Re-thinking relationships through augmented jewellery
Re-thinking relationships through augmented jewellery Konstantia Koulidou Master’s Thesis MSc IT Product Design University of Southern Denmark
Supervisors: Mette Gislev Kjærsgaard, Robb Mitchell Date of Submision: June 16, 2014
‘‘Taking a step is a way to move forward.’’
Abstract This thesis investigates and explores new relationships between jewellery, technology and the wearer, based on the interplay between “form & function�. Form refers to the augmentation of material qualities of the jewellery whereas function refers to the others, and the self and the object. Through the exploration of contemporary jewellery and the use of Critical Design methods, this thesis provides a new perspective on designing interactive jewellery, which is based on the dynamic forms of the object. Taking a researchthrough-design approach, I designed and built four explorative prototypes to probe new study with four participants to gather data about their relationships with jewellery and their experiences with the prototypes. These explorations draw on the proposition, that transformative and dynamic forms can contribute to wearable design practices, as they allow wearers to become co-creators of their experience. This can open up new possibilities for aesthetic experience, as jewellery becomes triggers of new experiences and reveals things about wearers that would not be visible without the interaction.
Acknowledges Thanks.. /To my supervisors Mette Gislev Kjærsgaard and Robb Mitchell. Robb, for motivating me to follow my dream and do research on jewellery. Mette, for your great assistance and your push to document all my thoughts, before continuing my design explorations. Without your help this thesis would not have been possible. /To Chris Heape, for your fruitful feedback. / To my professor Henry Larsen for your continuous support along the way. I will keep always in mind your words: ‘‘Nantia, I understand your frustrution but you should keep in mind that every research is a crisis. Do you have a research or a life crisis?”, “Stop analysing and start doing!” , “Find time for nothing. Your comments were my motivation. /To Jabob Buur for your invitation into the world of research, as you allowed me to experience the position of research assistant during my studies. /To my participants, Vicki, Emilie, Sanne, Anne for our collaboration during this thesis. Thank you so much for your time and your engagement during the process. /To Vince and Alexander, for helping me deal with the 3d printing technologies. /To my friend and roommate Terry for your emotional support during this thesis. /To my friend Henrike for your endless support and your ability to calm me down. You were a great encouragement during my thesis. Thank you from the bottom of my heart./ To my friend Kike for challenging me to do my best and trust me without knowing exactly the topic of my research. / To all my friends: Thijs, Kristin, Alexandra, Sanita, Andrei, who proofreaded or gave feedback to my work. Without all of you, I
/To my mum for your continual great back-up support and love. It has been a tremendous help.
Table of Contents
Table of Content 7.1 Inspiration From the Field of Contemporary Jewellery
28
1
7.2 Flour
30
1.1 The Goal of the Thesis
1
7.3 Clay
31
1.2 Research Question
2
7.4 Plant
34
1.3 Methodology
2
7.5 Stamps
35
1.4 Thesis Process
3
1.5 Thesis Structure
3
1. Introduction
2. Jewellery and Communication
8. Analysis and Discussion 8.1 Relationship Between the Stimuli and the Effect of the Interaction
5
39
... 39
2.1 Jewellery as Memory Carrier and Trigger
5
8.2 Relationship Between the Stimuli and the Effect of the Interaction in my Designs
2.2 Jewellery and Traces
5
8.3 Relation Between the Object and the Traces
46
8.4 Traces/Wearer Relationship
49
8.5 The Role of Jewellery in the Interaction
49
3. Understanding Jewellery in Interactions
7
3.1 Designing the Wearables
7
3.2 Relationship Between Maker/Jewellery/Wearer 3.2.1 First and Second Level of Communication 3.2.2 Third Level of Communication
4. Technology and Jewellery
43
8
8.5.1Instead of Re-Experience a Past Event They Have a New Experience
49
9
8.6 The Role of the Wearer in the Interaction
51
10 12
4.1 Augmenting Interpersonal relationships
13
4.2 Augmenting Intrapersonal Relationships
14
4.3 Augmenting the Relationship Between the Wearer and the Object 15
5. Focus on my Research
17
6. Methodology
21
6.1 Pragmatist Aesthetics in Experience-Centered Design
21
6.2 Critical Design Approach
22
6.3 Co-Design Approach
22
7. Explorative prototypes
...
27
..
...
8.6.1Participants as Co-Designers of Their Experience With the Worn Piece
... 51
8.7 Updating Wright et al’s Framework for Analysing Experience
52
9. Conclusion
57
References
61
Appendices
01
Introduction 1.1 The goal of this thesis 1.2 Research question 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Thesis Process 1.5 Thesis Structure
1.
Introduction
As technology becomes portable and miniaturised, the design of new devices that can be worn on the body increasingly gains interest. Wearable devices have spread into
design, jewellery gains a lot of interest as it implies objects that are already related to jewellery turn the interest towards the body whereas interaction design focuses on the technology and the interactions with the physical environment. The intersection between jewellery and technology has already been investigated, but remains a topic for further explorations. What can technology bring to jewellery? How can interactive jewellery contribute to our perception of the self, our relationship with the others as well as the relationship that we have with the jewellery? These questions and multi-functional, the HCI Community has been shifting its attention towards a
such as jewellery design, software engineering and material science, it is needed, in order to enrich the wearers experience by taking on several perspectives on how interactive products can be loaded with emotional value for the wearer.
1.1
The Goal of the Thesis
propose the interplay of form&function as a foundation for designing for rich experiences. This work is not an attempt to criticise the existing work in HCI community, but rather to propose another way of thinking and dealing with technology. This approach can be interactions.
1.2
Research Question
To explore how the interplay between jewellery and technology might create in this thesis is:
How do new technologies enhance the relationship that people have with their jewellery? And how can the design of jewellery inform the design of technological worn devices?
1.3
Methodology
For this exploration, I use a combination of research and design methods in order to tackle the research question proposed in this thesis. I started by investigating the existing literature in order to gain insights into the ongoing dialogue between jewellery examples that enrich the experience between the wearer and the worn object, I found a niche, which turned out to be worth exploring. In order to explore the research area
This thesis is an attempt to enhance the dialogue between the object and the wearer, as well as to contribute to the ongoing discussions about wearable design in the HCI of the relationship between the body, the object and the wearer, was the starting point of this research. The realisation that the relationship between the body and jewellery is mutual, was the beginning of my explorations. Wearing jewellery changes the body, but at the same
the owner. For my research, instead of analysing this long term process, I focus on the short-term interactions, caused either by the body, the object or the environment. I conducted research-through-design in order to understand the relationship that people have with rather dynamic objects. I designed four critical artefacts, which I gave to four participants to live with, explore and experience. These types of jewellery go beyond functionality, implying the aesthetics of material and use. In my research, I borrow
1
four explorative prototypes. I carried out a self-documentation study with four girls from Denmark to gather data about their relationships with jewellery and their new experiences with my prototypes. The analysis is based on qualitative data. The relationship the participants have with the given jewellery was documented through a combination of written material, audio recordings and a semi-structured interview. Moreover, a workshop involving all of them was set up to share their common experiences and envision future concepts. I use the approach of pragmatist aesthetics
where meaning is constructed out of the dynamic interplay between the compositional,
2
1.4
Thesis Process
process of identifying the area that I could further explore, a niche that would be my
interest
in g
area for exploration
nd
e und
rst
a
r
e fl
ect
in g
explorative prototypes
1 2 3 4 exploring
Literature Discussion
reflecting ect
in g
analysing + discussing
new knowledge
er
sta
e c tin g
und
re fl
nd
in g
r
e fl
Section 01
new knowledge
on interactive jewellery. In my exploration of this new area of research, I designed four prototypes and used literature to support my design decisions. By analysing and
text
2.text Jewellery and communication text
1.5
Thesis Structure
research, identifying a new possible research area.
Section 3: 3
text
4. Technology and Jewellery
Section 1: Section 2:
3. Understanding jewelley in the interactions
Design Exploration with four prototypes that investigate the new research area
5. Focus on my research
2. 2.1
Jewellery and Communication
“I have made a discovery that I think comes much closer to my true feeling about the ring. After
Jewellery as Memory Carrier and Trigger
meaningful and closer to the real meaning of our union than that of the object that created it. But
Jewellery is one of the oldest forms of body adornment and has frequently been been wearing jewellery for ages. Attaching stones and metals to the ears, and hanging necklaces around the throat and wrist, using a variety of materials ranging from bones to diamonds, developed into a set of cultural and behavioural patterns that have barely
the individuals to relate to their own personal experiences. By owning, wearing and interacting with a piece of jewellery, people activate its life and the meaning inherited.
