NAILAH DAVIS
Creative Technologist, Artist, & Designer
Phys Comp - Week 1
A Reflection on The Art of Interactive Design
by: Nailah F. Davis
September 12, 2019
There’s something excitingly empowering about imagining the influence over society by interactivity and its devotion to the use of one’s self and their capability. I found Crawfords’, The Art of Interactive Design to challenge the generalized context in which we think of interactivity. Simply put, interactivity is a multi-layered concept that can possibly be more understood through the use of imagination.
After reading chapter one, I found myself contemplating. I wondered about this superiority that exists within forms of communication in which Crawford referred to. It took some time after reading to understand this truth. Interactivity is the dominant form of communication. We as humans are conditioned to think of interaction solely as speaking. At least, that’s what I thought. On the contrary, some people do very little speaking to other humans, but alas, babies are “somehow” made between two people who haven’t taken the time to know each other. I hope that this picture is clear.
As an artist who is interested in computing as a newer genre medium, it comes easy for me to see the very thin line between art and interactivity. If we’re being honest, the line doesn’t even seem to exist. Crawford pointed out that the levels of interactivity vary between interfaces and mediums. During undergrad studying photography, while thinking of the future, I noticed that there was, and still is, a yearning desire to expand outside the 2 dimensional realm. There were elements about photography that I felt were limiting. I instantly thought of computers and their capabilities when put to use by a creative individual. What Crawford made key in The Art of Interactive Design, is that the importance of interactivity isn’t all about the computer and its software-- what a true interactivist does is lead the user towards realizing their capability.
I found pleasure and enjoyment by imaging users dancing with their personal devices. This dance that Bret Victor described in “A Brief Rant on the Future of Interactive Design” was suggestive of our relationships, or lack thereof between ourselves and our devices. Victor’s whimsically-put rant caused me to analyze the user (as consumer) to product (as personal device) relationship. In conjunction to understanding that technology doesn’t have the ability to read our emotions, as Victor pointed out, I was forced to imagine if it could.
Thinking about front facing cameras that “watch us”, when it feels like it’s not for a reason, but could also be the feds. I looked into my iPad during the reading, and asked myself, what if it could sense when I’m tired, or confused, or upset. And what if it had the ability to detect those emotions, and then communicate back to me suggestions that could be of my help. This thought came quickly, along with many other ones, but I really clung to the emotional aspect of Victor’s point.
This dance goes beyond the fingertips. People’s desire is to be fully engaged and entertained, not participating in surface-level b.s.. Science says this is activated by neurons. To active that in a person’s brain is to get them to do something in which they usually don’t. It’s almost as if it’s our duty as interactive designers and makers to facilitate a relationship with humans/users by thinking beyond the barriers of what we know are obvious design choices. Rather honing in on the idea that, there’s something even newer within interactivity that has the ability to literally change the way people move, think, and inhabit communities as co-creators. This act in itself are the true barebones of communication. If we speak to one another, truly listen and process, this conversation in itself is interactive-- thus arrives the output. The next step is to advance.
Readings for reference:
Chris Crawford, The Art of Interactive Design, chapters 1 and 2.
Bret Victor, "A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design."
Image Description: notes written on paper and iPad from week one Phys Comp class.
Week 2
September 19, 2019
Image Description: 26 second video of a hand pressing a button on a bread board circuit, powering LED.
Image Description: Bread board circuit and glowing LED.
This is a completed LED circuit that I put together using a 5 volt power source, an LED, a 1K resistor, and a ground supply.
What I noticed when making this circuit was that I had no idea how to put it together. I watched a classmate set theirs up. Afterwards, I told them that I saw how to put it together, but I was unsure of how it was done.
I later learned that each lateral/horizontal and vertical row was communicating with one another. The placement was what was confusing for me. But then, the concept of connectivity clicked in my mind in a way that translated to "this connects, to that, and this connects to this." In this case, the positive (red) and black (negative) wires, led to the resistor, then the resistor led to the LED, and then the LED had to connect back to ground in order to complete a full circuit. Doing this without a schematic was a bit complicated. While doing this project, I felt that the bread board had this concept of an invisible connection. The placement of elements on the top of the bread board was all that I could see and have control over. The only way that I knew things were connected was indicated through feedback, which was the LED light turning on.
