If Walls Could Talk
midterm prototype project
instructor: Phil Van Allen
class: Interactive Objects and Spaces . summer 2008 . term 3
If Walls Could Talk Prototype from Mari Nakano on Vimeo.
Everyone, please excuse my grungy attire. I hadn't slept much at that point!
Concept
What if walls could really hear what you're saying? If Walls Could Talk is an interactive experience that demonstrates how the infrastructure around us, namely walls, are listening, absorbing and remembering what they hear. By interacting with a wall and trying to, in a sense, channel what the walls have absorbed, we can recover soundbites of the moments that may have occurred around that space. What have the walls around us heard? What secrets, abrupt moments or unspoken ideas do they absorb? And what are they willing to tell us if only we pay attention? If Walls Could Talk captures some of the secrets, desires and normally unspoken opinions of various characters. By coming close to it with a wave of your hand or just the closeness of your presence, the wall will playback what it's heard.
Exploring the design of behavior in the physical environment
We were asked to create a simple project that expresses one or two behaviors in the world. The emphasis of this project was on the behavior rather than the finished form or media. The system is supposed to react to an interaction that would then create some behavior in the world that seems to have intention or attitude. Basically, the system should want to communicate something to the user.
This was a one person project meant to explore the concept of designed behavior. We were allowed to use video, audio or physical motion as a means for the system to act in the world.
How it works
technical specs:
. MAKE control
. 6 photocells (light sensors)
. audio soundbites collected from various people and edited
. 3/4" foam core
. 22 gauge wire
. Flash Actionscript 2.0
. NetConnect
basics
Light sensors were embedded in 3/4" foam core and then covered over with a layer of coated paper. To bump up the aesthetic quality, I placed rubber gripping pads all over the wall which also helped to increase the tactile attraction. If enough light was blocked out over a light sensor, the sensor would trigger on a loop of soundbites. There were six sensors embedded in the wall and all could be activated at the same time.
Analysis
The prototype went well for several reasons:
. It was capable of working with multiple users.
. It provided an opportunity or an overlay of sounds and voices
. The "blank" design opened up pathways for other ideas using the concept of a talking wall.
. Unintended interactions happened between users. People were generally polite, stepping back and allowing other users to listen to their "found" soundbites.
. Users could search around the wall for soundbites or just stay and listen to one area.
Improvements:
. The quality of sound or the variation in sounds (from whispers to shouts) could have been explored.
. The interactions could have been better explored - how do we get people to use other movements to "call" the sounds out from the wall? i.e. leaning their ear in, using other body movements, etc.
. Physical design could have had more intention or attraction.
. Provide more of a way to call a user over to use it either through signage or design.
Potentialities:
. Design it so people can add their own content to the wall. If it were to become a confessional space, how could we design it so people could enter their own voice that could be immediately added to the wall?
. Think about how this wall could exist in other contexts: For example, what if this were a memorial wall?
. How would this wall work if it were much larger? What if you were to put it down a long stretch of hallway?
What Next?
Plans are underway to develop this idea further for the final project. I'll keep you updated!
view photos of the development of the wall below. enjoy.