The relationship between object, traces, and the body seems to be an interesting angle on meaningful relationships between the object and the wearer, and seeks for further explorations. Research has already been carried out in this area, including Shadow Jewellery A constrictive metal ligature was placed around the circumference of an arm, a leg or Shadow jewellery makes a change to the body, and thus questions the importance of the bracelet as an object itself, or as an object that only when it is worn reveals its function.
main function of jewellery as that it connects us with people who lived before us or are as a provocateur of emotions, which connects us to past experiences and relationships. the ability to carry and trigger memories. Jewellery carrying an inherent meaning is an object that lasts. The meaning is not transformed throughout the life of the piece, instead the jewellry works as a memory trigger, as a link to a past memory, as a stimuli Wedding Ring
Body Change
Figure 3: Shadow Jewellery
they are connectors.
2.2
Jewellery and Traces
ownership. Wearing jewellery changes the body, but at the same time, the body changes the piece, by leaving traces on the material. In the normal course of events, everything tends to
Since jewellery is in close relation to the body and as technology has become increasingly miniaturised, it is interesting to explore how the combination of the two could engender new kinds of interaction. This thesis will explore the implications and questions involved. As computing and technology become ubiquitous, designers are searching for ways to bridge jewellery and technology in order to open up new ways of designing interactive wearables. In the next section, inspired from the famous dictum form follows function
same time wearing a ring for years can leave a mark on the body. This transformation opens the dialogue between the object and the wearer and the role that each plays in the
I present how this collaboration can lead to interesting experiences for the wearers, by proposing the term form&function as a design methodology for designing for experience. In the next chapter, I focus on the relationship between the maker, the jewellery and
Apart from the fact that jewellery has power as a social object, it also gains importance as an object that is close and related to the body. Since pieces of jewellery are often worn
around jewellery. In the last chapter of this section, I refer to examples from existing wrote: jewellery and vice versa.
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6
3.
Understanding Jewellery in Interactions 3.1 function
form
an improved experience for the patient providing a pain-free delivery of insulin to the body.
Designing the Wearables
f u n c t i on fo r m
Starting with the famous dictum from the school of Bauhaus form follows function
and would lead, in combination with their craft practices, to
interplay
craft and design, I will investigate altering the dictum to function follows form, which refers to the design of wearable devices that
Interplay Between Form and Function
: Form Folllows Function
in terms of objects that are already worn on the body and can be used as carriers of technology, as big companies translated current modes of communication into interactive jewellery. Embedding functions of digital devices in existing worn f u n c t i on
IBM Set fo
f u n c t i on
rm
: Function Follows Form
Diabetes Necklace
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3.2 Form& Function
a problem of aesthetics or function, but also involves a wider
Figure 6 : IBM Set
interplay
It is a prototype of a cell phone that consists of several pieces of digital jewellery that will work together wirelessly through Bluetooth, just like a conventional cell phone. design for experiences and for emotional durable products
Researchers and companies started exploring new ways of interaction with the self and others in order to create new rich experiences for the wearer, that would not be possible without the interplay of form and function. An example is the Diabetes Necklace Diabetes Necklace is a wearable applicator device that applies Nanotechnology Diabetes Rings work in conjunction with the Diabetes Necklace. The rings are designed to keep the insulin patches against the skin once they have been Diabetes Jewellery and the IBM Set is crucial. Both are aesthetically pleasing pieces to answer a call, and the latter to give insulin to the blood. Compared to the IBM Set, where the piece is used instead of a phone and headphones, the Diabetes Necklace proposes
f u n c t i on
fo r m
jewellery object, neither aesthetics nor function is paramount, but rather each is an element which is called into play as an actor by makers, wearers and viewers - we can talk about an interplay between the form and the function which can lead to richer experiences. In order to design the dialogue between the form and the function, we have to understand the design of wearable devices as a holistic experience, within which the maker, the object and the wearer are in a constant dialogue
Relationship Between Maker/Jewellery/ Wearer
In the previous sections, I introduced the interplay between form&function as a framework for designing for experience, and I presented examples from literature that enrich the experience that wearers have with their jewellery. In this section, I will unfold the interaction in a broader perspective. Based on my own experience as a traditional jewellery designer, the literature about contemporary jewellery discussed above, and my previous design explorations and readings in designing for during my master studies, I propose a model to help This model is a way of understanding the various types of relationships between the piece of jewellery, the maker and the
I categorise these relations in three categories, which I understand as three levels of communication. I will introduce forms of jewellery. Here, the meaning is entirely assigned to the material in use, the craft practices of the maker, and the uniqueness of the piece. In the second level, the meaning given
8
3.2.2 3.2.1
I believe, that the interplay between form and function, that I noted in the previous chapter, can lead to new experiences, as long as it is placed in a holistic approach of understanding the experience. This understanding of experience is central to the
First and Second Level of Communication
Regarding the traditional forms of jewellery, I refer to pieces of jewellery that are made of precious metal and stones, and are unique due to the craft practices and the expertise of the maker. In this level, the piece carries value due to its material and its first level of communication value
material, form traditional jewelry
holistic approach, as a person who is acting, sensing, feeling, thinking, and sense making
second level of communication thought, message comtemporary jewelry
Third Level of Communication
in the dialogue between the designer,
aesthetic is not something a priori to the world, but rather a potential that is released of experience that emerges in the interplay between user, context, culture, and history
relation between the maker-objectweare-viewer
what the individual brings to the experience, as it is about what the designer puts there. Designing for experience, going beyond usability, requires treating the user
Design as a foundation from which I explore the interaction between the maker, the craft practices
Wearer
relationship with the body, message
form. The role of the maker is limited to designing the piece of jewellery. The meaning has its foundation in the contemporary jewellery design realm. In this model there is the
person who is going to wear or look at it. In this level of communication the meaning lies role of the designer is fundamental. The designer is the sender of a message whereas the wearer is the receiver. The objects are not necessarily worn, but raise questions
through the jewellery that he/she created, the object itself, and the wearer as a whole person with desires, feelings, previous experiences and relationships with others and other objects. The graph below illustrates the connections between the components of the interaction, which I will further explain.
b. Dialogue Maker/Jewellery/Wearer which I will further explore in my thesis. The levels of communication between the maker, the wearer and the jewellery are not separate categories, but are interconnected The wearer, on one hand, has a notion of what jewellery is, a number of pieces that he/she is already attached to and links with memories from past events, as well as an assumption of what is going to happen when he/she is going to interact with the piece. created carries a message that he/she wants to deliver to the world, as well as displays a
notions and roles of jewellery, the value of the piece, and the relationship between the person and the object, and they experiment with a range of material. These are perspectives that can contribute to the design and the conception of wearable digital
9
10
first level of communication value
material, form traditional jewelry
second level of communication
third level of communication
thought, message
in the dialogue between the designer, wearer and the object
comtemporary jewelry
interactive jewelry
jewellery-to-be
relation between the maker-objectweare-viewer
craft practices
relationship with the body, message
understanding of the term, it is pieces that are open for interpretations and relationships between the maker, the object and the wearer, which are all subjects of an ongoing process of sense making. The way the pieces acquire meaning is beyond the makers
interaction as a dialogue, between the designer, wearer, object
maker, and the object bring something into the interaction, and their interplay brings something new and unexpected that nobody can predict. The wearer plays the role of an active participant in an ongoing sense-making process. Departing from this understanding of interaction, the interplay between form and function is paramount, as both are equally important to design for richer experience between the object and the wearer.
previous experiences relations with others message sensitivity for the materials
jewelry
jewellery design and how jewellery design practices can inform the design of wearable (designer)
FORM
that the various relationships between the object and the wearer can be categorised
FUNCTION
have with the object.
object jewelry memories attachment
(wearer)
materials qualities
4.
