Project 3: Eccentric interfaces
Choose an environmental matter of concern, this could be a species (eg. weeds populations), ecological issue (eg. behavior change and food waste), or an environmental infrastructure (eg. energy use, taps, composting machine) that you are interested in working with on campus. It should relate to you and be something that others are concerned with, such public perception of an urban species, an exploration of a dynamic natural/built system in the local area.
By reflecting on your chosen issue, identify key everyday objects, practices, habits, devices, built environmental features or designed interfaces that define or limit or control or suggest how people think, feel, and act around the issue. Develop a creative work in response to this research, your project might aim to explicate and reveal some aspects of and tensions within your chosen matter of concern, or it might suggest or structure another way for your audience to interact with it.
See some inspirational works listed under Project 3 here. or in this giant list of works over here.
Due:
- Concept generation due Monday, 14th Nov. (5%)
- Project due December 12th in class. (25%)
Concept generation:
Prepare 3 slides outlining your idea. These should contain - a description of the issue you want to research and respond to, links to two artist works that inspire you, sketch at least 2 ideas for projects that relate to your issue, these do not have to be fully formed. You will present this in class and we will follow it with a group conceptual brainstorming session on this work. You may choose to collaborate or work independently.
Prompts:
What are the questions that inform your inquiry? Why are you interested in this matter? What don't you know? Are you aiming to make your audience/user uncomfortable / inspired / aware / curious / in awe / active / engaged / confused / amused, etc. Also, [explore this big list of projects from artists for inspiration.
Still stuck for inspiration?
Brainstorm responses for the following questions.
- Fulfill an ecosystem service. Promote/document your service in some way.
- Write a guide for how to carry out an ecosystem service.
- Collaborate with a non-human life form. Take a photo.
- Design a data visualization/viceralization project of a natural system and then try to flip who is being sensed and who is doing the sensing.
- Create an interactive interface that makes it harder to get information not easier. Make your interface seamful.
- Devise a way for a natural system to participate in a political action or process.
Still stuck? Work through these steps for concept generation
Submission requirements You are to accompany your project with a set of slides or a doc containing documentation of your project development as is outlined in the concept development steps.
Your submission should include:
- Your project title.
- A description of your work that addresses the questions in step 2 (include references).
- Project documentation as outlined in step 4.
Video, photography, sketching, interviews and/or live performance you should document your prototype in use. Your documentation should demonstrate how your design proposal will innovatively extend human-environment relations.