E Mini Project 1
MILLER ICA EXPLORATION
I started off this project by going to Millar ICA. I did not want to be thinking of ideas without knowing my limits. So I explored the first floor and took pictures and took some mental notes of the space.
Mostly what I understood from visiting is how the space is generally used. Since the bathrooms need to be accessible, the corner where the bathroom and fire extinguisher are located is not used for the exhibit, and it honestly may not be logically to even try to use that area because of that reason. Similar idea with the elevator and front desk area. You can’t block the elevator and the front desk person needs a place to sit that’s tucked away so it makes sense it is near the elevator. Also it makes sense the exhibit doesn’t extend into this area.
I think the only problem I have with these spaces with needs and logical use is that they feel so disconnected from the exhibit. Coming in you see mostly the exhibit so it isn’t bothersome, but when you are facing the vestibule and can see all this space not connected to the exhibit it kinda ruins the experience. It feels like there is this line dividing the room in this awkward spot.
My solution may be to not bring my exhibit to that part of the room but maybe bring the mood and vibes into these spaces through my color palette and decoration choices so it feels more included.
Lastly, for the vestibule I am stuck on how much I feel like it needs to be incorporated. I am just thinking about where transitions may happen in my space and the first transition is the vestibule and I just can’t tell how much it may matter or effect the experience. I think I may have to readdress this later when my idea is more flourished and I can really decipher the significance of the vestibule.
MUSEUM INSPIRATIONS
I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
After going through the art museum I decided I was more inspired by addressing the Anthropocene than a specific artist.
I wasn’t inspired by much because a lot of the museum was nothing new or the interesting interactions were just screens and buttons.
Then I saw this floor interactions for kids on the floor that goes through the bee dance and that instantly inspired me because that was probably the coolest interaction there and it didn’t even have screens or some random technology.
I also like how there was a pat to follow and you learned while walking along the path.
So, I’ve decided I want my interaction to be sensors on a floor and you walk through a story or learning experience, and every time you step on a new tile it may activate something. I kinda want to make it like a real life board game. I am even thinking that you have to choose between tiles and the tile you chose effects the interaction and what happens in the game.
Then I saw these diorama esc wall instillations and I thought these could be a nice idea to visually show climate change and the effects on our environment just to make it more real, but I haven’t ironed out if I want that have that emphasized or more of the game emphasized.
MOOD BOARD
For my storyboard I was trying to show this futuristic theme with hopefulness. This idea of there is still darkness but optimism has not fleeted.
I realized part of my inspiration for this exhibit is Wall-E the pixar movie. I want to convey this similar idea of fixing the future, but also sadness because you’re grieving for the earth. I think that is the mood I am trying to achieve. I want to play with the yin and yang of light and dark, hope and fear. I think this ties into my overarching goal of creating urgency in people but not fear, because urgency is productive while fear can be debilitating. I also want to give my viewers hope and positivity. I think the mood of the exhibit will greatly play into that.
I really think the way you receive information and the mood you’re in before can decide whether the information gives you anxiety or reason and problem solving. So, my mood needs to be more hopeful so the viewers become ready to face a problem rather than become overwhelmed with existential dread.
Overall, I think the green will bring in hope and remind the users that protecting earth is our priority. The brown is to also remind people of our origin and focus, but also make it feel hopefully not as SI-FI. I don’t want to make it seems like super high tech because even though I want to bring my users to this alternate reality, I don’t want them to forget that the reality is still on earth and game is suppose to influence people that need to protect the earth not create more innovation to make our lives cooler. The purpley and blues and white is to make it also a scientific environment that is leaning towards a future dystopian vibe since my concept will be highlighting facts about how we are destroying our earth.
STORY BOARD
My current thought for how my exhibit will work is that it is this long. one-way hall way (demonstrated in layout design) where you play this interactive story game.
I think a robot will introduce the game? However, this maybe be too cheesy or SI-FI. This exhibit will emphasize the passing of time as you go down the hallway, so every step may jump like 20 year or so (still in the works). A lot of the interaction will be with these floor tiles that are triggered by motion censors. So you’ll be given decisions to make and every time you step on a tile, which would declare your decision, then a voice over or a screen on the wall would tell you how your decision effected this imaginary world. Additionally, I am wondering if dioramas that light up would be an interesting and more tangible visual to see the effects of the Anthropocene on the earth.
