In this blog post I’m going to focus on the topics I worked on during the last two weeks. Inspired from a lecturer I did my research about all the topics connected to my proposed master thesis, that I got in touch during the last year. In the first week I searched for different keywords exclusively, giving me the freedom to dive deeper into very different disciplines without getting lost in detail. The second week was dedicated to clustering, arranging and finally lead to a mind-map.
topics for mind-map
In the following section I want to give an overview of the mind-map and discuss how working with a mind map helped me in my research. The mind-map itself was made with a tool called Miro and shows the clustered topics according the ones mentioned in the upper section.
With the described approach, I want to overcome the pressure I put on me when researching topics. By separating data collection and processing, I want to achieve a feeling of freedom and curiosity that gives me excess to my true interests without being influenced by narratives distracting me. Moreover, this process gives me the freedom needed to switch my focus within topics without the urge of coming to a conclusions, as this will be done later while data processing.
While this is only the clustering of my findings and not all of this year’s topics are on the map, this process truly helped me visualizing my findings as well as showing me potential intersections.
The following blog posts will provide a closer look at the topics including filtering the most relevant aspects and further developing the map.
Digital tools and social networks are becoming more and more crucial in determining how people respond to certain life events. Refugees use electronic devices, such as phones, laptops, and tablets to browse the internet, find reliable information sources, and communicate with family, friends, and also other refugees mostly to seek support and direction from societal organizations that assist asylum seekers. Digital tools can also increase access to educational platforms, health services, and job opportunities.
Based on the research by The GSMA, depending on their environment, refugees get mobile services in different ways, such as by sharing or borrowing phones and using different SIM cards. Most of them use their own phone and their own SIM card, for those who do not have them, borrowing is an important part of connecting with other people.
The most popular mobile service is calling. SMS is the second-most popular cellphone service. Qualitative research across all contexts indicates that the cost of using SMS messaging is one of the biggest barriers for refugees. The research data also indicates that refugees would like to use mobile internet more than they are currently able to.
“I use WhatsApp because it is easier. I have a relative who went to America. It is cheaper to call on WhatsApp and it is easy [to arrange] when they want to send me money.”
(Female, Refugee, Rwanda)
Because of that, online communication is thought to be more affordable and cost-effective than calling, particularly when connecting with individuals abroad. For refugees who are cut off from friends and family, communication (voice and text) on social media is seen to be especially crucial for creating a sense of connectedness and community. Entertainment is the third most frequent usage case, along with monitoring news and information.
Refugees can stay in touch with their family and the outside world thanks to their mobile phones. Their frequent use of phones for basic communication shows the importance of mobile for satisfying a social needs.
For my third blog entry I am taking a closer look into the status quo situation regarding apprenticeships in Austria.
Apprenticeship training procedure
In Austria, apprenticeships are strucutres as a “dual system”. The training takes place in the company and in a vocationals school. For around 80 % the training is spend at the company and 20 % taking place at the vocational school. At the vocational school appretices get theoretical skills thaught, which are needed to pass the apprenticeship. The subjects depend on the chosen industry. The aim of training at vocational schools is to supplement the technical training in the company, to improve the general education of the trainees and to acquire foreign language skills tailored to the training occupation.
The vocational schools can be divided in to three types:
All year-round: apprentices attend classes at least once a weak for the whole year
Course-based: apprentices attend a course over a specific period of time
Seasonal: Training is delivered in blocks at a certain time of the year. [1]
In Austria, apprenticeships are the most common type of primary vocational training. It offers the opportunity to obtain various qualifications in addition to become a skilled worker. For instance, an apprenticeship can be finished concurrent with the “Matura” or new skills can be aquired through a variety of alternative training programs. [2]
Facts and figures
In 2021, 107,593 teenagers were undergoing an apprenticeship. Compared to 2011, there were 128,082 people in apprenticeship training. [3]In recent years, a rapid decrease in apprentices has been recorded. The reasons for this are that the number of young people aged 15-19 is steadily decreasing and the number of apprenticeship companies is decreasing. Many young people decide to pursue further education because of the wide range of schools being offered. In 1980, 70% of young people started an apprenticeship and in 2018 only 40%.
