Self-intimacy

 

A design research

 

problem space: lack of (self) intimacy = societal dysfunction

INTIMACY

vs INCREASE OF ALIENATION AND DETACHMENT in society consequences & barriers > the weight of stream of thoughts vs emotions / values / desires > lack of sensuous volume in life quality > unhappiness, depression, low self esteem, self destruction, no self respect > difficult to attain > need of sensing the invisible / immaterial

‘the wrong example of using interactive technology’

Photo: Anti-Loneliness Ramen Bowl




KEY: EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS ?!

I wish to reconfigure the condition for the self and its awareness via the study of self intimacy experiences.

 

The research route / process highlights

  Theory application Theory Building Data collection Design experiments

Start

Outcome: Material / Immaterial

Research question 1 Research question 2 Design question / challenge Research program

!

Research question 1:

How can I define self intimacy as an experience?

Research question 2:

How can I capture self intimacy, an immaterial phenomenon?

 

Design question / challenge:

How can I materialize (prototype) self intimacy experiences?

!

Step1: Research question 1

> 2D, tools for materialization

Step2: Research question 2 Step3: Design question

> 3D, materialization

Sketch: Barnabas Wetton

 

Research program:

the domain of sonic architectures (the way of looking at human experiences of sound and space) & transparent and translucent physical materials to be studied with the methods of an interaction designer

transparency / translucency in the material

sonic architectures sound as medium

interaction design

perceptible self intimacy

. 

theory / core concepts Phenomenological study of the intimacy of the mental inner space = The way of looking at human experience of sound and space

sonic architectures

Keywords: dreaming, daydreaming, imagination

experience of intimate spaces

INTIMACY EXPERIENCES

Personal atmospheres can be created by sounds, which in this context become stirring emotional powers.

sound atmospheres

immersion

An immersive experience requires entering for participation.




Data collection

 

/ fiction literature on body

โ ฉ

/ visualization of a poem Agรกta Gordon: Transz-spirรกl

KEYWORDS:

second skin, membrane, sensuous fill / sensuous field around the body, x-ray, transparency

 

towards aesthetics

 

presence / aura ~ [sweet spot]

tonality (sadness, joy etc)

/ acoustics, sound atmospheres

/ the experience of intimate spaces

> inspiration for a monochrome scale, dark > light > transparent

‘what is left for intimacy experience is employing imagination’

attachment vs de-attachment: how much space around one’s body provides the experience of intimacy?

designing (design) experiments, demo1: Personal Narratives

> towards narratives

> visualizing the experience

merged ideation

transparency + body

 

embracing the body

!

Experiment 1 - 3

!

X1-X3: Tools for materialization, 2D

X1: Personal narratives, activating self intimacy experiences in forms of personal narratives

Xn X3

X2: Imagining universes, a form of registering and capturing self intimacy experiences

X3: Library of registered self-intimacy experiences

Xn: Materialization, 3D

X2 X1

!

Experiment 1: Personal narratives

!

!

Experiment 2: Universes !

 

Diagrams * corresponding to the 5 narratives * considering an intro, the internal experience, an outro and the outcome of the situation

 

change of emotions, meanings, functions (significance) & sensorial and cognitive triggers

visualizing the internal experience

time

: self

: imagined universes that the self experiences

: sensuous fill

: sensuous field / awareness borders

The moment that you don’t expect – you just find yourself in it.

All of a sudden.

Experiment 3: Library of registered self intimacy experience bits !

LOOKING AT DIMENSIONS * OF EXPERIENCE:

• Domain: Private / Public • Interaction (1): Alone / Relation / Machine • Interaction (2): Passive / Active / Interactive • Intimacy type(s): Emotional / Intellectual / Sexual / Experiential • Sensorial triggers: registration according to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) • Sound types: Music / Voice / Sound / Noise (acoustic, communicative, subjective) / ‘Silence’ • Cognitive triggers: Concepts /Associations / Symbols / Metaphors • Significance: Meanings / Emotions / Functions • Time / duration: Immersion / Initiation / Continuation / Conclusion • Physical, spatial conditions according to reality • Spatial conditions according to cognition: how I actually perceive being in the space and being, the spatial interaction etc.

