Master Design Research Project Design Innovation & Interaction Design Yara Al Husaini
2016/2017
Glasgow School of Art Creative Campus
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Research Insight Road Map
Digital Cultures & the risk of an atomised society
Participation in meaning making greater through the connected cultural object
Changing role of Museums in contemporary society towards inclusiveness
Taigh Chearsabhagh is a Heritage & Art Centre in North Uist, Outer Hebrides
Taigh Chearsabhagh wants to create “Museum in a Suitcase”
Case Studies of Musicological Experience with wider community participation
Case Studies of Musicological Experiences towards social justice
Design space: role of the museum, digital cultures, & the networked cultural object
The Islands have beautiful nature but a prevalent indoor culture
The heritage museum is heavy on text & relies on volunteers
The Art Galleries are well funded and “fancier”
Crafts people want to learn more from Taigh Chearsabhagh’s exhibitions through seeing more of the process
Stories of the everyday span history, mythology, culture, merging childhood, present worries and future aspirations.
Perceptions of art in the local community vary widely depending on social stance, interests & connections
Stakeholder map about core collaborators within internal & external communities
Traditional curatorial practices & heavy dependence on key persons/curators
The balanced Museum as a Knowledge & Socially Engaged Institution
The museum as a social institution that asks the why questions
Evocative objects as continuity of autobiographical narratives merging past, present, & future
Design Space: bridging social gaps between people’s narratives & Art & Heritage
The romanticism of the Outer Hebrides & dominating external views
Use of technology in data visualisation as an end in itself
Taigh Chearsabhagh’s role in creating the an art of belonging to place
Taigh Chearsabhagh’s, exploration of boundaries between ‘art’, community’ & ‘local’ & ‘global
Understandings of heritage & hidden heritage
Taigh Chearsabhagh’s Theme of the year is maritime Heritage
Taigh Chearsabhagh usually commissions local & international Artists
HIU students do not exhibit in gallery spaces
Stakeholder map as content creators, communicators, and receivers
Local art students want to be more involved in the community by expanding their engagement
Local art teachers want to raise awareness about art as a profession with different avenues to follow
Local historical society is worried about a disappearing community
Children’s involvement in heritage projects through volunteers & educators at local school
Taigh Chearsabhagh as a place aimed at tourists vs. potential cultural Hub
There are hidden communities unidentified by TC & present a challenge to engage with
Engagement tools directed at evoking community dialogues through Taigh Chearsabhagh
Engagement tools must be flexible and easily adaptable
Unattended Stations are useless for engaging with locals
Using reminders of past experiences created an emotional response from participants
People are intrigued by Art objects & enjoy the tactile experience
Sharing my story with locals encouraged them to share theirs with me
Local restaurants and cafés can be partners in achieving wider community engagement
A travelling story successfully completed through intimate conversations
Using online platform is useful in seeing how people react to each other’s stories & relate them to their own
A pop-up participatory exhibition is a good way to engage with more tourists than locals
Preconceptions about how people will receive art affect how it is communicated to them
No longer existing artefacts can still act as memory place-holders
Reserved attitudes call for the necessity of safe spaces
Sense of belonging highlighted in the holding on to tradition, language, and culture
Intimate Interactions generate genuine ones
A strong past of tradition, and a very rapidly changing environment
Objects & Environments as an ecology of things that connect the past to the future
A closely knit society that is actually fragmented both physically & socially
Key persons in community affect which stories are told, while others sink in the background
A generational gap manifested in an urge to hold on to tradition & ways of passing it on
Bridging social gaps through evocative objects by bringing commonalties to the surface
Emerging themes: intimate interactions, generational gaps, preservation & speculation A concept that focuses on a tactile mobile interactive experience
A concept that allows for exploration & freedom interpretation of Art, Heritage, & community
A concept that allows for new connections to be made that could never exist otherwise
An interactive experience utilising tactile & digital elements
Packaging that communicates how the artefact is used & explored
A concept that has longevity & the ability to adapt
A concept that can grow into a distributed network across the Islands
A concept that can become a sensory easily storable & retrievable archive
Gamification of interface to evoke new meaningful stories
Need to communicate remotely to get feedback & adjust
Adjust prototype according to feedback & testing for final output
A Project Process Journal that reflects my navigation strategies that led to my design outcome
An artefact that acts as the beginning of many others- every combination is a new object & new story An interface that is easy to navigate
A Presentation that coherently & succinctly explains my research
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*How to read the research jounrey
Convergent Thinking
Divergent Thinking
Obstacles
Milestones
Reflect & Reflex
Change in Perspective
Discover
Journey Strats Here
Primary Desk Research P6
Design Space P8
Primary Field Research P10
Define
Secondary Desk Research P18
Secondary Field Research P20
Analyse
Insights & Opportunities P22
Emerging Themes P27
Develop
Ideation
Design Space: Reframe P28
P28
Concept
P29
P30
Reflect
P39
Exhibit
Communicate
Communicate
01 discover
PRIMARY DESK RESEARCH Essence Delving into desk research to formulate my primary design space, I looked at three key areas of research; digital cultures, the cultural connected object, and the role of the museum. Following this, I took on research about Hebridean Heritage, the social and economic role of Taigh Chearsabhagh, and outsider perspectives on the Islands as a place and a community. In linking these ideas together I looked at museological storysharing case studies within the museum and beyond.
Present
when
where Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Art Centre Figures 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, left to right
INTRODUCTION Stakeholder Approach
U
pon discovering that Taigh Cearsabagh Heritage and Art Centre intended to create a travelling
Creating a Design Brief
who
Comann Eachdriadh Uist Art Associa Taigh Chearsab
suitcase as a means to widen their engagement
&
within The Outer Hebrides, I approached them to shape the format that this suitcase might take. My interest in pursuing this project comes from explorations I have done in previous projects where I uncovered a particular interest in designing around issues concerning belonging, collective memory, and democratic modes of communication.
6
Research Question How can a museological storysharing experience increase Taigh Chearsabagh’s engagement with the wider community ?