Most apprentices are trained in the commerce and trade sectors, followed by industry and trade. In 2021, around 107,500 apprentices were undergoing training in around 29,000 companies. Most apprentices are in Upper Austria (20,9%), followed by Vienna (16,1%), Lower Austria (15,9%) and Styria (14.2%).
Among girls, the most popular apprenticeships are: retail trade, office clerk and hairdresser/wigmaker. This concerns 43.3% of all female apprentices in Austria. It is therefore worthwhile for every young person to also think about alternative apprenticeship occupations in order to increase their chances of finding permanent employment. 35.1 % of all boys choose modular apprenticeships in metal technology, electrical engineering or automotive engineering.[4]
The development towards today’s interface can be roughly divided into 3 phases: In the early days of computer technology the command line, from 1980 onwards the development of graphical user interfaces, which made the personal computer possible in the first place, and from the beginning of 2000 onwards the emergence of attentive user interfaces and assistance systems such as Google Glasses and Alexa and Siri. With the increase in technology, the requirements for the user interface also changed. Whereas in the beginning we had a computer with a screen, today we have different sized computers from smartphones to smartwatches. Some devices, such as Alexa, no longer have a graphical user interface at all, but interact by means of voice control. And while the computer was initially a device of science, it is now increasingly integrated everywhere in our lives. [1] The Morse telegraph service was the precursor of the command line. It generated readable text already at that time, so it was not necessary to know Morse code. The directly entered text was translated into Morse code by the machine, sent and output again into readable text by the receiving machine. The punch card also played an important role in computer programming. Here, however, the contents had to be translated back into machine-readable combinations. From 1960 until the early 1990s the command line was used to interact with the computer. Similar to the morse code recorder, the entered text is translated into machine language, whereupon the machine can execute the command and output the information in human-readable text. [2] The punch card and batch processing had the disadvantage that this type of interaction was very tedious. The computer processed the punched cards batch by batch and printed out the finished data, which could take a up to an hour. In addition to the first approaches to timesharing, J.C.R. Licklider at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) came up with the idea for the first real interaction with the computer. His idea involved entering data on a keyboard and then receiving immediate feedback from the computer on an output device. It resulted in buliding the computer named Whirlwind between 1948 – 1951. It was the first computer that could operate while processing and gave back information immediatly. [3] The further development of time-sharing and the command line was the next stage of interface evolution in 1970. Xerox PARC developed the first concept and, with Xerox Alto in 1973, the first computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) that could be operated with a mouse.[4] This invention led to raster graphics-based networked workstations and “point-and-click” WIMP GUIs. WIMP GUI stands for graphical user interfaces based on windows, icons, menus, and a pointing device, typically a mouse. [5] This concept was further developed by Steve Jobs in 1984 at Apple and later also used from Windows. This type of use interfaces still exists until today. The main advantage of graphical user interfaces was that they were easy to learn and easier to use, therefore the personal computer gained popularity so fast. [4] Andries van Dam from Brown University’s faculty and one of it´s Computer Science Department’s founders refers 1997 to post-WIMP user interfaces. These are controlled by gestures and voice and do not require manual input with a tool. The first attempts were made in 1990, but should take some time before they were implemented.[5] Apple also gave its programmers Human Interface Guidelines from the beginning to address the needs of the users. In 1989 Tim Berners-Lee created HTML and a first browser and thus invented the Internet. The structure of the Bowser window (Mosaic 1, 1993) with address line, forward and back buttons is still used today. [6] The emergence of the first mobile devices and later the development of smartphones and tablets require different usability approaches and different user interfaces than the computer. The touchscreen enables intuitive operation and the feeling of direct interaction, but also places different demands on the design of the user interface. Many elements simply do not fit on the small screens. Therefore, many user flows must be oriented differently than on the larger screen. The information architecture must take into account that not all information fits on one view. Many functions had be reduced to essential functions and add not so frequently used features on other levels. [7]
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1 User Interface Design, Alexander Florin, 2015, P. 74-75.