Technology and Jewellery
functionality
previous experiences relations with others body adornment
interactive jewelry interaction new form new meaning
activate a function
new unexpected ambuiguity
interaction with others (interpersonal)
interaction with the self (intrapersonal)
interaction with the object
active practicioner for continuously sense making
the Maker and the Wearer
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12
meaningful for each of the wearers and served as an emotional connector with their friends. The project Light Brooch
Based on the interplay between form&function, where form refers to the material qualities of the piece of jewellery and function levels of communication between the self, the self and the others, and the self and the
jewellery is physically activated and visually changes in response to interaction between people. Sensors detect the interaction and light sources illuminate when the shapes are touched. The body responds to the jewellery and the jewellery responds to the body
other and thus contribute to designing a richer experience between the object and the wearer. Light
4.1
Kiss Communicator
Augmenting Interpersonal Relationships
As mentioned in the previous chapter, one of the main functions of jewellery is its social role as communication mediator to past experiences triggering and storing memories. The combination of technology and jewellery augments this function by opening up new ways of communication. Adding functions with the help of information technology, the relationship between the worn piece and the wearer transforms and enriches the whole experience of wearing, possessing and interacting with the piece of jewellery. New technologies open up new ways of communicating by leaving physical traces of the connection between people. In the following, I will introduce four projects, that present function as an additional layer to the whole experience. I use the term social visibility involve delicate technologies that augment the relationship with the world and the people within it by showing evidence of the connectivity in the physical world. Here, instead of replacing the start to communicate through all of their senses. Researchers and companies started designing technological, wearable devices
Brooch
broken. In this example an interesting observation is, that the body becomes a part of the interaction. Biojewellery bone tissue. The couple wearing them feels like sharing a part of their own body with their partner, rather than a wedding ring, encourages the cells to divide and grow rapidly, resulting in a shape of a ring.
Biojewellery
4.2
Augmenting Intrapersonal Relationships
Interactive Jewellery can also augment the relationship people have with themselves. I refer to these relationships as intrapersonal relationships. The examples of this category can be read within the scope of social invisibility, meaning that the interaction is close to the body and is only visible to and understandable by
Stile
individuals through distances by activating their senses through moisture sensors. In the following examples, the pieces of jewellry are meaningful for the wearers as mediators of communication. Kiss Communicator from a research project exploring new ways of communication
of the body, involving memories and physical movements. In this regards, the term self awareness was investigated by a number of researchers as well. Stile Lens are two examples that provide a tangible prompt to personal memories, inviting the wearer to re-experience a past event. Stile moves the head from side to side, small sounds are emitted from the collar that reminds her of her visit to Australia. The to the wearer and cannot be interpreted by someone else. Lens
Speckled Jewellery
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in the project Speckled Jewellery an understanding of how far or close they were to their friends in spatial terms, as indicated by LEDs. This information was
Lens
a smooth piece of glass that has been washed up by the sea, and
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lives of the pieces. Wearers activate the application with their
of Skye. When the viewer holds it up to the mirror, an image of skimming stones across the water appears against the landscape
could have the same digital life. However, what this project does not investigate is the personalisation on the digital life of the product.
the material of the crafted object and the digital pictures that are triggered by holding it up to a mirror. The chosen material brings memories to the wearer, because he/she is connected explore the ability to trigger memories with pieces of jewellery with the help of digital technology.
Shape Change Jewellery
As I mentioned previously, jewellery has the power to store and activate memories, both pleasant and unpleasant, that are
the tangibility of the memories by placing visual images or sound outputs in the physical environment. These are attempts to enrich the emotional experience of the wearer. The material of the jewellery and the function that the piece implies, are linked to the wearers memories and can be only interpreted by him/her.
4.3
Augmenting the Relationship Between the Wearer and the Object
The
Shape Change Jewellery of wearable artefacts that change shape in response to human warmth. This project introduces the body and the object in an intimate and interdependent relationship. The worn piece is transformed into a living object, whose life is dependent on the to visualise data that may or may not be useful for the wearer, but creates a new relationship between the object and the individual. The Necklace designed for breast cancer patients. The piece becomes a symbol of the struggle of the patient and a conversation facilitator with the social environment of the patient. What is interesting in this piece of work is, that the patient keeps adding new beads to the
Necklace colours of the beads change depending on how ill the patient is at that moment. Thus, the piece of jewellery becomes dynamic in its form. The wearer is able to control the interaction, but not the colour of the beads.
The last category that I am going to introduce involves a new form of relationship that is created between the piece of jewellery and the wearer due to the augmentation of the physical or the digital life of the piece. This area is an interesting area, which is not well explored yet, and I see the value and potential of further explorations. The examples in this category inspired my research, as they attempt to augment the relationship people have with their jewellery. The project Swarms jewellery as a way of investigating, engaging and subsequently understanding the relationship people have with their jewellery by introducing a second life of the jewel in the digital world. When the worn object moves in physical space an online Swarms the physical movement of the object. Thus, people connect with their own pieces of jewellery in a new way by augmenting the
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5.
Focus on my Research As I analysed the third level of communication, I understood interaction as a
wearer due to the material in use, but through its deformation and transformation new relationships can be created, which the wearer has to make sense of. I believe, that these objects can trigger and establish a relationship between the person and the object while leaving room for ambiguity and providing a stimuli to reveal interactions.
and the craft practices of the maker, as well as the jewellery, its form and function. The designer, the piece of jewellery and the wearer are in an intimate dialogue. I believe, that form&function interplay can create meaningful interactions that are emotionally researchers and companies managed to start this discussion about the combination of form&function, focusing on the multi-functionality of the object. Interactive jewellery becomes a mediator of new ways of communication, and an interface for technology to trigger memories and activate a new life for the piece. Craft practices have been introduced by researchers with a background in contemporary jewellery as a design method to imbue the form of the object with an additional meaning for the wearer
products. The Swarms Biojewellry Shape Change Jewellery are projects that inspired my research as examples that not only deal with the role of jewellery as a mediator of interpersonal and interpersonal communications, but also as objects with their own life, either physically or digitally. For example, Biojewellery can associated with the memories of the person wearing it, but arises from the material itself. Here lies one stirring aspect of the main understanding of the form of the piece of jewellery. The word form does not only refer to the shape of the worn object, for example a ring, a bracelet, or a necklace, but also to the material that is introduced in the interaction, which can create new relationships with the wearer. The above mentioned examples gave me the insight that dynamic forms can
Illustration of my understanding of my research. I can visualise myself ready to climp a stair, which turns to be an a neverending staircase. As long as, I fould something interesting in the area that I am investigated, I stop and build a box, a box of knowledge at the certain area. The yellow box illustrated the foundation of my research and the depth of the analysis. I have the tendency to continuously climbing stairs and exploring more and more. My research challenge was to focus on one of the boxes and make my argument stronger.
static appearance to products that can change their appearance over time and thus
is a promising path for a more communicative and expressive role of the products
for more implementations. I believe, that this exploration can be valuable as it proposes another tool in the hands of designers who want to design wearable devices within the
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Section 02 Design Explorations
6. Methodology 7. Explorative prototypes
19
6.
Methodology In this chapter, I describe the approach that I follow to tackle my research question.
how I used them in my research, in order to gain new knowledge. Inspired from the
6.2
Critical Design Approach
I devised four prototype objects to bring research beyond an academic setting into Placebo Project, I intended to investigate Placebo Project presents a range of design artefacts that draw attention to the electromagnetic radiation of electronic apparatus, and were designed to elicit
of jewellery, that investigate new types of relationships between the people and the a foundation from which I explore engaging interactions with the given jewellery as an attempt to enhance the experience. Co-Design methods are used to select data from four participants and get a better understanding of how people experience the given pieces of jewellery.
6.1
Pragmatist Aesthetics in Experience-Centered Design
Designing an object is not only a problem of aesthetics or function, but also involves
from that of Critical Design artefacts. The latter intend to make people talk and elicit intention was to explore a new area of research and identify interesting issues. Critical my design is design for a dialogue between the maker, the wearer and the object, as I mentioned in detail in chapter 3.
