DYI Ballon, How To pART 1

After we got our chosen idea, it was time to thin k on how to execute it, in other word, we need an installation to proceed with the execution of the brief.

First step, the concept idea was discussed, we wanted something that was easy to deploy but not small, it have to be easy to spot on sidewalk. Many other point were spoken but all pointed to the bigger one, it have to be inviting. Finally after many tries we get on with this.

A box with the (inflated) balloons inside. One addition that came out after the connect is the poster at eyes sight. 

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So w start with the longest part of the installation, the pole for the poster. After a quick visit to Garbage Reverse, all needed material was collected. Here is the probe that the hot glue is not an universal -sticky- glue, because the pole was so large we needed to buy 2 and join them together, the rubber was suppose to act as pressure keeper inside the large tube (the was another tube inside), but it didn't work, we ened crashin another tube and make it fit between the 2 tubes.

Looks all promising but still needs some fix

After a few tries, it worked.

The top of the pole was giving no problem as it was pretty much straight to the solution.

The original idea is to use those wholes to hide a GoPro one of the team members have. Because of time and that probably peoply dont like to be film we omitted the GoPro.

Installation

Finally we set up the installation. We can call it a success. Since the installation was modular and light, we had the opportunity to move it around the city and see the people's interaction in different areas and while doing different activities.

Fortunately we didn't need to approach people and invite them over to interact with it. One thing to point out, is the fact that the installation was planned to be placed at the crossing lights, so people could use it while waiting for the green light. Some people was really keen to do it, but the fact that the activity of doing a dog balloon takes much more time than waiting to cross the street, people left without finishing it. So we decided to move a bit further where people would not feel the pressure of the lights.

Here is the video done for the installation.

Workshop timetable

Here is the timetable for workshop to help us to find out the most suitable idea for the final installation.

Framing the DIY Balloon Dogs Poster

At the top of the instructions for the DIY Balloon Dogs there are three sentences:

Does your life need more joy?

How about adopting a balloon puppy?

Follow the step-by-step guide and have some FUN!

This message was carefully chosen to try and emphasis the message of the thesis.  To help get people thinking about bringing joy into their lives - by engaging with this installation.  I felt there was a need to include the word 'joy' to help draw people's minds to this idea.

The postser was worded to be inviting and welcoming, a little whimsical, and generally just plain fun.  Arturo did a good job picking the colours for the poster and designing artwork that was fun and inviting. 

Overall I'm fairly happy with the poster and how it looks.  I think that the poster does the best job that it can in positioning the user to think about the thesis without having to really spell it out in black and white.  It is a difficult thesis to get accross in an installation like this one, but I am pleased with the end result. 

Exploring Pillow Fight Zone

The idea of the Pillow Fight Zone was very similar to the DIY Balloon Dogs, that we can draw attention to the lack of joy people experience in the built environment by allowing people the opportunity to experience a joyful moment.  However, when we workshoped this concept, people responded to it with the thesis of "Society has too many prohibitions and too few invitiations".  In reflection the group do es accept that this thesis is probably the more applicable - although either is an option.

To explain what the concept is - if the name of it didn't give enough of a clue - it is a zone in which there are pillows with which people can attach each other.

Arturo, who is the one who came up with the concept, originally invisioned that people would have regular pillows to attack each other with.  However, when I was a kid and learning to sew I would make these little cusions about 10cm sqaure which I would throw at my brother.  They are fun and hurt even less than a normal sized pillow can.  So, for the workshop I spent an afternoon with a friend making a few dozen little pillows.  They were a lot of fun in the workshop - especially as I had lots of bright coloured fabric from which to make them.

Anyway, back to the thoery.  I think that this one was a really good exploration of the prohibitions and invitations thesis, but again, like the DIY Balloon Dogs I worry about the thesis not being in-your-face enough for the general public to get.  I personally think that this one is more likely to be something which people would go away and talk to their friends about - it is a bigger more significant event, more of a deviation from regular routines.  Because of this I think that this installation could have worked, however it was pointed out in the workshop that it was a little unfeasible ebcause you'd end p with pillows on the ground that no one would want to pick up and throw at people.

Exploring DIY Balloon Dogs

The idea behind the DIY Balloon Dogs (or just Balloon Dogs for short) is that the modern built environment drains joy from our lives.  The thesis seems - to me at least - a little tangential to the concept, but on a deeper, or perhaps only different, interpretation is it is attempting to draw attension to the lack of fun and joy in the modern world by providing an opportunity for people to have some fun and experience joy.

The act of creating something - even if it is not done well, is an activity that humans often find brings a sence of pride and accomplishment - these are happy, possitive - oh, let's just say the buss word:  joyful - feelings.  These positive feelings highlight how few opportunites there are to create and be expressive in the modern environment.

Architects‎ make an attempt to create beautiful environments, but however this is only part of the way to creating a modern built environment in which people can be happy.  The other part is what this installation is trying to show - the way in which people need to have fun activities which also bring them joy.