2 User Interface Design, Alexander Florin, 2015 p. 101-103
Aber nur weil die modernen Webbrowser den Einsatz von Gamification auf Websites zusätzlich unterstützen, bedeutet das nicht, dass nun die Websites mit Spieleinhalte vollbepackt werden müssen. Gamification trennt sich vom effizienzgetriebenen Prozess, wo möglichst alles schneller vollzogen wird um ans Ziel zu kommen. Mit beispielsweisen kleinen Animationen auf einer Website beim Hochladen von Elementen oder beim Durchscrollen einer Seite, kann Gamification helfen, Spaß bei alltäglichen Tätigkeiten haben und Menschen mit keinen spielerischen Aktionen in spielefremden Umgebungen zu motivieren.
Die Magie der Motivation
1943 schrieb der Psychologe Abraham Maslow eine Abhandlung mit dem Titel “A Theory of Human Motivation”, in der er eine Hierarchie der menschlichen Bedürfnisse vorschlug. Diese ist heutzutage bekannt als die Bedürfnispyramide nach Malow’.
Jedes Spiel, was Menschen miteinander verbindet, ein Gefühl gibt, etwas zu leisten, weil Konstrukte erschaffen werden und sich die Spielenden so als Individuum selbst ausdrücken können, erfüllt die Bedürfnisse der dritten, vierten und fünften Ebene der Pyramide. Betrachtet man diese Ebenen näher, so wird interessant, wie die verschiedenen Ebenen in einander übergreifen.[1]
Edward Deci und Richard Ryan meinten aber, dass der Mensch neben den körperlichen Bedürfnissen auch geistige Bedürfnisse hat, was wiederum zu psychischen Leiden oder Erkrankungen führt, wenn diese nicht befriedigt werden.[2] Deci und Ryan haben viel zur Entwicklung der Selbstbestimmungstheorie beigetragen und erweitern das Modell um drei mentale Abschnitte:
1. Kompetenz: Das “in etwas gut fühlen”.
2. Autonomie: Freiheit, Dinge auf die eigene Art zu tun.
3. Verbundenheit: Die Verbindung zu anderen Menschen.
Motivation und Wissenserwerb sind eng miteinander verbunden. Die Lernenden müssen sich meistens intellektuell anstrengen, was einen großen Energieaufwand bedeutet, wenn beispielsweise gelernt werden muss, ohne es zu wollen. Kommt also der Lernauftrag von einer externen Quelle, nennt man diese Art von Energieaufwand „externe Motivation“. Kommt allerdings der Lernantrieb von der eigenen Neugier und Anreiz auf Erfolg, ordnet man diesen Energieaufwand der „intrinsischen Motivation“ zu.[3]
Für die Anwendung von Gamification auf Websites bedeutet das nun, dass Designer*innen den Nutzer*innen, egal ob extrinsisch oder intrinsisch motiviert, die Aufnahme von Inhalten wohldosiert liefern müssen. Im besten Fall vermitteln wir als Designer*innen den extrinsisch Motivierten Inhalte so leicht wie möglich, sodass bei sozusagen schwerer Kost die Aufnahme nicht zu schwer fällt.
Belohnungen
Ein wichtiges Beispiel für Gamification ist die Verwendung von Belohnungen. Bei Spielen werden Spieler*innen oft mit Punkten, Erfolgen oder anderen virtuellen Gegenständen belohnt, sobald sie Aufgaben erledigen oder Meilensteine erreichen. Diese Belohnung kann dazu beitragen, dass sich die Spielenen gut fühlen und weiterespielen wollen. Dieselbe Idee kann auch in anderen Kontext angewendet werden. Beispielsweise auf Websites, wo Nutzer*innen für die Erledigung von Aufgaben oder das Erreichen bestimmter Ziele belohnt werden. Eine Website könnte beispielsweise Punkte oder virtuelle Belohnungen für Nutzer*innen anbieten, welche Umfragen ausfüllen oder sich für Newsletter anmelden, was sie motivieren kann, sich weiterhin mit einer Website zu beschäftigen. Adidas hat sich genau diesem Prinzip angenommen, um seine User*innen belohnen, indem sie für jeden gelaufenen Kilometer Punkte gewinnen können. [4] Doch nicht nur Punkte für die User*innen, sondern auch mit gutem Zweck hat es Adidas mit der Kampagne “Run for the Oceans” geschafft, Nutzer*innen sprichwörtlich zu bewegen, wo mit jedem gelaufenem Kilometer 1 Dollar für einen guten Zweck gespendet wurde. [5] So kamen im Jahr 2018 1mio. Dollar zusammen.
