(re)CONNeCt

Marina Brant . MS in Communications Design . Prof. David Frisco . Pratt institute . Fall 2012

PrOBLeM

Digital technology is increasingly influencing our every day lives. at a time when so much attention goes towards its development and use, it is important to emphasize the physical world, especially in the big cities, where people tend to have more individualized interests, and human connections seem to be left behind.

CONCePtS

CONteXt

• Post-Digital

INVeStIGAtION

• Human-centered

• interaction

• Participation

• Co-creation

• Performance

• involvement

• Engagement

• Multidisciplinary

• Multisensory / tangibility

HYPOtHeSIS

the post-digital era introduces new perspectives to digital technology, dissipating it from focus and moving efforts to more humanized aims. Design practice also evolves around thoughtful and systematic solutions for society.

Considering this context and perspectives from overlapping design approaches – including Participatory Design and interaction Design – this thesis presents the hypothesis that Communications Design can provoke involvement and social engagement.

Using a human-centered design, i propose to recontextualize forms of digital interaction to develop an analogue experience that stimulates co-creation, brings awareness to the body, and highlights the importance of human interactions.

reSeArCH

PoSt Digital

PartiCiPatory DESign

intEraCtion DESign

reSeArCH

POSt dIGItAL

PartiCiPatory DESign

intEraCtion DESign

ANALOGUe dIGItAL

• response to digital wave

• human-centered approach

• deeper experiences in physical objects

• new perspectives to digital technology:

natural

intuitive

hybrid

POSt-dIGItAL

reSeArCH

• Primarily thought of in the digital realm

• Has basic principles focus on human communication

• Considers broad aspects of interaction

• Human-centered approach

• integrates multidisciplinary perspectives

• Uses digital and/or analogue media

• The “user” influences final outcomes

interactivity is an essential feature of

human-being: a chat, a kiss, a dance, a

work of art are all modes of interaction.Dan Boyarski

PoSt Digital

INterACtION deSIGN

PartiCiPatory DESign

reSeArCH

PoSt Digital

intEraCtion DESign

PArtICIPAtOrY deSIGN

“Participation” in Participatory Design means to

investigate, reflect upon, understand, establish,

develop, and support mutual learning processes

as they unfold between participants in collective

“reflection-in-action” during the design process.toni robertson and Jesper Simonsen

• People as partners, involved on the process as partners

• Began with civil rights movements

• Pioneered in Scandinavia to transform the workplace

• applied as methodology by other design areas

• aims the designed pieces to meet needs and be usable

SIX-FOrtY BY FOUr-eIGHtY (BY ZIGeLBAUM + COeLHO, UNIted StAteS)

CASe StUdY: PHYSICAL dIGItAL MedIA

• interactive digital installation

• Digital to physical

APPeeL (BY teGreeNeYL, GerMANY)

CASe StUdY: PHYSICAL ANALOGUe MedIA

• interactive analogue installation

• Digital to analogue

• Collective result

drAwING MACHINe #1 - tO YOUr HeArtS CONteNt (BY jOSePH L GrIFFItHS, AUStrALIA)

CASe StUdY: PHYSICAL ANALOGUe MedIA

• interactive analogue installation

• Primitive technology

• Collective result

VIStA SANS wOOd tYPe PrOjeCt (BY trICIA treACY & ASHLeY jOHN PIGFOrd, UNIted StAteS)

CASe StUdY: dIGItAL tO ANALOGUe

• Digital/analogue dialogue

• Hybrid media

• Collaborative result

HANdMAde VISUALIZAtION tOOL-kIt (BY jOSe dUArte, COLOMBIA)

CASe StUdY: dIGItAL tO ANALOGUe

• Digital/analogue dialogue

• Participative results

SYNtHeSIS

ANALOGUe eXPerIeNCe

dIGItAL INterACtION

taking this scenario further, i propose to

recontextualize forms of digital interaction into an

analogue experience, in order to assess the communicative

potential of the media. its intrinsic physicality can highlight the role

of real environments and the importance of human-interactions.

By analysing the Post-Digital domains and principles of interaction and Participatory Design, my research validates the importance of ahuman-centered process in the contemporary design context.

ANALOGUe eXPerIeNCe

tHAt StIMULAteS PArtICIPAtION ANd

HUMAN-INterACtION Develop an interactive

piece that translates intangible digital attributes

into tactile qualities, stimulating the audience in

the co-creation of a tangible library collection that could

result in an exhibit.

2

1Create an installation piece in a public environment that invites people to collaboratively interact, by providing analogue tools to complete the design.

dIreCtIONS

tHANk YOU!

Marina Brant

Fall 2012grad. CommD.

Pratt institute