STARTING ARTEFACT 3

This week, I shifted my focus to my third artifact, since I had already established the basic idea for the second one. Additionally, I aimed to document and make progress on my critical journal for the dissertation, as I intend to explain all my artifacts there. The third artifact had been initiated during semester one but was put on hold after the initial exploration, as other experiments were more closely aligned with my concept at the time. I revisited this artifact with a focus on its intended representation. During consultations with Andreas, we had discussed the importance of ensuring a natural narrative flow for my artifacts rather than forcing it. Since my first artifact had a strong connection to Macbeth, I aimed to maintain this theme for the other two. For the light and shadow artifact, drawing inspiration from shadow theater seemed appealing, but I needed to find a way to link it to Macbeth. As for the third artifact, centered around unseen movement, I initially considered creating something reflective of horror or discomfort. These initial thoughts will be further developed through research for the dissertation, aiding in linking the narrative to my practical work. However, for now, my priority was to address all technical challenges and focus on production for this artifact.

IDEATING

After brainstorming with my friends, I created the above sketch. While I was certain about incorporating movement and the sensation of being caught off guard, I was unsure how to convey this aesthetically. Our conversation about blind box challenges, and the discomfort they evoke, sparked an idea. I envisioned a closed box with a slot for inserting one's hand. Once inside, a distance-measuring mechanism would activate a servo motor concealed beneath the cloth, causing it to move unevenly. The concept seemed intriguing to me because it aimed to appear deceptively simple, catching participants off guard when the unexpected movement occurs.

EXPERIMENTING FOR THIS IDEA

As I began experimenting with this concept, I recalled my discussion with Andreas regarding the suitability of the intended material, fishnet wire. Instead, I opted for a small cloth bag and placed the servo motor inside it. To enhance the effect further, I incorporated a vibration sensor within the bag for an exaggerated response.

USER TESTING WITH CLASSMATES

I conducted user testing for this small experiment to gather feedback and observe people's reactions. Given that the main aim was to evoke eeriness and horror, I anticipated subjective responses. The feedback varied among participants: Medha found it creepy, Chris was initially caught off guard but then found it entertaining and interacted with it like a toy, while Meen approached it with apprehension, feeling more uneasy due to the uncertainty it presented.

MOVING FORWARD

After observing others' reactions and receiving feedback, I decided to iterate on this prototype, mindful of its subjective nature and whether it met my desired level of scariness or eeriness. Additionally, I needed to consider the design aspect of the artifact, as the mechanics were more or less sorted. I envisioned a two-way box where placing one's hand inside would trigger movement based on the distance between hands. However, a plain box seemed too simplistic. I realised that my artifacts should be visually appealing and cohesive with their interaction. Also compairing it to my first artefat (interactive painting) a plain box might be a bit underwhelming, so I also have to consider the cohesiveness of all the artefacts.