SYNTHELIGHT
art exhibition
SCHOOL CASE STUDY
ROLES.
Director of Technology, Camera
Ideation development, research
Feedback analyst
DURATION. GROUP.
4 week, group
Emma, Yuki, Rojan, Yuliia, Yasamin, Felicia
DELIVERABLES.
Create an interactive art exhibition using tangible technology visitors can take away an experience from.
MISA SFU
One word: bow
What comes to mind?
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Did you think of a hair bow? Maybe you said a bow and arrow? Or maybe you thought of something entirely different!
overview
Background.
SYNTHELIGHT was created to explore and showcase the diverse associations people have with a single word, drawing from a broad spectrum of individuals across different backgrounds and ages.
Objective.
Using light technology, these interpretations were captured and displayed interactively and contribute to a whole where each viewer can experience something that they have created amongst the community.
Interaction Process.
03
Exhibit.
You.
Creation.
A visitor enters, receives instructions, and is prompted to input their name, bio, and choose a prompt word.
Write a brief description of what they interpret the word to be.
The visitor is given a colored flashlight and has 8 seconds to draw a visual representation of the word, captured by a long exposure camera.
​how does it work?
Utilizing Canon Camera technology, the visitor's light trail, created while using the flashlight, is captured through an extended 8-second exposure. I would signal the visitor when to commence their drawing, and as soon as the camera's shutter closes, the resulting photo is uploaded to the website. The website then takes this photograph, frames it, and integrates it into the gallery. Here, it can be readily viewed alongside all the other interpretations of the chosen prompt word by different participants. This was coded in HTML and CSS using WIX.
When clicking on any of the prompt words, you can see the detailed explanations about the selected drawing, and all the drawings of the same prompt word below. All is viewed on the website.
Community.
Their light drawing is uploaded to a community gallery, where they can view others' interpretations.
Research and Development
During development, the team was concerned that visitors might not interpret words differently, undermining the project’s purpose. To test this, I designed a survey where 31 participants (aged 18-22) provided their interpretations of 12 words. The results confirmed our theory and motivated SYNTHELIGHT's progression.
Concern.
On April 13, 2023, 58 participants of all ages contributed to the final gallery, showing that each person had a unique interpretation of the same word, even with similar meanings. The results validated our approach.
Solution.
Website Implementation.
The website was created for visiors to interact with in the dark room. This required it to have a dark interface, tone into the aesthetic of the room and what they will be doing to attract attention, and have simple user accessibility. This resulting in needing to create a linear path and limited interactions, while being short enough not to leave the exhibit and maintain attention.
We couldn’t allow participants to discuss the exhibition or view the page before contributing, as it would introduce bias into their responses and skew the research results.
Concern.
The webpage was locked to participants until they scanned the QR code provided at the end of the exhibition. The location of the code was kept discreet to encourage personal discovery and prevent mass discussions that could influence responses.
Solution.
The user will walk up to the computer in the middle of the room and view a webpage asking for their name.
The user will input 5 words that describe themselves so we gain insight into their interpretation of their chosen word.
The user can hover over 8 prompt words to select one to draw (without knowing which). The words animate upon hover.
After selecting a word, the user writes a description of what it means to them. At this stage, only the user knows its true meaning.
The user is given a flashlight and instructed where to stand. They will then draw their interpreted word in the air with a colored flashlight to be uploaded to the website.
The user can visit the website to view a collection of all the drawn artworks. By searching for their word’s color, they can compare their interpretation with others.
Result.
Wave (13)
Bolt (10)
Ocean (9)
Relaxation
Energy Wave
Electromagnetic field
To Be Influenced
Lightening (5)
Fast/Run (2)
Disney’s Bolt Movie
Screw
Excruciating
Lead (3)
Point (5)
Be in command
Animal leash
Pencil
Bring attention to
Focal Point
Spikes
End goal
Important
Current (5)
Hatch (5)
Present moment
Flow
Electricity
Ocean
Lightening
Egg (3)
Car trunk
Birth
Bass (10)
Bow (7)
Low pitch (3)
Music (2)
Guitar
Speaker
Roland TR-808
Satan
Reliable
Archery (3)
Ribbon (3)
Bend down (1)
Take-a-ways.
SYNTHELIGHT provided me with valuable insights into the diverse range of perspectives within the community and highlighted the importance of accommodating this diversity in any interactive design. By gaining a deeper understanding of the cognitive aspects and observing visitors as they navigated the website, identifying sources of confusion, sources of excitement, and areas where they invested the most time. I've acquired valuable knowledge that will guide me in developing user-centric designs in the future.
“One of the most engaging and fun experiences I’ve had today”
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- contributor
“The presentation was professional, and the experience was well-choreographed. The performance/ interaction was very effective and your strategy for the capture and display of information during the exhibition was very impressive.”
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- professor
“I felt engaged intellectually and aesthetically. This is a great accomplishment”
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- contributor