MARCELO A. MEJIA COBO

www.macdevstudio.com

[macdevstudio]

Reflections on Alternate Prototype

The alternate prototype was a success. I am making it a reality. Currently, I am developing the project and hopefully I will launch it on Kickstarter soon.

1. Is it more or less promising? Why?


The prototype “Mirror” is also promising. The project addresses the problem (awareness and social barriers) by acknowledging and embracing the fact that we have changed and evolved to adapt to a new behavior with our mobile phones.

2. What were unanticipated challenges or successes? 


The idea was born separately from the thesis proposal but the project lands exactly into the problem space of my thesis: Unintentional barriers created by technology. The prototype (working prototype) was a success on its own.

3. What are key insights and implications of this exploration to your thesis exploration and concept? 


The interesting insight relevant to my thesis is that there might be a different way of approaching the problem space by acknowledging and embracing change instead of trying to change it back.

4. Regardless if this is the idea you'll be pursuing moving forward, reflect on the insights learned that may be applied to future prototypes (for example, lessons on reward, cue indicators, etc.).

I am going to rephrase the solution approach to my thesis to reinforce the idea of giving control and feedback to the user.

[macdevstudio]

Thesis III

Draft:

Problem Space

Technology is acting as a barrier to social interactions, sometimes unintentionally. In case of the Ear Pods, they are unintentionally reinforcing an antisocial behavior while they effectively achieve their design goal of a “better noise cancellation system”.

Hypothesis

By adding control over how much environmental sound or ambient noise you listen, we could increase the level of context awareness and therefore break some social interaction barriers.

Objectives

Add “back” ambient noise to the Ear Pods sound stream by including a “synthesizer layered system”. Develop a sound mixer that will provide control over different audio layers with the purpose of raising our environmental context awareness.

Display cues of your social interaction predisposition to increase the possibilities of social contact and to add control over the openness of your personal space.

The New Values

By increasing the level of environmental context awareness of the Ear Pods user, we will create a new social standard that will reduce barriers, reduce possible dangerous situations, foster social interactions, open personal space doors and increase the overall level of customer satisfaction throughout the experience.

[macdevstudio]

In-class Exercise

Project Summary

Technology sometimes can be acting as a barrier to our social interactions. The EarPods are unintentionally reinforcing an antisocial behavior. They are effectively achieving their design goal for a “better noise cancellation system”.

Areas of Research:

• How music can be used as a way of expression or communication? • How music/media could be used as a framework for a better social integration? • What are the situations/relationships that might be affected by the noise cancellation technology? • Are there any dangerous situations because of the inherited lack of awareness? • How the technology is affecting/modifying our personal-space?

“The more you know The more you see” -  Aldous Huxley, The Art of Seeing

In-class Exercise

- Social Interaction affected by technology

- How technology is affecting social behavior

- How technology is redefining your personal space

Some Ideas

- EarPods combined with hearing aid technology (amplifiers)

- Communication channel layer

- Console layer synth and sequencer

- Mixer with tracks and options

- Displaying availability (color wheel) 

[macdevstudio]

Design Manifesto

[macdevstudio]

(via The Lamp That Can Tell How Focused You Are)

[macdevstudio]

Historical Thinking: Music As A Social Phenomenon

"The Construction of Music as a Social Phenomenon: Implications for Deconstruction"

https://www.erudit.org/revue/cumr/1990/v10/n2/1014884ar.pdf

“Music: a natural phenomenon or a cultural invention?  A few remarks on the currency of the  polemic and its musicological consequences”

https://www.academia.edu/5291558/Music_a_natural_phenomenon_or_a_cultural_invention_A_few_remarks_on_the_currency_of_the_polemic_and_its_musicological_consequences

“The Oxford Universal Dictionary defines music as, "That one of the fine arts which is concerned with the combination of sounds with a view to beauty of form and the expression of thought or feeling" (Little and Onions 1965, 1300). However, the music genre known as noise music, for instance, challenges these ideas about what constitutes music's essential attributes by using non-traditional elements of music (Priest 2013, 132). (See also musique concrète.)” -Wikipedia

“Music as a Social Phenomenon Despite the fact that from earliest times music has been created, appreciated, and used by people in a wide range of social circumstances, attempts to understand it as a social phenomenon - to investigate its 'sociality' - have proved problematic.”

