KAMG
KEEPING ALL MATERIALS GREEN
An installment by KAMG
ABOUT |REVEREND BILLY|
Activist Bill Talen, better known as Reverend Billy, projects his environmentalist, anti-consumerist rhetoric using disruptive and semi-facetious street performances, supported by his Church of Stop Shopping. The organization mimics the operational model of genuine religious groups, adapting an ecclesiastical theme in costume and delivery. But what is a Reverend Billy sermon like from an audience’s perspective? As a firm, we want the user to experience an immersion of being in the natural world in the exhibit. Reverend Billy is a bold activist. He strives for an intense impact in bursts. The goal is to make the user feel a rush of anger or guilt about their green ways or lack thereof. His structure and aesthetic are unique because he uses explicit Catholic imagery for recognizable effect. The Church representation gives off the desired experience because it provides an explicit and recognizable structure for the choir to follow. Reverend Billy represents what mass would be like if Church was not introspective by using exclamations of misdoings in the form of a protest. Our firm designs the structure of each client’s work to tailor their own iconic imagery. Reverend Billy has established himself as a social activist through his work with the Church of Stop Shopping. However, we want to take his work to the next level with his earth justice project called “Earthaljuahville.” The Church imagery makes his performances identifiable to various groups of people. Additionally, this religious notion allows his work to follow a set structure with him as the Reverend “preaching” to the choir dressed in “traditional” garb. Our firm would try to elicit similar feelings and testaments that Reverend Billy spread with his Exorcism of Monsanto with the Church of Stop Shopping. Here, he goes to the store and exclaims about the misdoings of the company. In order to reduce push back from their group, all the gatherings are thrown together in about ten minutes once at the venue. Reverend Billy respects the Church because he does not make light of the Sacramental aspect of religion. Join us!
CAT FRAMES |Conceptual|
WISCONSIN IDEA The broader conceptual aspects of reCLAIM Cafe hinge upon the Wisconsin Idea, focusing specifically on themes of environmentalism and excess consumerism. The cafe will offer spaces that touch upon ideas of waste, light pollution, food production practices, and climate change. While the cafe seeks to create a new and innovative study space for those on campus, it also seeks to re-orient users in a way that allows them to consciously think about their impact on campus and beyond through the frame of sustainability. By combining the efforts of the reCLAIM Cafe and the Discovery Building with that of various campus and student organizations such as UW’s ReThink Sustainability Initiative and Campus Kitchens, KAMG strives to provide an immersive experience for those visiting the Discovery Building while ultimately serving the needs of our campus community, the Madison community, those in Wisconsin and beyond. Specifically, reCLAIM works under the conceptual idea of taking charge of three distinct areas of one’s Wisconsin Experience. Firstly, KAMG will allow Rennie’s Corners patrons to reCLAIM their space. As the Discovery Building primarily serves researchers, donors, visitors, and students, they neglect to create a welcoming area geared specifically towards students and the larger needs of the UW community. KAMG strives to create an inclusive and supportive environment for folks to study, eat, and interact with peers, while also exploring themes fitting within the Discovery Building’s model of “Engage, Explore, Discover.”
CAT FRAMES |Conceptual|
Secondly, KAMG will offer an environment in which people can reCLAIM their relaxation. Self-care is vital to student’s well-being, especially as they face pressures, challenges, and demands that come with being a UW student. reCLAIM will give people the opportunity to work and converse in an environment that enhances their comfort and well-being. By offering a space that is unlike that of the many libraries on campus, reCLAIM will bring a unique experience to those looking to shy away from the usual restrictions that traditional study and leisurely spaces might offer. Finally, KAMG situates the conceptual model of reCLAIM within the larger scope of the world. By incorporating environmental themes and frameworks into an immersive and disruptive user experience, folks are able to expand their knowledge on pressing topics regarding sustainability by engaging with our installations, perhaps converse with fellow patrons in the space, and potentially work together as individuals to turn this knowledge into action that will benefit sustainability efforts on campus and beyond. Overall, by reclaiming personal space, well-being, and our world, reCLAIM hinges upon a conceptual model that will allow people to gain new insights and knowledge regarding sustainability and environmentalism. Students and community members are then able to transform this knowledge into new ideas and actions, in efforts to create a sustainable change across the state and beyond, ultimately fulfilling the goals set forth by the Wisconsin Idea.
