Illustration as event
Engineering
This is a collaborative project which me and three other students will be working together to build up research and create ideas in response to our given theme of "Engineering".
After researching the technical and physical aspects of engineering I tried to think about the subject in a different way through "Social Engineering".
This image shows Mark Zukerberg, the creator of Facebook showcasing Virtual Reality technology called Oculus Rift to audiences.
Zukerberg is basically engineering the future of online communication because of the standard Facebook has as a social platform.
In relation to Social and physical engineering, I think reflection can visually communicate these messages coherently together as shown with this image I have taken of a chip shop opposed to a church.
The shop is reflecting the image of the church because of the material of which the glass is engineered from. The communication of it as an image contradicts what we would visually see in that perspective because churches do not exist within a shop window.
This article talks about the presence of large controversial world problems that are tackled with a "double edge sword" like effect with how communication can be used online.
I find the words "Cyber attack and Troll" being used in a media outlet quite interesting because their origins were formed from a different context.
Many tech companies like Microsoft have agreed with Apple over the goverment.
This is because public opion has sided with Apple over social media as a more convincing argument.
On my initial briefing I noticed a 3D printer at the Forum. It was an interesting point of engagement which got many people interacting with the machine and asking questions which seemed to capture all ages.
I did some research on the possibilities of using this process for the project and learned about software programs like CAD to produce 3D objects.
I looked at a Full Moon from Michael Light which featured a rich amount of very high quality photographic imagery from the Apollo missions in the 60's.
The imagery of the astronauts seems very primitive and in the stage of a prototype of what is to come.
Bungie, the developer of Destiny has taken inspiration of the space engineering techniques used in humanity and developed that creatively into a science fiction narrative. The interesting part is the play between how science is inspiring design and vice versa.
Environment artist, Jason Sussman; “the destinations as a whole. We're amplifying that, of course, with humanity branching out. We're also bringing some of that mythic science fiction in there with the vibrance and color.”
Engineering is a massive subject with a lot of ground to cover, so we split the three of us between aspects of engineering which we had the most interest in through time periods for our initial research display.
It was a good chance to see reoccurring themes within the history of engineering and understand potential roles that my group members can contribute the best towards.
The design of the table was representing time but this was also where we started to think about interaction of the content outside of the existing images on display. Each side started with early history up to contemporary engineering technology.
The content reaching of the table was us thinking about how the future with Virtual Reality and interactive experiences differ from information in the past which is well documented on.
In preparation for our first tableau we each put together some design sheets to discuss on our next meeting to visually express our individual ideas on the project.
This was a good procedure because it allowed us to pick aspects from each of our ideas to form something that we all found compelling.
I was interested in pitching the idea of Social engineering to the group because it was something I thought that we could all contribute to.
My initial ideas were inspired from my research on social media and ways contemporary media is being used to develop and engineer the way people communicate online.
Phil had an interesting design sheet that was more mechanical, based around the physical aspects of engineering. I really liked the idea of people being hands on with the objects on the table and it being presented as a “game” or interactive platform which would require social interaction from other people in the group.
We came to an agreement that the table would be an interesting platform to show engineering that was socially engaged. I created these app like icons that were in the same shape as you would see on a phone.
I was thinking of ways which the photos would be presented in the context of an icon. I made several iterations of these and I think the successful ones were the most simple icons.
When it came to the day we were putting our ideas together it was quite important to experiment with objects and how when they are placed within a composition, it changes the way you interact with them.
This was one of the simpler icons that I was talking about earlier. The green triangle references a play button which is where the audience would start by pulling this leaver.
I tried to put in some of the more complex “app” icons which included photography here in reference to the refresh button and recycling but I don't think this was very coherent overall when it all came together because of the drastic difference in aesthetic design.
This was our table in development. The cover was in the form of a grid because it was in reference to a blueprint design sheet.
I really liked how it looked like a large screen as well when taken away from the context of the studio environment.
I recorded two groups that were reviewing our tableau. It was really nice to see how the planing of the table came into action with the outcome.
It encouraged social engagement and strategy between each member of the group. Everyone looked like they were having fun as well which was great.
The second group said something interesting; After they got the ball in the goal for the first time, they re-arranged the objects on the table differently to see it they could get it in with an alternate method.
This showed that there was replay value in the tableau we built.
After the presentation was over we spent a lot of time playing with the objects to find alternative ways to construct them.
