Presence_A Set of Interactive Furniture_MFA_Thesis Paper

PRESENCE

A CRITICAL DESIGN Technology often prevents us from connecting with others in real life.

Presence raises awareness of our disruptive behavior, particularly with mobile phones, and offers a measure of relief.

MFA Design and Technology Thesis Written and Designed by Yu Zhang Parsons School of Design 66 5th Ave New York NY USA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED All works Š YU ZHANG 2016 Please do not reproduce without the expressed written consent Thesis Advisior Jesse Harding Kate Sicchio

Louisa Campbell Andrew Zornoza

PRESENCE

The design criticizes technology’s disruption of the present moment when people have a sense of self and are truly together.

By Yu Zhang

CONCEPT STATEMENT Henry David Thoreau wrote about “Three Chairs” in his house, one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.1 This piece reimagines Thoreau’s chairs for the digital age.

My goal is to raise awareness of how our obsession with digital devices is impoverishing our lives. Instead of constantly consulting their smartphones, people might actually look up and be able to connect with experience and others, rather than isolating on the superficial exchanges provided by social media.

1. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden (The InternetBookmobile, 1854), 105.

ABSTRACT With technology’s increasing prevalence, social experience,

reshaping our sense of ourselves.

emotional experience and even the human mind are changing tremendously. The invention of technology is becoming

Henry David Thoreau once said, “I had three chairs in my house;

increasingly personal right now. In the past, people used to share

one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”2

one device in a specific place, like a family watching television together at home. Today, a smartphone can meet the different

In the case above, my reaction is to create a set of interactive

desires of almost everyone, so we carry our little phones every-

furniture (one table and three chairs) with affordances to bring

day, everywhere, as if the device were tied to our hands. This

smartphone addicts back to the present moment. The installation

seems to be the starting point of changing the ritual of social

will force people to be with others or alone with their individual

interaction.

thoughts, away from the constant distraction provided by mobile media.

People’s time is so valuable, everyone is pursuing greater efficiency. We want to spend time with our friends and family, but also don’t want to miss any messages from the phone. So when you get a new message, you just can’t help to swipe the phone to check what is going on, or start to post on social media. However, the moments when you and your friends are truly together seem less important. You may not even know about what the other said entirely, because you have already concentrated on the content on the phone.

Meanwhile, those personal devices simplify our every emotional expression into 2-dimensional fragmented information, text, pictures, video, quickly passed to each other, or spread on social media. The response from the other side turns into a simple and quick reply or even a “like”. This simplistic way of communication seems to be highly efficient, but human relations are starting to become less profound, which is no longer connected to each other and self-fulfilled. Online platforms (social media) are

2. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden (The InternetBookmobile, 1854), 105.

IMPETUS The idea of focusing this topic actually started from 2011 while I

social media. However, just because our time is so valuable, we

was completing my bachelors degree in University of Oregon.

should spend the Present Moment with a right person, right time

When my journalism instructor raised a question, “whose

and right place for a real conversation without the disruption from

relationship was broken only because of social media?”, half of

smart phones.

the class raised their hands. I was shocked. Obviously, the virtual world provided by technology has already created a huge impact on people. This phenomenon can also be found while people are waiting for the subway, especially in the big city. Almost everyone is swiping their cell phones, whether they are alone or have company. At the restaurant, this phenomenon is even worse.

Since when did people choose to use personal digital assistants to interact with each other instead of mutual communication?

Last week, I scheduled a dinner with my friend. It was not easy to find a restaurant in New York at night without waiting. It took us a while to find a place, and sit down to enjoy our meal. In the meantime, she constantly checked her cell phone, mostly on social media. After ordering food, she finally put down her phone.

