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Final Submission

Update 26/09/2020

As of 26/09/2020 I have done several pages of very rough concept drawings to come up with a new, reinvigorated design. This new design shares a few similar properties to the older ones in that it is constructed of pieces that slot together but overall it is much more cohesive and refined than the previous design. I have purchased a wireless charger for my phone that I need to get the measurements for before I can progress any further. I’ve also constructed a very primitive cardboard model to just get an idea of how the product would look when finished.

As of 29/09/2020 I have completed a rudimentary model of the headphone holder. This helps me to get my head around the rough size of the actual physical object and iron out any parts of it that aren’t up to standard. Today I’m going to start modeling my final design in Fusion and I hope to start fabricating it beginning next week at the latest.

Update 3/10/2020

As of 3/10/2020 I have almost completed the final Fusion model of my design. It has been radically overhauled since the earlier version. Structural support pieces have been carefully placed around the product to ensure it can hold together well. The large platform in the middle is designed so it’s exactly big enough to fit the wireless charger and phone at the same time. I had to extend the base plate so another side notch was added to support the extra length. There is also a small gap between the back plate and base plate where any cables can be routed neatly behind the hanger. This product will mount securely to any wall with two screws in the top plate and one in the bottom for extra stability. Drilling holes for these screws will be easy as you can do this before mounting the backplate so as not to compromise the structural integrity.

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CTEC603 Updates and preparing for submission

Over the last few weeks I have been very busy. I ended up settling on creating a headphone stand for my headset as I kind of just leave it on my desk at the moment which is rather untidy. Pictured below are a series of early concept drawings that I worked on over the first few weeks. I tried several different designs before settling on the simple, upright stand that can be seen in the last image.

The aesthetic of this stand is centered around ‘Modern Architecture’. I settled on this aesthetic as it is very visually appealing, utilising lots of simple shapes, cutouts, angles and straight edges. Below is a very, very basic and rudimentary cardboard prototype model that I spent a few minutes making. The development of such prototypes is important to understand physical limitations of certain materials and other design elements. One thing that this prototype made me consider which I previously didn’t is the actual pressure that the headphones will put on this stand, as they have to be opened slightly to sit atop the stand. Taking this into account I have added a support piece in the lower middle of my 3-D model prototype which will hopefully add enough strength to the design, if it doesn’t I will continue to experiment with strengthening mechanisms until the design is as good as I can make it. 

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Daily Routine: CTEC603

The first and most important component of my daily routine is my headphones (airpods) I use these for hours on end each day, they are especially useful during my commute to uni to relieve boredom. 

The second key component to any day is a good pair of reasonably comfortable shoes, these get the job done and they match with a lot which is an added bonus. If I’m on my feet for most of the day, I’ve got to have a good pair of shoes on.

The last component that I use the most on any given day is my phone which I’m sure will be a fairly common answer but it’s just true! I use it a lot, especially on my uni commute to stream music to my headphones and communicate with others.

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ENEL599 - Physical Computing Assessment 2

https://youtu.be/r0H_ino6CbY - 20 second demonstration video

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The project so far - Half a semester in review

Our work with RUSH has been somewhat of a rocky ride. We started off with very close - minded and unoriginal ideas but they evolved further and grew into much better, more solid concepts due to visiting RUSH more frequently and actually speaking to their employees to gauge what they really wanted to see added to the space and how they wanted to see their company transform and evolve. The feedback was important but a little bit mixed and not all of it entirely useful. We’ve ended up going against the brief and twisting it to be basically what we want the space to be - only slightly informed by the opinions of RUSH employees. We are doing this as we feel like the brief was holding us in a very small, confined space (like the room) and limiting our creative process abilities. The last few weeks have been spent developing concepts for both the room and the entrance wall. Jamie has taken it upon himself to tackle the wall while the rest of us are working on the weird little room and helping him where we can. We’ve decided to disregard the main brief where possible and forge our own path, using our own thinking to articulate this space to as high of a standard as we can.

