18 October 2010
1. Articulation and presentation: All these tools are extremely fascinating and valid - be sure and confident of what your saying. Practice and know exactly what you want to say - your intention, the aim of the tools etc. Keep examples from your user testing ready to support your explanations. Think about naming your project and these exhibits.
Kalpana and I have planned to have a meeting dedicated to this.
2. Discussion of exhibit 7 (priority of memory):
with Kalpana: if you are unsure of it plus there is a big chance your audience won't react the way you want them to - then scrap it.
with Danika and Sanjay: The visual form of this representation could be interesting, but will it be repetitive in the information it showcases? Maybe you ask a question eg: what childhood memory most stands out? and observe trends and measure how many memories relating to family, friends and school.
3. Documentation & User testing:
For exhibits 3 & 4 (the peg board mind map and jigsaw puzzle) document them before, during and after the exhibition. The other exhibits are products on their own and are not subject to much change as people interact with them. You can set up cameras to document them every 15 mins. These can be converted into quick stop-motion animation or flip books - which are the quickest most seductive tools. Also, by playing these at the exhibition, the exhibits become more intuitive and instructions can be to the point.
4. Visual Language of the exhibits. Exhibits 1 to 5 speak the same language in aesthetics and interactivity.
Be careful while labeling the peg board. You don't want the labels to stand out too much, nor should they be not unimportant to the board.
Exhibit 6(fold-out) has a strong concept but the form needs to be worked on. Similarly for exhibit 7 (see point 2)
Incase cracking this form takes too long, then it's better to have 5 conceptually and aesthetically strong products than 2 more weaker ones.
5. Packaging: How is it going to be packaged? For the layering examples - how is it going to be laid out on the table? It should be picked up as a stack and not as single sheets. Does it need a ribbon tying it or a jacket? Again all this to make it more intuitive.
13 September 2010 & 22 September 2010
These explorations are like visual & physical analogies of the brain.
Your project is one where though the viewer might not understand what is being said, they will still be interested enough to know what’s happening. It’s good that even though your project is abstract, it still works.
Cut-outs/layers – extremely interesting.
The simplicity of the plainer cut-outs and the idea of the tabbed, cellophane paper cut-out box work. How can the latter reach the directness of the former?
Try:
- giving a context.
- one versus many
- asking people to change, tamper with the layering – final larger composition of many single pieces.
For the string piece – different coloured thread for each demographic and large scale – make it look good when and if you enlarge it, eg. Use pegs instead of nails.
Are each of these explorations at the same level, or can one have a stronger focus? Both methods are valid – many smaller pieces as finals or as explorations with a larger one that is the final.
Considering the extension, what is the plan now?
How can these things be adapted to an installation/ exhibition space?
Process is the most important, everything you have been through to get here. How can it be followed up? – Some sort of alternative map/infographic charting the entire process?
Some sort of a kit – which can still be reworked with layering, cut-outs, etc. – because it seems like that’s the way you are heading.
We spoke of the rigidity of these pieces I have created. I should now try something where the confusion or clutter is something that happens naturally, over time – rather than a calculated effort of the people participating. Don’t try to overly ‘complexify’ the further explorations. Also, some of these still use text. I should still push towards more visual, illustrative explorations.
23 August 2010:
1. Start making connections. Let the process evolve.
Do quick exercises eg. collages of the key words. Gather visuals etc.
Let it flow naturally.
2. Visualize some of the mind maps you have already done. Make crazy maps. The confusion is the key. Consider maps on Flash - completely digital maybe?
The installation could also be a large interactive mind map of sorts.
3. What type of interactions does the installation have with the public - multiple, different answers?
4. Do the same exercises you did with the students yourself.
5. Strong visualization - your subject has layers - it has to added to, subtracted to, peeled and cut through. OR you take the other route of just keeping to the surface.
6. Using popular icons/objects for triggering memory. eg. a vintage camera etc.
28 July 2010:
1. Start thinking of what the outcome is going to look like.
- as the installation.
- as the book.
2. Are you going to record reactions in the installations - facial expressions, opinions, what they remember after viewing?- as the book.
Ask(eg): Which of the following belong to the installation? Map a timeline of what you remember of your life/ school life/ the exhibition.
Hence, tackling: Why and how people remember - text versus image? Also, give you an insight into people's social background.
Does the installation act as a space for gathering more content for the project and book? Or is it primarily to share what was found during the interactions?
3. The key is the turning point - while asking both students during interactions & outsiders during the installation.
Turning point does not have a positive or negative connotation.
4. Be over prepared as well as under prepared during interactions with school children. Relying on other people - Might be extremely participative or cold. Be flexible and ready for changes. Keep backup options ready. Keep revisiting your timeline, and set weekly deadlines.
5. A book is necessary for the outcome. It makes the knowledge you have gathered and produced useful for other people to carry it forward.
6. Making an installation + a book is like making 2 projects. Work fast and focus. Maybe the book can be something that you work on partly outside of the project deadlines.
7. We went through some of my previous work done in Srishti: "It is obvious that you can come up with a good final outcome, now focus on gathering the content."
References: Michelle Cherian's Shopping Spree.
14 July 2010:
1. Need to develop research tools to conduct the interactions. Need for one single base - starting point, right questions and right ambience.
eg: Use of metaphoric photographs, objects, pictures, symbols of popular culture, advertisements, games etc over verbal questioning to associate memories.
2. Questioning must be qualitative, to ease the process of giving the experiences of others visual form.
3. Research and documentation can play a direct part in the end outcome - use of video - look at video installations - Candice Breitz
4. Better to interact with more subjects and ask a few questions, rather than interact with few subjects and ask a large number of questions.
5. Involving the subjects in the interactions - ask them to illustrate through collage, colour to depict mood.
6. Focus research group. Difference in thinking between 15 year olds and 19 year olds. Focus to Std 10 and Std 12.
Deliverables for next review:
- Define: 4/5 research tools, questions (Why? How?) for interactions
- Method of documenting, tie in with the final outcome.
- Detailed timeline
- Fine tuned and detailed proposal
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