by edwin.lang -

Impulse #6 – The Local Library – Part 1

One impulse that sounds very straight forward is the local library. However, as in times of the internet this approach is by any means not “straight forward” anymore. I am currently on my Erasmus, studying at an Art Faculty with a dedicated library. So, I made the plan to go to this library without any previous search in their catalog and spend one day getting inspired by all the physical books I would discover. I went through the whole library looking at every bookshelf, took books, read a few pages and marked the ones that interested me most. Finally, I reduced the amount to the maximum I could borrow and took them home for further research.

So, in this post I give an overview of the different books I found and the new insights I got.

Generative Gestaltung: Entwerfen Programmieren Visualisieren

This book offers a very nice collection of generative art projects made with the Processing IDE. Every project is very well documented and code snippets with comments and illustrations give insights into the algorithmic art. In every chapter the reader gets introduced to a new technic ranging from simple shapes like square or rectangle to complex noise algorithm like Perlin-noise. One project I was particularly interested in was called “Verrauschte Bewegung” and could inspire me for creating a generative iceberg texture.

Since the authors made the code publicly available, the following link leads to the code of every project: CODE

A touch of code

I am very happy about this book as I had searched a lot of libraries and shops for this book. At the end I nearly tried to import it from the USA, when I suddenly discovered it in the university’s library here in Valencia. The book is a collection of projects where design studios merge hardware and software with architecture and design. It gives an overview of interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of laboratory, trade show, and urban space that play with frontiers of perception, interaction and staging created by current technology.

Therefore, the book is divided into the following five chapter:

  • Look (The visitor as an observer)
  • Touch (The visitor acting)
  • Explore (The visitor is exploring)
  • Engage (The visitor takes an active role in the storyline)
  • Intervene (The visitor gets empowered)

In my opinion this structure also illustrates the different degrees of interactivity and the role of the user within a project.

While the chapters are very well defined, the descriptions of the projects are not very detailed and lack in information I would like to get. Most projects are described in one or two paragraphs without going much into detail. Therefore, I used the book mainly as inspiration and collection of design studios working in this field. However, I would like to list the design studios I liked most – from the capitals Touch, Explore, Engage to Intervene.

Touch:

  • Jonas Friedemann Heuer and Jürgen Graef (Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd): Noteput
  • ART+COM: Salt Worldwide
  • TacTable: Climate Change; Map of the Future
  • Ishac Bertran: Pas A Pas

Explore:

  • Torsten Posselt and Martin Kim Luge (Digital Media Design at the University of the Arts Berlin): Literally Speaking

Engage:

  • Jordi Puig: Lummo
  • Niklas Roy: My little Piece of Privacy
  • TheGreenEyl: Whispering Table
  • Informationlab: Cell Phone Disco
  • ART+COM: Duality
  • Jim Campbell: Scattered Light

Interventions:

  • YesYesNo: Night Lights
  • Sonice Development: Facadeprinter
  • Felix Vorreiter: txtBOMBER
  • Niklas Roy and Jari Suominen: Little Fountains to Hire
  • Vr/Urban: SMSlingshot
  • Paul Notzold: TXTual Healing
  • ART+COM: Reactive Sparks / Pulse

Interactive Installation Art & Design

Terminology

Installation art / Ready-made Art: A form of artistic expression that directly uses physical things to create artworks.

Interactive installations: Are based on installation art but more interactive experience has been added.

Interactive installation art diversifies the communication over a brother range of channels often resulting in multi-sensory experiences transforming the viewer into a participant. In this context the term “play” has become a key word letting the audience create a deeper connection between artwork and viewer.

“In short, installation art is an art combining “site + material + emotional expression”; interactive installation art makes innovations in terms of “emotional expression”.

According to this quote the main focus of interaction is the emotional expression – but from who? I would argue that not only from the artist but also from the audience.

How to start an Interactive Installation

Conception is the first important step of an installation. According to the author it should not only include sketches and drawings but also references to the works of other artists, a selection of ways of expression, appearance and materials of the installation.

While the basis is creativity, artist also need to know the basics of technological equipment (hardware and software). For example, sensors can be seen as the main input device for interactive installations and are not limited to their original use cases.

A few examples for such sensors as input are:

  • Infrared sensor
  • Touch sensor
  • Thermo sensor
  • Motion sensor
  • Depth sensor
  • Pulse sensor

With such sensors the following interactive modes (ways of expressions) can be established:

  • Body movements
  • Gestures
  • Touch
  • Face
  • Additional Equipment acting as controllers

Dedicated Hardware (for example an Arduino) and Software (e.g. OpenFrameworks or Processing) can process the information gathered from such sensors and perform predefined outputs.

