Internship CLOSER

Digesting the new information of emotions and personality traits I started to play around with the game system. I did this through small pieces paper that represented the fragments.

After playing around I realized it was getting complicated and I was losing a connection. The next step was to stop and document what I had and show it to my colleagues, the next day.

In my note book I wrote a small experiment to find out how people thought and would react to a fragment that would represent some kind of emotion.

Today I have been working on organizing my research in a form of a power point. It is not finished but it shows the essentials of information that went in to the concept.



Trough the thought recreating a Dutch mythology the idea came of having fragments that together creates this powerful avatar.

Each player will get a goal to complete and use the skills of the avatar to somehow fulfill the goal. To get an idea of to what kind of form these fragments should take, I did some research on human emotions and personality traits.

I also created a rough idea of how the game play would be between the fragments.

We gathered in the morning to create a general plan. Then we have to make our own milestones on similar dates. This because each of us is focusing on different directions. For me that means starting step off the conceptional and start trying things out.

Before I did that the planning had to be made and I had to make a clear over view on the information I have gathered. This, I did with a power point presentation and wrote down what was relevant.

Then I started to prepare for tomorrow to get started with game play testing. Printing many personality traits and making cards.

Planning

25 March, Thursday
Presenting results
Template documentation
Game play system tested

29 March, Monday
Review Results of 25 march

1 April, Thursday
Presenting results
Game play system tested
Fragments format

5 April, Monday (2nd easter day)

6 April, Tuesday
Review Results of 6 april

8 April, Thursday
Preparing presentation to all

12 April, Monday
Presentation all

15 April, Thursday
Deadline of the whole thing

The day started by going in the conference and look at the program of ICT Delta. Looking trough the list we noticed here and there few presentations we would like to see. There also plenty of demo stands to check out.

Around 14.00 we had our discussion table. At first I was happy that there so many people but perhaps there were a bit to many. There were some interesting things mentioned but I also think that we should have approached it at a different way. Perhaps with a bit more of concrete examples and then guide the conversation more to the conceptional theory behind it, visuals would also have helpt. Non the less it was a good process to go trough.

At the end of the day we had a short meeting. Here we decided on that on Monday we would make a plan on how the rest of time would be spend. Divide some work and have more concrete deadlines to complete.

I am also going to think in the lines of small experiments to try out.

Today (17th of march) is my birthday so it was a relaxing day.
After our meeting we eat some pancakes (made by Shauna and Connie) and the chocolate cupcakes, I baked.

The meeting was about what we were going to do for the discussion and getting things in order.

Tomorrow we have a discussion table at the ICT Delta convention. We took the time to figure out what we were going to with this “discussion table”. Also we presented our research to Jan and had a small conversation about the material and what we are going to discus at the ICT Delta.

Here is our invitation:

PROJECT CLOSER | Round-table Discussion | March 18^th, 14.00-15.00

Audiovisual cultural heritage collections nowadays are becoming accessible on a large scale through digital networks. Innovative ways of presentation and interaction can create an added value in disclosing these archives to the audience. CLOSER is a multidisciplinary research project, initiated by V2_ and the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.

There is a gap between the use and the potential in the archive. As more archives move towards digitalization, questions for archivists surround increased accessibility and the meaning of future archival practice. Simultaneously artists are using the archive to critique systems of power, history, memory, and identity. In CLOSER we are exploring the territory between these two perspectives in hopes of making archival use a more meaningful experience. In this round-table discussion we start a dialogue between artists, theoreticians, archivists, and ICT practitioners about:

Building a bridge between the concerns of institutional archives and artistic critique in a way that empowers the individual.

The discussion will take place on 18 March, 2010 at ICT Delta conference in Rotterdam, from 14.00 to 15.00. Registration is free on the website. http://www.ictdelta2010.nl/

Information on our discussion table can be found at: http://www.ictdelta2010.nl/ICTD/Discussietafel-V2_Beeld-en-Geluid-.html

The CLOS(AR) project blog: http://closar.blogspot.com/

Please respond to closar@v2.nl if you are able to join the discussion. Thanks and we look forward to talking with you!

All the best,
CLOS(AR) team

We presented our research in some slides to give a view on what we discovered.
Here are my slides:


For the rest of the week we are preparing for the discussion table at the ICT convention in Rotterdam.

Basically today we did allot of reading and searching for material within the categories we gave ourself''s.

During the day I found a few examples and reading materials such as articles.
I also have been reading a few books:

• Interact or Die!
• Space Time Play
• The New Everyday
• Nieuwsgierigheid (curiosity)

I am still processing al the information. The next step is to make a connection to the archive and somehow create a clear presentation to able to share it with my group.

Lets continue the research.

At home I started to look for anything that is a form of traces.

During the search I came a cross a few different kinds of traces people are doing.
Now I have to figure out what these examples mean in context of an AV Archive.

