of riders; since the truck bed is high, the design is on panels hung off the sides
10. Float or costume?
1. Surface decoration-this is not the time for restrained bauhaus design. Go crazy with color and ornamentation. Add lots of shiny things that will catch light.
2. Modularization - plan your design in modules that can be prebuilt, stored, and easily moved to the location where you build.
3. Overbuild structural elements - Even if you don't have a hailstorm with 50 mile an hour winds come through, your design will be subject to a lot of stresses. Be sure it won't collapse in front of the judge's stand.
4. Motion - If you can work in some animation to your float, all the better. It doesn't have to be mechanical; people can power moving parts.
5. Safety - If you are going to have riders, be sure everyone has a sturdy rail or handle to grip. If possible, ensure that electrical wires are covered or out of harm's way. Make sure that riders have a safe way to get on and off the float.
6. Ease of disassembly - The last thing you want to do is spend the next two days taking the float apart. Figure out how it will come apart (and plan what you will do with the pieces).