Insgesamt kann Gamification ein wirksames Instrument sein, um Nutzer*innen in nicht spielerischen Kontexten zu motivieren und zu binden, indem es Belohnungen und positives Feedback bietet und Aufgaben oder Aktivitäten angenehmer und lohnender macht.
Sources:
[1] Schell, Jesse: The Art of Game Design. A Book of Lense, 2. Aufl. Pittsburgh, Pensylvania: CRC Press 2015, S. 149
[2] https://www.planet-wissen.de/gesellschaft/psychologie/glueck/motivation-selbstbestimmungstheorie-100~_v-gseapremiumxl.png (Zugriff am 12.12.2022)
For my further research, I will go deeper into different media approaches and ways of gathering information, as well as the importance of gamification. To get a better understanding of the topic in general, we need to take a few steps back and will focus on some term
Information
In information theory the definition of information is that the sender conveys knowledge to the receiver via an information channel. The receiver acquires knowledge through this process. This can be done through signals and codes. In most cases, the used channel is a medium. [1]
Media
“Media” is translated from latin and means “middle”. Thus, a medium in interpersonal communication is a intermediary element that may consist of speech, signs, or characters. The medium through which information is passed from one person to another. [2]
Like most other terms, a unified differentiation of “media” is not given. Scientist have set different focuses and tried to categorize media. One of the most known is from Harry Pross. He defined the variety of media in to the following categories:
Primary media: These are the media of “basic human contact”, for instance language, facial expressions, gestures and body posture, etc. Interaction partners communicate directly with each other.
Secondary media: Most of the interaction partners use technical support for communication. Posters, Books and Newspapers are some examples.
Tertiary media: Both parties need to have technical support to communicate. For example electronic mass media, radio, computers, TV’s and telecommunication.
Quaternary media: The fourth category have been extended in later stages. It means that, that both sender and receiver require an Internet connection. With this type of medium, there is no longer a classic sender-receiver role, but an interactive exchange. [3]
Media categories
A distinction is often made between analog and digital media. The terms “new media” and “interactive media” are often used here.
Analog media: the user actively interacts with analog media by turning them on and off, reading them, and so on. These are print media (media in printed form, such as books, newspapers, magazines, posters, etc.), audio cassettes, VHS tapes, CDs, records, etc.
Digital media are electronic media that react to the user. An interaction between user and medium is possible. These can be used for recording, storage, the presentation of digital content and much more. These are, for example, PCs with Internet access, tablets, computer and console games, smartphones, digital television, and many more. [4]
New media: The term has been used for a long time to describe innovations in communication technology, i.e., media that have just appeared. In the 1970s, this was the video cassette. [5]
Interactive media: Media can also be differentiated according to the participation possibilities of the users. The term interactive media therefore expresses that these media have a high degree of interactivity potential. [6]
Gamification
The implementation of game mechanics in non-game situations with the intention of improving the operations and the experiences of people engaged is referred to as “gamification.” Because it has the ability to make learning more engaging, “gamification” has recently become a buzzword in education and training. [7]
Anmerkung vorweg: Ich habe wegen vieler deutscher Quellen von englisch auf deutsch gewechselt:
Spielverhalten als Naturphänomen.
