We have just looked at the Prado Museum in Google Earth. They have scanned all the paintings at a very high resolution, so that you can virtually tour the gallery, and look at the paintings from anywhere in the world.
I find this fascinating, as a photograph, is traditionally interactive anyway. A person has to go to a gallery, and look at the photographs. This would usually then create a thought, or an opinion on the painting. This is how I felt when I first read the design for Interactivity brief. I thought of a truly basic form of interaction; a conversation. Someone talks to you, you take in this information, think about it, and then respond. This all happens so naturally now, that we don't even think about it.
I wanted to make the initial interaction process even slower, by thinking of how a conversation for example would have taken place before the telephone, i.e.; by letter. You would write your thoughts down on a piece of paper, and send it. The recipient would read the letter, form a response in their minds, and then put this down on paper, before sending it back.
I wanted to combine this traditional form of conversation, with photographs instead of words, and then create a virtual gallery that anyone could view, and contribute to. I also wanted to combine this with more modern interactive methods, such as by sending the letter via email, and having the gallery of photographs online.
I wanted it to be accessible to everyone, so sent a letter out to everyone I knew on Facebook, encouraging them to send me a photograph, and then to send the letter on to people they knew, who could then also send me a photograph, and be involved.
However, I think people have a real dislike to emails that are sent to multiple recipients, and in a way, I think it lost the qualities I wanted to have with sending a letter, the personal quality, that you believe that this letter has only been sent to you.
I then looked at the idea of a 'message in a bottle', or a 'message tied to a balloon'. The idea of sending a small message off, out into the world, with no idea where it will end up, or if anyone will ever receive it. I think it would be the excitement of finding this message, of coming across this by chance that would be of interest, and would perhaps make you want to get involved.
I thought of how I could do this virtually to, by making a 'virtual balloon' that would fly around the Internet, floating on currents etc. I thought of the idea of making this into a 'pop-up' until I saw all the comments on how annoying pop-ups were and all the software you could download to block them.
I found that it was difficult to get a balance between interaction in the traditional sense, and combining this with interactive technology.
Monday, 19 January 2009
Monday, 1 December 2008
Design For Interaction
Our second brief focuses on design for interaction.
"....Design boundaries can be thought of as very elaborate systems of control".
'The users of new media are becoming the content of the form'. (P. Marshall, 2004, New Media Cultures, Arnold Press: London Pp.18)
The brief is to design/develop an interactive project that plays with the above concept. We don't necessarily have to do something computer based - which excites me, and ideas can include; a game, an experimental website, an interactive art piece (which is what I'm going to focus on), a non -linear story, or a design for an interactive environment, such as a retail space, a museum, a learning zone, or as a response to a public arts commission.
As mentioned earlier, I want to create an interactive art piece, except that my piece wont necessarily be interactive when it's complete, I want the interaction to be the creation of the piece/pieces.
Part of my inspiration for this comes from a visit from Gavin Peacock, a Brighton based artist, who made a series of works using 'flat packs'. There are a few variations on his flat-pack works, all of which rely on other people.
"flat pack one comprised of 1200 manufactured plastic modules that allow unique structures to be created each time they are used. The structures are intended as proposals as opposed to finished autonomous art works. Each one is just one example of a multitude of structures that can be made by anyone. They exist in order to allow an event, belonging to Fluxus notions of play and self-sufficiency of the audience, to take place. The distinction between artist and audience is blurred. There is an exchange that must take place, not in the monetary sense of commodity but an exchange of actions and time, the sharing of a space and an experience." Gavin Peacock.
I really enjoyed Gavin's talk, and all his ideas, I thought it was great, and the thought of art that lets the viewer get involved is a lot more appealing than just walking around a gallery.
There was another exhibition recently in the Tate Modern which involved a lot of interaction.
To the left you can see the installation by German artist Carsten Höller. Using the full height of the turbine hall at the Tate, Höller wanted to test a hypothesis he has been investigating for some time concerning the possible effects of sliding. Höller wanted to know what the result would be if sliding became part of the daily routine, and if slides could ever become part of our architectural life.
