Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Interpreting Sewri Bay, Mumbai

Di

rama: An aid to interpretive communication Visual Communication Project III

Guide: Prof. Raja Mohanty Chitra Chandrashekhar Roll no: 09625804 M.Des, Visual Communication 2009-11 Industrial Design Centre Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai Date: 10.06.2011

The journey begins...

Interpreting Sewri Bay, Mumbai

Di

rama: An aid to interpretive communication

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirement of the degree.

Masters of Design in Visual Communication (2009-2011) at the Industrial Design Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Guide: Prof. Raja Mohanty Chitra Chandrashekhar (09625804) Date: 10.06.2011

Visual Communication Project III

...through the grit and dirt, that’s the way after all...

Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Approval Sheet

The Visual Communication Project III titled ‘Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication’ by Chitra Chandrashekhar (09625804) is approved towards partial fulfilment of the requirements for post graduate degree of Master of Design in Visual Communication.

__ _ ____ ___ __ _ _ _ ______________________ Guide ________________________________ er __ ___________________________ ____ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ ___ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ ___ __ _ Internal Examiner __________________ ___ __ _ _ __ _ _ ___ __ __ __ External Examiner ___________________________ _________________________________ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ ___ __ __ __ _ __ __ ___ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ ___ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ Chairperson __

Industrial Design Centre Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay January - June 2011

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...and there is a stop. But for what?

Nature and her wonderful transformations... where else could you find inspiration?

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Credits: http://indianbirdsphotography.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html; http://www.oiseaux.net/birds/lesser.flamingo.html; http://www.avianweb.com/flamingos.html

Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

A musing...

If Mother Nature were an incorporated institution, imagine life on this planet?

Every rock, tree, bird, animal, water body, leaf, grass, grain of sand, would be patented to our death! Originality is a limited, dated and an ungrateful word. Giving acclaim to one or a small group of individuals is immaterial when ‘originality’ is indirectly derived from generations of wisdom and knowledge that were in turn from nature! Are we any match to Her originality?

The academic world has always ‘accepted’ citations as ‘ethical’ and ‘right’ but do endless citations make up for an ‘original’, or a ‘mash-up’?

After all, isn’t an idea more important? An idea, more often than not, stems from intellectual amalgamation. Respecting and obeying academic rules is an unsaid duty of a student however much one may viscerally diverge from them. This passage, is a wander away from an outmoded obsession for originality, recognition and credit. Mentioning that, must I owe my musing to my upbringing, the first thinking human brain or to Nature herself?

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Time to thank and begin thinking...

Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Acknowledgements The project’s bedrock of research was only possible due to the kind cooperation, time and help offered by the following individuals and organisations:

from CSRE department, Mr. Venkatesh and Ms. Sangeeta, Earth Sciences Department were extremely supportive in finding Mumbai’s port area topographical map.

My guide, Prof. Raja Mohanty, has encouraged adopting a holistic outlook in the project and Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum: Mr. Dilip Ranade–Sr. Curator, offered ample freedom to self-learn. I am also Ms. Vandana and Ms. Manisha–Museum office, security thankful to Prof. Uday Athvankar for his eye-opening in-charge and Souvenir shop in-charge. inputs that steered the project back on track. Prof.

Dr. Bhau Dhaji Lad Museum: Ms. Preema John– Sudesh Balan, for being supportive, open to advise, Asisstant Curator. resolving technical issues and fostering smooth progress Nehru Science Centre: Ms. Manju–Education Department, of the project. I am also grateful to Prof. Sreekumar and and Mr. Misra– Exhibition Development.

Prof. Mandar Rane for their timely crits that guided the Bombay Natural History Society: Mr. Atul Sathe–PRO, project towards clarity. IIT Bombay Library, IDC Library and Library Staff, Mr. Kaustubh Bhagat–CEC Department. the IDC Workshop staff have also been helpful throughout.

Conservation Action Trust: Mr. Debi Goenka and Ms. Georgina The project would not have been, if not for the cooperation Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture: of the residents and police in Sewri and its natural wonders.

Ar. Rohan and the helpful library staff.

SPG Marine Ecology Centre: Dr. Maya–Education head.

I thank Eldo, Aman, Aishwarya and Gauri for helping me with Discovery of India Museum, Nehru Centre officer in-charge.

Mumbai’s CAD plan. My friends–Somya, Nimisha, Chinmayee, Web 2.0: You tube, blogs, Wikipedia, Facebook etc.

Shampa, Vineeta, Devina, Hemali, Ishneet, Deepali, Monika, Anindya, Ganesh, Farwej, Nikhil and other peers from IDC, Gitanjali and others in Film maker, Ms. Ashima Narain’s timely help brought to notice Hostel 10 have been my family away from home. Their crits, tips, support the research on Sewri by the CESE department, IIT Bombay. I and company throughout the term have been immense. am grateful to Prof. Shyam Asolekar, CESE Department and his diligent PhD Students for sharing unpublished information on Lastly and most importantly, my dearest family and relatives–your the environmental status of Sewri Bay. Prof. Asolekar’s insight prayers, wishes and faith in me were key in driving me all along. and suggestions triggered the conceptual development phase.

My heartiest thanks to all who helped me through this project.

Prof. E Paniker Rao from Civil Department; Prof. Inamdar,

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Where are we headed? Let us see through this...

Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Abstract

Understanding heritage interpretation and the role of dioramas as communication aids was the origin of this project. An interest in visual medium for story-telling was as an added motivation. Adopting a contextually relevant subject, the project attempted to establish the role of a 21 st century diorama. This required a reappraisal of the meaning of ‘diorama’.

The main objective was designing a display that best connected the subject to its audience and helped awakening their intellect. The design process based on research and conceptual development aimed at a solution which could be adapted or scaled to different contexts. The process also breaks away from conventionally accepted definitions to see the ‘diorama’ evolve from being an encased passive entertainer to an active engager across various age groups and societies.

In an age where experiences are increasingly fleeting and virtual, designing and redefining a diorama experience is indeed a challenge. This final visual communication project is a platform to synthesize communication design, crafts, science and technology for creating interpretive communication as an immersive experience.

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Is this a sign for the way ahead?

Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Contents vii ix

Acknowledgements Abstract

4 Ideation Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

1 Introduction

1 Context: Interpretive communication Diorama: An evolving visual medium Goals and approach Limitations

2 Background study Field study Preliminary literature study Learning

3 Subject to interpret Interpreting Sewri bay Data collection Assimilation

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5 Final design

67 Design development Proof-of-concept model Evaluation & Recommendations

6 Conclusion Recapitulating Concluding 23 List of Figures Bibliography

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Chapter 1: Introduction| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

1 Introduction Context: Interpretive communication

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Diorama: An evolving visual medium

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Goals and approach Limitations

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Context: Interpretive communication What is interpretive communication or interpretation?

Common-sense knowledge says its, deducing meaning from a subject of study or reference, either for self or others. The dictionary says it is an act of elucidation, explanation or bringing

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b c Fig 1 (a-c): John Muir, Freeman Tilden and his book–Interpreting Our Heritage.

Interpretation flourished in religious contexts and later–rhetoric and poetry, but about late 19th and early 20th century it got ‘re-interpreted’ as an act of methodical analysis of various works and phenomena – texts, literature, culture, tradition, sociological, historical data etc. Around the early 20th century in the USA, a stream of thought that branched out into a movement was environmental activism.

out the meaning of a work–art, language, history, religion etc. In India, interpretation can be seen in the tradition of vyakhya where discourses are conducted to discover the meaning of scared texts like the Vedas, shlokas and puranas.

http://www.heritagedestination.com/ what-is-interpretation.aspx

In the west, an entire field of study named Hermeneutics dealt with the theory and practice of interpretation.

Origin of hermeneutics is from the Greek root hermeneuo, meaning ‘to translate’ or ‘interpret’. The mythological Hermes represents hermeneutics. He is believed to have invented language and speech; he was the divine messenger for and between Gods and humans; and led the dead to the underworld. This made interpretation a revered act.

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Interpretive communication is a philosophy, a teaching tool, an engagement strategy and a management tool... But most of all, is an attitude!

Naturalists like John Muir, pioneered a movement that aimed to reveal and imbibe the beauty of nature, to protect and preserve wilderness. It was meant for city dwellers to connect to their abundant natural heritage and prevent rampant urbanization. It succeeded with the creation of National Parks. In 1957, a naturalist from the movement, Freeman Tilden, wrote a book– Interpreting Our Heritage.

For the first time, a new term called Heritage interpretation was born. It referred to the practice of communicating by way of tools, aids and first hand experience about heritage to an audience, such that an emotional connect was established. It was seen as an effective way of fostering public interest and support for heritage conservation and protection. Heritage, both natural and man-made, has always been regarded

Chapter 1: Introduction| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

as a treasure to be preserved for posterity to appreciate its diversity and ingenuity. The book captured the essence of practicing good heritage interpretation and continues to be a bible to many interpreters. Interpretation has many definitions, but essentially meant inspiring and impressing a sense of wonder, pride or care for heritage. Out of many simple principles laid down by Freeman Tilden, six have been widely accepted and followed, the gist of which is:

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1. Interpretation must relate the subject to a visitor’s experience and personality, in order to avoid being sterile.

2. Interpretation is revelation gained from information and not information per se, although it is a part of interpretation, the two are different.

3. Interpretation is an art of many arts in presenting subjects from science, history, architecture etc.

Heritage interpretation or interpretation or interpretive communication is most faithfully

c

and disadvantages. Hence, planning d

4. Aim of interpretation must be to provoke and not instruct an audience.

is essential for the choice of medium for interpretive communication.

Interpretive content, subject and context direct such choices. This takes us to the next section on a traditional interpretive medium called the diorama.

5. Interpretation must aim at presenting a holistic picture. e

6. Interpretation must be customized to varying age groups instead of adopting ‘one fits all’ approach.

applied in various visitor centres such as: museums, zoos, aquaria, parks, archaeological sites, heritage centres etc. Freeman said, first-hand experience is the best mode of interpretation. However, there are a range of other possible ways to connect such as: posters, signboards, pamphlets, flyers, guide talks and trails, exhibits, models, games etc. Each medium has it’s advantages

Fig 2 (a-e): Different forms of interpretive communication

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Our fascination for representing reality is not new. Since time immemorial, signs and words were vehicles to retell reality until tools were invented. Tools gave us the power to physically manifest intangible ideas. A more real-like representation of reality, stylized however.

People have grown up playing with toys and dolls; watching sculptures, murals, puppets, tableaux etc. All three-dimensional, so how did that help? What possibly made them so fascinating? Simulation. They were able to bring us a step closer to reality and helped connecting to what was being retold– story, event, character etc. Stone, wood, clay, bronze, ivory–materials were a means to create or re-create one’s sense of reality in order to communicate. Choice of material not only determined it’s longevity but also added to it’s texture and exquisiteness.

Hence elevating the value of the artefact to a collectible worth preserving. This visual medium enticed its viewers not only to look but also teased them to use their sense of touch. Color, texture, shade and volume completed the ‘realistic’ visual look but above all, possessed a powerful innate tactile quality.

Diorama: An evolving visual medium

a

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This enhanced the experience from being merely visually passive to actively engaging yet another sense of perception. Perception was also challenged with the use of space and time. Three

dimensional representation began to involve interplay of time and spatiality of the real world. Theatre and architecture were connecting in a scale that was human and even super-human to impress upon its audience the ideas of an era.

e Fig3 (a-f): Traditional ommunication using three dimensions

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Our urge to make sense of reality and representing it with better tools and techniques is making visual medium multi-dimensional and trans-disciplinary.

Not only does it demand artistic qualities of image making, aesthetics and astute craftsmanship, but also a scientific mind to discover, invent, rationalise, know about materials and technology. Today,

with time and technology, lines between reality and fantasy have blurred.

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Chapter 1: Introduction| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Bringing together real and virtual spaces is not far fetched at all. Holographic projections, virtual and augmented reality, projection mapping are already re-inventing new codes of communication. Amidst all this, where

do we find a diorama?

What is a diorama? Where is it used? An

a

explanation could be–’Realistic depiction of a scenery in three dimensions which is encased behind glass like in museums; used to explain historic, natural or scientific facts’. Perhaps, this definition may be too limited to fully explain a diorama. In fact, dioramas did not begin the way we know them today.

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Fig 4 (a,b): Augmented reality: (Left) AR map, (Right) AR visualisation

John Arrowsmith, London (1842 CE) http://www.midley.co.uk/diorama/ Diorama_Patent_2.htm

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An improved mode of publicly exhibiting pictures or painted scenery of every description and distributing or directing daylight upon or through them so as to produce many beautiful effects of light and shade, which denominate a ‘DIORAMA’.

A brief look into it’s genesis takes us back to th

early 19 century when French inventor of daguerreotype fame, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, invented a form of theatre called the Diorama. The theatre had a stage where huge panoramic scenic paintings made of translucent cloth were lit.

This faced an audience seated in tiers on a huge revolving platform to view the next painting.

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Dioramas became popular entertainment as they used illusion to portray depth along with the play of lights. Invention of dioramas and diorama buildings caught on with many contemporaries in Europe, as several competitive patents were being

Etymologically, the word’s greek root means di-through and orama-that which is seen or simply ‘see through’. released around the same time.

b Fig 5 (a,b): Drawings of Arrowsmith’s patented diorama

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As educational aids in schools dioramas are

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However, the meaning or definition of a diorama kept evolving–first, into museum displays presenting realistic replicas of panoramic scenes and objects either natural or historical encased behind glass–later, in common usage as miniature model making hobby craft and shoebox models. It is interesting to

adapted as shoe-box models. This offers

children opportunity to learn the craft and the subject of study in an engaging manner. As attractive visual medium they get

a

extensively used in public institutions such as museums, galleries etc. On the one hand, dioramas as interpretive aids are seen as resource intensive and expensive for the body of work involved and placed secondary to in-person guide, posters or booklets. On the other hand, a

diorama’s spatiality and tangibility makes them a preferred choice for communicating complex information at a glance, where

see dioramas evolve from being known as theatre buildings to adopting the widely accepted meaning of ‘encased displays showing either realistic or stylized art with static or motorized mannequins, miniatures, models,reliefs or sculptures’.

photographs, posters, films and narration may seem inadequate. b

In times of fleeting experiences, the nature of communicating complex information through a diorama is intriguing. The project is driven

by this curiosity to investigate the medium as an engaging aid for interpretive communication. Also, finding out whether a 21st century definition can be found while keeping the essence of it’s ‘see through-ness’. The project’s scope is d Fig 6 (a-d): Dioramas: (From top) AMNH Museum life size taxidermy diorama, Mixed media diorama, Nehru Science centre miniature diorama and Hobby model makers studio.

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to look at dioramas to be displayed in public spaces such as museum, science centres or even public open spaces.

Chapter 1: Introduction| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Goals and approach The project’s objective is to derive a diorama design and demonstrate it as an interpretive aid. The overall learning lies in grasping various challenges and producing a solution that best suits the context. Below listed are areas identified for learning and growth:

1. Communication design Interpretive communication deals with many aspects of communication theory, content analysis, content creation, visual design, story telling etc.

2. Design, technology and crafts Diorama design demands skill in execution and fabrication. Hence learning to gradually integrate conceptual design with the required skill and technology is critical.

3. Experience design The project aims at redefining a diorama as an experience. It looks at proposing a solution to suit the 21st century audience’s expectations.

Below listed is the intended approach outlining the process for accomplishing the set goals: 1. Background study A combination of field study and preliminary literature study will help understand an entire gamut of subjects related to diorama, heritage interpretation, display design, experience design, communication design and technology. Inferences from the study conclude this stage, and will be used in future for preparing the design brief and ideation phases.

2. Understanding the subject to demonstrate To demonstrate diorama as an interpretive aid it is important to choose a subject for interpretation.

A detailed study of the subject will help formulate a subject specific design brief for the diorama.

3. Ideation phase Establish a theme and concept for diorama design, generate alternative ideas using sketches/ models for final design development.

4. Design development Final concept or idea is to be developed with details and specifications for execution. Before executing, a proof-ofconcept model could be generated to learn the effectiveness of the design.

The prototype should offer recommendations to refine the design and conclude whether a 21st century diorama is found.

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The project is a medium based investigation to see and demonstrate whether a new diorama can be invented for today’s times. This poses some risks and limitations to the scope and progress of the project.

The project is unlike most communication solutions where a pre-identified subject area leads to the framing of a design brief followed by design explorations to find an ideal medium

project picks a particular medium as an area of design exploration within a larger context of heritage interpretation. Further, a

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that suits the purpose. This

smaller context of a subject is selected where the medium may be used or employed. It is from here that the design begins.

For an individual to take on the path of innovation, it requires vast and in-depth knowledge of a variety of subjects.

The principle of learning by doing along with learning through reading, watching, discussing and reflecting will have to be adopted to progress towards the design of this new medium.

Since gaps in relevant knowledge are too many, enough time must be given studying and assimilating before beginning to act. These challenges and risks were known before yet,

curiosity to find an outcome was the project’s motivation. Although it is a concept-based project, efforts would be directed to execute the concept for its feasibility and further recommendations.

Limitations The following are a few challenges that may risk the project’s time line for a final functional design. This may lead to rethinking of project goals or levels of accomplishment within the given time. However, the project’s the primary goal of investigating the newness in a diorama remains unchanged. An overall goal is, learning

as an outcome of the process of innovation rather than the end result itself.

1.

Initially, the

absence of a subject area leads to delay in framing the design brief further delaying ideation and design explorations. This can be mitigated by speeding up the initial decision making.

2. The key to a conventional diorama’s charm is in it’s execution.

Since, the proposal involves innovation at both conceptual and physical level it brings uncertainty in the type, material or nature of execution.

A working prototype or a proof-of-concept model may demonstrate the same. Emphasis may be on the feasibility of the scheme over the nature of execution.