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-as-a-social-phenomenon-emc/

“Are music preferences a matter of individual choice? To what extent does a sense of collective identity enter into music preference?”

http://www.researchgate.net/post/Are_music_preferences_a_matter_of_individual_choice_To_what_extent_does_a_sense_of_collective_identity_enter_into_music_preference

“Music and Psychological Analysis”

https://ideambulate.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/music-and-psychological-analysis/

“Archaeologists unearth oldest musical instruments ever found”

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/06/24/archaeologists_unearth_oldest_musical_intstruments_ever_found/

[macdevstudio]

In-Context Approach

At Chipotle:

The line to order food was long. After careful observation 5 out of the 13 people were using EarPods. I approached the person behind me. I directly asked the question while the person was using the EarPods and the reaction was (Surprise and questioning again while taking one EarPod off). I had to repeat the question: Can I ask you a question?. R: Sure! I asked: Do you take your EarPods off when you order food? R: Yes. No additional comment.. I said: I always take only one off, because I don't want to pause my music or miss an important notification. I followed immediately after: I think the best would be to have the ambient sound mixed with the music. The response: Yes. I think that is a good idea. Follow: I am working on my thesis about that and I am doing research...

I had the opportunity to talk to two people and the reaction was the same. 

I think it is important to have reactions from different “Personas”. The need might be different but the solution could reach more than one.

chipotle

[macdevstudio]

Research Plan for Preliminary Exploration

September 28, 2015 MFA IxD @ SVA

Thesis II Research Plan for Preliminary Exploration

Project Summary

I would like to explore how technology could be seen as a barrier to our social interactions. Specifically, how the EarPods are reinforcing an antisocial behavior because they are effectively achieving the design goal for a “better noise cancellation system”.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/18/apple-explores-bone-conducting-noise-cancelling-earpod-design/

http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/09/18/apple-invents-bone-conducting-earpods-for-better-iphone-noise-cancellation

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=4&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=(381%2F74.CCLS.+AND+20140918.PD.)&OS=ccl/381/74+and+pd/9/18/2014&RS=(CCL/381/74+AND+PD/20140918)

Research objectives/questions

• How music can be used as a way of expression or communication? • How music/media could be used as a framework for a better social integration? • What are the situations/relationships that might be affected by the noise cancellation technology? • Are there any dangerous situations because of the inherited lack of awareness? • How the technology is affecting/modifying our personal-space?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Personal_Space.svg

Proposed Methodologies Contextual Inquiries, Interviews, Observation, Shadowing.

Timeframe and milestones Sep 28 - Oct 04 > Conducting Proposed Methodologies Oct 05 - Oct 08 > Debriefing and Insights Oct 09 - Oct 11 > Assembling Presentation Oct 12 > Report due date

[macdevstudio]

Thesis Ideas (1st.)

There is one idea that I am trying to bring to attention and that I would like to explore but it is not necessarily the idea that will define my thesis. 

Things that we “see” with different senses and/or are hidden in our perceptions.  

“The more you know The more you see” -  Aldous Huxley, The Art of Seeing 

I would like to explore the idea of “shaping an experience” by giving users a certain degree of control, while the experience is taking shape, to create a different (shaped) memory of the entire experience.

Remembering something is a reconstruction of memories.

How different circumstances might influence your Imprinted memories, perceptions and experiences. How interactions (static interactions) might help to reconstruct memories in a different way to create a better more meaningful experience. Your remember self.

3 different experiences and making them a social interaction:

1. Traveling on public transportation

It is public but not social. It involves a shared space but the interactions are limited by the users.

2. Traveling on a bike

It is personal and not social. It is difficult to interact with people that are not biking. It becomes social before or after and not during. 

3. Traveling on a car

It is a restricted social environment. You can control the windows to open to the outside world.