Höller felt that a slide was a sculpture which you could travel inside of, but that you could also appreciate the work without having to travel inside it.
"Looking at the work from the outside is a different but equally valid experience, just as one might contemplate The Endless Column (1938) by Constantin Brancusi. From an architectural and practical perspective, the slides are one of the building’s means of transporting people, equivalent to the escalators, elevators or stairs. Slides deliver people quickly, safely and elegantly to their destinations, they’re inexpensive to construct and energy-efficient. They’re also a device for experiencing an emotional state that is a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness." Carsten Höller.
Höller called this exhibition "Test Site" because he wanted people to test the functions of differently shaped slides, mainly to see how they were affected by them. Höller didn't necessarily think of his slides as art-work at all, he really wanted to 'test' the visitors reactions, to see if slides could become a commodity, in the same way as cars.
Although Peacock didn't initially intend for other people to create the artwork, (he told us that he used to take all the pieces to the gallery and spend hours setting up the sculptures) and Holler doesn't see his slides as artwork, both projects need the interaction from visitors to see their concepts through.
I also want to use the idea, that without the help of other people, I won't be able to create my art piece. My initial ideas for this are to really go back to basics, and the ideas of chain letters, and balloon messages.
I either want to send a letter to six people, each with six stamped envelopes inside, and a note about what to do. The six people I send the letters to would be instructed to take a photograph which they would then email to me. I would either enclose something in these envelopes - to be included in the photographs, give a theme for the pictures, or just give my recipients free range (I have not quite decided). Once they have taken their photo, and emailed it to me, I would want them to send the instruction card on to someone else-including the stamped envelopes, so that their recipients would then (hopefully) do the same thing. This would then reach 36 people, resulting in 36 photographs.
The balloon messages idea stems from childhood memories. I remember that when I was young, we once did an experiment on 'weather' and to track which direction the wind was blowing in, the whole class got a helium balloon, to which we attached a note with our name, address, and instructions written on. The object of the experiment was to ask whoever found the balloons to send us a letter/postcard with where they found the balloon, so that we could chart these findings on a local map, and, if the experiment worked, they'd all be in roughly the same area, so we'd know which way the wind was blowing.
I like the idea of setting off a certain number of balloons with my objective written on them, and asking whoever finds the balloon to take a photograph and then email that to me, with their name/location also included, which would then generate my art piece.
There are pros and con's to each of the above methods, which I need to look at more closely, and then define the criteria further.
"....Design boundaries can be thought of as very elaborate systems of control".
'The users of new media are becoming the content of the form'. (P. Marshall, 2004, New Media Cultures, Arnold Press: London Pp.18)
The brief is to design/develop an interactive project that plays with the above concept. We don't necessarily have to do something computer based - which excites me, and ideas can include; a game, an experimental website, an interactive art piece (which is what I'm going to focus on), a non -linear story, or a design for an interactive environment, such as a retail space, a museum, a learning zone, or as a response to a public arts commission.
As mentioned earlier, I want to create an interactive art piece, except that my piece wont necessarily be interactive when it's complete, I want the interaction to be the creation of the piece/pieces.
Part of my inspiration for this comes from a visit from Gavin Peacock, a Brighton based artist, who made a series of works using 'flat packs'. There are a few variations on his flat-pack works, all of which rely on other people.
"flat pack one comprised of 1200 manufactured plastic modules that allow unique structures to be created each time they are used. The structures are intended as proposals as opposed to finished autonomous art works. Each one is just one example of a multitude of structures that can be made by anyone. They exist in order to allow an event, belonging to Fluxus notions of play and self-sufficiency of the audience, to take place. The distinction between artist and audience is blurred. There is an exchange that must take place, not in the monetary sense of commodity but an exchange of actions and time, the sharing of a space and an experience." Gavin Peacock.
I really enjoyed Gavin's talk, and all his ideas, I thought it was great, and the thought of art that lets the viewer get involved is a lot more appealing than just walking around a gallery.
There was another exhibition recently in the Tate Modern which involved a lot of interaction.
