SYSTEM DESIGN: HERE|THERE

Specifications

Designed as a masters thesis project for the Media Design Program 2007 Graduate show
Minimum space requirements: 18 ft x 15 ft
Orientation: middle of the room—off the wall, dimensional—for multiple entry points



Structure of space & information

1. Physical layout of space

PERIMETER: most open space (landscape views), linear pathway, features questions
GATHERINGS: more focused (intimate v, move in any direction, features stories related to the themes (passages, identity, home, dreams)
FLOOR: refers to the idea of displacement (distance traveled, pathways, footprints, boundaries), features facts and statistical information from the U.S. Census 2005 2. Perspectives + scale:

A range perspectives offer a "remixing" of the information as participants move through the space.

• General (exterior view) + personal viewpoints (interior view)
• Large scale type: editorial voice, addresses the viewer directly with questions, most general activity
• Small scale type: personal voice, closer you get to the boxes, the more focused, intimate the interaction
• Storybooks: contain the text of stories, the most individual activity, small scale

3. Layers of voices

GRAPHIC VOICE: editorial and personal voice
AUDIO VOICE: voice of the storyteller
VIEWER VOICE: conversations of participants

4. Communications and interactions, movements, gesturesEach gathering communicates a theme which is reflected in the shape and interaction of the area. The interactions are sometimes overt and conscious, others are more ambient and subtle. Participants discover information by physically moving and engaging with the space. Gestures and affordances (such as graphics and text) support the interactions.

PASSAGES: movement, entrance/exit, interaction is opening a panel and passing through two boxes
IDENTITY: exterior/interior, fragmentation, interaction is opening up a door and looking in
HOME: comfort, structured, interaction is sitting down "making yourself at home"
DREAMS: things revealed, standing up/falling down, interaction is bending down and "listening in"



Content

Text & image:
Questions: "editorial" voice, addresses the participant directly ("you")
Story excerpts & quotes: derived from interviews, quotes, letters, official documents, secondary research.
Images/drawings: interpreted from interviews and photographs.
Floor texts: statistics relating to each gathering theme, collected from the U.S. Census.
Storybooks: Contain complete text version of the stories with images and backstory information

Audio:
Story texts are narrated by four storytellers and feature composed music.
Each gathering features a set of stories relating to four themes (passages, identity, home, dreams).
Audio is triggered when participant approaches or engages with the gathering space.

Light:
Indicates when someone approaches the box, the stories “come alive," also illuminates when the audio stories are activated.