Step Four - The Open Call Entry

Here are the details for the project as described in the application for the PlayForm Mobile Exhibition: [more details on where and when the exhibition will take place will follow in one of the next blog updates.]
"Imagine that when you enter the location for the exhibition you see a dozen chubby white pillows scattered on the floor. Different sentences are printed in big black letters on them. Sentences like: “Enjoy the Moment” and “Enjoy Life”. The installation can be experienced from a distance - the “original” do-not-touch(!) way to experience art. But! If you look closer you will notice that the pillows are equipped with a “handle” containing a display with digits and a “GO!” button. Each pillow contains sensors that registers whenever it hits something or someone. Signs at the installation will show people that it is ok to touch and use the pillows and hopefully a massive social pillow fight will break out. Everyone can join in if they want to, have fun and share a good time together. You can fight two against each other, fight all your friends ninja-style or fight people you don’t even know. The choice is yours. At the exhibition a big rope circle can mark the “Battlefield” - an arena where you can fight whoever is in there - mostly to avoid people from bumping into other installations if the exhibition space is tight. 

Potentially and ideally the project will bring people that would not normally interfere with each other together, let them have fun and share an experience - in real life - and thereby potentially make a difference for them. I hope that people will have fun, talk and share a good experience either by playing or just grabbing a pillow to sit on for a chill talk.

Materials For the project I will need to purchase: about a dozen big chubby IKEA pillows, 100% cotton pillow cases, print for the pillows, rope for the battlefield marking, a roll up display (a tall stand to hold a 60x200 banner) print for the roll up banner, various electronic components such as wires, sensors, displays, resistors and batteries."

Discussing Solutions

Finding out what kind of electronic components to use for the project is more than just a question of: "What will work?" It is a maze of different factors like:

- direct availability - is it available now?

- amount availability - is the required amount available now?

- supplier - who can get it or where can it be acquired from?

- shipping - how fast can it get here?

- costs - how much does it cost, shipping included?

- skills - will my own skills be sufficient or do I need professional support to make it work?

- practicalities - will the different parts work together

- contacts and network - who can I reach for support and assistance?

 

After sending the application I met with my supervisor and technical supporter to discuss the techical execution and discussed the use of:

- Camera Tracking

- Customizing and constructing switches for the side of the pillow using conductive fabric or other conductive material. 

- Sensor Networks

- DUL radio

- Accelerometers 

- Tilt Sensors

- Microphones - when you hit the pillow a oscillation will show if monitored

- Wii Remotes

- Displays on the pillows or united display via projector

- EL-wires - instead of using a display then use light in the pillow case to show the score

- Bluetooth Transmitters 

All the different possible solutions had technical limitations and/or other constraints: some parts were completely unavailable from the Danish suppliers, only available in a limited amount or too expensive when everything were put together. I could then chose to have cheaper components shipped from China but that would potentially take weeks and get caught in customs which would leave me waiting for components that might not even arrive on time. Even if the components did arrive on time the soldering  would be very complex and it was questionable if it would even work - and if it got to work then making it durable and making 12 within a month and fixing all the other things related to the project singlehandedly would be too much to hope for.
So by the end of the discussion I decided that instead of constructing the sensors from scratch using Wii Remotes would be the solution. The Wii system is reliable, thoroughly tested as consumer product and easily available and affordable. They contain an accelerometer, bluetooth and x,y,z coordinates that can be made use of in the project - e.g. to add sound effects to the pillows. At the moment only 7 devices (slaves) can be connected through Bluetooth at the same time so I will need to find out how to get past this to get 12 pillows (slaves) connected (through a Dongle) to the same receiver (a Mac computer).

Other Changes
The display and GO! button:
Having a display on each pillow would be preferred but the cost of the components, availability and reliability are unfavorable. Further more the pillow will have to held in a certain way and if this were to be neglected the display could potentially hurt opponents. To solve this it could be placed under a padded flap inside the pillow  but all three conditions will interfere with the user experience and therefor the display was abandoned. Using EL-wires embedded in the pillow case (shaped as digital numbers) would be a fascinating solution and solve the problem of having a solid display mounted in each pillow but the same constraint of availability, cost and then fragility arose.  
Instead of having a display on each pillow the individual hit count will be displayed on a collective score board.

Score Board:
The function of the Wii remotes will be programmed in MAXmsp. The score board can then be programmed in various ways. Either:
- Flash Actionscript 3
- Jitter for Processing
- Processing
- Quartz Composer
I will focus on Processing and make a retro inspired score board. Possibly with fluffy pillows turning in each corner.

Wii Remotes 

So which operating system should the project be run on? There are pros and cons to take into consideration. A Mac might not react to the Wii remote as preferred due to preset functions placed  for user-friendliness therefor using Windows computer might be best. But when connecting the Wii remote to a Windows computer the Wii would disappear completely at timeout and then need to be reinstalled - something you do not want to mess with during an exhibition. To establish a stabile connection you needed to pair the Wii with a PIN code but then issues with translating HEX to ascii code arose. Then some plugins were needed but unfortunately a lot had been removed from the internet. Then Linux might work better than Windows for this and so on and so forth. By the end of the day I am most comfortable using my Mac and when a plugin was found that could establish a stabile connection to the computer the choice was easy. Mac! 