I found that was a very interesting move. I asked her, “why are people so into swiping their phones?” She said, “Busy. People in big city just want to look busy. People are looking for time efficiency.” Then, as usual, we took a bunch of photos, selected the best one, added some filters and location, and posted it on social media. Surprisingly, the whole process of sharing the moment on social media actually took us a while. When I was on my way home that night, I kept thinking, yes, everyone is so busy, busy at school, busy at work, busy at chasing personal achievement. We don’t have much time to have a real conversation, and we are more willing to express ourselves as a photo or a video on

MY ROLE AS A DESIGNER As a designer, I’ve always thinking, is technology changing humans or humans changing technology? What actually is appropriate design that can be adapted for human need and bring the right effect? Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby used to mention in their What If... show, “usually when we discuss big issues we do so as citizens, yet it is as consumers that we help reality take shape. It is only when products are bought that they enter everyday life and have an effect. The act of buying determines the future. Another approach is to try and change human behaviour to fit the limitations of the planet rather than modifying the environment to suit our unlimited material needs and desires.”3 Through the complexity of the media transition, the way of people interacting with each other are no longer mutually exchange symbols that are interpreted as being meaningful. So I want to draw attention to people in the current situation through the form of critical design and create an impact.

3. Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby. "What If..." Dunne & Raby, accessed December 15, 2015, http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/bydandr/496/0

RESEARCH We are living in the middle of the tremendous clash of old and

The emergence of those electronic devices are just tools for

new. Originally, we share information through a dialogue, also

people to share information or express themselves in an

known as word-of-mouth. Then, we receive information from the

efficient way. There is nothing wrong with those digital devices

new medium. The book is an extension of our eyes. Later, the

or the content inside. More importantly is how we use these

electronic technology, computer and television, shows up, which

tools and how we use them to bring a new form of human

makes the process of sharing messages quick and easy. So what

association and action.

exactly is this dramatic change influencing people? Is it making our life better or worse? Or why would I want people to reconnect with each other in a profound way?

THE EVOLUTION OF THE MASS MEDIA Figure 1.1 The Evolution of the Mass Media and Designer/Artist’s Role Figure 1.1:

same medium still can gather together in a small group.

Stage 1, people used to communicate with each other to share informa-

Stage 3, after the emergence of personal digital assistants, people no longer

tion in the community. They learnt, connected, fulfilled and establish

need to consider the location, time, content of the medium. The size of the

empathy from others.

devices can be carried easily to everywhere. People’s relationship has been

Stage 2, the broadcasting can reach a large audience through diversified

separated from then on.

media technologies, which makes people to have a different way to

Stage 4, a role of designer/artist is to create a platform or space, which

receive information. It is in a one-to-many model. People who chose the

somehow reconnects people together and reestablishs the social rituals.

1) Our Phones Reshape How We Think

to entertain themselves, at least when asked to do it on the spot.

Over the past few decades, technology usage has grown

boredom, sometimes negative stimulation is preferable to no

significantly. Today, almost every one has their own cell phones.

stimulation."5 Today, we almost don't have enough time to sit

As of 2013, 90% of American adults had a cell phone of some

down and think about self-reflection, not to mention a conversa-

kind, and for people under the age of 44, the number was closer

tion with others. We’re more eager to express ourselves in an

to 97%. The drastic increase in technology usage is especially

efficient way, and also want immediate feedback from others.

He said, "I think they just wanted to shock themselves out of the

noticeable in younger generations. In general, the way of 4

receiving information is not like the past, we don't need to wait in

However, are we all madly chasing high efficiency but at the cost

front of the television for a specific program, or even have a real

of true communication and connection? Maybe we need the high

person to talk with. Both of these situations require a specific time

efficiency in a formal business meeting, but what about in our

and a physical location. Now we can pull out our phones

daily life? After Sherry Turkle interviewed some high school

anywhere (whether in the

students, she shared the results in her book, Reclaiming Conver-

classroom, subway, or office), anytime (wake up, during a meal,

sation, that most young people would rather text than talk.

before sleep) and easily pick the content we would love to read.

