︎
hacking + interaction &&&&MAGIC

In dit skills blok onderzoek je hoe je
interactieve en generatieve tools in kan zetten
in de fysieke wereld om je verhaal te vertellen. 


︎︎︎ Terug naar de hoofdpagina

workshop: EMBEDDING STREAMS AND FINDING MEANING 

EXERCISE 1: INTERACTION TIMELINE



Imagine your circuit to be done and concept to be clear.
Make a timeline (chart or storyboard) of the interaction in your art installation.
Do that by drawing/photoshopping and answering these questions:


1. *Modes*Chapters*Steps*

What are the different modes/chapters/steps (choose whatever term feels fitting) of your work?
Examples: sleepmode, activation, action, generation, dream, beginning, end, database visualisation etc.

How long do they take?
Examples: sleepmode is forever when interacted step 2 is maximum 1 minute, after that it returns to sleepmode 

What do you want the visitor to feel and experience?
Examples: clear transitions, dream like feeling, privacy breach, agency, softness, eating a rainbow, etc.

What technology is used with what function? 
Examples: during chapter 2 the depth sensor triggers chapter 3, when pushing the button during step 5 you return to the loading screen, etc.

What media can you use to make the *modes*chapters*steps* intuitive and clear?
Examples: (generative) audio, video, image, etc.

Is the visitor able to  interact during the step?And how does this get clear + feel natural?

What information is shared with the visitor and how does this relate to their attention span? 
Examples: during step 2 a light starts glowing, a text appears, a sound starts playing, etc.

What happens to the visitor when they experienced the interactive art installation?
Examples: it results in emotional engagement, storytelling, evoked a feeling, sensory immersion, discovery/exploration, social interaction, critical inquiry, reflection/contemplation etc.

Online tools to make a: timeline, storyboard, flowchart



EXERCISE 2: FINDING FORM - SPECULATIVE DESIGN


Take your interaction timeline as a starting point and quickly design/visualise different ‘tone of voices’ for your *Modes*Chapters*Steps* 

Examples: this can be a (visual) system, (interface) design, symbols, material moodboard, a graphic cohesion, contrasting images, typography etc.
Make sure it improves the experience of the interaction. 
Think of what you communicate, it can help to write this out.

Do this by fast prototyping in software that feels natural (processing, photoshop, using AI, collecting images from pinterest, whatever you prefer!)


Focus on how this can be translated in form, design and tactility through out the complete project. Use the power of graphic design and keep your concept in mind. :)

Examples of projects that ‘visualise’ in a graphic language that strengthens the concept

  • Deep Down Tidal - Tabita Rezaire (video essay in typical net art style, weaving together cosmological, spiritual, political and technological narratives about water – and its role in communication, in the history and now. The nostalgic net art style strenghtens the story about the history of the internet.)

Tools and services

Here are some tools/services that we use when making physical installations:
  • Thingiverse + Printables (download 3d print designs, there are a lot of casings for your sensors, arduino etc.)



    OPTIONAL EXERCISE 3: FINDING MEANING - WORLDBUILDING


    It can help to deepen the concept of your work by building a (speculative) ‘world’ around it. Some exercises to explore this are:



    The Futures Wheel

    1. Identify the Core Idea: Define the central concept or theme of your interactive artwork.
    2. Create the First Ring: Draw a circle in the center of a large sheet of paper and write your core idea inside it (in the graph: force of change). Around this circle, draw another ring and fill it with direct consequences or primary effects of your core idea.
    3. Expand to Second and Third Rings: For each consequence in the first ring, draw lines connecting them to new circles in a second ring. In these circles, write the secondary effects. Repeat this for a third ring if needed, exploring deeper impacts.
    4. Analyze Patterns and Connections: Look for interesting patterns, connections, and emergent themes among the effects. Consider how these can inform the interactive elements of your artwork.
    More about The Futures Wheel

    The collective .nvisible studio uses The Futures Wheel to make their non-lineair videowork. Example: Embodied Ambitopias is a speculative fiction series about agency in the quantified age. It explores how distinct value paradigms, mediated through societal rhetoric and technology, influence us in affective and pre-conscious ways. Interview about the work.

    Short exercises:

    • Character Creation 
    Develop diverse characters with distinct backgrounds, motivations, and experiences to explore various perspectives.

    • Creation myth
    Craft a mythological story that explains the origins, foundational principles, and central themes of the artwork's world.

    • Historical events
    Outline key historical events that shape the context and background of the interactive artwork's narrative.

    • Interactive mapping
    Create a visual map detailing possible interactions within the artwork, highlighting user paths and decision points.

    • Random Event Generator
    Design a tool that introduces random events to influence the artwork's narrative, adding unpredictability and variety.

    • Mapping the world
    Draw a comprehensive map of the artwork's world, including important locations, landmarks, and geographical features.


    STORYTELLING REFERENCES


    Lineair Narratives

    • Chronological order
    • Cause and effect
    • Setup, confrontation, resolution
    • Hero’s journey
    • Point A > B

    Non-lineair Narratives

    • Choose your own adventure
    • Data driven narrative (real-time or historical data input)
    • Collaborative storytelling (let user add on to the story that unfolds)
    • Parallel storylines (2 perspectives that unfold at the same time, switch between)
    • Emergent storytelling (reactive to environment changes)
    • Temporal manipulation (flashbacks, forwards, time loops), fragments (viewer needs to stitch it together).
    • Time manipulation devices (enables characters to revisit past events, alter the course of history, or explore alternate timelines)
    • Installation with sleepmode + generative experiment (user input, random variables)

    Examples from presentation




    Mail Ymer: ymer@thelivingvoid.nl
    Mail Cyanne: info@cyannevdh.nl