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Physical Computing Assignment 1

Video Upload would not work on Tumblr so I have linked it on Youtube -

https://youtu.be/z89wzY2143o

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Signal - Iterative Design Process

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/184750614454/a-new-signal

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/184839418819/130519-weekend-recap-more

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/184863101899/140519

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/184982222234/15-170519-recap

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/185003935234/200519-recap

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/185074840249/21-230519-recap

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/185329902419/2305-0306-recap

https://brbct.tumblr.com/post/185534670959/bct-showcase-a-resounding-success

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BCT Showcase - A resounding success

On Friday we had the BCT mid year showcase where we were given a brilliant opportunity to playtest our project with the public. We probably got a good 30-40 different people to use our audio experience in the two hours that we were there for. We received some excellent and very helpful feedback from those we tested on. Some of the best feedback came from Ben and Krishna. Ben told us that it was ‘Almost too much’ and that he almost had to take the headset off, commenting on how violent events are now much more worrying now that he’s a father. Krishna on the other hand was helpful on the technical side of things, he said that we should have used more screams/yelling and really nailed those blood curdling sounds that make your skin crawl. All in all, the night was well worth it and playtesting with the public and a few of our tutors gave us many great opportunities to gather feedback to improve the experience. An interesting development was how this project became a double edged sword, We inadvertently brought to attention how we become desensitised to violence through media as well as bringing to light how vulnerable blind people are in an active shooter scenario.

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23/05 - 03/06 Recap

The last week and a bit has been incredibly successful for our project and team. Izzy and I have been busy organising how to set the actual desk area up for the showcase on Friday as to best replicate an actual office desk scneario so the users will be as immersed as possible, they need to feel as if they are really sitting in that office before the shooting begins. Isaac has also made some adjustments to the soundscape based off user feedback from our multiple playtests that we have conducted over the last week. One of the things we have added that we feel adds to the overall experience is the desk fan, this blows cold air onto the user that adds to the eerie discomfort they will already be experiencing from the audio clip. Another part we’ve polished up is the sleeping mask, it has been replaced by a pair of goggles that we will spraypaint to achieve the desired ‘Blind Experience’. Finding what blind people see is very difficult ‘ A person blind from birth typically doesn’t see anything… not black, not gray, not white. It’s like trying to describe what your elbow sees. One of the best approximations is to close one eye and describe what it sees. Nothing, right? There’s simply no input.’ - (H. Anne, 2017) .

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Poster context

My experience through the Bachelor of Creative Technologies at AUT so far has been thoroughly interesting. From the moment I first discovered the course during an open day I just really felt as if the BCT ‘wanted me’ it called to me in a way, the interdisciplinary learning attracted my attention. I have learned much in the way of communication and teamwork with all of the projects that we have undertaken so far, coming together and collaborating with others has always been something that’s not really the easiest for me being someone who’s quite introverted but the course has forced me out of my comfort zone and I’ve met some genuinely fantastic people, for this I am grateful. Two main themes I’ve observed from this course so far are imagination and social communication, I've observed these as the core functions of every group project, it’s all about coming up with ideas and communicating within a group (Johns, Gary, 1996) get those ideas across and combine them with the suggestions of others. A bold figure who I view as the ‘captain’ of the BCT is Ben, Ben has stood out from the first day of the course. He was there cracking jokes and making us feel comfortable, removing the initial anxiety (Schein, E. H. 1992) . From the first moment I arrived, I immediately felt comfortable in the BCT studio, Ben’s extensive knowledge and interesting background make him a very valuable tutor and I’m glad to have someone who I feel personifies the BCT as its spearhead. I have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated what the BCT has offered to me so far, I look forward to my future in this course.