• Additional notes regarding the following question: How does the situation relate to SOUND / SPACE / BODY?

* Here I applied and implemented Nathan Shedroff’s definitions of experience, and I EXPANDED the 6 dimensions of experiences defined by him – in order to customize my method for the material of my study.

DOMAIN!

INTERACTION!

INTERACTION!

Private / Public

Alone /!

Relation / Machine

Passive / !

Active / Interactive

!

!

!

INTIMACY TYPE (dominant)!

!

TRIGGERS! / SENSORIAL!

Sound types

TRIGGERS! / COGNITIVE

SIGNIFICANCE!

Emotional / Intellectual / Sexual / Experiential Sight / Sound / Smell / Touch / Taste

Music / Voice / Sound / Noise (acoustic, communicative, subjective) / ‘Silence’

Concepts /Associations / Symbols / Metaphors

Meanings / Emotions / Functions ?

NARRATIVE 1

private (home)

alone

interactive (‘play along’) > passive (immersive) > active (taking control)

emotional + experiential

• silence: negative affect!

• sight: remembered images, situations!

• sound from movie: comfort, pleasure, focus!

• closed eyes: inner pictures!

• remembered situation of watching movie (sight + sound)!

silence > dark, deep, melancholic, uplifting, immersive guitar drones (noise)

• theme of love, dancing (happy), playing music!

• memories from holiday (happy, free, warm, comfort), atmospheres from movie (‘bittersweet’)!

• ‘as if’ universes

• overcoming stress and anxiety!

• gaining focus, comfort, uplifting, piece of mind !

• ‘embracing me’!

• time machine = drone machine!

• liberation time (a special moment)

NARRATIVE 2

public

relation

interactive

experiential

• sight: directing to eyes (making time freeze, maintaining excitement)!

• redirecting sight: stepping out of situation!

• sound: conversation!

• silence: while being in the moment!

background noise > silence > conversation, voices > background noise

• invitation: look into eyes (made time and air freeze)!

• dangerous, exciting game!

• the unknown = exciting, inviting

• from hope > feeling of invitation > excitement of the unknown, dangerous game!

• comfort, maintaining excitement!

• ‘just enough’ for now feeling!

• outcome: satisfaction

NARRATIVE 3

public

relation

interactive, interplay

intellectual + experiential

situation-based (bar)

conversation, voices! background noise

• cozy bar, accompanied by • being absorbed, immersed! a loved one (initiator), trust! • liberation, satisfaction, selfconfidence (‘superhuman’ • goal: find clarity for life decisions and work! ‘superwoman’), also as a woman being intellectually understood • alcohol (initiator)

NARRATIVE 4

private (garden) (others can be nearby)

alone

passive

experiential + intellectual + emotional

• sound: only silence is remembered

talk (‘inner talk’)

• mystical place, daydreaming, speculation!

• everyday things, personal needs, desires + associations from good experiences from life!

• landscape of far away thoughts, false truths, hidden universes

NARRATIVE 5

private

alone

interactive, interplay

intellectual + experiential

• • • •

inner voice’

• a need, importance (‘save • significance of meanings the world’)! (formulations in text) and the affect pressure, time pressure, of the written!

• ambition!

• expression, tool of free imagination, discussion, • free will, anger, excitement! exploration (function)!

• wine, comforting > relaxation • emotional and intellectual fight (meaning)!

• excitement, anxiety > liberation, relief

sight: screen + text! sound: silence is remembered! taste of wine! touch of keyboard

• plum tree = safe place, keeps in company, personal alone time, daydreaming, speculations!

• feeling of belonging, togetherness, importance – only could be possible here in imagination!

• feeling of happiness, safety

!