Because they think it is hard to control what they are going to say,

We can always find the right content which can satisfy us

and they can edit their response to get them “right” in text

immediately through this small device. Everything can be

message form.6 In other words, for example, if we can articulate

determined by ourselves. Then we begin the pursuit of efficiency,

the things through in-person conversation in 5 minutes, but we

comfort, which also leads to the lack of patience and empathy. In

need 10 to 20 minutes to modify repeatedly our messages. So is

this way, people’s thought pattern has been reshaped into a new

it really the high efficiency that we are looking for? When we are

form, which always demands fresh and exciting input, and we say

in the same situation, atmosphere and time, we can have a

we turn to our phones when we’re bored.

face-to-face conversation or even physical contact, which can make the whole conversation more complete, and most important

In the recent experiment from Timothy Wilson, the study indicates

is that we can build empathy. When we are in the digital form, we

that people preferred to get electrical shocks to themselves rather

can’t expect what the other side looks like, how emotional the

than just sit there do nothing for 15 minutes. Some volunteers did

person is, how the environment is, and that’s why many people

not enjoy spending a few minutes to do nothing, but thinking or

are getting paranoid or even end relationships. Because we are

daydreaming, and they found it hard to concentrate. Wilson

unable to share the physical connection, and establish empathy

mentioned that many people find it difficult to use their own minds

with each other through the digital platform.

4. Alexid, C. Madrigal, “More than 90% of adult Americans have cell phones,” The Atlantic, June 6, 2013, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/06/more-than-90-of-adult-americans-have-cell-phones/276615/. 5. Will Dunham, “Would you rather sit and think or get shocked? You'd be surprised,” Reuters, July 3, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-thinking-idUSKBN0F827V20140703.

6. Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation (New York: Pengiun Press, 2015), 22.

2) The Social Ritual is Changing

with co-present strangers, for those who frequently rely on cell

The biggest difference between face-to-face communication and

situation where the social ritual is changing constantly. For

the exchange of information through mobile media is the social

strangers, especially two strangers who both have smartphones,

ritual. Traditionally, in-person conversation is like a formal

maybe the content in the phone is a good starting point to have a

meeting, people should pay attention to things that happen, the

conversation, so they won’t have to do it under a huge pressure in

topic and even each other’s facial expression in the present

an awkward moment without any topics. Baym, principal

moment. Now the emergence of mobile media somehow changed

researcher at Microsoft Research, believes that research

the social ritual. We want to spend time with our friends and

suggests digital communications enhance relationships and that

family, but also don’t want to miss any messages from the phone.

“the evidence consistently shows that the more you communicate

phones to get and exchange information about news.9 We are in a

with people using devices, the more likely you are to communiWe allow our and others’ phone on the table just in case of an

cate with those people face to face.”10 The mobile device does

emergency call (rarely happens). The statistics show that 30% of

offer a great help to people before having a conversation. We use

people admitted that they check their phones during a meal with

it to schedule a meeting, a meal or a reunion with friends and

others, 24% said they check their phones while driving. As long

family. All the things we do before seeing each other are prepara-

as there is one person using a cell phone during a meal time, it’s

tion for a real conversation. Then why not sit down and pay more

like sending a sign “I’m busy on my phone, don’t disturb me”, or

attention to each other since we’ve already spent so much time to

“lighten the conversation up”. Turkle also mentioned that the mere

preparing?

7

presence of a phone on the table (even a phone turned off) changes what people talk about.8 When we communicate on our digital devices, we learn different habits, then we become accustomed to a life of constant interruption.

On the contrary, in 2011 Scott Campbell and Nojin Kwak examined whether and how mobile communication influences the extent to which one engages face to face with new people in public settings. By accounting for different types of cell phone uses, the study found evidence that mobile phone use in public actually facilitated talking

7. “Mobile Mindset Study,” Lookout, accessed December 15, 2015, https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset.

8. Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation (New York: Pengiun Press, 2015), 25.

9. Scott W. Campbell, and Nojin Kwak, Mobile communication and civil society: Linking patterns and places of use to engagement with others in public, Human Communication Research, 2011, Volume 37, Issue 2, pages 207–222.

