Lecture by Dan and Nana Parry
I found this lecture about collaboration tools from Dan and Nana Parry really informative. I was a little bit daunted by the brief for a collaborative tool but by the end of this I feel like I had a much stronger grasp on the task. Dan and Nana pointing out that you could also start with thinking about the audience, not necessarily the problem was interesting and something I am going to think about this week - I have already thought the problem I want to solve is isolation in the design community and help people feel like they're not working in silos. But who is the main audience for this? People newly working at home after the pandemic? Students? Freelancers? This is definitely an interesting [lace to start and I will be talking more about this in my response to the workshop challenge.
The tool Nana described about being accountable for your creativity really made me want to use it! The idea that in order to keep a streak going multiple people have to fulfil their creativity goal is such an innovative way of encouraging people to work together even if they do not necessarily have a common goal - the goals can all be different and this is part of the reason the app sounds really good. Being accountable to my friends or colleagues even when they are not involved in the project would help me not only feel like I'm part of a team but also like I can't let someone down - improving both collaboration and accountability. As the only designer at work I sometimes feel like I am working alone - it's not something I really thought about before this MA but I do work in a silo, so an app like this or a tool like I will create this week could really help me feel less like I am alone in my job.
Overall I really enjoyed the lecture by Dan and Nana Parry and it really helped me understand the process you go through to create a collaborative tool. This is something I have no experience with whatsoever but I am really interested in getting going with the project and developing something to make peoples lives better. In my case, I want to combat loneliness and isolation in the field of design.
Mat Collishaw - Thresholds
Mat Collishaw created this incredible exhibition which replicated the first ever photographic exhibition in 1839. [1] Mat described it as a "fully immersive portal to the past" and guests could walk around the digitally reconstructed room and experience everything like it would have been - even down to the heat and smell of the coal fire. Other guests are shown as ghostly avatars to enhance the sense that you are travelling through time. [2]
I love this technology and the was now more than ever we can experience things from the past as if they are happening now.
This links back to my conversation with Mat Greenfield about combatting isolation and loneliness with technology. I love this project and I'm interested to explore the idea of harnessing similar technology to encourage collaboration between people from different disciplines that are in different places all over the globe.
Could my collaborative tool be a virtual reality application that encourages communication and makes people feel like they are not living in a silo - instead they have a community of creative minds at their fingertips? How would this work and what form would it take? I have a lot of research to do on this but I am exited about where it could go.
When I started looking into the use of Virtual reality in the art world, I realised how many exhibitions and artists have harnessed this technology in their work and how far you can actually push the technology.
Virtual worlds by citizen scientists
For example, Brian Pope founded the Arc/k Project in a "state of outrage" after ISIS began to destroy the ancient structures of Palmyra in Syria during 2015. [3] The idea is from people's photographs of the place before the bombing, Pope's team managed to recreate the area destroyed by stitching together the photographs. Pope believed that anyone with a smartphone can become a citizen scientist and add to the collective global memory.
I think this is a wonderful way of preserving the beautiful things in the would even if they do not stand the test of time. If VR can be harnessed to recreate the past, surely I can use it to improve the future, not only in a collaboration sense but also to do with isolation, loneliness and mental health. I firmly believe that the only reason to keep pushing technology forward is to improve people's lives and that is what I want to do with my collaborative tool.
The idea of creating virtual worlds based on people's work and photographs has a lot of cross overs with one of my ideas from last week - the virtual crit. In essence the initial technology would be the same - people adding their own work to a virtual space and being able to tour it at their own leisure.
Workshop Challenge
Develop a digital tool or process to aid the collaboration for future working from your findings in the previous three weeks.
You should ensure this response is to your own emerging ideas on your own working methodology.
Present your idea as a designed visual proposal in the format of your choice.
The first thing I need to do is decide which idea I am going to go with. Here are my choices;
From the conversation I had with Mat Greenfield to my research on the theme of collaboration this week, the idea for a collaborative tool I am going to go with is the online crit. Although I need to come up with a catchier name - Huddle Buddies was suggested in out week 8 crit which I think is incredibly cute. However I think I should decide on the name later when I have more of an idea of the applications of this idea and how it will work.
The problem I am trying to solve is reducing isolation and silo working in people in the creative industries.
The next step is to think about how I can achieve the goal of reducing isolation and silo working in people in the creative industries.
