the
issue two
DETOURIST a game of slots
april 2014
A GAME OF SLOTS
in this issue A GAME OF SLOTS
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info WHAT IS HABITUATION?
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PREVENTING HABITUATION
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article APOPHENIA: A FALSE POSITIVE
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project MINDLESS ACTIVITY GACHA MACHINE
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ACTIVITY+SKETCH BOOK
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epilogue
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a game of
We are all creatures of habits. No matter how much we deny it by doing something different, subconsciously we are enslaved and dependent on routines to run our lives. Relax — that’s not a bad thing at all. How else can we do things well if not for that ingrained knowledge? Afterall, practice makes perfect and practicing is to make a habit out of something. As with all things, the key is moderation: to eliminate habits would retard efficiency, but absolute reliance is to remove the element of surprise in life. That is what makes great design — a moment fullfiled by a successful synthesis of seemingly irrelevant ideas. And that will never happen if all designers stick to the trial-and-tested solutions. A GAME OF SLOTS
Now pull that handle on the slots machine of ideas and don’t be daunted by the unknown that you may encounter!
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WHAT IS HABITUATION?
When we become habituated, the experience is similar to jadedness. Dulled by overindulgence, our emotional response to the activity, food or action becomes indifference. The thought of riding a 15-storey high roller coaster might have been terrifying the first time round, but by the third or fourth ride of the day, you almost feel like yawning! Subconsciously, we have become so habituated to our surroundings that we take privileges for granted and everyday sights become as boring as white walls. To list habituation as a cause of apathy may not be an unfounded accusation afterall.
THE DETOURIST — ISSUE TWO
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ha·bit·u·a·tion noun 1. the action or process of becoming habituated 2. the diminishing of an innate response to a frequently repeated stimulus
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PREVENTING HABITUATION
Spice up daily routines.
Savour every moment.
Some routines are inevitable, like getting to work and having lunch, but that doesn’t mean we should always keep to the same route or menu for the day. Habituation can be easily combated simple by tweaking daily routines slightly. Who knows, you might fall in love with a new discovery!
“I’m not sure what exactly I’ve done today.” Working professionals would agree with this. Sometimes, we become so accustomed to a routine that we fail to focus on the moment and reflect on our emotions. Don’t be convinced that it will always be the same as the previous time. Experience your experiences and reflect on how you feel — it will help you identify what’s working and what’s not. A GAME OF SLOTS
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APOPHENIA: a false positive
There is a car with a dented bonnet and blood splattered in front of it; a girl had fallen down five times more than normal after changing her shampoo; your perfectly healthy dog had fallen very ill after a new neighbour moved in.
THE DETOURIST — ISSUE TWO
Based on the three situations above, you had probably thought of possible causes reactively — there was a car accident, the shampoo must be jinxing her and your neighbour had poisoned your dog! As ridiculous as those conclusions may sound, we are all wired to rationalise through references to our prior knowledge and experiences. Perhaps as a preperation for dangerous situations, this tendency to detect patterns is a survival instinct our
brains are eqiupped with, to err on the side of caution by interpreting danger when there is none. But in the generation we live in, most of us are fortunate enough to not live in fear. Even so, the ability is so ingrained that we apply it subconsciously in our daily lives. Besides connecting logical facts, our eyes make visual comparisions as well. Remember when you were young and used to find images in clouds? While the premise is similar, when used in real life the ability is often used to seek meaningful patterns in randomness. Doesn’t that sound like an ability that design heavily relies on? Designers constantly seek meaningful connections
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between unrelated ideas. Only with that can unique, lovely surprises be born. The keyword here is, perhaps, metaphors. The creative mind finds a multitude of ways to solve problems, describe with words and express themselves. Apophenia may be an obstacle in some aspects of life, but we can’t discount the fact that it helps to make life more interesting by spurring our imagination.
YOU’RE ALL A GAME SURROUNDED OF SLOTS
The ability to find patterns can be evolved into a design aptitude through apophenia. As we diligently search for connections, we might just arrive at an awesome idea.
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project
MINDLESS ACTIVITY GACHA MACHINE
In order to combat habituation and infuse an element of surprise, a gacha machine was chosen as the medium to provide suggested mindless activities to the troubled creative. The dispensed inserts provide not just an activity the user can engage in, it relays quotes by established creatives as well as alternative methods with humour. Whether in schools or at work, the mindless activity gacha machine is a go-to tool designers can count on to alleviate their creative ruts, with a different activity every time.
ACTIVITY+SKETCH BOOK
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project
Sketchbooks are the lifeblood of every creative professional, but traces of overcoming creative blocks are often absent from its records. The activity+sketch book provides 50 different activities either mindless or nurturing creative apophenia, for users to engage in when encountering an idea drought. It provides a medium to record the process of de-blocking and perhaps, find out the catalyst of the rut. A GAME OF SLOTS
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epilogue In order to work faster and match the speed of our society, we have no other choice than to allow habits to run our lives.
THE DETOURIST — ISSUE TWO
Despite that, life is best lived savouring every moment. Welcome changes and live flexibly to gain experiences. Gradually but surely, we can become designers capable of greater things.
thanks to
editted, designed, illustrated and photographs by paper
Psychology Today, W. E. Hill
Chua Wan Lin
Naturalis Smooth White
the
detourist
issue two april 2014
Published for the project www.itsadetour.com