Urban Interactions Droplets is a new way to share and interact with people. The idea is that you can essentially attach digital content to a real space, the only way it can be accessed is on a smart phone or other such device and you have to be within 10 metres. So what does this mean? Well say for instance you are walking down the street and remember that the corner you just passed is where you fell off your bike when younger, you can add a Droplet on there with your memory, for everyone to share. It becomes in a sense part of the collective memory. Droplets lets you attach, sound, image and text, with no real restrictions on how or what you put up there. The other important rule is that no one owns droplets they are part of digital commons.
Why? How? What? So what can you do with this, well the whole point is that you can do what you want with it. But the aim I had for it is that of an experience maker, or a situation maker in the situationist sense of the word. Having an experience that is enlightening in some way. So in a sense this tool is a modern day psychogeographic tool.
Example 1 — So you have an idea for a puzzle game, then you leave clues scattered around for people to solve. Example 2 — You use it as a story telling tool and record snippets of audio and place them in the city for others to enjoy. Example 3 — You have a specific site where you want people to walk to, to experience your artwork. That could be the work itself or something more concrete.
The beauty is in how its used by you...
Interface Walkthrough The next few pages are a walkthrough to the interface. >>>
Home Screen When you start up there are three options, Create Droplet, Find Droplets or Settings.
Create Droplet So first off, you want to create your own Droplet. There are several options, all of them fairly straight forward.
Title Typing in a new title...
Note Adding a new note to the Droplet...
Add / Take Photo This screen lets you add an existing photo from your library or take a new one.
Crop / Scale and Move Photo You can then edit the picture, if you only wish to use part of the image.
Locate Tap the locate button if your current location is not shown below in the grey text.
Add Droplet After you have added all the content you want to use, Press the Add Droplet button and it will upload to the server for others to find and enjoy.
Find Droplets When you tap the Find Droplets button you are not taken to a normal map screen showing you the location, instead you get auditory feedback much like radar / sonar / metal detector. This promotes a certain playfulness and means every person gets a very unique experience, following their own pathway.
Thank You Thanks for checking out this presentation, if you feel compelled then head over to the app store and download, then go out and add some Droplets to the world....