6.3
Co-Design Approach
The Co-Design community has been introducing a range of methods and tools to
variety of concepts such as curiosity, joy, playfulness, surprise, enchantment, beauty, the ability to describe future objects, opportunities and views on future experiences better understanding on how people experience the interaction with the new object, I activities, where the participation of designers and non-designers can bring new insights The self- documentation kits that I created are similar to the cultural probes work of jewellery, and I will, based on this framework, analyse, how the participants experience the interaction with the given pieces of jewellery. The meaning is constructed through the dynamic interplay between the compositional, sensual, emotional and spatiointerconnected. The compositional thread deals with the part-whole composition of the experience and the relations between components. The sensual thread explores the aesthetics and physical qualities of an event, encounter, object or image and is experienced through sensory perceptions. The emotional thread covers the experience
perception of the spatial and temporal qualities of an experience, of pace or proximity, can vary in response to emotional, sensual or compositional threads.
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to their experiences. Whereas the purpose of cultural probes is to gather inspirational a means of understanding the relationships that the participants have with their own jewellery, as well as documenting the new relationships with the given jewellery. The pieces of jewellery that I created can be understood as explorative prototypes, a term
broader term of the Co-Design approach, both designers and non-designers are active participants in designing for new experiences. Regarding the explorative prototypes that I created, the participation of both the wearer and the object are in the centre of the
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exploration. In that sense, the participants are co-designers of their piece of jewellery, and thus of the experience. VICKI age country occupation relationship with me jewellery
37
EMILIE 16
SANNE
ANNE
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27
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark
employee
student
B.S student
artist
friend
new contact
new contact
friend
stamps
plant
flour
clay
Each of the explorative prototypes was given to one participant to live with it for four days. A self-documentation study with four girls in Denmark was conducted. The girls The self-documentation kits included cards with questions about the relationship that by means of a diary, and document records about feelings, diaries and photographs
Another purpose of the image documentation is to give the user something to think about, either experiences of the day, or ideas for the future. I asked the participants to document their interactions with the new jewellery by keeping audio data for their impressions and taking pictures as a diary of their interactions.
Photos from the workshop with the participants
users and asking about the latest news at the documentation stage in order to maintain their motivation. According to Sanders and DeLongis, personal interaction with the users motivates them to do the exercises and observe their experiences. During the third day I contacted the participants at a random time during the day, either with text messages or phone calls, to inspire and motivate them, and to get real time data from
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depth interviews with all of the participants individually on Skype. Instead of preparing the interview as a follow up activity after receiving the probe material, I used it as a
07
personal abilities and qualities and rely on their instinct, since they cannot entirely plan stories and the information that my participants shared with me. After the interviews, I asked the participants to record one more short story about their feelings now that they were not going to have the jewellery any more. This was a way to see if participants created any relationship with the jewellery.
Explorative Prototypes
7.1 Inspiration 7.2 Flour 7.3 Clay 7.4 Plant 7.5 Stamps
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7.
Explorative prototypes
7.1
Inspiration From the Field of Contemporary Jewellery
As I noted in the beginning of this thesis, the relationship between the body and jewellery is mutual: the jewellery changes the body, while at the same time, the body changes the jewellry by leaving traces on the material and the body. This realisation was the beginning of my design explorations.
knowledge about jewellery that leaves temporary traces on the body, and about the material that jewellers choose to create their
understand the relationship that participants have with the traces that they leave on the object and vice versa. By designing objects
Lacecollar
an on-going dialogue between the object and the person wearing it. The focus was on the form of the object, the transformations wearers create with the objects. The pieces of jewellery that I created are an attempt to enrich the dialogue between the wearer and the object in an ongoing process of sense making. Inspired by the long term transformation of the material, the body and the traces that lead to attachment, as mentioned in the previous chapter, in this research, I explore the short-term transformations and the new types of relationships between the object and the wearer.
raise and the material qualities that they introduce proved to be a valuable inspiration for my design decisions. The transiency of these pieces of jewellery challenge the wearer and the
“something and nothing�, materials such as dust, light and shadow make the jewellery ephemeral and in some way lyrical. Ephemeral works such as Lacecollar Rash Stamps Light Projection
Eis Siberian Necklace Chalk Chain of the worn piece and oppose notions of value of the material and issues of sustainability. They shift the importance from the jewellery to the trace and question what jewellery is in the end, after all.
Siberian
interaction design and in the hands of people to explore relationships between wearers and dynamic forms of worn objects, I believe can open an additional way of designing
Necklace
Chalk Chain
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Flour 7.2
Flour
Flour traces on the body and the clothing of the wearer. The movements of the body activate the interaction and the traces. The necklace wear away and the marks of the T-shirt can be washed out of the clothing leaving no mark in the end. The only reminder of the interaction are the empty bags. Flour tea bags, give a soft touch to the piece. Apart from the sensory experience that the appealing material quality gives, the aesthetic and sensory quality evokes memories, according to Jordan (2003). On the one hand, I was interested in seeing the link between the sensory experience and memories. On the other hand, I was curious to see the reactions of the participant to the fast transformation of the piece. The interaction of the wearer and the environment leaves irreversible traces, both on the material and the T-shirt.
Photo documentation from the interaction with the Flour (top) Material qualities (bottom)
30
Clay 7.3
Clay
Clay is a bracelet whose material is consciously morphed by the wearer. I used clay, which dries in 24 hours, and play dough, were given to the participants as a way of further experimentation. The bracelet had a piece of red play dough attached to it. The transforming power of the jewellery allows for continuously customisations.
or changes the appearance or functionality of a product as it increases its personal relevance to an individual (Monk and Blom, 2007). Mugge et al (2009) argue that people are more likely to create emotional bonds with personalized products than with non-personalized products. I was interested in seeing if the participant will design more versions of the same bracelet, creating different traces on the material and associating meaning with the trace, maybe as a visual diary. The memories related to a piece of jewellery will not be in the wearer’s mind or be activated as digital displays, such as in the Lens project (2008); however, the material itself could remember and trigger memories. Memories associated with a link, prompts a recollection of a person, experience, story, place, feeling or atmosphere, which creates a meaningful experience for the wearer (Battarbee and Mattelmäki, 2002).
Screenshot from the interview (top) Tools forming the Clay (bottom)
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Plant 7.4
Plant
Plant is a bracelet with an organic form that hosts living organisms, such as seeds. Grass seeds have been covered in wet has the responsibility to water the seeds once a day, but is not able to control how the plant will grow. The participant is able to add more seeds in the empty spaces of the bracelet, since grass seeds have been placed only in a few of the empty spaces. The holes were left open in order for the wearer to feel the wet cotton on the skin. The wearer wears the bracelet and gets immediate feedback as the bracelet starts growing and transforming. According to Mattelmäki and Battarbee (2002), an object can be meaningful if it becomes a companion over time. Designing for (in)dependency (Chapman, 2003: 71) is another tool that designers can have in mind, as products invade our lives and depend upon our care and attention in order to survive. Here, I was interested in seeing the participant’s relationship with an object that is transforming on its own, while the participant still has the responsibility to take care of it. The wearer has a crucial impact on the development of the bracelet while at the same time he or she
Screenshot from the interview (top) Growing seeds on the Plant (bottom)
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Stamps 7.5
Stamps
Stamps is a bracelet that has different kinds of stamps attached to the inner side of the bracelet. The participant is requested to place ink on the desired stamp and ‘tattoo’ her skin with the stamp. The stamps have the purpose to give the wearer the opportunity to choose between different types of stamps, among them the date that the bracelet was given, a text message saying ‘’gift from’’, a text message with an open interpretation ‘here, ’, 3 crosses, an X, 46664 (Mandela’s prison number) and a dashed line. My rationale was that all the stamps could be either symbols of to open up a discussion (here,), or a reminder (X + + + symbols that people used to draw on their hands when they want to remember to do something). The wearer is not able to change the chosen stamps, only to try to make sense of them and link them with his/her own experiences. The skin has always been adorned and marked for many reasons, such as personal messages, spiritual protection, fashion, status, on which the personality of a person extends (Ugur, 2013). Technology gives new dimensions to body adornment turning the tattoo into a dynamic shape. Electronic Skin is a design probe from Phillips, which adds one more layer, an ‘electronic skin’, in between the two upper layers of the skin. The electronic skin is stimulated by touch, which causes the electronic tattoo to traverse across the landscape of the body. While in this example the medium that transforms the ‘tattoo’ is the human touch, in my experiment Stamps, the medium of interaction with the skin is the bracelet. I was interested in seeing the relationship that the participant will develop with an object and the stamps as two things that have different lives simultaneously.
