Showing posts with label group J. Show all posts
Showing posts with label group J. Show all posts

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Every process has its ups and downs

So we're nearing the end of the Interaction Design Summer School. I'm tired, not too cheerful and tired (yes I know I've said that already). Our concept got some criticism from the teachers. And while I was listening I thought: "**** I should've thought of these things". Somehow I got the feeling that I was just not thinking straight, because I really felt like I should've known.

But anyway, we got working afterwards and a new concept came to mind. But it's late, and we have a lot of work to do. Today the group seemed down and we weren't really in a working mood. I'm getting used to these phases in creative processes, since they're practically always there. But it's still annoying. We have to pull through and get things done tomorrow.

We will make it. Because we're a great group. We all want to finish in time with something to be proud of. And I think we will succeed. But whatever happens, I'll keep on smiling and feeling satisfied. Because I'm still part of Group J and I'm glad to be with Sara, Irena and Furkan.

We will definitely make it. Cheer up.
Roy

Friday, July 4, 2008

Group J - Presentation points

So the first presentation is a fact. For those still wanting to read our little presentation here is the textual content. If anyone would like the PTT for closer study (*chuckle*) you can ask Sara, Irena, Forkan or me (Roy) and we can give it to you. So here it goes:

Values
- Interaction
- 5 senses
- Discovery
- Experience and emotions

Goal
“Affecting people with a poem in and interactive audiovisual environment using calligraphy.”

Idea
- Space
- 6 Walls with actively flowing calligraphy
- 6 Lines of a poem to discover by interacting
- Affecting the user

Once again, pictures will be arriving. Have no fear!

Group J

Group Jam, full speed ahead

So it has been a busy day today. Actually the entire schedule is quite busy (whether we follow it or not). But today was the day to get all members in the same direction and really start thinking like a team. We were supposed to have an idea ready to present on Friday. This idea will be developed further in the beginning of next week. We had quite a long discussion about our goal. But in the end we all agreed in the general goal and got to work on the ideas. Below you can see some notes on our progress/thoughts today, just so you can see what we have done.

Concept Goal:
“Affecting people with a poem in an interactive audiovisual environment using calligraphy.”

Things that brought us to our goal:
- Tell stories (history, creation, religion, etc.)
- Discover information instead of just “learning”
- Interaction/response
- Calligraphy
- Telling a poem
- Enrich people, making them smarter (the harder the road…)
- Experience/feeling

Some of the goals we were thinking about before reaching the final goal:
“Making the user more aware of the meaning of calligraphy through an interactive experience”

“Making the user explore the meaning of calligraphy through an interactive experience”

“Create a new way to explore calligraphy with interactive design”

“Affecting people with a poem in an interactive audiovisual environment using calligraphy.”

“Creating an interactive environment which will affect people’s emotions. ”

Ideas/inspiration/concepts:
- Jeffrey Shaw – Legible City like digital place
- Calligraphy community making online calligraphy and sharing your art.
- Storytelling in digital 3D environment.
o Information points
o Choices in story
- Making calligraphy by making sound
- Learning history with interactive stories with calligraphic design.
o Also use smell
o The poem in calligraphy, discovering the game will award you with a translation of a word. So in the end you know what the poem says.
o Enter the room, darkness, music and the screen. Then the music fades out, and lights go on around an instrument. People should go and interact with the instrument while the movie goes on, creating calligraphy onscreen.
o See: Visuals
o Hear: Sound/music
o Smell: Candles/incense
o Touch: ‘Drumming’
o Taste: ???????????????
- Walking calligraphy. Calligraphy gets written digitally on the wall. You have 6 walls.
- Making your own poem which gets translated digitally in calligraphy. Sort of like a guestbook. Older messages fade, wear or overlay.

So we will see where this is going to take us. But we are confident in our team and we think we will make something good. Hopefully you will all agree with us in the presentations on Friday.
Good luck to all the groups and enjoy!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

A good start is half the work ...

That should mean that with a great start like I had all the work is done already.
No there is tons of work yet to do, actually all of it. But what a start it has been.

The trip to Istanbul was long but pleasant nonetheless. The closer we got to the hotel the more nervous I became. But that's pretty normal for me. I can safely say now though, that this is going to be a wonderful experience. The hotel is ok and Istanbul is really impressive (and I haven't seen a lot of it, actually almost none of it or so it seemed today, cruising the Bosporus).
The people are wonderful. The other students seem really interesting and they are eager to learn. All four countries have brought a group that's willing to work and at the same time have a great time in a new, fresh environment with new and fresh people. And the teachers/professors are intersting people too (theater backgrounds, enthousiastic attitude). I really get the idea they actually want to teach us and inspire us, instead of just being there for feedback and guidance.

I was pretty nervous about the people (I hope my group will be nice, what if they aren't? What if I'm useless compared to what they already know?) But, luckily it was totally pointless to stress. My group seems to be really nice and we already had fun today. Every student is from such a different area of expertise that it's really surprising to see how that knowledge can be combined to make new and interesting concepts. I'm really looking forward to these weeks.

About the project so far:
Calligraphy seemed like a wonderful subject for a project. Even though it might seem weird for an interaction designer to even consider calligraphy, it doesn't mean that it isn't useful. I'm still not entirely sure where this theme will be taking us but it did make me curious.
The mindmap making was fun. Maybe we're being to careful now, but I think our group really works. There's a nice atmosphere when we're together and I think we can make something to be proud of at the end of the Summer School.

When there's more interesting stuff to tell I will post more. For now ... enjoy the summerschool and I'll see you all later!

P.S. day two... photocount 352.
Pictures will be added in future blogposts I think/hope.