To the left you can see the installation by German artist Carsten Höller. Using the full height of the turbine hall at the Tate, Höller wanted to test a hypothesis he has been investigating for some time concerning the possible effects of sliding. Höller wanted to know what the result would be if sliding became part of the daily routine, and if slides could ever become part of our architectural life.Höller felt that a slide was a sculpture which you could travel inside of, but that you could also appreciate the work without having to travel inside it.
"Looking at the work from the outside is a different but equally valid experience, just as one might contemplate The Endless Column (1938) by Constantin Brancusi. From an architectural and practical perspective, the slides are one of the building’s means of transporting people, equivalent to the escalators, elevators or stairs. Slides deliver people quickly, safely and elegantly to their destinations, they’re inexpensive to construct and energy-efficient. They’re also a device for experiencing an emotional state that is a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness." Carsten Höller.
Höller called this exhibition "Test Site" because he wanted people to test the functions of differently shaped slides, mainly to see how they were affected by them. Höller didn't necessarily think of his slides as art-work at all, he really wanted to 'test' the visitors reactions, to see if slides could become a commodity, in the same way as cars.
Although Peacock didn't initially intend for other people to create the artwork, (he told us that he used to take all the pieces to the gallery and spend hours setting up the sculptures) and Holler doesn't see his slides as artwork, both projects need the interaction from visitors to see their concepts through.
I also want to use the idea, that without the help of other people, I won't be able to create my art piece. My initial ideas for this are to really go back to basics, and the ideas of chain letters, and balloon messages.
I either want to send a letter to six people, each with six stamped envelopes inside, and a note about what to do. The six people I send the letters to would be instructed to take a photograph which they would then email to me. I would either enclose something in these envelopes - to be included in the photographs, give a theme for the pictures, or just give my recipients free range (I have not quite decided). Once they have taken their photo, and emailed it to me, I would want them to send the instruction card on to someone else-including the stamped envelopes, so that their recipients would then (hopefully) do the same thing. This would then reach 36 people, resulting in 36 photographs.
The balloon messages idea stems from childhood memories. I remember that when I was young, we once did an experiment on 'weather' and to track which direction the wind was blowing in, the whole class got a helium balloon, to which we attached a note with our name, address, and instructions written on. The object of the experiment was to ask whoever found the balloons to send us a letter/postcard with where they found the balloon, so that we could chart these findings on a local map, and, if the experiment worked, they'd all be in roughly the same area, so we'd know which way the wind was blowing.
I like the idea of setting off a certain number of balloons with my objective written on them, and asking whoever finds the balloon to take a photograph and then email that to me, with their name/location also included, which would then generate my art piece.
There are pros and con's to each of the above methods, which I need to look at more closely, and then define the criteria further.
Monday, 17 November 2008
The End of Design Futures
It's coming towards the end of our Design Futures module, and we're putting together our presentations.
I feel quite good about my presentation, it's not anything amazing, but I have learnt a lot more about Flash, and have stretched by learning the software, and figuring out my problems on my own. Since we have been doing this module a while, and have been talking about dissertations today, I am really looking forward to handing in this module and moving onto something new.
I feel quite good about my presentation, it's not anything amazing, but I have learnt a lot more about Flash, and have stretched by learning the software, and figuring out my problems on my own. Since we have been doing this module a while, and have been talking about dissertations today, I am really looking forward to handing in this module and moving onto something new.
Dissertations
Today we discussed possible subject areas for our dissertations. I suggested that I might want to look at the importance of appearance in online worlds such as second life.
I found it quite interesting when I was told that there are a lot more men who create avatars in second life, yet there are a lot more women characters, therefore, a lot of male users prefer to play as women - is this living out some sort of fantasy, sexual or otherwise, or is it possibly the need and want to remain anonymous?
I also am intrigued by the amount of 'looks' and 'clothing' you can buy for your avatars, I wonder why people would want to spend real money, on a virtual outfit or change of appearance. Is this how they would like to look in real life? Or is it purely a game? In which case, why is their avatar's look so important that they'll spend money on it?