The stills taken from the previous video showed an interesting connection between the physical and social sides of engineering. The ball knocking over an anthropomorphic human figure built up from blocks was powerful when referencing our subject.
It's essentially showing a structure that is being destroyed and in the context of a human structure within society, I think that is what I found interesting about it.
The shapes themselves have a lot of depth to them. Each piece has been designed but within that the colours, shape and form were very simple like with the icons I was working on.
In terms of interface it's really nice to see the shapes presented within a different context because they have a completely different meaning.
To me it looks more like a utopia from the image with the blocks represented as a social construct.
When presenting the blueprint grid on a 90 degree angle this shows a sense of 3D depth within the image.
I really wanted to develop some of my initial drawings into a quick animation.
This was a chance for me to learn about more aspects in After Effects and present my ideas more visually.
The recent dispute between Apple and the US Government is interesting in terms of Social Engineering because the internet has had a large say towards the public opinion on the subject.
The whole argument has had a massive impact on social media and is extremely controversial showing how a simple statement online can be effective in broadcasting to millions of people.
When designing the publication we only had a week to create it.
We decided to split the design research and objects into different subjects for each person in the group.
We experimented with a lot of different compositions that reflected the topic that we were trying to inform.
Having all of the relevant objects around me made me think on my feet with how the objects can be used in relation to the grid to represent a clean aesthetic design.
Quotes were a good platform to present information alongside the images because they are informed pieces of information that speak for themselves.
The presentation of the objects I found to be visually stimulating because of the composition.
My topic was social media so my reference point was within communication and popular culture.
Phil designed the adverts for the publication and they worked really well because they just fall out when you look at the publication.
This was inspired from how advertisements work when you watch TV or see an ad on youtube, they are just there to disrupt what you are doing to promote a product.
When presenting our booklet for feedback I think it was still important to keep the interaction within the area surrounding it.
Just having the grid and objects gave people a lot more to go on.
It's nice to see a before and after with our feedback notes.
I noticed that some people pinned the app icons to the wall showing how people were further interacting with the publication after reading.
I found this video of dominos being designed and used very stimulating.
The format is very good on social media because it's under 5 minutes long and people can get something out of it however long they watch.
In a completely different and socially interesting context. The Domino effect in the 1950's was a visual scare tactic to try and show how countries were falling under communism one by one. This was used to encourage American people to go to war in Vietnam.
Because the internet and social media did not exist there was a large amount of misinformation being spread across media showing a lack of connectivity.
At this stage we have developed a good amount out of feedback and people seem to enjoy the concept of Social Engineering.
The challenge for us now is to design the table so that the level of interaction is high but is not to complicated for people to understand.
My initial concepts were built around the ideas of our group engineering the tools for people to create outcomes.
Each person would play a specific role around the table so that each group would have something unique at the end of the experience. This would build up to a wider, more far reaching outcome.
The challenge is to create something that would actually keep everyone engaged.
When sharing the idea with the group Lauren and Phil created their own design sheets with additional ideas.
This way of communicating with the group also helps with considerations towards practicallity and how all of our design ideas fit together.
I needed to spend a lot of time experimenting creating Virtual reality videos to see what the outcomes would look like.
Virtual Reality videos are recored in a full 360 degrees meaning when wearing a VR headset you can physically look around anywhere inside of the room.
As you can see it splits up the image into two sections, and puts it together with depth through an algorithm. I was using the Google Cardboard headset to simulate this.
I setup a group public likeable page on Facebook which will be used to further integrate the exhibition beyond the forum event.
I used some of our existing created images to produce some prototype postcard items which people could potentially take away with them.
I thought they were interesting because the physicality of postcards with the “F” Facebook stamp icon alongside the link to our page is a different way of using an address because we don't usually associate a URL web address with something physical.
This is an example photo to show the process that we were going through with recording images to be seen in virtual reality. Using the Google Cardboard program we could record panorama format images and process them to work in VR.
We showed them to other people in the studio. Their feedback said “fun, engaging and repeatable”. The key aspects what I wanted for interactivity.
Our table at this stage was starting to look “visually interactive” from our review.
We still have a lot of unexplored ideas with the use of VR and how people interact with the items on the table.
Virtual Reality is really a completely new platform and the google cardbood headset that I was using has only been available since December of last year. We are now starting to see creative content being displayed in VR.
Stor Eiglass from Square pusher is a VR experience that constructs it's own narrative in the form of a journey and lets you move the device you are viewing it from in full motion.