So... let's get busy. The pillows must be completed by 1st May and ready to join the exhibition.

Here is the list of things that needs to be completed:

Score Board
- the programming of it
- - making the top score ascend on the scoreboard
- - getting hit count data from MAX msp to control the score board
- making the turning pillows (Maya 3D workshop assignment from uni)
Controlling the pillows
- solving MAX msp
- - get a precise hit count
- - get a precise reset
- - connecting more than one Wii remote
- - connecting more than 7 Wii remotes
- - connecting the projector
The Pillow Design
- find text the pillow case print
- buy pillows and pillow cases
- buy padding for foam core for the wii remote to reduce impact
- test impact and adjust foam core
- print on the pillow cases
- put the Phi sign on the pillow case
Documentation
- update blog continuously
- take photos of progress, materials and prototypes
Report
- read theory continuously
- write on the report continuously
Branding
- finish webpage
Exhibition
- make roll up-display banners in Illustrator
- - include signature sign
- - website adr
- - information about "you play at your own risk"
- - information about how to play (where to see the score and how to reset it)
- take photo for roll-up display banner of pillow fighters
- get hold of a projector
- get hold of a Mac

/Anne Sofie

Happy easter

Step Four - Killing Your Darling

A lot has happened since the last post and things are happening really fast but let's start from where I left you.

During the conversation with my friend who reminded me of Nitusind.nu we discussed different approaches for the project and shared ideas for our respective projects. We discussed subjects such as Gamification [from which the Fun Teory derives], Affordance by Donald Norman [who wrote the book The Design of Everyday Things], costumer journeys, the definition of interaction - how would I define interaction in my project, the bad part of the good experience - you need to know "bad" to see why something is better, edutainment and so on. As I mentioned previously (in the First Hand In - Initial Project Description post) I was considering using the Fun Theory and the Flow theory for the decision making in the project to explain why I do one thing and not another. I'm still using gut feel but with the use of theory the decisions rest on a solid foundation of research and approved method.

I met with my supervisor to discuss the idea of the steam punk device that would act as a facilitator for conversation. I was pointed to theory by Edward S. Reed and his book The Necessity of experience. I was also lent a book about Danish street art and pointed in the direction of several people that it would be interesting to take contact to.

As I explained in the last post I had settled on making: 

"a steam punk inspired device that will take you on exploration in your own life by the hand of conversation. By making it fun and playful it is possible that the "game" will give you excitement, let you be fascinated about something or make you curious. You will be told what to do or in other ways guided by the conversation, the thoughts it gives or the person you have the conversation with (known to you or a stranger). A conversation is immediate and the device can be used whenever and whereever (nationally or globally). The act of conversation is old school, non electronic fun, that will possibly make a difference in your life."

I went home. Read. And then watched a lot of talks from TED - ideas worth spreading to get an overview over subjects, people, ideas, inspiration and so on. Among the talks was a one by a French artist called JR. He was talking about his projects and I would like to quote him for the following: 

"In some way art can change the world - I mean - art is not supposed to change the world/to change practical things but to change the perceptions. Art can change the way we see the world, create a narrative. Actually the fact that art cannot change things makes it the neutral place for exchanges and excursions and then enables it to change the world" - Link to JR's talk on TED 

It reminded me that art have the ability to highlight, to draw attention, be provoking and question anything that is given, normal, logic and practical. It can be be teasing, create bridges, associations and connections, create curiosity and/or motivation for people to do things. 

I was searching for inspiration for the looks of the devise when I thought about a question that I had been asked by my supervisor:

"Why steam punk?" 

At the meeting I explained that it was a fascination I had obtained from my study abroad semester and that it held interesting qualities for a narrative. But why would I use "imaginative old stuff" when I could be using real retro/old objects? Using something that is already known means that people probably will know how to use it. Further more it would possibly bring memories, a feel of familiarity and good times. And as I discussed with my supervisor (at the next meeting) - sometimes an object in it self can start a conversation. 

This lead to the creation of an origami paper toy. Back then when I was a child we called it a "Flip Flap". (Photo from Papirfoldning.dk)

The idea was to turn it into a switch. It would be lined with copper patches and when pressed together a circuit would be created. The signal would then go to a CUI-Mega board and to a computer that would display a variety of different choices like games, questions or something similar. I got in contact with our technician and got started on a prototype. The little creation however already had various challenges ahead - such as issues on durability, its overall functionality, simple implementation, usability and the supporting narrative. It would be possible but difficult to create and probably with a tiny chance of success. 

But then things changed...

An open call for PlayForm Mobile Exhibition ticked in and I decided to apply for it with my bachelor project. The deadline was close so I had to pitch my idea very fast. If accepted to the PlayForm Exhibition I would be given a certain amount of money to create the project for. Getting funding would open the possibility of building the pod I described in the last post.
However there were certain criteria in the open call that I had to take into consideration. Criteria in regards to size, weight, usability, power consumption, noise limits and interactivity. It meant that I would have to make the pod into something portable - more like a secret lair. It could be filled up with comfy pillows and then I could let the Flip Flap control something that would make people talk and share an experience together. Maybe something like the Communitas Project. 

www.patriciogonzalezvivo.com

But I simply didn't like that I would possibly be using an idea that wasn't my own. "My idea" would just be "the same project" "but with a twist". And that did not appeal to me. I want to be original! 