In connection to "feedback", Donald A Norman's The Psychological Design of Everyday Things explained just how important feedback is, not solely for the user, but also for a potential designer. In this case, the feedback was more obvious, because the entire point of the circuit was to get the LED to turn on. Nonetheless, it's going into week 3, and I'm still drawn to this idea of emotionality and its place within design. Norman's chapter "Attractive Things Work Better" in Emotional Design drove the point home in regards to the three levels of human processing: visceral, behavioral, and reflective.
Psychology and the understanding of it makes things much easier when it concerns people, reasons, and outcomes. The natural aspects of design that Norman talked about are already there for us. They don't make us do much thinking. However, as a designer, when I imagine adding layers onto a design, I think of how the average person would respond to it. What's the average person, though? Here's the catch, what Norman didn't really expand on in both assigned readings, was the cultural factor that plays into design. Just like functional (art) objects and even symbols, in different countries and communities, they have different purposes, meanings, and interpretations. Is the challenge to connect everyone through their humanness, or to ignore the differences in how people and places in different parts of the world function and operate?
What I enjoyed most about the "Attractive Things Work Better" chapter, was the idea around happiness and positivity as an advantage for creatives. The reading, honestly, helped me better understand where my anxiety is rooted. It made me think about the art that I've created out of hopelessness, depression, anxiety, fear, and anger. One still has the ability to create out of a negative place, and they can even make beautiful things from that same place. Not that Norman was arguing that one could not. But just entertaining the idea, Hip-Hop was made out of kids who were suffering from poverty. And now look what it has turned into. Maybe it was refined and made better from those who had a brighter, or more fortunate experience with life? Thinking about how the vast majority of the world is living with some sort of unhappiness, whether it comes or goes, makes me wonder if the creators and designers of the world are creating from a place of unhappiness, and if they are does that set the tone for the rest of the world?
I can't remember where I learned this from, but Norman's reading reminded me of another reading where someone said that people who spend a lot of time working hard to generate ideas and to make strong work can hit blockages from forcing themselves to think hardly. It was said that ideas come to you during times where you're not thinking about that project or body of work that you want to start on or complete. Ideas can feel like they come from the blue, but really, they're already in the subconscious, and sometimes being idol, playing, or relaxation can bring those ideas to the forefront of one's mind.
Readings for reference:
Donald A. Norman - The Psychological Design of Everyday Things
Donald A. Norman - Emotional Design. "Attractive Things Work Better" chapter.
Tigoe - "Physical Computings' Greatest Hits (and Misses)"
Week 3
I believe that I speak for the majority of New York City when I say that public transportation system is just, straight-up terrible. Aside from poorly designed route mapping, the make of the trains themselves lack in many regards. If you've spent a lot of time riding the subway, you may have experienced that different train lines have differently designed train carts. For example, the older A/C train carts tend to be very wide, leaving a decent amount of space to account for large crowds of people-- oh, and pole dancing ;). As opposed to train models like the 2/5 line, where the aisle of the train is extremely narrow, a major shift in design can be seen.
The main aspect of the transportation system that I observed people using were the poles/rails installed between the aisles. What people have a tendency to do is to stand right in front of the doors, and also huddled around the centered poles that are near the doors. On my way to and from school, I catch the 2/5. On this train during the 9:00am morning rush, the first cluster of people take up the seats, then follows the people who gravitate towards that center pole. Finally, someone realizes that the center near the pole is crowded, so they move into the train and position themselves in front of the seated passengers, while holding on to the side rail. The next cluster of people either move into the train and start forming a row, standing in front of the seated passengers holding onto the railing above.
What I noticed is that people gravitate towards the isolated, center poles the most. I think it may have something to do with the narrowness of the 2/5 aisle, and that there is something awkward about standing so close to someone who is seated with a pelvis right in front of their face. The last cluster of people usually stand right in the corners of the door, as there usually isn't enough room to move any further into the train. Similar to Graham Pullin's ideas in Design Meets Disability around how design informs people's behaviors. There is obviously something psychological that exists within design, and its influence over its users.
These images are from my attempt at setting up a switch through analog input and digital output. I was able to get a print read to indicate that my circuit was going from one to zero. On the left image, I used the Arduino 1010. On the left I used the Arduino Nano 33 iot. I wasn't able to activate the switch through the blue button in the image on the right. There was an issue with the Arduino coding input. However, I was able to make a switch using the tip of a resistor. I was able to touch one end of the 20k resistors to one of the LEDs, resulting them going back and forth based on the contact of the resistor, Although I connected the switch on the 1010, I wasn't able to set up the light, which is my next personal assignment.
