PROCESS by tim Poe

PROCESS

PROCESS!

SOLAR DECATHLON WORKSHOP

8 47 48 - 57

VIDEO IDENTITY

58 - 63

STUDIO PROJECT

64 - 67

INDEX

68 - 71

GAME/INTERACTION

72 - 87

MANIFESTO PERSONAL

88 - 93 94 - 101

Introduction

or what Ive learned this semester

It’s no surprise that last semester left me questioning my place in this program and the decisions I had made to be here. I chose projects and approaches that I had little emotional connection with and it showed. I wasn’t fully committed to the work and it showed. I wasn’t gaining much ground and it really showed. Fortunately, this semester has been a drastic change for the better as I have tried to approach things differently. I’ve tried to make things that I cared about and I’ve tried to care about the things I’ve made. I also felt that several of the projects from this semester allowed more of a personal connection as well as a focus on and experimentation with form. This has been cathartic. My process works best at this point if I delve into form early on. My current situation and the time constraints that accompany this make it difficult for me to conceptualize at length. I hope to change certain aspects of this situation soon in order to focus on design more and continue to build my conceptualization skills. This semester though has tought me that I am in the right place, I can and should make things that have personal meaning for me, and I want this enough to do what it takes. I’ve seen examples of design helping people and design that was just fun this year. And that is what I want to do.

LIGHT EXPLORATIONS

a series of posters on light and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristics

9 Poster / Light Exploration #2 / This series of posters (which was accepted into the 63rd UT Student Competition) was intended as an exploration into several of the different characteristics of light and its interaction with the world. I hoped to convey a

#2 ///// TRANSPARENCY & COLOR

2/6/10

SOLAR DECATHLON Poster / Light Exploration #3 / This poster was a look at layering and the density that can follow.

# 3 ///// LAYER & DENSITY

2/6/10

11 Poster / Light Exploration #4 / Diffusion and the proximity of visual elements is explored here.

# 4 ///// PROXIMITY & DIFFUSION

2/6/10

SOLAR DECATHLON Poster / Light Exploration #5 / This iteration is a take on color and pattern as well as the obvious symbolism.

# 5 ///// COLOR & PATTERN

2/6/10

13 Poster / Light Exploration #6 / Refraction is the subject of this piece as I wanted to visualize the divergent path of light as it occurs.

#6 ///// REFRACTION & SPECTRUM

2/6/10

SOLAR DECATHLON

ICONS

For the icons I wanted to create a consistent, unified system that used repetition of forms and proportions. Though I feel like the system is clear and readable, I also feel that it somewhat overpowering with itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current stroke width. Two of the icons were used for the proposal board for the competition and the system of the abstract sun was used for them all.

SOLAR DECATHLON LIVING LIGHT PROPOSAL BOARD

15 user controlled daylighting

transparency

sunlight gives power

function defines light level

light footprint on the environment

compact living

livinglight

de]

living light harvest the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy

de]

Like the leaves of a plant, the integrated roof-top array provides energy and shade for the home. The 9 k w array is comprised of 72 hollow acrylic half-cylinder tubes 18 feet in length with the flat of each tube angled at 30 degrees. Air drawn through the tubes cools the photovoltaics and supplies tempered air as needed to an internal heat pump with thermal storage tank and desiccant based humidity control. A closed loop brine solution running within the tubes provides preheated water to a heat pump water heater. led strips imbedded in the acrylic provide night lighting. The entire system is assembled from readily available products and is designed to be equally at home on the roof of the Living Light home or as a retrofit to existing structures.

In developing the concept of Living Light, our team identified

leave a small footprint

maximize transparency and view

In addition to producing it own power, the house touches the land lightly and is designed to take advantage of sustainable materials and construction methods. The structural frame of the home is a tubular truss comprising the center section of a double-drop semi trailer. This allows for the majority of all construction to take place in a controlled interior environment and minimizes the need to expend energy re-erecting the structure on site. To minimize carbon footprint, local wood is used extensively as exterior and interior finish.