Ideas to harvest opportunities to shape the experience by changing the interaction to be social:

1. Music can be shared.

2. Providing a communication framework.

3. Integration interaction with the outside environment.

[macdevstudio]

1999 A.D. Future Predictions

Mom and Kid at a beautiful beach Air Car

House Layout    School Room    Computer Room (Where it lives server)    Swim pool    Media room TV    Health center exercises measure

Age 44 not so old anymore (Health Care - Medicine - Younger)

Car with clear roof up doors

Honeycomb structure house modular (grows with the family size and interest)

Dad 

astrophysicist works away from home several day a week in a lab (colonization of the first planet) Hobby: botany (working at home on a giant peach with thick protective skin modification)

Work bench with electronic screen

Call up photographic sections

Central home computer with storage (centralized information available to every member of family)

Kid go to school 2 mornings a week and attend school at home (video classes)

Moon landing (Apollo 11 1969) predicted 1967

Assignments feed into teaching machines the can adapt to the kid progress (no keyboard - buttons inputs)

Self schooling no presence of teacher or guidance (what about questions)

Mom 

Home maker?

Conference screens to communicate in house

Kid customized buttons to wash face (Amount of water)

Blowing air to dry (push button)

Kitchen

Menu prepared by computer by day (Customizable - Recommend alternatives) Quick lunch (1 min) Central computer prepared food with intelligent appliances Split second lunches Disposable dishes

Instant society of tomorrow Frozen food individual portions Computer will keep inventory Nutritional need of the family Fed automatically into the microwave oven

House maintenance free Central atmospheric system (constant temperature year round) Cleaning closets Fingertip shopping video console Video camera at store Household monitor screen

Pay by the husband with console (different login accounts access)

Central bank computer will debit the account (scanned image of a paper receipt) Printed copy tax, etc. Video screen Electronic correspondence machine (home post office) email Automatic self diagnosis computer (alerts for repairs)

Home Energy Center (fuel cell - furnishes power, pure water, burns waste, heats, cools rooms)

Photochromic windows (filters)

Music instrument (synthesizer - sequencer with screens)

Health center room Medical couch Exercise requirements (Confirmations) Connects with computer medical center forward info Rewards

Video chat Weather check

Dirt free environment 

Mom 

pottery teacher of fine arts

Atemporal games with computer chess

Cooking dinner “the old fashion way”

Party

Media control center (remote control) Video recorded performance large screen

3d video note 4d video note

“…it remains only to apply what we now know to fulfill these dreams of tomorrow. The world of 1999 and beyond is limited only by the boundaries of our imagination today.”

I can definitely reclaim the idea that regardless of how “intelligent” any technology or device is or will be, it will always require human interaction to be appropriate and relevant.

PS: That was a very high note!

[macdevstudio]

Image Cluster Critique

Last week I created an “Image Cluster” with what I consider “Inspirational Media” for my thesis: http://macdevstudio.tumblr.com/post/129046938372/thesis-inspirational-media.

My good friend Jessica Halloran (http://hllrn.tumblr.com) helped me with valuable feedback reacting to the cluster:

1. You chose really interesting videos, they were all great to watch. However, i have no idea if you have a cohesive idea heading forward. And you may not, which is totally fine.

2. Your image cluster post is 100% video, so I think having some explanation as to why you chose those particular videos would be helpful in understanding your process.

3. When i first saw this, I thought it was about sound, but now I think it’s about natural effects that we don’t necessarily realize are there. Like we don’t realize that sound can have physical properties or that the pentatonic scale is innate to all people.

4. I happen to know that you are very passionate about a few things: music, technology, cinema. So I’m not surprised that these three things popped up in your image cluster.

5. Like I said before, I’m not sure exactly where you are headed, so my recommendation to you would be to clarify how you want to incorporate your interests into a viable product or service. Or at least narrow down your interests.

Thank you Jess!

There is one idea that I am trying to bring to attention and that I would like to explore but it is not necessarily the idea that will define my thesis. 

Things that we “see” with different senses and/or are hidden in our perceptions. 

“The more you know. The more you see” ―  Aldous Huxley, The Art of Seeing

“The more you know, the more you know you don't know.” ― Aristotle

I would like to explore the idea of “shaping an experience” by giving users a certain degree of control, while the experience is taking shape, to create a different (shaped) memory of the entire experience.