Personally I worry that the concept it a little tangential to the thesis and that people who don't know what the thesis is will not be steared in that direction of thought, but perhaps I am giving the public too little creadit.  Perhaps by thinking about this one fun thing they will think or talk to others about the fun and joyful things that there are in the modern built environment.

Research

An interesting video is related to anti-social. People who are waiting for buses can have more interactive with each other with this facility rather than just sitting at bus station.

The Workshop (in pictures)

The Workshop

We ran a workshop in order to help us to obtain feedback presenting the participants the runner up ideas for the installation Eureka was invited to set up.

According to our workshop plan we had 6 participants, all team member's friends and acquaintances. They all were very cooperative and participated in all the activities we asked them to do.

Firstly we did an ice breaking activity in order to make them feel more comfortable among each other, since some of the activities we were going to require them to collaborate.

After that, we presented them each idea, and invited them to participate in a bodystorm for each one of them. Below we present videos from the activities.




The first idea we presented was the installation "Internet is a public space".


Then we followed with DIY Balloon Dog.




And finally the fun Pillow Fight Zone.



After running all activities, we asked them to rate the ideas according to the keywords provided in post it notes, then according to their preference: "Which one would be most likely for them to interact with it if they ran into the installation in a public space"

The feedback obtained helped us to identity the flaws, pros and cons of the ideas. At the end of the workshop we had enough data to identify the most suitable installation from the four ideas. DIY Balloon Dog is the installation we are going to set up.

Workshop Plan Sheet

Here is our workshop plan sheet. We got some useful suggestions from today's workshop. People felt Pillow Fight that was the most interesting. "The tea with strangers" and "internet is a public space" was a little bit boring. Longer introduction and more ice breaking active will be improved for our next workshop. 

Exploring Tea with Stangers

This concept is to have people grab a stranger off the street and invite them to have afternoon (or morning) tea with them.  This is to encourage people to talk to someone new and be social with people who they wouldn't normally talk to.  An explaination of the thesis could be placed on the table - hopefully resulting in coversations.

This idea feels a little bit derivite of the concept tha twas showen to us during our prac - the one with people taking a picture next to each other with their arms around each other for free coffee.  This makes it less appealing for a final idea.

Additionally the costs involved in setting up this idea don't appeal.  Having to source tables and chairs as well as the food and drink makes this idea less feasible.  Because of this, even though this concept has been identified as social, public, and physical, we've elected not to use this idea.

Exploring "Internet is Public Space"

The Internet is Public Idea is exploring the idea that our public spaces are now on the internet and showing this by taking the internet public space and putting it in physical - more traditional - public spaces.  The idea is to get people thinking about how we are still a very social species but the way that we socalise has now changed.

The idea can be taken in an additional direction by having two locations set up and what people write on one location appears at the other.  If the sites are in the same park a person might write something at one location and then go to the other and find their post on that wall then it might get people thinking about just how social and public that the internet really is.  How you think that you are just putting something up in once space, but then it also appears somewhere else.  Doing this will add an additional aspect to the thesis and might distract from the original point, or add to it.

This idea is appealling because of the feasibility.  The materials are simple - pens, paper, instructional posters, and maybe post-its.  The main concern for this project is going to be selecting the right space.  There needs to be a lot of people walking by, but they need to have the time to stop and explore the installation.  A site like South Bank would probably be the best place to install this installation - lots of people who aren't in much of a hurry.

Site Survey

 

Site survey for traffic lights -- Observation at Pinelands Shopping Center

Most people are doing nothing when they are waiting for red lights, especially for drivers. Moreover, some walkers can not wait the green lights on and rush to cross the road. If the red lights are long waiting time some time, you can clearly see people are impatient waiting there. 

Public Spaces are Anti-social

Thesis:  Utopian or dystopian interpretation of “Public spaces are anti-social spaces.”

Used to be that people grew up within 20/30 miles of where they were born.  They knew the whole community - literally - because those were the people they spent their whole lives with.  Now people move around more and don't know their immediate neighbours, interacting only with people with the same interests or traits as themselves.

To get people having meaningful interactions they have to be in a space they wanted to go to and want to stay in.

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/phsyical-social-environment/places-for-interaction/main

There is a trend in modern times to have a reduction of the number of public spaces - many of them becoming privatised.  Public spaces are being used less.  The distribution of public spaces is also unequal (wealthy suburbs get more greenspace).

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01944360108976352

Face-to-face interpersonal communication - has been altered by media consumption.  

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2885.1991.tb00022.x/abstract

What constitutes a public space?  Why do people go there?  For example a train station could be considered a public space, but people only pass through so little social interaction occurs there.  A park is a public space and people go there with friends and family to talk and interact with each other, but you rarely interact with strangers in a park - we actively discourage children from interacting with strangers (particularly adults) in parks - is it any wonder we don’t meet new people in parks.

Idea:  Serve tea (actual tea) and have people sit at tables with other people whom they don’t know, encouraging communication with strangers.