Second Half Reflections

Self-reflection Hybrid Environments 10/01/18

150–250 word self-reflection posted to Medium: What other types of environments are becoming hybrid? Give at least one specific example and note whether or not you think the hybridization of the environment improves the user experience.

Many environments now are becoming hybrid as the inclusion of technology becomes more accessible. Transportation, retail, restaurants, houses, and even long-distance relationships have become hybrid. These environments have been enhanced or hurt by decisions to add digital interfaces and interactions to their systems. With public transportation, phones are now a virtual necessity to make your way around a city. You plug your destination into Google Maps and it tells you which bus to take, at which bus stop, when it will arrive, and when to get off. I think there is still a bit of a disconnect, where faults in notifications or diverting attention from the phone screen can lead to a missed stop, but I believe transportation benefits greatly in ease of use with its current implementation of technology. Rather than consult a map or attempt to memorize stops, numbers and directions, your phone does the work for you and allows logistics to be in the back of your mind so you can focus on other things, like having conversations with strangers on the bus (a new hobby of mine). On the flip side, I went to a McDonalds in Paris last year and was confronted with a digital interface for taking orders. It was hardly intuitive and the entire experience felt like it was sorely missing human interaction. It’s hard to be lovin’ it on your own.

Reflection: What is the difference between an architect and an environments designer?

10/08/18

It is my understanding that an architect creates the building and the environments designer creates the spaces within. An architect is concerned with how the building should function whereas environments designers are focused on the inhabitants and user’s needs. Environments within a building are designed with an experience in mind, using the building created by an architect as a framework. Both should be able work together to create an environment cohesive with its building.

Often, architects take on building projects with a similar mindset to a sculptor. They might be very interested in playing with line, so the entire form of the building is created with the goal of stretching the limits of that visual element. This was the case with Oyler Wu, the architecture firm Davis and I saw give a lecture at CMU this year. An environments designer is more likely to take on a project with the mindset of any other human-centered designer. They are probably trying to create a space that serves a function in the most effective and meaningful way for its users. An environments designer might be tasked with creating an office space that is most suitable for collaboration. It’s possible that the environments designer in that scenario is creating this collaborative space within a line building built by Oyler Wu. That architecture firm wasn’t necessarily concerned with its building’s eventual internal functions.

Self-reflection Hybrid Environments 10/17/18

500-word self-reflection: Was there an existing exhibit that influenced your design, and how? How were the skills you developed in the first project similar and/or different from the second project?

There were two definite exhibits that influenced my design. One was obviously the Basquiat exhibit at the Warhol museum, but it influenced my design because I didn’t think enough context was given to Basquiat’s work. The story that really sells his pieces was missing from the experience. Because that was missing, I decided to focus on telling Basquiat’s story. Another exhibit that inspired mine in a very subtle way was James Turrell’s actually, at the Mattress Factory. The way he can focus all of your attention on a lit object by placing it in a dark room, creating an experience that feels like it’s the only thing on your mind, was very useful to me. I needed a way to convey the ethereal state of ‘entering’ Jean-Michel Basquiat’s mind, and Turrell’s exhibit seemed to offer the solution with his use of light.

In the first project, I was definitely thinking about spaces in a similar way. Thresholds sustained their importance in my design decisions, and I also continued to think about designing an overall experience. In both projects I had to present my idea clearly to the class (and in camera! ah!) and I believe that was a very helpful exercise. When you have to explain something you get to know it much better. In the first project I learned how to design interfaces using wireframing and Adobe XD. I learned low-fi physical prototyping for AR experiences. I often get excited when the solution to thinking about something so complex like that is to use lesser technology. It makes the thinking process very approachable. In this second project I got better at Illustrator, CADtools, Sketchup, Little Bits, and physical modeling. Those were very tangible skills I built up.

I’m really excited to do more with modeling spaces and prototyping interactions on a different scale in the future. There’s something extremely satisfying about creating a model and putting a tiny person in it. The space comes to life. You immediately empathize with the little figure and are able to understand the space much better. It makes me think about other design areas and whether they have a tool as revealing. It’s possible that they don’t need one because they are typically working at 1:1, so it’s just a special disorienter that comes with environments design. Regardless, I had a lot of fun building my model in Sketchup and with foam board.

Both projects taught me ways to prototype hybrid environments with approachable technology, allowing me to iterate my concept faster. The first project skewed more towards the technology side of hybrid interactions and the second was mainly physical. There is definitely a spectrum, and I expect that as time goes on, the way things are going, all of the environments we exist in will heavily skew towards technology. I know Gabe feels strongly that humans shouldn’t be headed in that direction and I’m inclined to agree. Perhaps technology will change so drastically though that we’ll be able to bring all of the genuine qualities of analog interaction into it.

Self-Reflection Meta-Cognitive Experience 10/17/18

What motivates you? What distracts you? What keeps you engaged?

I get very motivated when I feel like I have the time, tools, and skills to get something done. If success is imaginable, a big project won’t feel daunting. It’s rare that all three of those factors are at 100%, so I often find myself combatting the stress by distracting myself. It’s never a conscious decision, but I might pull out my phone or start a conversation with the person across from me because the task feels insurmountable. I try to counteract those tendencies by isolating myself. I’ll turn off my phone and put on noise-canceling headphones to really buckle down and get work done. After a long stressful freshman year, I have at least figured out that formula to help myself with productivity.