Inspired by the natural beauty of Southern Appalachia, the Living Light team took as a challenge the creation of an energy efficient living area connected spatially and visually to the landscape outside. This was achieved through the use of fixed aerogel panels on the north, moveable thermal shades on the south, and multi-pane glazing throughout.

live compact

give people control of light, view, and ventilation The north and south facades incorporate inner and outer glass panes with motorized shades and horizontal blinds sandwiched in between. Operable panels allow outside air to be admitted when humidity is acceptable.

floor pl an

3/16" = 1'â&#x20AC;&#x201C;0"

north

The Living Light home is intended as a retreat from the visual and physical clutter of the Information Age while integrating technology seamlessly into the design. Inspired by the cantilever barns of Southern Appalachia, the floor plan organizes support spaces into two dense cubes of program framing the open living space in between. The greatest luxuries in the Living Light home are volume and light.

six overlapping strategies:

allow space to transform with function Two cores organize the daily rituals of life. The public core contains most kitchen appliances and is near the island. The millwork of the public core can be entirely closed to hide its function while the island extends to accommodate from 2 to 8 people. The opposite core contains the more private elements of bed and bath. The adjacent entertainment center acts as a footboard and defines the space of the bed when in use and folds out to become a desk when the Murphy bed is stored.

SOLAR DECATHLON

PRIVATE

LIVING LIGHT PATTERNS OF USE

PUBLIC

SOLAR DECATHLON

dining entertaining sleeping leisure/work

active

inactive

at rest

6AM

6PM

6AM

Basic Wiring Connection for the Living Light Solar House:

METER

For a basic wiring connection flow chart between the photovoltaic cells (solar panels), the load (house), and the utility grid is as follows:

Collaboration

(M.E. / E.E. / A.A.)

(SMART GRID )

PV Cells

METER

Inverter

(DC‐AC conversion)

(Monitoring)

FUTURE (RESIDENT )

Internal Monitoring System

Load (House)

AC DISCONNECT

Smart Meter

Utility Grid

Two inverters are likely to be used to interface the panels with the grid due to the Photovoltaic system ratings (9‐13kW). The inverter is used to convert the DC input power from the solar panels to AC output power to feed the house loads and send the extra energy to the utility grid. The internal monitoring system interfaces the appliances, indoor and outdoor environment with the host. The smart meter monitors the net input/output power (from the solar cells and utility grid) to the house for the power service providers and also for internal use.

PV ARRAY

COMBINER

DC DISCONNECTD

C/AC INVERTER DC AC

INVERTER LOAD CENTER

MAIN PANEL

INVERTER OCPD

GROUNDING ELECTRODE

DIAGRAMS These diagrams are the revisions I made for the mechanical and electrical engineering systems and one of them is a diagram to represent the use and activity cycle of the house.

outside air PV Panels Tube Collectors

wet inside exhaust (dryer, waste heat)

outside exhaust

dryer

Heat Recovery Ventilator

fan outside air bypass (winter/night)

Solar Thermal Collectors closed loop

Thermal Storage (water) 120F secondary

Heating desiccant

Cooling (DX Coil)

Domestic Hot Water 120F

compressor

Heat Pump supply air (high velocity)

IDENTITY WORK

Living light will be the death of me.

Livi ng Light Will Be T he Death O f Me.

SOLAR DECATHLON

FINAL LOGO This is my final logo for Living Light. This iteration captures a light-hearted and fun sensibility that no other solar decathlon house is likely to share. People should enjoy their lives and through this Living Light can mean not just environmental awareness, but also a joyous way of life. I feel that this version has enabled me to give some of my personality to the mark as well as open it up to another possibility for market demographics. The main purpose of the Solar Decathlon is to push the awareness and innovation of green building technology further. This brand identity would reinforce this concept by opening up the possibilites of increasing awareness of eco-friendly living to kids. Kids that will become the future owners of our world as well as our houses.

SOLAR DECATHLON

This logo iteration is surface level and somewhat expected, but I feel that it works well with the concept of living light. This is an ambiguous representation of both a feather and a leaf combined with rays of light to create double Ls. This is effective but, somewhat cliche.

SOLAR DECATHLON

After British Petroleum merged with Amoco, the oil giant commissioned branding firm Landor & Associates and advertising agency Oglivy & Mather to fashion a corporate identity that would convey the image of a forward-thinking, socially conscious company. BP had already begun building that persona: After all, former CEO Lord John Browne was the first oil executive to acknowledge the threat of global warming. The bursting green, yellow, and white Greek mythology-inspired “Helios” symbol that replaced BP’s shield is meant to imply a shift toward alternative, environmentally-friendly sources of energy like solar and biofuels, and relentless advertising has made the company’s initials synonymous with “beyond petroleum.” But a series of oil spills and accidents suggested that BP wasn’t walking the walk, leading some to consider its wildly successful mark more a mask than its true face. “If the story doesn’t hold up, the mark and the brand start to lose their luster,” says Brendán Murphy, senior partner at Lippinott, a brand management firm.