As I was working on pitching the idea for PlayForm I became aware that the supporting narrative for the Flip Flap was vague. I tried to make it stronger by finding answers to the questions: "What should people share inside the pod? Should I tell them what to do or should they tell each other what to do? I would like what-ever-would-be-inside-the-pod to inspire people - how to do that. I would like them to do something - what would that be. Maybe people can construct something together. Share something. Maybe the Flip Flap could tell them to go get a cup of coffee and invite a stranger to join.
The best thing would be to research on it by using body storming, testing, rapid prototyping and then talking to a lot of people. But I would not have time. Further more the construction of the Flip Flap would simply be too complex and possibly not be finished before the deadline. I ended up being utterly frustrated and annoyed and turned to my bed to take a break. 

As I was lying there I fiddled with the idea of letting the pillows inside the lair control something - maybe react to presence. I could use conductive fabric, pressure sensors or tracking to control "something" inside the lair. Maybe they could control something in combination with the Flip Flap. Then one person could have the Flip Flap and another a pillow. Originally the Flip Flap had a display inside but that was not possible due to technical limitations but what if there was a display in the pillows. Or maybe little buttons. What if the pillows could tell if someone was sitting on them or hitting them. What if you were fighting with pillows and the pillow could count every time you would hit your opponent. 

That could be fun...

And it would be simple...

And it would fit with the values of: 

keeping it simple, having a solid narrative, having fun in your surroundings, the project being original, using known objects, the first hand experience and bringing people together. Something that is extremely interesting at the moment is the discussion about real life vc. virtual life/technology in our everyday. The inspirational part of the project could be something like images or inspirational writing on the pillows... Here are some recent examples from the real life/technology battlefield:

The Holstee Manifesto - Video

The Holstee Manifesto - Poster

(link to article in Washington Post)

Puma Social

Good customs when it comes to mobile phones:

http://www.dr.dk/p3/programmer/pressen/2012/03/22/hvad-er-god-smartphone-skik

The consequences of technology: 

http://politiken.dk/debat/ECE1578937/foruroligende-mange-er-blevet-teknologi-junkier/

And here is what I wrote to PlayForm Mobile Exhibition:

The Project - The Reason Why

Technology is enabling us to do things we did not think possible 50 years ago. It helps us keep in contact with people allover the world but it is also distancing us from the people we should be close to. We are experiencing life through second hand experiences (human to computer to human) by using social networks. But texting and chatting are only simulations in life and leaves out immediate emotional response, touch and intimacy. The real experiences - the first hand experiences - seems to have become second rate.

The Focus of the Project 
Art cannot change the world nor the fact that real experiences are being replaced by second handed. But people can. And art can inspire people. It can comment on subjects, give ideas, draw attention to subjects and matters and create thoughts.  With my bachelor project in Art & Technology I would like to give people a first hand experience and inspiration. The project deals with recognition, memories and familiarity - which means that you will immediately know how to use it. 

What I came up with will be described in the next post. But it is not a steam punk device any more ;) 

/Anne Sofie

Tying Everything Together

As I explained in the previous post I was considering playing with the dualism of Aalborg - the two sides, making people aware of interesting experiences.

But to get somewhere you need to start somewhere so I took three A3 papers and wrote down three concepts that have been cooking the last couple of weeks:

1) An art installation:

The installation would reveal secrets when you approach it. It could be transparent bottles hanging in a tree with little LED's inside. At first glance it would be a light installation but when you look closer, touch it or shine a special light on it something else/a secret will be revealed. It could be hidden words or the installation could resemble a map over Aalborg showing interesting places to go or unknown/extraordinary/forgotten information about the city (something that is not common knowledge - for instance that there is a creek running below the streets of Aalborg, that you can get below ground outside Salling, stuff like that.)

2) Swings

Different swings/sculptural furniture/hammocks placed around the city. You can download a map/use Augmented Reality/QR codes that will tell you where the other swings are located and you can then go on a swing-treasure-hunt - and for instance use it as an activity for a date. All the swings do different things that makes the experience fun - e.g. a swing in Nytorv could be connected to a lamp that would switch on whenever someone would use it putting the person in the spotlight. Or you could combine the art installation described above with the swings and let the swings generate power for the lights inside the bottles e.g. in Kildeparken here in Aalborg.

3) The Exploration Box

A box that takes you on exploration. You will have to do certain things before you can open it. It could be taking it to specific GPS specified locations or (if more boxes were made) to "meet" another box. In a group conversation in my residence hall this idea sparked another idea: creating a christmas calendar where people each day would take the box they purchased outside to find the one box that could open their box to reveal a price. It could also be made more simple.. Like - lets say - an urban version of LUDO. Instead of having a board and a dice you would use the city as a board. Each player starts out with a box. The box will then give you a coordinate (GPS) to go to. If you make it to the location a mechanism inside the box will unlock and you will be able to open it and see the next layer (like a babushka doll). Then you get a new coordinate. But if you meet one of the other players with a box you are "hit home" and you have to put back a layer. The first one to reach the core (and its secret) has won.

Indeed the three concepts hold potential and it could be fun to make. Especially the Urban Ludo appeals to me. But making it work practically is a challenge. And since I only have until the 16th May to finish the entire project - write a report, develop and create the final product (including programing, aesthetics, function and narrative) and still be breathing I have to be realistic and be critical. And I still don't feel that the concepts really will make a difference nor get people to "explore life" - so I am still not happy with it. But time is ticking and I will have to make some decisions sooner rather than later.

