Category Archives: 2017_S2 User Experience in Design

Week 11: ADM-DIP White iLight Update

Proposal

Concept:

Ocean Sustainability

– Show the consequence of plastic pollution that affects the ocean, through the multiplication of jellyfishes.

Why jellyfish?

– Jellyfishes multiply when the temperature of the ocean is affected by pollution. Increasing high number of jellyfish is a strong warning that our ocean is dying.

Storyboard:

  1. No one steps on:

a. A few jellyfish are lit up (light intensity = heartbeat) and will move up and down (creates a sense of life)

b. Floor has blue ripples (ocean)

2. Someone steps on:

a. A few more are lit up

3. A couple of people step on:

a. Floor has violet ripples

b. More jellyfish light up

4. Many steps on:

a. All jellyfish are lit up

b. Red ripples on the floor

 

Technology:

Pulley system – up and down (Moving the jellyfishes)

Stepping plate – change the background light (showing the warning of the dying ocean)

LED light – lighting up jellyfishes

 

Material of jellyfish:

  1. Shower cap/any translucent plastic
  2. Metal wire
  3. Plastic bottle
  4. Nylon thread
  5. Organza fabric

Interactivity with children

  • Netting of jellyfish printed on paper → cut and fold using glue (and process of researching of alternatives)
  • Where do we put the paper jellyfish after: separate rack or together with the installation?

Site Option:

Team members and responsibilities:

Kay – Video Rendering, Research on children’s interactivity

Raymond – Video Rendering

Ummi – 3D Model Rendering

Aaron – Research on children’s interactivity, Research on lighting components

Laura – Timeline/Gantt Chart

Week 7 Response: Interactive Environments & Experience Design

Timothy Nohe was the guest speaker during class for this week. He gave a presentation on his interactive work titled ‘Light City: Electron Drawing — Visual Music’.

I find it interesting that he used other methods to create an interactive installation for the festival. I think for me, it was such a unique idea. Children in the video can be seen enjoying themselves with “disrupting” the movement of the image by running their hands on the gestural infrared controller — sending voltages to the synthesizer thus creating a change of pattern to the image. It also focuses on capturing the interactivity among all age groups where viewers learn from one another on how to change the movement of the lights on the screen.

We were given the opportunity to experience the “making” of the interactive image by playing with the generating system with the use of synthesizers, mixer and joystick by connecting wires from an input to an output. We were able to play with the wavelength or frequency, and sound.

There were a few learning points to take away from the speaker: he mentioned of the sound generated affected the dolphins nearby from the location of his installation. Thus they had to do testing in order to get a sound that does not “kill” or upset the dolphins. He also mentioned to always have a spare equipment for just-in-case situations, and having extra equipment that protects the system from the rain.

I think these points could be considered in the iLight proposal as well as we are dealing with an outdoor space.

Week 7: Diary of Behaviour

DAY 1

What do I use my mobile device for?

  • Morning alarms (although at times it does not really help wake me up)
  • Communication (messaging, call, etc)
  • Camera
  • Social media platform
  • Bus application (SGBuses) to keep track of the arrival time
  • Spotify

When and why do I use my mobile device?

  • Almost everyday, from morning to night
  • Sometimes I use it as a “distraction” when being around strangers, for example standing in a train among the crowd of strangers and you really have to do something to shake off the awkward feeling.
  • When there is wifi, and when there is no wifi (I just have to turn on the mobile data for that particular application that I want to use)
  • When I am bored and have to do something to pass the time, for example watching dramas on the go.

I observed while I was taking both the bus and train that:

  • Majority of the passengers would use their mobile devices mostly for games, watching shows, and plugged in to their choice of music.

 

DAY 2 – Picnic day at East Coast Park

It was a planned day out to East Coast Park for a picnic with a group of friends. Due to the ban of electronic devices for a day,  I had no access to morning alarms but it was not an issue waking up on time because my parents would be the usual alarm clock on a weekend — coming into the room and telling us breakfast is already prepared in the kitchen (so no more sleeping in).

