Project Progress – Nov 22
The first step was to make a small-scale, clunky, working prototype of the interaction.For this prototype, I embedded a video chat widget from oovoo.com and placed it beside an embedded video from Hulu. I decided to conduct the user test with my younger brother, P.J., who currently lives in Connecticut to attend college. While using the prototype, we watched an episode of Family Guy (at full screen) while laughing and talking together as we watched the content. Watching streaming, online content while also hearing each other laugh was a great experience for both of us, and I now am confident that the core interaction I am trying to create is strong not in concept but can also be strong when implemented through an actual application.
Here's a screenshot of my prototype in action.
The prototype is still live and active. Here’s the link: http://katreilly.com/streamingRooms/familyguy_chat.html. Please try it!:)
From this prototype, I learned a number of things. Firstly, I realized the interaction was meaningful and also fun. Although, the multi-step process to get to the actual interaction needs to be simplified. Is there an easier way to connect to one another while also starting up the content?
Perhaps the least successful part of this prototype was the method used to start the content and watch it simultaneously. My brother and I had to count to “three” and press the play button at the same time. This worked well until we hit a commercial break, during which each of us watched different commercials of different lengths. This threw our timing off significantly, and we would often have to stop the content to wait for the other’s content to catch up.
The audio was also a problem that will have to be rectified with my project. I watched the content with headphones, but my brother did not. So I heard not only my content, but his, and this created an irritating reverberation that was hard to bear. Through my project, I need to find a way to resolve this audio problem, which is existent in many of the methods people use to hack together the interaction I am trying to create with my project.
Here is a quick summary of the things learned from this prototype:
After testing this prototype, I was inspired to start planning how the site or application will actually function. I am not very far in this process yet, since I’ve been mainly dealing with the technological part of the project (to be described later in this entry). I have started to sketch up some quick site map iterations and even some user scenarios that are shown below:
General sketch of site map and functionality
More detailed site map of "Watching Content" interaction
Illustrated user scenarios of the "watching content" interaction
Another big step for me in the past week was buying my own server. I purchased the Mac Mini loaded with the Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Server. This will be a terrific tool for me in helping me store content and stream or broadcast it out. It will also help me easily set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which I will use to connect people to my application. With the server, I will have more control and access to the tools I need to execute this project. I am extremely excited and happy with the possibilities that now lay before me.
Pictures of my new Mac Mini and Mac OSX Server Software
With these new tools and information in tow, I have planned out my path for the coming weeks. This week will be devoted to finishing the server set-up, experimenting with the broadcasting and streaming capabilities of the server, and to start building my own video chat application using Flex and Adobe Live Cycle Collaboration Services, with which I am a registered developer.
The following week is dedicated to combining media streaming/broadcasting with my chat application. I will also try to stylize the presentation of both assets during this stage so the interaction will be more unified.
The third week is meant for making and testing a working prototype that I will present during my final reviews. I also plan on having a much more refined and detailed site map and set of user scenarios prepared for the final review as well.
My production schedule for the next three weeks
First User Scenario Visualization
Streaming Rooms – User Scenario V1 from Kat Reilly on Vimeo.
The first iteration of the user scenario for my thesis project called, “Streaming Rooms.”
(New) Thesis Statement and Project Idea
Though online platforms allow us to fluidly watch and share content, I believe they also hinder our ability to watch media with others. Our excessive immersion in the virtual space has made it easy for us to connect with one another, but our attempts at forming and nurturing these connections are often delayed and occur at the convenience of each user. Many people today prefer to communicate through messaging systems such as email, texts, and posts that can be sent and answered at our leisure. Our preferred methods of communication allow us to avoid real-time conversations, and for some strange reason, most of us embrace this feature.
Our increasing use of online technologies causes our conversations to become disconnected and impersonal. Through my thesis, I am exploring ways of promoting real-time interactions on the web. I believe this can be done through media content, which provides an immersive experience and easily provokes conversation among people. When done collaboratively, watching media can be truly engaging activity and cause audience members to connect with one another through the content. With all of this in mind, my thesis project addresses the following question: How can entertaining media can be used to connect people and promote real-time interactions in the virtual space?
Through my investigation of online interactions, I have found very few virtual platforms that promote real-time communication among users. Notable exceptions to this, however, are Massively Multiplayer Online experiences (MMOs) such as World of Warcraft and Club Penguin. These experiences normally have a narrative context to them, and this allows users to escape the “real world” and engage in a virtual one they can build and control themselves. The escapist quality of these online experiences encourages users to connect and form a sense of community through real-time chats and game play.
The objective of my thesis project is to translate the experience of watching media in a living room with friends onto a virtual platform. To do this, I plan to design an online experience where users may converse while media content is streamed to all their screens simultaneously. The content will be displayed within a “virtual living room,” which users can individually customize and decorate. Users may invite specific people to their “living room” to watch content, or they can open their room to the site’s entire community.