pantone 355

pantone 368

pantone 109

SOLAR DECATHLON

Helios is the young Greek god of the sun. He is the son of Hyperion and Theia. By the Oceanid Perse he became the father of Aeëtes, Circe, and Pasiphae. His other children are Phaethusa (“radiant”) and Lampetia (“shining”) and Phaeton. Each morning at dawn he rises from the ocean in the east and rides in his chariot, pulled by four horses - Pyrois, Eos, Aethon and Phlegon -- through the sky, to descend at night in the west. Helios once allowed Phaeton to guide his chariot across the sky. The unskilled youth could not control the horses and fell towards his death. The reverence of the sun as a god came from the east to Greece. Helios was worshipped in various places of the Peloponnesos, but especially on Rhodes, where each year gymnastic games were held in his honor. Rhodos was also where the Colossus of Rhodes (the sixth the seven wonders of the ancient world) was built in his honor. This huge statue, measuring 32 meters (100ft), was built in 280 BCE by Charès of Lindos. In the earthquake of 224-223 BCE the statue broke off at the knees. On other places where he was worshipped, there were herds dedicated to him, such as on the island of Thrinacia (occasionally equated with Sicily). Here the companions of Odysseus helped themselves with the sacred animals. People sacrificed oxen, rams, goats, and white horses to Helios. He was represented as a youth with a halo, standing in a chariot, occasionally with a billowing robe. A metope from the temple of Athena in the Hellenistic Ilium represents him thus. He is also shown on more recent reliefs, concerning the worship of Mithra, such as in the Mithraeum under the St. Prisca at Rome. His sacred animals were the cock and the eagle. Helios sees and knows all, and was called upon by witnesses.

Helios, the sun god also loans his namesake to a solar phenomenon referred to as a heliosphere. This prevalence of the term Helios strengthens its bond to energy (specifically solar) and I found this to be an appropriate place to begin our exploration of brand and the many possible avenues for distilling the essence of the Solar Decathlon Project.

SOLAR DECATHLON

LIVING LIGHT

LIVING LIGHT LIVING LIGHT LIVING LIGHT

SOLAR DECATHLON

For this stage of exploration I chose to use the Helios mark from Beyond Petroleumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo as a starting point visually. The term Helios is actually reference to the young Greek god Helios. Helios was the god of the sun and was often portrayed with a halo or crown. Marks 1-5 are a reference to the crown of helios as well as a sunrise, a bloom, and the energetic rays of the sun. I chose primarily cool colors and shades of blue to represent the fact that solar panels primarily use ultraviolet light. I chose to maintain the stroked lines of the forms 1-4 to represent the architectural and engineering precision needed for the design. I used a condensed version of Univers for the typeface due to its sturdy, reliable feel and compact, efficient use of space. Both of these characteristics serve the projects intentions well. For marks 6 and 7 I chose to move in a vastly different direction by using a wood texture (presumably one that would be strongly used in the home) with a white circle representing the sun and its light with the name Helios placed in the eastern most side of the mark to reference the sun rising in the east. For the next iteration of this idea I replaced the white an overlay blend option that references using light to create a change. The mark itself would appear to be faded from greater exposure than the surrounding areas.

SOLAR DECATHLON These iterations were playing with the concepts of the word interacting with a space proportional to the house as it is designed. I also looked at the idea of using light and its effect on wood as a way of creating every instance of the mark. Each application would be made of or with materials used in the home.

SOLAR DECATHLON The Rice University ZeRow House Concept Behind the House The Zerow house looks to Houston’s Third Ward Community for it’s inspiration. It’s designed to address the issues of space and cost associated with these communities while using current and innovative technologies to create an energy independent home. The home is meant to be an affordable, viable option for environmentally responsible living in a traditionally low to middle income area.

How it Applies to the Name The term ZeRow is a reference to the row houses that are traditionally high-density urban housing units found in the South as well as in the Caribbean. These small, low-priced homes usually have rooms that lead directly from one to the next in a straight line and are typically lined up in rows within their neighborhood. Obviously, the name is also a reference to the zero energy that will be required from a utility grid.

The use of a sans serif font maintains the simplicity and the lighter weight chosen for House reiterates the open, inviting feel. While I feel that the logo is quite effective, I would have liked to have seen a stronger influence from the typical structure of these row house communities, or even the Third Ward community specifically, perhaps using the structure of these communities as a means to abstract a mark. Thought I understand the need for simplicity given their concept, I think a more apparent acknowledgement to the neighborhoods of origin would strengthen the emotional connection with the home.