Two days ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine from Germany over Skype. We talked about 'this and that' and after a while we ended up discussing extraterrestrial life, birth, life in general, existence, exploration of space and dimensions (rather deep topics now that I think about it) and of course we also discussed my project. It was truly an enjoyable conversation and we talked about how important it is to talk to people because it makes you realize things. 

And BOOM! All of a sudden everything clicked. 

What is it that I am trying to do with the concepts? 

What is it fundamentally? 

What is the spine, the aim, the core of the concepts? 

I would like to make people explore, get surprised, meet other people, talk to people that they don't know,  discover things - we should challenge our beliefs and question things so we widen our horizon, get other perspectives and get a bigger picture.

And how to do that? 

It's simple.

Talk.

The thing is that the three concepts ideally should all lead to this - I just didn't see the profound layer of my own thoughts until now. Both dualism and interesting things are not just going on in Aalborg (Wauw, so Aalborg is not the center of the world? No, Aalborg was just the point of departure and the focus of the project) it is everywhere and in everything but in order to find new, to discover, uncover, find out, challenge our beliefs and get ideas... we need to talk and we need to share. We have all the possibilities in the world today to share and communicate on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Chats, Mobiles - the list is enormous. But it is all Human-Computer-Human interaction and not face to face. What has happened to ordinary conversation? I am not saying that we are becoming blind, narrow minded, egocentrics that only can communicate through media but we could all do with a little conversation. But its hard - I mean - for instance here in Denmark you don't just walk up to someone and start talking. It is considered rather inappropriate and an invasion of private space. Besides you have to deal with immediate reaction and response, not to mention emotions. 

My project will be to create an artifact - a small device - that will take you by the hand and lead you into the world of conversation - so to say. And here is how it all connects:

It will be a steam punk inspired device that will take you on exploration in your own life by the hand of conversation. By making it fun and playful it is possible that the "game" will give you excitement, let you be fascinated about something or make you curious. You will be told what to do or in other ways guided by the conversation, the thoughts it gives or the person you have the conversation with (known to you or a stranger). A conversation is immediate and the device can be used whenever and whereever (nationally or globally). The act of conversation is old school, non electronic fun, that will possibly make a difference in your life.

And as you will see it in some ways connects to all of this:

[- the following are the Post It's from my initial brainstorms.]

This Generally Applies for the Project 

I don’t want people to read a long explanation in order for them to understand the work – you don’t need a background in art to understand the work – have fun in your surroundings – I’m not intending to make commercial earnings with the project – the project is about exploring your surroundings and gaining experiences from life – making life awesome/extraordinary – exploration of life – explore the world and open your mind – “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do. So throw the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in you sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain” – take it to the streets – make it urban – make it global – old note: “life is not about the goal. We are all going to finish the same way. But don’t be sad about it. Life is about the journey – the people you meet, the things you do and the experiences you have (big or small). Don’t wait for “the special occasion”. Do it now! Don’t waste your life in front of the TV waiting for thing to happen for you. Get up and get out!" Do you want to die curious?

This Is Part of the Project (primarily)

Be curious – enjoy the little things – explore – it is the road not the goal, you are not done just because you reach the destination – documentation – back to old school fun – non electronic – go out of your comfort zone – the new to-do list – sending something away – ownership vs. sharing – make someone aware of something they didn’t know about – leave clues and intentionally make people find something particular – object/item/site hunt – inspire people – old technology – something that will outlast you – the IT item – reach goals – Morse code – association – experiences – create something

This Can Be Used as Inspiration for the Project (secondary)

Open your mind up to something new – talk to people you normally wouldn’t talk to – live your dreams – Instead of looking forward to the next that will happen just enjoy the moment – meet new people – challenge your prejudice – intuition – accept difference – see things – get help from others to fulfil something – make your dreams a reality – you learn your whole life – open-mindedness – plant plants – fear of the unknown – be a child – get out of your comfort zone – become surprised – personal achievement – watching change happen – burying a message – play – make a difference – street art – dare to dream – make a to-do list – do something extraordinary – question your thoughts ask why – the easiest is always not to do instead do! – competition on Facebook: plugging your details in to compete with your friends – keep a sketchbook – fear can stop you from doing things – from the Idea Book: “question everything that is granted – rules and preconditions, practicality, logic and tradition.” – travel – show n’ tell

My initial thought was to make it a pod - almost a sheltered sofa with the device in it. But then I realized that it could be more simple. So I skipped the pod and took out the essential - it will be a transportable device that you can use by your self, with others - people you know, don't know or think you know and if I have time I will create a little cozy area where people can try it for the exhibition on the 16th of May 2011.

/Anne Sofie

Step Four - Research

I need to gather some inspiration for the project narrative and general idea generation. As you might have read in the former post I am considering making some sort of steam punk inspired devise that can take you out and about. I am however trying to stay open minded and not close the idea generation phase too early. Ideally I would make three very different concepts and then choose between them. 