Throughout the school year, I will design the visual look, framework, and user experience of this virtual environment. I will use an iterative prototyping process to find a technological vehicle that can effectively handle multiple videos feeds while also offering the unique user experience I wish to create. My goal at the end of the school term is to have an entire presentation package designed and completed so I may show this project to larger interactive media companies, who could certainly implement this project to the fullest potential.
Midterm Presentation Outline – Version 3
Forms that used to exist as physical artifacts are more popular in their digital form, including:
- Photos
- Books
- Games
Things like this have become digitized and are accessible through a variety of platforms and devices. Essentially, it’s more cost-effective, eco-friendly, and widely available when it is produced, distributed and accessed digitally.
Our deep involvement with digital devices has allowed us to become more collaborative in the virtual sphere through social networks (i.e. Facebook) and user-generated content sites (i.e. Youtube, Flickr). Through these applications and platforms, we are able to share videos, photos, and other media with each other through the digital space.
But the devices through which media is converging are meant to be used individually, that is, by one person at a time. And the high cost of these devices often makes the owner possessive, thus unwilling to share the actual physical device.
Therefore, it seems that media technological convergence certainly supports and promotes our virtual collaboration, but do they inhibit us from sharing things in the physical realm?
With my thesis, I wish to explore methods to promote physical collaboration between people through the use of connected digital devices.
Going through an old shoe box of photos with your friends is very different than clicking through photos on Facebook and reading your friends’ comments. (Insert Picture)
And it is very different to play Scrabble with friends than “chat” with a friend (or stranger) while virtual Scrabble. (Insert Picture)
Is there a way to combine the experience of physically flipping through photos and sharing them with people on the digital viewing platforms we are embracing? Is there a way to combine the jovial atmosphere of playing a board game while using a digital device? Can this be done with some sort of tangible interface for these devices?
My project idea is to create removable, reusable, and compact tangible interfaces that allow multiple users to physically interact with digital media and each other.
(Insert Picture)
How?
I can execute this project idea in 2 forms:
- Prototype, fabricate and built actual look and feel prototypes for display (possibly one for each ubiquitous device i.e. iPad, smart phone, laptop)
- Design the visual look and functionality of the digital application that the physical prototype works with. Then I can simulate the software and prototype’s functionality through well-executed video. These videos will show the functionality and also the experience that each interface will provide. (This will be sort of a marketing exercise as well)
Insert Picture(s)
Why this way? Why these forms?
- When I came into this program, I was a filmmaker who specialized in post-production as well as production design à I designed props and sets as well as fabricated them.
- In my time at Parsons, I have learned a great deal about interaction design, programming, and web/app development, etc. But I am realistic and know that I will not be able to produce fully functional and designed versions of what I’m proposing.
Midterm Presentation Outline – Version 2 (**Work in Progress!**)
The viral video, when done well by skilled, passionate individuals, can be elevated to become a new form of narrative media that is used to reveal aspects of the human condition as other narrative forms (i.e. films, novels, etc.) do.
Working Questions
What’s the next phase of evolution for the viral video?
What are the qualities of a viral video? Are there common attributes that all popular viral content share?
How can the viral video—like other narrative media forms—be better utilized to creatively express our (the everyday people’s) views of the world?
How do viral videos reflect our “everyday” view of the world? How can viral videos be used to alter our perception of the “everyday?”
Can the viral video be applied to stimulate emotions other than laughter?
Some background info:
User-generated video content sites like YouTube have allowed ordinary citizens to manipulate video footage, audio tracks, and other forms of media to produce innovative (and often entertaining) content.
Since the area is so vast, I’ve started to list the qualities that relate to popular, well-produced viral video content:
- Often humorous
- Shareable
- Somehow relatable
- Memorable (easily recalled and watched multiple times by same viewer)
- Brief in duration (often no more than 3 minutes)
- More!
The manipulation of media is a popular device of the viral video. Some examples include:
- Mash-ups
- Literal music videos
- Parodies and critiques of media
Who is this for?
Pro-amateur filmmakers, editors, musicians, and other creatives are now using UGC sites like YouTube to self-distribute and self-publish their work.
A pro-amateur is defined by Charles Leadbeater (former journalist and tremendous supporter of user-generated content) as a person who “want[s] to do things because they love it, and they want to do these things by very high standards.”
Why Now?
Affordable technology and user-generated content (UGC) has put media tools into the hands of ordinary citizens, thus allowing them to easily acquire, create, manipulate, and distribute digital media themselves.
After years of uncertainty and controversy, YouTube has declared itself as a “neutral platform.” It will no longer remove user-contributed content that uses copyrighted material unless prompted by the copyright owners.
Copyright owners have taken advantage of the viral popularity of media manipulative content to reconnect with their audience
- Attach ads to these videos to generate revenue
- Are hiring skilled pro-amateurs to develop and produce viral content using their brands and Intellectual Properties (characters, story plots, etc).
Project Idea (inspired by the mash-up): To create an experimental video project where people’s description of a memory/story is randomly mashed up with unrelated video footage (either selected by a user or randomly. In this project, I hope to explore how juxtaposition of audio and video (as evident in video mash-ups) can create new fictitious narratives/interpretations of non-fiction material (real memories, real footage, real life, etc). It will be distributed in two forms: a physical installation or kiosk for exhibition at the MFADT Symposium, and also on the web (initially through YouTube and eventually on its own designed web platform).