THE EXPERIMENTS SUMMARIZE THE GAINED KNOWLEDGE ON THE EXPERIENTIAL REGARDING SELF INTIMACY, AND PROVIDE THE TOOLS FOR MATERIALIZATION SUMMARY OF

2D DESIGN EXPERIMENTS:

• PERSONAL NARRATIVES ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GREAT AMOUNT OF MATERIAL FOR EXPERIENCE STUDY, including the study of self intimacy experiences • the method of VISUALIZING THE EXPERIENCE is a simple and useful tool that aids the understanding of what is behind these experiences • considering AN INTRO, THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, AN OUTRO AND THE OUTCOME of the eventual affects when working with experience and experience design is not only a useful tool, but it ENABLES THE DESIGNER TO BETTER CONNECT THEORY AND PRAXIS • examining both THE INTERNAL AND THE EXTERNAL EXPERIENCE of the given situation is important of the same reason • my experimental study of self intimacy experiences resulted in EXPANDING ALREADY EXISTING THEORY OF EXPERIENCE DESIGN • it is POSSIBLE TO STUDY INTIMACY EXPERIENCES (AND EXPERIENCES IN GENERAL) IN THE DOMAIN OF THE LAB

! >> helpful in order to understand self intimacy as an experience AND activating these type of experiences in the materialization (3D)

! !

BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE MATERIAL WORLD, AND ACTUALLY WANTING TO DESIGN EXPERIENCES, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE IS ABOUT.

SELF INTIMACY AS CONCEPT VS. EXPERIENCE, FINDINGS

study of concept >< findings

!

Concept: emotional self awareness as key to attaining self intimacy >< stream of thoughts, values and desires as secondary

!

But findings show: INTELLECT:

situations where the intellect plays an important role often function as TRIGGERS – just as strong as other types of intimacy EXPERIENTIAL INTIMACY, builds upon an activity and the feeling that emerges from non-verbal involvement > DIFFICULT TO NOTICE > THEREFORE IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCE, WHICH CANNOT BE OBSERVED

I FOUND THAT

BY CREATING THE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF ANOTHER PERSON’S INTERNAL EXPERIENCE, ONE HAS A CHANCE OF SELF INTIMATE EXPERIENCES.

via empathizing, navigating and sharing internal experiences

!

Theory meets praxis / materialization process

â&#x20AC;Š Ideation towards material output 2D > 3D + material + IxD

> prototyping / materializing self intimacy material expressions application transformation exploration

sensing wall / whispering wall

â&#x20AC;© KEYWORDS:

encapsulated, inner voice, illusion, deception, fears, hopes and dreams

!

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERACTION:

sound transducers, proximity sensing

sweet spot (acoustics),

KEYWORDS:

mirroring, ‘second me’, attachment and de-attachment, narratives, revealing oneself, memories of our lived spaces, emotional cleansing, creating awareness

‘People are aware that it only is illusion, but it still effects them.’

– Janet Cardiff

!

Material and technological explorations

MONOCHROME SCALE

& TRANSPARENCY

EXPLORING TRANSPARENT SILICONE AS BASE MATERIAL

!

COMBINING INK AND SILICONE ON THE SAME SURFACE

SCREEN PRINTING TESTS WITH CONDUCTIVE INK,

for creating sensors

!

TESTS WITH SOUND TRANSDUCERS

*

ON TRANSPARENT PLEXIGLAS

* sound transducer = a surface attached to a transducer transforms into a sound transmitter (speaker)

looking for: optimal sound qualities and quantities ‘seamless’ implementation

â&#x20AC;Š

Format / final presentation

â&#x20AC;Š

= a new form of embodiment

FORMAT 1:1 interactive sound installation

= physical / communicational / social material disturbing existing patterns of behaviour and change

â&#x20AC;©

INSTALLATION OVERVIEW

KEYWORDS embodiment transparency encapsulated / bubbled in aura / personal atmosphere external vs internal experience deception ‘second me’ revealing oneself non-linear narratives

â&#x20AC;©

FLOW DIAGRAM OF EXPERIENCE DESIGN

â&#x20AC;Š

1. visual interpretation of the created universe

2. visual interpretation of the created universe

sound atmospheres infiltrating the space

â&#x20AC;©

PLANNING INTERACTION FOR BODY, SOUND AND SPACE

â&#x20AC;©

DESIGN OF INTERACTIVE SYSTEM

[PROGRAMMING]

REFLECT(IONS) VS NAKED

‘Have you ever been naked in front of others…?’

If yes, you might know how it feels to fully reveal yourself.

ENTITLING THE CONSTRUCTED UNIVERSE