I’m hosting a series of Animation Workshops in conjunction with Design Camp and the Contemporary Art Museum. This is the first time that a digital animation component will be introduced into the Design Camp disciplines and we hope that it will be a sure hit as an additional feature in the future.
We had a fantastic time trashing the lab and creating some exciting stop motion animations as well as a quick stop action short film. We featured non-stop sessions of storyboards and concept sketches, fruit-loop fights, mock-ups and enthusiastic budding directors. With a lot of help from the event organizers, student TAs, camp counselors and featured returning faculty member Ryan DeWitt we were able to do a 5-day workshop and showcase 80 student animations and 5 short film animations on the final Saturday Design Camp Reception. A big thanks goes out to Nicole Welch and Pablo del Valle for helping us organize the events, keeping us on track and stocking us up with supplies!
Not to be outdone, Santiago Piedrafita - Chair of the Department of Graphic Design at NC State University College of Design introduced future design students to the art of Typography and projected light. Emphasis was placed on the process of exploring a visual composition in studies of scale, layering, opposition and tension using graphic pattern, icons and typography. After projecting it at a large scale it allowed students an opportunity to see how layering, juxtaposition and scale change the graphic form and meaning.
The next session for Design Camp is the day camp series starting July 7th and then a final round of overnight Design Campers during the week of July 20th. We are finalizing the gallery and tutorial mini-website so check it out later this month at 3by3.wordpress.com
For more information about Design Camp check out cam.ncsu.edu!
Developed an interactive art installation utilizing Flash AS2, infrared camera tracking, intelligent agents and flocking routines. Working on museum design, installation fabrication and experience marketing as a unique and artistic endeavor to increase public awareness of branding, product placement and marketing.
The team that comprises EAT formed in June 2004 in response to on-going debate around the subject of aesthetics of virtual environments and a localized epidemic of low-grade ennui.
Development for The Consumer Culture Garden began in June 2004, and continued until about a week before the opening at The North Carolina Museum of Art. The latest version is now available for viewing in the NEW/NOW exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art.
The process was based on the Eames design process, reflecting an iterative exploration into a wide range of solutions for every aspect of the installation.The growing sophistication of virtual environments has changed the way we communicate, work together, and entertain ourselves. New technologies allow us to tour buildings yet to be built and play games in simulated, but surprisingly realistic, environments. For the purposes of education, entertainment, communication, commerce and novelty, these media technologies can now convincingly simulate the natural world.
Large-scale, Interactive Digital Signage
Moving away from MakingThings/Teleos hardware and going straight Flash 9 w/modified hardware. We include standard button interaction, drag+sweep gesture recognition, multi-touch and ability to scale to almost any window dimension w/o the need for depth or rear-view tracking…
The Interactive Window is a back projected web-cam based system that can essentially turn any glass window (of any size) into a touch screen interface. This is a “non-contact interactive display” designed to be operated by intuitive human hand gesture. Gestures of press, push, scale and rotate are all programmable interactions of this technology. The system has the potential to be multi-touch (two handed gestures simultaneously recognized) and initial attempts at doing this have been successful.
Similar technologies are extremely expensive, have their own closed operating system and require multiple cameras. This platform is based on open source culture and is developed with Adobe Flash 3.0 development application - a widely available and popular development software, making the technology accessible to most (non-programming) designers and content developers. Additionally, this technology is based on projected light, so it easily scaleable and customizable in its size and proportions. Set up cost is extremely inexpensive by comparison, and thus, potentially very popular to the general public.
This updated “Interactive Mirror” presents a lower cost of entry into the interactive space and leverages open-source hardware/software to allow non-programmers and designers to develop digital spaces. We are not so much concerned with pixel-point precision and touch/pressure sensitivity… We are more interested in non-contact, gesture based interactive systems for information displays and exhibits that are easy to implement and open to designers.
CAM|Contemporary Art Museum
Contemporary Art Foundation, Raleigh http://cam.ncsu.edu/
Spring 2007 (ongoing)
Experimental research into alternative, interactive new media installations for education and entertainment. This form of large-scale digital exhibit, introduces designers to sensor data from external sources that utilize dynamic content creating a unique interactive experience that is both larger-than-life size and immersive in the experience. Utilizes Flash AS2, gesture recognition, infrared web camera tracking, Makingthings Teleos system and XML/RSS datasets.