How it Applies to the Brand The brand suffers somewhat from inconsistent use of the logo and a somewhat unclear story when the color is removed. I feel like a mark would have been beneficial with this as it would have allowed more flexibility with the logotype while still maintaining a coherent story.

How it Applies to the Logo Promise The ZeRow house logo is very clean and elegant in its simplicity, which works well with their concept of a simple, low-frills row house. The Ze and the Row components are separated by color. The blue chosen has an inviting connotation of openness which is a key component of the houses architecture, functionality, and its intended affordability. I also wonder if there’s any intention to making this associated with these communities. Regardless, this separation also creates two entities that are arranged in a row, much like the homes of row house communities.

This house promises to function as a zero energy home within the context of a row house community. This is fairly obvious and transparent when the logo is used with consistency. I feel that there is the possibility for a somewhat unclear story, however, that could have some slight negative connotations with the emphasis on Row. The promise of the brand should be focused on the positive aspect of an energy independent home and a community that embraces it as a new, progressive way of living.

43 Position By aiming to fit a specific community, they have given themselves a defined context to work within and have succeeded in designing to this. Every aspect of this project seems to have benefited from this clear sense of vision and purpose for the home and its community.

interesting design elements throughout. One specific point of interest for me was the visual indicators for the different technologies found within the house. The visual indicators are blue dots with a white center and they vary in size depending on the importance of the technology they represent.

Brand Equity

When the cursor rolls over these indicators an information box appears that gives you the tag or name of the item. An animation provides a brief summary of the technology highlighted if it is a major item within the home. The rollover animations in the menu bar are smooth and effective. The main issue I had was there were several rollover descriptions that lingered unintentionally.

I still feel that the absence of a mark leaves the brand open and slightly vulnerable outside of its target audience and intended context. The accessibility of a mark could help land the intention of the home as well as making the home and the community seem more inviting.

Personality The clan straight forward typography lends a serious tone to the brand that is a successful echo of the architecture. Of the five winning personalities, I feel that sincerity is a strong fit given the sense of community that the home is meant to exist in and foster but the brand seems to fall somewhat of that mark. Instead it veers into a mix of sophistication and competence. I feel that the branding provided a strong, and missed, opportunity to lighten the tone and emphasize the inviting, communal aspect of the project.

Website The site is fairly clean and well organized. Its layout is uncluttered and effective, and there are a few

SOLAR DECATHLON

This is a site map for The Zerow House by Rice University.

Our Team

ZEROW

Team ZEROW

zero energy house

Rice Build ing Wo rk shop

Row House re-Imagined

Student Leads Current Student s Past Stu dent s Faculty Advisor s Team Organizatio n Construction Site @ Ric e

Rethinking Organiza tio n Light Cor e We t Cor e Material Selectio n Photovolta ic s Solar Hot Wate r Green Wall Shade Structur e

Cost s

Project Row House Project Row House Row House CDC Rice Build ing Involve ment

Sponsor s

Medi a

Gold

Prin t

Silver

Television

Green

Onlin e

In-Kin d

Radi o

Sponsorshi p Informatio n

Exhibits & Tour s Social Medi a facebook twitte r youtube picasa Photographs Vi deos

Blog

Home Contact s zerowhouse@ gmail.com

SOLAR DECATHLON

LIVING LIGHT

The idea of the brand existing online was a very interesting concept. This sparked an interest in the advantages of an online environment and to me, the primary of which is the sense of community. This approach opens up to the idea of creating an online community for those who own the home. Investing in our ecological and environmental future should be a source of pride for those who choose to live in a Living Light house. The concept would allow these home owners to upload pictures of their home to a website that would then randomly select and plug these images into the grid based mark.

MONSTROPOLOUS whatever that means

ing pe

Inspir

s the

cros ople a

countr

ok.