As well as this, I'd like to look at the influence of celebrity. The influence of celebrity on how people choose to dress in real life is huge, and there are always articles in magazines showing you how you can 'get their look'. This has leaked onto the Internet in recent years with sites such as ASOS (As Seen On Screen) who specialise in selling clothing that has been reproduced from outfits celebrities have been seen in, or clothing that is in their style. I'd like to know if this has also moved into virtual worlds such as Second Life, has anyone modeled their Avatar on a celebrity? If the user is female, and has modeled their Avatar on a female celebrity, is this because they aspire to be like that celebrity? etc.
I think that there is quite a broad spectrum of information for me to look at here, and quite a good mix of social activities that have been around for a while - ie; aspiring to be like a celebrity, and also new activities, ie; having duel lives - your real life, and your Second Life.
I found it quite interesting when I was told that there are a lot more men who create avatars in second life, yet there are a lot more women characters, therefore, a lot of male users prefer to play as women - is this living out some sort of fantasy, sexual or otherwise, or is it possibly the need and want to remain anonymous?
I also am intrigued by the amount of 'looks' and 'clothing' you can buy for your avatars, I wonder why people would want to spend real money, on a virtual outfit or change of appearance. Is this how they would like to look in real life? Or is it purely a game? In which case, why is their avatar's look so important that they'll spend money on it?
As well as this, I'd like to look at the influence of celebrity. The influence of celebrity on how people choose to dress in real life is huge, and there are always articles in magazines showing you how you can 'get their look'. This has leaked onto the Internet in recent years with sites such as ASOS (As Seen On Screen) who specialise in selling clothing that has been reproduced from outfits celebrities have been seen in, or clothing that is in their style. I'd like to know if this has also moved into virtual worlds such as Second Life, has anyone modeled their Avatar on a celebrity? If the user is female, and has modeled their Avatar on a female celebrity, is this because they aspire to be like that celebrity? etc.
I think that there is quite a broad spectrum of information for me to look at here, and quite a good mix of social activities that have been around for a while - ie; aspiring to be like a celebrity, and also new activities, ie; having duel lives - your real life, and your Second Life.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Feedback
This afternoon we had to look at each other's blogs and be critical about one person, and complimentary about another. It was quite difficult to be critical about someone else's ideas, when you know how hard your working yourself, but it was actually quite good to hear the negative comments, as you're seeing your own blog and ideas from someone else's point of view.
Sam looked at my blog and pointed out a few things which are good to know in relation to my presentation, so that I can make adjustments.
Sam mentions that he feels the idea is aimed entirely at women. I feel that the booths would probably appeal more to women, because more women shop for clothing online, but I don't think that it would be a women's only application. I don't think either that it would fully replace the act of shopping on the high-street (which Sam suggests) as that is still seen as a social activity - at least for women anyway. I purely think that these booths would improve the accuracy of fitting for those who order online, and maybe attract people who previously haven't shopped online as they wanted to try on the clothing before making a purchase.
Sam talks about a scene in the film Iron Man, where he makes and virtually tries on his suit. I will look at this, as it may be something useful for my presentation.
Sam felt that it was an idea that would never catch on, and maybe it wouldn't, but I think that he has that feeling because he hasn't seen the research, which is not surprising, as I have not documented it here, so I'm going to go back and add some links to some of the research that I have done.
One thing I did notice, from both the positive and the negative feedback is that it feels like I haven't explained the concept fully. Both people who commented on my blog thought that you virtually tried on the clothing on your 3D model while you were still in the booth. This could be possible, as it would make the application (and online shopping) more accessible for those without Internet access, but my intention was that the consumer's 3D form would be saved on their profile, so that the user could then go home, log on to their favorite online clothing store, and try the items on virtually before purchasing. This is something that I will have to make sure that I'm clear on during my presentation.
Sam looked at my blog and pointed out a few things which are good to know in relation to my presentation, so that I can make adjustments.
Sam mentions that he feels the idea is aimed entirely at women. I feel that the booths would probably appeal more to women, because more women shop for clothing online, but I don't think that it would be a women's only application. I don't think either that it would fully replace the act of shopping on the high-street (which Sam suggests) as that is still seen as a social activity - at least for women anyway. I purely think that these booths would improve the accuracy of fitting for those who order online, and maybe attract people who previously haven't shopped online as they wanted to try on the clothing before making a purchase.