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Photo documentation from the interaction with the Stamps (top) Here, , X, 46666 from the Stamps (bottom)
Section 03 Analysis analysis and and Discussion discussion
8.
Analysis and Discussion
My explorations raised awareness of aspects in jewellery design such as the material explorations, the variety in temporality of the trace created character of some pieces of jewellery, as well as the level of controlling the interaction and the relationship between the object and the trace. Having these parameters in mind, I will examine the existing examples in literature with the object. More examples relevant for the following analysis can be found in the appendix A.
8.1
Relationship Between the Stimuli and the Effect of the Interaction
In the following, I will apply selected examples from the early chapters
given without control, and the controlled expressions that the body gives. When the body movement triggers the interaction, there is a high levelof control, such as displayed in Inner and Light Brooch. When the skin works as a stimuli, such as shown in Shape Changed Jewellery and Electronic Yatoo, or when a part of the interaction is an organic material like the tissue from another human body, see Biojewellery of the interaction cannot be controlled. Environmental changes, such as in the Blossom impossible to control. This unexpected element and the ambiguity of the interaction drew my attention as an element that could trigger intriguing interactions. In the examples Shape Changed Jewelry and Electronic Tattoo Biojewellery the element of the changes of a living organism is not coupled with the transformations of the object. In the Blossom project there is no coupling
distinguishes the same categories. I distinguish between the interaction
to the object or decoupled? These questions led me through the process of placing them into the matrix. Later in this chapter, I will place my explorative prototypes in the same matrix, in order to analyse the quality of interactions and put them into context.
in time. The interesting part of this project is the permanence of the in working with technology. The projects that I analysed change their appearance due to the interaction and augment the relationship between the object and the wearer. My further exploration will focus on the third category of the dialogue between technology and jewellery in the context of designing for experience.
Light Brooch lightens up the skin only for a few seconds, the Electronic Tattoo, the Shadow Jewellery as well as the Shape Change Jewellery constitute a longer lasting change on the skin. In most of the examples it is impossible to control the stimuli: Blossom, Biojewellery, Electronic Tattoo, Shape Change Jewellery. However, the stimuli can be controlled in examples such as Stile, Inner, Diabetes Necklace, Swarms, Light Brooch, Makoo, Lens, and Speckled Jewellery. In my analysis I will focus on the examples that cannot be controlled regarding the stimuli, namely Blossom, Biojewellery, Electronic Tattoo, Shape Change Jewellery.
39
40
EFFECT enviroment Light Brooch(Stoeber, 1997) contol the stimuli
Electronic skin (Philips,2007) no contol stimuli
others
Swarms ( White, 2007) contol the stimuli
Makoo (2013)
object
control the stimuli
Lens (White, 2008) control the stimuli
Speckled Jewellery (Kettley, 2009)
control the stimuli Blossom (Wallace,2008) no control the stimuli
Shape change jewellery (Heiss, 2009)
Biojewellery (2006)
Aurora (Keyok, 2008) control the stimuli Kiss Communicator (IDEO, 1999)
semi contol tissues from the person that you know no contro on stimuli
no control the stimuli
body
Stile (Kettley, 2008)
control the stimuli
Shadow jewellry Bakker, 1973)
control stimuli
Inner (Heiss, 2007)
body
41
control stimuli
control the stimuli
object
others
enviroment
STIMULI
42
8.2
Relationship Between the Stimuli and the Effect of the Interaction in my Designs
In the following, I will present how the explorative prototypes worked in the
that participants have with the traces that they leave on the object and vice versa. I want to open up an on-going dialogue between the object and the wearer by designing objects
create with the object. In my designs, materials are not ageing, but are transformed due to the interactions with the users, other materials and the environment. Trigger for the interaction can be Clay, Stamps and Flour open up the dialogue between the body and the object whereas Plant and also Flour
For Clay, the softness of the material caused transformations, as it was pressed by clothes or furniture. The participant Vicki mentioned in our interview: ‘Even though you make a pattern that you want to stay, a non-intended pattern might occur, because of the softness of the material wearer, because they had no personal meaning for her. While experimenting with the material, Vicki designed her own piece of jewellery, a ring from clay: ‘I like the playfullness of the clay being able to change how it looks’. While she was wearing the ring, during our interview, she noticed, that the shape of the ring changed due to her hand movements. These unexpected changes on the material caused a more pleasant reaction for her, ‘It feels weird and funny, because it something that I haven’t tried before. And that is interesting I am a little child. I like when I am in the class and I have the opportunity to change something. Using my mind to be creative
explorative prototypes
Clay
the clay
Plant
Flour
water
Stamps
stamp on the
enviroment
For the Flour necklace the unexpected interactions with the environment and other It was an amazing trash necklace. It is so nice the idea of the dust in the wind unexpected interaction triggers her curiosity to explore the possibilities of the materials. ‘When I had to clean my dishes, because of the water and the dishes, it made like a dough, a sort of an
interaction with the object
the jewelry
Anne continues while laughing: ‘I wanted to take a shower while wearing the necklace to see what is going to happen, but I didn’t interaction with the object
object
body
body
object
body(skin) + object
object + enviroment P
body(movemnt) + object b
C o
,
F o
b
Plant: P Stamp:S Clay:C Flour:F
o
e
,
F e
o
Clay, Plant, Flour, Stamps)
43
unpleasant reactions: ‘The necklace made a beautiful pattern. It was a little sad that it wasn’t going to stay like that the permanent traces on clay seemed to cause a nice feeling. ‘Being aware of the message you want to send to the world - Being your own creator, a small designer - it is so nice on the clay bracelet. For the Stamps confused the participant Emilie in her attempts to understand the meaning behind the text. During our talk she mentioned, that she would like to choose the message that she wanted to stamp on her body. Something that had already a meaning for her: ‘It would be really cool if I could change the stamp. Music is a very big part of myself. I would rather choose to
44
have a musical note eliminate the interactions between the object and the wearer. The only thing that Emilie was in control of, was, if she wanted to place any of the stamps or wear only the bracelet as a normal bracelet: ‘I like the idea of temporary stamps. Tattoos that you can remove and you have them only when you feel like it For the Plant, the stimuli of the interaction was something that the wearer could control, having a level of responsibility to water the plant. ‘I did not forget to take care of it
reversibility of the clay comparing to the stamps left more space for experimentation and fascinating interaction, which can be changed over time. The unexpected element of for ambiguity as a resource for design. It seems, that when the environment triggers an Flour, Clay, Plan the reversibility of the interaction. Whereas the clay as a material gives the opportunity
‘I was so curious to see it growing and become green’. Sanne connected the blossom of the plant with growth and when I asked her what is going to happen when the plant dies, she told that she would rather change the seeds before that moment or pick a plant that can grow ‘I really like the idea to have spring throughout the year, when it is windy and cold outside’.
Clay and Flour In the following chapter, I focus on the relationship between the trace and the object as well as how the wearer perceives their relationship.
no control the stimuli no control effect temporary effect irreversible
EFFECT
Clay
envoriment
8.3 others
object
control the stimuli control effect temporary effect reversible
no control the stimuli no control effect temporary effect irreversible
semi control the stimuli no control effect permanent effect irreversible
no control the stimuli no control effect temporary effect reversible
Relation Between the Object and the Traces
In the beginning of the interaction with my experiments, there is a clear relationship between the wearer and the object as well as between the object and the trace. The trace is dependent on the object and the wearer, since without them, the trace cannot
Clay
Plant
object trace body
static
Flour
object trace
able to change
dynamic
Stamps
object trace
‘alive’
dynamic aethereal
object
static static
trace
control the stimuli control effect temporary effect
body
object
others
enviroment
STIMULI
can we detached the traces from the object?