od bo

p a go

ick u y to p

WORKSHOP

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was born in Eatonville, Florida in 1891. At the time she was born, Eatonville had only existed for five years. Much like the description in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Eatonville was the first incorporated all-black community in America. It was founded by a man named Joe Clarke, who was eventually elected mayor. This is very similar to Joe Starks, a character in Their Eyes Were Watching God. There are many other characteristics of Eatonville that Hurston included as part of the setting in this book. Just like Joe Starks’ store porch, people would sit outside of Joe Clarke’s store porch and tell stories and have conversations about the neighbors. Similar to the pear tree under which Janie has her dreams, the outside of Hurston’s house was surrounded by beautiful flowers and fruit trees. When Hurston was 13, her mother became ill and died. Hurston had to leave Eatonville and move to Jacksonville where she started school. It was here that she was first exposed to white people and racism. This was a key point in Hurston’s life, for, like Janie discovering she was black, Hurston had to grapple with her identity as a black person. Her imagination and intelligence went wild as she got older and excelled in school. She eventually moved back to Eatonville, but a fight with her new stepmother caused her to leave; she moved in with her

brother, in another part of Florida. Hurston joined a traveling light-opera show and worked as a wardrobe girl for Miss M, an actress in the show. She left the troupe in Baltimore and started high school at Morgan Academy, where she excelled at science and math. Here, she wrote her first story, won a speech contest, and earned her diploma in June 1918. She then went on to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she met and fell in love with Herbert Sheen. Herbert eventually moved to New York, and then to Chicago for medical school. They wrote letters for over eight years before reuniting to marry. The marriage only lasted a few months, as Hurston was more interested in her writing and research. In 1925, Hurston moved to New York City. She left Howard University without graduating due to illness and financial difficulty. Once in New York, she became part of the Great Migration, a movement of southern blacks to the north, and specifically Harlem. This was the backdrop for the Harlem Renaissance, a period from 1919-1930, that produced an outpouring of ideas through art, literature, and music from blacks. Hurston eventually earned a scholarship to Barnard College, the women’s division of Columbia University. In December 1927, Hurston became the first African-American woman

to graduate from Barnard. While there, Hurstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s writing career blossomed. She developed an interest in African-American folklore. This was the start of many creative works to come.

Some of her books include: Mules and Men, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and her autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road.

WORKSHOP

THE BIG READ THAT HAPPENED REALLY FAST This project was very rewarding despite the small window of time for it’s execution. As a collaborative effort I feel that it was one of my favorite projects. There was enough variety to utilize the talents of everyone in our group and still remain somewhat cohesive. it was also a great opportunity to work with the letterpress and do some illustration work. We created a campaign based on the letterpress aesthetic since the book takes place in an era that used movable type for printing. Since the goal of the Big Read program is to encourage those who don’t typically read literature to do so, we decided to focus on the male demographic age 18-35 with a set of beer coasters that engages the viewer by asking them “Which one are you?” as a way of seeing which male character from the book they relate with most . For me this was incredibly satisfying as I often struggle finding ways to incorporate hand drawn illustration into my work without it seeming forced. This project provided an avenue for this that was not only fun, but also appropriate for our concept. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this project and I found it especially nice working with what was real world constraints, implications, and presentation.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU? a.

+ +

= monstropolus

WORKSHOP

LITERATURE CAN HELP PEOPLE HELP OTHERS The Big Read project was appropriately timed as the crisis in Haiti provided a strong context for the horrific accounts of the hurricane in the last act of the book. The idea that reading literature can help people relate to others of different backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities is a strong realization for me as I fit squarely into the demographic that typically does not delve into stories like these. Realizing our own inability to relate to the circumstances of others at times can be a difficult thing. Our compassion often knows only the bounds that we place on it. These bounds can be born of those things that make up our identities before we even know who we are. Boundaries that can blind us to those things all people share and experience. Boundaries that can blind us to the very things that make us all human. This realization has been a lingering constant with me lately as several of our projects have related to stereotypes and the current calls to action for the situation in Haiti have reached saturation. One of which that struck me was a television ad for the IRC. The International Rescue Committee aids victims of civil oppression in many lands without reference to religious or political faith.

The American branch of the NPO, The International Relief Association, was started in 1933 at the behest of Albert Einstein and in 1942 the organization became known as the IRC.

These telling and powerful images from the IRC website show the pain, heartbreak, and devastation that the IRC combats around the world.

The strong, functional, and almost universally readable mark of the IRC logo has helped to land the impact that good design can have. This symbol instantaneously inspired, energized, and refocused my idea of what design can be.

ANALOG APPLICATIONS OF LOGOS/MARKS and how arbitrary elements evolved alongside ďŁż Z

59 These BBC television station endboards were found as I did some research for the video project. I had downloaded a trial of After Effects and languished away with many hours of tutorials with thoughts of slick filterization dancing like sugar plumbs in my head. I quickly sickened of this digital domain as it was in no way representative of me or what I wanted to portray with my video. I then chose to do everything in camera and hope for the best. Working this way, without ďŁżZ , makes it too much work to use arbitrary elements.