Intrinsische Motivation ist bei Kindern mehr als natürlich. Sie ahmen nach, imitieren, kopieren was sie sehen und verarbeiten alltägliche Eindrücke durch spielerische Handlungen, um ihre Umwelt, Artgenossen und andere Lebewesen kennenzulernen.[1] Was zunächst nur zu Übungszwecken dient, wird langfristig die motorischen und kognitiven Fähigkeiten der Spielenden stärken. Diese Verhaltensformen sind nicht nur weltweit unabhängig von Kultur des Menschen, sondern werden ebenfalls im Tierreich beobachtet worden.[2]„Das Spiel ist ein Naturphänomen, das schon von Anbeginn den Lauf der Welt gelenkt hat: von der Gestaltung der Materie über ihre Organisation zu lebenden Strukturen bis hin zum sozialen Verhalten der Menschen.“[3]
Spiele sind also tief in allen Kulturen verankert, haben sich mit den Zivilisationen entwickelt und waren immer miteinander verflochten.
Wo im Mittelalter und zur Zeit des Barocks noch außergewöhnliche Kleidung ein verspieltes Zeitalter repräsentierten, nahm ab dem 19. Jahrhundert die Popularität des Spielens in der Gesellschaft rasant ab. Von nun an stand Wirtschaft, Entwicklung und Fortschritt in der Gesellschaft an oberster Stelle. Die Technisierung und Automatisierung haben den temporeichen Alltag noch schneller gemacht, und farbenprächtiges, prunkvolles Gewandt wurde durch farblose, formlose aber praktische Kleidung ersetzt.[4] Dies versinnbildlicht die Ernsthaftigkeit, wo sich ein Unverständnis gegenüber dem spielerischen Charakter in der Gesellschaft etablierte. Ab sofort wurde die Lebensweise der zivilisierten Bevölkerung von Effizienz beherrscht und unterhaltsames Lernen für Kinder durch intensives Studieren ersetzt. Die Realität unserer Gesellschaft ist seit jeher ernst und Spaß wurde im Alltag durch Seriosität ausgetauscht.[5] bringt genau das in seiner Arbeit auf den Punkt: „Während das Spiel in verschiedenen Wissenschaftsdisziplinen als grundlegend und kulturkonstituierend betrachtet wird, ist es in vielen Bereichen des täglichen Lebens explizit herausgelöst. Die empörte Aussage über die Verkennung der Realität zeigt sich allein schon in der Sprache: „Das ist doch hier kein Spiel! Das ist Ernst!“, „Wenn aus Spiel Ernst wird“ – oder auch in der pejorativen Verwendung des Begriffs „Spielerei“. „Spiel“ und „Ernst“ scheinen als diametrale Phänomenbereiche betrachtet zu werden, die sauber voneinander getrennt sein müssen.“[6]
In einem Podcast vom Kanal OMG spricht Gert Frankhänel (Gamedesigner) darüber, dass Gamification ein nützliches Kommunikationstool ist, was diesen effizienzgetriebenen Charakter, wie Huizinga oben beschreibt, ablöst, und durch angenehme Erlebnisse ersetzt. Denn ein Spiel wird nicht gespielt, um es so schnell wie möglich wieder zu beenden, sondern um es zu genießen und das Erlebnis auszukosten, den Prozess so gut es geht erlebbar machen, die Anwender*innen damit zu begeistern und für mehr motivieren zu können. [8]
Der Ursprung von Gamification
Gamification hat auch eine lange Geschichte, wenngleich der Begriff per se erstmals um 2008 aufgetaucht ist. Das Militär auf der ganzen Welt verwendet seit Jahrhunderten Spiele zu Trainingszwecken. In der jüngeren Geschichte wurde die Gamifizierung in den 1960 Jahren schrieben Autoren Bücher über die „verspielte“ Seite des Lebens. Ab den 1980 Jahren hat das Thema Gamification schließlich einen Fuß in das Gebiet der Psychologie gesetzt und damit einen wesentlichen Teil rund um Motivation und Lernförderung beigetragen. [9]
Gamification wurde in seiner Wiege hauptsächlich in der Unterhaltungs- und Werbebrache eingesetzt, aber immer mit der Absicht zur Motivationssteigerung und Kundenbindung. [10] Wo sich im Jahre 2010 das Konsumverhalten der User*innen immer mehr auf das Internet konzentrierte, hat man auch erkannt, dass sich Spieleprinzipien- und Mechaniken gleichfalls in spielfremde Prozesse im Informations- und Kommunikationsdesign anwenden lassen, um nachhaltiger Informationen zu transportieren.