The output of interactive installations can be divided into the following three categories:

  • Visual experience: Change of light and the shape of the installation (usually the preferred form of output).
  • Auditory experience: Change of sound (speakers are usually hidden)
  • Olfactory Experience: Change of smell (less common form of output)

While the importance of technological equipment has drastically advanced, it should not act as the main project’s driver. Creative ideas and the way they are implemented are far more important and don’t need to include digital equipment.

While traditional installations require the viewer to read the attached description, interactive installations attract to participate, experience and feel the work.

References:
Lazzeroni, Claudius (2009). Generative Gestaltung: Entwerfen Programmieren Visualisieren. Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz.
Klanten, R., Ehmann, S., Hanschke, V. (2011). A touch of code. Gestalten
Wang, Chen (2011). Interactive Installation Art & Design. Artpower International

by Kris Van Hout -

Media-user Types

The classic way of media planning is planning according to buyer and user target groups in the corresponding product or service area.

Target groups can be defined using demographic characteristics. Different age groups, genders or occupational groups differ significantly in their behavior.
In recent years, qualitative target group models have increasingly found their way into marketing planning. There enables communication planning differentiated according to values, lifestyles and preferences, which in turn takes into account the psychologically different brand positions in the target group definitions.

One of the Psychographic target group models is Sinus milieus what I talked about in my previous blog post. But other ones are Sigma-milieus, Limbic-types, Uranos Clåss.

You can also differ target groups in Market-related models. Think about Food, Living, Health, Cars, Finance, Fashion, Innovation.

But Different target groups also means different type of media to approach them. (e.g. Magazines, newspapers, posters, TV, radio, internet, mobile and apps) these are each divided into 7 types that describe the intensity of the use of media. In this way, the media planner can see at a glance wheter his target group tends towards the preferred medium or not.

Type 1 Info Elite 18%:
Gets information several times a day and expect a wide range of news form various information sources. Newspaper and other printed media. Willing to pay for journalistic offers on the internet. Product suggestions from influencers. Podcast are used on a wide range of topics. They network professionally and privately via social media
Demographic info:
from 20 to middle age high level of education and high income, time independent. Woman and men are equally represented.

Type 2 Info scanner 20%:
Media consumed several times a day as a trusted source of information from this well-educated, highincome guy. Analoge and digital. Print plays a important role in their routine. Political, economic and cultural topics arouse the most interest. But health, nature and DIY are also important. Social networks and internet are used carefully with focus on data protection to maintain private contacts.|
Demographic info:
Older age group 50+ years old

Type 3 analog ♀ 13%:
daily use of newspaper and television. Most focus on handcrafts, cooking, celebrities. There is also a big interest in folk music, telenovelas and homeland movies. Media use is based on entertainment and escapism. Paper is still important, for example the weekly magazines. While the internet, tablets and smartphones are hardly used.
Demographic info:
age: begin 60s people over 70 are well represented. female dominated. Rather low-educated, low income

Type 4 analog ♂ 10%:
Regional daily newspaper and television. Likes to find out about regional topics, sports or politics and like to watch Krimis and folk music programs. Social media is almost non existing
Demographic info:
Age: begin 60s people over 70 are well represented. male dominated. Rather low-educated, low income. Often retired

Type 5 selective user 12%:
Topics such as sports, cars and computers are very popular with the predominantly male type. Diversity of information and trustworthy sources are less important. They often use streaming platforms, linear television, topic-related magazines. Fictitious series are also part of their everyday life.
Common social media are used to maintain contacts while business networks are irrelevant.
a part of the selective users uses both digital and analog distribution channels.
Demographic info:
Either very young or middle-aged

Type 6 digital entertainment oriented 20%:
Focus on shows, soaps entertainment and lifestyle access through video and audio streaming. Influencers and bloggers also provide strong impulses and to buy on social media. Messenger services and Instagram are used more frequently to make and maintain contacts than networks like LinkedIn. Fast availability as well as time and location-independent media use via smartphone and tablet are of great importance. In case of print, is this target group in minority unless some persons are interested in some segments of print.
Demographic info:
Young mostly student

Type 7 mediamuffle 9%:
They have no special expectations of the media and use all media under-proportionally.
Demographic info:
Middle-aged cohorts are disproportionately represented, men and women to the same extent. Low educational qualifications or some are still in training. Income is low.

Sources:
Zielgruppen •. (2022, October 4). Gesellschaft Für Integrierte Kommunikationsforschung. https://gik.media/best-4-planning/zielgruppen/

Marktstudien •. (2022, October 4). Gesellschaft Für Integrierte Kommunikationsforschung. https://gik.media/best-4-planning/marktstudie/

Mediaplanung •. (2022, November 28). Gesellschaft Für Integrierte Kommunikationsforschung. https://gik.media/best-4-planning/mediaplanung/