GDES1B26 — FW2010 — 14

The display is up (the photos) but the poster will be up on Thursday. 🙂

Since we’ve got negatives as our final photos I was very curious to see how they actually look like as normal black and white photos. So I inverted a few of the pictures in Photoshop and they look great!

http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

Secret Balloons                                                

Along with other interventions,Secret Balloons experience was taking place in Trinity Bellwoods Park  on April 2nd,2011 at 12:00 . The field full of colourful balloons that were attached to the ground and risen up to the air, immediately captured people’s and children’s attention at the park. When curious observers were coming closer, they were informed by the organizers that these “secret ballons” are placed in the park in order to collect people’s secrets that are supposed to be written by them on the paper joined to  each balloon. Same rules applied to children, in spite of the fact that they didn’t know how to write; their parents were writing their secrets/wishes for them on the paper and children found this activity pretty engaging. However, when several mothers asked if these balloons can be given away, the organizers were trying to explain that they will be happy to release “secret balloons”, but it can be done only after 15:00. People around the park were not only participating in this intervention, but also were enjoying the view and taking pictures. The observation showed that some participants were giving a serious approach to this “game” and wrote their real secrets such as ” I really miss my boyfriend because he doesn’t call me anymore”, “I’m afraid to die alone” , “I wanna wish to my family always to be healthy”. The experience engaged people of different age and all of them were having a great time at Trinity Bellwoods Park. As was mentioned above, organizers refused to give balloons to participants during the experience until it’s done; however, the interaction was finished around 14:00 and because there was nobody anymore who would want to  have these balloons, organizers had to pope them all.

Click here to view Secret Balloons Experience video (updated  version)

I’ not sure that these photos should be on the pinhole camera website because they are not really about pinhole cameras; so I’m posting them here.

Talking lamps experience which was introduced by one of the groups involved a number of lamps set up in different places around the park. The lamps were wired and there was some kind of devise through which the person on the other end of the wire could communicate with people passing by.

Usually experience went like this:

People strolling in the park were attracted by the lamps; some lamps had music coming out of them so people were even more curious about them. As a person approaches the lamp it starts to talk to the person; this was supposed to stir up surprise, curiosity and excitement and engage the person into conversation. The person exits the experience as soon as he or she gets bored. It is not clear for me if there is some kind of extension of the experience.

I observed two lamps. One was standing on the side of the park path near the entrance and the other that was standing on the wide tree stump in the middle of the park. The first one was very attractive: it sanded on the visible spot, had a very interesting look and there was music coming out of it. People, who passed by the lamp, did pay attention to it but did not try to engage. One third of the people who did try to enter the experience heard the phrase “Dance with me!” coming out of the lamp; and after that the person was either trying to communicate with the lamp or simply was walking away (the last was more often).

The second lamp had the same idea but it did not have music so it was heavily relied on the conversational aspect.  There were more people trying to communicate with this lamp. Parents were enjoying tricking their kids with the talking lamp. And kids were really engaged in this experience, but lamp did not hold the conversation and the kids’ attention and interest were shortly lost.  Then there was a group of “business” people hanging around the lamp, joking about it and engaging in the conversation with it.

Overall, the idea of talking lamps experience seems compelling to me and people would enjoy it more if the person who was talking on the other end of the wire would not be so obviously noticeable. When I approached the lamp, the first thing that I’ve noticed (except the lamp itself) a bench full of people spying on me and that made me uncomfortable and constrained because nobody likes to be under surveillance. Second, the location of the lamps was important because some lamps were standing along the paths and people just passed them by especially the ones near the entrance. The lamps that were in the middle of the park were more popular as a lot of people were congregating there.  Third, I think that it is very hard to achieve great results in this kind of experience because the person who is suppose to hold and develop the conversation has to have a bit of a talent in talking with strangers and engage them into discussion and also finish up the discussion at the very right moment in a very nice way so the interlocutor won’t get bored and won’t feel rejected. This did not go so smoothly when I was observing the experience probably because it was already too late and students were tired of talking.