Sam talks about a scene in the film Iron Man, where he makes and virtually tries on his suit. I will look at this, as it may be something useful for my presentation.
Sam felt that it was an idea that would never catch on, and maybe it wouldn't, but I think that he has that feeling because he hasn't seen the research, which is not surprising, as I have not documented it here, so I'm going to go back and add some links to some of the research that I have done.
One thing I did notice, from both the positive and the negative feedback is that it feels like I haven't explained the concept fully. Both people who commented on my blog thought that you virtually tried on the clothing on your 3D model while you were still in the booth. This could be possible, as it would make the application (and online shopping) more accessible for those without Internet access, but my intention was that the consumer's 3D form would be saved on their profile, so that the user could then go home, log on to their favorite online clothing store, and try the items on virtually before purchasing. This is something that I will have to make sure that I'm clear on during my presentation.
Body Scanning
I'm definitely going to look at the idea of body scanning for my Designs Futures project.
After talking with Sam Butler, I have looked into 'gait-recognition' technology as well as facial scanning.
The idea of gait-recognition was really interesting. Gait-recognition recognises the way people move, and can tell who a person is from about 500m (as long as they have been recorded on the system anyway). The government in America are trying to develop gait-recognition technology for known terrorists, so that in a busy airport, or building or whatever, they would be able to detect a terrorist by their movements, and then inform security or the police to have the suspect followed. I don't know if they will also use this technology to pick up on movements which are out of character or erratic for a 'normal' person.
I have considered gait recognition in relation to my body scanning booths. I was thinking about incorporating a running machine in the booth, so that as well as scanning the person's body, their gait could also be recorded. This could then produce a realistic 3D model of your-self walking on your computer screen. If I then used the body scanning booths in relation to clothing, not only would a consumer be able to see themselves visually in 3D trying on the different clothing, but they would also be able to see themselves walking in the clothing, which would help them to see the drape of the clothing, whether their movements were restricted etc. Combine this with a facial scanner, and I don't think you would have a way of knowing how you would look in an item of clothing without visiting the shop and trying it on.
Clothing wouldn't have to be the only thing that a body scanning booth was used for though. It could also be used in relation to health. To scan the body and get a 3D image, the booth would use radio waves, as this would allow them to remain fully clothed. However, there is no reason why the booths couldn't also use MRI scanning. The MRI scan could then also be stored on your profile, for a radiologist to look at. By looking at a full body scan, a radiologist would be able to diagnose the following; ailments of the brain, including tumours and dementias, sports injurys, musculoskeletal problems, most spinal conditions or injurys, vascular abnormalities, female pelvic problems, posture problems, some gastro-intestinal tract conditions, certain ear, nose and throat conditions, and soft tissue and bone pathology/conditions. This would be good for people who are scared of going to the doctors, or surgerys etc, but it would also be good from the medical side of things, as they would be able to build up a much larger database, from many different demographics of people.
However, an MRI scan isn't something that people should have just for the sake of it. There are some people who should not have MRI scans, for example people with pacemakers, or women who are pregnant, so there would have to be sufficient health warnings for this. There could be a choice in the booths on entering. If you do have any of the ailments listed in the health warnings, you could use the booths purely for the clothing side of things, and the booth would then know to scan you using radio waves only.
I've got an image in my head as to how I would like the booths to look, so I need to get this developed in photoshop before my presentation.
I've looked at the current developments of body scanning for clothing fit, and it is on the horrizon, but currently, the 'try-on' models which are available, are very computerised, and are designed more for style selection and not sizing. You take your own measurments, which could be taken wrongly, ie; someone measuring their waist might not take the measurement on the right part of their waste. Once you've measured, the online applications give you a predetermined set of measurements, and you then choose the closest - which could be quite far off. You can also then generalise features, ie; blonde hair, green eyes etc to develop a general image of yourself . You then select clothes and 'try them on' to see what they look like on your 'virtual self', and if you like the way that tehy look, then you can buy them. However, you don't know if they'll actually fit you when they're delivered, and as you don't look that much like your 'virtual' self, you don't really know if they'll suit you either. But if you had a 3D scanned image of yourself, including all your facial features, hair-cut etc, that looked exactly like you, and walked in the same way as you, you would know which size of item fitted you perfectly, and how it looked on you from all angles, and how it hung on your body when you're walking etc.