I wanted to experiment with unity to create some Virtual Reality content.
It is an extremely exciting platform to create content. I made a few examples here from the screenshot. However I think this was really starting a larger project than the one I am currently working on so I have to be careful about time management.
I created an interactive game experiment to test out some of my ideas with game mechanics and interactions.
I used our tableau ideas around physics and icons to help the user understand and have fun with the activity.
Having a congratulation at the end of a successful adventure rewards the user and makes them want to replay the experience.
I think this will be an important aspect around the upcoming tableau to engage people.
With my most recent Idea I have designed a board that could incorporate the Virtual Reality headset in the form of a board game which is something most people could identify with. The board was designed so that either teams or individuals could participate in the event when choosing a single counter.
Unlike in conventional board games like Monopoly each group member will be working together to achieve an overall high score for their team(group or individuals). This makes the game less limiting to audiences and focuses the attention around discussion between players.
With our group Facebook promotional page I wanted to extend the exhibition online so that it had the potential for interaction outside of the Forum, potentially after the event has ended.
This would be presented in the form of a “leaderboard” as a term used in games like Darts, Bowling or competitive sports/video games. Each team by the end of the game will have achieved an overall score. The winning team would receive a “shareable” prize designed by our group to show of to their friends by pressing the share button next to it.
This was our original mock up version. The process of making this design was essential for the final outcome because it highlighted how complicated game design is. The colours, icons and composition are essential to create something that is engaging.
This was Lauren's design for the idea. I liked the narrative she set out on with the board being designed as a social construct because it does not exclude anyone.
For example places like banks and schools everyone knows what they are and their purpose outside of the board game.
These are 2D images of some locations that I will be using with the integration of VR into the board game. They are places people can relate to within Norwich.
While I was filming and recording I had a few people interested in trying the headset on in public quoted as saying “fun, engaging and futuristic”. This showed to me the potential it has as an interactive platform for the event.
I created a set of cards that worked in a similar way to chance cards in Monopoly. When the player lands on the correct square they will be asked to pick up a card telling them what to do next.
The platform for points is now in currency because it grounds the narrative in a specific location. Points are very vague otherwise.
This is the process I went with when designing the board. The icons would reference a colour that would then relate to another object specifically with the VR headset being always in green from board, card and headset keeping the design consistent.
This is the board near completion with my designs. I tried to represent colour through the natural reaction we have from it.
For example the red squares take money away from you while green and blue give you chances to gain money.
Green=Possitive Red=Negative.
This works with things like traffic lights and food Calorie charts.
Lauren designed the map which would go in the middle of the board. The icons match the aesthetic of Lauren's drawing style towards the map which worked out great because it gives the board a good personality to it.
I used a friends 3D printer to print some counters to be used in the game.
This is the final board design that we have play tested before the event in the studio. I was really happy with the consistency in the design and how people interacted with it.
I got some initial scores from other students which started from £200 overall winnings to £600 showing a diverse range of outcomes possible from the design.
In the final version we will be giving away these cheques which will have their overall winning amount after completing the board along with a link to our Facebook page to find out if they have won.
This was our final setup of the table at the Forum. Because our designed work it's self was mainly focused on the board game and VR headset, it was fairly easy to move from the studio to the Forum.
Phil, Lauren and Tommy mainly handled the money and cheques which were given and taken away from players on opposite sides of the table.
I was primarily focused on demonstrating the VR headset to participants of the game and helping if there was any trouble with the device. This went smoothly because I was charging the device in between of matches so it was always powered.
It was great to see peoples reactions to using virtual reality, participants of the public described it as “amazing, fun, incredible and interactive”.
These are the cheques in action. One member of our group would write the amount of money earned by the individual or team and tell them about the site and potential to win prizes afterwards.
We gave away over thirty of these after matches ended overall so it was a successful outcome.
This is the Facebook page that viewers can visit too redeem their rewards. The link is in the contents list PDF.
The interaction is demonstrated through the likes and comments of the people involved with the event. It was a good chance to extend the exhibition into a digital space.
Lauren designed the winners poster which was posted after the event. All of the posters are designed in A4 meaning they are a standard size for sharing and printing too show friends of the event.
I designed the second place poster. With all of them we wanted to keep the colours bold and visually engaging.
Phil designed the third place poster which was the final prize at the event.
It was great to get such a variety of scores from the initial design. We had over thirty participants with scores ranging drastically from £50-£755.