CAT FRAMES |Aesthetic|
The study area takes on a calming yet disruptive feel, just like that of Reverend Billy’s user experience, from whom this installation was inspired. With features such as overgrown trees and plants, users feel a sense of calm as they are enveloped by natural greenery and soft lighting, with the installation of fiber optic lights. Because these lights offer a soft glow, they result in a non intrusive feel. However, the lights will also function as a display that visualizes the amount of light pollution in Madison, and its effects on the environment. This will allow the user’s experience to be disrupted by making them think about the effects of energy usage, and excess light in large cities. Additionally, the main cafe area will create a heightened sense of urgency. The look of the space will revolve around a muted color palette; however, the feel of the cafe will clash with this. Users will have to pay for their coffee in trash, seeing the effects of their consumption firsthand. Beyond this, the space will feature overgrown plants, highlighting consequences of neglect of the Earth. Overall, much of the imagery in the cafe will visualize real-world consequences and effects of environmental neglect offering a space that is welcoming but ultimately works to reFRAME the user’s mindsets.
CAT FRAMES |Technical|
Elemental Display/Infographics: KAMG is implementing a visual display of objects and artwork drawn from the four elements. By reaching out to organizations such as the UW-Art Department, Arts Enterprise, and the Chazen Museum, reCLAIM hopes to foster community engagement through a rotating display of local artwork. This will give local creatives and students the opportunity to showcase their work publicly, while bringing light to relevant environmental concerns. For example, an artist may choose to display visual artwork in the “water” space that offers commentary and context on Flint, MI. Comparatively, work occupying the “Earth” space might contribute to conversations about Monsanto or global warming, or may offer context regarding less obvious issues such as the decline in honeybees and the subsequent effects of this. Additionally, nearby television screens will be utilized in order to display various contextual or supporting information and media for the elemental displays, rotating as KAMG and the Discovery Building sees fit. For example, reCLAIM might showcase infographics with supporting data visualizations regarding the issues addressed through the community artwork area of reCLAIM. Alternatively, a livestream of the Pacific Garbage patch could be shown so that users can see the real-time effects of waste, a visual that can support the trash chute area of reCLAIM. Ultimately, both of these areas of reCLAIM are designed to be flexible, allowing community members and artists to control a small portion of the user experience, ultimately allowing reCLAIM to truly live up to its name and mission. Compatible App: Compatible App: Through a compatible app for the Discovery Building, users can track their waste habits, energy consumption, and water usage throughout their time in the space, and use accompanying visualizations to examine the overall energy usage within the Discovery Building over the period of the day, month, year, etc. This will allow users to
CAT FRAMES |Technical|
interact with what is going on in the building and to understand the impacts of their actions in the present moment.Building over the period of the day, month, year, etc. This will allow users to interact with what is going on in the building and to understand the impacts of their actions in the present moment. Trash Chute: Through utilizing found and recycled materials, including trash from cafe payments, the installation of a trash tube will serve as a visual reminder to users in the cafe about their waste habits. By using the tube to measure and compare the amount of waste produced in various campus buildings, users will be able to associate a visual while examining the impact of their everyday actions on the campus community. VR Bar: KAMG is utilizing Google Cardboard in order to bring an immersive experience to the patrons of Rennie’s Corner. Google Cardboard enables a virtual reality visual experience through the use of Android phones and downloaded scenery. By using virtual reality technology, users will be able to step inside the view of a post-apocalyptic view of what UW-Madison might look like given a neglect of Earth’s resources. Map Display: Furthermore, through using technology to project a map on the wall, users will be able to engage with a series of interactive maps, in which they can see the effects of various environmental issues. Through incorporating data regarding climate change, light pollution, and food security, users will be able to enjoy a visually appealing space. In conjunction with this, they will also be able to examine the effects of various issues, and receive contextual information on how they might be contributing to these issues. Overall, the map display offers an interesting visual graphic and sheds light on important issues relating to the larger themes of the cafe space and the Discovery Building.