After talking with Sam Butler, I have looked into 'gait-recognition' technology as well as facial scanning.
The idea of gait-recognition was really interesting. Gait-recognition recognises the way people move, and can tell who a person is from about 500m (as long as they have been recorded on the system anyway). The government in America are trying to develop gait-recognition technology for known terrorists, so that in a busy airport, or building or whatever, they would be able to detect a terrorist by their movements, and then inform security or the police to have the suspect followed. I don't know if they will also use this technology to pick up on movements which are out of character or erratic for a 'normal' person.
I have considered gait recognition in relation to my body scanning booths. I was thinking about incorporating a running machine in the booth, so that as well as scanning the person's body, their gait could also be recorded. This could then produce a realistic 3D model of your-self walking on your computer screen. If I then used the body scanning booths in relation to clothing, not only would a consumer be able to see themselves visually in 3D trying on the different clothing, but they would also be able to see themselves walking in the clothing, which would help them to see the drape of the clothing, whether their movements were restricted etc. Combine this with a facial scanner, and I don't think you would have a way of knowing how you would look in an item of clothing without visiting the shop and trying it on.
Clothing wouldn't have to be the only thing that a body scanning booth was used for though. It could also be used in relation to health. To scan the body and get a 3D image, the booth would use radio waves, as this would allow them to remain fully clothed. However, there is no reason why the booths couldn't also use MRI scanning. The MRI scan could then also be stored on your profile, for a radiologist to look at. By looking at a full body scan, a radiologist would be able to diagnose the following; ailments of the brain, including tumours and dementias, sports injurys, musculoskeletal problems, most spinal conditions or injurys, vascular abnormalities, female pelvic problems, posture problems, some gastro-intestinal tract conditions, certain ear, nose and throat conditions, and soft tissue and bone pathology/conditions. This would be good for people who are scared of going to the doctors, or surgerys etc, but it would also be good from the medical side of things, as they would be able to build up a much larger database, from many different demographics of people.
However, an MRI scan isn't something that people should have just for the sake of it. There are some people who should not have MRI scans, for example people with pacemakers, or women who are pregnant, so there would have to be sufficient health warnings for this. There could be a choice in the booths on entering. If you do have any of the ailments listed in the health warnings, you could use the booths purely for the clothing side of things, and the booth would then know to scan you using radio waves only.
I've got an image in my head as to how I would like the booths to look, so I need to get this developed in photoshop before my presentation.
I've looked at the current developments of body scanning for clothing fit, and it is on the horrizon, but currently, the 'try-on' models which are available, are very computerised, and are designed more for style selection and not sizing. You take your own measurments, which could be taken wrongly, ie; someone measuring their waist might not take the measurement on the right part of their waste. Once you've measured, the online applications give you a predetermined set of measurements, and you then choose the closest - which could be quite far off. You can also then generalise features, ie; blonde hair, green eyes etc to develop a general image of yourself . You then select clothes and 'try them on' to see what they look like on your 'virtual self', and if you like the way that tehy look, then you can buy them. However, you don't know if they'll actually fit you when they're delivered, and as you don't look that much like your 'virtual' self, you don't really know if they'll suit you either. But if you had a 3D scanned image of yourself, including all your facial features, hair-cut etc, that looked exactly like you, and walked in the same way as you, you would know which size of item fitted you perfectly, and how it looked on you from all angles, and how it hung on your body when you're walking etc.
Monday, 20 October 2008
20.10.08 - Design Future
Today we looked at Processing, which was really interesting, I liked looking further into the action commands, as I'm also interested in learning more about Flash, so this program seems to go hand in hand with learning more about html.
I have decided to focus in on Body Scanning for my Design Futures project. After seeing information about scanning in airports and the possibility of something happening in London Tube stations, I thought that in the future it would be possible to have body scanning booths (in the same way that you have photo booths all over the place).
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