1992
About Taigh Chearsabhagh illustration 1.1
Uibhist Trust ation bhagh Trust
what Museum & Arts Centre why a place for people to meet, share ideas, learn new skills, & experience cultural interpretation that is imaginative & simulating,
Taigh Chearsabhagh describes itself to be “a place where people can meet, share ideas, learn new skills, and experience cultural interpretation that is imaginative and stimulating.” The uniqueness of the centre’s location provides it with a particular focus on preserving and disseminating local cultural heritage. The centre also plays a vital role in promoting the Gaelic Language, which is native to the area. The centre’s work focuses on exploring the boundaries of art, culture, environment and sustainability. This is brought to life through residencies, research, commissions, events and public programs in collaboration with renowned international and scottish artists.” (Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre, 2017)
Taigh Cearsabhagh
The Centre is involved in an academic partnership with the Highlands and Islands University, where a bachelors in fine arts is offered on the Island. In this partnership, the centre supports students through offering studio spaces for work, and the display of their work in non-gallery spaces. 7
On Digital Cultures Today all aspects of culture are influenced and mediated by computerisation, where cultural processes are weaved through the practices, values, and expectations of people when networking. Digital Cultures today are characterised by the blurring of the consumer and the producer, thus allowing for the democratisation of the meaning making processes involved. As participants, we are active agents in the process of meaning making. We engage in remediation through adopting while simultaneously modifying and manipulating ways of understanding reality. We are bricoleurs by reflexively constructing our own versions of this reality. (Deuze, 2006). This manifests as a change in the role of the museum in the 21st century, where it needs to continually adapt itself to stay relevant to its audiences. (Nielsen, J. 2015)
greater democratisation of interaction with museological artefacts and wider community participation should be further investigated through design innovation practices
On the Networked Cultural Object : The data centric view on the networked object is prevalent in most spheres of data digitisation and collection; this includes cultural and archaeological artefacts. Meanwhile this is useful in the examination of information in a personal, in-depth way, it presents a set of challenges whereby technological accuracy becomes an end in itself. These challenges are highlighted in the lack of engagement of broader communities in digital visualisation, resulting in low levels of public use and reuse of cultural resources. (Jeffrey, 2015) These issues present a design innovation challenge where the boundaries of the modes of production and consumption of cultural artefacts digitally should be rethought. In recent years, several projects have utilised co-production and co-design as a means to democratising the meaning-making process of cultural artefacts; facilitating the emergence of links and networks that experts
Formulating the first Design Space
moving past the data centric view Digital Cultures
The Networked Object
meaningful interactions
Design Space
bluring lines between consumer & producer
collective memory
digital visualisation
The Museum Role democratising bespoke content through wider participation Design Space 1 illustration 1.2
8
would be unable to unravel on their own. These projects include the Accord project (ACCORD, 2017), Your Painting (Artuk.org, 2017), and Micropasts (Micropasts.org, 2017) and museum in a box (Museum in a Box, 2017).
The role of the Museum in Contemporary Society: As a cultural institution the museum was developed to bring knowledge from the producer to the consumer in a universal, encyclopaedic format. Museums have always been virtual, even before the emergence of communication technologies; cultural and heritage objects are essentially removed from their contexts of production and manifestation and are placed in a reframed context curated by the museum. This detachment affects the way perceptions and conversations are formed around these objects, and ultimately the value they bring
The Romanticism of the Outer Hebrides: To understand the context within which Taigh Chearsabhagh operates, attention must be drawn to its unique geographical location and rich history, Located in the Werstern Isles on the shores of Lochamaddy, on the Island of North Uist, it has acquired its place as a Museum, Art Centre, and Cultural Hub by celebrating the heritage and the uniqueness of the place and its communities. Despite the fact that people are more able to celebrate their heritage now, the Western Isles landscapes have often been portrayed by detached external views (Boyer 1996, McDonald 1996). However, these views of people and Place are being reimagined
into society. (Giaccardi, 2006) Within this framework, even with the use of communication technologies, the information is still put out passively to the consumer; though certain feedback mechanisms exist, they render the consumer’s role to that of a reflective one. Instead, museums could adopt a participatory approach to museological experiences, whereby they are
through the contemporary landscapes of heritage reconstructed by certain cultural institutions and embedded communities of interest. An Lannatiar and Taigh Chearsabhagh are examples of such institutions, who bridge local communities and artists such as Roddy Mathieson and Will Mclean (Mackenzie, 2006)
made relevant to the experiences of the visitors by allowing them to construct their own meanings from cultural experiences, and providing them with a platform where their voices can inform and invigorate projects and programmes that reflect the institution’s objective. (Simon, 2010) This highlights the role of the museum in terms of invigorating, preserving and celebrating cultural heritage and community, which manifest in the social processes that surround artefacts and places, not the artefacts themselves. (Mydland and Grahn, 2012) Reinforcing the idea that greater democratisation of interaction with museological artefacts and wider community participation should be further investigated through design innovation practices.
The Outer Hebrides Figure 1.5 Top Museum in a Box Figure 1.6 Bottom 9
Prim
PRIMARY FIELD RESEARCH Essence
E PL O PE
ATIONS E REL PAC S D AN
Local Collaborators
Museu
I started my field research with a scoping trip where
Artists
I partially applied ground research techniques to develop an understanding of the internal and external communities involved. I conducted semi-
Sp
structured interviews, several daily conversations,
Stu dio
and field observations. I started to gain an communities have, and their effects on the centre’s engagement with the wider local community.
Outhwith
understanding of the different perspectives these
Educators National
es ac
Local/Regional
Staying
es fic Of Heritage Art
op Sh t f Gi
inspiration Seekers Pa Cafe Goers
Art Students
The stakeholder map shown was iterated over the
Sellers
Admin
Locals
Caterers
Tourists
Curators
course of my research. The map divides map the actors in play within the heritage and the art spaces
Gal lery Spac es
International Educators Leaving
Stakeholder Relations
Children Vol
People & Spaces
Staff
of the centre, showing who lies within the internal
Visitors
and external communities. I also highlight who is The purpose of this map was to identify the social People & Spaces illustration 1.3
directly involved in the meaning making processes dynamics and where they happen. I was able to - this mostly lies in the hands of curators, artists, detect that while the Centre has the potential to be a vibrant cultural hub, this is not entirely the case. See
some volunteers. See illustration 1.4
External Communities
International Artists
External Communities Internal Communities
The Heritage Community
Scottish Artists
Taigh Chearsabagh Curator
Local Artists
Internal Communities
The Art Community
illustration 1.3
Taigh Chearsabagh Curator
Inspiration Seekers
Academic Partners
Engaged Locals
Art Students
APPRECIATION/ADMIRATION Academic Partners
Historical Society Volunteers
Local Craftsmen
Regional Craftsmen
Historical Society Connections
Parents
Educators & School Children
Enganged Youth
Cafe Visitors
Occasional Visitors
Non-engaged Community Members
Occasional Visitors
producers
Consumers
democratic ‘meaning-making’ 10
Tourists
Non-engaged Community Members
pereferrable future
Stakeholer Map illustration 1.4
mary Sch oo l
I uncovered that there are hidden communities that are the most challenging to reach and engage with
um fe Ca
lunteers
I analysed the data gathered through content analysis and reflective visualisations. In my analysis I found three primary emerging themes; art perceptions and levels of engagement, traditional curatorial practices and embedded everyday stories. These manifested through conversations around art in general, and that carried out at Taigh Cheasabhagh, as well as its role with in the community. In conversations about curation, I found that curators mostly depended on previous experiences. Diversity in curation usually arose through external collaborations. With stories, I found that I collected stories of the everyday, which draw upon the place’s history, mythology, culture, merging with people’s own stories of childhood, present worries and future aspirations.
