ideate installation
Connecting the digital and physical spaces
Collaborative work completed with Jenny Hu in the course Environments Studio 1.
IDeATe (Integrative Design, Arts and Technology) is a collection of interdisciplinary, project based classes within Carnegie Mellon University. Through research and analysis, we found that one issue within the IDeATe program was a lack of community among the students. This hinders their ability to collaborate and help one another.
We designed an installation for the IDeATe space to strengthen it's brand and promote usage of the IDeATe Gallery Website, a great resource to help students connect with one another. In addition, we made changes to the gallery website to make it more useful and increase usage.
Part 1: Understanding the Problem
Early Brainstorming
When my partner and I were initially given the prompt of improving the IDeATe space, we began brainstorming a range of ideas. However, we soon realized we were working on a basis of assumptions of the IDeATe space, program, and students without having any first hand experience or support.
Reaserch
To better understand the space, we decided it was best to consider the perspectives of students experiencing IDeATe firsthand. We interviewed 5 students with various levels of involvements within the IDeATe program, asking what their experiences were within the space and program and how they felt about those experiences.
Student Archetypes
First, we created archetypes for the different types of students that we found within the program. We then analyzed the different areas of IDeATe in which we thought each archetype would feel comfortable.
Soft Systems Diagrams
In addition, we created soft systems diagrams to better understand how the different elements of IDeATe interacted with one another.
analysis
From here, we began to sort out key take-aways referencing each of the videos. What we found most interesting was that the main difficulties we assumed were actually considered mainly non-issues amongst the students. While yes, the white walls, lack of windows was a bit sad, we still found students who preferred working there more so than their own studio. So what problems existed that we weren’t noticing?
Key takeaways via post-it notes and whiteboards. Pictured groups form top left to bottom right: Accessibility, Abstract Ideate, Individuals, Class Structure, and Collaboration.
We took it back to the goals of IDEATE as a program and studio space. Acknowledging that the goal was not to make the space of IDEATE a replica of our own studios but instead be encompassing of their own program, we realized that:
IDeATe students lacked a strong sense of community.
This is understandable, considering the fact that the IDeATe only offers minors and commitment necessary for being a part of it is very low. However, for a program comprised of what one student described as "learn on your own type classes," a network of peers to reach out to for help and collaboration would improve students' abilities to learn.
Part 2: Determining an Intervention
Identifying Key resources
Collaborative Space
Gallery Website
After talking to more students, we found that the IDeATE gallery website, where students can upload and view one another's work, had a huge potential to connect students. However, it didn't seam to be widely used. In addition, there is very little within this space to help identify it as belonging to IDeATe. An outside student student said that he didn't even know that the space belonged to IDeATe until a sign was put up a few months ago.
In addition, we looked at how these two resources fit inter the wider system of IDeATe.
defining need for installation
To promote usage of the website and brand the space as IDeATe, we decided to create an installation that would 1) brand the space and 2) promote usage of the gallery site.
determining useful changes to website
However, we knew that simply increasing the publicity wouldn't sustainably improve the website's usage. Therefore, we also decided to make two changes to the website itself to better suite the needs of students.
Filtering By Tools: When interviewing students, one issue we found was that instructions on how to use the tools necessary to do projects were often skipped over in class. Based on this observation, we decided to utilize the website as an additional resource for students to find information about specific tools. Through allowing students to find projects based on the tools that were used to make them, users could get a better sense of which tools are best for doing what. In addition, students could then reach out to peers who had successfully used the tools that they might be trying to learn.
Direct Messaging: Another issue that we found was that the gallery website has few features that encourage students to communicate with one another. Therefore, any actual collaboration that could come out of students visiting the website is limited. Consequently, we decided to implement a direct messaging system that would make it easy for students to talk to one another.
Part 3: Making the installation
From here, we focused on designing and prototyping the installation. Since we wanted to relate it to the gallery website and inspire a source of pride within the students, we decided to visualize activity on the website. The specific activity that we wanted to show was tools learned, messages sent, and projects viewed. This was because they best represented IDeATe's goals of skill building, collaboration, and making.
We needed to figure out a way to 1) convey activity in real time, 2) differentiate between the three different types of activity, and 3) display the words IDeATe, all in one cohesive visualization. We decided that a grid system would be most useful for implying a network. In addition, decided to include counters of the cumulative number of actions done on the website to communicate the positive impact of IDeATe.
Finally, we recognized the need for a kiosk beside the installation to showcase the gallery website. This would serve as the intermediary point between the digital & physical space.
Defining Style & semantics
My partner explored the type, color, and layout.
creating animations
I designed the animations. When doing so, I explored a range of different options to find ones that accurately represented different types of web activity. The final code is written in javascript using the library p5.js and can be viewed here.
Process:
Final Animations:
For messages sent, I tried to convey movement between two points.
For projects viewed, I wanted to communicate opening up a dot and seeing what was inside.
For skills learned, I tried to show visualize breaching a divide and reaching outward.
Part 4: Final Deliverables
Installation
Kiosk
Direct Messaging
Filtering By Tools
Maayan Albert © 2020 | maayan.albert@gmail.com