I want this curated imaginary world, game, and interactions to give the user autonomy and responsibility so that they actually understand what is happening in our world and have this experience where almost they are put into a perspective that they are never given in the real world, because when do we ever think about what it’s like to be a politician or person in power who has influence over these matters.
Lastly, I want the hallway to empty into a room. I am currently calling it the solution room. This is mainly to prevent the user leaving Miller ICA with a fear or dread.
REFLECTION ON HYBRID EXPERIENCES
I think overall hybrid experiences require balance and careful consideration. I think a lot of times the implementation of technology can create more problems or make the users life more difficult, so even though technology is cool and gives us vast amounts of opportunities, it cannot fix or improve everything.
I think a large item to consider is privacy and security, implementing technology gives pathways for hackers that coders and designers may never imagine till it happens, thus security is always a concern. Additionally, privacy is becoming more and more of an issue and we do not have a lot of rules and laws that protect the people against invasive technology, especially since no one knows how far technology will go and what is truly moral.
Overall, a great example of how hybrid environments are useful but also dangerous is the creation of the concept of a smart home. Companies like Amazon and Google have created devices that can control lights, temperature, security, door control, and sound. A lot of these things are very beneficial and makes the users life easier by making many actions voice controlled or a tap on your phone. Yet, it can become inconvenient if the voice control is not well-versed or has poor voice detection. Also, there are ways to break through smart home technology by interfering with radio signals, which arguably can make the home more accessible to intruders if they know how to hack the system.
Furthermore, I think often the traditional is meaningful and carries a powerful interaction, and if you try to replace great traditional interactions with technology it can feel forced and cold. Thus, I think when implementing technology designers need to identify their users and decide how technology would impact them. I think overall, some spaces are built for technological interaction and it really ends up depending on what needs it and what may not.
HOW WILL I MAKE MY EXHIBIT HYBRID
After reflecting I think I have a lot to consider. Like, why I want technology in my space? What may feel too forced? How can I make the technological interactions intuitive and not more complicated than a possible physical alternative.
I think I know the main reason my idea works with technology is so that the space feels more magical and immersive. I think it will make my exhibit quite video game like but I kinda like that because that is really where it is inspired from.
INTIAL PARTI DIAGRAM
PHYSICAL SPACE
I am realizing it is going to be kinda tight in the space. The solution room is long and the entrance to the hallway game doors may slam into the wall. So I may reconfigure that a bit. Peter and Mihika mentioned having to be careful and aware of the bathroom door and that space being tight. I know daphne also mentioned how maybe the walls of the hallway could be shorter to help make the space more confining. However, I may just play into this idea of making uncomfortable decisions in an uncomfortable space. I know Emily mentioned how I could make walls not physical and find a way for there to be seperation without it being confining walls. I guess I am stubborn but i think my visions and my concept is so contingent on these walls with the way they are. I think I want it to feel maze like and a separate reality. So I am reluctant to change them. Furthermore, I would have it so only one group could go at a time since it is a small space that really needs it to be an immersive non-disruptive experience, with little people.
In critique it was also brought up how you may not know where you’re suppose to enter or start your journey. And I could fix this with start and end signs. Also, there will be a front desk person so I am hoping that wont really have to be an issue and I am not sure if I need to consider this further.
DEVELOPING DESIGN CONCEPT
I have recently spent time figuring out exactly how the “game” is going to work.
I think my biggest change is that i’ve decided that the user isn’t going to just make decisions from a company or government level because my goal with this exhibit is not create sympathy for these higher powers by showing how hard the decisions they have to make. Basically I feel like if I only did it from a company or government perspective then it would almost justify why they make bad decisions. I would rather show with a few questions how these powerful people’s bad decisions gravely effects many innocent lives.
So instead I am going to make the game come from other stakeholder views so the user gets an experience from many perspectives and then the user gets to see the system of people effecting the environment, the levels and complexity, and who has the power and who doesn’t. This way people can really realize that change doesn’t come from the individual, and your decisions you made were limited and caused by companies and government.