How the Project Works:
Assets: variety of video footage; audio narrations of a brief stories
1) User approaches kiosk
2) User prompts machine to “tell a story”
3) As the story begins to play, a random video clip plays over it.
4) Viewer hears the story in tandem with the footage, which affects his/her experience and perception of the story. The relationship between the footage and the narration will generate a unique narrative experience for every different user.
Midterm Presentation Outline – Version 1
Investigating the future of media convergence through the manipulation of media by ordinary citizens on YouTube.
Manipulation of media
Media Manipulation traditionally refers to tactics used in public relations by companies, large organizations, or activist groups. Such tactics include:
- propaganda
- diverting audience attention
- suppressing information
User-generated video content sites like YouTube have allowed ordinary citizens to manipulate video footage, audio tracks, and other forms of media to produce innovative (and often entertaining) content. The manipulation of media is evident in some of the most popular content on YouTube. Some examples include:
- Mash-ups
- Literal music videos
- Parodies and critiques of media
Manipulation of Media in the Past
The manipulation of media is a tradition of creativity. All creative people –in the traditional sense—are influenced by past works when creating new projects. Examples:
- Fine art (Pop Art, Dadaism)
- Television:(broadcast news, Saturday Night Live Parodies)
- Written works (fan fiction, historical fiction)
Why Now?
Affordable technology and user-generated content (UGC) has put media tools into the hands of ordinary citizens.
Pro-amateur filmmakers, editors, musicians, and other creatives are now using UGC sites like YouTube to self-distribute and self-publish their work. A pro-amateur is defined by Charles Leadbeater (former journalist and tremendous supporter of user-generated content) as a person who “want[s] to do things because they love it, and they want to do these things by very high standards.”
Pro-amateur content is normally reflective of what they see and/or experience everyday. For the past 20-30 years, mainstream media (i.e. movies, TV, news organizations, etc.) have become a tremendous part of our everyday lives. As a result of this, there is a growing group of creative individuals who have found a creative voice through manipulating footage, audio, and images from the mainstream media. These creators use familiar, existing media artifacts to create original content with new meaning through juxtaposition.
After years of uncertainty and controversy, YouTube has declared itself as a “neutral platform.” It will no longer remove user-contributed content that uses copyrighted material unless prompted by the copyright owners.
Copyright owners have taken advantage of the viral popularity of media manipulative content to reconnect with their audience
- Attach ads to these videos to generate revenue
- Are hiring skilled pro-amateurs to develop and produce viral content using their brands and IPs.
Project Idea – Concept : I will create a series of projects (both analog and digital) that explore how manipulation of media may be applied beyond the constraint of the brief viral video. I wish to apply the concept of a “mash-up” to a narrative form beyond that of a purely humorous viral video. I want to investigate how the manipulation of media seen in popular online content may seep into other aspects of our everyday lives and possibly change the way perceive things.
(**UPDATED) Possible Project forms:
“Memory Mash-Up” (More detailed description to come!)
logline: experimental video project where people’s description of a memory is mashed up with unrelated video footage (either selected by a user or randomly.
purpose: to explore how juxtaposition of audio and video (as evident in video mash-ups) can create new fictitious narratives/interpretations of non-fiction material (real memories, real footage, real life, etc)
to be determined:
- what kind of footage? (will be original footage!!)
- memory descriptions will be real or scripted?
- memory descriptions will be vague (to adapt to footage more easily) or detailed (for richer narrative)?
- for kiosk/installation: how does the interface look/function if geared for user?
distribution:
- installation/kiosk (symposium);
- on web…perhaps paired with YouTube (?)
Alright…that’s a start!! Let’s keep working this out!
Concept for a Thesis Project (Round 1)
Though I have known that I wanted to involve user-generated content in my project, I had a difficult time figuring out how to explore my interests through an actual creative project. The main issue I faced was identifying a problem to solve or address. I see so many links between user-centric design (UCD) and user-generated content (UGC), but I couldn’t put my finger on a concrete problem that encompassed both of these entities. I buried myself under a ton of research about UGC and and UCD. All of the things I read absolutely fascinated me, but I kept getting overwhelmed. I would have to stop and think to myself, “You’re losing focus. Time to go back and reevaluate how this fits (or doesn’t fit) your original idea.”
That’s exactly what this weekend has given me the opportunity to do. I’ve been able to take the research and synthesize it with my concerns and interests as a designer. I really needed to ask myself…”What does all this mean to me?” I had spent weeks reading about what other people knew about these areas. “But what did it all mean to me?”
So I took a look at the design questions I had drafted for our Thesis Writing Studio, which can be seen here: http://www.katreilly.com/blog/thesis-research/. The question that has always appealed to me most is: In what ways can user-generated content play a role in enhancing user-centric design?
Though the phrasing of the question may change and evolve, I think this is the most thesis-worthy question I have asked so far. I think it has validity and addresses many of the challenges user experience designers may be facing due to the incredible popularity of UGC. Also, I feel passionate and motivated by asking this question.