3. In today’s society technology has a major role to play.

It would be appropriate to explore the diorama from a technological perspective as well. In this regard, an

absence of prior knowledge in coding and programming that works behind today’s technology will limit the solutions to be conceptual simulations rather than actual demonstrations.

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

2 Background study 10

Field study Preliminary literature study Learning

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Field study

Field study was a step towards understanding the project better, by first hand observations from many informal centres of learning in Mumbai.

Procedure This field study was conducted in two parts as follows: 1.

First visit, was as a casual

visitor.

This way it was easy to understand the visitor’s point of view first hand. This experience

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was recorded for its positive and negative qualities.

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Second visit, was more

informed

but empirical. Rather than conducting surveys or making questionnaires, audience behavior was observed. This helped observe behavioral patterns.

The second visit also involved

dialogues with on-field professionals. This gave an organiser’s point of view, their philosophy and process of working.

These dialogues also offered guidance for the project.

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Fig 7 (a-e): SPGMEC, Godrej, Discovery of India exposition, Nehru centre, Nehru Science centre, Dr. Bhau Dhaji Lad museum and Chhatrapati Shivaji museum

Institutions visited and noted for observations and inferences:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum Ranibagh/ zoological park Nehru Science Centre Nehru Planetarium Disovery of India Exposition Taraporewala Aquarium SPG Marine Ecology Centre, Godrej campus DakshinaChitra

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(Prior visit and work experience) e

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication b

At Chhatrapati

Shivaji

Museum’s Proto-history section, a recent interactive installation was a rage for it’s newness. It attracted both adults and young. This pattern was also observed at the zanana-khana diorama and the Harappa town diorama. a

At the Nehru science centre, most children would stop at the interactive quiz kiosks and play exhibits where they get a chance to manipulate– rotate, pull, push, try a trick etc.

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At Dr. Bhau Dhaji Lad museum, people stopped by to see the village dioramas (Fig. 7d) as the visitor’s interpreted the display through interpersonal interaction.

At the Discovery of India exposition, visitors showed additional interest for the audiovisual screening and the thematically designed dioramas and exhibits of Indian history gallery.

A similar excitement amongst visitors was seen at the Nehru planetarium. The planetary weight comparison installations were also popular among visitors.

Fig 8 (a,b): Chhatrapati Shivaji museum and Nehru science centre

Field visits summary The field study reviewed not only dioramas but looked at exhibit design: ambience/

environmental conditions, visitor’s state of mind/ interest levels, layout and organization, quantity and quality of display, intensity of information, level of abstraction or directness of message, level of participation, subject of display etc. While dialogues with on-field professionals provided insight into interpretive communication, presentation of information, their view on dioramas as interpretive aids, technology and philosophies of practice.

The following is a gist of both the experiences of field visits and dialogues with professionals.

displays that were already crowded. Plain

Casual visit: Initially energy level and curiosity was high to explore different exhibits. The spaciousness and ambience, amount of crowd, level of lighting and quality of exhibit affected the experience of walking through the galleries. But, the hurry of completing the visit to all galleries and collections did not allow attentive observation or learning unless the presentation was very unusual.

Also extensive movement tired the audience and affected the perception and experience.

curiosity was understood as the main reason for this pattern. It was also noted how every age group reacted differently. A group of school children when left to themselves often look for play and movement in displays; and don’t stop at exhibits with too much of text or abstract content. It was also observed, when people were challenged to perform an unusual task their engagement level was high.

Second visit: Observations on how people moved, where they stopped, how they watched, what questions they asked, what happened when they found something very playful etc. were noted.

Many of these centres exhibit without much of textual content such as at Chhatrapati Shivaji museum audio guide devices are available to visitors for extra costs. Field study opened me up to various efforts that museums and institutions have taken to improve visitor experience, information transfer and interpretative communication.

Another interesting behaviour was when most

children, and few adults paused at

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Dialogue summary

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Ms. Preema John, Assistant curator, Dr. Bhau Dhaji Lad museum, shared her thoughts on interpretation for an Indian audience. Their philosophy was to reach out to as many people as possible by providing

textual information on laminated cards and exhibit labels in English, Hindi and Marathi. Her thoughts on diorama as an aid were positive. According to her, the detail, craftsmanship, near to real appeals to the visitors and instantly connects especially the lifestyle themes in their collection. Miniature models according to her were an easy asset to maintain. Her take on interactive and

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subject dictates what needs to be communicated. If subject to be presented is miniscule, diorama may be larger than life or vice-versa or even on a realistic scale.

That is what Mr. Mishra, exhibition head at Nehru Science Centre said, about their centre’s philosophy, quoting Confucius.

Working on site at the science centre’s workshop, he explained with samples the body of work that goes into realizing an exhibit– the technology, materials and fabrication aspect of the field.

On dioramas, he said that an

entire story line can be effectively conveyed through models and mannequins. He b

mechanical set-up was the high cost of making and maintaining and hence mostly avoided.

A brief interaction with Mr. Dilip Ranade, Chief Curator at Chhatrapati Shivaji museum revealed that dioramas are a very flexible medium in today’s times. His views on the size and sclae

I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand.

Fig 9 (a-c): Exhibition design scaled model

of an exhibit was that a

His philosophy of making

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shared the process of his current assignment, an exhibition on automobiles. He explained the process–work began with a theme or a story of how automobiles came into being.

How in primitive times constant struggle to mobilise objects led to the discovery of tools, tackles and then machinery. He illustrated each of these stage with a diorama. This would be followed by concept design, final approval and fabrication. He also discussed the construction and material technologies.

a visitor ‘do’ in order to ‘understand’ is fulfilled by adding controls such as push buttons, pulling ropes, internal pneumatic systems etc. But he agreed that it comes with a huge cost of implementation, operation and maintenance. This he said was the reason for practicing conventional ways of presenting.

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Ms. Georgina from Conservation Action Trust, offered details on the practice of interpretation as they were in the process of building a Mangrove Interpretation centre near Bhandup on the lines of the Honkong Wetland Interpretation Centre.

She enlightened me about the importance of mangroves and how since 2005 they have been declared as protected forest reserves for various uses and more importantly as carbon sinks.

Dr. Maya Mahajan, education officer at Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej campus school’s Marine Ecology Centre, discussed about their interpretive activities.

Being situated in a school’s campus, they could very easily educate children using various activities such as role a

She also shared that their project’s scheme required extensive research, biodiversity study, site planning and interpretive strategy etc. In their scheme they not only preserve nature but also improve socio-economic condition of the local fishing population. On interpretive techniques,

play, skits, games, camps, nature trails etc. For other visitors they arrange

a brief talk and nature trails. At the centre there were panels, displays, photographs, drawings by children communicating the importance of mangroves. Their initiatives to preserve mangroves got them the Green Governance Award in 2005.

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she felt dioramas can be used to show

things we don’t usually see like cross sections, catchment areas etc. She also suggested utilizing social media to increase people’s participation.

Her experience at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, led her to know the importance of robust displays to cater to rough handling by visitors.

c Fig 11 (a-c): Mangrove reserve in Godrej township’s Marine ecology centre’s interpretive activities.

Prior experience at DakshinaChitra, a heritage centre exhibiting the culture and architectural tradition of Indian southern states located in Chennai, provided ample information on visitor behaviour and expectations. As a voluntary activity for the centre, questionnaires were prepared and a sample group of 30-40 visitors was surveyed over two weeks. It was observed how visitors expected exciting recreational experiences and would prefer if they could passively hear a guide explaining the significance of the artifacts. Spending

time together with family and friends was the priority. The open ambience of the centre

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Fig 10 (a-d): DakshinaChitra craft bazaar, Education brochure for schools, Redesigned feedback form ‘Re-visit’, Questionnaires prepared and refined for survey

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was conducive for this purpose especially on weekends or during a pleasant weather. More affluent urban families expected more information, guidance and new experiences for repeat visits.

While most first timers from other regions loved the place for it’s unique ambience, arts and crafts.

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Field study was simultaneously informed by extensive background of literature study to help improve observation on field. The study was conducted through books, papers, web sites, articles etc. and covered diverse subjects in varying depths. It was an on-going process feeding the design and ideation stages also.

Preliminary literature study Interpretation–subjects covered History of interpretation, hermeneutics, goals and principles of interpretation, planning for interpretation, visitor learning patterns and behavior, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, basic communication theory, museum evaluation techniques, about other interpretation centres, modes of interpretation, Dale’s cone etc.

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Heritage interpretation Brief study of the field of heritage interpretation gave information about the practice. It begins with identifying a resource–a place, artifact, culture etc. This is followed by an appraisal of the resource– why and for whom does it have to be interpreted. These would also be decided based on demographics and contextual factors. Next to be decided is what and how the resource may be presented to the target audience. Interpreters often resort to the art of storytelling. It is seen as an efficient way of stringing various threads of information for easy comprehension.

The study revealed importance of planning

communication directed towards the audience’s interest levels, age group etc. This further led to other related subjects such as characteristics of good communication, learning styles of non-captive amusement centre visitors. A brief look into Maslow’s

hierarchy offered clarity in understanding

every individual’s aspirations and motivation. Maslow’s theory states that every human strives for an ideal state of selfactualisation beginning with basic survival and emotional needs. Many interpreters align their

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so that the message is relevant, satisfies the visitor’s needs and thus heard or paid attention to. While it is important to plan the messages based on these theories

communication strategy, it is also essential to follow a holistic approach. Instead of regarding it as pure information design emphasis must be on conveying the essence of the resource. Once the objectives and structure of information are

Freeman Tilden on ‘Interpretation’ Interpreting Our Heritage, USA, (1977 CE) http://nus.academia.edu/hafizurrahaman/ papers/159923/interpreting_digital_heritage_ considering_end-users_perspective

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b Fig 12 (a-b): Abraham Maslow, Theory of human needs pyramid

An educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and relationship through the use of original objects by first hand experience and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information.

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

reading an exhibit. This determines success of an exhibit. This is a quantitative

clarified, the medium of interpretation must be decided. There are many ways of communicating based on different learning styles–visual, auditory, kinesthetic and permutations of these modes.

Choice of medium is also based on the available means of implementation of the interpretive medium. Once implemented interpretation must be evaluated for the visitor experience. This helps in verifying the effectiveness of the interpretive medium. Depending upon visitor’s response, modifications can be introduced to improve the presentation.

approach. Personally, qualitatively it is difficult to determine how much actual understanding has happened and how much was mere entertainment or an aimless halt. One can only estimate by observing visitor’s reactions and behavior. However, a combination of pre-visit and post-visit questionnaire can help evaluate their experience and learning levels.

The study aimed at understanding current codes and practices of interpretive communication.

Many schools of thoughts follow variations of the original idea of the naturalists of the 19th century.

The field study also employed some of the visitor evaluation techniques informed by the literature study. Most important was the knowledge of attraction power and holding power. Attraction

Crowest, Richard, Making sens: Multi-sensory interpretation and the visitor experience,

power is determined by the percentage of people / time spent in pausing at an exhibit. While, the holding power is the percentage of people/ time spent in

http://corvidae.co.uk/research/Making-sense.pdf

A Sense of Place An interpretive planning handbook

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Editor: James Carter Contributors: Carl Atkinson, Centre for Environmental Interpretation.

Gillian Binks, Centre for Environmental Interpretation.

James Carter, Centre for Environmental Interpretation.

Gillian Dennis, Rona Gibb, Highland Interpretive Strategy Project.

Michael Glen, Touchstone Heritage Management Consultants.

Alison Parfitt, Alison Parfitt and Associates.

Bill Taylor, Highland Interpretive Strategy Project.

LANCASTER COUNTY HERITAGE A Program of the Lancaster County Planning Commission Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Dissertation MA in Heritage Interpretation, University of Surrey, 1999, P 15

YORK COUNTY HERITAGE A Program of the York County Planning Commission York, Pennsylvania

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The Course Manual

Second edition with revisions published in electronic format on the website of the Scottish Interpretation Network (www.scotinterpnet.org.uk) 2001 Copyright This publication may be freely copied and distributed in whole or in part as long as it is accompanied by the information on this page.

Editor ’s note The original book owed much to the enthusiasm and contributions of a steering group that guided its preparation.

Telling Our Stories

The group members were:

An Interpretation Manual for Heritage Partners

Eric Baird, Glen Tanar Estate.

Neil Black, Scottish Tourist Board.

Duncan Bryden, Tourism and the Environment Initiative (now Scottish Wildlife Trust).

George Campbell, LIFE programme (now RSPB).

Julie Forrest, Scottish Natural Heritage.

Elizabeth Hay, Aberdeen Urban Studies Centre, Aberdeen District Council Education Department.

Bob Jones, Forestry Authority.

Quentin MacLaren, Solway Heritage (now Tweed Forum).

Bill Taylor, Highland Interpretive Strategy (now SNH).

I would also like to thank the many people who have helped to make the book, in addition to the contributors and members of the steering group. In particular, I would like to thank Graham Barrow, Alice Bondi, Susan Cross, Neil Diment, Sam Ham, Dan Hillier, David Mount, and John Veverka. Some of them commented on draft versions of the original book, which helped to make it better organised and more useful. More significantly, my discussions with them all have shaped the ideas about interpretation and its role which are reflected in the handbook.

James Carter

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Handbook

The publication of the handbook was funded by: Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Enterprise Highlands and Islands Enterprise Scottish Tourist Board European Life Programme

I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm and the avalanche.

I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens and get as near to the heart of the world as I can.

Scottish Enterprise

JOHN MUIR, 1871

Highlands

& Islands

ENTERPRISE Project carried out with the support of the European Community within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme This document does not necesserily represent the Commission’s official position.

Fig 13 (a-c): Literature referenced on heritage interpretation

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People generally remember: 10% of what they read 20% of what they hear 30% of what they see 50% of what they hear and see 70% of what they say and write 90% of what they say as they do something

Basic Interpretive Skills

First edition 1997 Published by the Tourism and Environment Initiative Bridge House, Bridge Street, Inverness IV1 1QR.

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However the most predominant practice is to follow a user-centric message design and strategy.

Interpretive manuals and guides recommend many tips starting with careful selection of heritage resource, straining it’s essence and representing it in the most effective manner offering many perspectives, sometimes even leaving the resource untouched. Dale’s cone of experience also guides most interpretive strategies. Again only the context can guide such choices.

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Fig 14 (a, b): Dale’s cone of experience, 1969; Experiential learning

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Diorama/ Exhibition/ Experience design

Diorama–subjects covered

The next area of study required, an understanding of a diorama. The study began with learning about different types of diorama. This later moved on to a range of many other forms of display from full exhibitions to installations to experience design virtual and augmented reality environments. This diversion brought to light the design considerations and changes the other media have experienced over time. It also led to the understanding of technological aspects of museum or display design.

History and origin, professional and hobby diorama design process, model making tools and techniques, related display types such as cyclorama, panorama, model making, scales, contemporary diorama designs in visitor centres etc.

As mentioned earlier, diorama, a form of theatre building originally, soon became portable. The study revealed the documentation of Daguerre’s theatre using a panorama panoptique. It shows how play of daylight using skylights would have created wonderful effects on the scenic paintings along with orchestra inside the theatre.

Presented here are snapshots from a video reconstructing the Daguerre diorama. The device uses flaps to control lighting and the slide, a canvas-like cloth stretched on a frame, is painted on both sides.

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Fig 15 (Left and above): Snapshots from video reconstructing the effects of Daguerre’s diorama using panorama panoptique a French portable device.

Fig 16: Cosmorama of Chateau Versailles (1819-1818), once in City Hall Park, New York City, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

It is observed how back lighting changes the slide’s appearance, transforming the scenery. Panorama panoptique is one of the many inventions that branched off from the diorama. The 360 degrees panorama or cyclorama is another.

The audience is surrounded by 360 degrees panoramic photographs mounted at eye level and sometimes backlit. Cyclorama can be a synthesized environment or a building like the diorama theatre.

Below is the image of another form of popular theatre derived from the diorama called a cosmorama. It depicts panorma with all the major city landmarks.

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From the era of theatres to the era of museum displays, we can observe the transformation of a diorama’s meaning. This urged the search to understand what went into the making a museum diorama. From an archive footage of the making of marsh birds diorama for the Field Museum of Natural History the details of every stage became clear.

Also, the American Natural History museum’s website offers podcasts by their exhibition project manager, Stephen Quinn, where he narrates their process of making a diorama from on field art, sketches and paintings to off site construction.

The film was made for the Buchen East Africa Zoological Expedition in 1952. The diorama required extensive material for the exhibition of African marsh birds. Materials collected to construct the Marsh Birds diorama exhibition included: 189 bird skins, 16 nests, photographic studies for the background and foreground, papyrus to reproduce the vegetation, and other accessory material. The video shows all major areas of work–taxidermy, casting, scultping, painting, woodwork and finishing.

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Fig 17 (a-c): Snapshots from video–the Field Museum of Natural history; Shipment of bird samples to be taxidermied.

Fig. 18 (a-j) is a step by step procedure to make stuffed creatures. In Fig 18 (a-f) we can see the taxidermist sorts the bird samples that are tagged for record purposes. Before stuffing, it is important to scrape and clean the h internal skin of the bird. Then he washes the sample and blow dries it. This is followed by stuffing the bird with cotton or fibre. To ensure the bird remains g

sturdy, he fastens the bird to the final scenic spot using strings to tie it in place until it is ready to stand.