To get inspiration I am going to visit some special places in Aalborg. If the opportunity arrives I will talk to people but the plan is to use non-invasive observation. It means that I won't interfere with people, ask direct questions or hand out questionaries. All I want is to investigate a little on Aalborg and dig around in its hidden places to find an interesting (based on gut feeling) area to work on. The reason for doing this is to find out what can be implemented in the city of Aalborg. I want my concept to be made for Aalborg and not just be some 'thing' I have made and then placed randomly in the city. 

So far my plan is to go to visit:

- The historical museeum in Aalborg

- See the Franciscan Friary - a museum located below Algade

- Fjordbyen

- The tourist information

I plan to visit the tourist information first as my self (a local) and then "disguised" as an international student (global) just to see if I will get different suggestions towards what to see and experience in Aalborg.

I planned to start out by visiting the tourist information and the museum and then see how much time I had left to visit the friary and Fjordbyen. But aparently the museum is closed on mondays and the tourist information had been replaced by a juice bar. However this opened my eyes to some others spaces in Aalborg and I therefor went on a discovery stroll with a friend of mine to Kildeparken to discuss what Aalborg has to offer.

We discovered that a new installation has been put up next to Aalborg Congress Center: A little collection of trees has been planted - each with a sign displaying a name and a year. And on some you can even press a button to hear a song sung by the artist who's name is on the sign. But nowhere did it say who made the installation.

Seeing the new installation also reminded me that vandalism and mishaps are part of the threats of the project. (This is part of my SWOT analysis that will be posted in one of the next blog updates).

After the little stroll I wrote down the places that central Aalborg could offer and browsed Visitaalborg.com for some more inspiration. What I found is that central Aalborg actually has a lot of things to offer. You can:

- Go to the cinema (Biocity, Metropol, Biffen)

- Go shopping in the high streets or in Friis

- Go to concerts (Skråen, Studenterhuset, Aalborg Congress Center)

- Party in Jonfru Ane Gade

- Dine at cafes and restaurants

- Go to the historical museum 

- Go to the art museum Kunsten

- Go to Aalborg Zoo

- See the Franciscan Friary - a museum located below Algade

- Go to the theater - (Aalborg Theater)

The thing is that all of these things cost money...

While I was researching on the above I was discussing the subject with another friend of mine. She reminded me of the website Nitusind.nu. And that reminded me that Aalborg also has something more to offer. Something not everybody know of I suppose... A vivid underground environment.

Aalborg underground is such a mix of highly creative and innovative ideas and people. Is it possible to mix these two sides? Make the people who don't know about it more curious?

As I see it Art & Technology have the ability to serve as a link between the two.
(In my illustration Art & Technology is the whistling stick figure, that draws attention to exciting things that people might find interesting.)

In addition to the blog I have now established a webpage (which is still under construction). The website functions as an inspiration board and online archive for useful websites, photos, videos and articles that will be used in the project. It has the advantage that nothing will be lost if the computer fails, the material is accessible from multiple locations and furthermore it saves space and paper. A possible flaw by doing this is that I am making the project-work dependent on internet access. And this might lead to issues. 

1) There is the possibility that a server somewhere can malfunction and potentially delete both webpage and blog.

2) I can loose internet access due to malfunction at the supplier and loose access to both webpage and blog which will then stop me from writing the process report as I won't have any of my process documentation to refer to. 

Neither of the two are likely to happen but it is possible and has happened before. To avoid any loss of work or work time I just have to make sure to document the webpage (screen prints), keep a written collection of the links and have a printed version of the blog. And of course keep everything both on the computer and on an external hard drive.

As part of the next step the target group is clarified. 'Target group' meaning the people I am creating the project for. My target group are the everyday users of Aalborg - people who aren't too familiar with the underground environment. And my aim? To give people an extraordinary experience in an ordinary context.

/Anne Sofie

First Hand-In - Initial Project Description

The next was to meet up with my respons group and discuss the further development and to come up with a problem fomulation. After doing the Affinity Diagram some of the themes that I thought about working with were: making a roadtrip around Denmark, making a device that would take you out and about, making something in the city for people to look at, making an art installation. I then played with the idea of merging the four projects into one. The following is the first assembled project description:

Project Description

Project Brief: 
Mission Statement

In the first stages of the design process I settled on two dogmas for the project. The project:

Must make a difference

It is not the size or the documentation of the actual change that matters as I am not trying to make a project that saves the world. What matters is that it makes some kind of difference to some.

The second dogma is that the theme must revolve around:

Exploration

Problem Formulation

At the moment I am still developing the problem formulation and will meet with Dan Overholt to discuss this. The choice of the three principles from the previous main modules which must be included will also be settled during the meeting.

Themes and Sub Themes

Themes

Exploration, life, narrative

Sub themes

Global and local, fascination, play, fun, challenges

Ideas

My conceptual ideas concern exploration of the world you live in and take point of departure in the life of the explorer, travel, to-do-lists, excitement and fascination. The questions I am moulding for the problem formulation are questions like:
- How to open the eyes of people to things they did not know about or do not normally see.
- How to make them explore the world - either the local or the global.
- How to encourage – or create – curiosity, fascination, excitement.

The aim is to make a device/artefact/sculptural product/object that takes you outside, out and about, “on the hunt” by making t fun, challenging, irresistible and satisfying to do so.

