Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book
DK HumanBio for iPad10 PPD / Co-design Expert Interview and Case Study Name: Jenai Kavarana Student ID: KAV09269781 Course: BA (HON) GMD, Info – second year Tutor: Sarah Temple
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book
DK HumanBio for iPad10 PPD Essay
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
DK HumanBio for iPad10 Are we really witnessing the death of the book? A conceptual project for Dorling Kingsley 2020. It is a brave person who can claim to talk with assurance about the future of anything, since the future is fundamentally unknowable, and to talk about the information future in any of its aspects, given the speed of change and the novelty of successive technological developments, is even more foolhardy. But as we look back into history we can see certain patterns immerging, ‘in with the new and out with the old’. All cars were once trucks and as we move in to the future PCs, like trucks will be replaced by something that is much smaller, more portable and refined. This transformation will make people uneasy as the PC has taken us a long way but this is ultimately evitable. But could this be true with the book…. Are we moving towards the death of the book? Will we begin to see the E-Book trend catching on or will people still want the physical book? And what do we presume for the future of the tablet (such as the iPad)? Like many people, I’ve romanticized the feeling of paper books. I’ve been watching the evolution of reading devices for the past several years, but whilst researching for my recent projects it suddenly dawned on me that the shift from physical books to the digital research is no longer about to take place, it has taken place. It’s the ease of finding the
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
relevant information and the accidental search that sparks a genius stroke of inspiration that draws me more and more towards digital research. Other readers are switching allegiance from paper to screen as quickly and irreversibly as I did. What does this mean for the publishing industry? For bookstores? For libraries? How will they reinvent themselves to attract screen-smitten readers? 1968 saw the beginnings of what we now know as the iPad when Alan Kay created the Dynabook concept was initially conceptualized as a tablet PC or slate computer with nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children access to digital media . Though the Dynabook concept is conceivable today, Kay believes that it hasn’t been invented yet because the key software and educational curriculum are missing… which inevitably brings me to the future I foresee for Dorling Kingsley Publishing (DK). The Dynabook (Fig.1) has many physical characteristics to the Kindle (Fig.2) and shows signs of similarities with the iPad (Fig.3)… But could these new technologies take over the way we interact with information? Recent studies have shown that the children and teens spend on the computer has tripled in the past 10 years . The Internet has already taken over the newspaper as a news outlet due to its ability to keep people constantly updated… So what is stopping DK from adapting to their Human Body series to a more interactive
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
and updated technology? Introducing DK HumanBio for iPad10. The basic idea behind my concept is to let my imagination run wild with the possibility of a three-dimensional, interactive hologram iPad or as I like to call it: iPad10. “The future of the book is something that will magically appear and be interactive. It will, much like the Walkman and mobile phones, be something we never expected to be so essential to our everyday lives. I already do my reading almost exclusively on screen. I’ve got a kindle, an iPad, an iPhone, a Blackberry, and a laptop so the next step would be creating a more interactive reading environment” says Chris Levin, a renowned and celebrated Hologram artist in the UK. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) shone a bright light to the future of holograms when princess Leia magically appeared (Fig.4). Interviewing Levin opened my eyes to a world of conceivable possibilities linking the future of hologram technologies with the iPad. The new Toyota Hybrid Cars – get your energy back 2011 TV commercial is essentially what the DK HumanBio for iPad10 will allow users to do… cut up, dissect, explore and look inside the human body with as much detail as you require (the software would have different age group options as this technology would be very beneficial to medical students and would also help doctors explain diseases to their patients more visually and effectively.)
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
The current DK Human Body books have in-depth analysis and diagrams of sections of the human body and what diseases look like inside our bodies, the DK HumanBio for iPad10 would just be pushing their information a step further allowing readers or should I say ‘explorers’ the freedom to focus on certain parts of their bodies by simple pointing towards it or zooming in on the hologram of the human body with the DK HumanBio for iPad10 (using a motion sensor like the Xbox Kinect ). “I’ve reached the point where I’d be glad to ditch thousands of paper- and hardbacked books from my bookshelves” says Levin “I’d rather have them all on an iPad.” The interactive hologram technology would thus enable the ‘explorers’ to have a portable, sleek way of accessing all the relevant and up-to-date information about the human body, diseases and maybe even possible cures and treatments. The written interview and case study will go into more details exactly how I expect the DK HumanBio for iPad10 to work and will demonstrate the impact of my interview with Chris Levine, a renowned UK hologram artist.
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
(From top to bottom, left to right) Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.3, Fig.4
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book
DK HumanBio for iPad10 Chris Levin Interview
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
My Chris Levin Interview “Lighting is one of the few fields where technological innovation is driving artists and designers to new creative heights. Chris is a good example of this: His original approach to the use of light has managed the rare combination of instantly pop appeal, modern sensibility and hidden depth.” – Tom Dixon (tomdixon.net) “The thing I like about Chris’s work is that it is always fresh and original. His position somewhere between art and science and design enables him to approach things differently and without the baggage that often comes with each discipline. Light, pure and vital is his medium. It is the basis for everything he creates. Long may he continue to lead the way.”