Why?
For starters, UGC has changed my life. I know it sounds cheesy to say it that way, but it’s true. When I was a senior at Fairfield University, I was assigned to make a movie-trailer mash-up for my non-linear editing class. One of the ideas that hit me was incredibly amusing: What if I used video from a Muppets movie and synchronized it with audio from another trailer? I thought about a few movie pairings, and finally decided that Ocean’s 11 audio and The Great Muppet Caper video was the way to go. I called the video “Henson’s 11” (see below) and put it on YouTube. The video exploded over the next month, and it was featured on both IndieWire.com and Good Morning America. Most importantly, the video caught the attention of a large entertainment company. Over the past year, I have made several mas-ups for the company, and was even invited to work for them as an intern over the summer. My small stint in the world of UGC has given me opportunities I could not have gotten otherwise. I guess you can say I am still amazed at the power one video can have.
My motivation for wanting to explore UGC more thoroughly comes mainly from my intern experience over the summer. As an intern, I saw first-hand how larger entertainment companies are responding to the UGC phenomenon. Companies see the potential utilizing UGC to create innovative online (and even real world) experiences. My development team, for example, spent a tremendous amount of time browsing through and analyzing online video content from sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. I normally spent approximately two hours a day looking at the UGC from these sites, and would then use the rest of my day to brainstorm or develop video projects that were reflective of the popular video content that’s online today. For three months, I was looking at UGC under a metaphorical magnifying glass, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized all that investigation could fuel the evolution of my thesis concept.
I also got the chance to go to VidCon, the first conference hosted for and by the YouTube community. At the conference, I heard one of the chairs of YouTube exclaim that the video-online sharing community is “the future of the entertainment industry.” Though I was extremely surprised at this statement, I have to admit that I wasn’t completely surprised. UGC is starting to infiltrate our lives beyond the computer screen. You can now buy televisions that stream content from the Internet, and YouTube is even developing an application that allows you to make a play list of your favorite viral videos to play on your connected TV. I suppose I’m starting to wonder if the statement by the YouTube chair is actually a possibility. If it is, then designers need to think about how to best utilize it to create new and exciting products and experiences for users that will be constantly connected and hungry for entertainment.
Another creative interest that fuels my fascination with UGC is that it is directly related to the idea of creating an “alternative personality” in the online realm. It is no secret that the anonymity that the Internet provides people is empowering. Under a screen name, people can be more expressive, more creative, or even more abrasive than they are in real life. For me, this relates back to the idea of having different versions of your personality. Each version plays to a certain audience. For example, I tend to be much more expressive about my creative thoughts when at Parsons or with friends from grad school. However, when I’m with my family, I tend to inhibit my artsy side. This tendency to shift dispositions is a quirk about human nature that I have always found fascinating,
In the virtual sphere, I found that creating online video content has allowed me to express myself in a totally fresh and creative way. It has allowed me to inject humor into my work (which was a pleasant surprise, since I never thought of myself as funny before). All in all, the anonymity of the Internet offers a welcoming “playing ground” that lets people experiment with new ways of representing themselves. From a thesis standpoint, I am particularly curious about these new ways of representation. For vloggers (video bloggers) this may take the form of an outlandish character, such as iJustine or Fred. My interest in design process has also caused me to reevaluate these outlandish characters as “extreme characters,” which have been used in case studies for user-centric design.
After going through my reasons for investigating these areas, I needed to think about the aspects of UGC that I could utilize to investigate its connection to user-centric design principles. When it comes to dilemmas like this, the first step for me is to always brainstorm.
An image of the initial brainstorming exercise I conducted. I plan to add to this mindmap as my thesis project evolves.
The brainstorm exercise helped me visually break down UGC into a map of connected concepts. Over time, two aspects of UGC began to stand out: its function as a “venting” tool and users’ tendencies to exaggerate their online personas. I began to draw the latter concept to two of my research sources:
- Bill Verplank’s interview in Designing Interactions by Bill Moggeridge
- and the fascinating design paper, “Interaction Relabelling and Extreme Characters: Methods for Exploring Aesthetic Interactions” by Djajadiningrat, Gaver, and Frens.
In Designing Interactions, Bill Verplank offers an incredibly concise break-down of the interaction design process. He explains that designing interactions consists of answering three important questions:
- How does the user act?
- How does the user feel?
- How does the user understand?
Bill explains that one of the most challenging tasks for designers is establishing a paradigm, or a pattern about how people think of a certain thing. He suggests the best way to decipher a paradigm is to break the product or project down into a series of categories. For example, to answer the question “What is a computer?”, Bill breaks it down into the following sub-categories: intelligence, tool, media, life, vehicle, and fashion. He then explains how each sub-category relates to the user’s understanding of the computer and draws a diagram illustrating how all those views are connected to form a paradigm.