On the set or scenery the work includes preparing props for foreground and the artwork for the background. In the foreground the artist prepares vegetation using papyrus reeds reinforced with wires. Other features

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Fig 18 (a-j): Snapshots from video–Cleaning the sample, stuffing and fastening with strings

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Fig 19 (a-j): Snapshots from video–Exhibition staff preparing plaster of paris mix; artist casting c the lotus leaf and buds; artist reinforcing reeds with wire using a vise; finally artist installs the POP casts in the foreground and finishes with painting

such as the lotus leaf buds are cast in POP for reproduction of real textures. The mixture of POP is pre-coloured. These are then installed on the set. Dried papyrus is sprayed green using a gun to get realistic random green look. Below, we can see the amount of woodwork required to first build the set floor followed by finishing of the window with a beading and sealing.

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For the middle ground the artists prepares POP mounds that he then paints black to give it a rocky look. For the background the artist frst decides the colour palette. Then the wall gets uniform sky colour wash. Another artist then fills in the details. Before completion, the glass is cleaned and the diorama is open for the audience to admire.

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Fig 20 (a-j): Snapshots from video–landscape plastering and painting and laying floor glass for water; Artists preparing the backdrop wall, deciding the color and painting; Flooring is wooden deck flooring made out of planks, workers fixing the beading and fnally cleaner to finish the glass cover.

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Fig 21(a,b): Snapshots from video–completed diorama, young visitors crowding to see it.

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This process of making a professional diorama was a useful learning. It brought awareness about the body of work and the amount of diligent teamwork that must go in to make it a wellfinished output. However, the crowd of visitors struggling to catch a glimpse of the well-done work is a concern to be addressed.

The study moved on to see if dioramas are made outside established institutions like museums. Upon browsing, many types of dioramas were seen. A traditional japanese paper cut diorama style called Tatebanko was also learned about. It was a miniature form of the Kabuki theatre’s set design. It is also commercially available as DIY

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kits. There are other experimental hobby ideas also such as illustrated in the figures. These ideas explore fun experience or materials.

Below Fig 23 (a-d) shows examples of unconventional dioramas that are on the floor surface. Fig. 23 d. is a unique spherical diorama enclosure for a more immersive feel.

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Fig 22 (a-f): Hobby dioramas using different ideas and materials.

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After learning briefly about dioramas, the next step in literature study attempted to grasp the larger context of other types of display. This touched upon many areas such as exhibition design, installations, public interventions, experience design and even virtual and augmented reality.

Exhibition design–subjects covered Definition, history–cabinets of curiosity, world expositions, palaces, museums, museology, trade show exhibits, travelling exhibits, retail displays, display design, various types of exhibits, design principles and process,use of typography, branding, grid and modular design etc.

Fig 23 (a-c): Tatebanko kit

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Fig 24 (a-c): Other types of display dioramas

Chapter 2: Background study| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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...a high fidelity exhibit is more likely to elicit

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a mindful mode of information processing than a low fidelity exhibit...learning associated with either virtual reality or immersion in actual Harvey, L. Mark et al., A virtual reality exhibit settings is more experience-driven than and human factors analysis of a renovated diorama hall it is information driven, thereby theoretically http://informalscience.org/ bolstering retention of exhibit information. researches/ VSA-a0a4p2-a_5730.pdf Installations and public interventions–subjects covered

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This was a type of display design for public places. Topics briefly covered were: history and types of installations–conceptual art, light, video and sound art/installations, kinetic art, sculpture, types of public interventions such as artefacts, graffiti, road art etc.

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Fig 26 (a-d): AR maps, Haba travelling interactive installation, AR visualisation, CAVE virtual environment

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Fig 25 (a-e): Public interventions and installations

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Experience design–subjects covered Taxonomy of experiences, Dale’s cone of experience, virtual reality, smart/ digital paper, augmented reality, spatial augmented reality, interactive installations, sound installations, use of smell, digital scenography, hacked Nintendo Wii remote interactivity etc.

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A host of these subjects were briefly touched upon for an idea on emergent technologies and theories on experience design. Since the project aimed to propose a solution for the 21st century. This was only a preliminary background study, as the ideation process began further literature studies were done depending upon need and relevance.

Some of them have been summed up in the miscellaneous category below.

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Miscellaneous Image making, simulation, simulacrum, Indian folk art–truck graphics, mural making– linoleum, papier-mâché, FRP, silicone, epoxy and other casting/moulding techniques, simple machines, linkages, knot/ net making, DIY tools and circuitry, projector and speaker arrangements, RFID, IR mapping, fiducials, media ecology, ecology, media studies etc.

The study was intentionally chosen to be wide since the concepts were observed to be inter-related. Also it was desired that the background study gave ample knowledge for the future steps of the project. With a base knowledge of relevant history, trends and future prospects could help take better design decisions.

As an initial step, it helped frame the essential ingredients of the design brief. Learnings from this study had to be applied to the next stage of selecting a heritage resource for interpretation.

These studies were assimilated towards the design programme of a diorama as a communicative display experience. Listed below is the gist of all that could be gathered as useful knowledge: 1. Exhibition/ display design must be an engaging form of information communication. It must be well-thought out based on the context, visitor group and complexity of message.

2. Aim must not be to overload with information and facts but provide them judiciously through entertaining medium like play or story telling.

3. Interpretation must provoke the visitor, there must be an experiential component of the display that affects the visitor and makes it a memorable event.

4. Dioramas, have good use in projecting a range of activities, their three dimensionality attracts visitors.

5. Too much focus on the medium will distract the visitor from the main message to be conveyed.

6. It is useful to string the message in a memorable fashion like story telling, poetry, rhyme or bold imagery.

7. Also, it must be acknowledged that every medium has it own advantages and disadvantages. So media selection must be appropriate for the situation.

Chapter 3: Subject to interpret| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

3 Subject to interpret 24

Interpreting Sewri bay Data collection Assimilation

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Interpreting Sewri bay Many topics were considered in order to move on with the design phase.

Since dioramas were traditionally used for messages on history, culture, natural history and few also for contemporary issues. The search of a topic was on these lines. In this milieu an interest in nature and birds led to the identification of a place called Sewri with it’s many possibilities.

Project 3| M.Des. Visual Communication 2009-11| IDC, IIT Bombay

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More study led to the knowledge of issues concerning the place. Hence, it seemed as a perfect testing ground to produce

a design solution that would be a medium exploration at the same time used to convey message about a contemporary relevant issue of the city.

Why is this subject relevant?

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After adequate background study, it was time to find a subject with which to explore how a diorama can be designed. This demanded decision making not only regarding the subject, but also analyzing whether a diorama can help aid the interpretation of this subject.

Sewri bay lies on the eastern harbour front of Mumbai. The bay is an industrial area lined with petrochemical factories. It was once used for port activities, established by the British. A fort was also built as a watch tower. But it has been almost a decade since port activities in Sewri have stopped and the place is now a ship repairing and breaking yard. Sewri serves as the city’s backyard with many fuel carrying trucks and tankers lining its bayside roads. In all these

Current threats seen in Sewri are increasingly environmental in nature. It is still not very well known to people of Mumbai and not yet a protected site. The bird habitat is threatened by the city’s infrastructural development–

the Nhava Sheva trans-harbour link road that cuts through the flamingo zone. Independent research initiated by the port trust has revealed hard metal toxicity in these mudflats. This has already caused biomagnification of toxins in the food chain. These are more predominant issues concerning the bay’s ecosystem. This leads

mundane facts is an interesting news. Since

1990’s it has been attracting flamingoes assumed to be from Rann of Kutch.

This has interested quite a few Mumbai citizens and bird lovers. Amazingly, the

derelict mudflats are nourishing food reserves for the birds, that migrate to Sewri every

us to another question– why

winter until monsoons. Now it has been

then a diorama? An answer could be Why not? But it is only appropriate to read the

identified as an IBA (Important Bird Area) as it not only attracts flamingos but also many waders and water birds.

subject in greater depth to come up with a reasonable purpose of communicating with a diorama. And, so began data collection.

Sewri bay location map

Chapter 3: Subject to interpret| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Surrounding human activity: Residential and Industrial

Harbour line suburban railway

Sewri Fort

Mahul fishing colony

Trombay

Sewri station

Jetty–repairing and maintaining work Container truck and tanker parking

Bay’s estuarine habitat: Mangroves, fish, crabs, mud skippers, flamingo, egret, tern, gull, Indian bustard, curlew, plover, heron, sand piper etc.

Koli housing and slum

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Sewri bay satellite image

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Data collection

To better grasp the serious issues faced by Sewri, data collection looked at various aspects of the place-Temporal. Sociological, Developmental, Economic, Political and Environmental. Also, different agencies and resource persons were liaised with, to compile all relevant data for formulating a design brief.

Sewri: Past, present, future

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BNHS/ CEC Bombay Natural History Society CAT Conservation Action Trust SPGMEC Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre Paryavaran Dakshata Manch Prof. Shyam Asolekar, Environmental scientist, CESE Department, IIT Bombay Ms. Ashima Narain, independent film maker UDRI Urban design Research Institute KRVIA Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture Temporal

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Fig 27 (a-f): Sewri’s old photograph, proposed trans-harbour link, residents of cooperative Koli housing, bird watching session, Fuel tankers, Flamingos

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Sewri was originally a fishing village in the Parel island, one of the earlier 7 islands of Mumbai. Advent of the British turned the bay into a port with a fort being built as a watchpost. Also during the cotton trade boom, Parel and Sewri were growing into mill lands. In the preindependence era, the newly formed Bombay Port Trust under the British governement took charge of the port activities. Post independence many petro-chemical plants started to be

set up along the bay’s fringe. After JNPT grew more important for advanced port functions, Mumbai port trust stopped all activities in Sewri. However, at the bay’s jetty ship breaking and maintaining work continues as a regular activity. Thus it can be traced how the place kept transforming due to human actions.

Chapter 3: Subject to interpret| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Sociological

Economic

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As per the study conducted by KR VIA and UDRI, the population at Sewri mostly consists of local fishing community, plant workers and migrant labour population from UP, Bihar and other outside states.

The bay has seen many economic activities but at present it is a industrial hub of petrochemical plants. Fishing has reduced, infact from conversations with residents, it was known that some traditional fishermen have sold their boats for a secure day job outside Sewri.

However, MbPT’s ship repairing along with other warehousing and truck activities prevail.

There are many acting agencies in Sewri for various purposes– political, economic, legal and environmental.

As documented in the study of the eastern waterfront, major ownership lies with the MbPT, but the Urban development, defence and environment ministry, BMC, MHADA, MCGM, Customs, MMRDA, NGO’s, small and large industries etc. are the other governing bodies and thus stakeholders of the place.

The exisiting land use consists of mostly industrial area and partially residential areas. But the UDRI study proposes more efficient use of the waterfront for socio-cultural or recreational activities. Also a potential for multimodal, water transport is proposed. Current development is the proposal of the Nhava Sheva trans-harbour link that saves 30 minutes to the Navi Mumbai airport.

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p e h k Fig 28 (a-p): Koli getting crabs, Interviewed residents, shop owners and workers of Sewri, poor sanitation, manufacturing plants land use, proposed link, Sewri jetty port activities, Sewri fort and it’s plan, fiddler crab, mud skipper, curlew, egret, flamingos and mangroves.

Sewri bay being an estuarine mud flat and a wetland zone, is rich with nutrients and biodiversity.

However with constant human wastes–domestic, industrial etc. the bay’s physiology is getting modified gradually. Coolant water from the power grid on the northern edge, has caused thermal imbalance. This leads to the growth of phytoplanktons, alagae which in turn reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen. Thus detrimental to marine lifeforms. Also the proposed transharbour link cuts across the habitat of migratory flamingos. BNHS, CAT, SPGMEC are few agencies working towards protecting nature.

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Assimilation Defining a design programme There are enough awareness campaigns raised by BNHS about the habitat and birds, but not many citizens are aware of how fragile the entire ecosystem is. Another point of view to communicate is the current story of the place, the various delicately balanced lives that depend on the bay.

The previous question–why

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design a diorama?

Interpretation is always extensively planned in order to decide which medium of communication suits. Sewri as of now has not been planned for any landscape or development schemes, there is no dedicated plan for interpretation to happen. Hence, there is ample scope for exploring possibilities of communication media. The other forms of media–film, photography, poster etc. tend to miss out on full communication. Also, it is known how a diorama can be equally captivating as any other media mentioned here.

Sewri bay with all its complexities is an excellent subject to be interpreted for it’s strange co-existence of excessive pollution and thriving nature. It is the will and resilience of nature’s adaptability to a man-modified environ such as the bay area.

Diorama to interpret Sewri Bay This sensitive ecosystem has to be brought to people’s attention. Sewri is no different from rest of Mumbai where pollution and dust are a commonplace,but what is unique is

it’s less known history, open expanse of nature and the feathered winter guests–flocks of flamingos.

Apart from communicating the subject. the design brief must also look at introducing newer aspects to a conventional diorama in order to accentuate the experience of viewing. This may be achieved by introducing active participation or interactiviy.

Since, there is no interpretive plan, it is possible to propose a diorama, that can communicate in a scenario where no dedicated infrastructure is available. Either by introducing modular, portable design

qualities or making the design adaptable or scalable such that it can be recreated or repeated in many other styles. idea of repeatability of viewing. Where every visit or experience offers newness with a built-in self-evaluation mechanism.

Design may also address the A brief is formulated to see what all the project can accomplish in terms of reinventing the meaning and experience of a diorama while interpreting Sewri bay.

After establishing key features of the programme, the ideation phase began.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

4 Ideation Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

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Phase 1

The design brief was responded with concepts and ideas that could lead to a best fit option. Ideation involved brainstorming, mapping, doodling, sketching, research etc.

Retrospectively, this has been called phase 1, since the design process followed a standstill after which ideation was repeated in phase 2 for more ideas both new and recycled.

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Initial concept The hypothesis for what a diorama for current times must be was established. An analogy of various evolved concepts was taken as a basis for proposing a new diorama where the encased display could come: ‘Out of the box and into the public realm’. Ideation that followed kept in line with this primary objective.

Also what guided the process was to achieve a balance between a conventional

Book

Diorama?

‘Out of the box and into the ppublic realm’

linear visual-centric display and a non-linear participatory one. Optimal use of technology was a concern to be addressed. It was envisaged that the ideation phase would intentionally focus on a low tech minimum resource model that could be scaled and deployed as a hi-tech one based on available resources.

Concepts and sketches framing the ‘21st century’ diorama–open to public, outside the glass case, non-linear and engaging

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

1. Treasure hunt (Linear narrative, participatory) Description Although the narrative was linear, non-linearity was intended by the layout of artefacts. They were scattered to offer non-linearity as per deconstruction concept.

Travel experience sequence: Sewri station–level crossing–tree with coconut and sugarcane juice vendors–oil tankers and smell of paint etc.

Critique Linearity in discovering and rigidity of finding answers to clues did not allow freedom of viewing at one’s own pace.

This also led to excessive waste of space.

Space is always a concern was exhibits and displays. This makes the display an elaborate infrastructure dependent arrangement which could get chaotic because of too much of play factor.

2. Simulating the travel to Sewri Description The journey may have been a linear narrative, but the way it is laid out in space offers flexibility in the order of viewing Aim was for audience freely explore and discover independent pieces of information to create one’s own experience. The expectation for the person to discover new learning in repeated visits was conceptualised as each node in the exhibit was a node for dynamic information.

This model simulated the experience by spatially orienting the display artefacts

Based on chunks of information to communicate as per the travel theme the layout was acheived:

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on the real orientation and formation of the bay.

It was felt people may get an overview along with the details of the place through nodes of information. The jetty being the official bird watching spot was also conceptualised as a bioscope which would give glimpses of the birds upclose, simulating the binocular or spottingscope and yet achieving the seethroughness of a diorama. The entire space was then lined with a panoramic view of the bay to replicate the ambience of being in Sewri bay.

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1. The station 2. The jetty with a bioscope 3. Sewri fort 4. Bounding mangroves 5. Flamingo and related information 6. Drainage 7. Feedback

Critique Information was too vast and packing each node with diorama-like models would fail to communicate with lucidity. It was then conceptualised that text panels could be added to supplement the complex task. But, studies from field and literature shows how little attention people pay to text panels. Technology to simulate the bioscope posed difficulty as use of film was not possible like older times.

Besides in the entire scheme, it was realised that with too many facts spread out around,

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a space, the message was getting lost. This idea was not fully discarded and answers to all missing links were attempted in the following smaller iterations on generating experiences.

Other doodles: Board game-like pawns or shoes or humans on Sewri’s graphical map with tracks or pinholes to trace and thus simulate the walk through of discovering the bay.

2a. Jigsaw puzzle

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Critique Other doodles: Jigsaw map with Sewri’s piece missing, so it gets noticed.

Table top with railway line and a partition of buildings and skylines and a key hole to peep through the bay on the other side.

This idea was not holistic in itself; it was aiming to solve the requirement of the first piece of information about locating or finding Sewri. So Sewri was a piece of jigsaw lying outside of a complete Mumbai map. It was envisaged that audience would place it in the void and understand by doing where Sewri is located. But, the basic idea of how this act may be undone for fresh audiences posed a problem since it involved technology which could be expensive.

Also, this could not connect well with the overall scheme. This idea was discarded.

What would you tell your friend?

A method making people write and thus do to recall their interpretive experience. Also adds fun element of collecting stamps and exchanging picture postcards.

2b. Entire scheme Critique

2c. Picture postcards Description

Ideation was attempted to be more holistic, hence each piece of information was being visualised as a display that could be interacted with to learn the fact. In the process, isolated ideation of each piece of information began.

As a result a unified message of Sewri bay never emerged due to scattered information bits. This stage went on to find how to unify the experience of knowing Sewri bay.

This idea attempted to summarise the varied experiences through activities that were intended to be playful. Picture postcards of Sewri would be placed as a collage seeking audience’s inputs. This was also an evaluation method to see whether people learned something about Sewri from the display. The postcards were asking what the audience member would write to a friend or family member about Sewri.