‘I like this work in progress idea.Xmm you can take a new clay that is going to dry in a n hour and go again. I like the idea of building on top of this, Tomorrow I might add something or alter it. I think I actually like it.’ attached
‘I thought it was one thing a jewelry with a plant’
attached
‘I felt that the two things are one. So, wearing the T-shirt without the jewelry didn’t seem complete.LIke one unity’
the ink stamps and the bracelet were easily detached from the participant.
attached
detached
that I propose. However, it is not possible to come to general conclusions, as it seems there is an interesting interplay between the level of control over the interaction and
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46
As I mentioned in the previous chapter, Stamps and Clay can be characterised as rather static objects in the interaction, whereas Plant and Flour are rather dynamic. Regarding the static objects, the traces are changeable for Clay, whereas they remain static in Stamp. The Flour necklace leaves ethereal traces whereas the plant traces are alive. For all the I like this work in progress idea. Xmm, you can take a new clay that is going to dry in an hour and go again. I like the idea of building on top of this. Tomorrow, I might add something or alter it. I think I actually like it I thought it was one thing, a jewellery with a plant’ was one unity: ‘I felt that the two things were one. So, wearing the T-shirt without the jewelry didn’t seem complete, like one unity’. For Emilie the stamps and the bracelet are easily decoupled, but one of her comments brought the interesting topic of the type of traces, and the way they link to the object. When I asked her, that, if she could change something on her bracelet, what it would be, she gave the following response: ‘It would be really cool if
interaction, over time, the trace can either become an object by itself, starting to give
wearer in various ways. Any interaction with the environment or other objects in the environment or the body can add or reduce value to the trace and the object. Therefore, the relationship that people have with their worn objects is an ongoing dialogue, which make them reThroughout the life span of the object and the trace, the meaning attributed by the wearer depends on his/her personal associations and relationship with the object and the trace. The wearer can create a strong emotional bond with the traces, the object or the new object, according to the sense making process.
stimuli of interaction
get the stamp of a whole bracelet new message. The bracelet gained importance in the interaction because of its function. Emilie said: ‘I thought that the stamps were more important that the bracelet. But the bracelet becomes more important to me because it could leave a stamp on me’ . object P AM ST
trace
Was it intersting that you have sthg on your skin without wearing the bracelet?
object P AM ST
trace
‘’I think the stamp made me think about the extra stamps when I was wearing it, instead of wearing the bracelet’. I think it made a different effect on having the ink on my skin.’’ (Emilie)
‘I thought that the stamps where more important than the bracelet. But the bracelet became more important to me becase it could leave a stamp on me.’, (Emilie)
‘’It would be really cool if you could change the stamps.For example my birthday, a music note. Cause music is so important in my life. Or if for example you could have a circle underneath, so that you can get a whole bracelet.’’ Emilie
Trace as a new object with a new message
CLAY ‘Even though you make a pattern that you want to stay, an non-intented pattern might occur because of the softness of the material.’ (Vicky)
But the bracelet became more important to me becase it could leave a stamp on me.’, (Emilie)
STAMP
Object become important because of its function
meaning in time FLOUR Trace as a representation of the object Object and the trace areccoupled
‘When I had to clean my dishes, because of the water and the dishes, it made like a dough, a sort of an interesting mixture. It was intersting to see how two substances combined made sthg new’’ Anne
STAMP ‘I thought that the stamps where more important than the bracelet. Emilie
in time.
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8.4
Traces/Wearer Relationship
imagination and curiosity or, by triggering senses, they became interfaces to the past.
interaction with the jewellery. They prefer static traces and that they are able to transform according to their will. ‘A normal bracelet from silver or gold had scratches after use. Throughout the time that is something that happens, but it is nothing personal. It is interesting that I can design what it changes the transformation of the design and cause uncontrolled interactions that trigger reactions, both pleasant and unpleasant. Relationships between the object and the wearer emerging during the interaction and the dynamic type of the traces, made
The objects become meaningful for the wearer in the interaction. Rather than traditional jewellery, the jewellery that
As I noted earlier, the unexpected interaction with the wind
the dynamic and transformative jewellery the meaning is openended and the interaction is needed to reveal it. In that sense,
necklace: ‘ the dust in the wind’. Sanne added: ‘I like the idea that you have to wait to see it growing and it is one time thing. That something is going to happen and you have a feedforward which tells you that something is beautiful’. The interdependence of the responsibility of the wearer to water the plant created a interesting relationship between the object and the wearer. Sanne wore the plant bracelet also when she did not have to according to the given instructions: ‘It was nice to turn something unpersonal to something personal’, she said. Vicki commented on the plant bracelet as follows: ‘Wearing it, I smelled like spring. I love spring and I miss it during winter’. This is also interesting in relation to creating a certain feeling while wearing jewellery.
8.5
The Role of Jewellery in the Interaction
8.5.1 Instead of Re-Experience a Past Event They Have a New Experience The jewellery that I propose invites the wearers to experience something new, which they would not have known before the interaction, instead of recalling a past event, as for example the project Lens interview: ‘I usually don’t wear jewellery that changes and I never change
themselves, that we could not reveal without them: ‘It was smelling like spring and I love nature’ , ‘Wearing it outside was beautiful. eyes’
histories and experiences, but in the interaction with the person creates something new, and with another person something
they care about: ‘When I had to clean my dishes, because of the water interesting to see how two substances combined made something new. It is funny, but I wanted to take a shower with the necklace to see what is going to happen’
sense of the meaning of the stamps. She commented: ‘Here, I thought about that. Actually I read about this author of a book, where people meet and pick up a word of the book and then together created a new story. That is what came to my mind’ relations through triggering peoples imagination through senses, the pieces of jewellery create a new relation between the object ‘I touched it a lot. The fabric was very soft and it reminds me of being young, of my childhood and the house of my grandmother’
In the following I present the role that jewellery played in the
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50
8.6
The Role of the Wearer in the Interaction
try to make them look nice and cozy. Could be of a great fun to take some of these ideas and try to transform my bracelet My research focuses not on the crafted object, and how wearers might develop an attachment with the object due to
8.6.1 Participants as Co-Designers of Their Experience With the Worn Piece Craft practice has been argued to be a possible contribution to interaction design for designing for authenticity and personal choice of material that is meaningful to the wearer in the hands products. In her work, Wallace gets inspiration from fragments of lives and experiences of individuals. With sensitivity to the materials, both physical and digital, she designed objects that
patchworking technique to combine familiar materials creating a crafted object as well as craft as a process with particular associations, seem to be a valuable approach to develop personal artifacts. ‘Craft is a starting place, a
rather on how craft is organised as a material experience, which leaves room for the wearer to become a crafter of his/her own experience. That can open up ways of designing that is not focusing on the creation of the craft object, but on craft as a process, which can be revealed during the interaction.
8.7
Updating Wright et al’s Framework for Analysing Experience
In order to analyse the experience that my participants had
out of the dynamic interplay between the compositional, sensual, emotional and spatio-temporal threads of experience chapters, the designed jewellery add value to the sensual and interactions that they introduce. For me, the spatio-temporal thread represents the relationship between the trace and the
be beautiful’.
Figure 33: Clay, crafting practices
.
takes that one step further, stating that the position is shifted from the process of making to the doing of craft. Following this notion of craft, with my research I add one more layer to the relationship between the jewellery and the wearer, which is based on the craft practices during
that I propose a new thread in the framework as an extention of the compositional thread. Reading the interaction as an interplay between the maker, the wearer and the object, the interaction starts with the composition of materials chosen by the designer. With the prototypes that I introduced to during the interaction. The wearer and the environment can
experience with the worn piece. This co-experience has been described by Anne commenting on Clay as follows: ‘Being aware of the message you want to send to the world - Being your own creator, a small designer’. Sanne added: ‘I bought something for my balcony and I thought maybe I could place it on the bracelet as well’. Vicki states:
51
Re-Compositional Thread, which is revealed through the interaction, and brings an additional layer to the experience be one more tool in the hands of designers, as they design interactive objects focusing on expressive interactions and aesthetic experiences.
52
STAMPS COMPOSITIONAL from the designer
RE-COMPOSITIONAL
CLAY
FLOUR
uncontrolled and temporary traces.
stamps.
Flour + Water = Dough Flour + Wind = Dust in the wind
__________
interaction with fabrics
PLANT the organic form of bracelet designed in combination with the living plant. The design gave the feeling of something that is changing or transforming
add more seeds blossom = growth pick a plant that can grow the whole year. uncontrolled growth of the plant
hands.
SENSUAL
time.