Once a paradigm has been established, Bill then breaks down the interaction design process into four steps:
- Being motivated by an error or problem or being inspired by an idea
- To conceptualize and communicate the project’s meaning through metaphors and scenarios
- Knowing the user’s modes of thinking. Having a clear picture of what your users are thinking about will help you create a conceptual model that your users can understand.
- Designing a set of display and controls to creatively manifest your model.
Bill’s insight into the interaction design process has significantly influenced the way I will approach the thesis process. It has also encouraged me to continue my investigation of the design process through a series of projects instead of one hefty one. While reading and watching Bill’s interview, I kept forming connections between his process and user-generated content. I kept wondering if there’s a way to understand a user through the content that they themselves create. Does the anonymity of the Internet allow us to see another side of our users that we wouldn’t normally observe or consider for our designs? What can we learn about people from the things that they make themselves? Can we use that information to create interesting and innovative design projects in the new age of Web 2.0?
My first concept for thesis really started to take form when I remembered a reading from my first semester at Parsons. The article talked about designing for “extreme characters” that would lead to the development of innovative products and interactions. After some digging, I found the article, which is formally called “Interaction Relabelling and Extreme Characters: Methods for Exploring Aesthetic Interactions” by Djajadiningrat, Gaver, and Frens. To be honest, I didn’t think much of it when I read it last year. But this time around, it completely resonated with me and the form that my thesis is starting to take.
In the article, the authors mainly argue that interaction is interwoven with aesthetics. While encouraging their readers to “move beyond a narrow focus on usability,” Djajadiningrat, Gaver, and Frens describe two methods for understanding design possibilities:
- “Interaction Relabelling” allows users to assign a new function to an already-existing product.
- “Extreme Characters” takes fictional users with exaggerated emotional attitudes as the basis of a design project to highlight social and cultural issues.
The design method that utilizes “Extreme Characters” is the one I am most interested in exploring as part of my thesis. To me, YouTube vloggers, such as iJustine or Fred, are perfect examples of emotionally exaggerated fictional characters.
YouTube celebrity vlogger iJustine.
YouTube celebrity Fred
For my first concept proposal, I’m thinking of designing a series of products for a several YouTube vloggers using the principles of user-centered design. By studying the attributes of each character and learning as much about them through their videos and other media (most of them have websites, blogs, and other publicly available content), I can then develop a scenario that illustrates an issue this fictional character may have, and the way that particular character may wish to solve it. From that scenario, I can start to design a product that will help the character resolve the issue. Ideally, I would develop a few prototypes for each character. I love the idea of the prototypes telling the story of a project’s development, just like this series of concept briefs will illustrate the narrative of my thesis development.
While I’m still fuzzy on the details of how/if this will all work, I know I want to approach this from a humorous angle. As if to say, “extreme characters” deserve “extreme” objects.
Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Here’s a quick example: One of iJustine’s most famous videos is called “I want a cheeseburger!” In it, she tells the story of a dining experience, where a flamboyant waiter berated her with the specials when all she wanted was a cheeseburger.
Illustration of iJustine's case scenario.
For this case, we can suggest that Justine’s biggest concern is that a person is a) ignoring her and b) preventing her from getting the food she wants. The first thing we could do is map out a scenario of the interactions that go on between Justine and the waiter. We can also use this scenario to determine the mindset Justine is in at the time: she is hungry, craving a cheeseburger, and gradually becoming more and more annoyed with the waiter. We can also guess/invent other factors: such as Justine’s cell keeps ringing and/or her ex-boyfriend is sitting at the table next to her with a new girlfriend.
Diagram illustrates Justine's mindset in the scenario.
Based on her assessed needs, wants, and mindset, we can start thinking about designing an interactive product for Justine that will help her solve this situation. Perhaps it’s a ray-gun that turns humans into cheeseburgers (thus allowing her to transform the waiter and eat him instead of the “mahi-mahi”) or it could be a locative iPhone app that lists the “specials” of all local restaurants, so no customer will ever have to sit through the dreaded list of menu-specials again.
In this scenario, Justine could utilize a variety of devices that I've designed for her in this scene. In this case, an iPhone app that tells her the specials of the restaurant would eliminate her troublesome interaction with the waiter. Or, in a more extreme case, Justine could use a ray-gun, which transforms its victims into cheeseburgers, on the waiter and end her hunger and irritation all at once.
A quick illustration of how the cheeseburger ray gun would work.
An illustration of the iPhone app that Justine may use in her scenario.
This has got me thinking…perhaps for each case I can develop an “extreme” product and a everyday product. The extreme product can remain completely conceptual…but the everyday product can actually be manifested and tested. Maybe that’s way too much work (it probably is…but it’s a thought!) I do like this duality…it sort of speaks to the idea of these “characters” having dual personalities: their real one and the one on your computer, phone, or soon-to-be connected TV screen.
Here’s a quick sketch of what the final result for this project may look like:
A sketch of how the prototypes designed for Justine may be displayed.
Sketch of how all the vloggers and prototypes may be displayed.