10. Iris Adler, “How Our Digital Devices Are Affecting Our Personal Relationships,” WBUR, January 17, 2013, http://www.wbur.org/2013/01/17/digital-lives-i

PRECEDENTS We are living in the third machine age, an age of electronic

Below are 4 examples of interactive projects that share the

devices that hardly seem like machines at all. For today’s

same social components. The first two projects are installed in a

designers, the biggest challenge is how to combine electronic

large immersive space, and the other two are reconsidered daily

technology with everyday objects based on aesthetics and design

objects.

form to enhance social contact and everyday experience.

The City as Playground Aldo van Eyck

Goldberg Marina Abramović

+1 Chair Kevin Saxon

Listening Table NYT R&D

1) The City as Playground

Theme:

Urbanism

Architect:

Aldo van Eyck

Year:

1947

In 1947, the architect Aldo van Eyck built his first playground in Amsterdam, on the Bertelmanplein (figure 2.1). His project represented the childhood of an entire generation. After the Second World War, there is almost no space for children to play and enjoy together in Dutch cities. Van claimed, “‘functionalism has killed creativity’. A building is more than the sum of its functions; architecture has to facilitate human activity and promote social interaction.”11 There are three key elements in Van’s playground, one is minimal design, which can simulate children’s imagination; second is the modular character, and it can be combined with the local environment; the last is the relationship with the urban environment, which makes the design of playground more natural and authentic with the surrounding.

Figure 2.1 Aldo van Eyck, The City as Playground, 1947.

11. Demerijin, “Aldo van Eyck and the City as Playgrounds,” merijinoudenampsen.org, last modified March 27, 2013, https://merijnoudenampsen.org/2013/03/27/aldo-van-eyck-and-the-city-as-playground/

2) Goldberg

Theme:

Performance

Artist:

Marina Abramović

Year:

2015

Goldberg is a recent performance by Marina Abramovich, which aims to help audiences remember what full attention actually feels like (figure 2.2). Before audiences enter this serious concert, they are required to leave their personal electronic devices, phones, watch and camera in the locker so they won’t get distracted. Then they’re given a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and sit for silence in first thirty minutes. After that, pianist Igor Levit breaks the silence by playing the Goldberg Variations.

Marina mentioned in the interview that it is perfectly fine to fall asleep, and this public space was prepared to give audiences a completely different state of mind. This unusual performance provided an unconventional experience for audiences to remember how it feels when they are stay away from their digital devices.

Figure 2.2 Marina Abramović, Goldberg, 2015.

3) +1 Chair

Theme:

Face-to-Face Furniture

Designer:

Kevin Saxon

Year:

2015

The +1 Chair is a project from the RISD department of furniture design, which is titled “Face to Face: Searching for Authentic Experiences”. The chair itself just like seesaw, and it only can be balance when the weight of two people both sit on it, and encouraging a relationship of trust (figure 2.3). “With hook-up apps and social media, we’re able to meet new people so quickly and endlessly that it’s like we’re not able to enjoy the present moment of being with someone, as if intimacy is in danger because we’re always rushing to the next possibly better person,” Kung says. When Fung has been asked, “what his generation will need from the furniture of the future?”. Kung offered: “Togetherness. Furniture will need to intervene as a way to foster intimate relationships.”12

Figure 2.3 Kevin Saxon, +1 Chair, 2015

12. Caia Hagel, “Face to Face: Searching for Authentic Experiences,” ICON, last modified May 28, 2015, http://www.icoeye.com/design/news/item/11969-face-to-face-searching-for-authentic-experiences

4) Listening Table

Theme:

Augemented Furniture

Designer:

NYT R&D

Year:

2014

The Listening Table is a smart piece of furniture that hears and understands the conversations happening around it (figure 2.4). It questions the interaction between an object and its users. During the meeting, the table itself can understand people’s speech and record the important moment when any participant drops a marker. The marker will capture the audio and text transition in the important moment of the meeting. It is a new way to explore our daily objects. It looks like a conventional furniture set, but it brings the object into a new level. The table can be trusted and can also help people to improve the quality of the meeting.

