Text Story

In many ways, the third semester of Super Studio served as a dry run for forming a thesis. Students were asked to form initial research questions, bounding terms, create a work schedule and show evidence of tinkering. As a collaborative project, our team had to decide on an entry point for our project. We both knew that our research on the Text Wall from the second semester provided a plethora of opportunities - is the Text Wall a product, a reserach paper, a business proposal?

In the end, we both felt that given the short 12 week schedule of the class our best bet to move the Text Wall further was to stick to the original proposal of using the data set as a gift for the families participation in the study. Moreover, we felt that this book, in turn, could inform further design decisions should we decide to pursue the text wall in the future.

Listed below is our initial proposal for the semester's project.

The Text Wall was created to understand how real-time media, in the form of text messaging, could change the discussion space within the family dynamic. Part of the motivation for texting the wall was the creation of a hard bound book that would be sent to the families containing their texts.

It is our intention, through the creation and sharing of this journal with our families, to understand how information design influences perceptions of familial memory, personal identity and the dynamics that bind the two together. Moreover, as an alternative family portrait, we hope to explore the opportunity spaces created in the translation of a digital input to an analogue output (and in turn this analogue output can further enhance a digital design).

The intended audience for this project is two fold. First and foremost, it is a gift to the families for participating in our study. The second motivating factor is our own understanding of the data collected. Using observation, analysis and a post-interview process, we were able to understand many expected and unexpected behaviors during its implementation. It is our hope that this second round of analysis will provide a deeper understanding of this project to inform further design decisions.

What are the elements of design that can be used to visualize conversation?

How does the visualization of conversation influence family memory, perceptions of self and the family dynamic?

How does this translation of the digital to the analogue enhance our understanding of the text wall's design?

Memory, Identity, Conversation

Continuity, Personification, Imagination

Acquired Memory, Reflection

Wk 3 Figure out schedule, approach

Wk 4 DUE: Website. Plan out schedule, timeline, direction.

Wk 5 Getting acquainted with the text data gathered from last term. Discussion of first round visualization techniques and tactics.

Wk 6 First round visualization studies, critique, refinement.

Wk 7 Second round of visualization studies.

Wk 8 First prototype.

Wk 10 Book delivered to families. First round interviews.

Wk 11 Book reflections: Second round interviews.

Wk 12 Final