Mihika really inspired this revelation because she suggested doing a single environmental disaster to really hit all the decisions that people will be making, because originally I was just going to show the cooperation and or government perspective. But I think focusing on one disaster like love canal (the one Mihika suggested) will make it easier to narrow things down so I don’t overwhelm the user and they actually get the concepts I am trying to convey.
WHATS ON THE WALLS
So I have been considering what will be displayed and I am thinking that there should be story backgrounds about characters and their situation for sure, but should I should images of the effects of the natural disaster? I originally was thinking about dioramas cause I think they are way cooler than pictures or videos however I don’t know how necessary that is? So I have decided I may have to not do dioramas unless I have a really good reason to, and right now I don’t.
I was also considering if I should put some data visualizations on the wall and show statics of cancer rates or carbon emissions so while people are immersed in the exhibit they also are getting scopes of reality thrown back at them with hard facts. Or to data visualize how the user’s decisions effected the story’s environment and people.
I did some drawings also to figure how the tile interaction would work especially with stake holder stories. I at first had no idea how I wanted to show the stakeholder stories and I was realizing I really don’t want it to just be text or audio. I think the user should have more than that. I decided I definitely want the user to see the stakeholders face so it makes everything more personal, kinda like when you’re making personas. So I made a quick mock-up of how the stakeholder stories will be introduced when you walkl= up.
Then I was thinking I want visuals and you to see the whole story, but logistically it can’t be a movie because then you have to get a whole production crew. So, now I am kinda thinking there should be drawings or maybe even animations? I don’t know how I am going to show that for right now. I feel like I could show a story board or something but I don’t know how I can communicate a whole animation and style to client without just doing it myself. However, I think an animation or visualizations would be a useful way of storytelling and also immersing the user. I was thinking of even formatting it like everything was on the news and interviews, instead of first person stories. I could do a mix of both this first person story telling and news so everything feels more real but you can really see the stories of the families and etc.
I am considering how this will be on the walls. I could do screens but I am wondering how practical and necessary that would be? I am thinking projections are more economical and make it a little more integrated and magically in the space? However, I will have to further think and decide this later.
ARDUINO
I think I will be using only motion and proximity sensors for all the interactive bits because I think thats all I need.
ENVIRONMENTS VS ARCHITECTS REFLECTION
Question: How is the role of an architect and an environments designer different? Be specific when talking about projects, skillsets, tools, approaches, etc.
I think when designing the environment of a space you wonder how you’re different from an architect. I think there are a lot of specific reasons they differ but are also similar.
Overall, I think architects and environments designer often can and should work together. I think they both have similar skill sets, but when a design project of a really big space is happening, there are a lot of elements to think about. Then especially in those situations I think you need both. I say this because architects and environment designers both have design skills and design thinking. They thoroughly understand the design process and learn how to problem solve and communicate with creativity. Yet, I think their design processes also have differences.
Firstly they both consider and focus on different things. Architects come from a more technical background where they understand building, how space works, the math and physics involved and etc. So, I feel like their focus is more on the space itself and how people may move through the space, and they also consider the vibes and aesthetics of the space. Then for environments designers I believe they have a background where they focus on human centered design, human interaction, and they also consider how humans move through the space and vibes and aesthetics. I think this also correlated in their toolsets and what they're taught in school. They both are in the end making similar things, but they have very different focuses. I think the difference is mainly summed up in that architects are more about the space and building while designers are usually more about the experience and interactions.
I think another way to look at this is the projects. Architects again are concerned about the tools and space so they are designing rooms and buildings and deciding how they are built. However, designs could yes design how people interact with the space, which would typically be by implementing interactive objects or visuals, and etc, they can also design different types of environments. Especially now a days, technology also for environment designers to put tech into their spaces, but also they can design a system of things and decide how it should be integrated and how certain things should interact with each other. For example, IOT is a new and upcoming field that environment designer can delve into. The word environment is so much broader for an environment designer rather than architect, because we are never just design a physical space, designer skills and background is more about systems and interaction so we can bleed into so many abstract areas and make environments have this abstract definition.
GAME DEVELOPEMENT
So I have been hashing out how the game will play out through the whole exhibit and I read the reading on the psychology of decisions for love canal (I asked Mihika to send it to me) and I made a timeline of how the stakeholder decisions structure would be chronologically, and what order I think would be best. I realized this one way hallway as a whole is a timeline so as time progresses new things happen and past stakeholder decisions effect the future.