Remembering something is a reconstruction of memories.

[macdevstudio]

PARK(ing) Day

http://parkingday.org/about-parking-day/

http://rebargroup.org/parking-day/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127177848@N07/15105735890/in/pool-worldparkingday/

ParkingDay is an interesting approach to raise a debate regarding the distribution and allocation of public space. Initially, the project was build as a one installation (top image) that reclaimed a paid parking spot and converted it to a park. After publishing the projects the firm Rebar (http://rebargroup.org) received multiple requests to make it public. They decided to create a system that would allow anyone to participate. The “open source” model with a set of particular guidelines to reclaim a parking space is available here: http://parkingday.org/about-parking-day/. They assigned the third friday of september as the official PARK(ing) Day.

It is a very interesting project and creates awareness and promotes discussions that can lead to changes. I do believe that is a positive project.

Out of the infinity of possible solutions that the created System Framework can accommodate I think that the most successful and engaging ones are the ones that create an experience. For example the raised park-stone-bench (middle image) can create a space to relax and rest. Or the original (top image) can accommodate a place to read with some shadow from the tree and a faraway horizon with the open space in front. Also, the playing ground (bottom image) creates a completely different experience by reclaiming the parking space and bringing an activity that you might not find anywhere near that place.

The idea of having a controlled environment as a system will bring difficulties because of the nature of the infinite possibilities that can accommodate. I think shaping an experience would suit better to the ideas related to my thesis approach.

[macdevstudio]

Google Logo Design Proposal

http://www.thesevenfoldstudio.com/blog/facebook-logo-design-and-geometry/

http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/twitters-new-logo-the-geometry-and-evolution-of-our-favorite-bird/

http://www.banskt.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-logo-designs/

http://www.danieldavis.com/parametric-typography/

Design Proposal

Marcelo A. Mejía Cobo

MFA Interaction Design Candidate at the School of Visual Arts class of 2016

http://macdevstudio.com

[macdevstudio]

Thesis Inspirational Media

[macdevstudio]

Thesis Current Rough Ideas

How our decisions are constantly being controlled and a possible approach to give a proactive participation to the user during common interactions. 

One of the cases that I would like to research is the interaction between a machine and the feedback that a user gets while performing a search. 

The moment that a user performs a search it inputs keywords to match criteria and receive a post-process list generated by an algorithm. The list is extremely long and imposible to scan entirely. Usually the first entries on that list get attention. 

That interaction loop ends and if the matching criteria is not sufficient you simply perform a new search.

I am proposing a further interaction involving proactive participation from the user to control the result (e.g. filters, selections, keywords, metadata, tags, etc.) via dynamic “targets”.  The new interaction is a meaningful way to give control back to the user and can be easily implemented into a search engine or directly embedded into a browser in the case of web.

During the summer, I had the opportunity to work as an intern at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - MSKCC. I worked developing a concept for “Wait Time Transparency” for patients during their chemotherapy and physicians appointments. The project included direct primary research at the hospital and different clinics. That experience made me think about possibilities of adding the same additional feedback loops or proactive participation to patient experiences during their treatments. 

In addition last semester during our Smart Objects class I did some research about “Memory and Learning”. For our final project we created “Clara” a smart lamp that is controlled by brainwaves:

http://macdevstudio.tumblr.com/post/117577725267/clara-by-belen-josh-and-marcelo

That research lead to specific approaches to the user experience and overall journey-map for the project at MSKCC.

Now. Combining the different experiences I am thinking about:

How different circumstances might influence your Imprinted memories, perceptions and experiences. How interactions (static interactions) might help to reconstruct memories in a different way to create a better more meaningful experience. Your remember self.

I would like to try to combine the different ideas...

[dmxatixd]

With my last entrepreneurial design course just a few hours away, I’ve been reflecting on the experience. My biggest takeaway is the value of collaboration. Even if you’re the one with the idea, find a few people to take the journey with you, because you’ll go further, together! 

[macdevstudio]

Clara (By Belen, Josh and Marcelo)