Category Archives: Assignments

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.

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?