Due to not being able to use my mobile phone for the day, I gathered up as much information as possible (meeting location, time, etc) the night before. It was a long drive from Jurong East to East Coast, and normally my partner and I would tune up to songs in the car, but not for the picnic day. Instead, we had a long chat and laughter in the car.

Throughout the day, constant notification tones can be heard from my mobile phone and I would try my best to not forget that it was a no-electronic-device day. Eventually, I managed to not care about my mobile phone as the day was filled up with jokes, games and cycling with friends, and there was no need to be using my mobile phone when all I wanted to do was to be free from the thought of projects and assignments at the time.

However, the moment the day ended, it was back to checking important messages (and the number of messages I have yet to read after a day off from mobile phone).

 

Because we’re so used to using mobile phones mostly everyday as it became a means of communication between families and friends, and for relaxing purposes and entertainment, it became a “must have”.

Some friends of mine ever mentioned that they would not be able to survive a day without their mobile phones with them.  So for me, I think the time where I can lay off the mobile device is when there is not a need to use it in a day — no messages, no important emails to look forward to, no important group project updates to think about.

ADM-DIP White – Development Process

During recess week, ADM-DIP members met up for the presentation on the IEM side. From feedback, we refined further:

Concept

Showing the effect of plastic pollution in the ocean.

How

  • Effect is shown through the marine life that is affected by plastic pollution with the change of colour.
  • Mobiles installation of marine life, represented by jellyfish; about 6-8 suspended

What will happen

Ripple effect will be projected on the ground (from the top structure) to give the viewer sense of being underwater

Jellyfish dimly lit at random or some may not light up at first. When viewers step on the panel, the jellyfish will light up (like heartbeat)

The more panel is stepped on, the environment lighting (in this case the colour of the ocean) turns from blue to red.

Considered the movement of jellyfish — moving up and down, or sideways

 

After the presentation, works were delegated to each team: DIP testing on technology, and ADM working on the jellyfish prototype. Materials for the jellyfish prototypes were mainly plastics and a mix of fabric to get certain reflective/shimmery effect. We were also trying to see what effect each material gives when it is projected to the floor.

When we tried to use LED light for each jellyfish, we realised that the strength of 1 LED light is not enough and it does not spread throughout the inside of the jellyfish.

Thus, the lighting may probably need a brighter light source for the entire jellyfish to light up. On the other hand, the choice of size of the jellyfish was decided to be of smaller scale, the standard size of water bottle.

Week 6 Reflection: Future World @ ArtScience Museum

  • reflection on how and what you experienced, observed, and learned from the visit

It was my first ever trip to Future World @ ArtScience Museum. Normally, my attention span for museums and exhibitions are short but Future World managed to make me feel interested and interact with the exhibitions.

The first exhibit; when it was ongoing, all I could think of was trying to keep my mind still as it was slowly making me dizzy.

The second exhibit; although it has the feel of serenity, the sound of waves crashing, it became one of the spots for visitors to have Instagram-worthy photos — which could be an extra outcome of the exhibit too.

With the first two exhibits, I was reflecting back on the previous elective module I took, creating patterns to be made into interactive art at the Media Wall in NTU. It was pretty similar but this exhibit was more intense, with all the details… I was in awe.

Moving on, I was attracted to be a kid again over at the Sketch Town. My friends and I started to choose the things we want to do, and realised that we could scan our colourings to be up at the big screen, appreciating our artworks.

After admiring our artworks up on the screen, we got to know that we could scan our 2D artworks into 3D.

I liked how Sketch Town itself engages the visitors, especially children (and me) into the colouring and seeing their artworks up on the screen. To me, they have achieved the interactivity aspect of the exhibition.

Walking past the next few exhibits got me thinking of how my team and I could incorporate certain technologies into our iLight project. For example, the interchangable lights when user interact with the exhibit?