Djajadiningrat, Gaver, and Frens argue that products can tell “a story about its user and the relationship between them.” I’m curious to see if producing a set of experimental design projects will lead me (and whoever reads/sees my thesis paper and presentation) to understand the attributes of online video content and the people who contribute to its making and/or viewing. It is also my hope that my thesis project will in some way predict the future of user-generated content and the entertainment companies it is beginning to overshadow. Of course, I also want to be able to answer the question of What’s next? (If only for myself.)
Interpreting Calvino’s “Invisible Cities”
Our first assignment for thesis studio was a “creative reboot,” through which each student interpreted one tale from Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. We developed and expanded upon our interpretations through four iterations of a design project.The city I chose as inspiration is called “Trading Cities ” (found on page 36 and 37 of the text). In this story, Calvino offers a description of a city where merchants come from seven different nations to exchange goods. Besides the prospects of commerce, the merchants also flock to Euphemia to trade stories with one another:
“…at night, by the fires all around the market, seated on sacks or barrels or stretched out on piles of carpets, at each word one man says–such as “wolf,” “sister,” “hidden treasure,” “battle,” “scabies,” “lovers,”–the others tell, each one, his tale of wolves, sisters, treasures, scabies, lovers, battles. “
The exchange of stories that occurs in Euphemia reminded me greatly of other literary works such as The Decameron and The Canterbury Tales. I’m currently reading such works to investigate these classic “framed narratives” and find its connections to the user-generated content we see on popular websites today.
Looking more closely at the story, I was further grabbed by the word-association that drives the merchants’ stories. This aspect of the narrative reminded me of word-association exercises and even games like Taboo or Apples to Apples.
To start things off, I conducted a brainstorming exercise. I constrained myself to using single words for the mind map to speak to the word-association theme.
This is the initial brainstorming exercise I conducted after reading "Trading Cities."
The brainstorming exercise was extremely helpful. It helped to generate ideas for types of games to consider and different models of play. Even more so, the exercise also helped me loosely construct a narrative that could be laid over the game.
The first iteration of the project was to be done with paper. I chose to make a cardboard and paper prototype of a game board and game pieces that could be used for the potential game. I also drafted cards with words related to different aspects of the game (once again, calling upon the word-association idea).
A cardboard prototype of the game and first iteration of the Calvino project.
When it came time to move on to the second iteration, I realized I had worked myself into a dilemma. I had already completed the requirements of the project’s next phase: to produce a 3-D interpretation. Even more so, I realized that I had fabricated physical elements of the game, but had little idea as to how they could be played with. I quickly started to brainstorm ideas for gameplay that used the assets I had created as well as stuck to the narrative I was beginning to develop. Once I came up with a defined systems of rules and goals, I conducted a playtest with my favorite guinea pigs: my parents.
A photo of the game during its first user-test.
The playtest went well, but the users found the game boring and difficult to understand.
All in all, the playtest showed that my game wasn’t engaging. My testers and I spent a great deal of time reworking the rules and actions of the game before we even started playing. Though this version of the game had more or less failed, I found the time with my users to be extremely valuable.
Years ago, my father worked for the South Street Seaport Museum. During that time, he became highly knowledgeable about ships, sailing, and the activities of harbors during the 18th and 19th centuries. While we were discussing ways to play the game, Dad would frequently mention a fact about sailing that could be incorporated into the game. I was surprised at how much he knew, and eventually asked him, “How did you know that?”
More often than not, his explanation involved telling a story about how he came to know a particular fact. Eventually, the playtest became a nostalgic exercise for Dad, where he could reminisce about the many sailors and seafaring experts he had encountered during his time at the Seaport. Then, the “Eureka!” moment happened. When Dad was in the middle of one of his stories, my mom turned her head, looked at Dad crossly, and exclaimed, “That’s not how that happened!” Mom then took over and told the rest of the story. When she finished, Dad gave his rebuff and retold Mom’s part. This went on for about 15 minutes, and in that time I was reminded of another part of the Calvino story:
“And you know that in the long journey ahead of you,…you start summoning up your memories one by one, your wolf will have become another wolf, your sister a different sister, your battle other battles, on your return from Euphemia, the city where memory is traded at every solstice and at every equinox.”
At this point, I realized that my approach to the game was wrong. I was focusing too much on the narrative, imagery, and physical aspects of the game. I needed to instead concentrate on providing a context for people to recall memories that they don’t think of everyday. I also wanted to rework the game so it was an experiment in collective memory. I started to ask if it was possible for two people to remember a common memory in the same way. Now I felt I was getting somewhere and speaking more truthfully to meaning behind Calvino’s tale.
I started to brainstorm again. First, I broke down the story into a visual map:
The first attempt to break the story down into a visual map.
I then worked on another visual map that broke down the cycle of generating, recalling, and expressing memories. This really helped me understand the process I wished to create a playful experience around.
A visual map that breaks down the process of memory recollection and expression.
Now that I had a better grasp on the process, I needed to find a means of portraying it in physical space and then, ultimately through a game. I realized I needed to take a step back and relieve myself of the “game constraint.” I conducted a few small visual explorations, all of which culminated in a small project that was inspired by the anniversary of 9/11.