The way you are taken by the hand and “into the wild” can be: 
- you are told what to do or in other ways guided
- you have a goal of collecting defined items  
- you must be in a certain place for something to reveal 
- you must assemble pieces of a puzzle or clues 
- you must waityou must be on time – be somewhere on a certain time or be timed – e.g. could be facing a deadline/countdown

In terms of aesthetics and narrative I am considering looking for inspiration in the universe of “Steam Punk” – a fictional era infused with 1800’s science and technology presenting ingenious inventions and fantastic machinery with visible knots and bolts, innumerable gears, leather, glass parts and shiny brass surfaces. “The Golden Compass”, “Jules Verne” and the new movie “Sherlock Holmes” are some movies and writers who use this universe.

Methods

For the project I will take point of departure in the Six Stage Design Process (a gathering and extension of the methods taught in Design and Methodology, Art in Context and in the 6^th semester elective Design and Design Thinking) and use the appropriate methods for the project – see list on the next page. The design process was presented to me at AUT in New Zealand and is the Ph.D project of Andrew Withell. It is important to me that my bachelor project is well founded in approved methods and that there is a visible professional approach to the entire project. The project should by the end have a clear narrative combining the entire execution of the product and the report and be logically founded to the choice of methods and theory – in short: everything must make sense!

In terms of theory I am looking at the Fun Theory by Volkswagen and the Flow Theory but I need a deeper insight and knowledge before I make the final choices.

List of Methods

Stage 1 – Project Planning

Overall goal setting - personal goals in relation to the project and overall goals for the project

Time management - creating overview and a workspace

Setting up a blog for the project

Stage 2 – Research

(For this project research is combined with the concept development)

Gathering of inspiration in books and online

Literature review

Surveys and Interviews (if applicable)

Stage 3 – Idea Generation

Brainstorming – emptying your head for ideas

Affinity Diagramming – grouping of ideas

Mind Mapping

Lotus blossom – association exorcise

100 ideas – getting out there

Persona Making

Stage 4 – Concept Development

Gant Chart

Goal setting of intermediate goals for the project

SWOT analysis (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) of the project and my personal abilities

Rapid Prototyping

Model making

Role Play

Stage 5 – Concept Testing

Stage 6 – Communication

Presentation Boards

Story Boards

Photography

-         shots of the product

-         handling shots (sequence)

-         narrative shot (if applicable)

Moving images (if applicable)

Final Presentation – Pretzi, Keynote

Technology

At this point I have not yet settled on a specific type of Technology. The concept is still under development and I will only choose the technology appropriate to the project in accordance to its actual function in the project, the overall narrative and the complete entity. It must make sense - clear sense.

/Anne Sofie

Step Three - Idea Generation

This post is the documentation for the Affinity Diagramming. It contains an overview of what was written on the Post It's that was used for the diagram. Let me stress that it is not neccesary to read this post word by word as it only serves as an overview for me to keep track of the progress. But if you are curious about what the background of the idea development is then please by all means continue reading.

Affinity Diagramming is a way of organising/grouping large amounts of information to gain an overview and see connections. I had a lot of ideas and comments from the initial brainstorm on:

How to make your life awesome

and

How to have fun in your surroundings

which eventurally resulted in 

Exploration 

 which was also brainstormed upon

The wall was covered in Post It's from all three brainstorms. Practically everything could be used in the further development of the project so instead of starting from scratch on finding something that would encourage exploration I used everything I already had in the Affinity Diagram. Here are the line up of Post It's ready for Affinity Diagramming

 

The themes that arose throughout the diagramming were: 

This Generally Applies for the Project 

This Is Part of the Project (primarily)

This Can Be Used as Inspiration for the Project (secondary)

Ideas for Implementation

Discarted Notes

Think About

Here follows an overview over the Post It's placed under each theme:

This Generally Applies for the Project 

I don’t want people to read a long explanation in order for them to understand the work – you don’t need a background in art to understand the work – have fun in your surroundings – I’m not intending to make commercial earnings with the project – the project is about exploring your surroundings and gaining experiences from life – making life awesome/extraordinary – exploration of life – explore the world and open your mind – “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do. So throw the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in you sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain” – take it to the streets – make it urban – make it global – old note: “life is not about the goal. We are all going to finish the same way. But don’t be sad about it. Life is about the journey – the people you meet, the things you do and the experiences you have (big or small). Don’t wait for “the special occasion”. Do it now! Don’t waste your life in front of the TV waiting for thing to happen for you. Get up and get out!" Do you want to die curious?

This Is Part of the Project (primarily)

Be curious – enjoy the little things – explore – it is the road not the goal, you are not done just because you reach the destination – documentation – back to old school fun – non electronic – go out of your comfort zone – the new to-do list – sending something away – ownership vs. sharing – make someone aware of something they didn’t know about – leave clues and intentionally make people find something particular – object/item/site hunt – inspire people – old technology – something that will outlast you – the IT item – reach goals – Morse code – association – experiences – create something

This Can Be Used as Inspiration for the Project (secondary)