EMOTIONAL and tranforming parts of the
Softness (through the combination of the materials) nice feeling of looking the dust in the wind
The feeling of ‘feeling good’ ‘it smells like spring’ ‘I smell like spring’ ‘I am curious to see how it is going to grow’
it reminds her her childhood and her grandmother’s house. (softness triggers memories)
Now that I am not going to have it I want to see how it will continue growing and have a green surface.
triggers her imagination(surprise of the
‘I really like the nature’ ‘I took sthg unpersonal and I made it personal’
SPATIOTEMPORAL
the object and the traces are one unity for the wearer the interaction is fast and the results uncontrolled
update the framework of analysis experience (4 theads of experiences) Wright at al (2004)
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54
09 Conclusion
55
9.
Conclusion
technology and jewellery. The insights of this thesis provide new knowledge about ways of designing wearables that focus on a holistic experience and intriguing interactions.
This thesis emphasises the importance and the potential of the interplay between form&function, which highly enriches the interaction. Craft practices, such as the patchworking technique, which combines familiar materials, are new ways of designing meaningful interactions between the object and the person. Craft thinking and knowledge,
the role of jewellery. A third level of communication in the interaction between
perspective on interactions with wearable objects. With this research, I propose craft as a material experience, which is open for further explorations, while leaving room for the wearer to become a crafter of his/her own experience By doing so, another way of
the development of a new approach to jewellery design. It has its foundation in the can be considered as objects that relate to us through the memories attached, they also
each person wearing the piece of jewellery. Thus, forthly, my research extends Wright
that transformative and dynamic forms of jewellery invite the wearer to experience something new, something that would not have been revealed without the interaction.
Re-Compositional Thread, that can be seen as a subcategory of the Compositional Thread. While the Re-Compositioal Thread emerges during the interaction with the object, turning the wearer into the crafter of his/her own experience, the Compositional Thread has an impact on the design practice before the wearer is interacting with it.
imagination and curiosity as well as, by triggering senses, they become a link to the past. The relationship that people have with their worn objects is subject to an ongoing dialogue, which makes them re-think the already existing relationship.
This research experiments with the form of the worn object and how the dialogue between the jewellery and the person can be enriched through the interaction. It does not consider the functionality of the piece of jewellery. However, form as a quality is not considered more important than function, but rather as equally important.
Design. This research focuses on the close interaction between the body, the object and the environment, as it proposes various combinations of triggers of interactions and the development of a new approach to jewellery design. the relationship that participants have with the traces that they leave on the object or the object leaves on them. The wearer creates a strong, emotional bond with the traces, the traces as well as the level of control over the interaction, are issues that are addressed in
In this thesis, I focus on the relationship between the wearer and the object. It seems between the self and others in further research. Furthermore, the combination of both, form and function could be investigated, in order to get a better understanding of how the interplay between them can lead to richer experience for the wearer.
correlation of the object, the wearer and the trace even before engaging in the design his/her design practice. Wearables. I argue, that product transformation opens up new ways of communicating with the worn object and can be a carrier of emotional information. Through my explorations, I found, that the dynamic and transformative form of the product can be a new source of aesthetics, which enhances the experience that the wearer has with the object by appropriating manners of expression.
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References
References N.Y.: Doubleday.
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Centre for Contemporary Craft.
ac.uk. Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/w/what-is-craft/
Craft and Contemporary Art
evaluation of qualitatively derived data. Behaviour & Information Technology, Hudson.
Springer.
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62
Bass.
63
Appendix A
IBM Set (IBM, 1993)
IBM has developed a prototype of a cell phone that consists of several pieces of digital jewelry that will work together wirelessly, possibly with Bluetooth wireless technology, just like a conventional cell phone. Earrings – Speakers embedded into these earrings will be the phone’s receiver. Necklace – Users will talk into the necklace’s embedded microphone. Ring – Perhaps the most interesting piece of the phone, this “magic decoder ring” is equipped with light-emitting diodes
Digital jewelry | Tree of Life. [online] Available at: http://graceformyself. wordpress.com/tag/digital-jewelry/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
caller or indicate the importance of a call. Bracelet – Equipped with a video graphics array (VGA) display,
Diabetes Neckalace and Ring (Heiss 2008-09) Leah Heiss Diabetes Jewellery. [online] Available at: http://www.
The Diabetes Neckpiece is a wearable applicator device to apply Nanotechnology Victoria’s NanoMAPs to the skin. NanoMAPs are small (10 x 2mm) circular discs which have an array of micro needles on their surface. They allow for pain-free delivery of insulin to the body, replacing syringes. The Diabetes Rings work in conjunction with the Diabetes Neckpiece. The rings are designed to keep the nano engineered insulin patches against the skin once they have been applied. They are designed as discreet housings for therapeutics. Philosophically, they question how we might ‘enable’ our favourite jewellery/artefacts with functionality above and beyond the aesthetic.The Diabetes Jewellery project was developed through my Subtle Technologies residency with Nanotechnology Victoria in 2007-8
networked for a friendship group. Built at a workbench and deliberately merging traditional craft techniques with emerging technology, each piece incorporates a prototype wireless sensor node or “Speck,” which acts to locate and identify other specks within a range of approximately 20m radius. This information is
Speckled Jewellery (Kettley, 2009) Available at: http://muse.jhu.edu/ login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/ journals/leonardo/v042/42.2.kettley. html [Accessed 4 Jun. 2014].
Light Brooch (Stöber, 1997)
which ways of greeting have been observed to change: intimate (under 30cm), social (30cm to 1m), and distant (over 1m through a limit of 20m). These distances accord with Edward T. Hall’s Dimension, 1966). When wearers of Speckled Jewelry observe or not.
The erotics of machined surfaces and smooth shapes are capitalised on in pieces designed to ligth up from within when touched and held. Stöber‘s work encourages an interactivity at odds with much jewelery designed to be admired from a distance. Stöber privileges contact over scopophilia. The body responds to the jewellery and the jewellery responds to the body.[...] The ligth fades gradually when the contact is broken. Stöber’s work regards technology benignly, as a medium for comunication and self expression. Transmitters and information interfaces operate without male gendered buttons
Saracoutinho.com, (2014). [online] Available at: http://saracoutinho.com/ blog/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
[Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
Kiss Communicator (IDEO, 1999) Available at: http://wemake-money-not-art.com/ archives/2005/10/kiss-communicat. php#.U49xcZSKVy8
The Kiss Communicator is a a concept prototype that allows you to blow a kiss to your beloved when s/he’s at the other part of the world.To let a partner know that you are thinking of her or him, you squeeze the Communicator gently. It responds with a slight glow to invite you to blow into it and create your “message” in the form of an animated light sequence as the device responds to your breath. The “message” shows while you blow and if you are happy with it, you simply relax your grip and it is sent to the corresponding Communicator. Sensors in the handheld device pick up your kiss, translate the impulse into a series of randomly lit LEDs, which are then transmitted as a slow glow to your partner’s device. On the other end, the Kiss Communicator indicates that there is a message but waits until its owner squeezes it to play back the light sequence.
Biojewellery started out by looking for couples who wanted to donate their bone cells. Their cells were seeded onto a bioactive scaffold. This material encouraged the cells to divide and grow rapidly, and the resulting tissue took on the form of the scaffold, which was a ring shape.
Biojewellery Project (2006) Biojewellery.com, (2014). Biojewellery. [online] Available at: http://www.biojewellery.com/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
bone tissue was taken to a studio at the Royal College of Art to be made into a pair of rings. The bone was combined with traditional precious metals so that each has a ring made with the tissue of their partner. The aim of Biojewellery is to strike up a range of relationships with an audience over the issues that surround biotechnology, tissue engineering in particular. The collaboration is between a core team of a bioengineer and two designers
“Stile is a neckpiece which explores the boundary between intimate space and public performance. It attempts to capture
Stile (Kettley, 2008) Under the Skin. [online] Basement. craftaustralia.org.au. Available at: http://basement.craftaustralia.org.au/ articles/20070328.php [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
kind of inner space, before a performative event.” As the wearer moves the head from side to side small sounds are emitted from the collar, audible to the user but not perceptible to the surrounding world. Kettley, a native of Scotland, was inspired by the richness and diversity of the Australian aural landscape and collected such sounds as magpie calls, the sound of water sound of surf and cicadas on the south coast of NSW. This sonic texture informed the sounds incorporated into the neckpiece. As such it becomes a mnemonic device, allowing Kettley to reexperience her time in Australia; a personal environment; and a performative garment.