• Graffiti (confronting, intentional, small)Handshake stamp, Yarn bomb


• Fingerprint during the daily rituals (twitter, trash, gum, etc)Praying in the same spot


• Story (Building up to a story by leaving pieces of the story behind) Royal de Luxe


• Scavenger hunt (fragments leading you to a "treasure" player is active) Outside Geocaching, Inside Eric Clough


• Time (leaving something behind and rediscover it) Time capsule, Message in a bottle, Hidden spaces
• Coded/Embedded
  

The day started with going through the ideas and brainstorm sessions we had on friday. First we mapped all our ideas and then we made more a conceptual map of what our ideas mean.

After this process we gave each of us an area to do research on. This wil continue for tomorrow aswell.

Mono Monday

Reading and exploring was the point for today. We did not work as a group today, meaning we researched in our own spaces. It was also to give our brains some personal space.

I have been reading a book called "Interact or Die!" by V2_Publishing/NAI Publisher. On the internet i have read different articles. The links can be found at the post Links

During the reading I am made some notes. These notes might be useful but I don't yet.

Collectibles
The fragments are like parts of DNA. You can create creatures and such.

Fragments = pieces of memory

Dutch mythology (like greek gods, egypt, norman)
tarot

Dutch superhero's
Het maken van characters die met ander gespeeld kan worden. De character oftewel
een god is opgebouwd met de fragmenten vande archive.

Avatar

DNA fragments
Behavior fragments
Environment fragments

In the morning we finished a brainstorm with combining the essence of each concept. It looked like a grid and we let ourselves have 5 a 10 min. per block. Each block representing two concepts to fuse.

Then before lunch we helped a little with the spring cleaning. We had to move the archive from the top floor to the basement. Luckily there was a lift to help.

After lunch we started a new brainstorm with the new ideas in mind. We had 5 min. each concept and we had draw/write ideas that came to mind. Then we presented the ideas to each other.

Tuesday we are going to filter out the strongest ideas. Either creating new concepts or changing the old.

Monday we planned to give some space to each other and doe some research on the concepts. To help motivate the path these concepts are taking.

Later in the afternoon we had a evaluation on how our process went. We also discussed our rolls and what is missing or is going good. It was a productive conversation. It helped to get our minds on the same page.

Pervasive Game

• IPerG
• Pervasive Games - Theory and Design (blog)
• Pervasive Games - gaming in physical space (blog)
• Alison Harvey (pdf)
  

Social games

• What exactly are social games?
• What makes gaming social?
• List of articles
  

Collecting

• Diane Fricke - Why people collect?
• Terry Shoptaugh - Why do we like old things? (pdf)
  
• TCG as a social learning tool (pdf)
• CCG Design
  

We visited the Boijmans van Beuningen museum and the local Library. In the morning before we went to the museum we brainstormed how our concepts would look like when merged.

Singing Canaries Mobile at the museum.


A view of the library


In the library we found a spot and discussed about our brainstorm some more. Eventually we ended the meeting with a small plan for tomorrow.

Research was the main event today. I have read some articles about games in a physical space. The list of what I have read goes as follows:

People
Jane McGonigal

Books
Space Time Play (chapter 3)

• Geocaching is a treasure hunt game with the use of GPS
• Mogi; Location based community game
• The Beast is Alternate Reality Game
• Barcode Battler; Uses the barcodes of real life and turns them into game characters. So the products like candy might become a warrior in the game.
• I Love Bees; Hijacking payphones to tell a story. Broadcasting short pieces around a minute. Think of War of the world’s radio story.
• Perplex City is a combination of an alternate reality game and a treasure hunt.
• Pervasive Games (essay); bridging the gaps between the virtual and the physical
• Urban Role-Play (essay); the next generation of role-playing in urban space
• Prosopopeia 1; a pervasive city based Live Action Role Play
• Changing urban perspectives (essay); ambiguity within the pervasive games

Projects
Waisda
Tag game with content of the archive
Evaluation Report

Open Images
It is a platform where users are free to reuse the material given through the website.


A storyline idea/suggestion for the collectible concept I got during reading.
Through inspiration of the game Perplex City; the fragments of the archive collectively tell a story. It is like making a comic out of different pictures one would find on google.

This might be a good motivation why people would want to collect these fragments outside the game play.

Today we presented our concepts twice today. One in the morning for the V2 staff and one at 14.00 for Jan, Boris and 2 people of the Beeld en Geluid. Thank goodness that I presented my concept better at the second time.

I have learned that even though I might know how to talk in English I need a bit more preparation for a presentation.

There were some interesting comments made and I was glade that we did not seem to disappoint anyone.

Our work space at V2 was going to be painted. So we decided that we would work at Shauna's home. It was nice to have a different scenery to work in.

We mostly tried to get a bit organized for the small presentation on monday.

Nothing more to mention.

In the morning we had a short meeting and we thought about how to present our ideas.

After getting some lunch we went to Hilversum to visit the Beeld en Geluid Archive. We gotten a tour of the archive it self. We also checked out the experience.

I felt that the experience was more family and kids orientated. They had some great parts to the whole thing. What I mostly missed was the more direct connection to the archive. Even though we are allowed to search through the archive the playful or creative element is not there (yet).