References-

“ Johns, Gary. Concordia University. “Social Behaviour and Organizational Processes”. Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and Managing Life at Work. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1996. “

  https://www.tcii.gov.nl.ca/regionaldev/CCB/Group_Dynamics/CCB_GroupDynamicsGuide.pdf

Schein, E. H. (1992). How can organizations learn faster?: the problem of entering the Green Room.

https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/2399/SWP-3409-45882883.pdf

Imagery Links-

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihtJmYyaviAhWJrI8KHfSdAjcQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.clipartmax.com%2Fmiddle%2Fm2i8i8K9Z5A0Z5A0_clipart-people-holding-hands%2F&psig=AOvVaw0KGzFf--whWGwHeF5cKqTm&ust=1558491959545118

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjjvZCiyqviAhV473MBHXJxCLsQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdaylight.ng%2Fstab-clipart-stab-2%2F&psig=AOvVaw2QAeVulFtt6Fd61GuWlgHa&ust=1558492268168134

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/You-Are-The-Man-I-Want-Tea-Towel-100-Cotton-Lord-Kitchener-War-Gift-Ww11-No/1005465203 (could not find original credit for this poster, so have linked where I obtained the image from)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwji8aXAyqviAhVg8HMBHYGQAUIQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26ved%3D%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fnz.linkedin.com%252Fin%252Fbentuhoekenobi%252Fde%26psig%3DAOvVaw3FxEUzykfI5ciF4jbkQdZU%26ust%3D1558492324030881&psig=AOvVaw3FxEUzykfI5ciF4jbkQdZU&ust=1558492324030881

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjy4_WX4q3iAhW66nMBHcT1CIgQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpngimg.com%2Fimgs%2Fnature%2Fsmoke%2F&psig=AOvVaw3YiT7Fo445XwUjS4FxcIqT&ust=1558567249836284

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21-23/05/19 Recap

Over the last few days we have been making several adjustments to the audio experience like adding clips of people’s screams, pleading etc as it adds to the overall atmosphere that the user will experience through our form of communication.  These clips have mainly been sourced from youtube and other free - to use audio bite websites which will all be referenced appropriately before submission. Izzy and I have been planning the actual physical layout of our presentation and have come up with the idea of utilising a desk setup for an office type scenario with a monitor, mouse, keyboard and fan to properly emulate an office experience. The point of this is to add to the realism of the experience and even though the user won’t actually be able to see anything, being able to feel the chair, the desk and more will make them feel like they’re really there in person. Our audio clip is meant to be a shooting in an office scenario so this compliments that very well. It will be interesting to see what different people end up doing - will they hide under the desk, will they knock things over? I’m really anticipating some intriguing observations next week. 

In addition to this, Izzy and I have been looking into the possible risks (health and safety concerns) that come with pursuing such a touchy subject. For example we need to be very transparent that it is a depiction of a shooting and those who experience anxiety or PTSD are advised not to partake in it. We are also going to the library to perform additional research about how we can really tug emotions out of people, Before we came up with the office idea we floated the idea of having the user constricted to a box. This would restrict their movement making them feel helpless and desperate - two emotions that one would most likely experience should they find themselves in the midst of a shooting. Charles ended up steering us away from that idea and instead advised us to look ‘outside of the box’ and find a way to get that same emotional response without literally putting them inside of a box. The office idea is a good way to achieve this as you can get that same sense of dread in an office cubicle-what inside a cubicle could possibly help you to defend yourself from an active shooter. 

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20/05/19 Recap

Today, we spent about an hour discussing the current US Political Climate which was entirely irrelevant to our project. Other than that we have all been working on collecting audio clips from youtube of crowds and people screaming/yelling to add to our experience. Having these clips as a part of our project will enhance the user experience to really make them feel as if they are surrounded by the crowd, immersed in the horror of the shooting.

an example of a suitable clip I dug up - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNttw97mSo

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15-17/05/19 Recap

These days were spent analysing a few films to see if there were any good audio effects that we could utilise for our audio project. I have also been doing some research about the human attention span so we can really hone our experience to the ideal length where it’s not dragging on or too short. We really don’t want people to get bored, we need to be able for them to be fully invested in the experience. To achieve this, we need to do a plethora of testing different length tracks to see where the sweet spot is. 