September 11th is our generation’s Kennedy assassination. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when the towers were hit. I know I do. I was in high school, trying to grasp freshman biology, when my teacher somberly came into the room and told us that both towers had collapsed. Both my parents worked in downtown Manhattan at the time, and my dad usually got off the bus at Fulton and Broadway. Needless to say, I was freaking out. My aunt called me two hours later (the cell phone network was jammed) and told me that Mom and Dad were both safe. I didn’t see either of my parents until later that night, and I remember tightly hugging them and being thankful that I still had them in my life.
I’ve told that story a number of times, and I always recall it on the anniversary of the attacks. But as I was thinking about it in tandem with this project, I realized that every time I tell the story or think of it, the memory has evolved or changed a bit. Maybe it’s in the way I tell it, or perhaps I elaborate on a fuzzier detail of the story to make it more engaging. Sometimes the alterations are purposefully done, and other times the changes are made subconsciously. Either way, I don’ t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Our memory of an event changes as we become more removed from an event. Like everything else, memories evolve with time.
I made an exploratory project that portrays this evolution of memory. I made a miniature model of the Twin Towers, and stacked a group of post-its on various parts of each tower. The post-its represent one person’s memory that attached to the 9/11 attacks. The base layer (white post-it) represents the initial experience from which the memory was purely generated. The other eight layers represent the memory as it evolves over the next eight years. The different hues of colors used for each layer depicts the changes that may affect the memory over time.
The exploratory project that I made to reflect upon the evolution of memories from September 11th.
A close-up of the post-its I used to represent the evolution of a memory from Sept. 11th.
The use of paper to represent memories is what led me to the current version of the game. I abandoned the boards, game pieces and cards I used in the previous version. This time, the game would be about the experience of the game, not the stuff that adds to it.
The new version of the game comprised of only blank index cards. Each player writes a summary of a memory that comes to mind when they see a specific word, such as “cuddly” or “hilarious.” Then, each player submits his or her memory to a common area (i..e. the center of the table). All the players review the cards and determine which memory fits the word best. Players can argue against other players’ submissions or can try to convince the others to pick their own.
This seemed like a solid enough game to test. So I gathered my parents again and we played…for over three hours! The game was certainly engaging and fun, especially for people who knew each other so well. For me, the game was enjoyable because I got to hear stories from my parents’ childhoods, and I got to tell them stories about my friends that I’ve never told them before.
“Euphemia” Playtest – “Hilarious” from Kat Reilly on Vimeo.
A round from my playtest of a game I am developing for my Thesis Studio.
My testers found the game to be very engaging, and, even more so, the game provided a context for the “exchange of memories” that the Calvino story portrays.
This playtest was extremely valuable because it also became a successful exercise in participatory design. As we played, we all shared thoughts on how to improve the game and make it more challenging. Through the game test, we added a “judge” who would give an objective ruling on which card fits the word best. We also added the ability to “tell a tale,” where a player can make a story up if he/she cannot think of an actual memory. This makes it more challenging for the judge, who must decide if the memory he/she chooses is truth or tale. We also reworked the rewards system that rewards either the judge or selected player, depending if the judge correctly determined the validity of the memory.
“Euphemia” Game Playtest – “Heartless” from Kat Reilly on Vimeo.
I’m still coming off the high from the success of the latest playtest. But now is time to head back to the drawing board. I still have to do one more iteration of the project…and it has to be digital. This is definitely a challenge for me, and I’m concerned about losing the experiential aspect of the game. I guess the question I need to ask myself is this: What are the aspects of digital technology that relate to memory? The things that immediately come to mind are databases on large user-generated content sites and archives on blogs. This keeps track of things you did in the past and helps you recall them in the future.
Perhaps there is an experiment in here somewhere. Maybe you have to give a description of something instead of searching for a single word. Or to access your archives, you need to provide a description of the content. Of course, there would most likely be inconsistencies between the past and present content…but what’s an interesting way to convey that discrepancy?
Time to start brainstorming again!
Thesis Design Questions – First Round
I plan on updating this list constantly…so stay tuned!
1. How can I define (or redefine) user-generated content (UGC)?
- Is it a purely digital medium?
- What does analog UGC look like?
2. What’s the relationship between digital UGC and analog (physical) experience?
- How may this be explored in a project?
3. How does UGC change with censorship or moderation?
- Can it still even be called UGC when it’s censored?
4. How can we create a safe UGC experience and environment without having to censor or moderate it?
5. Should user-generated content come under governmental law?
- What actions are being done towards/against this movement?
6. What are other possible applications for UGC?
- Are there other areas of the human condition to which UGC may be applied?
- For example, can the idea of problem-processing be interpreted in a new way (beyond the technical forum)?
- What is “the human condition” anyway?
7. How will UGC affect the future of technology and entertainment companies?
- What happens when their consumers become more active and expressive?
- Will they have to change their approach/process to cater to this new aggressive audience?
- How can companies utilize UGC to develop a closer relationship with their users/customers?
- Is UGC a threat for companies? Or does it provide an opportunity for change and growth?
- What can companies creatively gain from UGC?