Virtual Reality (VR) is being used to better the lives of senior citizens all over the world by reducing loneliness, improving their mental health and transporting them to far-flung places without needing to leave the comfort of their home. [4]
I took inspiration from an article I red in Forbes last year about how virtual reality is being used to help older people combat loneliness. It's a really interesting story of Kenta Toshima, a Tokyo researcher, is using VR to help nursing home residents visit places from their pasts and tick off locations on their bucket lists. It has really helped them feel less isolated and feel part of the world in a wider context. This is essentially what I want to be able to do for people in the creative industry.
This project was also a really good example of virtual reality being used in a group context too. Toshima says that he created group experiences that make people think they are experiencing these new places together, creating a greater sense of community. This is another aspect that will be similar to the way I would also harness the technology of virtual reality.
By creating a virtual reality gallery/crit space I hope to grow this community of creatives and make them feel less alone or like they are working in silos. I think VR could be a good solution to this because it allows people to travel across time and space without having to leave their homes.
Another thing I really like about the idea of VR is that is can constantly keep up to date with the latest technology, right now the most we can do is a VR headset and a motion capture suit however in the future the possibilities are endless.
I like the fact that this idea can move with the times and as technology advances, the application of my VR crit platform could also advance. One of the main issues with virtual reality headsets and sensor suits at the minute is the sheer amount of hardware needed, it is not only cumbersome and expensive but can also remind you that you're not actually in there so I'm hoping that in the future, tech advances further and becomes more seamless to have a virtual reality experience.
Years and Years
This idea of technology advancement made me immediately think of the Russell T Davies 2019 TV show Years and Years, where Bethany reveals to her parents she is Transhuman. In this clip she suggests that she would feel more comfortable if she could ditch her corporeal form and instead exist just as data. This is such an interesting idea, that people no longer need their bodies and instead exist inside a computer as binary code.
While my idea for a collaboration tool is not to upload every designer to a machine, it is interesting seeing the far reaches of technological thinking. The speculative plan for my Virtual Reality Crit would be for people to be able to experience it through an implanted chip - reducing the need for hardware completely. That way, the VR Crit can be a part of creatives working environment no matter where they are in the world.
Phantom Space
What will Phantom Space do?
Phantom Space is a virtual reality gallery/crit space. I hope to grow this community of creatives and make them feel less alone or like they are working in silos. The applications for this collaboration tool are endless. It could be used to offer feedback, to show exhibitions, to socialise or even to see exhibitions of the past.
I think VR could be a good solution to this because it allows people to travel across time and space without having to leave their homes.
I like the fact that this idea can move with the times and as technology advances, the application of my VR crit platform could also advance.
Online Gallery
People will be able to put on art shows and visit other people’s art shows. The headset will allow a full 360 view and the gloves will allow people to touch tactile pieces.
Interdisciplinary Feedback
Creatives from any discipline can ask for ongoing feedback from people all over the world allowing for collaboration and education on a massive scale.
Offer non-VR alternatives
As not everyone has access to such advanced technology Phantom Space will also provide online tools such as an app and a website.
Blast from the Past
Once a month, Phantom Space will offer an exhibition from the past. Whether it’s lost and reconstructed paintings or a replica of a full exhibition, it gives people the chance to experience it in a VR social setting.
Creative Socials
Phantom Space will also host social gatherings for creatives all over the world. Some events will be themed, others will be designed to just interact with people you otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to meet.
Technology
Virtual reality technology has been around since 2012 although it is still considered a new technology. Until recently it has been used mainly for games, however now it is coming into its own.
The technology needed to create phantom space will be:
Unity Game Engine [5]
It is a cross-platform game engine and is the world’s most powerful real time development platform. It allows you to build 3D worlds and boasts a robust ecosystem.
This will be used to build the virtual spaces such as a lobby, a suite of 3D virtual gallery and social spaces which will form the basis of the application.
AppMachine [6]
This allows you to build custom apps with pre-coded building blocks. It also allows you to customise the design so it will be Phantom Space Branded.
This will be used to build the app for smartphones and tablets that will allow users to experience Phantom Space without needing expensive VR tools.
Bespoke Website Building
This will allow me to design the website in a made-to-measure way.
It will give us the freedom to make the Phantom Space website be an online gallery and interactive exhibition space that work as well as the VR application. A coder may also be needed for the App if AppMachine doesn’t allow flexibility.
How would you use it?
1. Choose from the suite of exhibition space layouts to suit the purpose of the event. Whether it is a crit, an exhibition or a social.
2. Choose a skin for the space. People can design their own or choose from predesigned skins. These include specific museums like the MET or themes like ancient galleries or modern galleries.