VIDEO IDENTITY

FOOTSTEPS

poetic self-portrait

VIDEO IDENTITY

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BE ASHAMED OF WHERE YOU COME FROM

Self Portrait/Working Class For this I approached it from the working class stereotype that I feel many often view me with. These images are items that represent my past jobs and the time and effort I put into those mostly fruitless labors.

WHERE YOU ARE DON’T SETTLE FOR

Self Portrait/Unknown Things I spent my early youth lost in a field of fantasy and make believe. For this image I wanted to portray some of the many things that I wanted to be when I “grow up.” I wanted to contrast the reality of life with the hope and optimism of youth.

STUDIO PROJECT

ENVIRONMENTAL ideasynthesis

This video won an award in the 63rd annual UT Student Art Competition.

STUDIO PROJECT

to provide The idea behind this project was kspace. For me this someone with a tour of our wor e as well as the was difficult as I often work at hom convieniant. To me studio and anywhere else that is where we create thie studio concept extends beyond t where we often and reaches into the environmen large part of this find our inspiration. Nature is a valuable source to for me and I feel that it can be a draw from. ject that would This led me to an animation pro n one of the show this connection. This has bee and I feel that its most successful pieces Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created on all reflect tone, concept, and playful executi a my personality. For me process is continual growth and though this ideas can morph, replicate, and evolve.

T his pr oject pro duced la amounts rge of rand om shap composit es and ions tha t were v interesti e ry ng to m e. Most came fro o f these m simple paper sc as I wa raps s workin g.

DIGITAL COLLAGE

made with an analog method

INDEX

This project was about creating a methodology for the creation of imagery. I chose to use my lightbox(that pops up in almost every project I do) as tool to facilitate the creation of images that appeared to have been created digitally, but were in fact done using analog methods in a collage like fashion. Although Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure just how successful the digital appearance was, I am very pleased with the imagery and the system of its creation.

GAME/INTERACTION

Reward-Predictive Cues Enhance Excitatory Synaptic Strength onto Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Garret D. Stuber,1 Marianne Klanker,2 Bram de Ridder,1 M. Scott Bowers,1 Ruud N. Joosten,2 Matthijs G. Feenstra,2 Antonello Bonci1,3* Using sensory information for the prediction of future events is essential for survival. Midbrain dopamine neurons are activated by environmental cues that predict rewards, but the cellular mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon remain elusive. We used in vivo voltammetry and in vitro patch-clamp electrophysiology to show that both dopamine release to reward predictive cues and enhanced synaptic strength onto dopamine neurons develop over the course of cue-reward learning. Increased synaptic strength was not observed after stable behavioral responding. Thus, enhanced synaptic strength onto dopamine neurons may act to facilitate the transformation of neutral environmental stimuli to salient reward-predictive cues.

Brain’s reward circuitry may be cause for procrastination. Using a new molecular genetic technique, scientists have turned procrastinating primates into workaholics by temporarily suppressing a gene in a brain circuit involved in reward learning. Without the gene, the monkeys lost their sense of balance between reward and the work required to get it, say researchers at the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). “The gene makes a receptor for a key brain messenger nger chemical, dopamine,”

explained Barry Richmond, M.D., NIMH Laboratory of Neuropsychology . “The gene knockdown triggered a remarkable transformation in the simian work ethic. Like many of us, monkeys normally slack off initially in working toward a distant goal. They work more efficiently- make fewer errors--as they get closer to being rewarded. But without the dopamine receptor, they consistently stayed on-task and made few errors, because they could no longer learn to use visual cues to predict how their work was going to get them a reward.”

Richmond, Zheng Liu, Ph.D., Edward Ginns, M.D., and colleagues, reported on their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , last year. Richmond’s team trained monkeys to release a lever when a spot on a computer screen turned from red to green. The animals knew they had performed the task correctly when the spot turned blue. A visual cue--a gray bar on the screen-got brighter as they progressed through a succession of trials required to get a juice treat. Though never punished, the monkeys couldn’t graduate to the next level until they had successfully completed the current trial. As in a previous study using the same task, the monkeys made progressively fewer errors with each trial as the reward approached, with the fewest occurring during the rewarded trial. Previous studies had also traced the monkeys’ ability to associate the visual cues with the reward to the rhinal cortex, which is rich in dopamine. There was also reason to suspect that the dopamine D2 receptor in this area

73 had also traced the monkeys’ ability to associate the visual cues with the reward to the rhinal cortex, which is rich in dopamine. There was also reason to suspect that the dopamine D2 receptor in this area might be critical for reward learning. To find out, the researchers needed a way to temporarily knock it out of action.