arents other
Within
Dynamic Relations
s Meeting Space Gaelic Students/ Teacher
By creating this map I was trying to understand who the disengaged/engaged communities are. I found that those engaged often had strong established links and interests in the Centre. I also uncovered a group that I labelled as hidden communities; those who are the most challenging to reach and engage with, given the nature of a fragmented rural community. The disengaged in the visual describe locals I spoke with who perceived Taigh Chearsabhagh to be aimed at tourists, or irrelevant to their personal interest.
Inspiration Seekers
Cafe Visitors
Non-engaged Community Members
International Artists
ties uni m m Co al n r Engaged te Locals Ex
Understanding Community Dynamics
Taigh Chearsabagh Curator
es uniti mm Co al rn te In
Local Artists Art Students
ART
Scottish Artists
TAIGH CHEARASABAGH COMMUNITIES
Engaged Youth
Taigh Chearsabagh Curator
HERITAGE
y unit mm o C al rn e t In
Academic partners
Funding Organisations
Historical Society Volunteers Local Craftsmen
Educators & School Children Occasional Visitors
ies unit mm Co al rn te Ex
CORE COLLABORATORS HAVE ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS
Hidden Communities
Occasional Visitors
Parents
Historical Society Connections
Dynamic Relations illustration 1.5 11
LOCAL
NO ART FOR ME THANKS
ART & DESIGN DRIVE CONSUMERISM
TOURIST
LOCAL
TOO EXPENSIVE BUT REALLY NICE STUFF EH?
OUTSIDER ART CAN SOTMETIMES DEVALUE LOCALLY IMPORTANT MEANINGS WHEN OVER/MISUSED
Engaged locals who are doubtful of the relevanve of content presented by artists to community
Non relevant to daily life, interest or social group
-PERCEPTIONS
Perceptions of Art & Taigh Chearsabhagh’s Role illustration 1.6
LOCAL
THE CAFE IS GREAT, DON’T KNOW ABOUT ART
LOCAL
GREAT TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE FROM LEAVING
MY NIECE STUDIED THERE AND IS NOW DOING GREAT!
LOCAL
LOCAL
+PERCEPTIONS
Established community connections and interest in art, & remembering past intiatives
I STILL HAVE A PIECE OF THAT KNITTED FISH PROJECT IN MY KITCHEN
I AM DEVELOPING MY TALENTS IN AN INSPIRING PLACE AND COMMUNITY
STUDENT
I FOUND A JOB WITHOUT LEAVING MY HOME, AND I GET TO EDUCATE MY COMMUNITY ABOUT MY PROFESSION
TUTOR/ARITST
A GREAT WAY TO EXPLORE ISLAND CULTURE
LOCAL
I LIKE PHOTOGRAPHY .. I COME TO SEE IF THERES ANY OF THAT!
I CAN EMPATHISE WHEN ART IS EXPLAINED TO ME, I POP IN WHEN I CAN
LOCAL
NON-ENGAGED
LOCAL
TOURIST
ENGAGED
12
Perceptions of Art & the role of Taigh Chearsabhagh in the Local Community Perceptions often related to personal preferences, levels of engagement with the Centre, people’s social stance as well as their connections within the community. Engagement with Art often depends on artists’ work and their own desire in engaging with the local community. The centre’s impact in the community is seen through its educational efforts rather than it being a cultural hub. When remembering projects locals are fond of, they spoke of a knitting fish project where people knitted their own fish and then auctioned. These artworks now live in people’s homes.
Art Curator “I have many hats. I curate with artists, I produce films, I formulate plans with the team for the upcoming three years and that often means that I have to handle several projects at the same time. The amount of work we have means that there is little time to digitise our collections the way we would like to.”
1
5
Heritage Curator
Historical Society Volunteer & Educator
“I largely depend on my experience on curating. I put up a good enough heritage exhibition. With the help of the historical society, I am able to pull several strands together to present a coherent story around one theme. The exhibitions are still heavy on text, but collaborations with academic partners and other cultural institutions have led to interesting outcomes that people are fond of”
“I am an educator and a historical society volunteer. I am also now learning Gaelic. I came here years ago to connect with my belated parents. I wanted to understand my mother’s attachment to the Islands, and the only way for me to do so is through discovering and celebrating heritage with the community”
4
1
2
4
Art Teacher “Its my responsibility to make the younger generations aware of the importance of Art and the different paths they can take after graduation. I left for college thinking I would never come back but I came back here more than ten years ago now and have not looked back since”
3 14
3
Archaeologist
Interview Illustrations illustrations 1.7- 1.14 Top to Bottom
“I live a simple life here. The archaeology is mesmerising; the nature here is very unique, and so is the community. Its home now, you know?”