8. What can we (designers) learn from UGC?
- Does the generation of content by users form a new tool for research?
- Can we know our audience better through UGC?
- In what ways an UGC play a role in enhancing user-centric design?
- Can UGC change the design/creative process?
9. How can UGC be integrated into user-centric aspects of the design process such as prototyping and user testing?
- How can I creatively investigate aspects of a process through a project (or series of projects)?
10. Are their other examples of work or projects like UGC, which promotes collaboration, skill-building, and discovery?
11. How has UGC affected education (or our idea of it) in the past 5 years?
- Is UGC a threat to educational institutions?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages to learning through UGC?
- Has UGC affected our learning curve?
12. How has UGC changed the way we think of “fair use?”
- Has UGC caused some governmental policies to shift/evolve?
- Has UGC taken some power away from the mainstream media and the government?
- Has UGC changed the legal landscape of the corporate market?
13. Who has more power: people or corporations?
- Will that change soon (with the help of UGC and other entities)?
14. Is there a creative way to investigate this matter? (Perhaps through UGC itself?)
15. Does the anonymity of the Internet make us feel indestructible?
- Will laws still matter in 20 years?
- Will UGC bring about anarchy?
16. Is UGC pleasurable?
- What makes content “viral” or successful on the Internet?
- Is there a way to effectively investigate this?
Thesis Research
Annotated Bibliography for Thesis Research
(Version 1)
Alcorn, Steve and David Green, Building a Better Mouse. Orlando: Theme Perks Press: 2007.
Summary: The story of the electronic Imagineers who designed and built Epcot in Walt Disney World.
Evaluation: Disney Imagineers are masters in experience design. Their work brings joy to billions of people around the world, and they are constantly working to create fresh and innovative projects for the Disney theme parks.
During the summer, I was able to meet some Imagineers and learn about the design process they utilize for their projects. I was both happy and surprised to discover they use many of the techniques I’ve learned here at Parsons. I loved hearing stories of how Imagineers discovered things through the creative process, and I believe this book will be extremely helpful and inspirational in that regard.
Boccaccio, Giovanni, The Decameron. Translated by G.H. McWilliam. London: Penguin Classics, 2003.
Summary: Ten young people find recluse at a villa in the Tuscan Hills as the bubonic plague ravages their home city of Florence. To pass the time, each person must conjure one story per day and share it with the rest of the group.
Evaluation: I wonder if there are classic, literary examples of narratives that share similar characteristics with user-generated content (UGC). Like many contributors to UGC sites, the characters of The Decameron form a community. Their attempt to escape the turmoil caused by the plague leads them into an experience that nurtures collaboration and creativity. And though each day is normally assigned a theme, the characters can offer a tale that is conducive to his or her individual personality.
Overall, I see many similarities between the characters of The Decameron, which was written in 1347, and the billions of users that share creative online content with each other today. I am currently searching for more examples of classic literature that offer these—and many more–fascinating parallels to the culture and creators of UGC.
Moggeridge, Bill, Designing Interactions, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2007.
Summary: With the help of 40 of the world’s most influential designers, author and IDEO founder Bill Moggeridge reviews the history of interaction design and describes how it will continue to advance in the future.
Evaluation: Compared to other design disciplines, interaction design is fairly new. It shares a symbiotic relationship with technology. As one evolves, the other also grows stronger and more robust.
As a Design and Technology student, I need to know more about the history of interaction design. I want to read about the ways other designers have solved problems through prototyping and user testing. I’m curious to learn how the process we utilize today has developed over time, and I hope this will help me determine how I may contribute to the field in the future.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, “Participative Web: User-Created Content.” April 12, 2007.
Summary: A study that describes the rapid growth of user-generated content in recent years and its increasing role in global communication. This paper also contains proposals for policy regarding the governmental issues currently surrounding user-generated content, especially in regards to copyright and intellectual property.
Evaluation: This paper offers a complete overview and analysis of user-generated content (UGC) and its significant impact on global communication. The report also provides information on business models that are shifting in response to the increasing social and creative role of UGC. Lastly, the paper actively addresses the challenging subject of policy in regards to UGC. The data and proposed solutions featured in this report will be especially helpful as I continue to research this subject.
Shirky, Clay, Here Comes Everybody. New York: Penguin Books, 2009.
Summary: Clay Shirky uses a collection of case scenarios to emphasize how the spread of the Internet and mobile technology has changed the things we do, the ways we do them, and even who we are.
Evaluation: Many of the cases in this book are focused on user-generated content that brought masses of people together for a common cause. These stories highlight UGC as a powerful social tool that can effectively implement change in the real world.
Travis, David. The Fable of the User-Centered Designer. London: Userfocus, 2010.
Summary: A narrative that introduces the reader to the principles of user-centered design.
Evaluation: Through my initial research, I’ve begun to see a link between user-generated content and user-centered design. I believe user-generated content can, in some way, be used to enhance the principles of user-centered design (UCD). Since it uses a story to describe user-centered desigr , this book mainly appeals to my interests in learning more about UCD as well as how narratives may be used as vehicles for information.