 

 

Response: Previous iLight exhibitions

I did not attend the previous years’ iLight but from what I can see on the website, there are several installations which I find interesting:

  1. MoonFlower by Yun, Singapore
Source of image: http://popwire.com.sg/buckle-up-for-a-visual-and-visceral-feast-at-i-light-marina-bay-2017/
Source: https://singaporemotherhood.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Moonflower.jpg?x17934

Based on my research, MoonFlower, by industrial designer Lee Yun Qin, was inspired by flowers (handmade by her mother). The modular flowers are powered by solar panel to create a luminescent display. What I find interesting was the option to make these flowers be “adoptable”.

I like how the flower petals are made using a mesh-like material to create a softer effect from the light, while it works like a lighting shade.

When I saw this exhibition on the web, it brought me back to the LED Rose Garden located at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. It looks similar — the arrangement of the flowers and the scenic view from afar.

Source: http://68.media.tumblr.com/b848a3ddd9dad723ff81e3e388f686f0/tumblr_nfnhsepUkM1ru6u3bo1_1280.jpg

 

2. HYBYCOZO by Yelena Filipchuk & Serge Beaulieu

Another installation that caught my eye the first thing when I came across the iLight website was this particular piece.

Source: https://www.ilightmarinabay.sg/-/media/Images/iLight/Installations/15_Light%20Origami/Hybycozo%20Big.jpg

My eyes caught the shadows and the details on the floor and thought of constellations, before actually looking more detailed to the entire structure. The lighting they used for this installation brought out a beautiful scenery too. I also found out that the designers were influenced by intersection of science, technology, geometry, materials and the artists’ favourite books. What I find interesting was the intricacy of the details and getting to know that they were inspired by Islamic patterns, then incorporated into this installation.

Week 4 Response: You are what you carry by Jan Chipchase

In the previous chapter, Chipchase did a research on the 3 important items in one’s bag — key, money, and mobile phone. In this chapter, Chipchase then move towards the research and study of “carrying behaviour”.

I’d agree to some of the behavioural study he shared in this chapter:

1)

“On public transit in China and Brazil you’ll often see riders wearing backpacks on their chests (or “frontpacks”), a strong indicator of a short range of distribution, a high risk of theft, and an acute awareness of that risk and the need to react quickly if errant hands start unzipping a pocket.”

I think one would behave in such a way out of security. For myself, when I traveled for the first time to China, my backpack would normally be placed at the front for safety purposes — as stated, to react quickly if errant hands start unzipping a pocket. However, I’ve started to realise that wearing the backpack at the front became a habit when I traveled overseas like, not only in China but also in Korea.

2)

“… mobile technology has dramatically changed people’s behaviours outside the home, from carrying less to remembering less to owning less.”

With the rise of mobile technology, people relied on digital maps rather than physical maps mostly as a choice of convenience. However, how much would an application help when it suddenly does not work at the time where one desperately needs it?

For example, I was using Google maps in Korea to search for the route to a destination but it was not able to locate. Thus I had to resort to a hardcopy map that I brought as an alternative to find my way.

Thus I feel that one should rely on technology as much as we rely on a physical tool.

Response: The Anthropology of Mobile Phones

While the talk by Jan Chipchase was ongoing, I realised that I was agreeing to certain points he did in his research. For example, the 3 key important items people have in their bags/pockets.

I too, agree that these 3 items are the most important items amongst the other items I carry in my bag. Without these 3 items, not that I will feel like it’s the end of my life, but more to feeling uneasy the entire day.

In these scenarios:

  • Key – What if my family members are not home yet? How am I going to enter the house? What activities can be done while waiting for family members to be home?
  • Mobile phone – Because we’re so used to having mobile phones with us everyday, it would feel different? In a way it can affect one’s mood for the entire day. “What if there are important calls/messages? How will my daily commute be without mobile phone? I can’t listen to songs on my way to school.”
  • Money – For me, I would feel that having loose cash with me is equally important as having ATM card. I’d rely more on loose cash to easily keep track of the amount I spent and to avoid going to the ATM machine to withdraw.

The strategies Chipchase talked about also reflected in my daily life whenever I realised I don’t have these items with me:

  • the point of reflection – I’d tap my pockets to ensure that I have these items with me before I leave the house
  • the center of gravity – I’d find these items at certain areas of my house like bedroom, or dining table, as these are the places where I’d normally place them.