7
8
6
7
Storyteller “I have worked with many museums in the Highlands and Islands in the past, and its always the same problem, you go into the project thinking that the Museum has established relationships with the community, but its always the same case, they make connections in the first couple years, and then its forgotten about… and when you think about it, it all comes down to one person (curator) ”
5
2
Craftsman
Gaelic Teacher
“I find great inspiration when I come here, especially when I look at the students works through their own lenses; the process sketchbooks that they keep are a great insight into how they learn and grow. What I do is very similar, and that’s why I expect the Centre to teach me by showing process”
“I believe that many of my students learn the language to establish a deeper connection with the place they live in. Teaching Gaelic through Taigh Chearsabhagh means that the connections between language, art, heritage, and community can grow stronger,”
6
Interviews
8
15
illustration 1.15 ‘Moments’ within Field Research
02 define
The balanced museum: communication and relevance
Essence
It can be said that museums around
understanding, and a process that
maintained the world face a similar type of communication with stakeholders by providing them challenges. These can be summarised
creates something meaningful and
Between
visits
to
the
Islands
I
with updates; for this purpose, I found that using in: creating a sustainable learning research evidence and visuals to be of high value. In environment, providing possibilities
Museum Relevance manifests itself in
addition, I planned towards gatherings by sending for meaning making, ensuring visitor out invitation posters through the stakeholder. I also participation, and providing new ways
through the creation (or re-creation)
continuously gathered desk research to further of thinking about the future, as well support my findings and help reframe my project advocating inclusive participation. focus. My second field research trip consisted The last appears to be the most of different formats and means of engagement & challenging; although visions of the museum of the future that embraces interaction with local communities. technology was seen as the best
SECONDARY DESK RESEARCH
means to reach larger audiences, this has only been successful to a limited
On narrative of the self, distributed memory, and evocative objects
extent. (Nielson, 2015)
I
adapting processes of interpretation,
n brief, I based my research on works by the cognitive scientist, Richard Hersmink. In his
work he argues that autobiographical memory should be seen as both embodied and distributed. He specifically argues that evocative objects, i.e. objects that are connected to past personal experiences, trigger and sometimes constitute emotionally-laden autobiographical memories, are representational of this. Hersmink further argues that the self narrative is not only determined by the web of connected experiences and the events of the past, but also the unfolding trajectory of which the person is largely the author of; meaning that our present selves are not only determined by the past,
Within this context, museums should define
their
relevance,
communication interaction,
by and
meaning making to their curatorial practices, taking into consideration their
particular
socio-cultural
circumstances, especially in times where the role of the curator has shifted from being a specialist to a multi-tasking
generalist.
(Nielson,
2017) Clear museum communication thus takes centre stage for the museum’s success in reaching its
museological practices in three ways; of new (renewed) approaches or practices, through making sense or making meaning (for example, through interpretation, research, interaction, or participation), and by introducing or establishing new museological understandings in the creation (or recreation) of approaches and practices. (Nielson, 2015) Thus, it may be said to be that the balanced museum is one that can take processes of articulation and understanding,
and
communication
while
shapes
its status as a socially engaged, and knowledgeable institution that can ask the why questions, and initiate dialogues that need to be had. Museums hold a place of privilege of freedom of expression, and the ability to create a safe space for dialogues around the past and the future. (Nielson, 2017), See illustration 2.1
with the museum.
Thus, evocative objects almost act as distributed that is both socially engaged and anchors, which link the past and the future, and help knowledgeable maintain a coherent story of the self; People maintain through
its
can
be
examined
relevance.
Museum
continuity of personal identity by handling “a stable relevance is defined as being the ecology of cues”. Linking my previous research with museum’s ability to grow and change the ideas surrounding evocative objects, I focused with its audiences. Museums must be on designing my engagement tools to understand able to demonstrate their relevance what this might mean for design research within by enabling both social interaction this context.
and participative engagement with
I maintained Stakeholder relations through remote working techniques
collections. (Nielson, 2015) Relevance may also be understood as both a concept and a process; as a concept, closely related to interpretation and
its
maintaining
socio-cultural goals within and out-
but also by being future oriented. (Hersmink, 2017) The notion of a balanced museum
18
useful.
Formulating a framework to support evidence
“why questions & future oriented”
New Ideas
ng ki
a
Interpretation
cues provided through communicator & context
transforming stimulus into meaning
Bringing research on the balanced museum
and
current
curatorial
Practices, I extracted a framework to evaluate the existing gaps with
Evocative Objects
Understanding
The Balanced Museum: Knowledgeable & Socially Engaged Emerging Curatorial Practices & Taigh Chearsabhagh
Re l
m e
ce an aking ev ning m
sen se m a
Muse um
“An ecology of things& people that provide continuity”
Memory ‘Previous experiences, events, and emotions”
The Balanced Museum illustration 2.1
Use discourses of specialists in the field of artistic production to develop exhibitions
Care for and orchestrated the display of artwork, objects and/or collections
1
2
involved in or planning exhibits and/or programs that address grassroots organizing or social justice movements & value movements as they happen
3
Taigh Chearsabagh’s communication strategy. This framework is based on research examining a selection of museums and art curators who prioritise community engagement and social justice. (Wittman, 2017) This
Connect programming and exhibits to ideas of Place (shared meanings
Exhibit artists whose work comments on issues that relate to lived experiences of local communities
connected to a location, which imbue a space with value for one or more communities)
5
4
remained a reference point during my research.
Use culturally familiar gathering and participation formats to promote comfort and participation
6
In summary, Taigh Chearsabhagh’s strategy remains contained within a very specific community whose participation in art exhibition and program development is apparent. early
on
by
8
7
It is also apparent that the projects undertaken
Collaborate with trusted community leaders on programs
Invite communities to share their creativity and their experiences
Taigh
Provide communities with direct access and representation in art exhibition and program development.
9
Chearsabhagh were more targeted at community engagement, whereas now they are able to rely on an established heritage community for support. See illustration 2.2
need improvement
applied
not applied
not applied/focus Emerging Curatorial Practices illustration 2.2 19
SECONDARY FIELD RESEARCH each exercise, the story and the
Engagements
artefact brought together on the storyboard were photographed and
I
n preparation for my trip I wanted
shared on an Instagram page that
to design engagement tools that
I created to publish the results and
would answer questions around what
share them. See Fig.ures 2.6- 2.7
collective evocative objects meant for locals, finding a means to provoking
Traveling Story
dialogues about the past and the future, and understanding why many locals are
To continue with the first premise of
not engaged with Taigh Chearsabhagh,
a museum suitcase, I prototyped a
and how this may be tackled in my
traveling story, where I designed the
design intervention. In designing the
interior of Suitcase and placed art
engagement tools I intentionally tried
and everyday objects in it. I carried
to design them so that I could respond
out this engagement in Balivanich
to how people interacted with them.
in cooperation with Stepping Stone
This meant that rather than having one
Restaurant. I set this up in the form
specific way and medium of interaction;
of a station, but found that bringing
these tools could be adapted to how I
the artefacts to tables and speaking
saw people interacted with them. See
privately with groups worked best.
figures 2.1- 2.4.