Web-browser Geschichte.
Das World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) ist die Standardisierungsorganisation für das Web. Es hat eine Reihe von Richtlinien für Browser aufgestellt, die diese befolgen müssen, um bestimmte HTML- und DOM-Spezifikationen einzuhalten. Da es sich nicht um kein striktes Regelwerk handelt, können verschiedene Rendering-Engines diese unterschiedlich interpretieren. Dies ist der Hauptgrund für die Unterschiede zwischen den Browsern. Die Browser können sich an die Spezifikation halten und dennoch ihre eigenen Regeln befolgen, was zu Kompatibilitätsproblemen führen kann. [11]
Nachdem der Internet Explorer dem Navigator einige Zeit den Rang abgelaufen hatte, stellte Netscape im Jahr 1998 den Code für den Browser als Open Source zur Verfügung und übergab ihn an Mozilla. Als Firefox 2004 auf den Markt kam, erlebte er einige Jahre lang einen rasanten Anstieg der Popularität. Das heißt, bis Google Chrome im Jahr 2008 auf den Markt kam und sich schnell zum beliebtesten Browser entwickelte, was auch heute noch der Fall ist. [12]
Die Weiterentwicklung der Web-Browser ist für die Anwendung von Gamification auf interactive Websites dahingehend relevant, weil die Möglichkeiten für die Einbindung von Inhalten rund um Gamification an die Performance der Webbrowser gebunden ist. Insgesamt ist die Browserleistung ein wichtiger Faktor, der bei der Diskussion über Gamification auf interaktiven Websites zu berücksichtigen ist, da sie eine wichtige Rolle für das Nutzererlebnis spielt und den Erfolg der Gamification-Bemühungen beeinflussen kann.
Sources:
[1] Junge, Jens, Vossler/Jonas; Talaska/Stefanie: Spielerisches Gestalten. Ludologie als transdisziplinärer Forschungsansatz, 2016, S.148. In: https://www.ludologie.de/fileadmin/content/pdf/Spielerisches_Gestalten.pdf (Zugriff am 05.12.2022)
[2] Huizinga, Johan: Homo ludens – Vom Ursprung der Kultur im Spiel. Hamburg: Rowohlt. 1938 S.12
[3] Eigen, Manfred/Winkler, Ruthild: Das Spiel – Naturgesetze steuern den Zufall. München: Piper Verlag.1985
[4] Huizinga, Johan: Homo ludens – Vom Ursprung der Kultur im Spiel. Hamburg: Rowohlt. 1938 S.12 S.208
[9] Deterding, S. et al.: Gamification. using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts. In: CHI ’11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. pp. 2425–2428 ACM, Vancouver, BC, Canada (2011).
For my first talk with Mr. Fabry we mainly talked about the topic of designing a digital tool as an aid before and during therapy agains depression. This is clearly an interaction design project and could be very interesting. Still, I have a passion project of designing more instrumental and lovable outerwear for winter. This is a project I know I want to execute at some point, but to me it does not scream interaction design. We still took the time to talk about it for five minutes, but that was not enough to decide what to do research on for a whole semester and if it would make sense in our field. Therefore I present both here as a way to process what I would prefer to do this semester.
Topic option 1 – Designing a digital tool for assistance before and during therapy against depression
Depression is one of the leading health struggles in the world. Even though there are good ways to effectively treat this condition for many cases, people with depression often find them self in a vacuum waiting for treatment. How can we make this waiting time more manageable and less likely to create worse mental struggles? Can a digital tool help a depressed person start their treatment before they receive traditional therapy? What does the tool need to consist of to be effective and manageable for someone who is already struggling to be productive in their everyday life? These are the questions I want to answer in this project.