Greenhouse Gases in Wisconsin
Emissions of C02 (metric tons) / sq mile 0 - 68 68 - 176 176 - 458 458 - 1895 1895 - 52941 No Data 0
25
50
100 Miles
Data: Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin DNR
Grace Vriezen
ABOUT |RENNIE’S CORNER|
Rennie’s Corner was developed with STORY in mind, a New York City Retail Store that “reads like a magazine, shows like a gallery, and sells like a retail store.” Rennie’s provides a space for vendors and storytellers to sell products and tell stories in a third space environment. The mission is to celebrate and remember the history of our location, to honor the mission of discovery, to showcase the Wisconsin Idea, and to involve all of UW Madison, our alumni and the community. Unlike other social gathering sites and venues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rennie’s Corner differentiates itself by providing a communal and charismatic backdrop for telling stories, developing ideas, and delighting in good food that resonates with the Wisconsin Idea. Rennie’s Corner is known for its innovation and KAMG plans on continuing this ideal through our eco-conservation message and relaxing study space for students and researchers. To learn more, visit http://www.visit-rennies.com.
DESIGN THINKING
Design thinking allows the user to construct an experience using the needs of their audience while moving nonlinearly through the five steps: empathize, design (and redesign), ideate, prototype, and test. Applying this idea to the Reverend Billy, we notice how his message over time has transformed from the Church of Stop Shopping to a greater emphasis on his Earthaljuahville approach. This is an example of the Reverend redesigning his image and performances to fit the growing follower population. At first, he would switch off between aspects of both while still going through the redesigns and prototypes. However, the Reverend Billy’s social media and call to action newsletters have heavily promoted the Earth Justice movement leading us to believe design thinking has redesigned his main message. Keeping with the Reverend Billy’s Earth Justice movement, we again have decided to heavily display an environmental message in our installation. While the exhibition will predominately display Earthaljuahville messages, consumerism rhetoric supporting the Reverend’s Church of Stop Shopping is present with the sustainable café and piling garbage tube. Considering our target audience drove the planning stage of our interactive museum installation. Our exhibit aims to empathize with the undergraduate students and researchers’ desires to have ample study and relaxation space. We will redesign the space with these groups in mind while also trying to draw in the public through delivering a powerful message. The exhibit involves a garbage wall, which displays the rapid accumulation of trash in our society.
DESIGN THINKING
Our installation begins with an entrance to our main exhibit appearing to be natural, lush greenery. But this is not the case. The green space actually displays plants stunted by the garbage alongside a café space. While walking through the space, the visitors will experience a fully functional coffee distribution system. In order to prevent harmful and exacerbated conditions with the humidity and temperature in the post-consumer installation, the brewing will take place in a back room and then the coffee will be brought out in containers. The visitors will be allowed to take a cup from the sustainable café and show off their RECLAIM coffee cup. The café displays an interactive element by charging trash in return for the coffee while also implementing traditional aspects of a museum with the attendee passively observing the stunted plants and garbage corner of the exhibit. Included with the installation are informational screens and visuals near the entrance following the waste habits, energy consumption, and water usage in the world. A glass wall divides the installation from a study room adjacent to the exhibit. This study room will provide a serene relaxation space for students and researchers alike with ample seating and outlets for studying. In addition to the students and researchers, we must consider the Discovery management as well in our design. This may be a constraint because as stakeholders, the WID employees must allow our installation to be displayed and enjoy it in the process.