During these engagement, I provided
Figure 2.1
participants with a story pouches, onto which they drew an object that
Stations For
the
first
told their story. See figures 2.8,2.9, engagement
tool
I
designed, I designed a station where I provided cards with prompts asking people to tell their island story and an adjacent artefact, which they could construct through drawing or through an interactive artefact. This method did not work very well, with the exception
2.11
I had to continuously adapt engagement tools & formats according to observations Pop-up Exhibition:
Figure 2.5
of children who were delighted at the artefacts. In response, I distributed After
having
collected
stories
these on the tables at the café, which through different mediums I created was slightly more successful.
See a pop-up exhibition with the materials
figure 2.5
at the restaurant. Tourists were particularly fond of it, and started
Workshop:
adding their stories, while locals did not. See figure 2.10
I held an informal workshop where I provided maritime heritage artefacts, photographs that I took, craft material, a story board, and other prompts that I designed. I asked participants to create a story that they wanted to share. This engagement was very personal for participants involved who were “taking trip down memory lane”. At the end of 20
With the help of a local restaurant and its staff I was able to engage with many locals who had established relationship with the staff. Through this window I was able to peak inside an otherwise very quiet community.
Figure 2.8
Figure 2.2
Figure 2.3
Figure 2.6
Figure 2.4
Figure 2.7
Figure 2.11
Figure 2.9
Figure 2.10
Field Engagement left to right figures 2.1-2.11 21
03 Analyse
T
o analyse my findings I carried out content analysis where I clustered insights into themes
for several rounds, created matrices, and finally formulated insights, which I tested against evidence collected, for which I then envisioned design opportunities. In addition, I used illustrations as a reflexive method.
INSIGHTS & OPPORTUNITIES Insights
I used illustrations as a reflexive method in generating insights
When I found that most of my insights related to community dynamics I decided to experiment with water colour to help bring these insights to the surface.
Opportunities
1 Preconceptions about how people will/should receive art and other engagement activities affects which stories are told/represented.
creating an open dialogue channel between Aritsits/ Curators/wider public
2 Objects and Environments that hold sentimental value do not necessarily exist physically but act as memory placeholders in people’s minds.
use an artefact in a design output that acts as a new memory place-holder “lost objects and places”
3 People’s reserved attitudes mean that generating genuine interactions depends on the means/methods of creating a “safe space”.
creating an engagement within an existing network of interaction, e.g: Bus
4 People’s sense of belonging to place and people is highlighted in their own worry of the future, and corresponding reaction to it by raising concerns around the need to hold on to tradition, language, culture, and population.
relate specifics of culture such as food, music, things, language, riddles, etc, into experience to build a network of relevant stories.
5 Objects lives are imagined and re-imagined through people’s interpretations of them; reflecting a strong past yet a rapidly changing environment.
using existing object lives in a concept for a way to open dialogue around topics of the past & the future that would not be thought of otherwise
6 Although the community is said to be a community that is “closely knit”, it is fragmented both physically and socially; most interactions happen in small groups, and depend on key persons.
enable people to see a bigger picture of commonalities, & perhaps new interesting points of discussion.
7 Rapid changes in the islands culture created a generational gap and a need which urges the preservation of an otherwise diminishing heritage.
create a platform that offers a cross generational conversations and dialogues by bringing memories and stories of the past into the future
debunking preconceptions by giving people a ‘louder voice’.
communicate collective/ personal island stories through a preservable artefact
creating a network of collaborators and champions that introduce and engage
enable people to express concerns through preservation and freedom of expression
use a distributed network to bring people closer and especially those who are left out now
* The insights are matched with illustrations through numbers on top 22
5
EXTERNAL
NOW
ALWAYS
IMPOSED IDEAS AND POLICIES
S OD RI PE
RAPID C OF H AN GE
islands stories of past & present through
A HARSHER LIFE FULL OF MEMORIES
INTERNAL
BACK IN THE DAY
Artefacts & Environments
Change & Community illustration 3.1 23
2 3 4 5
stories of the self
“I worry about the future of the islands. There are only 11 children in Bernary, and outward migration is only ever increasing”
stories of the self & others
“My two borthers are both fishermen, they worry about the future of the fishing here with the ever increasing restrictions on fishing here. Right now they have to sell their fish in Spain.
The prices of food and gas are ever increasing with high transport costs. Could we use community owned renewable energy to do something about it?
“Global Warming is not only affecting the weather, but our fishing practices as well. We are facing all sorts of problems with fish farming that we never really faced before.. sea lice being one of them”
“Fishing is something that I have done my entire life, nothing else like it”
“ when a boat’s life ends at sea, it finds a new one in our gardens”
"the fish I fished I “the stewarts have been making salted & the grimsay boats for sold to locals generations and using a local's name" generations, they are a
part of heritage that we
“I very proud of" fished for 50 years, it was a “I sailed around the harsh life, but now my world. From the arctic children have taken over" to Austrialia. My life has always been about the sea, the sky, and good company" “boats have always resembeled death & the afterlife in our culture"
“The prices are way too high. The ferry has a monopoly on sea transport”
Kayaking has taught me geography & Gealic
“look at the boat that I drew, it looks like my dad’s, it does not only swim, it flies and drives on land too,” “we painted the boats & sailed them to portugal”
“I fix boats as a hobby, though I hate the modern adjustments” “These boats are a tribute to the stewarts. I studied the boats for a very long time, and now I am using them to evoke new dialogoues”
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Island Stories illustration 3.2
1
6
which ones last and which ones disappear ?
our voice is heard clearly We are active community members that decide on and organise events, and reach out to those in our circle
our voice is only just heard We are active community members that are connected through other key persons
our voice is barely ever heard We are not very active & do not seek to be included, or the value in our contribution, but would like to be more involved
our voice is never heard We are not active, do not see the value in our contributions, we do not seek to contribute & are very difficult to seek out
illustration 3.3 Hidden Stories
25
26
3
6
Community Interactions illustration 3.4
Those without direct connection are left out of community activities
Invisible Communities
Visible Communities Key persons communicate to people within their circles
Engaging the community in expressing Art& Heritage
Obstacles of penetrating the community
EMERGING THEMES
IES OR
IES OR
ISLA N DS T SINKING ST
generational gaps
Formulating Emergent themes to direct concept
a rapidly chaning environment within the last 40 years has led to generational gaps that are wider than elsewhere in the UK. This means that there is both a wealth of knowledge held by the elder generations, and a means to connect youth with their heritage.
