Final Report
The learning outcomes of this phase of the module that where expected to be achieved:
LO1: “Design multimedia projects that make appropriate use of physical, aural, visual, and time-based and interaction components to convey a message and reinforce its content.”
LO2: “Identify the appropriate technology to design a product or installation.”
LO3: “Develop working prototypes to appropriately augment an interactive product or installation.”
LO4: “Appraise their work in relation to current practice and theory.”
Learning outcome LO1 has been met by creating a project that does convey a message to the users of the area. This has been created by a process of an observation of the space and the design and development of the interaction itself. After the interviews and the observational visits to the location, it has become apparent that this park is heavily populated by dog walkers. The main concerns of this was purposed in the interviews where based on dog waste not being picked up. This being a concern as many children in the area pick up things from the ground as a toddler Grace who i met during one of the observations, had done so. As the summer approaches and hopefully the good weather appears this again has many people bombarding this local spot and walking/sitting or even just witnessing this would put these people of walking in the area. This then suggest that the grounds around the park should be interactive to such activity so that if the owner of the pet does not pick up the waste after a timed period, an alarm in that area of the park will come into effect. This conveys a strong message to a certain target user of this park. This message also suggests a tidier, cleaner park for the users. This using an alarm system changing the experience of the surrounding to encourage these targeted dog walkers to remember to clean up the waste after their dog, therefore participating with the interaction.
L02 has been met by identifying and researching the different technologies required producing the final outcome of this installation. The technologies for this process have been identified for the creation of this interaction. These include a Max MSP patch, which was suggested in the blog about the development of the interaction. However this will be met mainly in the second part of the coursework, when the patch itself will be demonstrated.
LO3 this again has been met by creating a working prototype which has been shown in the development of this interaction in the blog recordings ‘Max MSP Patch Audio Proof Concept’. This has been developed using a web cam to track the motion of the user creating a sound depending in the position of the user in front of the camera. This patch is designed to point out a cleaner environment to the users of this space. This patch simple is triggered by using pressure sensors to warn people of the dog waste. The code that is being used for this patch was created using sound and a webcam to suit this interaction.
Learning outcome LO4 has been met by carried out research from other people, such as inspiration. This again was met by the interviews carried out in the blog and helped with the final outcome of the patch.
This was to gain a better understanding of their term ‘Responsive Environment’. However even though there where many inspirations from class etc, these were not added to the blog itself. This reason being as even though these suggested great ideas these where not similar to the final result of patch that would be created.
Throughout the observation of this module many influences helped the ideas. One that stood out for was whilst back home in Ireland. An idea came about from an interactive game for children in the Armagh planetarium. This was where the influence for the first idea had come about. However, as time had went by the realization sunk in that this would be unsuccessful as it was very technical with Max Msp.
With the tutorial classes’ inspiration was drawn from current methodologies that integrate similar theories. One that has been built-in within previous blog posts can be found under ‘Inspiration One’. ‘Inspiration One’ incorporates the use of an interactive floor and pressure sensors to demonstrate when the space ships ‘blow up’ and print a ‘good job’ message.
This evaluation of the ‘inspiration’ can further be used to convey how the floor within the park is going to demonstrate when dog owners do not dispose of their dogs waste. However, within the proposed intervention there will be a time lapse on the interaction with the floor and the warning that is triggered for the people, to compel them to returning to deal with the dog waste.
This therefore suggests that all these learning outcomes have been achieved as the ‘designer’ has created an interaction that conveys a message and reinforces its content, which as a result achieves LO1. LO2 outcome was to clearly identify the appropriate technology to design a product or intervention. This had been achieved through classes and also is recommended in the blog what technologies will be used. Using a class tutorial, however, enhancing this to suit the intervention using Max Msp, which is placed on this blog with all the code of the patch the ‘designer’ has achieved LO3. Finally, LO4 of this module was to appraise work in relation to current project and research. This again was achieved on the blog by the ‘designer’ therefore meeting this learning outcome of the module.