notes
(1) The conversation based on Shaughnessy’s blog entry lasted three weeks. In the middle of the discussion, Shaughnessy joined his readers in the conversation. The online space allows a unique forum that documents both history and patterns of point of views, carrying different aspects than a conversation in a conference, class, or studio environment. From these aspects, I found a potential to explore in a local community with various sub groups.
(2) Roland Barthes revealed an inspiring way to look at writers, writings, and readers. For this thesis project, the roles of the installation designer kept shifting between host and audience. Lisa Nugent once mentioned that the potential of this type of project shared similar functions with design research, while instead of aiming at an age group, it took on the local community, which reminds me of Barthes’ idea of the author’s role as a reader of a story.
(3) Doma Clouds adapts the idea of “Tag Clouds” into a physical object. The structure of clouds is based on the topics in the conversation and it is organized manually.
(4) Among various forms of inquiring, such as probes or interviews in design research projects, I learn more from having a conversation with target audiences. The richness is often created by offering a counterpoint to a given answer. Shuffle Space’s explorations adapt the same technique into the voice of the installations. Clotaire Rappaille’s book, The Culture Code, utilizes personal interviews to map various problems in a set of relative topics, such as “Beauty and Fat”, and “Quality and Perfection”. These experiences and readings helped to define questions that Shuffle Space investigate in assorted given contexts.
(5) John Thackara gives wide ranges of recent system design, interaction projects, and new products related to the raising awareness of sustainability and globalizations around the world. One of the conclusions is not just pointing out the social influences of a designer, but while working with technologies and new media, do not forget the people around designers are the more than just target audiences.
(6) One might argue the fact that Kappor’s vision and ideas remains in his work, Cloud Gate. However, the differences between his work and Shuffle Space is not only through the mirrored existence of viewers and the background, but also through revelation of hidden insights and opinions.
(7) See Mieke Gerritzen’s illustration, The things we design will end up designing us 2002-6, as well as on the All Media, a organization run by Gerritzen and Koert van Mensvorrt. < http://all-media.eu >