FINAL MAKING OF THE PROTOTYPE

Considering the feedback from my peers during the user testing, I decided to prioritise the visual representation of Macbeth. My research involved exploring various mediums in which Macbeth has been depicted, including film, plays, and paintings. I delved into Sophie Chiari's paper on "The limner's art in Shakespeare's Macbeth," which discusses the rationale behind adapting Macbeth into art and contemporary interpretations of limning. Chiari references Trevor Nunn and Gregory Doran, who re-interpreted Macbeth as a chamber play, emphasising the role of design in theater. This exploration inspired me to create an electric conductive painting, combining the use of conductive paint with design principles derived from existing research by scholars like Chiari, Nunn, and Doran.

DRAWING IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM FROM MACBETH

In summary, Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, revolves around the titular character's descent into madness and tyranny after encountering three witches who prophesy his rise to power. Macbeth becomes consumed by ambition and resorts to murder to secure his position, ultimately leading to a tragic downfall. The play explores themes of ambition, guilt, and the corrupting influence of power.

Delving into the symbolism associated with colors in Shakespeare's era, I chose black as the main color for my painting. While early modern painters associated black with sadness, in Macbeth, Shakespeare links it more strongly with evil. This connection is evident in lines like "The devil damn thee black" (5.3.11). I aimed to incorporate this association of black with evil in my painting.

Additionally, I focused on the significance of red in the play, representing the pervasive theme of blood. The use of red not only emphasises the darkness connected to Macbeth's malevolent intentions but also serves as a metatheatrical reference to the Globe Theatre. The Globe's roof, covering part of the stage, was painted red, aligning with my rationale of linking the painting to theatre design. While performers take center stage, these design elements, including color choices, play a supplementary role in enhancing the narrative of the play.

MAKING OF THE PAINTING

I transformed the results obtained from the latest user testing into a publication. In total, I produced four books, with two dedicated to each tool. The publications vividly capture how each participant engaged with the interactive experience, showcasing the distinctive interactions facilitated by the different tools. While I aim to explore more iterations in the future, the current set of publications provides a substantial documentation considering the limited number of mark-making tools and a single motor available at this stage.

In addition to refining the current experiment, I want to explore a new tangible interaction that involves light. Recognising the significance of light and shadows in Macbeth's design process and theatrical presentations, I plan to create a prototype that incorporates these elements to convey a more intentional space experience. This aligns with my third research pillar, emphasising the exploration of space in conjunction with the theories discussed in my dissertation.

MAKING THE PAINTING CONDUCTIVE

In a trial and error experiment, I discovered that the Bare Conductive paint could be effectively used when diluted. By painting the canvas surface with the diluted paint and then placing the fabric on top, securing it with a mod podge solution, the fabric absorbed the paint. This resulted in creating a conductive area in the black fabric region. When I connected the breadboard to the painting, I successfully illuminated the LEDs through touch. The subsequent step involved replacing the LEDs with the servo motor.

MAKING ANOTHER MARK MAKING TOOL

Fortunately, I discovered a tassel that I had saved from a broken keyring, thinking it might be useful someday. Little did I know that it would become a valuable addition to my project, serving as another interesting mark-making tool. The unexpected breakage of my keyring turned out to be a fortunate turn for my project.

WORKING ON THE MODULARITY OF MY PHYSICAL DELIVERABLE

A few weeks ago, Andreas emphasised the importance of focusing on the modularity of my prototype to enhance its convenience. This involved using longer jumper wires and finding a more secure method of attaching the mark-making tools, moving away from the temporary solution of masking tape.

To enhance the convenience of the prototype, I secured the tassel and sponge to an ice cream stick, using wire to attach them to the lever of the servo motor. This provided a more stable and modular solution compared to using glue or tape.