I worked mostly on my concept based on trading card game. The things that I want to add to make it complete are as follows:

- Social network (the "card" collecting)
- Physical artifact (the device that is the "cards" or can share the "cards")
- Game play (using the "cards" to play)
- Story (think like quests, found in games like WOW only real live)

The games like magic and WOW are the kind of framework I want to base this concept on.

-image, jet to scan in-

My next researching path will be about Archive Bomb (think of flash mob) and the artifacts that can be used for my card game.

Flash Mob inspiration list
Impress Flexible Display (see post physical connection)
War of worlds radio

Interactive Window


Interactive floor/wall

Today was an meeting of the whole V2 staff and we had to introduce ourselves. After this we went back into our "cave" and shared our first concepts.

I noticed that I had a bit more specific concept but not really a good overview on what direct that goes to. But everyone had some interesting views and fragments to think about.

At 14.00 we had a meeting with the archive team of V2. It was an interesting discussion. Arie was very dominating in the conversation, I wished I had heard a bit more from Annabel(also an intern).

Two of our team members had to leave early, around 16.00. So we left it at that for now and begin again in the morning.

Oh and the rain made a nice sound on the windows all day.

Peau d'Âne

PackRat
PackRat is a casual collectible card game of epically wonderful proportions. Find, steal, buy and trade hundreds of beautifully illustrated cards with your friends. It's simple, fun, and highly addictive. Start your collection now!

Social Network Game (Gamasutra)

Emotions such as competitiveness, affection, love, envy, and pride are what Playfish calls "social emotions.

The Expressive Photobooth

Phone Booth Library

There are 3 areas which I want to look at. Either using them combined or as separate ideas.

Social Network (game)
Here I am looking at the connections between people. Also I want to find out how they would have to work together or share their stories.

- Use the Siftables as an access device. Let people use the rules of game like PackRat. Collection, finding, stealing and trading material that is accessible from the archive.

- Having photo booths spread over the country people can use it to make short stories and watch others their stories.

- Pirate Broadcasting channel. People can make material and retrieve from the archive and watching it on a "pirate" broadcast.

Physical connection to archive
In this part I am searching for the physical connection with the body. Using the hands and touch to connect with the archive in some way.

- A space with many books. Each book has his content and a AR layer which is some how projected directly on the pages. Perhaps most fun to place such spaces in libraries.
(try to avoid the view technological filter)

Wearable
Here I am more interested in the fashion side of things and so with example glasses.

In the morning we had a meeting with Johan Oomen from "Beeld en Geluid". Jan and Boris (both from V2) were also present. The meeting was very informative. We discovered that "Beeld en Geluid" already did many experiments with regards to the archive.

After the meeting we went for lunch. Then we walked around and found a small spot to have a chat about how we would continue.




The main idea which we all had a connection with is as follows:

Create a physical experience that addresses accessibility of the archive.

Then we went back to the Lab and researching are own ideas which we want to present to each other on monday.

In the morning we gave Jan Misker a short update on how we are doing and he gave us some feedback.

We mostly did some reading and research. Most results are posted at the team blog.

Connie made a digital overview of our random brainstorm we did on day 02.


During the reading and searching about augmented reality and archives, I made some notes and some random ideas.

Here some examples:
- Time travel; by using a time capsual that you would make and send to yourself in the future. This method is intresting to use with nostalgia.

- Pirate broadcast; a tv channel that sends the requested material. Think in the lines of a Flash-Mob.
- Interactive floor; an area on the floor which is projected on. If someone walks around the shadow kan interact with the digitale world projected.

I am still searching for somthing more connected to the physical (body).

Today we focused more about the archive. We tried to think of why someone would want to access the archive.

We made list of possible options.

1. Research (targeted)
- Assignment
- Personal Interest
- Authority of Source Material: The authoritative version is somehow the curated and saved knowledge and can help in the search for confirmation or validation
- The archive can help us understand/interpret the present through our search of the past

2. Curiosity (exploratory)

3. Learning (exploratory/targeted)
- Status
- Identity building

4. Entertainment (exploratory/targeted)
- Nostalgia
- Kill time

5. Content Sourcing (targeted/exploratory)
- For the creation of new media

6. External Memory/Knowledge (targeted)
- Collection impulse

7. New Ways/Reasons
How does technology change the nature of the archive?
- Alternative classification, i.e. infographics, information aesthetics. Infographics help us understand a large amount of information at one time.
- Novel experience of search
- more fulfilling (?)

Personal Note
I am having a hard time get grips with the project. The never endless freedom creates a bit of an unfocused research process. It feels a bit like I am a fish out of water. I just keep in mind a teacher once told me. Keep busy, don't stand still. Even it is only finding inspiration.

Meet the other interns for the project CLOSER. I have a good feeling about my team and no doubt wil it all end well.

Today was finding out what the views where about the project. Then we had a brainstorm and short discussion what augmented reality could be.

In the end we would go home and ask ourselfs a few questions.

What is:
- an archive?
- memory?
- reality?
- space?
- augmentation?

Tommorow we will see what the thoughts of these questions will bring.