Many people who experience depression also experience extreme waiting times before they are able to get the help that they need. There is clearly a gap between the demand and the supply of traditional therapy. For example, WHO has created a Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) to aid countries to increase services for people with mental […] disorders from non-specialist in mental health. I want to research if we can also help and train loved ones to better help their family member, partner or friend who struggle with depression before they get professional help.
There are many recognized methods depressed people can use as part of their journey to a healthier mind. To get started with these methods is often one of the first thing a therapist will help the patient with to make their life more manageable to deal with quite quickly. If a digital tool was successful in teaching people with depression about these methods this would have a dual positiv effect: the waiting time before therapy would be less destructive and more manageable, and the patient would already have startet their treatment when they arrive at their first therapy session. This could result in a more effective start of therapy, thereby shorter treatments and less waiting time for the next patient.
In this research there will be multiple answers that need answering:
Does this type of tool already exist and why is it not more successful?
What methods could/should or should not be used by a patient without professional supervision?
How should a digital tool present these methods to make them accessible and manageable for a depressed person to deal with?
How do other digital tools used for observation/follow-ups of other groups by professionals and non-professionals work? For example in relationships between athlete-trainer, patient-doctor or parent-teacher.
Can this type of digital tool also be used during therapy or will it interfere with the therapist?
It is estimated by WHO that 5% of adults suffer from depression at any point globally. In some countries the number is even higher. Between 6% and 12% of the population is depressed at any point. There every sixth person is expected to experience depression in their lifetime. The tool would therefore be very impactful if it creates just a slight net positive.
Topic 2 – Designing outerwear for a more pleasurable experience in winter commuting
As the winter creeps upon us, so does the conversations about how horrible it is with all the layers and all the clothing we need to put on. Going to, being on and walking from a bus can leave you sweaty yet cold. If you have a car, would you be more likely to drive in the winter because of this uncomfortableness? Do you buy a new clothes every year in hopes of finding slightly less uncomfortable outerwear? I want to research how our winter clothing affects us and our decisions to find out whether or not I should put effort in making a perfect outerwear clothing line or if this would just be yet another empty promise in the name of the environment and wellness.
There are indications that uncomfortable clothing can lead to temporary increased stress and blood pressure (American Heart Association) and clothing we associate with smart people can lead us to solve difficult tasks better (Social Psychological and Personality Science). Personally I have both experienced and heard about others experiences of clumpy, ugly, wrongly tempered clothing when the colder weather comes. I can’t help but wonder how this makes ut feel and if our outerwear could help us make better decisions for ourselves and the environment.
In this research it will be relevant to explore:
What do we already know about psychology and clothing/fashion? Does our clothing affect or mood or behavior?
How do people experience their own outerwear? Are there some similarities between the clothing items that are experienced as successful/comfortable or the ones that are not?
What characteristics is needed for someone to buy an item vs. to keep them and repair/perceive/love them for a long time?
AI can mean a lot of things – chatbots, text generators, self-driving cars – but in recent years, the capabilities of AI technologies in the fields of art and design have come increasingly into the limelight. Whether it’s turning open-source data into public art pieces, as in the case of Turkish media artist Refik Anadol, generating scarily realistic high-fashion images for Instagram, creating NFTs with just a few clicks, or recreating an existing artist’s style and calling into question the as-yet nonexistent ethical boundaries of AI visualization. A lot of AI imagery ends up on Twitter for its wacky output, but these algorithms are only getting smarter and more prominent, and the future for them is at once boundless and unknown.
Alongside the rise of AI visualization has been the fear and ridicule coming from the arts and design communities, fearing AI will lead to loss of work for “real” artists, and the devaluation of art in general. But is this fear warranted? Although AI is undeniably powerful, it is still beholden to a real, live person telling it what to do, and injecting the heart and emotion that (as of yet) is only possible by a human hand.