Photo: kid is saying goodbye to the talking lamp 🙂

Congratulation on the successful implementation of your Urban Intervention! A lot of you worked very hard to make it happen. Everyone I spoke with had a wonderful day in Trinity Bellwoods last Saturday, thanks to you (and the weather).

I look forward to having one final chat with you on Friday about all of the different interventions, including yours. A couple of notes:

• Anything and everything that needs completing — e.g. documentation, recycling, refunds, experience evaluations — must be complete and posted to the blog by the end of class on Friday
• Friday is our last class, and is not optional. Please be there.

See you Friday!

Reid and I talked and since the photo’s turn out aren’t so great; we are thinking of not displaying them either in the restaurant of the lomography store. An option we came up with is that if we still decide to display them would be to make a collage and display them somewhere in OCAD. Reid suggested a small collage to put up somewhere. If we as a group decide this is a good idea please comment, and maybe I can get Jesse to get us some wall space?

Secret (ish) documentation will also be taking place so as to extend the life of this project but we don’t want to discourage participants from taking part or make them uncomfortable with cameras obviously in view.

It is important for the class to monitor the leaf-cards as they’re being hung, as well as make sure each participant gets an information card.

Attraction: brightly-coloured leaf-cards that hang from multiple trees will peak interest/curiousity from passersby; the class could also be wearing a distinct colour t-shirt to make it obvious that an event is going on

Entry: self-explanatory instructions; a table will be set up beside a tree with leaf-cards and writing utensils ; a question will be written on a large card and left on the table for people to answer

Engagement: answering controversial/personal questions by writing them on the cards provided; taking those cards afterwards, and letting each participant hang their answer on whichever branch/spot on the tree they prefer

Exit: select classmates will ensure that each participant receives an information card that lets them know where they can learn more about the ubran intervention project and where they can see their responses, along with the others

Extension: a website will be set up so that everyone who participated can see the project as a whole and how they took part in it; also, the documentation team will compile all the appropriate responses and post them on the website; videos and pictures of the even will all be up as well

The budget is small for this project. We would only require buying bristol to cut the leaf-cards out and printing x number of information cards to hand out. Afterwards, these leaf-cards can be made up into some kind of mural/art project as a method of recycling.

The images turned up pretty abstract, but there is a lot of variation in the tones and forms, so it will still make for a nice display.

This is just to remind everyone that we all need to meet up at the park for 11:30 tomorrow to get set up and ready for the urban intervention. Dayna, Reid, and I will be picking up the cameras and getting them down to Trinity Bellwoods where we will meet everyone at the Queen Street entrance to the park. Please try to be on time so that we can get everything ready for 12:00!

Reid, Dayna. . . what’s the story?

-J

If necessary, my phone number is:

(647) 201-4255

I’ll be in the park 11:30-3:30.

-Jesse

There will be six other Urban Intervention experiences taking place in Trinity Bellwoods Park on April 2.

One final task that requires volunteers is the observation and documentation of these experiences, for discussion during our last class on April 8.

I’ve prepared a form that can will help you perform this task. Part 1 features space for ethnographic observation, and reminders regarding how to best do this. Part 2 features a matrix conflating the five stages of experience with the five senses: how are the users’s senses stimulated in each stage, and what is the user’s response?

Each volunteer should prepare a blog post that includes:

• A description of the experience,
• Some documentation of the experience (as always, any blog-friendly medium is encouraged),
• The field notes collected in Part 1,
• The stimulus/response data collected in Part 2, and
• Any commentary or critique.

Volunteers, please organize yourselves so as to cover all six experiences. There can be duplicate efforts, but please don’t leave any of the experiences out (other than your own). So far, Keight, Melanie, Inwoo, Ainura and Queenie have volunteered for this task. Anyone else who wants to volunteer, simply comment on this post.

This is an essential task, and a great opportunity for anyone who feels like they haven’t sufficiently contributed to the Project Three effort.

Click here to download a PDF of the Experience Evaluation Form.

