Week 10
Prototyping & Setup
This week, I made a rough box mockup to figure out where all the wires and the Arduino should go. It’s still very rough, and the bear isn’t stuffed yet. I’ve also been trying to refine the eye animation because it’s still quite choppy.
I also changed the look of the eyes to better match the bear, so now they’re round and have a small twinkle to them.
Consultation Notes
The main focus now is trying to package everything together properly and improve the overall quality of the work. There was a suggestion to try laser cutting instead of doing things by hand, especially for the box, because right now the finish feels quite rough. At the moment, the toy on its own isn’t enough to communicate the idea, and it really needs more explanation and context around it. The setup is going to be very important in doing this well, especially since the box by itself doesn’t really work yet. Things like videos, prints, and posters will have to do most of the heavy lifting in explaining the project.
The way the work is presented also matters a lot. The toy should ideally sit on some kind of acrylic base or structure so that it is elevated and feels more intentional. It was also mentioned not to rely on instructions like “put your hand here” or sticker prompts, but instead to make the interaction feel more intuitive, so people naturally understand what to do just by observing it or from the video. Since visitors won’t spend a lot of time at each table, the presentation needs to be concise but still engaging. There was also a suggestion to possibly use two screens, one for an explainer and one for a presentation, to help communicate everything more clearly within a short amount of time.
There are also some concerns about the current state of the work. Right now, it feels like just a box, a soft toy, and some blinking eyes, which isn’t strong enough to carry the idea. The next presentation needs to show a much clearer and more developed setup that can properly explain the project. In terms of direction, I should continue focusing on designing discomfort, but also be mindful of both the form and shape of the object, as well as its behaviour and electronics, and develop these in parallel rather than separately.
I was also encouraged to look into device art as a genre, and to base my work more clearly on principles of discursive design. Other next steps include creating a moodboard, designing a clearer scenario for where these objects exist, and continuing to gather feedback throughout the development process. Looking at exhibition spaces and references, such as the ArtScience Museum, could also help in planning how the final setup should look and function.
My main takeaway from this consultation is that I really need to pick up the pace. Open studios is coming up, and I still feel quite lost with what I’m doing. The quality of my work is still lacking, the animation is choppy, and I’m struggling to figure out things like the box dimensions.
Everything feels like it’s going downhill a bit. But for now, my main priorities are to finish the bear, create a video, and produce a publication to give proper context. One step at a time.