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Week 4
This week's assignment was to get the Servo to function through the Arduino. It was a challenge trying to set it up using the Nano, in stead of the UNO. However, there are elements beginning to make more sense with the physical setting up and wiring of the breadboard. Digital coding inside of the Arduino IDE is the most challenging as of right now.
Below is a video of the spinning motor with the plastic piece. This portion didn't involve code. However, when I attempted to change the motor to the Servo, I got an error in my code, and couldn't understand why. In the last photo, it shows that I was able to get a reading, but not much success came out of getting it to fully function.
Week 5
This week's readings, aside from Sketching User Experiences were really inspiring. Not that the reading on sketching wasn't exciting, rather Igoe's way of expressing his ideas is always entertaining to read, and for the most part, pretty on point in regards to his arguments.
His ideas are attractive to me as an artist. There was once a time where I didn't see learning electronics/tech, computers, or even science as a form of art. Now, my appreciation for this new medium has grown on me. Igoe draws attention to the difference of traditional art pieces and their intention versus interactive art. He pointed out that the interactive art functions as a performance piece, and that the viewer is the one who completes that piece by interacting with it. This made me think about my art, my message, how I want to deliver it, but also how I want others to engage with it.
I notice that my favorite part about being an artists, besides the making part, is the exchange that I have with viewers. The conversations that come out of people viewing my work tend to stick with me. When I came to ITP, I knew I wanted to make something that took up space. Recently I've learned about projection mapping and live video performance through Romaine (forgot last name, but he is a professor at ITP. It made me realize that I want to create an environment for people to enter. I envision an environment with sound and music, visual affects that drop jaws and generate euphoria/nostalgia, and escapism. Perhaps this can be crafted similarly to the example shown this, "The Happy Machine."
Week 6
Phys Comp midterm project - Nailah Davis & Stacy Yuan - Sound & Visualization
For this p-comp midterm assignment, Stacy and I plan to make a simplified midi controller using 8 different buttons to control 8 different sounds, and visual effects on the p5 screen-- audio & video performance. We plan to use 3 potentiometers. One for the volume, another for a song changer/selector, and the other for a distortion effect for the audio/or the image. We want to include an on off switch, as well, which is pictured on the left side. Our inspiration came from the MK3 Maschine controller.
MK3 Maschine by Native Instruments
This is a screenshot of Stacy and I’s sketch up for the midi controller, drawn using the iPad, Apple Pencil, and Pro Create App.
We pulled additional inspiration from our combined interests and love of music and Hip-Hop, along with these videos:
The distinction we would make with our midi controller is that visual effects would also appear based on which buttons are pressed. So, it’s supposed to be interactive with the display and the physical playing of the buttons. We want to encourage collaboration between users. Some could play the drum buttons, while another plays chords.
Progress Update: Lab
This first video is from my Electronics for Inventors class. This circuit allowed me to better understand the switch circuit that I had trouble with in the earlier weeks of phys comp class.
Midterm Project
As a percussionist and visual artist, I had an idea to recreate a MIDI sound controller using arcade buttons. I was inspired by the Maschine MK3 controller and its functions. One thing that I wanted to add to the concept of a MIDI controller was a visual element. Like most MIDI controllers (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), sound is generated once a button is pressed. However, with this project, I wanted there to not only be a sound generated from pressing a button, but also a visual affect to appear on a monitor/screen display.
In the video above, you are able to see different people test out the device. I wanted to try and create a way to do VJing and DJing through one device. This was initially designed for two users to collaborate on. There are 12 buttons. 6 buttons on one side holds mostly percussion sounds, and the other side holds synths. There are 4 potentiometers, 3 of them control audio filters and affects, the 4th one controls image affects, and allows you to turn on your laptop webcam so you can see yourself as live performance. Lastly, there are two slider potentiometers that control volume levels of the audio.
I was able to put this project together in collaboration with a programmer by the name of Stacy Yuan. Stacy helped with the coding and assisted with the fabrication of the box.