Critique This idea was not improving the main idea but was a first step towards thinking about evaluation system for the interpretive content as a way to link or summarise the entire experience. This scheme with it’s iterations then turned towards technology to add interest to the content.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

2d. Augmented reality

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Description The concept of AR was explored by reading about the extent of its usage and personally testing a readymade application by GE on their official website. This was out of curiosity to experience what one would feel in the presence of such technology. The procedure was very simple.

A black and white 2d matrix called a marker or fiduciary marker was to be printed as the webcam could detect or track the marker and trigger the AR application. In this case, it was tested whether printing was necessary or just an image of the marker could serve the purpose.

Hence a digital photo of the marker was taken. On facing the digital camera screen with the marker towards the webcam, the corresponding application which was like a video chat window, started playing a pre-coded 3d animation. The result seen was of an overlay of the augmented video on the base webcam video of self. The augmented video was so coded that it could detect the user’s movement or action and respond accordingly. It was amusing and interactive as instructions read that if we blow towards the speaker, the windmill blades would rotate and it worked. The moment the marker was moved away from the webcam the 3d video would collapse. The video was programmed to track the 2d matrix on the marker. When the marker moved in any direction or orientation, so did the video.

Trial of the augmented reality application on GE’s website. Fiducial captured on digital camera and faced against the laptop’s webcam

The experience was unique, exciting and fun due to its sheer newness, playfulness, interactivity and unpredictability. Augmented reality applications are a rage in many countries but not so much heard of in India. It can succeed in engaging the audience for well over 5 minutes and has scope for interaction within the group.

The fact that the video used was virtual 3d environments raised the question whether this was the diorama of the 21st century.

Critique A significant concern with this medium was its flashy attractive quality overpowering the content. This would have distracted the visitor from focussing on the message about Sewri.

Interpretation aims to generate interest in the content and not in the medium alone.

The ideation at this point was also focussing on low technology model, so AR did not fit within these parameters. Also, the expertise required to develop a similar platform was not there/ This concept was left unexplored and it was felt it could be revisited after further reading and learning.

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3. Un-box

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Description Moving on from the previous idea, a new concept based on the initial parameter of un-boxing the conventional diorama and bringing interactivity by physical interaction was conceived. The concept was to first create mystery of placing a box on a floor map of Mumbai. When the audience would come close and open, it would reveal a different story or miniature view of Sewri on each of its internal faces. Finally the audience would have opened up the box and got free access to the artifacts within the box. Metaphorically, it suggested that the visitor has uncovered Sewri which is boxed up or hidden away in the city’s backyard.

Critique Initial sense of mystery or build up was good. But, it is difficult to sustain it for longer. Also, the box once opened needed additional tracking technology or mechanism to automatically close itself so that the next visitor may experience the same mystery.

Problems faced in this model were scale, content, management of display’s accessibility. What would each face of the box show? How will the message be communicated with only three-dimensional models? Where textual aid would be placed?

Is there any way of evaluating this experience?

What other interesting feature could it have? The concerns with this model were too many and so it had to be dropped in search of a better idea.

Unboxing Sewri literally: Visitors can manoeuvre the display and get to see the inner workings of this hidden place.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

4. Installations

Summarising

Upon reflection, it was observed that the previous ideas were pushing the meaning of diorama out of it’s original envelope into the realm of exhibition design. This thought was reconceptualised that if a diorama’s trait was in being a compact and dense source of information, then an exhibition was scattering information in space while maintaining strong linkages.

This idea of linkages now resulted in thinking how to connect pieces of information within a contained space or unit. Ideas gradually drifted from one to another in the form of installations. Their quality was much like a diorama and also many other qualities that fit the original conceptual parameter.

Installations are free for public access to interact with and also free from infrastructural constraints. In a sense they could become contextual and much more democratic compared to the conventional diorama which relied on a museum or institution based set up.

Phase 1 as can be seen began with bold concepts and ideas but fizzled out as clear holistic solutions failed to emerge.

Conceptual parameters were restraining the innumerable possibilities. Ideation was getting lost in it’s own conceptual framework and in the semantic indecision of whether the new form can be termed a diorama or an installation or an exhibition. These stumbling blocks were hindering the exciting process of designing with vigour and ardour. On later reading, this phase can be attributed to what architect Christopher Alexander rightly puts in his book ‘Notes on the synthesis of form’ as the problem of a self-conscious designer:

Each concept at the time of its invention no more than a concise way of grasping many issues, quickly becomes a precept. We take the step from description to criterion too easily, so that what is at first a useful tool becomes a bigoted preoccupation. ....the self-conscious individual’s grasp of problem is constantly misled. His concepts and categories, besides being arbitrary and unsuitable, are self-perpetuating. Under the influence of concepts, he not only does things from a biased point of view, but sees them biasedly as well. The concepts control his perception of fit and misfit-until in the end he sees nothing but deviations from his conceptual dogmas, and loses not only the urge but even the mental opportunity to frame his problems more appropriately.

The added advantage of installation was that now representation could also be made conceptual.

This departed from the conventional diorama’s realistic representation. In the process interpretive content was now being searched for metaphors that were different from passive information displays.

Types of linkages: Globe of strings/ wool; Balance/ see-saw; Dominos effect; Other types of linkages/mechanisms: simple machines/ levers/ pulleys; Shared bowl of water; Movable mesh

Doodles and brainstorming for installations

Ideation phase 1 followed a period of lull and nilproductivity. With a brief hiatus, and later external opinions and guidance the process was restarted.

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Phase 2

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The project gained impetus with the advice to externalise thoughts and revisit the context for clues.

A fresh outlook was adopted right from the start.

Since many ideas die on their way, the only motive was to think out multiple ideas through brainstorming, the way designing must actually happen. This phase was all about creating and recycling ideas instead of completely discarding them. Conceptual rethinking began by laying out a design brief that was vaguely rigid unlike the previous phase which adopted limited avenues to explore. Thus all options were kept open.

Phase 2 began by addressing confusions of the last phase regarding form and content. Dealing with the conflict of abstract or real representations was also essential.

A major problem was because the true principle of interpretation was not understood. The last phase was too pressurised and caught by the vastness of content to be communicated. But, a revisit of all the studies done earlier disclosed the simple idea that interpretation is about storytelling. Not information dissemination or instruction. It is neither propaganda nor activism or journalism. Information is not interpretation, however a part of it. This ideological shift brought more flexibility in framing newer concepts and points of view.

With this brainstorming and realignment of goals, design ideas were now developed with a greater level of detail than before. This was a better way to discern the good and bad aspects of a holistic

Diorama vs. installation

Abstract

Real

Virtual

Real

scheme. It also helped see how the idea can be further improved instead of dying abruptly.

The design development in phase 2 would come across as a recycle of many ideas conceptualised in phase 1. Phase 2 was a better articulated ideation process than phase 1 hence old ideas could recur. Also phase 2 was not concerned about the form or its semantics. It was about the desired experience and whatever it needed in defining the form.

Unlike phase 1, this phase cannot be clearly defined as different ideas. A more appropriate way would be to see them evolve in stages. The design process revisited with the re-creation of the travel experience concept.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Initial brain storming, doodles and mapping to understand both the subject and diorama’s taxonomy as a medium of display.

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Iteration-1 Description This concept, saw interpretation happening in little boxes of dioramas that could be slided along like a clothes hanger. There was freedom in selecting the order of information. The boxes could be updated so there could be newness everytime.

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Critique There was the fear of vandalism, and there was no surprise element that could hold visitor attention. There was also structural constraint in the design. Hence this was left to evolve.

Reference study covered Tutorials on relief mural, reading about projectors, rear projection, net making, folk art, truck graphics, sound installations, wireless museum audio aids etc.

Iteration-2 Description This concept reiterated the travel experience simulation. This time it was spread out like an exhibition space. The walk throughs simulated the train, the level crossing, the fort, the trans harbour link and the Jetty.

The jetty was now being seen as a culmination of the experience. Hence its here that a mural was proposed with many punctures, whose flaps are interlinked, metaphoric of their interconnected lives. This was seen as the first real progress in design.

The punctures would show a screen with rear projected multi tiled videos, for layered information. It was also conceptualised as if the tree on the jetty was a narrator giving audio prompts for added guidance.

Critique On rationalising, it was felt the elaborate exhibition layout could be discarded while retaining the jetty’s linear yet non-linear experience. The jetty’s experience was further explored in the future iterations.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Iteration-3

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Description The jetty concept was explored almost as an immediate iteration The space was visualised as a corridor that replicates the sense of enclore of the site. On-site the jetty is lined on 3 sides by a barge and 2 ships. In order to perceive a seemless ambience the end was apsidal. It also had banner-like panoramic photographs of the jetty on 2 sides. While on the bay facing side a tactile mural was proposed. It followed the earlier concept’s punctures and linking of the opening flaps. This time it had a play of depth where certain boxes caved in while some bulge out. There was also the concept of rolling up the blueprint of the trans-harbour link so that people are curious to open it. Realising it would cover the mural and difficulty in seeing it, would force them to roll it back. Suggesting the right attitude through action.

8’x4’ length

Critique The model seemed workable, but it was difficult to visualize a mural. The mural became the focus of the design. A scale and size was estimated to be on a ratio of 2:1 and above. A ratio of 2.67:1 was proposed since the mural depicted Sewri’s landscape. The longer it was the better one could experience.

This was again estimated to be 10 ft. x 4 ft. To get a feel of actual size a dummy sheet was made. Also the rear projection scheme had was tested to see if it was workable. What followed was a series of tests. The narration planned last time was also tested with a dummy script along with ambient noise. Mural’s look was also checked with paper mache, clay and m-seal.

10’x4’ length

Jetty-experience

Lighting

Mural with flaps and punctures

Rear projection Projector Speaker

Section

Slots

Elevation

Plan

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Above: The projector’s distance was important to determine the achieved result. It was approximately 9’-10’ away, covering 8’x3’ of the 10’x4’ screen. Also the video tiles were marked for an estimated magnification.

Rear projection setting in the projector and a dummy video was played to check the surface area covered. This determined size of the mural. Also a dummy multi-tiled video was projected to check magnification since this was to align with the mural’s punctures.

Left and Above: Small material tests to understand the effect and sculpting challenges and level of details.

Narrator: Since the jetty experience has the peepul tree as it’s highlight. The tree was chosen as the narrator and the one to connect the different characters and points of view.

Cough Maaf kijiye thoda thak gaya hoon main. Lagta hai aap kuch dhoond rahe hain..., yahaan waise toh kuch nahin, par kya aap ek kahaani sunna chahenge?

Above: The mural had two add-ons–the web or the web of life or the net which epitomising the bay and the blue print roll. This very crude dummy helped in grasping quickly the workability of the idea.

Iteration-4

Dummy narration, duration - 1.01 minutes: Chosen language and style: Hindi, for better outreach, it can be translated in any other language also. The style is a little theatrical.

Experience of viewing through punctures with flaps towards the rear projection screen was tested. This informed that the flaps had to be sturdy to survive repeated viewing.

Toh aaiye aaiye mere peepal ke patton ke chaaon taley suniye mumbai ke poorvi tat par sthit shivdi ki kahani uske vibhinna kirdaron ki zubaani. Dhyaan se dekhiye mere sutra in kiradron ke jhaankiyon se jude hain.

Uhhh... zaraa sambhalke yeh thode kamzor hain.

As an act of reinforcement Arererere.yeh kya? Aise hi chal diye, bataaiye to sahi kahaani kaisi lagi aapko?

Shivdi ghoomne aayenge na dobara?

Description Based on the tests and trials performed, this idea was developed further.

Since the mural was now the main visual attraction of the space. Layout development exercises began. Again it was important to rationalise, whether to make a realistic depiction or abstractise and carricaturise the scenery to hierarchically present relevant information. Layout development took the second approach. Hence it went through a few stages to identify the essence of the scenery that needed abstraction. Also, the layout looked at designing with a basic grid in the background.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Based on the now editted length of the mural (8’x4’ due to the projector coverage area) an 8x4 grid was chosen. This helped placement of important elements at visual centres.

The first task here was to zone out the real scene using blobs– water, birds, old ships, trucks, fort, the barge, the tree, police chowki, mangroves and factories and hill in the backdrop.

Iteratively, it was felt that water as an element was very strong and needed to connect to all characters of the story to tie well. So a web or net like feature was visualised and tested.

A second layout was developed on half the scale to see the experience with the net and the blue print roll mechanism.

Also the visual had interesting ways of seeing through like the binoclars or fort openings.

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Since mural design was an illustrative exercise, the next important question was what style to use? The search redirected towards the context for all possible clues. It is here that two options surfaced. One, local fishermen art if any and two, truck graphics since trucks were omnipresent in Sewri. The second was more contextual, since there was no trace of any fishermen’s art except for one on their sports club wall. Clearly truck graphics could be useful for attractive colours and patterns.

Based on research and observations a colour palette and a dummy look was attempted to see the effect.

Iteration-5

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Description

Exploring visual style and colour palette for the mural

Interior of the vaulted space

Since the mural idea was steadily being developed, as an option a higher end version was conceptualized.

This iteration retained the mural but the environment now transformed into an vaulted enclosure to receive multiple projections and more technology enabled experiences. The vaulted space would have dynamic display which earlier iterations lacked.

Dynamism was useful to show high and low tide, sun and moon, flamingos moving and activities that surround the bay. In the absence of an interpreter,

the mural’s interpretation was proposed as a PDA interface guide. Additionally as an interactive mode of getting feedback of the experience, two ideas were proposed. One, an AR screen where you can get your pictures clicked closest to the birds, unlike in real life. The AR marker could be given at the entrance or kept at the AR station. Two, a touch screen where all the media that was seen and liked can be transferred either with Wifi or thh so they become intangible souvenirs. bluetooth

Interacting with the mural

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Above: The non-mural side with projections of the actual jetty’s port activities.

Left: proposal to make the tree jut out to recreate the seater experience.

AR experience and media transfer as souvenir

Above: Sequence of moving sunlight

Select the app key and welcone screen

Mural appears with grids marked, select any square within the grid

To exit move finger over bottom right corner and a cross botton slides in. This takes you directly out of the app.

An iphone application for digital interpretation of the mural

Next interface appears with the mural as a key on top left. Header has interpretation modes: auto, audio, photos and videos. The left panel gives the mural’s grid information The centre panel is designed to give details of each piece of information on the left and visual data to play in the right. It also has a player controller as the bottom most strip. Images and videos can be pinched to enlarge and slided to browse. To see another grid click on the key map to return to the bigger grid to reselect.

Dual interface screen to select and transfer media to personal devices. Left idle the screen goes back to default interface. The selection interface has the lateral display of items to slide and explore. There is a selection box with a + sign, it displays the selection list.

While on the right there is a preview window to see before choosing.

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Critique Overcoming the fear of technological knowledge, led to proposal of a technology intensive solution that offered new learning. The two iterations were extremes within which a whole range of combinations came to the fore. Choice of an optimum solution that catered to the need and offered variety of experience and entertainment was a matter of context. It was learned that technology changes by the day. What may seem expensive or improbable today may be disproved almost instantaneously. Hence, the mind set of using technology sparingly in the iterations so far also changed. It was also noted that technology’s limits only lie within the literacy levels of the audience. The design development phase offered a base for the final design proposal. To demonstrate the new model of a diorama the mural idea was chosen for its qualities resembling the diorama theatre, bioscope or peep shows, street shows, theatre, audio-video installations etc.

Design development looked at further detailing the mural’s layout, practical feasibility and refinfing of concept. It began with developing a solution with additional use of technology. A new concept was generated while improving the composition of the mural.

Composition resting on a semicircle with collage of various characters

Iteration-5 Description: Aim Goals were reset this time. The display aimed to communicate the tangible reality of Sewri bay along with details, intangible concepts of the bay– ecological chain, bio-magnification, pollution, geography, current affairs.

Concept The proposal’s concept originated from the essence of life at Sewri– the water or bay as the source. This truth is not only ecological but also linked to the series of change the bay has seen through history as developmental, occupational, sociological etc. Thus the display is designed as a collage of storyboards telling the story of Sewri bay from the water’s perspective.

The bay or water is conceptualized as a character that has seen the most like a ‘grandparent’ or an ‘experienced storyteller’. The narration by the Bay is dramatized in first person to establish a sense of reality and directness of communication. The narrator leads the audience to freely explore other bits of stories/ information nodes on the mural. This makes people see other points of view. The basic narrative offers general information but also helps string information and establish connectivity between the narrator and the other characters and thus engage the viewer.

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Description: The display is an installation with a frontal relief mural backed by multimedia rear projection supported with audio prompts. The display’s relief work makes it open for audience to touch.

While it breaks the convention of the glass box; three dimensionality of the image offers resemblance to the conventional diorama.

Also, the mural is the crowd puller and hence it was important to make it less abstract for easy recognition. The relief treatment is selective to establish hierarchy and depth in the image. The mural refrains from having labels for it’s various characters since there is a provision for audio aids.

The mural’s image shows water at the base of an entire ecosystem. Water is shown as a manipulative fan that symbolizes hi and low tide is illustrated with sun and moon on either sides. The fan also connotes the movement of breeze due to water. It adds dynamism in a very low-tech manner, unlike a front or rear projected simulation which only establishes a visual connect besides adding to the expense and concern of ambient illumination.

There is an option of either manually moving the fan or pre-timing the fan’s movement based on tide timings using simple electrical circuitry.

Interpretation of the image itself is aided by an audio guide, releasing the audience from strain of gathering complex meaning visually.

The audience wear earphones and have an RFID reader. Audio output sources have low

frequency RFID tags that the play when audience member is approaching close to the view-windows.

The audio is in the form of a dramatic/ theatric story narrated by the Bay. Composition’s heirarchy will guide the visitor to hear the water’s introductory narration. The display layers information by providing a secondary strata of dynamic content through projected multimediaslideshows, infographic, video, animation and static content seen through the windows.