USER EXPERIENCE |EXPERIENCE DESIGN|
For our user experience, we want the visitors to see the difference between what could be and what is. reCLAIM is a post-consumer installation and sustainable café informing the public about waste habits. Billy relies on disrupting comfortable, familiar consumer experience with a dramatic, striking twist. This most often takes the form of an oral sermon, remixing a corporate environment by promoting a counterculturalist or environmental rhetoric. The installation lays out a particular impact aiming to draw shock. Resembling Reverend Billy’s abrasive shouting style of performance activism, KAMG follows suit with a striking message through visual comparisons and living organisms. We strive to create an effective visceral impact from our virtual reality simulation, garbage corner, sustainable café with stunted plant display, and informational wall. In addition, purchasing coffee inside the cafe requires the exchange of garbage to receive the cup.
USER EXPERIENCE |INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE|
Billy utilizes an Information Architecture model that relies on grabbing an audience’s attention with his Choir, performing an often flashy or loud sermon routine, then delivering a striking message that goes to the root of the problem he is addressing. Normally, he uses a call and response technique to elicit group participation and strengthen the sermon conceptual model. This technical storytelling is a versatile tool to achieve his mission. As a group active and organized through the internet, the relevance of environmental issues in the daily life of society broadens the abilities of our design firm as we promote. He produces a non-linear performance experience that differs with each individual sermon. Our exhibit starts off rigidly with a single file line followed by a release into the overgrown dump to wander freely for the remainder of their visit with us. There is no clear path around the exhibit; however, the installation has a distinct flow. Beginning with the visitor walking into the installation teeming with plants, and then to their left they see a garbage corner, in front of them is the sustainable bar with the stunted plant growth display, and to their right is the informational wall. To the right of the cafe in a cubby will be the virtual reality set-up. This aspect of the installation allows to user to experience what could be with the absence of all the garbage. Eventually, structure returns when the exhibit workers usher out the first group to allow more users to enter. This is required due to the constraint of space in Rennie’s Corner, the assigned section of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery.
USER EXPERIENCE |INFORMATION DESIGN|
In this experience, we want the user to feel uneasy as they watch the garbage hinder the growth of life in the biosphere. Since “purchasing� coffee requires the exchange of trash for coffee, the look of their trash stifling the greenery would be the most impactful part of the experience because the attendees know they caused it. It would be interesting to see if any people instinctively go to pick up the trash or discuss with the employees about why they are collecting trash in the installation. We created this exhibit to deliver a visual message to the user. Through their participation in the installation, they experience the realities of their waste habits and those of the world. Our design firm aims to create an explicit visibility of the damage humans are inflicting on the planet through the trash donation and spreading while the visitor is present. Seeing the stunted growth of the natural elements in the biosphere will inflict distinct causality between the attendee and the harm imposed on the plant. The natural mapping surrounding garbage starts and ends with the user placing the trash in a specified receptacle. Many users do not consider the effects of their actions afterward, such as opting not to recycle or missing the trash can and leaving the discarded item on the floor.
USER EXPERIENCE |INFORMATION DESIGN|
There are many constraints regarding this space and installation. For instance, the climate of the enclosure must be conducive to plant growth in order for the exhibit to flourish. Additionally having a café within the space requires ventilation to prevent tremendous humidity and excess heat in the installation. Therefore, special precautions must be taken to establish the desired temperature and humidity. Additionally, the space itself may be too small if the plant growth occurs too rapidly. The stakeholders’ and activist’s interests must also be taken into effect and may be a constraint to KAMG due to disagreements between the two parties or with our group as well. Finally, the interactive element of the museum adds some hardships as well. While the coffee and virtual reality experience allow for interactive aspects, the exhibit also features an interactive wall on the outside of the installation for users to further examine. To learn more about KAMG or the installation, visit keeganhaz.wix.com/KAMG.