#vier.live

After two weeks of working individually we were put in pairs to combine concepts. 

Having chosen poetry as our genre, the concepts Bjørn and I had were fundamentally very different. While one focused on the moments before the performance, the other focused on the moments after. However, both concepts tapped into the moments during the performances as well. 

Our research sources were broad: from attending physical and digital poetry readings/performances, to Facebook groups, forums and using online search engines. 

He had created a webpage that explored ways in which the audience could influence the content they were getting, and looked into the possibilities of audience-to-poet cooperation. 

I explored how the audience could build their own digital space in an app with personal highlights from various livestreams they´ve attended. 

Plotting our concepts onto a timeline, as shown below, we began iterating with these sketches as our starting point. 

Our new scope:

Improvised poetry performances 

Digital-only live events

Audience POV

Mobile app

Before, during & after the performance

Our prototype features:

A “word cloud” or “ordsky”. Here we encourage the audience to influence the improvised poetry they´re about to witness by sending in words into the “cloud”. As time passes their keyboards will gradually fade, and completely vanish by the time the show starts. 

Livestream with access to the word cloud. Both the audience and the poet can look at all the words that got sent in ahead of the show. 

Ability to save words/sentences/phrases the audience hears. This feature is inspired by the snapping of fingers during physical poetry readings. You snap your fingers when you hear something preach-worthy, or when you want to show some “lyrical love and appreciation”. An action so distinctive to poetry readings. 

Timeless and independent archive. Unlimited access to the saved words after the performance is over, and whenever you wish. Their “preached” words exist in singular spaces. 

We made sketches, had people test them, and made changes accordingly. 

(User tests) positives:

Being able to contribute as an audience

Personal archives

Save, not only the words, but their context as well

(User tests) things to improve: 

Onboarding 

Hierarchy - technical and graphical 

I 3. uke ble vi slått sammen med en annen fra klassen, og jeg og Josefine ble satt sammen siden vi hadde lignende utgangspunkt for oppgaven. vi begge hadde fokusert på og forbedre profilsiden på Vier.Live sine sider. 

Josefine hadde lagd et goodiehjul med level, og jeg hadde laget forskjellige elementer til profilsiden for og gjøre den men inntresang og personlig. 

Første ideen vår besto av at man kunne vinne mertch til avataren din på Vier.Live. så vi lagde en undersøkelse, men der viste det seg at ingen likte den ideen så vi tok bort det og begynte på nytt. Vi lagde skisser i figma og testet de på andre i klassen helt til vi kom fram til konseptet vårt.

Prototype #1. Focus areas, during and after the event:

Choose between two modes by tilting screen: Live podcast or live streaming. 

Podcast (audio and visuals): Words pop up on screen as they´re being read, then they fall down into the “digital space”. 

Stream (audio and video): No chat, only what happens on stage. 

This project is done in collaboration with the Oslo-based cultural streaming service VIER.LIVE.

To leave an event feeling refreshed. Looking back on your camera roll, reminisce memorable moments from that one particular event. 

I think this is a less explored aspect of digital live events, and one I want to research further. How can we take advantage of digital tools to capture certain moments? Is this something we can offer participants from the existing platform of VIER.LIVE? 

Participating in an event online as the audience leaves us with less satisfaction. What happens when we go to physical live events? Physical presence leaves us feeling acknowledged and remembered; our participation was observed by others who were there with us, whether directly or indirectly. 

How can we obtain an experience like this by following an event on a digital screen only? 

To explore how participants can leave an event with a lasting impression, I´m looking into poetry readings and did observations of both digital and physical live performances during my initial research. Picked out some relevant elements I can dive into: 

Words: the poems 

Facial expressions, body language 

Voice: volume, tempo 

Noise: background music, silence 

Audience-to-poet recognition: clapping and snapping 

And what about merchandise for poets? What possibilities lies in the things you get when you choose to support an artist? 

Support poets 

Hvordan kan man gjøre profilen på Vier.Live mer personlig og en støre del av opplevelsen? Siste uken har blit brukt til resarch på forskjelige profiler på div nettsider, og prototyping.