This layered information offers variety and seeks audience’s participation by applying the act of ‘discovering by uncovering’. Since access to these channels of additional information requires the audience to uncover the viewwindows which are in turn interconnected.

The audience is compelled make meaning of these arrangements from audio notes of the Bay as it directs the story to be continued through the other characters’ perspectives.

Information about the proposed Nhava-Sheva trans-harbour link has also been addressed as a retractable feature that intentionally falls on the flamingo zone in the mural. The act of pulling and pushing the bridge will make people realise that its upto them to keep it or push back.

This has been explained in the audio guide as well. To add drama and realism to the message of pollution small amounts of smoke would be dispensed from the chimneys in the mural either

‘Economy rests on ecology’–Rohini Nilekani, in a talk in IIT Bombay

electronically or manually. All the dynamic aspects of the display are aimed for a 10-15 minute cycle. This ensures every group of audience to experience the display’s features in totality. While the dynamic information runs on for longer, either as a cycle or as an endless stream, since it makes for repeated and longer viewing. The display can be a stand alone installation or become part of an enclosure that is 3 sided to aid the Bay’s perspective and also simulate the geography of the bay. A built-in evaluation system for the entire display along with it’s constituents helps test the level of interest, attention and information.

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The audience may wear an AR marker tag and stand in front of a wi-fi enabled interactive screen with webcam for AR photography where families or individuals can be in close proximity to the flamingoes or any other creature which is a rare possibility in reality. This screen offers blue tooth media transfer option for keepsake and a quick icon-based interactive feedback. The screen could also be a database of all the multimedia running inside the display for people to replay and watch as per their pace or copy for reference.

The design also aims at achieving mobility of communication. Hence the setup can also be planned as an arrangement to be dismembered and reassembled at a new location. This solution comes in as a response to all the conventional dioramas that are excessively infrastructure based. The arrangement and experience of the display can also be recreated on large vehicles like carry trucks or tempo sides using power supply from the engine’s battery. This ease of adaptability makes the medium have better outreach than being limited to visitor centres like conventional media. Interpretive communication and the medium are only means to an end. The end being to generate awareness, interest and curiosity.

Above: Drawings and views of the set-up consisting of a front mural and rear projection

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Looking back again at the genesis of a diorama, it can be reflected that the original essence of a diorama was to inspire awe in the audience with dramatic theatrical effects.

This quality has been revisited in the proposal. Since dramatic information attracts attention and successfully communicates ideas through narratives.

This requires temporality to be infused in the current convention of static or motorized displays. Today’s media savvy audience expects to be entertained with the latest of technologies. Adding an interactive platform to the display can communicate as it entertains.

Above: Drawings of variable scales of the mural with respect to the number of audience at a time Below: Mural setup mounted on the side of a truck or trailer, making it a portable display

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Dummy videos were compiled on Adobe Aftereffects and the audio files were editted and merged using open source program Audacity..

Testing issues

Tests done for the fan component of the mural, checking alignment of projected videos edited using the program’s grids mode.

Tests done for projection revealed that the through view punctures needed to have room for approximation since projected video may not perfectly align with the punctures.

Errors in registration would affect the whole experience. Also, the fan element semantically did not comply with the theme and ran a risk of being very childish. Another point which some objected to was the puncturing of the character’s eye for example the flamingo.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Design development challenges

Prototyping challenges

Challenge was in image making of the mural relating to content which was the immediate crowd puller. It was tackled: with reference to Indian image making principles Chitrasutra/ vastusutra/ mythology/ Indian philosophy.

Since physically prototyping each of the technology based ideas was limited due to absence of necessary skills. Efforts were taken to learn the current trends and possible techniques so that a feasible scheme may be proposed for execution rather than leaving it out of the scope of design. Relevant area of study was done through online resources.

Concept of image making Diorama is increasingly known as a near to reality representation or replication which is a western concept. While Indian values systems and mythology urges people to look for the essence of reality. This aligns with what interpretative communication aims for.

Replication not only repeats what first hand reality has to offer, at the same time it puts undue pressure on the chain of creation as a high skill resource intensive process.

While in communication especially interpretation, the idea is to communicate reality in smaller digestible chunks to make the audience aware of the essence of the place with least intervention.

Replication of reality for the sake of skill exhibition does not suit a display that is aimed for self-explanatory viewing; unlike a first-hand reality interpretation where a guide is a requirement.

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More doodles: In order to recreate the through view experience of the mural, a system was visualized which would be located centrally with panel on all four sides. This way visitor could move around the display and get various views based on Sewri’s geographical location.

This could be built but it would require four projectors and the size or area of required space was posing difficulties in establishing concrete solutions to this issue.

Critique A mural much like a poster offers non-linear reading option. However, it could have been enhanced with more sophisticated 3d projection mapping or spatial augmented reality tools for greater sense of depth.

With its dynamic features the display is both participatory and visual.

In a total absense of any other aid, the mural alone can help complete the story as audience interact amongst themselves.

Some of the tests conducted suggested there needed to be better interaction, especially the fan feature. Also, a mural is size specific. The longer the mural, more the visitors. This raised the issue of social interaction possibilities. The audio prompt was helping interpretation but did not allow for interpersonal interaction. How to improve? Few more concepts were developed that radically differed from the mural iterations.

While the mural concept was about to be discarded, this concept was envisioned. This came as a common sense way of bringing people together to interact–a round table. This would be a backlit surface with flaps for each of the main characters of Sewri. While opening the flaps one could see the layers going below and how each one of them are interconnected with strings.

This concept was seen as a variation of the mural concept. The difference identified here was that layers were now happening vertically unlike earlier when it was laterally. This idea was further explored through doodles.

But like the previous doodle, there was a confusion related to how many people to address to? and in what space to communicate?

These queries were resolved in the next phase of ideation.

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Phase 3 Ideation phase 3 was unanticipated but very important not only for the project’s growth but also on a personal level. This phase was opened to reading of new concepts that really mattered and could improve the design outlook for this project. One can term this as an advanced literature study.

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Fig 29: Marshall

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Subjects covered Ecology, ecological approach, biodiversity, good interpretation, emotional design, new media design, media studies, media ecology, Marshall Mc Luhan–tetrad of media effects, ‘medium is the message’, hot-cool media, social and psychic changes of media, metamedia, media theory, communication theory, emergent technologies–OLED, RFID, tangible interfaces, Reactivision-TUIO, IR mapping, fiducials, design for pleasure. affordances, human factors, needs and values, human ecology, World Bird Day 2011–Landuse bird’s eye view, Web 2.0, mash-ups, 21st century, Mumbai’s demography, ubiquitous technology, ludic interfaces.

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Mc Luhan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Marshall_McLuhan

Exposure to these new concepts, brought clarity in understanding the oddities faced in the design process. The question of arriving at a 21st century vocabulary was not merely the use or lack of technology. Embracing and understanding that many other concepts of contemporary society, environment, socioeconomic patterns, emotions and other such complexities lay intertwined was also importabt. Understanding this macrocosmic context had relevance especially in the age of the ‘Global village’.

What do media do to people?

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the printing press, the computer, and television are not therefore simply machines which convey information. They are metaphors through which we conceptualize reality in one way or another. They will classify the world for us, sequence it, frame it, enlarge it, reduce it, argue a case for what it is like.

Through these media metaphors, we do not see the world as it is. We see it as our coding systems.

Such is the power of the form of information.

What do people do with the media?

According to the website–http://www.peoi.org/Courses/ Coursesen/mass/mass2.htmlscreen, Katz, Gurevitch & Hass rephrased this question addressing human needs with respect to the media. They identifed the below mentioned as the main:

Cognitive needs (acquiring information, knowledge and understanding); Affective needs (emotional, pleasurable experience); Personal integrative needs (strengthening self image); Social integrative needs (strengthening self image); Tension release needs (escape and diversion)

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

‘Ecology’ might make us associate it with environment and conservation. Truth is, it essentially is a modern coinage and refers to relationships in nature. Relationships of varying kinds–habitat, activity, processes etc. It is increasingly gaining impetus in the way contemporary thinkers conceptualise.

As a designer, it is even more important to understand that action in one aspect of life could have unprecedented repercussions. This brought new revelation to the project.

Hence a broader perspective was adopted in understanding the overall spatio-temporal context of 21st century while zooming into the micro context of Mumbai whose citizens were the target audience. Since to understand relationships one must first observe and derive patterns–lifesyle, environmental, economic, technological etc. This is especially useful when innovation of a taxonomy is one of the critical goal. Also useful to know was Mc Luhan’s theory of new media. New media always enhances existing media, reverses something, makes something obsolete and retrieves something.

Analytically, the design process here aimed just this.

The diorama theatre is something to be revived, with the risk of making 3D dioramas obsolete or may be enhancing them. It aspires to reverse conventional use of technology. Also relevant here were interaction design concepts used in ludic and tangible interfaces. These interfaces successfully replace complex intangible interfaces with tangible day to day objects; optimising on ease of usage that comes with familiarity to the medium.

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Neil Postman, “The Reformed English Curriculum.” in A.C. 80: Eurich, ed., High School 1980: The Shape of the Future inn American Secondary Education (1970).

Media ecology is the study of media as environments.

http://www.media-ecology.org/ media_ecology/index.html

Fig 30: Tetrad of media, Marshal Mc Luhan

The study also diverted attention towards creating interactions that could hide away an over-powering technological presence. Encouraging natural or familiar human actions, so that learning time is short and hence better experience from actions. The concept of affordances helped in thinking in those terms. A brief reading of the concept of emotional design led me to re-evaluate the design experiences so far. None of them really managed to make a real emotional connect. The ideas were purely extrapolatory.

http://chrisrbecker.com/thesisblog/ refuting-the-screen, 30.4.2011

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Unlike print texts, digital texts are ontologically intangible and detached from the physical and mechanical dimension of their material support, namely, the computer or e-book (or other devices, such as the PDA [personal digital assistant], the iPod or the mobile phone).

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Returning to the subject, so far it has not yet established the essence of Sewri that needs to be communicated to an audience such that their attention and interest is roused. The other issue in concern was the indeterminacy of the number of visitors and the space requirements to demonstrate the new diorama. Also the issue of taxonomy of this innovative diorama was hindering achievement of the set goals.

Once these parameters were established, automatically other pieces fell into place. Depending upon area occupancies and area of space estimated. These were now constants around which variables of user types, time, resources, level of knowledge, technology, scale etc. were identified. The phase also began with a new approach of a combination of enhancement and innovation. Enhancements aim at improving or augmenting existing conventions by re-inventing for changing dynamics using clues from present, and can be tested for improvements.

Invention introduces foreign concepts, never seen or heard before and difficult to test and predict, can also boomerang. Invention is planting unknown ideas for future. Way ahead for this project was more of enhancement with doses of invention for a balanced design solution.

Project 3| M.Des. Visual Communication 2009-11| IDC, IIT Bombay

But Phase 3 of ideation began first by formally establishing these missing links. It begins with free writing of the spirit of 21st century which is the super context for the media. Followed by understanding who are the audience who need to know about Sewri.

World Migratory Bird Day 2010 official video

“ Walter Ong from an unpublished manuscript http://theecuadorpage.blogspot.com/

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Albrecht von Haller

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http://theecuadorpage.blogspot.com/

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Birds represent freedom and beauty and imagination and movement. They link continent and people.

The age in which humans existence is now framed, the age in which human life and technology so massively and intimately interact, can well be styled not only the information age and the age of interpretation, but, perhaps, even more inclusively, the ecological age, in principle an age of total interconnectedness, where everything on the earth, and even the universe, is interconnected with everything else, not only in itself but, ideally, in human understanding and activity.

Nature knits up her kinds in a network, not in a chain; but men can follow only by chains because their language can’t handle several things at once.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Macrocosmic context Characteristics and the spirit of 21st century (Both global and local phenomenae):

Democratisation

Free creation and movement of content/ information/ media, social media, creative commons, relaxed ownership rights, DIY age, Open source movement, wikileaks.

Overdependence on Information

Share, read, view, watch, experience, pleasure, delight, variety, media, data and knowledge management, servers, file transfers, system design, data mining, data searches etc.,ICT,Web 2.0–UCT (universal convergence technology)

Chaos/ complexity socio-economic, demographics, density, concentration, population, ethnicity, universalization-addressing special interest group needs, competition, politics, multiple brands and identities. ,forms for knowledge exchange, holographic world, world wide web, shrinking world.

Hybridity

convergence, products, services, interactions, mixed landuse, fusion of arts and culture, inter-disciplinary explorations, assembly units, nano tech, biomimetics, bionics etc..

Urban sprawl/ Conurbation–Urban age, public

transport, employment, infrastructure, retail, market forces, economy driven, venture capitalists, air travel, fossil fuel driven, pollution, mass production, housing, real estate, urban planning, multimodal transport, recreation and outdoor open spaces etc.

Ubiquitous and mobile information

wireless technologies, multifunctional platforms for knowledge exchange, holographic world, world wide web, shrinking world.

WOW factor/ Attention grabbing: in fashion, visuals, experience, travel, place-making, media, television shows, reality shows, drama, suspense, climax, conflict, scandal, scam, unusual/ unfamiliar facts and media, non-linearity etc.

Interaction

global, local, cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary, ubiquitous – human-human, human-technology

Dreams

realising surreal, mixed realities, augmented/ virtual reality.

Independence

free choice, entrepreneurial upsurge, free communication and action, power to challenge authorities, freedom from conventions and traditions, wikileaks, prosumers.

Coexisting contradictions – low and high progress, fast and slow life, Pollution and nature, povery and development, corporations and start ups, warm vernacular traditional and cool cutting edge world-class state of the art, sleek, metallic or glass. Variability – scale, context, materials, technology, education, taste.

Age of the middleclass – nuclear families, earning spouses, housing, apartments, investments, vehicle and market, access to new technology, information, the power to opinionate and decision making, influence, tourism and travel, access to retail, banking, loan, entertainment.

Conservation

protection, preservation, activism, policies for history, tradition, culture, nature.

Standardisation – ISO, quality checks and control, BIS, codes etc...Professional and service standards, ratings, TRPs etc.

Speed

services, action, experience, dynamism, technology, innovation, information, project cycles.

Sustainability

Innovation: New and fast, cheap and light, emergent technologies, updates and upgrades at a faster rate, perpetual beta.

technology, construction, living, working, travel, green building codes, leed ratings etc., eco-friendly energy, renewable energy, low cost energy.

War/ terror

missions, diplomacy, defence, oppositions, campaigns, pacts.

Widespread humanism

Solidarity, compassion, empathy, understanding, cooperation, network building – professional, social, religious, spiritual etc.

Customisation Anti-standardisation, bending rules, norms, adaptation.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing at local, regional, national and international levels for products and services, standards/ best practices.

Fig 31: The 21st century cloud

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Subject Context Interpreting Sewri Bay

Regional Context Target group scenarios (3#: 1a-b, 2)

Why?

Families–general adults and children (mostly amateurs and novice; few experts; urban upper middle; lower middle income groups) Random groups of young adults.

Group of senior citizens and young children.

Relevant as a unique bird watching spot in the heart of industrial Mumbai and needs to raise awareness as it faces habitat threat due to human development.

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What?

Interpret the bay as the story of the place.

What is the story?

An everchanging landscape from a fishing village to a fortress to a port to a yard to a factory area to a bird watching site to a...what next?

A hidden landscape in the heart of a busy city with no open vistas and nature.

A seemingly peaceful coexistence of man and nature.

Ecostory of water bringing together many players in the scene.

Water/ Bay is the host of many activities in and around the bay. The life support system.

How? It can relate to the target audience’s needs and aspirations.

Who? See the next section.

Target culture Indian/ Mumbai citizens middle-lower and upper income groups (Because as per MMRDA regional plan, 23% BPL– income less than Rs. 1000 p.m.); cosmopolitan, secular, opinionated, curious for information, busy–every second counts, multitasking, technology literacy – low to high etc.

Assumptions Citizens know about the city in general–life, transport, economy, history, politics, socio-cultural patterns, language/lingo, daily/ yearly/ monthly temporal patterns (festivals, open-closed days) etc.

But don’t know details of every locality like this subject–Sewri Bay (ecology, demography, geography, history, daily or annual pattern), larger ecological implications affecting them as global citizens.

Target City Mumbai, alpha world city– as per GaWC studies 3rd global city; India’s largest city(by population), financial and commercial capital of the country, generates 6.16% of the total GDP.

Target group expectations and qualities Recreation, entertainment, short-fast messages, catchy, loud, non-repetitive, different/ unique never before seen/ experienced, ethical/ moral messages, provocative messages but critical about them, non-lecture or speech like, conversational events, participatory, close to media-get a photo clicked or interview taken on camera, opportunity to bond better, have fun, spend time together, create something, play with something, value for money/ time–fun, time spent, gain or profit made. Movies work well, open spaces, eating out, shopping etc., would like to contribute/ help/ connect to others when explained, spirit of solidarity.

Target size at one time 5-8 people; 60-40 ratio of children and adults.

Estimated space: min. 2-3 sqm per person = net 10-15 to 16-24 sqm. Around, 20 sqm net. (4mx5m)

Estimated location of installation Public open/semi-open spaces, public events, Science centres/ Interpretation/ visitor centre, school/ cultural centre lobbies.(As per MMRDA, 20% households visit picnic spots in a year, major spots preferred are beaches like Chowpati,Gorai– other places like parks and hill stations. Most households visit once during a year.)

Estimated duration Min 3-5 minutes per session for main message and voluntary excess time for additional detail information 15-60 minutes.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Diorama’s areas of enhancements and invention for 21st century

relaxing/ mood elevator/ surprise element/ must promote or foster social responsibilities/like a mirror to society/ guiding light/ platform to bond, collaborate, cooperate and connect through interaction/ media spaces.