preservation & speculation awareness of the importance of heritage preservation is limited to the few who see value in their own contributions. Through conversations on heritage and the arts, it becomes easier to evoke questions and speculations about the shared futures of the island.
intimate interactions a small fragmented community means that interactions happen in small intimate groups, where taking initiative is not a common attitude. The community is characterised by being private, quiet, and reserved.
illustration 3.5 Emerging Themes
27
04 Develop Design Space Balanced Museum Communication
Storytelling though Evocative Objects Sense & Meaning Making
Knowledgeable & Socially Engaged
Why Questions & of Future
Past Memories
Social Gaps
Narratives of People & Place
Art & Heritage Design Space illustration 4.1
IDEATION Essence
C
oncept generation was a rapid and brief period. After having
framed a focused design space, I started generating ideas around bridging the social gaps that exist between the narratives of people, and
Art
and
Heritage
internal
communities, through focusing on the commonalities between these communities represented in the cultural artefacts. In generating these concepts I wanted to design towards a preferable future of
Figure 4.1 Distributed Story Recorder w/ Story Cards
‘community’, ‘art’ and ‘heritage’ narratives. For me, the aim of this concept is not an attempt to resolve the uncovered tensions, but one that lives within them. See figures 4.1-4.3
Figure 4.2 Dice like RFID Objects explored through a digital platform
28
Figure 4.3 Cards & Smart Phone Board game
Initial Concepts Figures 4.1-4.3
CONCEPT
The Technology: 3D RFID Reader
What At the core of the concept is an intimate interactive experience that allows people to
where & when
interact with art & heritage exhibited at TC.
Battery
The system utilises RFID technology, digital The interactive Experience starts within
Charging Cable
making, and a digital platform. Through the museum by bringing different makers Interacting with the artefacts, people are and curators together with the audience able to explore stories through meta-data, in mind. Fostering a strategy of storytelling and generate links between them to create within and outwith the museum. The their own “story constellations”
experience itself takes place in cultural hubs around the Islands with the help of a museum worker. The outcomes of external
Who
interactions can then manifest at TC
Bluetooth Transmitter
The Physical: Chatter Box
through a digital library I envision the system being carried out by Taigh Chearsabhagh (TC) as the main stakeholder, as well as other cultural institutions on the Islands, Local Cultural
How
Hubs such as restaurants and cafés, a The experience manifests in digitally Museum Worker, Museum Curators, produced representations of artefacts and Digital Makers and Artists. The aim of artworks, generated by artists and digital bringing collaborators together is to widen makers, a 3D RFID reader artefact, and a TC’s outreach within the local community, digital platform and database where data and to create wider participation and is stored and updated. By interacting with representation in future Artworks and different artefacts users are able to create Programmes at TC. new links between artefacts that did not exist originally, thus adding a layer of
Pallet Box
Pallets
meaning that neither artists nor curators
Why
could possibly predict.
TC’s community engagement has been limited to specific groups within the islands; this has fostered perceptions of the museum being aimed at tourists, and artwork, cultural artefacts, and museum initiatives being distant. A community that is characterised by its reservation towards change, and its preference of widely distributed interactions reinforces these perceptions. This is ultimately reflected in the representation of local communities in artwork produced and exhibited.
Next I envision extensions to this concept being implemented by the stakeholder where the experience starts with one on one engagements, but extends to homes, other museums, and finally turning to an easily accessible digital archive. The
The Digital: Digital Platform
experience can also be adapted to a LoFi version where content is produced in print, furthering its potential to appeal to different groups. In addition, TC will be able to produce bespoke inhouse artefacts that will generate revenue for the centre.
29
“ I see a lot of potential in the different ways & contexts that it can be used in,”
One on one interactions
Art Curator at Taigh Chearsabhagh
Home Kits
System Map Design
Internal co-curation Internal & External co-curation Locations
Curators
Participants
Artists
Physical Interactive Library
Digital Makers
COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS Taigh Chearsabhagh
Museums
Children
Digital Making Facility
Schools
Outdoor Engagements
Isolated
Engage
HOME KIT
Cultural Institutions
Museum Worker
Engage
ENGAGEMENT KIT
Cultural Hubs
Restaurants /Cafe’s
Taigh Chearsabhagh
INTERACTIVE LIBRARY
Distributed Museum Exchanges
Public Spaces
Exhibit
Service Blue Print 1
2
3
4
6
5
7
8
TOUCHPOINTS Teasers
PHASES
Preparation
FRONT OF STAGE Hear & ask about Event INTERACTIONS
Museum curators,
BACK OF STAGE artists, & digital INTERACTIONS makers collaborate
Invitations to collaborate
SUPPORT PROCESSES
Engagement Kit
Digital Platform
Go to Event
organise events with partners
Digital Platform
Engagement
Launch
Discover
Create links
Share & Discover
Museum worker provides supervision & support
Physical Library
Digital Platform & Home Kit
Engagement Kit & Home Kit
Exhibition
Distribution
Update
Go to Museum
Register & Receive Kit
Receive Notification
Curators Organise
Reception answer questions
Museum curators, artists, & digital makers collaborate
Technical Support
Agreement with distribution third party
Agree on venue Technical Support
Produce Artefacts Update Online Platform
30
Event & Engagement Kit
Prepare venue
Discuss Feedback & Input into other Programmes
Produce Artefacts Update Digital Platform
Scenario 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1.
Sean’s parents are from the Western Isles, they always tell him about it but he cannot make a connection to the place or the people in it since he lives in Edinburgh
4.
Jim is a curator at Taigh Chearsabhagh. He often finds it difficult to engage with the wider community with cultural content created by and through artists and curators.
7.
2.
5.
8.
Thomas came to North Uist 50 years ago, he is now retired. His wife has passed away. Thomas often finds himself lonely and goes to the local cafe where he has a chance to socialise and meet new people on occasion
3.