Figure 2.4 NYTLABS, Listening Table, 2014.

PROTOTYPE 1) Design Thinking COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

ONE CHAIR (SOLITUDE)

TWO CHAIRS (FRIENDSHIP)

THREE CHAIRS (SOCIETY)

Figure 3.1 Design Thinking - Community

Consider if a community is a circle, then like-minded people inside are all individuals. The table itself is a platform (a medium) that gathers each person, and a chair represents each one (figure 3.1). Based on Thoreau’s “three chairs”, when one person sits down, it means solitude, two means friendship, three means society. When all three of them all sit down together in this circle, then the community has been established with the content (people themselves) inside.

Figure 3.2 Rough Paper Prototype

surrender your phone

arduino & sensor

Put the phone inside

arduino & sensor

Able to sit(reward)

Pull out the phone

Unable to sit (punishment)

Figure 3.3 Punishment System

Based on “phone stacking game” that people play in a bar. At the

stools are unable to sit because the seats flip down (figure3.3). If

beginning of the drink or the meal, everyone needs to stack all

they come closer, participants will find the text “surrender your phone

their phones at the center of the table into a pile, and whoever

to sit” on the table along with the slot. The seat of the stool can flip

pulled the phone out need to pay the bill for everyone else, which

up only when a person surrenders the phone into the slot. On the

creates a punishment system for people to remember and leave

contrary, when a participant pulls out their phone, the seat of the

their phones away during social gatherings.

chair flips down as a punishment to whomever left the present moment and this small community.

So I designed all the phone slots at the center of the table (figure3.2). When people see this piece, they will notice that all

2) Stool

arduino

motor driver carrier

linear actuator

Figure 3.4 Mechanism

In order to make the seat of the stool flipping, I did some research

In terms of the stool, I put an extra dowel under the surface of the

on the mechanism system about pulling and pushing. It turns out

seat, so the seat can be rotated with the dowel by the jigs on two

that linear actuator can do this pretty well, and it also can be

sides while the linear actuator is retracting.The mounting brackets

controlled by arduino with an extra board “motor driver carrier”

of linear actuator are mounted both under the seat and the piece

(figure 3.4). The linear actuator that I got can support 225 pounds

at bottom between two front legs. So when the linear actuator is

lbs maximum lift, which means almost every adult can be lifted.

retracting, it pulls the seat down, and vice versa (figure 3.5).

The retracted length is about 10 inches and stroke length is 6 inchs. The speed is 0.39 inches/sec, which is not very fast and won’t cause any accidents.

16 in

0.75 in

position 1

20 in

17 in

position 2

Figure 3.5 Stool Diagram

stool dimension (final outcome)

Figure 3.6 Stools Final Outcome

3) Table Table Top

phone slot chamfer

Table Bottom

table stand slot

Table Stand

corner bracket

Figure 3.7 Table Assembly View

Just like the “phone stacking game�, everyone stacks phones in

pieces of plywood with a certain angle and glued them into one

the middle of the table. I designed all three slots near the center

round, hollow piece, so that I can hide all electronic parts inside.

of the table, and chamfered the edges, so people can grab and

The table bottom piece has 1 inch deep slot, so the table stand

place their phones easily. The table top is finished by using CNC

can fit inside, and use screws to stabilize all of them at the

machine. In order to hide all the sensors and arduino, I cut 12

bottom.