Better interaction

Others

Physical/ tactile, action-based/ more control over display/ responsive-feedback

Multifaceted viewpoints Multiple viewpoints/ view angles, opinion / role-playing

Dynamism

Dynamic visuals/ content or feature/ movement of light/ artefact/ space/ viewer and point of view/ speed

Material and technology

Wow factor/ new visual and sensorial / eco-friendly/ low cost, easy to reproduce/ maintain/ replace

Mobility

Modular/ package-able/lightweight structure/ flexible framework/ transportable

Renewability Ease of update/ renewable content/ element of surprise

Multisensory Visual, olfactory, aural, tactile

Sustainability, Transformation, Build resilience, Local actors, adaptation, Profit, human dimension, systemic integration of person and technology, Could generate additional funds if travelling contributed towards conservation, Info highway US profit motive, info society historical multi cultural social motive of Europe, knowledge society of japan combining ancient concepts with technology what is the Indian model?

Core design considerations

Design for message/ storytelling Design for intuition/ ease/ usability/ understanding/ language/ semantics of a culture or place Design for safety Design for vandals Design for universality Design based on targeted emotion: revelation, concern, empathy/ care/ love for Sewri/ Mumbai’s heart.

General emotions

Love/ Affection/ Care/ Empathy Hate/ Anger/ rage/ Frustration Joy/ excitement/ Enthusiasm Sorrow/ Pathetic/ depressing Jealousy/ Envy/ competition/ comparison Curiosity/ inquisitiveness Concept of emotion through materialityMystery by introduction of translucency vs transparency

Content presentation

More complex/ rich media/ layers of content/ smooth, redundancy, flow/ ubiquity/ ease of exchange/ updatable/ correctable.

Humanist

Reachable/ usable/ understandable/ democratic/ unbiased/ evocative/ provocative/ entertainment value/ inclusive (universal –all kinds of people with age/ technological/ physical disabilities)/ emotional/ playful/ engage/ recreational/

Cosmetic design

Look and feel- material/ colour/ treatment/ style Fancy manoeuvres- controls/ movable parts Hi-tech- projection/ wireless technology Drama- sound/ visual effects –light/ smoke/ graphics Play/ pleasure- all of the above

Through a combination of brainstorming and free-writing exercises, a wide range of design paramateres were acknowledged and externalised. This lent greater clarity to the design programme. Components of constants or constraints that were absent so far, were all filled in. This ensured achieving a more focussed strategy and led to a series of crude sketches and concepts to be developed as the final idea.

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Having framed the idea or message to be comminicated in a simple sentences, led to a more focussed attempt at creating a framework of central

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Taking cues from where Phase 2 ended, this circular concept was explored. It was felt that in order to allow a target audience group such as a family or group of friends, the medium must allow for interpersonal interaction where the action of one determined that of the others. This was seen from a game perspective but more from an ecological point of view. At this juncture the content to be presented was revisited.

As the MMRDA plan states, Mumbai’s wetlands, such as Sewri bay are abudant in ecological diversity. They are highly productive and valuable eco-systems with many uses flood

control, shoreline stabilisation, habitat to flora and fauna, providing food chain support and retention of sediments, nutrients and toxicants.

It is also important to highlight that it takes people’s participation to protect these wonders from further destructive activities.

Since harm done to the environment is harm done to the entire society that depends upon the same resources.

message with layers of supplementary information that comes secondary. Since, it was learned that interpretation is also a collaborative effort and repeating or ignoring the work of other agencies is futility of resources.

Hence the interpretive

message is reframed to give glimpses about Sewri and linking it to concepts far greater than imagined in the local setting. Since this is where all the learning of communication design can be applied effectively. Audiences may be asked to actively do a symbolic act either through movement or tactile perception. So that audience’s minds are not overloaded with excessive data in today’s informaiton rich world. And they can quickly learn the implicit rules of the design almost intuitively, much like learning to play a game without a manual and only from cues–textual, graphic, aural or tactile.

Making an inclusive design solution would require the use of various other aids such as braille instructions, audio tags, seating for the disabled aged, unfit, physically challenged) etc.

Designing for sturdiness is an unsaid rule for interpretive displays. An aim also would be to

use and conceal emergent, easy to use technologies such that the look and feel of the

interfaces engenders

a sense of familiarity, confidence and ease of use. In trying to establish an emotional connect, for impressing the message upon the audience, a strong metaphor or analogy can be used that relates to their day to day lives.

Also a criteria would be to give the audience,

control over their experience and opportunites to self-discover information as they stumble upon the sources. These sources may have the element of discovery and mystery.

It can only be built if the visual carries with a Why? Did you know? or What? A brief brainstorming led to the following list for ways of developing mystery or getting attention: Elements or components of misfit–anachronic, oversized, conspicuos colors, uncertainty, smoke, fire, alarm etc.

Secrecy–transluscency, slits, peepholes, view windows, veils, screens, semi-transparent, whispers, hushes Bewilderment–unusual new gadget, overly familiar enjoyable product/ visual Enticing–emotionally endearing to go upclose, urging to examine up close, music, inviting and pleasing textures.

By detailing out the points highlighted in the previous page, a lot of clarity came in directing the design solution towards addressing some key features, as the core design. While further iterations could add the finer details informed by series of tests.

Chapter 4: Ideation| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Utilising the traditional concept of interaction over a circular formation (bonfire, panchayat, social communities etc.), led to possibility of using the symbol for ecology in the message’s visual syntax along with the content.

Another concept that was being explored was the idea of linkages, nodes and connections visual, tanbigle, intangible and cognitive.

Just as in Phase 2, this phase also did not restrict ideas to be constrained within established taxonomies of diorama or exhibit or display, it aimed at a hybrid that served the purpose of interpretation–recreation, value additive experience and awakening intellect.

The doodle on the left seemed to structurally help present the right amount of information (2-5minutes) using easy tangible interfaces, invisible, light and efficient technologies such as–

IR mapping, OLED or LCD screen instead of projected images. This now required detailed thinking to ensure its workability.

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The idea is in the form of a space or an intervention planted in different pre-established public environs like plazas, promenade, mall atria, lobby spaces. The intervention operates as a unit but many areas remain to be resolved, such as the style of presentation–multimedia, slideshow, video, film, information graphics, details of the interaction, interfaces, type of technology etc.

There was another concern to be addressed that added to the design parameters. As it has been overemphasised, complexities of this century also carry with it a burden from the past. However much we acknowledge or revel in the advances in technology, we fail to miss the behind the scenes details. This century is dragging the weight

of a huge

technology waste crisis. One other moral stance for any designer of the 21st century to take judicious

decisions that don’t add

to this crisis.

Technology is advancing and outdating previous ones at lightning speed. This results in bulks of E-waste containing mercury, lead, plastics etc. that end up in dumps, landfills, oceans, ground water and unorganised recycling markets such as those in India. This project especially highlights this paradox of trying to communicate to as many people about environmental conservation using technology.

The same technology in the long run ends up

polluting the environment. It is a vicious cycle where the messenger turns against the message in the urge to communicate. This is not only attributed to electronic waste but any waste from the product and machinery innovation sector whether high or low tech. So is there is a solution?

The solution may seem farfetched in the entire muddle of international economic, legal and political scenario. But, there is hope after all.

Many people in the academic, industrial and household sectors are directing their efforts towards piece-meal change to curb the inevitable.

‘Reduce reuse and recycle’ is the mantra for responsible citizenship. As designers, while we want our audiences to have the best, the state of the art and the never-before-seen/ heard / felt experiences; some evaluation of the cost and benefits across the product/ service’s life cycle would avoid such dire perplexity of waste management. While the whole cycle of production and disposal is too large a field to intervene, it is well within our limits to design experiences with informed choices. Our discretion in selecting the right materials, technologies and processes must come from careful weighing of estimated opportunities and threats to the ecology.

However idealistic, it is possible to implement this attitude in our deadline driven design industry also.

Since, its soon moving away from an option to care for to an imperative for successful sustainable 21st century design solutions. This brings the design to the next level of development. The focus would be

in evaluating the product, materials and technology for as little ecological load as possible. Different approach for different types of exhibits can be followed.

For temporary exhibits with limited life, the use of reused or recycled parts could prove functional and cost effective too. For permanent exhibits, sustainable energy star rated, low cost materials, equipments and technology can be sourced or custom made. This is particularly relevant for computer aided systems, electronic displays, lighting and the exhibit’s structural framework.

Aim should be to minimise use of materials and technologies that contain pollutants such as mercury, lead and aerosols. Also identifying and strategising the production and disposal cycles of each of the exhibit components would make the design proposal a holistic scheme.

The previous idea was strategised to incorporate the myriad features of the programme. It was seen as the final solution it is in this solution we find greater level of clarity in the vision for the new diorama and the interpretive message.

Chapter 5: Final Idea| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Iteration-1: Bhavishyavaani/ Fortune-telling

The design proposal of a diorama for interpreting Sewri Bay is an intervention enabled by ubiquitous technology. It derives its identity from an amalagamation of thoughts and concepts. The solution acheived is contextual in form but universal in meaning. The proposal breaks away from aconventionally perceived diorama while retaining

Aim of interpretation To sensitise it’s audience about Sewri bay’s ecosystem, its threats and its relation to them and the world at large. Emphasis is also on public participation to bring change.

and augmenting its spirit. It is also a blend of technology that would be affordable even in the

The solution demonstrates a framework that can be adapted to a range of contexts, subjects, location of display, technology and resources, It aspires to to belong to a larger spatio-temporal context–the 21st century.

Indian context.

Location The proposal is meant to be an off-site intervention, to be located in a range of venues both indoor and outdoor.

a

b

c

d

Audience The proposal’s target audience would be casual visitors, families, young adults irrespective of educational or economic background. It also aims to include audiences with physical disabilities.

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Fig 32 (a-e): Tradition of fortune telling across many cultures

Concept: Of the varied qualities of 21st century one main idea is ‘Uncertainty’. This is a universal and timeless concept that humans have tried to cope with. Its part of our psyche, culture, language, values and more so of this age. One way we combat uncertainty is by natural instincts, logical and intuitive preparedness. The other, is also the theme of the proposal–Bhavishyavaani or Fortune telling. We as humans have carried this age old tradition well into modern and post modern age. This is proof enough for our inquisitiveness to know our future.

This psychological fact suits well to interpret Sewri bay to the audience. Why? Sewri is a place that has always seen many changes over human history. Moreover, it is in a current state of flux. With human actions, the bay is getting altered on a micro scale, but there could be macro changes with larger interventions such as the trans-harbour link. The idea that places like Sewri are precious to the city and its people relates the two. Hence the concept of fortune telling which is a more casual way of foretelling than astrology and other forms of divination, was used as a theme to establish a relationship

between the audience and the bay. By communicating that the future of the audience is dependent on the future of the bay and ecologically, their futures are both the same.

It is intended to attract today’s audience for two main reasons– one, they are curious and two, it is treated as ‘just for fun’ and will be short. Also it is becoming a rarity in busy urban areas. The idea that it is promoted in the name of traditional fortune-telling raises mystery since there is no interpreter or fortune teller to explain this oddness. This urge to find out will make them explore the space.

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Another critical aspect of 21st century is an ‘apparent power to choose’. The intervention wishes to optimise on visitor’s attention and interest levels by building curiosity as the theme gets an extension–’Bhavishyavaani:Suno ya Chuno’.

The rhyming words add to it’s power to attract.

Utilising this, curiosity level and audience’s attention are held by providing teasers. It is different from giving detailed information that recreational audiences find too much to handle.

Inspired by this century’s popular Japanese professional networking concept–’Pechakucha’; the teasers are designed to stream continuously one image per second. Each cycle lasts 20 seconds.

People of Mumbai, are pressed for time, this model perfectly suits them. The idea is to get them curious and wondering what they experienced.

The two options are planned as viewing holes such that Suno shows 20 images of environmental chaos; while Chuno gives the audience to see a larger tile of unlimited images/ videos supporting participatory conservation actions.

This stream of images runs only with the audience’s action. A steering wheel kept at the entrance is a power generator. It is part of the fortune telling ritual. The wheel moves both ways each having it’s implications. The more one moves it clockwise, the more power it generates to run the Bay dial and the projector’s circuit. Implicitly and openly saying that you drive your future, good and bad. This can lead to teamwork within a group of visitors, where it can be done in turns.

Placed in center is a Bay dial representing the bay.The turning of wheel and the dial with pegs (used as a remote controller) together power and command the computer behind the scene to play relevant information. This information in the wake of Web 2.0 would be dynamically updated, by the host, fans, network buddies etc. Making the entire system a perpetually updating sustainable model.

This model can communicate to an audience even without elaborate saturated information bits.

Fig 33: Pechakucha night poster

Chapter 5: Final Idea| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Spatial organisation The design is envisioned as a truck’s exterior representing Sewri’s trucks; reflecting from the context based search. The space is intentionally kept tight, just enough for a group of 5-8 or 10 people to fit in at one time.

The reason was to encourage a bond within a group even if the audience is a varied group of strangers. The interior is a rectangular layout with a curved partition meant for image screening either using rear projection or a display screen.It also has two punctures–a magnifying glass and a spotting scope attributed to the concept of Suno and Chuno.

One is myopic while the other far-sighted.

Both show videos when seen through them.

The interior contains two main consolelike stations–a steering ecowheel and a dial with miniature figures of Sewri’s various features. All videos have a 20 sec. timer seen as a dot circling around a ring. The interior is also designed to have folded seating for the disabled.

Backstage space for volunteers to project content and/ or PR/ activities Frame to mount the projector.

Screen Sune ya Chune

Dial floor space Occupancy: 4 adults and 5 children.

Steering wheel floor space Detailing similar to truck sides–wooden panels bolted to MS angles

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Visual style

Experience design

External and internal spatial graphics have been planned as truck graphics to reinforce Sewri’s identity. Truck graphics are not only attractive but also resonate the folk appeal.The bay dial interface has predominantly flat radial areas and the pegs would be small painted wood, clay or plastic dolls.

The eco-wheel semantically represents the relationship of humans with nature,and is to be turned or moved along the right direction to get the right visual effects.

Clockwise motion is treated as complying with nature, hence the bay dial works. Anticlockwise will drain the power without much warning, metaphorically depicting what truly happens in nature.

The outershell is proposed to be made out of reusable truck parts–wooden battens and MS angles. The tangible interfaces namely the dial with its accessories would be a sturdy table top dial made out of plastic or aluminium.

The wheel itself may be a transluscent material like acrylic or hollow metal pipe.

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Audience is meant to leave with a sense of query, concern and knowledge about Sewri. To accentuate their experience, ambient sounds along with dust, grit and smoke effect can be recreated.

The idea of having dynamic content, ensures people visit the host website to add on further material bout Sewri and related ecosystems; and share it with everyone, in the spirit of today’s information flow.

Content

Truck graphics studied for: Colour family, motifs, shapes, tones, illustration and lettering styles.

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Project 3| M.Des. Visual Communication 2009-11| IDC, IIT Bombay

Material, construction and technology

The structure of the content is to provide central theme messages as slideshows of photographs or videos through the signals from the dial. While the larger themes can be seen through the pucntures as slides or videos on the screen. Audio tags or asisstance is optional and provided for visually challenged visitors. Predominantly it is a visual experience. Using the Pechakucha format it becomes important to choose high quality images as every image counts in the 20 seconds cycle.

The dial is a radial diagram of Sewri, with concentric circles for seasons, day and night and geographical positions. It has both static pegs like the jetty and the fort and dynamic pegs like the birds, fishermen, factories etc.

Information architecture The input-output protocol begins with the rotation of the wheel that activates the bay dial.

On moving pegs on the dial the back system of power, projection/ media player gets activated.

The dial setup consists of pegs with square base to take markers called fiducials. These markers are read by webcam as an IR tracker mounted under the table top of the dial. This is linked with a programme that reads the marker and plays corresponding media content associated with the location of the peg on the dial. This can be achieved by using available low cost technology.

Chapter 5: Final Idea| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

The longitudinal and transverse section of the intervention.

Critique: View through the magnifying glass eyepiece-the dot timer on the hoop.

Design could be refined for further simplicity to minimise the intentional chaos-like appearance in the inner space of the intervention.

May be space constraints could be further relaxed to include larger groups and avoid crowding which looks like a possibility in the urge to generate a ‘human bond’.

Also the sequence of interaction from the wheel to the dial to the screen projection was a little complicated for regular users. The amount of information also required to be further organised.

Left: Detailed plan of the Dial. Time governs this design. Historic, seasonal and daily. The dial can be set on a combination of these times to see different responses on screen.

When used in public open spaces, weather conditions especially rains must be kept in consideration. Since the non-flamingo season is predominantly over monsoons. However, shopping mall atria, science centres and other indoor spaces can serve as useful substitutes.

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Iteration-2: Meeting Place

The idea of meeting place is perfect for the context of Sewri Bay. Interpretation of the bay is made more relevant here. As the bay is also a place where many congregations occur such as–land meeting water, city meeting the wild, clutter meeting open expanse, people meeting birds, industry meeting nature etc.

Description: The previous iteration needed to be simplified and refined both visually and in terms of interaction and experience. The concept of gathering around the dial was taken forward.

Also looking at the target audience the idea of a ‘meeting place’ was felt appropriate.

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The diorama as a vehicle of this idea could imbibe the bay’s characteristics and hence spatially and implicitly assert the morphology of a bay–a nested water formation surrounded by land.

The medium here embraces qualities of the content and transforms the way the content is presented and perceived. This concept was further explored as crude visualisations until the formation of a structured sequential experience as seen on page 66.

Conceptual layout for Sewri bay as the meeting place

Conceptual collage depicting the flamingo as an ambassador of Sewri with all characteristic features housed within its form including the risk of the new Nhava-Sheva sea link.