3. Upload the artwork via our website or app. Simply take a picture or scan your piece and add it to your gallery.
4. Invite guests by sending them a unique code or link. It is also possible to make it a public event so it will appear on the events page of the website or as a door in everyone’s virtual gallery.
5. Guests can then enter and look at and touch the pieces. There is a voice function so people can talk in real time and a chat function to allow for time delay.
Horizon Workrooms
Mark Zuckerberg has today (19th August 21) come out with Facebook’s newest venture - Horizon Workrooms. It is a platform designed to bring people together in the ‘metaverse’ (online space). The way to think about it is instead of going on the internet you are inside the internet, it allows you to experience a virtual reality office and personal avatars. You can even see your desk and computer screen and interact with them accordingly.
It is designed for workplaces to get together and conduct meetings, brainstorm and whiteboard ideas from all over the world but still feel like they are in the same room.
This is similar to the reasons I think Phantom Space would be an extremely valuable collaboration tool for creatives all over the world. Facebooks newest invention is a great model for Phantom Space and shows that this kind of technology harnessed for collaboration has possibilities and applications all over the world. This makes me even more confident that this could be a real success.
Final Design
Lobby
Original image from https://eu.app.com/videos/entertainment/2021/01/12/visit-metropolitan-museum-art-without-leaving-home/6640572002/
Gallery
Original image from https://newcriterion.com/issues/2013/9/miracle-at-the-met-7681
Crit Space
Website and App
The website and app are designed to be as easy to use as possible - you can enter the VR space, see the classic view, chat, upload your artwork and view all the available shows at the touch of a button. It is for some one who either doesn't have access to a VR headset or chooses to view it this way. It will work seamlessly with the VR app.
Summary
I really enjoyed this project, especially the organic way I tackled it. I was keen from the beginning to focus on isolation and loneliness within the industry and beyond, focussing specifically on silo working and using a tool to combat this. It wasn’t until my conversation with Mat Greenfield that I thought just how far we can push technology in relation to collaboration.
There is endless research about the subject of virtual reality and technology in relation to collaboration. The virtual worlds research was of particular interest and inspiration to me especially within this project, the fact that you can recreate forgotten worlds (or art) from time gone by.
I am really pleased with the outcome of the collaboration project. I think harnessing technology is vital in order to create something that encourages networking and communication between people all over the world.
My SWOT analysis was really helpful in thinking about ways I could progress Phantom Space and also the threats and weaknesses that I could start workiing to improve at this stage of development.
Given more time I would love to create more visuals to illustrate the possibilities of the tool. Or, mock up a 3D model of a gallery in order to be able to show people exactly how the technology would work. I think a prototype of this type is the best way to illustrate the possibilities of this technology and is definitely how I would like to develop this project.
References
[1] Collishaw, M. (2018). Thresholds. Available: https://matcollishaw.com/exhibitions/thresholds/. Last accessed 23/7/21.
[2] Zhang, M. (2018). Artist Uses VR to Recreate World’s First Photo Exhibition from 1839. Available: https://petapixel.com/2018/03/06/artist-uses-vr-recreate-worlds-first-photo-exhibition-1839/. Last accessed 23/7/21
[3] Eliza. (2021). The Global City Nature Challenge. Available: https://pasopacifico.org/the-global-city-nature-challenge/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVWGGxYJeW1WdMQz_7wB4VDLMWooJnTdTe25ka4fKOmpwvrOa6uj2UoaAqgpEALw_wcB. Last accessed 25/7/21.
[4] Rogers, S. (2020). How Virtual Reality Is Benefiting Seniors. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2020/02/26/how-virtual-reality-is-benefiting-seniors/?sh=59e231b91485. Last accessed 26/7/21.
[5] Unity. (2021). Get Started. Available: https://unity.com/pages/unity-pro-buy-now?gclid=CjwKCAjwgviIBhBkEiwA10D2j30KaLZsGQ0wcqA8oK0Ta6v2pK9IjWZ6sEA6C_0XC7Djw8UomOr2-xoCKMYQAvD_BwE. Last accessed 19/8/21.
[6] AppMachine. (2021). Create Your Own App. Available: https://www.appmachine.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwgviIBhBkEiwA10D2j3-qPnendnBGfeD2Cnz5rXNVUcKZsoZX86j7AfMvPJnQCe-9XWySnBoCV_MQAvD_BwE. Last accessed 19/8/21.
Commentaires