Three monkeys lacking the NMDA receptor in the rhinal cortex showed no impairment in reward learning, confirming that the D2 receptor is critical for learning that cues are related to reward prediction. The researchers also confirmed that the DNA treatments actually affected the targeted receptors by measuring receptor binding following the intervention in two other monkeys’ brains.

Molecular geneticist Ginns, who recently moved from NIMH to the University of Massachusetts, adapted an approach originally used in mice. He fashioned an agent that, when injected directly into the rhinal cortex of four trained monkeys, spawned a kind of decoy molecule which tricked cells there into turning-off D2 expression for several weeks. This depleted the area of D2 receptors, impairing the monkeys’ reward learning. For a few months, the monkeys were unable to associate the visual cues with the work-load--to learn how many trials needed to be completed to get the reward.

“This new technique permits researchers to, in effect measure the effects of a long-term, yet reversible, lesion of a single molecular mechanism,” said Richmond. “This could lead to important discoveries that impact public health. In this case, it’s worth noting that the ability to associate work with reward is disturbed in mental disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, so our finding of the pivotal role played by this gene and circuit may be of clinical interest,” suggested Richmond.

“The monkeys became extreme workaholics, as evidenced by a sustained low rate of errors in performing the experimental task, irrespective of how distant the reward might be,” said Richmond. “This was conspicuously out-of-character for these animals. Like people, they tend to procrastinate when they know they will have to do more work before getting a reward.”

“For example, people who are depressed often feel nothing is worth the work. People with OCD work incessantly; even when they get rewarded they feel they must repeat the task. In mania, people will work feverishly for rewards that aren’t worth the trouble to most of us.” Information for this article was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

To make sure that it was, indeed, the lack of D2 receptors that was causing the observed effect, the researchers played a similar recombinant decoy trick targeted at the gene that codes for receptors for another neurotransmitter abundant in the rhinal cortex: NMDA

WHAT??

GAME/INTERACTION

personal and digital

HELLO.

This research regarding the reward cue response in people was the starting point for me in this project. I wanted to look at why we play games from a psychological perspective. When thinking about this, I started looking at my own motivations for games of all kinds. This lead me to consider the game of social interaction. Considering the generational difference between my classmates and myself, I felt that this was a valid consideration for a game that would hold personal meaning for me given this I .

chose to base the game on the idea of stereotypes due to our discussions and readings in 352 at the time. I wanted to consider this idea of breaking down stereotypes with literature as it promotes understanding, and approach it from the idea of communication breaking down stereotypes.

GAME/INTERACTION

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATIONâ&#x20AC;¨READ THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY VIDEO GAMES WARNING - Seizures

WARNING - Repetitive Motion Injuries

Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns, such as while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure in the past. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before playing a video game. To reduce the likelihood of a seizure when playing video games: Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible. Play video games on the smallest available television screen. Do not play if you are tired.

Playing video games can make your muscles, joints, skin or eyes hurt after a few hours.

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE STORY

CONTROLS

CHARACTERS

ITEMS

TRAPS

CREDITS

10.

GAME/INTERACTION

THE

STORY

Our story begins as the player takes control of Herman, the diinosaur. As Herman, the player will begin his day at Stereotype University, aka Stereotype U. As Herman explores the campus, he will come in contact with many of the stereotypical college students that many movies and bad TV shows are filled with. Many of these students will shower Herman with gifts, but BEWARE! Some of these gifts might be hazardous to your health. Others might actually gain you favor with some of the other students, but cause the level bosses, or Professors, to be more dangerous and aggressive.

Hermans voyage through higher education will be filled with many of these obstacles and the decisions Herman makes will have consequences. For instance, drinking (or eating the cans as they float towards you) beer will allow you temporary amnesty from certain students, but will make the boss/professor confrontations more difficult. Its only through a careful balance of these interactions that Herman can successfully complete his degree and make it through... STEREOTYPE U!

HELLO. WHAT WHAT

UP?

RAWRR!

WHAT

RAWRR! HELLO.

WHAT

HELLO.

The purpose of this game is to entertain as well as to advocate communication as a means to break down stereotypes. For this project we are looking to explore the idea of interaction in a game environment while commenting on social stereotypes and their implications. As I quickly approach my 30th birthday, I realize that I sometimes view myself as a creative dinosaur. No, not a T-Rex with a beret and paint brush, but rather someone who is often insecure in their ability to wrestle inspiration and innovation away from the clutches of reality. Do I view myself like this because it’s true? Because others view me this way? This inspired the idea of a game that

UP?