This time the enclosure of the intervention was opened out into a circular gathering. It was also felt that adding comfort level with seating would attract on-lookers to go ahead and explore. This layout offered maximum flexibility and scalability to the concept. With the freedom from the physical enclosure yet retaining the sense of coming together owing to the circular formation.

These visualisations helped in seeing the applicability of this concept for various physical conditions and scenarios.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication Rough visualisation of the intervention in several public recreational spaces.

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This concept offered many avenues of exploration due to the simplicity of the form of the diorama. It now emerges as an installation with in a fluid environment.

This led to further detailing of the design thus ending the concept exploration phase of the project.

Chapter 5: Final Idea| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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Final Idea Design development

Proof-of-concept model

Evaluation & Recommendations

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Design development

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Based on the concepts from the earlier phase. A detail design process began. This was revisited by better organisation of the content to be presented.

Since the intent of the circular nodes was to offer the different characteristics of the bay to the audience, content was selected from a range of simple ideas that the bay represented. The following is a list: The bay represented in the display as marshy slush is interpreted as an anthropomorphic narration as a refrain –“I am -----to many�.This is also repeated in a regional language. The blanks are filled in by the panels illustrating the qualities such as:

1. Meeting place 2. Home 3. Food 4. Link 5. Duming yard 6. Work place 7. Story 8. Host These are in no particular hierarchy leaving room for the audience to assimilate. The content has redundant but important characters that repeat like characters in a story book. Through de-sedimentation of the content, audience may relate and recall the information better.

Core: Spatial organisation for circulation/ direction

Screen interface - Table interaction for dynamic content Panels for static content presentation Miscellaneous: Web/ Phone interface for continued experience.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Dummy paper model and refined visualisations to clarify the spatial layout along with desirable heights of the panel and.

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Content:

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After spatial organisation, content waas further detailed as per the theme–”I am-----to many”.

The following was outlined as content for each panel dedicated to each quality of the bay.

Since this forms the basis of the introductory panels, content is designed to be largely visual and eye-catching rather than conventional information panels. Hence each quality is presented with 2-4 key facts/ characters/ scenes.

Story to many: (Of interest to those who like history) Fishing village (long ago), British port (1718th century), factories and warehouses (19th century), Flamingo and bird watching spot (20th century), 21st century?

Home to many: (General interest) Fishermen, factory workers, mangroves, fish, birds.

Food to many:(General/ Scientific interest)

Meeting place to many: (General/ Scientific interest) Land and water, city and nature, past, present and future, bird lovers and birds.

Dumpyard to many:(environmental interest) Factories and plants, neighbourhood garbage, city drainage, port activities.

While content intended for panels included static information, content on screen was developed as an interactive expereince using dynamic presentations.

One main theme (ecological) was

A rough storyboard of the content helped in basic content organisation in space.

chosen for the central interactive experience.

This was mainly to highlight information rarely seen or interpreted before. The ‘meeting place’ concept starts with the short introductory visual panels and more appropriately culminates into knowing the place and it’s relationships and engaging with it as new members.

Fish, birds/ flamingos, mangroves, fishermen

Workplace to many: (General/ economic interest) Factory, plant and port

Host to many:(Tourist interest) Fort for history buffs, Nature and bird watchers, Flamingo’s winter visits.

Link to many:(General/ ecological

interest) different life forms, geography of Mumbai and the future link to Navi mumbai.

The content is loosely structered as a nonlinear narrative ranging from overview to details free from chronology. The emphasis is not on giving loads of information but sensitising the audience with the key issues and urging them to find out more. The design also proposes an extension of interpretation into the internet for social network powered content creation, aggregation, information and opinion.

A dummy 1:5 model of the panel helped understand the avaialble panel space for content composition.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

The panel is envisioned as a combination of photographic and illustrative relief work with occasional attachment of samples like a bulletin board or a scrap book. The relief effect creates interest in bringing physical depth to the content along with ease of access unlike traditional panel presentations or dioramas.

A 1:1 paper dummy was created to better understand the scale of margin spaces, graphics and type. Notes on size, and proportions were taken to guide the design activity to be followed on the computer.

Right: Initial layout chunking exercises that create visual narratives in the front and textual information on the back. A basic 4X4 grid helped in organising textual content (bilingual) while visuals were fluid and easily merged as scenes or montages.

The graphic style is still inspired by truck graphics. They not only add to the panel’s attractive quality but also form Sewri bay’s visual identity. The truck graphics at Sewri are less ornate, with minimum decorative motifs such as: bird, eye, geometric or islamic patterns, coloured stripes etc.

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After a few iterations, the final panel design and layout were envisaged as given here.

Emphasis was on providing bilingual textual content for better interpretation, projecting truck graphics as the Bay’s true style and keeping bold visuals since audiences do not pay attention to textual components. Panel’s color scheme and palette were chosen from Sewri’s prevailing truck graphics. Display text in the panels is intentionally chosen as calligraphic to reflect the truck graphics style.

Also as conceptualized the panels have one side rich with poster-like visuals and relief with bold display text while the other side provides textual information in the form of the bay’s narration. This is to ensure a mixed group of audience is catered to.

The panels use motifs repeatedly so to ensure unity in the overall look.

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Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Given are the finally developed look of the set of 8 panels. They are to be further refined for layout and image content. But the concept presentation seeks to use the existing content that is to be further evaluated.

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Doodles showing the development of the interface of the dial or table top and the screen.

The screen interface would consist of the bay as a central feature connected to 8 other aspects that are each uniquely related to the bay. The visuals involve timely day and night changes in the bay namely tidal changes as simple animation.

The relationships and individual video windows come alive with the audience’s action on the dial. The video is actually a series of motion graphics or photographic slideshow where required playing for a minimum duration of 5-20 seconds.

Each window contains within it a range of 8 other videos each of 20 seconds offering further details.

Audiences finger tracking will lead to dynamic presentation using color for 4 unique types of relationships with the bay, namely: Mutualism, Competition, Parasitic and Commensalism.

This is indirectly understood as Negative (Red), Positive (Green) and Neutral (Grey) and Mutual (Blue). Relationships are also seen with each of the other windows.

The central bay determines the health of the bay based on the balance of the dial and the ec-meter graphics on-screen.The audience is intended to understand the benefits and positives of each entity.

The table top is symbolic of the bay and it is titled intentionally to attract audiences attention. Intent here is to make people try the act of balancing while they get to see changes on the screen

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

display. Thus implicily urging people’s participation to balance the load on nature and ecology through simple playful activity. The table top shows conceptual model of the bay on a disc surrounded by few key components: Nature, people (both residents and conservationists), Industries, city authorities and citizens. They are organised as segments of the circle. These segments have further smaller cells. These cells play as the audience’s remote. They place their finger in order to balance the tilted disc. These segments could also have miniature models to add further interest and aid clear knowledge that the bay is heavy on the industries and factories end. This is intended as a game to be played on a web/ mobile platform extending interpretation long after the physical experience is over into the virtual realm.

The technology to be implemented here is an open source programme for tangible interfaces called Reactivision. The disc is the table top below which a setup of image capturing could facilitate finger tracking and contiguity in the media played on screen. Below is the image of the conventional tabletop reactivision set up where projection is done on the table top.

Top: Testing a paper model of the tilted disc.

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After some iterations the final design of the table top base and the disc was designed with graphics and brand of ‘See change’ using styrene and sun board.

The tabletop base had basic visual clues about how the audience must interact with the disc. While the disc had smaller models of unique features of the bay, there were also other key features that would be reflected in the on-screen interface such as the hand symbol, people graphics as cut-outs that are color coded and logos for critical aspects such as the development authorities, port authorities etc.

The disc’s central area was conceptualized as the bay or water within an ecology logo. It also contains small pieces of currency symbolic of the bias of resources being used towards the port and the factories. The disc’s peripheral graphics uses the human chain as it’s metaphor to seek people participation where there are breaks for fingerprints. These breaks suggest implicitly where the audience could place their contact.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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Since the design in this scheme of the table top is scalable to as big a diameter as possible, for the purpose of proof of concept a base size of 60cmx60cm was chosen where 3-4 people can easily interact.

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Final On-screen interface had to be coordinated with the look and feel of the disc, table top and the panels hence it reflected this through the colour and graphics. The screen interface was one with multiple tiles showcasing many information bits at a go. The interaction of the table top and the screen is as shown here as a series of action and reactions. The current design looked at few key scenarios since there are many permutations possible that are beyond the scope of this project.

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1. When there is no action, a default video plays with sound.

2. When the disc is turned clockwise, tiles from past become brighter 3. When the disc is turned anticlockwise, tiles from future show future options.

4, When the one user touches on the green side, the tile turns green with a buzzer to give the feedback of a good decision 5. When the user touches on the red or neutral side, the tile turns red or green depending upon the condition along with an audio feedback.

6. When two users come into play 7. When three users are in picture 8. When the users leave, default video returns

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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Default: Day and night, high and low tide, background sound effects.

Tiles for past come to foreground as bold and the rest fades but continues to move as the default video.

Tiles for future come to foreground as bold and the rest fades but continues to move as the default video.

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Green tile blinks, change reflected in a small animation, hand goes up, eco meter becomes greener, audio feedback of tinkle heard, green men added in the central eco ring.

Red tile blinks, change reflected in a small animation, hand goes down, eco meter becomes red, audio feedback of buzzer heard, , green men vanish from the central eco ring.

Grey tile turns green and reactions similar to green tile appear.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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Reaction similar to previous two cases of green tile and grey tile occur in order and cumulative results of total green-ness is seen with audio feedback.

When disc balances, half of the eco ring turns green, green men count grows, there is more of green thumbs up and audio feedback of a good decision taken.

When disc tilts to the green side, eco ring turns fully green, all hands are gree, the ring is complete with the green human chain, applause are heard.

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Finally a more refined version of the overall space was visualized including all the previously discussed components and additional floor graphics. Given here is also the space requirements of both the proposal and the proof of concept to be discussed in detail in the following section.

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Proof-of-concept model

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Due to the scalable nature of the design solution.

The proof-of-concept is a way to test the assumptions of the designed experience and interaction. For this purpose a model to recreate the concept’s major features, namely: Panel, table and the screen were aimed to be tested.

Another aim is also to exercise the feasibility of producing the concept into a tangible physical experience. The proof-of-concept would be a model of the intended sensorial and psychomotor effects.

Given here is the set up of the proof of concept consisting of a mock full scale panel, mock 8 panels scaled to approx. 1:3.3, an on-screen interface with videos of different scenarios. The table-top interaction was a low-fidelity model where interactions were only simulated with videos as soft prototypes.

The proof of concept was an amalgamation of the various independent design developments seen in the previous section. To test the effectiveness of this concept an evaluation process was created. This began with the preparation of an evaluation form as shown in the next section. The form is an aid to record observations and interactions with the participating audience or users.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Evaluation and Recommendations Evaluation is an important phase not just post implementation but also during designing. It is important to test whether one’s assumptions are based on universal laws or need to be corrected or changed all together.

For this purpose, two users from within the department were recruited. The evaluation involved three phases– pre-experience, experience and post experience.

The form is so designed to record the same in addition to video and photographs. The users were asked basic background questions about the city, geography, environment, nature, technology etc. This moved on to the explanation of the experience since the proof of concept was a low fidelity soft prototype of the interaction with the table top which is the main attraction. This resulted in discussion and suggestions. These were compiled by making the users comment on their experience.

The process:

USER EVALUATION FORM Name:

PIC

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No.:

Time:

Gender:

Age:

Occupation:

Education:

Ethnicity:

Venue for evaluation:

Resident of :(Urban/ Rural/ Semi)

Finding users Pre-experience

SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES: 1.

_____________________________________

How well do you know Mumbai? Low

2.

How long you live here?

3.

What is your computer or internet usage? Low

4.

Do have interest in birds/ plants?

5.

Can you identify and name ?

6.

How much you know about environmental issues? Low

_____________________________________ High

Intermediate

_____________________________________

Intermediate

High

______________________________________ ______________________________________

7.

How good is your knowledge of geography? Low

8.

Do you know different types of natural land and

Intermediate

High

_____________________________________

water bodies?

_____________________________________

How much you of importance of Sea/ Lake/ River? Low

Intermediate

High

______________________________________

10. Do you know and understand that there are ______________________________________

relationships in nature?

11. Do you help strangers in understanding

_____________________________________

something you know well?

_____________________________________

OBSERVATIONS: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES:

POST: 1.

How did they find the experience?

2.

What meaning could you make?

3.

What did you learn/ understand?

4.

Did you notice the BG score, what you thought?

Low

Intermediate

High

______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________

5.

Will you go and see the website?

______________________________________

6.

Will you share it?

______________________________________

7.

Will you like to participate in making you own bay? How?

8.

Will you be curious to see, if this was set-up in any other public place? (Park/ Beach/ Museum)

9.

Post experience

_____________________________________

Can you name a few?

9.

Observations

High

Intermediate

Will you visit Sewri for real?

10. How often you take holidays? Would you like to experience this in your holiday/ break? Or find it intrsting if come across?

______________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

Final recommendations

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Users interacting and explaining their understanding of the interfaces.

7.

8.

Evaluation concluded with the post experience dialogue. Users rated the experience as medium to high curiosity or interest level. But due to the low fidelity prototype, accurate extent of sustained curiosity could not be measured.

There were particular comments during the experience that in such an environment the first and obvious attraction are not the panels or the table top but the video on the screen.

It was felt in general that there needed to be more clearer instructions or directions for users to interact with.

Also, the on-screen content was too crowded and distracting with too many areas to focus upon.

It was specially felt that this intervention must be placed on site rather than a promotional offsite installation for better understanding.

It was agreed that there was some knowledge about Sewri bay but not too detailed since the interaction would have determined that.

It was also agreed that this intervention might interest a mixed group of people.

There was mixed reaction about its repeat experience.

9. There was also attention paid to the background sound effects, it was agreed that it added to the curiosity and ability to make connections with the on-screen content.

With many such insightful reactions this led to the area of suggesting feasible recommendations to the design ahead. Design needed further diversified feedback in order to get a wider range of reactions and suggestions and possible directions. It needed a more accurate interaction to better evaluate the responses. There must be clear instructions or guidelines to audiences. There must be lesser ambiguity in communicating direct ideas since too much thinking will make the audience leave.

The design must be simplified to do away with not so relevant information such as the website information etc. There must also be better clarity in the onscreen video in terms of hierarchy directing the user to see something beyond the central eco ring. With these I conclude the final design project in trying to redefine what a diorama could be for coming times in the Indian context.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

6

Conclusion Recapitulating

Concluding

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Recapitulating

This section aims to condense insights acquired in specific areas over the course of the project.

1. Design process: In retrospect, it seems appropriate to analyze the project’s design process based on recently referenced ‘Notes on the synthesis of form’,

a book by architect Christopher Alexander.

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The book addresses today’s designer’s cognitive incapacity of to solve complex design problems. He points out how designers’ incapability to fully

grasp complexities in a context, topped by self-conscious individuality results in grossly skewed, abstract and concept biased solutions that do not fit the context and add to more complexities. Upon reflection it was felt why this project faced failures during the design process that cost time, creative solutions and their successful testing.

Context C1

Form F1

Context C1 C2

Form Context C1 F1 F2

Form F1 Actual world

C2

F2 Mental picture

C3

F3 Formal picture of mental picture

Unself-conscious Self-conscious Fig34: Christopher Alexander, Design process-The Program, Notes on the synthesis of form, P(76)

The book illustrates three types of form-context design approaches. It was intuitively felt how these theories could summarize the design process of this project most appropriately.

Approach of innovation from reference studies for knowledge base, initial concepts and hypothetical iterations, to finally basing the hypothesis on real facts led to a goal oriented result. Constraints that eventually emerged gave the design process real and better focus.

The first method was a direct contextform design based on trial and error also called by the author as an unself-conscious method, which was not realized until ideation phase 2 and better in phase 3.

The second type was based on a mental picture of a context and a form as seen in ideation phase 1.

The third method was creation of an external image of the mental picture of the context and form which could later be tested against the real context-form relationship. This was followed in phase 2 and more in 3.

form from it’s context.

Hence, it can be seen why phase 3 yielded While conceptual thinking more grounded concepts. Ideation phase 1 makes the complex simple, was concept-based and less context-informed contextual thinking leads to causing the project to go astray. On the other solutions that directly tackle real hand, phase 2 and 3 were better informed complexities rather than mental by revisiting the context and grasping as constructs. Here it can be proposed much as possible to reframe the design that the way ahead would be programme. Physical manifestation of a ‘con-cep-textual’ approach. ideas followed by rational critique Where the context is understood helped fine tune the design for its in terms of broken down concepts misfits. The project helped re-learn an unlearned concept– and solutions are created not the importance of deriving from concepts but the context.

Chapter 6: Conclusion| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

2. Communication design:

3. Craft and technology: Information, especially if its of interpretive nature needs a vehicle, that is, the narrative.

Unfortunately, the project’s Eureka moment was delayed owing to lack of A narrative helps connect information clarity in communication goals and content to it’s audience. Information gets organization. Just acknowledging that Sewri heard or noticed with the power of bay as a subject was complex did no good, story telling. This human construct nor did classifying the bay into information has been a timeless way of getting pieces and fact files. Design could only begin when a clear programmatic goal was set. The one enchanted into unknown programme was reviewed in ideation phase 2, worlds. John Lewell in his book clues were searched from within the context. What Multivision explains an audiovisual is the story of the place? Who tells the story? Fire in scriptwriter’s talent that stands true the belly to share knowledge only comes when there for any storyteller and especially for is a story to communicate. With just information to the project’s content. As much as package, there is a lack of spirit or enthusiasm and the story is important, so is its would only lead to ‘OK’, ‘So what?’ or ‘What next?’ structure and the target audience.