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
– David Elliott, British Council, Japan After briefing Levin about the concept I had in my head about creating an interactive hologram proposal for the future of DK Publishing and Apple’s iPad10 I asked Levin about his work, thought process and ideas on weather the death of the book is in fact imminent. Do you believe the death of the book is near? No, in fact, I do not believe that the death of the book will ever happen, it will simply just be the death of the book, as we know it. To be honest over the past few years we have seen many interpretations making the book more interactive but the birth of the iPad and Kindle is the birth of something new and exciting especially for someone like me who is constantly searching for new innovations to include holograms in. In the past I would have never thought about how useful it would be to be able to use the Kindle’s inbuilt dictionary or the ability to read at night without disturbing the other person in bed, but this has now shaped how I spend the last twenty minutes before I sleep. What inspires you? Is there any realms of design in particular? I have never looked to design for inspiration and this has worked for and against me. That is not to say the world of art and design hasn’t fuelled my passion for my work; Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol, Takis and Björk have all turned me on in different ways. But since I can remember there is something inside me that pushes me to the uncharted and unfamiliar. This has made my work original but often hard to categorize. My transition from designer to
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
artist was primarily about the need for a freer approach to my work. What would you like to see develop with hologram technology? At the moment, light laser and photography are my raw materials but this will never limit me from exploring new media and technologies. If I plan on doing anything meaningful I know the work has to be an evolutionary step forward, something that doesn’t reference the work of other artists and to me, that is hugely inspiring and at the heart of the work I do, which is about the fact that we are all made up of light and energy. All I want to do is bring people into the wonder of the present moment. With regards to your concept for the future of DK’s books, I think you are moving into a substantially relevant area of futuristic technology –bringing a three dimensional real feel to content will engage and involve avid researchers and readers alike. Can you tell me more about the technology you use? Holography is a highly technical subject. Like a lot of my work it was collaborative. My work operates on a sensory level and is in essence about the experience of seeing. The media, whether laser, holography or LED, are merely technological formats that create different modes of light, but it is light itself that is my medium. I am currently looking at projects where the sun, the source and power of life, is the ultimate medium. Tell me about a day in the life of Chris Levin…
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Meditation has become central to my way of life and is a part of my working process. My day starts as the sun rises over the sea and I settle into about an hour of stillness. This brings about a sense of clarity that helps me deal with a workload that can sometimes be overwhelming. I usually spend an hour or two simply experimenting and interacting with light, most recently natural light and optics. Research, communicating about projects and developing work is done as best I can by planning my time and in response to deadlines but I follow my instincts in terms of what I do and when I do it. What is it aout the nature of light that inspires you so much... Light is fundamental to the very nature of existence. It operates on a metaphysical level with our consciousness. Light resonates deeply with our emotion and perception: it goes beyond image and form. Your work seems to be fundamentally based on a spiritual level… If we accept that light is the fundamental energy of life, then working with light becomes more than a job. For me it is increasingly an exploration into the very essence of life. What drives you to keep working? The pursuit of new experience and of wisdom and the fact that I’ve got several mouths to feed! I have three small children and having them made me realise how precious time is. I don’t waste it on things that don’t really matter or projects that don’t facilitate growth in some direction. My children as beings of light are my ultimate creation and have inspired me so much. Love is light. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
The Queen / 3D / Lightness of Being / By Chris Levine
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book
DK HumanBio for iPad10 Project Overview
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
As a child I was so facinated with the Human Body, nothing has changed really as I am still as facinated about it as I was before as there is so much to explore and learn still... Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
DK’s current Human Body series comes with three dimensional figures where you can explore organs and also comes with a CD-ROM with interactive features... Their Human Body series has a lot of images concerning the different layers of the human body and the organs. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
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Hand Gestures:
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1. Pinch Zoom 2. Single Hand Drag 3. Touch Down 4. Touch Move 5. Two Finger Rotate 6. Two Finger Scroll 7. Two Finger Zoom In 8. Two Hand Rotate
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
The most essential tool in this interactive hologram concept is the slice tool where users slice up organs / bones / layers of the body. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Multi Sensory learning has been proven to be more effective than any other type of learning, especially for children. This app will enable the ‘explorers’ to: -listen to more information about certain aapects -view more -touch a part of their body to explore using the motion sensor -slice up or cut the organ -potentially feel the texture of the organ/bone Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Layers of the human body will be another key feature for this app, DK tends to have transparency images in their book so the app could have the different layers as the main interface giving users the option to choose what layer they wish to explore. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Size is another very important feature, the app should be able to be varied in height and there should be a full scale option so that users can a realistic or a microscopic view of the body. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Much like DK’s existing three dimensional bodies, the app will have the option of floating organs so that users have easy access to learning more about them. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Zooming in / moving out and slicing the organs will be the main feature of this app... its taking the board game ‘operation’ to the digital realm... Users will be able to zoom in or simply point to certain areas of their body and then move through the layers of the body (skin muscles etc) move organs out of the way and slice things up to look inside them and explore them.
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10
Like a patient information form we all fill out at the doctors, the
DK HumanBio for iPad10
would scan your finger print and load up all the illnesses that you have: eczema, asthma. So in essence you are exploring your own body - a personalized app. An added feature could be possible cures / medications / treatments. This would thus eventually eliminate the need for a doctor. This could end up being the future of not only books, but the medical industry. Jenai Kavarana / DK / Future of the Human Body Book DK HumanBio for iPad10