Shape change jewellery is a range of wearable artefacts that change shape in response to human warmth. The pieces are developed from nano-engineered NitiNol and cast silver and suggest how our cherished possessions may interact with us through wearing. The three projects - Venus, Poppy and Field. The picture on the left shows the Field Project.
Shape Change Jewellery (Heiss, 2008-09) Leah Heiss Shape Change Jewellery. [online] Available at: http://www. [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
Les is an interactive jewellry, developed as an interface to technology.The pendant is evocative of sea washed glass and was made as a memento of a family holiday at Port Elgol, Skye. When it is held up to the ‘magic mirror’, images of a father and son skimming stones at the water’s edge appear, accompanied by the sounds of the waves washing the shore.The wearer has to move the pendant to explore the image – only a small part is visible in Lens (White, 2008)
the pendant is not visible in the mirror, both the image and the sound disappear.
White, H. and Steel, E. (2007). Agents of change: from collection to connection. The Design Journal, 10(2), pp.22--34.
Swarms (White, 2007)
White, H. and Steel, E. (2007). Agents of change: from collection to connection. The Design Journal, 10(2), pp.22--34.
The Necklace is a piece of jewellery for breast cancer patient. cab take a new bead and press it tightly against the skin. This bead than changes depending on how ill you are. The deeper the pink, the healthier you are. The whiter the bead, the sicker you are. The Necklace is a vision about how Nano technology could facilitate our intimate communication within the next years. The Necklace (van Beers, 2011) [online] Marco van Beers. Available at: http://www.marcovanbeers.nl/project/ the-necklace/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2014].
Swarm is a silver chain with a digital life. The movement of one link in a chain impacts on the behavior of the other links, causing them to move and re-array, in much the same way as a piece of code in a computer application actions another. As the wearer moves the chain, which acts on the computer code in the application, the application causes onscreen activity, the wearer understands that their actions are causing the screen activity. In this interaction the wearer could be offered alternative experiences. For example, as the wearer instructs the units to move, by altering the position of the chain in real space, the represented onscreen and array themselves as a new grouping, for example an orbit of the neck area.
Aurora (Keyok, 2008) Kyeokkim.com, (2014). - Kyeok Kim -. [online] Available at: http:// www.kyeokkim.com/ [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
Kyeok Kim’s Aurora, Second Skin by Lighting, “creates patterns of light on the body as ornamentation, extending the ornamented space around the body. Within each accessory there are LEDs, and the surface of the jewellery is covered with small holes of intricate shapes. In the darkness or dim light diodes begin to glow, projecting different patterns on the skin.Each ornament, made of copper and covered with a thin layer of white gold, can change up to three colors of light. And if necessary, a ring or a brooch can always be recharged – from a laptop or PC.
Shadow Jewellery is a collection of metal bands were fastened round various parts of the body, which on removal left a pronounced indentation in the skin- just as the elasticated ribbing on a sock might leave a mark around the lower leg, or a glance in the mirror, on walking, often reveals the creases of teh sheets or pyjama seems imprinted on the skin.
Lace Collar is a necklace made by sieving white poweder through the holes in a piece of lace, much as you might sieve icing sugar onto a beforehand, so any unexpected air or body movemnt could have been disastrous.
Lace Collar (Cullivan, 2004)
Shadow Jewelry ( Bakker, 1973)
Manheim, J. (2009). Ephemeral Jewellery: Something to Nothing. In Sustainable jewellery. 1st ed. London: A. & C. Black., 44-57
Manheim, J. (2009). Ephemeral Jewellery: Something to Nothing. In Sustainable jewellery. 1st ed. London: A. & C. Black.
How does it work? First choose your jewel, either a bracelet, a ring or a tie clip. Then customize your jewel by recording a short message. The Makoo jewelry alpha software will change the shape of the jewel according to your words and voice. The online tool also allows you to change the thickness, height and torsion of your jewel and virtually try it on.You can also embed a QR code that records information related to your message. After selecting the material your jewel is ready for 3D printing.
Chalk Chain is a necklace made by chalks. The wearing of it leaves transcient marks and traces of chalk dust are left on the wearer’s clothing.
Chalk Chain (Besems, 2004) Makoo (2013)
Cheung L.. (2009). Wear, Wearing, Worn: The transitions of jewel to Jewellery. In Cheung, L.et al. (2006). New directions in jewellery II. 1st ed. London: Black Dog Pub.12-22
Makoo Jewelry’s Materialized Emotions |[online] Available at: http://3dprintsoftheworld. com/object/makoo-jewelrys-
Blossom is a jewellery object, in London, is connected to a rain sensor, planted on the participant’s family land in Cyprus. Inside the dome
A Siberian Necklace is featuring an 18K gold necklace linking beads made out of synthetic rubies and resin-encased insects.
a mechanism, waiting to receive a signal sent from the rain sensor. Once the rain sensor has registered a predetermined quantity of rain in Cyprus, which may take months or even years a signal is sent to the jewellery object and the mechanism is activated, slowly opening Siberian Necklace (Noten, 2007)
Blossom (Wallace, 2004)
Bernabei, R. (2011). Inroduction. In Contemporary jewellers. 1st ed. Oxford, UK: Berg.
Wallace, J. (2014). home. [online] Digitaljewellery.com. Available at: http://www.digitaljewellery.com/ jaynewallace/home.html [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
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The Electronic Tattoo concept appears and disappears, rematerializing in new forms every time. The designs are created according to the skin as a kind of “second skin.” It’s practically invisible and if you have seen how liquid crystal images behave, then you have an idea of what it can do to turn your body into a dynamic art form.
‘Electronic tattoo( Phillips, 2007)
In the future, our bodies will become a platform for new personal expression through technological advancements. This particular design probe “explores the body as a platform for electronics and interactive skin technology. Stimulated by touch, an electronic tattoo traverses across the landscape of the body, navigated by desire.
[online] Available at: http://www. design.philips.com/about/design/ designportfolio/design_futures/ tattoo.page [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
Inner deals with issues of intrapersonal understanding - focussing on foibles, oddities, idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that may allude to emotional state. The garment senses a nervous habit - in this case touching the sternum - through the sensitive gingko brooch at the neck. This information is transmuted into an internal output - softly activating solenoids which tap against the ribcage; and an external output Inner (Heiss, 2007) Available at: http://basement. craftaustralia.org.au/ articles/20070328.php [Accessed 7 Jun. 2014].
awareness of our non-conscious behaviours and is the continuation of a series of projects which investigate delicate technologies which augment our relationship with the world and people within it.
Appendix B
explorative prototypes
Plant
Clay 3d printing, clay, play dough
material in use
speed and duration of interaction
Flour
Stamps 3d printing, ink
3d printing, seeds customize the types of seeds
time: fast-time interaction results:visual output, material transformations interaction and results: coupled
time: repetetive interaction (water the plant everyday) resuls: smell, self-growing plant interaction and results: not coupled
tools to form the clay
growing plant
interaction and results: coupled
interaction and results: not coupled
water
skin
growing plant ink
controlled
semi-controlled
way of leaving the traces 2 cannot control how the seed are going to grow
can we detached the traces
+
types of emotions that arose from the interaction
‘I like this work in progress idea.Xmm you can take a new clay that is going to dry in a n hour and go again. I like the idea of building on top of this, Tomorrow I might add something or alter it. I think I actually like it.’
‘I thought it was one thing a jewelry with a plant’
coupled
coupled
playfulness, fun
curiosity
*It feels werd and funny, because it changes according to the movemnt of my
*It feels werd and funny, because it changes according to the movemnt
‘I felt that the two things are one. So, wearing the T-shirt without the jewelry didn’t seem complete.LIke one unity’
coupled
‘I touched it a lot. The fabric was very soft and it reminds me of being young, of my
decoupled
From the dictionary aug·ment to increase the size, amount, or value of something aug·ment v. aug·ment·ed, aug·ment·ing, aug·ments 1. To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity: 2. Make (something) greater by adding to it; increase
Cover Art: Henrike Feckenstedt