This has lead me to thinking that a timeline that is emphasized throughout the exhibit would be beneficial because it’s a key concept that has developed into my game and I want it emphasized.
This is my notes writing down things I am questioning and trying to solidify in my game. One interesting thing I had questioned is coming up with this idea of multiple stakeholders and whether the user keeps pressing the same two tiles to make multiple decisions for the same stakeholder so then you basically change stakeholders every time you move a tile. Or should you revisit the user later in the timeline and build off their story. When I was making the timeline I was thinking the the 2nd option but I think I need to ponder this for a bit.
SOLUTION ROOM DEVELOPEMENT
I have been thinking about how to design the end and solution room and I think I want it to be a 180 change from the hallway. It needs to be light and nature-y.
Also, I need to pick whats going to be in there for people to take action with. I think the best solution is to have resources where they can be come more informed and then also provide them with organizations to support that are actually making a lot of progress and pressuring companies and government to make change. I am going to give them iPads and pamphlets to sign up and take information for on the go.
TIMELINE INTERACTION
So earlier I was talking about how I realized my game and physical structure were very center around being chronological and traveling through time, cause literally you have to time travel to jump from event to event, and it may get confusing or people may not realizing how much they are traveling through time. So I thought it would be smart to have a visual representation of it to highlight this aspect especially since these decisions have a lasting impact and it affects the next decisions 20 years later OR you don’t realize you made a bad decision till 20 years later. So I think this is an important part of the experience and learning.
Thus, that’s why I have started to draw this interaction. I want this long timeline to wrap the hallway walls so you always know where you are on the timeline and what year it is. Then I am also going to have this circle highlight what year you are in with proximity sensors so you literally see you time traveling and jumping through years with your decisions left behind to do damage.
VISUALIZATIONS
When actually creating my space. I had to decide how many stakeholders and tiles I was going to have. Since I wanted this style of once you make a decisions the tile turns off. You literally can’t go back. And I need to emphasize you can’t go back. So the tiles can only be used once. Thus, I decided I will have 4 stake holders — EPA, government, corporation (with a fake name), and fake family. I am going to make up my own story but it will closely follow love canal. I think the story needs to be fictional for logistical reasons of not having enough stories from one situation or person involved.
Anyways, based off the physical space. I found I could only have around 9 stake holder stories. may have to increase or narrow but basically there will probably only be 3–4 huge events but the user will go through different reactions from different people. So, I decided how the story will probably pan out ordered the stake holders based off the love canal events.
I also got to see how the blue-y purple light with light blue tiles ended up looking in the space. I ended up adding black floors cause it is suppose to be a dark space. Overall, I think the visualizations turned out how I imagined it. I just wish I maybe tried new things or iterated on it more to see how I could’ve styled it more.
Also I decided the best way to show animation with the time I had is to just pull an illustration to represent how it’ll change into a story. Also, I was able to find an artist’s robot to implement into my space that could represent my robot narrator.
Reflections:
Well I have done a lot of reflecting this project and I think I found that what really motivates is keeping in mind my future goals and what i’m passionate so I stick with a project or progress in a way that suits me best. I also think this would make my projects better because I would take them in a new direction that would hopefully make them look better or be unique. Also I think sometimes my ideas, what I care about, and my work style need a certain process. So, I need to learn my work style and then cater my process and projects towards whats going to benefit me, even if it isn’t exactly what was originally asked of.
What distracts me is honestly just me trying to balance my life. Sometimes I cook instead of do homework, or talk to friends after not seeing them all day, or sometimes I just don’t want to do work cause I am tired mentally and or physically. I don’t think these are bad reasons to get distracted. I think my real problem is being effective with the time I have and staying on task. I will very very easily get sucked into minor details or other problems when I have a big project due and I think I need to keep my eye on the prize and stay motivated so it is easier to have my executive function and time management skills actually work.
What engages is me is honestly falls closely with what motivates me. If it’s relative to something I am passionate about or I find useful to learn then I am engaged. I very easily let myself get disengaged so again that is why I think I need to keep remind myself of my goals and passions because if something in front of me maybe isn’t the most interesting thing at the moment but IS important to my future goals, then I should do, and I really think the motivation will come from this constant reminder.