This is experimental project into alternative, interactive new media installations for education and entertainment. “CAM,” no longer a “Contemporary Art Museum,” but keeping the acronym, seeks to get community involvement in artistic & creative events and hopes to infuse creativity into education in downtown Raleigh. It is not our intent with this project to turn designers into engineers. Our intention was based on the principle of having non-technologists work together with technology outside their expertise to produce artifacts that are informative, entertaining and promote an exchange of dialogue over design, technology and society. At the completion of this project typical design students in this research collaboration developed an understanding of technical design integration, a vocabulary of the field and a working knowledge on the application of technology in different disciplines. The initial large-scale, Interactive Mirror Installation, introduced designers to sensor data from external sources and utilized dynamic content creating a unique interactive experience.
In celebration of the DVD release of Transformers (Oct.16th), I now bring to you the retro, black+white minicomic illustration - Rampage. Created in classic fun and styling, taking up relatively little time during school hours, this (extremely) short-lived comic book adaptation still holds up to today’s current events. Warning: Includes complete, utter childhood low-brow humor.
Presented here :
Issue 1, Volume 1 of Rampage Comics - In Dead Black & White
Published by Demented Comics, LLC.
Written/Illustrated/Digitized by: Michael Hoke and Lee Cherry
at Douglas Byrd High School during Homeroom session circa. 1990.
The purpose of Design Expo Raleigh ’07 is to present great design to the public and to give designers, both professionals and students, a forum to display and discuss their work. A unique showcase of applied arts coming together as a whole, Design Expo Raleigh promotes broader awareness of many different design disciplines and creates an opportunity for local designers to network with each other, students, and the public.
This two-week event combined fund raising, project management, event coordination, marketing/promotion and website integration. Design Expo is the brain-child of Donald Corey (Other Edge) and was developed in conjunction with Michael Bustin (MeldUSA), Erick Mehlman (Cline Design), Amanda Robertson (iMediaGraphics), Jessie Schaefer (Signal Design) and a host of volunteers.
Developed FlicFlix, A Flash animation applet which integrates live video and real time green screen chromakey technology to fully immerse students, characters and props into the animation world.
The most important international event for children, their teachers and parents in the world, the World Children’s Festival is hosted by the ICAF every four years, traditionally on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The World Festival integrates the arts, science, sport and technology to create a complete synesthetic experience — a total work of art that transforms the National Mall. Leading educators and experts come together to heal, inspire and unify children and peoples across the globe.
The Festival becomes a turning point in the participants’ lives, a touchstone to guide them in the future. The 2007 World Children’s Festival took place in Washington, DC on June 22-26. From June 23 to 25, the World Festival occupied from the 4th to the 7th Streets of the National Mall.
DISCOURSE Design Tech, an REU site funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and the Department of Defense (DoD) Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE), is an interactive visual design hothouse with projects spanning artificial intelligence, graphics, visualization, and visual design. Projects include cinematic camera control for interactive narratives and games; automated tours through virtual, visualized environments; agent-based visualizations of streaming data such as RSS feeds and sensor telemetries; and PDA-based navigation tools.
The Design Tech undergraduate experience involves a 12-week summer research program that provides outstanding research opportunities in the areas covered by Design Tech faculty research interests. Students receive a stipend, travel and living expenses during their participation in Design Tech. This Research Expereinces for Undergraduates (REU) program is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense.
The Design Tech Summer 2006 program ran from May to August, 2006. The targeted audience consists of both male and female students that have attained at least junior status. Undergraduate participants receive an stipend, an allowance for travel to/from Raleigh, North Carolina, housing and meals. Students will be housed in University Housing in campus dormitories. These rooms are furnished and are within walking distance of all the research laboratories. For more information about applying visit designtech.ncsu.edu.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Author(s)
Crenshaw, Matthew R. Horne, Larry J. Bens, Samantha R.
Home Institution
North CarolinaStateUniversity
Program
Design Tech REU
Department(s)
Computer Science Art and Design
Research Mentor(s)
Benjamin Watson/Computer Science PatFitzgerald/Art and Design
Title of Presentation
Visualization of Real-time Data from RSS Feeds Using Processing
(RSS) feeds are used to quickly see a summarized list of all recent content on a website. The main objective of this year’s DesignTech program is to visually depict these feeds using Processing, an open source programming language used to easily create interactive graphics, much like Adobe’s Flash tool. For our project, we chose to build a tool that allowed users to monitor feeds in the background while performing other tasks.