“

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This project, was complex where many

Tension, anticipation, conflicting ideologies came together to create surprise, reward, a unified solution. While designing the revelation– form of the diorama involved logic and science. The story or communication these abstractions relied on abstract concepts or metaphors are vital parts of that aided the story construction. Research the scriptwriter’s craft. and data collection helped in formulating the details of the story. The story was driving the entire communication show.

The design of a diorama was intended to offer opportunities to explore crafts related to model making. However, it was found that craft in communication design takes a back seat until the desired message has been established. Craft is seen also an essential part of execution which unfortunately due to linearity of the design process always follows planning. However, craft when infused in the design process can contribute to clear manifestation and refinement of the form.

Technology is now a pervasive and essential part of the world and even in design. Often experiences are designed with technology as a resource, sometimes more as a gimmick or a WOW factor. Unlimited scope of technology offered in today’s world can help achieve any previously unimaginable vision but is it required? What is the scale of operation? Will that ensure desired results? At what cost?

These questions will keep the design grounded.

Its not always important to be ground-breaking especially if it’s not entertainment but learning that is in question. Craft and technology both go hand in hand in the design process and their relevance must be decided judiciously. This knowledge comes from understanding contextual needs.

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Concluding So is there a 21st century diorama ?

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May be! The project has been able to conclude that there is no ‘a’ definition, there

is in fact an idea called ‘innovation’.

The diorama was born in the spirit of invention and in the 21st century too, this must continue so that scenes and stories are shown to engage, immerse and inspire a fast paced society to slow down and wonder. The need to fit in with today’s audience’s expectations will guide what a diorama must be.

Hence, the project’s investigation ends with an idea that a diorama could be reinvented in many ways irrespective of constraints of skill or technology. It could be a multi-sensory experience as the proposal or any other solution whose design whose scale, treatment, technology, grandiosity all are scalable subject to the need of an overall interpretive strategy. As an interpretive aid a story, narrative or guide could make the diorama intriguing and an agent of inquiry. Also physical access to an artefact is a human necessity to build memories and may be regarded as an attribute in future solutions.

Having said this, it is important also to establish that there can be no rules in an act of innovation.

The project brought me closer to nature, boosted my innate love for its wonder from the least expected heart of busy Mumbai city.

Sharing my findings through interpretation in an experimental format compounded the enthusiasm towards the end.

More refined designs could have been demonstrated if not for the detour of initial ideation phase. A learning in itself was how to salvage a process gone wild and bringing it back to face real goals of the project.

The other learning being, a diorama must

Fig35: Ecology symbol created by

be seen as a means to communicate Ronn Cobb, U.S.A, 1969 and not an end in itself, laden with a range of experiences that Concluding on a humanistic note, today’s technology may allow. one can say that no amount of well A diorama which is only an artefact designed experiences can substitute made visually accurate but a replica the lasting impression of a real first of reality makes for great exhibition hand experience. Any communication aid of skill and talent. But, it must be remembered that the diorama also

holds a utilitarian purpose of communicating not what can be seen in real but that which the eye misses.

Bringing out the lesser known reality can enrich one’s experience by making it memorable.

is limited to creating awareness, informing and appealing it’s audience to take notice by simulating or accentuating the real. But without the audiences’ self realization, open mind and active will to appreciate nature, a message would only remain sensorial.

Interpreters of nature and heritage however, are positive and believe that a repeated message will bring a slow yet sure way to change.

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... way ahead indeed!

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List of figures| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

List of figures Figure 1a: http://upadowna.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/John-Muir-lg1.jpg Figure 1b: http://interpnet.com/naiblog/tag/interpreters/ Figure 1c: http://www.ambrosebierce.org/journal3skaptason.html Figure 2a-e: Author, Nehru science centre, Sewri Figure 3a,e,f: Author Figure 3b: http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=892 Figure 3c: http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=576 Figure 3d: http://www.indianetzone.com/30/kathputli_indian_string_puppetry.htm Figure 3g: http://mathtourist.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html Figure 4a: http://www.dailyhtcblog.com/2010/11/augmented-reality-apps-for-android/ Figure 4b:http://5magazine.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/the-augmented-reality/ Figure 5a,b: http://www.midley.co.uk/diorama/Diorama_Patent_2.htm Figure 6a: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amnh/4332796022/ Figure 6b: http://www.nasm.si.edu/imageDetail.cfm?imageID=1494 Figure 6c: Author Figure 6d: http://jacindarussellart.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html Figure 7a, c, e: Author Figure 7b: http://www.nehru-centre.org/doi.html Figure 7d: http://bdlmuseum.org/ Figure 8a,b: Author Figure 9a-c: Author Figure 10a-d: Author Figure 11a-c: Dr. Mahajan, Maya, The Mangroves, SPGMEC, SPG Foundation, 2010 Figure 12a: http://ahponline.org/abraham-maslow/ Figure 12b: http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs Figure 13a: http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lancheritage/lib/ lancheritage/pubs/file_3,_interpretation_manual.pdf Figure 13b: www.interpretationaustralia.asn.au/.../98cartersense-of-placeinterpretive-planning-handbook Figure 13c: www.interp.de/dokumente/topas_course_manual.pdf Figure 14a: http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/15/ suppl_1/i25.abstract Figure 14b: njaes.rutgers.edu/learnbydoing/ExperLrngInservice2002.ppt Figure 15: http://www.bry94.fr/bry/2308.htm Figure 16:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_vanderlyn,_panoramic_ view_of_the_palace_and_gardens_of_versailles,_1818-1819,_02.JPG Figure 17-21: http://www.archive.org/details/ MakingTheMarshBirdsOfTheUpperNileDiorama Figure 22b: http://www.reinatakahashi.com/diorama3.html Figure 22c: http://www.flickr.com/photos/georginaroseshire/5507799866/

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Figure 22d: http://theartofchildrenspicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/dioramas.html Figure 22e: http://blass.com.au/definitions/capstan Figure 22f: http://theartofchildrenspicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/dioramas.html Figure 23a-c: http://www.carriewild.com/blog/2011/02/tatebanko/ Figure 24a: http://www.printsngs.com/natgeo/gallery/51710/photo/287636/?o=9 Figure 24b: http://www.cosi.org/traveling-exhibits/lost-egypt/ Figure 24c-d: Konikow, Robert B., Exhibit design - The graphics of tradeshow communication, PBC International Inc., New York , 1984, ISBN-10: 9780866360012 Figure 25a-c: http://public-intervention.blogspot.com/ Figure 25d: http://www.localecology.org/images/wursterhall_installation.jpg Figure 25e: http://www.likeyou.com/files/fullimages/ZODERER_Installation_A.jpg Figure 26a: http://themuseumofthefuture.com/tag/augmented-reality/ Figure 26b: Joshi, Anuja, Around the World with Haba:Learning Different Cultures through Music and Movement, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, USA, 2009 Figure 26c: http://www.ict.csiro.au/page.php?did=26 Figure 26d: http://www.antycipsimulation.com/solutions/virtual-reality-solutions Figure 27a: Chatterjee, Ipshita, The observatory, architectural thesis, KRVIA, Mumbai 2007 Figure 27b: http://rnacorp.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/revival-of-mumbai-trans-harbour-link/ Figure 27c-e: Author Figure 27f: http://addithebirde.blogspot.com/2008/05/flamingos-of-mumbai.html Figure 28b-f, i, j: Author Figure 28g: Design cell KRVIA and UDRI, A study of the eastern waterfront of Mumbai, UDRI, Mumbai, India 2004, ISBN-81-901974-01 Figure 28h: http://www.karmayog.org/mumbaidp/ Figure 28k: Chatterjee, Ipshita,op. cit., P 55.

Figure 28l, m: Dr. Mahajan, Maya, The Mangroves, SPGMEC, SPG Foundation, 2010 Figure 28n: http://mybioscope.blogspot.com/2010/03/bird-watching-over-last-few-months_1004.html Figure 28o: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46156754@N08/page9/ Figure 28p: http://me-damitr.blogspot.

Figure 29: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/-geburtstag-von- marshall-mcluhan-der-medienprophet-1.1057782 Figure 30: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MediaTetrad.svg Figure 31: http://pathubert.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Skills Figure 32a: http://www.designinindia.net/design-thoughts/writings/professionals/india-unique-professionals-1.html Figure 32b: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rhumsiki_crab_sorceror.jpg Figure 32c: http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/india-fortune-teller-2009-6-11-10-20-56.jpg Figure 32d: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTfIFlmTGU0/TYWNJTcYOTI/_k/WeA237zNa40/s1600/DSCN0341.JPG Figure 32e: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1112208/Could-happiness-really-written-stars.html Figure 33: http://www.thevisualdiary.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pecha-kucha-night.jpg Figure 34: Alexander, Christopher, Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard college, USA, 1979, P 76 Figure 35: http://motorcycleart.blogspot.com/2009/04/earth-day-ecology-and-ron-cobbart-hero.html

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Bibliography| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

Bibliography Books Ambrose, Timothy and Paine, Crispin, Museum basics, Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, New York, 2006, ISBN 10: 0-415-36634-8 (pbk) Alexander, Christopher, Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard college, USA, 1979, ISBN: 0-674-625750-4 Balaram, S., Thinking design, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India, 1998, ISBN: 81-86199-33-0 Barfield, Lon, Design for new media-interaction design for the multimedia and the web, Pearson Education Limited, England, 2004 ISBN-13:978-0201-59609-0

Dr. Mahajan, Maya, The Mangroves, SPGMEC, SPG Foundation, 2010 Norman, A. Donald, Emotional design-why we love (or hate) everyday things, Basic books, New York, 2004, ISBN-10: 0-465-05136-7 Sowrirajan, T.V., Are there flamingos in Sewri?, Daniel, J.C., Hornbill editorial, BNHS, Mumbai, 1993, 1SSN- 0441-2370 Veltman, Kim, Understanding new media-augmented knowledge and culture, University of Calgery Press, Canada, 2006, ISBN-10: 1552381544

Unpublished documents

Design cell KRVIA and UDRI, A study of the eastern waterfront of Mumbai, UDRI, Mumbai, India 2004, ISBN-81-901974-01

Bhargava, Shruti, et al., Heavy Metal quantification in sediments at Sewri mudflats, CESE, IIT Bombay, 2010

Ghosh, AK, et al., Environmental awareness and wildlife conservation, Zoological Survey of India, Calutta, 1989

Chatterjee, Ipshita, The observatory, architectural thesis, KRVIA, Mumbai 2007

Joshi, Anuja, Around the World with Haba:Learning Different Cultures through Music and Movement, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, USA, 2009

Field work and analyses from Sewri mud flats, Mumbai, CESE, IIT Bombay Khadpe, Sheetal, Landscape development for mangrove information park, Dr. B.N. College of architecture, University of Pune, May 2010, Pune.

Konikow, Robert B., Exhibit design - The graphics of tradeshow communication, PBC International Inc., New York , 1984, ISBN-10: 9780866360012

Kudkar, Pravin, Proposed Transport interchange hub at Sewri, architectural thesis, KRVIA, Mumbai 2006

L. Casey Larijani; Herschel Stroyman, Virtual Reality Primer, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1994, ISBN-0-07-036416-821

Virkar, Preeti, Impact of interpretation centre on mangrove conservation, Department of Environmental sciences, University of Pune, 2009

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Web pages/ Online Papers/ Articles http://www.heritagedestination.com/default.aspx, 04.01.2011, xx:xx xm. http://interpret-europe.net/, 10.01.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics, 21.01.2011, xx:xx xm. http://creativity-online.com/news/behind-the-scenes-of-esquires-arissue/140552, 19.02.2011, xx:xx xm. http://users.ices.utexas.edu/~natacha/CATTt/theory.html, xx.xx.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.midley.co.uk/diorama/Diorama_Wood_1_3.htm, xx.xx.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.midley.co.uk/diorama/Diorama_Wood_1_1.htm, 20.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day, 22.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://natgeotv.com/uk/livecurious/, 22.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.hypertag.com/museum-guide-solutions.html, 22.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.pi-werk.de/projects/interactive/urmel.html, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://museumaudioplayer.com/index_CFSound.asp, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.archimuse.com/mw2004/papers/wilson/wilson.html, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.hypertag.com/wearable.html, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.mogensjacobsen.dk/art/hoerbar, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://roteno.com/?q=node/78, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.instructables.com/id/RFID-Reader-Detector-and-Tilt-SensitiveRFID-Tag/#step1, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://rfid.net/best-practices/43-best-practices/118-how-to-build-and-rfidreader, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2003/12/11/museum-visitors-heartour-via-bluetooth-39118481, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm.

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1110, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Technology-Article.asp?ArtNum=54, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Technology-Article.asp?ArtNum=47, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/2011/01/05/35557/insideand-kovio-add-nfc-support-to-ultra-low-cost-printed-rfid-tags, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/cloud/developer/resource. aspx?resourceId=t-mobile, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_paper, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_reality, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_Automatic_Virtual_Environment, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.evl.uic.edu/pape/CAVE/oldCAVE/CAVE.html, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www-vrl.umich.edu/intro/, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. https://www.icg.tugraz.at/~daniel/HistoryOfMobileAR/, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://etclab.mie.utoronto.ca/people/paul_dir/IEICE94/ieice.html, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality%E2%80%93virtuality_continuum, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.mobileinc.co.uk/2009/10/cereal-, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm.

Boxes-combined-with-augmented-reality-offers-parents-a-world-of-pain/, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept09/category/research-paper/, 25.04.2011, xx:xx xm.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmorama, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://musee16.blogspot.com/2010/07/diorama-background-painter.html, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/the-new-moscow-1938/ Content?oid=1139374, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.7inch.org.uk/news/page/3/, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://theartofchildrenspicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/dioramas.html, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.instructables.com/id/Semi-Conducting-A-Guide/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.instructables.com/id/Legend-of-Zelda-Treasure-chest-withsound/step6/Adding-electronics-and-lining-the-inside/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.instructables.com/id/AVRArduino-RFID-Reader-with-UARTCode-in-C/step4/Code-and-Farewell/#, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.instructables.com/id/Weather-proof-Bluetooth-capable-RFIDreader/step2/Configure-the-BlueSmirf-module-via-USB/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://forum.sparkfun.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=20855&start=0, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://marcboon.com/audioplayer/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://multipletagreader.595930.free-press-release.com/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://makerjam.com/forum/mp3-trigger/serial-communication-witharduino/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/7345, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090237223, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/8195, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.rfidjournalevents.com/map.php, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://chrisrbecker.com/thesisblog/tag/rfid/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://chrisrbecker.com/thesisblog/refuting-the-screen/, 30.04.2011, xx:xx

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDEQFjAD &url=http%3A%2F%2Fciteseerx.ist.psu.edu%2Fviewdoc%2Fdownload%3 Bjsessionid%3D24667CF7EFD8CCDCBE5D377DF2482831%3Fdoi%3D 10.1.1.21.7459%26rep%3Drep1%26type%3Dpdf&rct=j&q=How%20to%20 create%20projector%20augmented%20model&ei=ShOzTduRNcPSrQf9xbx9sjhoR30iiSz8UoHO1iVA&sig2=D5oXhO6cZDptFAESALF6Ig&cad=rja, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBcQFjAA&u rl=http%3A%2F%2Fciteseerx.ist.psu.edu%2Fviewdoc%2Fdownload%3Fdoi %3D10.1.1.92.4900%26rep%3Drep1%26type%3Dpdf&rct=j&q=virtual%20 illumination&ei=3QuzTZ-uJoaJrAfA89HIDQ&usg=AFQjCNEsrobXQJCC4z 8I3aapzFuVqXow7Q&sig2=x2din1YVcirf1dEpvFw0mw&cad=rja, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_augmented_model, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.inetgiant.ie/addetails/new-mini-projector-12v-satellite-receiverfreesat-fta/2506211, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4637334, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1509163, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://140.78.90.140/medien/ar//Pub/Osaka07.pdf, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://vvvv.org/documentation/how-to-project-on-3d-geometry, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://johnnylee.net/projects/thesis/, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.ozchi.org/proceedings/2004/pdfs/ozchi2004-137.pdf, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://e-pub.uni-weimar.de/volltexte/2006/773/pdf/Projector-Based_ Augmentation.pdf, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~jventura/papers/gruber_warm10.pdf, 24.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.electronicsforu.com/electronicsforu/lab/ad.asp?url=/EFYLinux/ circuit/January2007/CI-01_Jan07.pdf&title=IR%20Music%20Transmitter%20 and%20Receiver, 30.04.2011, xx:xx xm.

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Bibliography| Diorama: An aid to interpretive communication

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Documentaries/ Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGwHQwgBzSI&feature=related, 19.02.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK59Beq0Sew, 28.03.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.pi-werk.de/projects/interactive/urmel_lebt_web.mov, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaQHDxOxVhs, 23.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2011/index.php?option=com_content &view=article&id=6&Itemid=3 video, 26.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2011/index.php?option=com_content &view=article&id=2&Itemid=5 video2, 26.04.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJhiaFGt2M, 29.04.2011, xx:xx xm.

Dan Dennett on dangerous memes, on TED.com, http://blog.ted. com/2007/07/03/dan_dennett_on_2, 02.05.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heQJU6cdUTA, 04.05.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9ZbxxKJ0cw&feature=related, 04.05.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jug3iYAuJes&feature=related, 04.05.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.archive.org/details/ MakingTheMarshBirdsOfTheUpperNileDiorama, 04.05.2011, xx:xx xm. , 05.05.2011, xx:xx xm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLqjQ55tz-U David mccandles, 05.05.2011, xx:xx xm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-dPxGLesE4&feature=relmfu Nicholas Christakis: How social networks predict epidemics, 05.05.2011, xx:xx xm.

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BBC Horizon 2010 Is Seeing Believing

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