Open your mind up to something new – talk to people you normally wouldn’t talk to – live your dreams – Instead of looking forward to the next that will happen just enjoy the moment – meet new people – challenge your prejudice – intuition – accept difference – see things – get help from others to fulfil something – make your dreams a reality – you learn your whole life – open-mindedness – plant plants – fear of the unknown – be a child – get out of your comfort zone – become surprised – personal achievement – watching change happen – burying a message – play – make a difference – street art – dare to dream – make a to-do list – do something extraordinary – question your thoughts ask why – the easiest is always not to do instead do! – competition on Facebook: plugging your details in to compete with your friends – keep a sketchbook – fear can stop you from doing things – from the Idea Book: “question everything that is granted – rules and preconditions, practicality, logic and tradition.” – travel – show n’ tell – lots and lots of one thing/items/Hoptimists - make people put something up

Ideas for Implementation

Photos - carrier pigeons – physical expanding opportunity – cobber – leather – gears – glass – message in a bottle – chestnut animals – postcards – flying lantern – archive folder – cassette tape – nesting box – rockery – paper boat – tracking – GPS – QR codes – satellite – hanging – floating – see through – lights – helium balloon

Discarted Notes

Fall in love – help others – do something for the animals – sun – time spend watching TV – behavioural change – look at animals – play with mud – play with hot air – do something in a way you normally would do – find love – draw in the sand – nature and technology – bare feet – have the Danes difficulties in being impressed? Article in the paper says that Jyllands-Posten won award for being the world’s mot appealing/beautiful newspaper. Maybe we need to see what’s bad to see how good something is – letters of love – hello world – eating what you grow – play with water – build of nature – make friends – sharing – watching things grow – walking in the rain – which animals live in the city – try something new – “Spørge Jørgen” – enjoy the streets – me miss things. Article from the Washington Post about Jushua Bell who played in the subway – cycle of nature – play with wind – ask questions – find your self

Think About

Rules – let something (else) dictate something (e.g. where you go) – think poetic – think about the materials – explore to find something specific or “random surprise” – geo catching – leaving messages – sharing – getting off the beaten track – connecting the dots – incentives: collect, find new, find something that others don’t have – ask the right question – flow – fun – how to make people curious – the Idea Book: if we don’t question nothing change and we get stagnation 

Here is a photo of "the final result" of the Affinity Diagram

/Anne Sofie

Step Three - Idea Generation

I now have the guidelines for the project. The theme is Experience Design and the project must make a difference and encourage exploration of life - in some way or another. For the next step I used Affinity Diagramming on the Post It's I already had on my wall. So I:

1) Took them all down

2) Reorganized the Post It's in associating groups

3) Added more ideas, thoughts and questions

Since Aalborg University encourage a problem solving approach to projects it is necessary for me to formulate a core problem that the project is either solving, trying to solve, questioning or in other ways commenting on. After having brainstormed the morning away on why people do not explore their surroundings I read an article from the Washington Post [click here to read it] about Joshua Bell (one of the world's best violinists) playing the violin in the Metro. Only a few people stopped to appreciate the world class music and only one actually recognized him. It might be that violin music is a genre less favoured by people today(?) but that does not change the fact that it is thought-provoking that a lot of people seemingly don't see or notice the little things that's going on around them. But how come?

Is it because... we are not used to look for "beauty" around us  - are we too hard to impress - scared - have grown up - don't think it is socially acceptable to question our experiences, thoughts and everyday lives - are we too goal oriented - inattentive - off guard - is it simply too silly to explore and question - is it out of our personal comfort zone - doesn't it feel safe - are we afraid of finding something we don't like - or that it's too expensive - don't we have time - or are we just thinking that it doesn't fit in "right now" - but will it then ever fit - are we too busy with something else - on the way from A to B - and are we so oblivious that we think we won't get anything out of it? [Samples from my brainstorm]

Later I stumbled upon something else - a note originally posted on Pinterest and then posted by a friend of a friend on Facebook:

This opened my eyes to the fact that we all have the choice to notice the small things around us - all we have to do is make the choice or become aware that we can make it. But how?

/Anne Sofie

P.S. My Mac just died and is taken to the doctor. So now my desk looks like this:

Step Two - Finalising the Brief

This post might get a little complicated as I'm attempting to explain a flow of ideas. Bare with me, stay open minded and keep in mind that this is just part of getting closer to the actual brief.

Now that I have settled that I want to make a difference with my project I have to find out what I want the project to concern. I have merged my four themes of interest: Life, Street Art, Collaborative Art and Biological Art to two directions:

'Making life awesome'

and

'Having fun in your surroundings'

I then brainstormed on the two directions and asked: "How can one make life awesome or extraordinary?" At the moment I'm only referring to my own thoughts on the subject and here follows some of the keywords:

Explore - Play - Fall in love - Be a child - Make a to do list - Dare to dream - Make your dreams reality - Live your dream - Go out of your comfort zone - Help others - Share - Show and tell - Do something in a way you normally wouldn't do - Make a difference - Experience - Ask questions - Try something new - Meet new people - Reach goals - Talk to people you normally wouldn't talk to - Question your thoughts/prejudice, ask "why do I think that" - Do something extraordinary - Make new friends - Be curious - Create

Then I asked: "How can you have fun in your surroundings?" This brainstorm was much more loose than the one described above and dragged a lot of questions into it.

I ended up with two "clouds" of little Post It's on my wall, containing both keywords and questions. I then drew a line from each cloud pointing towards a Post It with the words:

Take it to the streets 

Make it urban

Make it global

From that Post It an arrow pointed towards the word Project. And then... I waited. I needed to digest the inputs and give it all some thought. And after some time the arrow was no longer pointing towards Project but towards the word "Exploration". And by that I mean...