EVERYONE,

Please bring:
– 20$
– 10 pinhole camera bases

If you have it:
– thumbtacks
– duct tape
– cutting mat, metal ruler, knife

(Don’t forget to refer back to the initial Pinhole Camera Club! post, which has links embedded into the text to every other post, as well as check out the schedule for Saturday April 2nd, and give feedback.)

Reid:

“So I went to restaurant (Parkette) and spoke to the owner. He likes the idea and is happy to help us, and between brunch and dinner (when he normally closes the restaurant) he will keep it open as a gallery, specifically so people can come in and view the photos over the course of the week. He may also be interested in keeping it as a permanent display. Lomography is way down from the park, but the restaurant backs onto the park… so I want to know what you all think?”

t’s Keight here, desperately asking anyone with any darkroom experience to considering taking over my place in the developing team. I’ve run into a lot of difficulty this week, and I feel that if I continue trying to hold myself up to developing these photos etc, our project will suffer.

Suggestions are appreciated from everyone. I was a little too ambitious coming back to school so soon and taking on so much work and my body and school work are both suffering greatly.

Thank you all in advance,

Keight-development team

Do you guys like this one or do you prefer the old one? http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

I found a theme that has orange and black in it. The orange doesn’t really match our logo, but I could use the black logo on the site and the title will still have orange in it. Maybe the person who creates the final round logo can send me a copy to dibiase.jess@gmail.com? (the current one was taken from the blog)

Also I’m pretty horrible with words, so does someone want to write the ‘About Us/Exhibition Date’ info? (doesn’t have to be long)

This is my rough logo. Sorry about the quality..Our group decided to go with the colours that well represent OCAD, which are turquoise and orange.

I think Futura looks fine, but I tried some other texts. I think Gill Sans and Myriad Pro have that modern feel like Futura, but I think these are a little softer? because these are a bit round compared to Futura.

Futura and Gill Sans

This is just a rough

Details as-of-yet:

BEFORE NOON:
Transport the cameras to the park.
– pick the cameras up from the classroom in garbage bags
– transport by car, if anyone has a car available
– otherwise, transport by streetcar
Set up 3 stations for distributing/collecting the cameras.
– spread evenly through the park
– use picnic tables

AT NOON:
Meet in the centre of the park.

AFTER NOON:
Manage the stations.
– a few people will manage each station
– others will wander around helping those who are having difficulties with the cameras
– everyone will wear a distinct colour (or a button/badge) so as to be easily recognized as part of the Pinhole Camera Club

AROUND 3:00 (once all the cameras have been used) :
Transport the cameras back to OCAD.
– transport by car, if available
– otherwise, transport by streetcar
Develop photos.
– cut the cameras open, and develop the photographic paper inside

We are able to display the photos at the Lomography store on 536 Queen Street West. It’s a great space; very big and the photos would look great here.

I just basically need to send the developed pictures ahead; they need to look over them and make sure that they are not terrible (fair, since this is a photo store). So if I could know when these pictures will be developed so that we can scan them in and send them that would be great. Otherwise they won’t be able to be displayed at this space.

Laura

http://pinholecameraclub.wordpress.com/

wordpress doesn’t give much flexibility in terms of changing text and colours and so I chose this one since it’s pretty standard

This is the site with the rest of the themes:
http://theme.wordpress.com/themes/

Just double checking; the pictures are to be 4” x 4”as we discussed Friday right?

And also….

When are these pictures supposed to be developed? I need a deadline so that I know when we can set them up at the exhibition. The sooner that you guys can know the better, of course.

Hey guys,

It’s $11.75/ year to get a .com domain (pinholecameraclub.com) OR we can do a tumblr site for free (pinholecameraclub.tumblr.com)

Please comment on which you would prefer so I can start setting up the website sooner rather than later!

– Jess

So, after I left class on Friday, it started to sink in how (over) ambitious I was.

I was just wondering if there would be anyone willing to help cut photo paper and load it into the cameras. This doesn’t take any knowledge of film photography, it just has to be done in a dark room (could probably use the class room or another room for this).