We have created several prototypes varying information displayed as well as visual designs, using several elements to identify the source, age and value of the information being displayed. Some information sources include: Amazon.com, Google News, CNN, BBC News and Craigslist. The several visual designs we have experimented with include 2D designs using floating text “rain drops,” ticker tapes, as well as 3D designs using spheres and z-axis positioning.
Author(s)
Levesque, Angela M. Mohr, Michelle L.
Home Institution
MeredithCollege
Program
Design Tech REU
Department(s)
Computer Science Art and Design
Research Mentor(s)
BenjaminWatson/Computer Science Pat Fitzgerald/Art and Design
Title of Presentation
Virtual Window Shopping
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are a tool on the Internet that notifies users about changes in websites such as online newspapers, directories, or blogs. The goal of this summer’s DesignTech program is to visually represent RSS feeds using the interactive design language, Processing 1.0. The main objective of this project is to represent feeds from online stores and exchanges, such as amazon, ebay, and craigslist.
We constructed a virtual store or gallery using images and information from the feeds to create an environment for users to browse the products. Since not all feeds contain images the current prototype finds photographs in the online image directory flickr. Eventually the prototype will depict feeds from ebay, because this site includes links to photographs in its feeds. The application imagery is a hallway created by images on the walls that move past the viewer. These images represent theproducts that the user is “shopping” for. The user can then change categories and receive a new set of images and feeds.
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT DesignTech ‘06 was an opportunity that provided outstanding research initiativees for Computer Science and Art+Design Students. Working together they develop innovative solutions and novel applications of internet technology for analyzing large, dynamic datasets. It provided an open forum to discuss industry trends and social implications of privacy, information and computing.
Developed a risk management analysis and a marketing strategy plan as part of complete case study for future expansion, financial analysis and image/visibility/positioning concerns. A collaborative effort between the NCSU, College of Management and Exploris Museum.
Recommendations include:
address the “Museum Experience” at consumer level and ‘living memory’ of the user
refine/redefine the museum retail and on-line stores
develop rich media applets to enhance the online web experience
integrate new technology to carry over the museum experience onto the web
leverage social networking to engage the audience and to allow museum attendees to share learning/experience online
expand food court to allow for Global Cafe themed venues
collaborate with similar museums and services to form a joint venture
increase interactive kiosk stations to allow students to share their experiences i.e. link up with a digital pen pal from a sister museum in France/UK
introduce large scale, digital signage tied to live web data and RSS feeds
create augmented spaces and exhibits that allowed museum attendees to be immersed in motion video and high definition audio from around the world
Exploris Museum is an innovative, interactive museum that explores the wonders and connections of our world, and fascinates both grown-ups and kids. The core exhibits demonstrate the connections between the people of the world through culture, global trade, the environment and communications. Through programs for adults and school children, cultural performances each weekend, forums in association with community organizations and traveling exhibits, Exploris endeavors to bring the world to downtown Raleigh. Exploris Museum also features an IMAX theater.
(Update - 9/15/07)
Work is underway on the transformation into Wake County’s new Kids Museum. Created by the merger of Exploris and Playspace, the new kids museum will open on September 29, at the current Exploris location, with brand new experiences and a brand new name.
Developed web marketing strategy and events management case study for expanding the Festival on the Lawn Music and Art Series as part of their major fund raising event for the Latta House Foundation. Collaborative effort between the Project Management team at the NCSU, College of Management and Islandting Productions.
Recommendations include:
website redesign and increased video posting/coverage of events
develop visual documentation of Latta House history as DVD documentary
development of online donation/pledge system
marketing through MySpace and other social networking websites
streamlining the Arts+Crafts Vendor Market
The Latta House is located on the original site of Latta University, founded in the late 1800s by Reverend Morgan Latta to educate underprivileged and orphaned children in Raleigh’s black community. Today the Latta House stands just four blocks north of the Cameron Village Shopping Center in the heart of Raleigh’s Historic Oberlin Village Community.
Not to be outdone, Santiago Piedrafita - Chair of the Department of Graphic Design at NC State University College of Design introduced future design students to the art of Typography and projected light. Emphasis was placed on the process of exploring a visual composition in studies of scale, layering, opposition and tension using graphic pattern, icons and typography. After projecting it at a large scale it allowed students an opportunity to see how layering, juxtaposition and scale change the graphic form and meaning.