RAWRR! RAWRR!

HELLO.

RAWRR!

UP?

RAWRR!

WHAT

UP?

WHAT

shows that the best way to break down stereotypes is through communication. This idea of positive interaction and communication also makes it approriate for the several modes of distribution. • As a Facebook application. • As a free download • As a jewel-cased hand out aimed at college campuses. • As a free mobile ap for students.

UP?

GAME/INTERACTION

CONTROLS

ARROW KEYS = MOVE SPACE BAR = JUMP LEFT CLICK = EAT RIGHT CLICK = TALK/USE ITEM

lives

level

inventory

LEVEL

1-1

CHARACTERS HERMAN

SICK HERMAN

JOEY GREEK

SUZY SORORITY

BAREFOOT KENNY

PROFESSOR S. MARTYPANTZ

GAME/INTERACTION

ITEMS

SCHOOL SPIRIT SHIRT

These shirts give the player 10 seconds of immunity from all Joey Greek distractions. However, they intensify the distractions of Suzy Sorority.

BRO HAT

These hats allow the player 10 seconds of invisibility during which time no other students will interact with the player unless provoked.

STUDY BOOKS

These intensify the distractions of other students, but make the make the boss battles with Professors much easier.

TRAPS

SUDSY GOODNESS

Beer will make you immune to certain students, but it will make you sick at the start of the next level as well as make boss battles more difficult.

SMOKES

Smoking is bad for you. These cigarettes are REALLY bad for you. They will make you immune to certain students, but will cause boss battles to be more difficult.

HOMEWORK

This immobilizes you on contact and it lasts twice as long if you are sick, or have consumed beer, or smoked any cigarettes during the last level.

AFFECTION

This immobilizes you on contact and it will make you sick at the beginning of the next level the second time you are contacted.

GAME/INTERACTION

CREDITS

TIM

POE

GOODBYE.

GAME/INTERACTION

THIS GAME CHANGE

WONT THE

WORLD WHAT

UP?

HELLO.

RAWRR! WHAT

UP?

WHAT

RAWRR! HELLO.

WHAT

HELLO.

UP?

RAWRR! RAWRR!

HELLO.

RAWRR!

UP?

RAWRR!

...but save a

it might dinosaur.

WHAT

UP?

WHAT

UP?

MAKE SOMETHING

or else....

This project was a collaborative effort aimed at overcoming procrastination. We looked at establishing rules and timeframes for concepualization as well as rules for random content generation. I chose to comment on the work/play aspects and how we define these things. In the end, we struggled with the very thing we set out to oercome.

MANIFESTO

91 / //////////// IF IT’S NOT FUN THEN IT’S...

WORK

! AND IF IT’S WORK, WELL THAT BUILDS CHARACTER TOO. ///////////////////////////////

MANIFESTO

These items were stickers created for the Manifesto project so that everyone could label the things in there lives that they consider work or play appropriately.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

RANDOM ACTS OF FORM and the death of control

RANDOM

Pronunciation: \ˈran-dəm Function: noun: a haphazard course— at random : without definite aim, direction, rule, or method.

This idea of images created as a result of systems of random or unintintional process is something that I enjoy and feel is a valuable tool for constructing form. Often I find myself paralyzed by a need for control and this method of experimentation helps to aleviate that. The act of making is central to my process and especially as my typical lack of time encroaches on my focus. I often struggle with conceptualization and decide to simply dive in and take on the formal aspects of the problem and solution. And while I realize these are not glitched pieces, I feel that there is a similarity to their creation.

PERSONAL WORK

cosmological

This was created out sheer cosmic fortune, which often seems to be the prefered system of order in the unverse. Well, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky.

PERSONAL WORK The final painful paradox lies in harming what we save, as we try to save it. Preservation is itself a source of hazard. We dropped the precious china while we were dusting it. We tripped and split the old painting frame. We tried to fix that old book with tape and rubber cement.

Entropy requires no maintenance. Entropy has its own poetry: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about delamination, disintegration, deterioriation, degeneration, decomposition, and doddering decline.

quote from creativeapplications.net/digitaldecay

PERSONAL WORK

This is another iteration of my cosmologically beautiful accident and extractions of shapes from it. For me this was a work in negative space and I also liked the dimensionality that is implied with the relationships of several of the shapes. This process of creating haphazardly with the hope of wonderful glitches is cathartic, worthwhile, and produces surprisingly interesting results

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