Amy is an artist based in Glasgow. The Islands and its communities intrigue her. Her recent artwork discusses technology and ownership within the islands. She has no connections in the community, and finds it difficult to carry out research and engage with locals
Through collaborative design efforts, Passages, an interactive platform is brought to life and launched through local channels
6.
A pop-up engagement event is held at one of the local restaurants where a museum worker and locals explore digitised cultural artefacts, an interesting dialogue on renewable energy takes place. The group create their story links about what ownership of technology means to them using Passages digital platform.
10 years have passed since the event happened. Taigh Chearsabhagh has been using and developing Passages over the years, and it has become a digital archive installation. At the exhibition, Sean and his grandfather explore the content. Sean’s grandfather remembers everyone and tells Sean stories behind the stories. Sean has made a deeper connection with the local community, its unique stories, and people.
9.
While passages started off as a means to engage more people with Taigh Chearsabhagh, it has succeeded in bringing hidden dialogues to the surface, and creating deeper links within the community through storysharing 31
EXPLORE
the story pallets inside the box Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Astract
Power
Renewable Energy
Broken Flowers
Ownership
Alec Finlay & Hannah Imlach
Since 2005 Finlay has specialised in the field of renewable energy and, recently, considered the
Confiscation
relationship between island cultures, languages, – Norse, Gaelic and Scots – and place-names as prophetic markers of tides and marine energy technologies. Briste | Broken Flowers is an imaginative response to the
Community
confiscation of quernstones in the Hebrides – an event that offers a critical perspective on power, community benefit, and more recent technologies.
Place-names
more...
Quernstones
Localism
Technology
Story
Click IN
Links
pallets in the chatterbox slots
Scroll to see media content
Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Renewable Energy
Astract
Power WWII
Naturalist Boats
Waves Crisis
Lobster
Submarine
Ownership
Commemoration
Migration
Create your story constellation!
Swimmer
Confiscation
Bernary Now that you havve explored all of these stories you can start to create your story by making new links!
Island Grimsay
Voyage Shore
Community
GOT IT
Stewarts
CREATE
Loss
Ca
Voyage
story constellations & share away
Place-names Quernstones
Cable Car
Lacuna Technology
Dead
Localism
Myth
Souls
Story
Links
create links between words
Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Power Community
Discover art, heritage, & community stories
Island My grandmother often told me stories of how the only
way to make bread using a quernstone was by going through landlord. Years ahead we are now looking at we Waves might utilise renewable energy, not only to save energy Crisis
Quernstones and be more conscientious of the environment, but
towards building benefiting the community in a real way. Our infrastructure needs a lot of work, but the Localism journey must start somewhere.
Ownership Renewable Energy
Story
32
Links
Astract
Interaction
9%41 AM
100%
Renewable Energy
Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Power Renewable Energy
Power Crisis
Crisis
Shore
Boats
Shore
Boats Waves
Migration
Submarine
Naturalist
Commemoration Migration
Commemoration
The Lobster & The Lacuna
Soul Vessels
Kirsty O’Connor
Kirsty O’Connor
Lobster
Ownership
Bernary
Ownership
It is a descent through the log books of Roberta Sinclair,
Soul Vessels is inspired by the beautiful wooden boats Confiscation
naturalist and submariner. Stationed on Berneray after
built by five generations of the Stewart family on
Grimsay
Grimsay. It also relates to the mythical significance, in
the second world war, she was a keen sea swimmer and
Confiscation
regularly explored the waters around the island, gaining
many cultures including the Celtic, of the boat as a
helped modify HCTC gondola No. 72 into an amphibious
personal losses, as well as honouring souls lost at sea in
vehicle and was the only passenger on the prototype’s
their search for a new home, linking the current
Community
Grimsay
the nickname An Giomach (The Lobster). Ms. Sinclair
carrier of the souls of the dead. It commemorates
single voyage. Thinking both of a species of intertidal
migration crisis with people having had to leave these more...
Voyage
sea snail (Lacuna Vincta) and also of the silent
Community
shores in the past.
unknowns of the world beneath the waves, she referred
Place-names
to her adapted cable car as The Lacuna.
WWII
Place-names
more...
Loss Loss
Quernstones
Lacuna
Stewarts Dead
Souls
Quernstones
Myth
Stewarts
Cable Car
Localism
Swimmer
Island
Localism
Technology
Myth
Souls
Dead
Technology
Story
Links
Story
Links
switch between Pallet media
switch to links
9%41 AM
Renewable Energy
100%
Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Power WWII
Naturalist Boats
Power
Waves Crisis
Lobster
Community Submarine Commemoration
Ownership Migration Swimmer
Island
Confiscation
My grandmother often told me stories of how the only way to make bread using a quernstone was by going through
Bernary
landlord. Years ahead we are now looking at we might utilise renewable energy, not only to save energy and be more
Island
Waves
Grimsay
consciensious of the environment, but towards building benefitting the community in a real way. Our infrastructure
Voyage
Crisis
needs alot of work, but the journey must start somewhere. Quernstones
Shore
Community
Stewarts Loss
q
Voyage Place-names
w
e
r
t
y
Localism
u
i
p
o
Quernstones
able Car
Lacuna
Technology
s
a
Myth
d
f
g
h
j
k
l
Search
Ownership Dead
Localism
Souls
z
Story
x
Renewable Energy
c
v
b
n
m
! ,
? .
.? 123
Links
.? 123
type story or add media
9%41 AM
100%
Astract
9%41 AM
100%
Power Community My Constellation
Ferry Diaries
My Constellation
Ferry Diaries
Almost
Starry Boats
Renewable Energy Community
Power
Island
Rocky Island
Working on the rocket range has taught me alot over the years. I wonder how things would be if it did not exist in
Waves Quernstones
Place-names
the first place. Now that we have responsibility to care
Crisis
Waves
Almost
Starry Boats
Localism
for our environment using renewables is the only way Crisis forward. Although it should have been implemented years ago, we are still making a huge step in the right Technology direction. This is a new era for the Islands.Quernstones Voyage
Ownership Renewable Energy
Localism Salty
Shreds
Salty
Shreds
Rocky
Winter Snug
Rocky
Winter Snug
My Constellation
Scroll to see other stories 33
Prototype During my last feedback session with staff at Taigh Chearsabhagh, they showed real enthusiasm in taking the project forward. They saw great value in the project for several reasons. They saw great potential in being able to produce their own bespoke artefacts through collaborations with artists, generating revenue, and greater exposure - they are considering investing in a laser cutter- . They also saw its value through its ability to document engagements, building up to become an easily accessible archive. They also think that its ability to adapt to a Lo-Fi version will help make it appeal to different groups within the community.
