Week 3 - Soldering, Soldering, and more Soldering

Week 3 

Thoughts
This week we really focused on achieving our concept. The concept for our interaction piece was to create an 'interactive wall'. We were looking at the idea of 'presence' being an input. What we wanted to do was create an installation that would almost be humanised. We wanted to piece to react to a user in a way which almost personifies the installation, and try and create an emotive connection between the design and the users.

We also wanted to provoke joy, happiness, curiousity and possibly even empathy. By walking further away from the installation, its heart rate is going to react by slowing down, or maybe going slower. Almost begging the user to come back "please i will die if you dont stay next to me!"

Our outputs are visual ( led lights ) which will react based on the input. The lights will be able to change intensity, cycle speed and maybe colour depending on the interaction with the user. There is also a audible output, which will sync with the lights. These multiple outputs will give the user a wide range of stimuli which should add to the overall experience.

This installation could be scaled up and put into almost any public space. It could be a gauge that there are too many people ( or not enough ) in a certain area.. This could be interesting in an airport, hospitality space to name a few. It could also pick up sound, so could have interesting applications in a bar or club, sporting venue to name a few. 

Once we came up with our concept, we needed to implement it. The first thing was creating the light panel. Myself and micheal got a few refreshments, the keys to a mechanical workshop and worked late into the night soldering led lights together. Overall there were 96 lights, each earthed by the time we left at 2am.

We then met up in the J block workshop to contuinue putting together the cicuit. Some initial coding by micheal meant we were able to get a quick test done, which showed signs that the concept was going to work. There still needs to be some work done with coding, but for the time being it was enough of a boost for us to beleive that we might be able to do this thing!
In regards to research, i have made contact with a school, and an aged care facility in order to see whether we are going to be able to conduct some form of research.

Reflection
I learnt a lot this week, mainly technical skills. My soldering technique has definitely improved also! This week, i also made contact with a High School, who said that we would be able to conduct some research there. We are still looking at some form of non-questionnaire style research. I do see also how this could be important for me as a Designer. Everything which is designed essentially breaks down into input, and output. This sort of assignment helps us to design in a way that facilitates an interaction - not design one.