Over the holidays, I managed to catch a breather after the hectic semester and felt more refreshed and motivated. To begin the semester, I had to reflect upon my existing body of work and also understand the summative feedback I got. Overall, I think that I have placed too much emphasis on the technical aspects of my prototype, but did not put in as much effort into its storytelling (through video demos and print presentations). I also should revisit my CPJ design. Looking at it now, I do need to present my processes clearly and in an organised manner. My previous iteration lacked that sensitivity to viewer's reading experience and thus resulted in an cluttered CPJ design. Below is the summary of the feedback.
The aesthetics for my CPJ and for my earlier prototypes could be further improved. At this time of writing, I am working on redesigning the CPJ to be visually clearer and also emphasis on aesthetics of my prototypes.
While I have attempted to base my semester 1 prototypes on specific contexts, my delivery of it was not well done. My demos can do better in storytelling by emphasising more on explaining the narratives that its based on, which I did not previously.
Unfortunately, I did not managed to steer all three of my prototype towards the direction of cultural heritage as it was a final direction change that happened around week 12-13. Nonetheless, I will keep it mind to keep to this theme.
It was great to hear that my final prototype - The First Infusion, was successful in terms of
aesthetics and storytelling. This means that I am not completely off the mark (great for morale), and
I have something to reference on to continue! Therefore learning from this prototype, I should learn
to
1. Ground my interfaces within relatable, cultural driven
narratives.
2. Design aesthetics that are visually pleasing and coherent with
the cultural narrative.
3. Integrate interface interactions that are also cohesive with the
actual cultural practice (like how i use the tea pouring as user input here).
TouchDesigner visuals of Oolong leaves radiating its essence
At this current stage, the dissertation still feels like a giant monster to tackle. The earlier draft i submitted for review was still lacking in the volume of readings which affected the quality of the Literature Review section. Thus, I need to expand my readings, review more relevant concepts/theories which ultimately means that I need to also reformat my Lit Review section. Andreas also provided me other insightful feedback mentioned below.
My current research gap seems forced and I was reminded to focus more on prototyping interfaces for cultural heritage learning. My research questions was also too generic. To fix this, I need to ground my research gap and questions within the context of multisensory interface prototyping for cultural heritage experience. Focus on design!
Currenty, it is lacking project/prototyping process insights. Exactly how am i making it? How is it linked to my actual work and how does it ultimately help my research? This part of writing is intricately linked to my actual making process, thus I have to get back to making asap!
My pillars are too complicated and it lacks clarity. I have to ask myself how does these literature help my making? How does it flow together? As mentioned earlier, I need to read more, incoporate more concepts/theories and revise my literature review structure.
I came across this project by @pepepepebrick on instagram, where he reimagine a speculative future of how the traditional Ang Ku Kueh is presented as a gift. The kueh's mould shift its patterns according to its embedded audio track, creating unique textures on the kuehs. This process then results in a dynamic visual transformation of the patterns that react actively to the embedded soundtrack, creating a unique experience.
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Audio-Reactive Ang Ku Kueh
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Audio-Reactive Kueh Mould
I felt that this example was relevant to my Graduation Project as I admired the creator's futuristic approach in redefining the traditional Ang Ku Kueh, through the use of creative technology and audio mixing. It demonstrated to me how technology can be implemented within cultural context to refresh its appeal in a manner which does not overly distort the artefacts/practices involved. Below are some learning points that I have taken away.
I enjoyed how the visuals were visually captivating. The patterns moved dynamically, in tune with the audio track, creating a magical visual. Yet, the visuals still stays true to the original form of the Ang Ku Kueh and its wooden mould, establishing a accurate and reliable representation.
This project also got me excited in integrating sound to create interactive audio experiences. The audio effects and music is what I believe to be key in making this project stand out, thus also emphasing the importance of establishing enjoyable audio feedback.
I felt that this project was easily relatable and understood, which I attribute to its visual design and concept which are heavily grounded within the heritage of Ang Ku Kuehs. This is something I should keep in mind -- research on the heritage context and design cohesively with intent towards it!
While I have established that cultural heritage is the main context which my multisensory interfaces are based on, I wanted it to be situated within Singapore's context as I wanted my outcomes to benefit our local heritage scene. Therefore, It is important for me to read up on Singapore's perspective towards cultural heritage.
The SG Heritage Plan 2.0 is the second iteration of the master plan devised by National Heritage
Board to promote the growth of our local heritage scene in Singapore. This government publication
highlighted certain key points which I listed below.
1. Singapore believes that cultural heritage is the cornerstone of
social cohesiveness and national identity. This helps strengthens the relevance of my
project as it means that my outcomes can have a real impact on the local society and heritage scene.
2. Integrating technology and innovation is important to draw in
more audiences and stay ready for the digital future. This highlights that my direction of
prototyping multisensory interfaces align with Singapore's emphasis on technological integration in
heritage experiences.
3. Development of 3D digital replicas of artefacts where
Singaporeans can interact with and view online. Highlights that Singapore has already put
in work to move their heritage experiences into a digital space so as to create more opportunities
for locals to understand our heritage.
Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0