34
Refining prototype after feedback & testing
T
o create my prototype I extracted artworks
from
current
and
upcoming exhibitions. I showed this to one of the artists, and she was very fond of the idea, especially since she considers herself to be an artist and a maker. I was able to test the interface and prototype with my colleagues, and thus improve it according to their recommendations.
Unfortunately
I
was unable to go back to the Islands for testing, however I was able to communicate
with
stakeholders
remotely through conference calls and by mailing the artefact.
To test my prototype I communicated remotely with stakeholders, & tested interface with colleagues 35
BIBLIOGRAPHY ACCORD. (2017). ACCORD. [online] Available at: https://accordproject.wordpress.com/ [Accessed 17 May 2017]. Artuk.org. (2017). Art UK | Discover Artworks. [online] Available at: https://artuk.org/discover/ artworks/ [Accessed 24 May 2017]. Chessexperience.eu. (2017). CHESS - The CHESS project. [online] Available at: http://www.chessexperience.eu/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2017]. Deuze, M. (2006). Participation, Remediation, Bricolage: Considering Principal Components of a Digital Culture. The Information Society, [online] 22(2), pp.63-75. Available at: http://file:///Users/Yara/Documents/Wittman_ washington_0250O_10495.pdf [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. The Freedom Theatre. (2017). Freedom Bus. [online] Available at: http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/what-wedo/theatre/freedom-bus/ [Accessed 11 Jun. 2017]. Giaccardi, E. (2006). Collective Storytelling and Social Creativity in the Virtual Museum: A Case Study. Design Issues, 22(3), pp.29-41. Heersmink, R. (2017). The narrative self, distributed memory, and evocative objects. Philosophical Studies. [online] Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11098-017-0935-0 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2017]. Hopkins, A. (2017). Making Recovery Real: an update on progress « Scottish Recovery Network. [online] Scottishrecovery.net. Available at: https://www.scottishrecovery.net/resource/making-recovery-real-anupdate-on-progress-and-reflections-on-practice/ [Accessed 9 Jun. 2017]. Jeffrey, S. (2015). Challenging Heritage Visualisation: Beauty, Aura and Democratisation. Open Archaeology, 1(1). MacDonald, F. (1998). Viewing Highland Scotland: ideology, representation and the ‘natural heritage’. Area, 30(3), pp.237-244. Mackenzie, A. (2006). ‘Against the tide’: placing visual art in the Highlands and Islands, Scotland. Social & Cultural Geography, 7(6), pp.965-985.
MacKenzie, A. (2004). Place and the art of belonging. Cultural Geographies, 11(2), pp.115-137.
2017].
Micropasts.org. (2017). MicroPasts. [online] Available at: http://micropasts.org/ [Accessed 24 May
Museum in a Box. (2017). Museum in a Box. [online] Available at: http://museuminabox.org/ [Accessed 24 May 2017]. Mydland, L. and Grahn, W. (2012). Identifying heritage values in local communities. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 18(6), pp.564-587. Newman, A. and McLean, F. (1998). Heritage builds communities: The application of heritage resources to the problems of social exclusion. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 4(3-4), pp.143-153. Nielsen, J. (2015). The relevant museum: defining relevance in museological practices. Museum Management and Curatorship, 30(5), pp.364-378. Nielsen, J. (2017). Museum communication and storytelling: articulating understandings within the museum structure. Museum Management and Curatorship, pp.1-16. Speed, C. (2011). An internet of things that do not exist. interactions, [online] 18(3), p.18. Available at: http:// dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1962438.1962445 [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].
Simon, N. (2010). The participatory museum. 1st ed. Santa Cruz: Museum 2.0, pp.3-10.
Street Art In Amsterdam | North Holland | Street Art Museum Amsterdam. (2017). Street Art In Amsterdam | North Holland | Street Art Museum Amsterdam. [online] Available at: https://www. streetartmuseumamsterdam.com/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2017]. Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre. (2017). About | Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre. [online] Available at: http://www.taigh-chearsabhagh.org/about/ [Accessed 21 May 2017]. The Museum of the Future. (2017). The Museum of the Future. [online] Available at: http:// themuseumofthefuture.com/ [Accessed 30 May 2017]. Transformativestory.org. (2017). Transformative storytelling for social change |. [online] Available at: http:// www.transformativestory.org/ [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017]. Visitouterhebrides.co.uk. (2017). Accessibility Statement - Outer Hebrides. [online] Available at: http://www. visitouterhebrides.co.uk/information/accessibility-statement [Accessed 21 May 2017]. Visser, J. (2017). Home 2017. [online] Cards for Culture. Available at: https://cardsforculture.com/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2017]. Wittman, A. (2017). The Public Work of Care: Emerging Art Curatorial Community Engagement Practices. Master of Arts. University of Washington.
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This project has first and foremost enabled me to demonstrate to myself that I am able to take the learnings of my master’s year in design innovation and interaction design, and the apply them on my own; illustrating how my design practice has grown and matured. Working with real collaborators and communities of interest has made me realise the potential and the impact design can have on people’s lives. Being able to follow through and document a rigorous design process has been imperative to changing the way I think of my design practice. I have developed a sense of responsibility towards the design decisions I make; aware of the findings I take forward and those I leave behind. In addition, learning to navigate and adapt to changes at moments of frustration with the project has informed my practice immensely; I have learned to turn obstacles into valuable findings that inform my design process, rather than allowing them to bring the project to a halt.
Finally, being able to explore how interaction design as an established design discipline can be integrated into the practices of design innovation has been a very valuable experience for me. Although formulating a new way of doing and understanding the discipline has been tough, it has allowed me to imagine the different avenues design can grow into. I think that such emerging practices will inform not only my own future projects, but also hopefully other design practitioners’ too.
On a final note, I would like to thank my family and friends for their continuous support throughout the year, and my supervisor, George Jaramillo, for his valuable direction and input. I also thank Taigh Chearsabhagh and Stepping Stone staff for providing me with the opportunity to work with them, and bringing this project to fruition. Lastly, I thank Leigh Anne Hepburn and Jeroen Bloom for their valued support.
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