Exploration of life

Some other Post It's clarifying the theme quickly assembled in a cloud next to Exploration:

"About exploring your surroundings and gaining new experiences from life - leaving messages - leaving art behind - leaving something for others to find - give clues or not - sharing - getting away from the beaten track - connecting the dots - Geo Caching - mapping the city alternatively - "Explore the World and Open Your Mind - QR Code (generator) - use satellites/GPS - quote from a comedian: "I don't want to die curious" - Flow - Urban/City game - must there be rules? - open your mind up and find something new - prejudice - fear of the unknown - fear can stop you from doing things - open-mindedness - letting something else dictate something e.g. where to go or what to do - explore something specific or get a "random surprise".

This all assembles to: a project that under the theme Experience Design is ought to make a difference by encouraging exploration of life - in some way or another.

Now there is something to chew on! And I hope it didn't get too confusing.

/Anne Sofie

Step Two - Creating a Brief

Starting out from scratch with free hands on an assignment is nice but also challenging as you have no direction to start out from. All I have to keep in mind is that the frame is "Experience Design". But that is indeed very broad. To kick off the process I wrote down the themes I found interesting and would like to develop a project from:

- Street Art - Think: Banksy, Space Invader, Blek Le Rat, Guerilla Gardening, Reverse Graffiti, Cellograff, hidden USBs, etc.  

- Life - Think: To do lists, travel, experiences, seeing, hearing, smelling and trying new things, sensing with your body, documenting, etc. 

- Biological Art - Think: Tomas Saraceno, Stelarc, Wim Delvoye and other and art installations containing solar power, wind power, collection of rainwater 

- Social/Collaborative Art - Think: helping each other create something big, sharing, collaborating with people you don't know or would not normally talk to, meeting new people, meeting friends, being social. 

I then started brainstorming on the themes to open up for ideas and inspiration - but nothing really happened. I found myself circling what I already knew and did not come up with anything that really lit my fire. I quickly realized that I had to attempt another approach because the way I was addressing the project was way too broad and I would take too long to come up with a good concept.

Therefor I took a step back and asked my self. What would you like to do?

You have four months and free hands for a project that you decide everything about. What would you like to do? Really like to do?

After some thought I derived at the following answer to my question:

I want to make a difference.

And so this has become the goal for my project in experience design - to make a project that will make a difference - in present time or in the near future.

It might sound boosted but think about it! A difference can be big or small, concern many or few, be a product, an installation, an art piece, a performance or something else. It does not necessarily have to be a radical difference - it can be minor too - I just have to make a difference.

The whole "making a difference thing" derives mainly from a to-do-list I keep and partially from one of my favorite quotations by Ghandi - saying: "you must be the change you want to see in the world."
So now let's see where this takes the project.
The next step is to prepare the first presentation and come up with a theme.

/Anne Sofie

Step One - Organization

The first thing to get up on my wall was a 3 x A3 big homemade calendar containing all dates from the beginning to the end of the semester. On here all the deadlines, electives, subjects, appointments, intermediate aims, events, daily accomplishments, presentation dates and so on will be put up.
The next item to go on the wall was a list of home-spun project guidelines. On the other semesters stress have been a normal part of the semester project - and this project is not going to be less demanding so to maintain good health and a reasonable amount of sanity I made the following list:

- Do not postpone

- Don't stress

- Engage, indulge, enjoy

- Dig deeper

- Be confident

- Go to bed

- Stay open-minded and be inspired

- Keep it real - don't under- or overestimate yourself

- Have fun

- K.I.S.S - Keep it Simple Stupid! Which a good friend of mine rephrased to "Keep it Simple Sweetie" - and so I will.

Since the study is called Art & Technology it is evident to make an incredibly high-tech project containing a lot of sensors, motors and projectors and glaze the miracle in hours and hours of programming. But - I am only one person so I simply cannot use hours and hours on programming and since other studies like Medialogy are incredible at programming and make perfectly good programmed projects I do not wish to make my project a "medialogy-light". So I will keep the technology simple - if I conclude that it is essential for the project and is to be part of it. I refuse to use technology just to have it "in there". It have to make sense and be part of the narrative that I'm going to have in the project. 

For the project I will be using a design process which I was taught while studying at Product Design at AUT in Auckland, New Zealand. The process consists of six stages which I will take you through as the concept develops. I will be using different methods for concept development in the initial stages of the project to create a concept that is appropriate for the city in which the project is going to be exhibited - namely Aalborg. I do not wish to simply get and idea and then try to make it fit. I want to base the project on research findings and thereby work "from the bottom and up" and not "top down".

But first I will need to create a design brief.

/Anne Sofie

And So It Begins

We have just had our first Bachelor briefing and have been told that the framework for the final assignment is completely up to us - our hands are free. Completely free! The only given constraint is the theme - we must develop something that touches on the subject Experience Design. 

A minor group of students from the study have chosen to work alone for the final semester project - and as one of them I will be working full-on in developing and executing my project completely from scratch - a full blown concept development and idea generation which hopefully will lead to a well narrated and well executed final project. 

To document the work flow and keep the process in happy memory I will attempt to keep this blog throughout the Ba-days and share what might come with whom might find it interesting.

/Enjoy

Kind regards
Anne Sofie