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, or would like to volunteer, drop me a line.

Thanks!

-Keight

Instructions

Cut out the standard cube pattern pictured from single-layer corrugated cardboard (one zigzag layer, see below). Each square in the pattern should be exactly 4.5 by 4.5 inches. Make sure that you clearly mark out the squares, like in the diagram (above).

Remember, everyone is responsible for ten of these!

Hi Class,

Congratulations on all of the progress you made today consolidating around an idea. Your idea has a great deal of potential but much work remains to be done. Remember that this project came from you – all of you – and it will only shine if you all bring your energy to bear on it.

Your Urban Intervention will launch at 12:00 on Saturday, April 2 in Trinity Bellwoods Park. I will gather all seven sections together at that time in the centre of Trinity Circle (see attached map). Tori, Shawn and I have each invited guests to experience your Intervention, and we will introduce them to you at that time. Please remember to actively seek feedback from each of them at some point in the afternoon. Your Interventions will end at about 15:00.

Four final thoughts:

• The blog is yours: make use of it. Each task-specific team should report their activities on the blog on a regular basis. If you need something – feedback, an item, an idea – ask for it on the blog. Everyone should be checking the blog at least once per day between now and next Saturday.
• High quality documentation is essential. Documentation is the most useful way that your experience lives on once it’s over.
• No decision should be left until next Friday. Task-specific teams should feel empowered to make decisions as necessary. Use the blog to obtain feedback as necessary, but don’t defer any essential decision for too long.
• Let me know right away if your Urban Intervention requires a specific location in the park. I need to confirm that none of the other sections are using the location. In general, be flexible: the park is a public place, and there will be other users there.

You have seven days, sixteen hours and fifty-eight minutes: use it wisely!

The Pinhole Camera Club! Organizers (Reid, Anna, and Dayna) will be keeping track of the money going out as well as the money coming in.

For this to balance out we will need everyone to bring 20$ to class on April 1st.

Also, could the Group Leaders (Keight, Danijel, Lauren, and Laura) please continually make updates on your group’s blog post stating what has been spent (as well as bring the receipts to class on April 1st).

ORGANIZERS: Reid, Anna, Dayna

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PINHOLE CAMERA CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Members: EVERYONE!

– Josef has posted a template and instructions for cutting the pinhole cameras out of single-ply corrugated cardboard (don’t buy it, just find some cardboard and recycle it)

– follow the template and prepare 10 pinhole cameras (the class goal is to make at least 200)

– IN CLASS, Friday April 1st, we will assemble the pieces (bring duct tape if you have any)

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LOADING & DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Group Leader: Keight

Group Member: Jina

Entails:

– buying an access card for the OCAD darkroom

– buying photographic paper (16×20 inches)

– in a dark room, cutting the photographic paper down to 4×4 inches and sealing it into the pinhole boxes (volunteers are needed)

– after the event, developing (problem) the photographic paper in the OCAD darkroom

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GRAPHIC DESIGN GROUP

Group Leader: Danijel

Group Members: Laura, Katie, Talisa, Eman, Jina

Entails:

– buying buttons (to be handed out to participants once they’ve brought the pinhole camera back)

– creating a logo

– choosing colour + font scheme etc.

– creating the ‘look’ of exterior of the pinhole camera (including placement of instruction)

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DOCUMENTATION GROUP (details)

Group Leader: Lauren

Group Members: Jessica, Tanya, Heejae, Debbie, Eman

Entails:

– organizing some sort of webspace (optiton 1) (option 2)

– taking pictures and film

– posting the results

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EXHIBITION GROUP

Group Leader: Laura

Group Members: Ainura, Jessica

Entails:

– finding a location to display the developed photographs (Parkette as a possibility)

– scanning the developed photographs and sending them to Lomography to be displayed

– organizing the display before the final class (Friday, Aprill 8th)

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PLEASE TAKE NOTE

* You can participate in multiple groups, just contact group leader through blog to find out what else needs to be done.

