#sider2013

DESIGN CONCEPT

Bears DeVine is a global network controlled by three interactive bears, placed in different continents. Each fluffy bear functions as a tangible user interface which input will be displayed as an output on a global website. The bears consist of a GPS, a camera with a trigger and a “harddisk” sending the incoming data.

By connecting each bear with a Vine profile the user is able to record 6 seconds long videos of themselfs, their surroundings or whatever the bear is watching in the moment, by pushing the bear’s tummy. This video will be live feed’ed on the connected website. Therefore it is the users job to shape the bear’s online identity, and make the whole world able to follow each of the bear’s life.

With the bears follows a short text in the back. This will inform users about their responsibility of documenting the bear’s experiences and surroundings and, more importantly, to pass the bear on to another person after some hours or days, so the bear will explore and be a part of a networked chain.

At the website people can watch the recorded Vine-videos and discover the Bear’s path and current placement on a map.

      DESIGN PROCESS

The design process of the development of the concept is explained below together with some reflections of the process and methods used.

As visualized on the illustration we were working from a general tendency to a specific design solution in a divergent and convergent process, where we repeatedly went from analyzing our domain and theme, to sketching a design concept.

Brainstorming and shared language

Because of the wideness of the topic we started off with an analysis of the fragments of the question; what does ‘empowerment’ mean to us and which background ‘contradictions’ could be interested. By analyzing the network and contact possibilities of today, we found it interesting to take a closer look at old-fashioned communication. By analyzing the characteristics of Berlin (our current hometown) we came down to two focus points:

-       The techno/clubbing environment and the Berlin Wall.

-       These were our two constraints and by the introductory brainstorming we had now build up a shared language to discuss these topics and our design space. 

Bad Ideas 3.0

To expand our insights of these two design spaces we chose to use the design technique Bad Ideas 3.0 very soon in the process. We got some crazy clubbing-ideas focusing on lots of water and too many drugs, and on a Wall build by glass and with ability to move and encircle you.

Design space (modalities and technologies/materials)

We diverged our design space by listing different technologies and modalities. By combining two of each with the topics (techno / Berlin Walll), we sketched some crash concepts. The technique simply is to develop a concept in 2 minutes bound by the constraints (fx clubbing, DUL Radio and auditory). From this technique we found our interest in the techno/clubbing space.

Constraint and design possibilities

We tried to combine our first keywords - old-fashioned communication - with the kind of silly ideas from previously techniques, concluding in a focus on tangible user interfaces and communication, network and video.

Inspiration

Throughout the development of the concept, we found inspiration in different existing things like;

-      Geo-location – Treasure hunts

-      Dead Spots

-      Build-a-Bear

-      Chain messaging

-      A thing know from preschool, where you take home a teddy bear for 2-3 days, write down what the teddy bear experiences and the preschool teacher reads aloud the story for all the classmates

Design Context – Materials in Use

We mocked up our TUI-product and brought it to school. Through the train and public space the qualities were discussed. By reflecting on the actual context and not just our ordinary project home we were forced to think in actual use, which brought up different design failures. Things we hadn’t thought about. By discussing the design concept with a possible user, classmate Johan, we learned more about the good and bad sides of the design.

Break-down

It was now obvious that we could not make an interactive bear taking photos of people in techno clubs, which should work as a symbol of a shared network. Since this bear would be used in different ways we developed it to our current design object by making different scenarios -how would the bear work in the train, school, etc.

References

Methods:

Brainstorming Reference: “Biskjær et.al.: Creativity methods in interaction design”

Using constraints

Onarheim, Balder: ”Creativity from Constraints in engineering design: Lessons learned at Coloplast, Denmark.” (2011)

Design process

Löwgren & Stolterman: ”Thoughtful Interaction Design: A Design Perspective on Information Technology ” (2004)

-       The iterative process, transcendence <> tradition, convergence <> divergence

Donald Schön: ”Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions”

-       The matter of material externalization and reflection-in-action

RESPONSE // ARGUMENTS // DESIGN RATIONALE 

Focusing on the very different and free lifestyles in the international city of Berlin, Bear DeVine ought to empower status of the online identity making. Instead of the current individualism and narcissisms reigning on the various networks as Facebook, Twitter, Vine etc., Bear DeVine is a common and global chain project, were users create the bears’ identity together.

We focus on the split between online and offline connection by introducing a physical data collector dressed as a cute, fluffy bear, working as a social boundary object.

In this way the technology is attached human values and will act as a common online identity for each of the countries in which they are currently placed. 

All of us need to think about the text we experience by interacting with others, for we know what we think only when we try to articulate or represent our thought (Booth, 2008)

We believe that in this multi-media, information oriented world it is increasingly important to create opportunities for people to think critically and creatively about current events. With projects such as TruthGoggles and the initiatives of the Knight Foundation we see people and news organizations working together to solve the credibility “problem” that has emerged in the age of the citizen journalist.    

The facts are important. But also important is the voice of the people in this participatory age. We are inspired by projects such as Emoto that seek to give form to the emotions people feel around particular events and cultural moments. We recognize that new forms of commentary on current affairs such as viral memes act as the “Flash bulb memories” of our age. We also agree with David Gauntlett that everyday people are creative and that for them “making is connecting.”

So we ask, what would it mean to the news and readers of the news, if the voice of people could be read and shared alongside the context from which they emerged? How can engaging with current affairs become a richer experience when news consumers interact with meme consumers? What are the possibilities when the information that fuels ideas shares the same space as the tools for voicing feelings about those ideas and those consumers transform into makers?

Our proposal aims at creating a bridge between and among context driven readers (the news consumers) and entertainment driven readers (meme consumers) despite geographic or philosophical divides. By capturing not only the spectrum of facts but also the spectrum of feelings surrounding the news, we can enrich our understanding of what we know and what we believe about our world.

References

Booth, David W. (David Wallace). It’s Critical! : Classroom Strategies for Promoting Critical and Creative Comprehension. Markham, Ont.: Pembroke Publishers, 2008. 

http://www.emoto2012.org/

http://www.knightfoundation.org/what-we-fund/innovating-media

Shihab, Ibrahim Abu. “Reading as Critical Thinking.” Asian Social Science 7.8 (2011): 209–219.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/flashbulb-memery/)