Final Project: Research

In my group research project, I defined “interaction” as “a cyclical process in which two or more objects see, think, and speak.” More technically speaking, it is “a cyclical process in which two or more objects input, process, and output”. My midterm project can be the epitome of my definition. I partnered with Tawan to make the project “Music Hand”. It is a two-player interaction game, in which the two players each put on a devised glove on one hand, and Player One plays seven notes by clicking his or her finger onto the thumb before Player Two does the same process to imitate what Player One has done. After the process, the device will give feedback to signalize how well Player 2 played. I think the experience can exemplify what “interaction” is. 

Now I have read the article Art, Interaction and Engagement. From the article, I have known more about interactivity and different levels of art. The first one is Dynamic-Passive: the simple reaction of the artifact, whose output is completely predictable. Then is Dynamic-Interactive: the interactive artifact that can deliver its output to the users, making the user think and change their input actions. Finally, Dynamic-Interactive (Varying): the highest level is that the work is unpredictable and interactive. It will learn experience and adjust its output, which adds more random and interesting functions to the performance. (Ernest Edmonds, Art, Interaction and Engagement). Thus, I have come up with an idea about what a successful interactive project is. I want to include two players playing a game while using the computer as a medium to process the two players’ behaviors. What’s more, randomness would be added to the project to create a “Dynamic-Interactive (Varying)” project. 

The midterm project that my friend Xiangyi Zhong and her partner did inspired me. It was a two-player game theming Tom and Jerry. I think it was creative, and I quickly thought of a famous episode in Tom and Jerry about Tom playing the piano in the concert hall and Jerry disturbing him. I think I can extract ideas and themes to create my devised game from this episode because it not only features two people acting as Tom and Jerry respectively, but it also includes huge amounts of music that is in line with my mid-term project. 

(This is Zhong’s midterm project)

Tom and Jerry – The Cat Concerto – YouTube

(This is the piano episode of Tom and Jerry)

Additionally, I have researched two projects on the internet that inspire me. One is “The Legible City” created by Dr. Zhifei Shao (1989), which includes the user immersively engaging in using the equipment, namely a bicycle, to experience the city visually. Therefore, I think physical experience can be applied as an input of the project when making a successful interactive project. The other project is “The Floating Piers” by the Claudes (2016), in which we can even touch the work and complete a face-to-face two-way communication with it. And when we evaluate the work, we will also add our own reference data of interactive experience, just like completing a user experience report to judge the meaning and value of the work. And the project is in line with Ernest Edmonds’s article, which quotes, “Much interactive art, however, seems to emphasize attraction and immediate engagement. “(Ernest Edmonds, Art, Interaction and Engagement) This has given me much insight.

 

(The Legible City)

(The Floating Piers)