* Group leaders, please make a post to the blog describing what your group is up to, in more detail.

* KEEP THE RECEIPTS from anything that you buy for this project so that you may be reimbursed. Don’t buy anything without checking with the group leader first.

(This post will be updated as necessary.)

Storyboard

In case of rain a large umbrella may be attached to the bench.
Hidden cameras will document the interaction.
A few students will hang around nearby, under the guise of park-goers.

These students will:

– monitor the typewriters to prevent them from being stolen or damaged
-collect the typed page once full, insert a new one, and type a new prompt
– hand the participant a card with the url on it, as he or she exits the experience
– later, students will scan the typed pages and post them to the site, organized in chronological order

Ainura, Danijel, Dayna, Laura, Sara, and Tanya.

Idea Storyboard

You have chosen three ideas that demonstrate promise as compelling interactive experiences for Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday, April 2. You have also been organized into groups, each charged with the task of propelling these ideas forward. These ideas and groups are as follows.

• The Vintage Communication Experience: Dayna, Ainura, Tanya, Sara and Josephine
• The Pinhole Camera Experience: Reid, Melanie, Inwoo, Heejae, Min Jee and Josef
• The Question Tree Experience: Anna, Debbie, Katie, Talisa and Eman

1) A fully specified experience. In your groups, re-read the project brief, and contemplate the idea you have chosen. Brainstorm variations on the idea, and develop a fully specified version of the idea that best suits the constraints described in the project brief: limited budget (make it cheap), material flows (make no waste), intuitive functionality (make it easy to use), temporal sequencing (12:00 – 15:00 on Saturday, April 2) and site specificity (Trinity Bellwoods Park). Explicitly account for how your version of the idea satisfies the five phases of a compelling experience that we discussed in class: Attraction, Entry, Engagement, Exit and Extension.

2) A storyboard of your fully specified experience. Make a storyboard that outlines your new version. Post the storyboard to the blog, and annotate it (i.e. describe with text) with any important details. This storyboard will necessarily be more elaborate than the ones you prepared individually. Bring a physical copy of the storyboard to class.

2) A role-play of your fully specified experience. Come to next class prepared to role play your new storyboard: act it out for us. Bring any props and equipment you might require. Engage your colleagues: they can take part in your role-play too.

This is effectively a competitive exercise. May the best idea, that is the most convincingly storyboarded and role played, win us over.

In the Third Stage (Scenario Storyboarding), you will each develop one experience for presentation to the class. This presentation will take the form of a user scenario storyboard: a graphical narrative of the experience through the senses of one or more specific persona(s).

“In a sense, scenarios are prototypes built of words. Scenarios are, at their heart, simply stories – stories about what it will be like to use the product or service once it has been made. The protagonists of these stories are the personas. Using a scenario, designers can place their personas into a context and further bring them to life. Indeed, scenarios are one of the factors that make personas worth having. Running through the same scenario using different personas is an excellent technique for uncovering what needs to be included in the final product. . . . Once a scenario and sketches have been created to show what a product or service could be like, designers can create a storyboard (figure 5.10) to help illustrate the product or service in use. Storyboarding is a technique drawn from filmmaking and advertising. Combining a narrative with accompanying images, designers can powerfully tell a story about a product or service, displaying its features in a context.”

(from Designing for Interaction)

—

For next class, propose an experience that would be appropriate for Project Three. Storyboard the user scenario experience: a graphical narrative of the experience through the senses of one or more specific persona(s). You may use the personas we began to develop in Class 8, or you may develop your own. Your graphics may be hand or computer drawn. It is likely though not essential that your storyboard include text; like a cartoon or graphic novel, your storyboard must narrate itself. Post your storyboard, as well as any necessary supporting information (sketches, personas) to the blog, and bring a hard copy of your storyboard to class. We will be reviewing each of your storyboards as a springboard to our collective development of a single proposition.

Your individual storyboards are due at 12:00 on Friday, March 18. Their evaluation will form a significant proportion of your mark for Project 3.

Click here to download Project Three: Urban Intervention.