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14/05/19

Today, I worked on developing the basic outlines of the actual timeline we will be using for the audio clip. We decided collectively that it should be between 1 and 2 minutes in length as this allows the person undertaking the experience to not become bored but we still have enough time to deliver our message. A heavy load of the work is on Isaac at the moment as he is the one actually working with the sound, over the next week I am going to attempt to lighten that load and join him in creating the audio experience. I’m hoping to have at least one prototype done by friday at the latest.  

Some frames of reference I’ve found -

https://www.alphr.com/virtual-reality/1008108/vision-loss-vr-simulator

https://www.thetriangle.org/opinion/becoming-desensitized-to-violence/

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13/05/19 Weekend Recap + More

Over the weekend, after our talk with Stefan the previous week we were experimenting with learning the basics of unity for our project as this would allow us to experiment with the sound in the way we need, Isaac is in charge of the sound and has produced a few sample audio files to use for the overall experience. Today, we came up with another idea which is to ditch the VR thing entirely and make an actual, physical experience where we blindfold the user, have them wear the headphones and stumble around trying to ‘Escape’. Using Isaac’s test audio clips we tested them on a few people to gauge their reactions and get an idea of what we needed to work on- we don’t want people to feel like they are in an action movie as that takes away from the visceral experience. The question we want to answer is - Is it possible to recreate the experience a blind person would have during an active shooting?

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A new Signal

Over the last few days we have been given our new assessment - Signal. For this assessment we are tasked with coming up with our own brief in the from of a statement or question. The other day we had to think of three things that we had seen in the last few months that really resonated within ourselves , I chose the new David Attenborough Documentary - Our Planet on Netflix which resonates with me personally as I am pretty passionate about awareness for global environmental issues. A second thing I chose was the research we used for the ‘Data Objects’ project, the data of what really happens to our plastic that we use, the raw numbers were really shocking and tie in with the first point. The final thing that I chose was artwork by an artist known as Sam Spratt, he does the album cover art for a well known artist ‘Logic’ and his style is super aesthetically pleasing and something I’ve always wanted to be able to achieve coming from a drawing/art/design background.  

I joined with others who had similar interests in social issues, Social issues tie into my interests as they are are often covered extensively in Logic’s music and through the Art of Sam Spratt. After coming together, we brainstormed some ideas and decided we wanted to tie in with VR and play with the possibility of being able to portray another person’s viewpoint - e.g racism, sexism etc. Eventually we branched away from these and decided to move on to disabled people in emergency situations and to raise awareness for how stressful it is for them - Blind, Deaf, Mute etc. We also talked to Stefan about the logistics of using a VR setup, availability of headsets and the other software and equipment involved to make sure it was an even somewhat achievable goal. Ben also told us that if we haven’t made any progress using the 360 degree camera or unity by next Wednesday (15th May) that we should scrap this idea because it will be do-able but time consuming.  Today, we worked on prioritising our focus disability and emergency situation and we decided on a very visceral one- A deaf person in the midst of a shooting, we want to use sound to the best of our ability to accurately portray the pure, primal panic that a blind person in this sort of situation would experience, we also have to be very careful to not be insensitive and include trigger warnings etc. 

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10 min exercise (yah)

https://www.ourplanet.com/en/

-New David Attenborough documentary, shocking, captivating, visual, bringing forward unknown issues to the public eye. 

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

-Absolutely horrific, challenges the out of sight out of mind mentality

-I wouldn’t consider myself an environmentalist but these issues should concern everyone.

http://www.samspratt.com/

-Incredible artwork, resonates with me because I’ve always been into drawing to an extent but never tried to take it to that level, serves as an inspiration.