What are the future possibilities for human-AI collaboration in art and design? Is there any merit to the outright rejection of such technologies? As someone with a background in interior architecture, I feel very much out of my depth when it comes to discussions around AI. The topic still conjures images of The Matrix, and I couldn’t really tell you when and where AI is currently being used, and how it affects our everyday lives. As an Interaction Design student, I am fascinated by the intersection between art, design, and technology, and I chose this topic to teach myself (and anyone else who is too scared to ask), “What is AI doing out there, anyways”?.
Some interesting sources:
Baio, A. (2022, September 9). Online Art Communities Begin Banning AI-Generated Images. Waxy. https://waxy.org/2022/09/online-art-communities-begin-banning-ai-generated-images/
Herrman, J. (2022, September 19). AI Art is Here and the World is Already Different. Intelligencer. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/09/ai-art-is-here-and-the-world-is-already-different.html#_ga=2.135489719.742585595.1667671967-2021799881.1667671967
NYT Cooking. (2022, November 4). Can A.I. Generate the Perfect Thanksgiving? | Priya Krishna | NYT Cooking [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/yT8KoWpqUgg
Paetzhold, M. (2022, September 4). Online Art Communities Begin Banning AI-Generated Images. Intelligencer. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/will-dall-e-ai-artist-take-my-job.html#_ga=2.135489719.742585595.1667671967-2021799881.1667671967
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It is no secret that nowadays children often prefer screen time to playing outside, which was heightened even further by the pandemic. I was able to observe this change happening over the last few years, having worked with children between the ages of six months and nine years for almost eight years. I want to explore the gamification of nature to make children more aware of their environment and create something they are excited to use as an additional reason to play outside.
Children, especially only children were heavily affected by the pandemic since they had no other kids to play with. They were not allowed to meet up with other children and it was challenging to keep them entertained at home or outside. Therefore, they oftentimes resolved to screen time. Particularly single parents with an only child had a difficult time juggling all their responsibilities. This impacted those kids immensely since children’s experiences are heavily dependent on adults (Gundersen et al., 2016). Always having to play alone as an only child can get boring quickly which is why I want to find a way to keep kids entertained outside while also learning something in the process. This led me to question the importance of nature in children’s lives, how much they appreciate nature and how aware of their surroundings they are. Is there a playful approach to instill nature awareness in children and make them want to play outside? The following three goals will be at the core of my research and should be reflected throughout the entire process, as this is an impact-driven project:
Inspire children to play outside. I want children to enjoy being in nature and create something they are excited to use as an additional reason to play outside.
Playful education. My goal is to create an enjoyable form of education. The information should not be forced on but be necessary to play the game.
Raise awareness. I want the children to become more mindful of their immediate surroundings and nature in the long run.
Now to the role design plays in this project. None of the goals can be achieved if the design isn’t easy to use and appealing to children, since they wouldn’t want to interact with the final product otherwise. The most challenging aspect of the design however will be that not all users will be able to read yet. Symbolism, icons, and associations will be at the center of the design process to create a universally accessible experience.It is a complex topic with many different layers that I’m excited to explore and see to which results it will lead me.
References Crawford, M. R., Holder, M. D. & O’Connor, B. P. (2016). Using Mobile Technology to Engage Children with Nature.Environment and Behavior, 49(9), 959-984. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916516673870
Cumbo, B. J., Paay, J., Kjeldskov, J., & Jacobs, B. C. (2014). Connecting children to nature with technology. Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Interaction Design and Children. https://doi.org/10.1145/2593968.2610449
Gundersen, V., O’Brien, L. & Skar, M. (2016). How to engage children with nature: Why not just let them play? Children’s Geographies, 14(5), 527-540. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2015.1136734
Quay, J., Gray, T., Thomas, G., Allen-Craig, S., Asfeldt, M., Andkjaer, S., Beames, S., Cosgriff, M., Dyment, J., Higgins, P., Ho, S., Leather, M., Mitten, D., Morse, M., Neill, J., North, C., Passy, R., Pedersen-Gurholt, K., Polley, S., . . . Foley, D. (2020). What future/s for outdoor and environmental education in a world that has contended with COVID-19? Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 23(2), 93–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00059-2