Final Project Proposal
Outside of being conceptually inspired by the "#SayHerName movement, the aesthetic inspiration of this project came to me when thinking about light and LED's. The reasons why humans are so drawn to lights is an infatuating theory; one that I've just recently became interested in while here at ITP. What I feel is that there are differences across the world's wide range of visual culture. Moreover that certain theories, and even objects carry a variety of symbolic meanings based on culture, geographic region, class, gender, and race. To me, light translates to power, but in a more figurative sense. Light also has a relationship to darkness, in that they are technically and figuratively opposites. I grew up seeing so many candle light ceremonies take over my neighborhood. I think about the differences in what kinds of lights set what mood. Which is how I arrived at making Say Their Name.
Pictured above: candlelight ceremony in honor of Nipsey Hussle.
Link to more references here.
SAY THEIR NAME is a narrative-shifting experience and socially engaged art installation, which aims to amplify the voices of unjustly murdered black queer, trans, women at the hands of law enforcement and anti-black violence in the United States. This idea was birthed through the lived experience of conceptual artist Nailah Davis. Inspired by both Davis’ work around Black life and identity, along with the #SayHerName movement, a user is called in to experience and forced to engage with her/their story: the viewer’s presence and attention is required—-only then will the installation activate. This project aims to serve as both a form of restorative justice, specifically for black people spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally, fatigued by the persistent attacks on black bodies, educating the mass on a shared experience and also simply justifying their existence by keeping their names alive.
There are 3 shadow boxes against a wall with iPads inside rapidly displaying images of 3 taken-too-soon ancestors. Only when a human body is detected, does the shadow box settle on one image.
However, in order for the ‘experience’ to begin, a user must:
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Place their phone in an enclosure
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Step in a designated area
Once their presence is detected and attention confirmed, they’ll be tasked with actually saying the name of said ancestor. When they do and the louder they say their name, the shadowbox will illuminate, brighter and brighter, thus keeping the memory of this ancestor and their story alive. As the name is said, a recording will be made and held in a digital repository where they will also be virtually commemorated. To access this repository, a unique QR Code will be made available. To further ensure the story is amplified, a printer will print their name on receipt paper that will live and elongate as time passes. This project will be brought to life in collaboration with my fellow ITP peers Simone Salvo and Elizabeth Perez, who both added the idea of an online portion of the work!
Bill of Materials and Project Timeline
**Shadowbox
Final Project
My team and I ended up scaling down the project to center one individual, Sandra Bland. Her case has stood out to me since it happened 2015. For me, it felt intuitive to amplify her story. The first few iterations of the image were made in illustrator, by tracing over an image of her that was sourced from google.
Description: first portrait iteration (1 of 10) & testing different lines out for the rays
Iteration 2 of 10
Final iteration
I hit a challenge with trying to make the portrait look more photorealistic. I was inspired by the iconographic image of Che Guevara. The black and white threshold of his portrait has been engraved in my mind ever since my mother brought me back a t-shirt of that same portrait from Cuba. I felt that it could be powerful to make her image into a visual icon. It's unfortunate, and also disturbing that when you do a google search for "Sandra Bland," the first image that comes up is here in here mugshot, which is the same mugshot that is believed to be her lying on the floor, already dead. This isn't how we would want to remember our loved ones, so I wanted to restore that. I also have never really felt confident in my drawing skills, so I wanted to move away from illustrating, to having a realistic depiction of her, to respectfully represent her.
To make the portrait, I used a process called "total internal reflection." Professor Ben Light suggested using this technique, as I described to him that I wanted the portrait to be close to invisible, and then revealed after something happens.
I did extensive research on this process, and the material that is used to for it is called "lucite acrylic." What separates lucite acrylic from regular plastic acrylic is that it has special light diffusing capabilities that allow for light to pass through the inner-surfaces of the material when cut or etched onto with a laser. In order to achieve the full affect of invisible to visible, the lucite material reads vector lines, and best, rather than whole figures and images. The challenge involved thinking about how to achieve a beautiful portrait, but while also making sure the portrait was able to be depicted through lines. So, for the final iteration, I broke up her portrait, pixel by pixel, and line by line in photoshop.
Figure 2: Arduino code operating thermal printer, motion detector, and LED's.
Figure 1: Sandra Bland's name broken into code from Processing.
For the code, we had to make a p5 sketch for the voice recognition in order for p5 to recognize Sandra's name to send to Arduino through serial communication.
My group-mate, Simone, wanted to add a thermal printer to print her name each time it was said, so she made a photo file of her name in processing to print out. Which is depicted in figure 1.
Illustration of notes on major functional elements
