Interactive Project I: “Play Me Light Me”
Link to the video: https://www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=1840912#!en
Play me Light me is an interactive installation directed by Kaleidoscale Marcom in Beijing that is mainly composed of light and sound. A piano is placed in the public facing a wall of lights, and when a user presses the keys on the piano, he or she lights up the surrounding space in different color, different range and motions of light depending on the keys they click, the duration of the harmony of each key and music the user creates. Since the installation is placed in the public, any passerby no matter virtuoso or complete beginner of piano can get to express theirselves, create, interact, and experience with the installation. I chose this project as I was drawn by the interaction it created between the user and the installation; it connects the user not just to the environment with artistic views, but also to creation or expression of music. I think that this project is successful interactive experience because it induce users in deep engagement during the interaction, the results or the output of the interaction is greatly depended on the action of the user, and importantly, the project is designed to create an impressive aesthetic view with lights while the users do not need any instructions in interacting with the installation. Thus, the project falls under the category of ‘Dynamic-Interactive’ Edmonds mentioned in Art, Interaction and Engagement, in which the user have an active role in influencing the changes in the art object and the process of the work (Edmonds 3). In addition, it also fulfill the approaches of the physical interactions that Edmond addresses. First, the project is direct: the user physically manipulate and influence the work through pressing the keys on the piano. Second, the project is facilitated: the users are provided with special device, which is the piano. All in all, this project inspired me to include music element, and changing environment for the user experience in my final project, which it can attract the users with the beautiful scene and encourage deep engagement with their own expression of music and art.
Pattern of light created by a user
Interactive Project II: NAOSPHERA
Link to the video: www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=1491470#!en
Naosphera is an interactive project that was structured with two and a half foot LED ball surrounded by depth camera. Every time a visitor walk by it, the dying flames shown on the LED ball was kept alive and it grow stable with the time and space that each of the visitors gave. Here, the visitors acted as the “wood” that is thrown into the fire of Naosphera, and this is how the visitors keep the fire “alive”. After the fire is regenerated, the motion of the visitors is demonstrated on the LED ball as if the visitors were burning and they were moving as the fire and surrounded by more flames. I chose this project as I was astonished by the magnificent scene it created, the design of the flames that grew in the LED ball, and the fire in the shape of visitor. The scene and the responses the installation gave attracted both the visitors and I to be willing to interact with the project. This project inspired me to have cool visualizations and the interaction experience revolving around the change in environment together with the presence and the movements of users into my final project. Naosphera too is a successful interactive project that fall under the category of ‘Dynamic-Interactive’ and fulfill the approaches of the physical interactions that Edmond addresses. It is a direct interaction between the visitors and the installation, the visitor is the main influencer of the artwork’s result by generating the flames and shaping them by their movement and their physical appearance itself. Second, the project is facilitated with the devices of the LED ball and the depth camera. Lastly, the project is ambient, where the visitors’ movements are detected by the camera and reflected on the LED ball. Most importantly, this project is also successful as it does not require any instruction or communication before hand for the visitor to engage and interact with it. The audience is naturally attracted by it and the interaction automatically take place as soon as the visitor approaches the installation.
What is a Successful Interactive Experience?
Overall, from the fundamental meaning of the interaction according to Carwford, a successful interactive experience must at least include the important three steps: listen, process, and respond. For an example, Naosphera first “listen” to the surrounding and the motion of the audience through the camera, it then “process” the movement of the audience and their appearance and “response” by lighting up flames and fire that forms into the way the audiences look like and move the way the audiences move. From my midterm project, I learnt that a successful interactive experience should not involve too many instructions, and it is at best when the audiences are able to interact with the projects without instructions at all. With that in mind, an interactive should be designed in a way where it is clear for the users to know where to start and what to do without any communication from the artist or the project creator. Moreover, deep and long engagement with the project is also essential for successful interactive experience. The user should be attracted and deeply involved in the interaction that gives different and unique responses or formation of art from the installation mostly depending on the actions of the users. In words of Edmonds, it is important to have sufficient interest, where the audiences are encouraged to maintain sustaining interest through the process of interaction (Edmonds 14). When the audience engage with the project, their action leads to a response, where the response in turn should encourage the audience to have further actions. To do so, according to Edmonds, the project and its interaction with the users should influence the internal states which represents memory, mood, or state of development. Taking all of these elements into account, we can create a successful interactive experience.
References
Crawford, Chris. The Art of Interactive Design a Euphonious and Illuminating Guide to Building Successful Software. No Starch Press, 2003.
Edmonds, Ernest. “Art, Interaction and Engagement.” IEEE Xplore, ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6004082.
“MANA – Global New Media Art Platform – Art / Design / Technology Cross-Industry Innovation.” MANA 全球新媒体艺术平台 艺术/设计/科技/跨界创新, www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=1840912#!en.
“MANA – Global New Media Art Platform – Art / Design / Technology Cross-Industry Innovation.” MANA 全球新媒体艺术平台 艺术/设计/科技/跨界创新, www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=1491470#!en.