45 x 45 in

1 in

35 in

20 in

1.5 in

table dimension

Figure 3.8 Table Diagram

Figure 3.9 Table Final Outcome

4) Electronic Parts

Power Supply Adapter x 3 110V- 240V

Motor Driver Carrier 3 Linear Actuator 3

Linear Actuator 1

Motor DriverCarrier 1 Motor Driver Carrier 2

Linear Actuator 2

Figure 3.10 Electronic Parts Diagram

Linear Actuator - Black Linear Actuator - Red Power Supply - Black Power Supply- Red

Pushing Pulling

Figure 3.11 Circuit (Linear Actuator + Motor Driver Carrier) Diagram

Controlling a linear actuator by arduino only needs a piece of motor driver and power supply (figure 3.10). The motor diver,

A2

rated for 12v 5a, comes with screw terminals and male/female headers unattached. The female power plug screwed into motor

A1

driver GND&VIN, and it also can be unplugged with power supply easily (figure 3.11). Another two holes OUTA&OUTB are connectied with linear actuator’s wires.

A3

The action of making a linear actuator to move is using a photoresistor and a RGB LED (figure 3.12). They will be all mounted to the little phone container under the table top. So every time whenever a person puts/pulls a phone from the phone container will block the lights from LED, and triggers the data from photoresistor. So the fluctuation of number can send different movement to the linear actuator, in this case, pulling and pushing.

Figure 3.12 Trigger

Figure 3.13 Presence Final Outcome

BIBLIOGRAPHY Adler Iris. “How Our Digital Devices Are Affecting Our Personal

Henry David Thoreau. Walden. The InternetBookmobile, 1854.

Relationships.” WBUR. January 17, 2013. http://www.wbur.org/ 2013/ 01/17/digital-lives-i.

Madrigal, C. Alexid. “More than 90% of adult Americans have cell phones.” The Atlantic. June 6, 2013. http://www.theatlantic.com/

Campbell W. Scott, and Kwak Nojin. “Mobile communication and

technology/archive/2013/06/more-than-90-of-adult-ameri-

civil society: Linking patterns and places of use to engagement

cans-have- cell-phones/276615.

with others in public.” Human Communication Research. 2011, Volume 37, Issue 2.

“Mobile Mindset Study.” Lookout. Accessed December 15, 2015. https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset.

Demerijin. “Aldo van Eyck and the City as Playgrounds.” merijinoudenampsen.org. Last modified March 27, 2013.

Turkle Sherry. Reclaiming Conversation. New York: Pengiun,

https://merijnoudenampsen.org/2013/03/27/aldo-van-ey-

2015.

ck-and-the-city-as-playground/.

Dunham Will. “Would you rather sit and think or get shocked?

You'd be surprised.” Reuters. July 3, 2014. http://www.reuters.com/ article/us-science-thinking-idUSKBN0F827V20140703.

Dunne Anthony, and Raby Fiona. "What If..." Dunne & Raby.

Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/ content/bydandr/496/0.

“Generation Y”. BussinessDictionary.com. Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Generation-Y. html.

Hagel Caia, “Face to Face: Searching for Authentic Experiences.”

ICON. Last modified May 28, 2015. http://www.iconeye.com/ design/news/item/11969-face-to-face-searching-for-authentic-experiences.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who have provided invaluable advice, encouragement and help with this project. I would like to thank Jesse Harding and Prof. Louisa Campbell, who guided and helped me to finish this project. Thank Prof. Kate Sicchio and Prof. Andrew Zornoza for being genuinely supportive to my project. Also, thanks to Prof. David Carroll for giving critical comments and suggestions on my concept, and taught me to be more objective. Thanks to my friends who gave me comments and ideas after experienced my installation. Thanks to my friends and parents in China, who always support me. I also want to express enormous gratitude and respect for all of the artists, writers and designers quoted and referred to in the text for the purposed of academic analysis.

Yu Zhang’s Website www.plumeyu.com Contact plumezy@gmail.com

Yu Zhang, was born and raised in Shanghai. She studied Printing Graphic Art before in Shanghai. In 2011, she went to Oregon, and received a BS in Product Design in University of Oregon. In order to know more about design thinking, she moved from west coast to east coast to study Interaction Design in the Master of Design and Technology program in Parsons. Yu is passionate about making meaningful design based on visual and feeling.