Het begin
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/dec/15/insomnia-inspire-terrify-writers-bronte-nabokov-stephen-king
Feedback
Your decision to work separately at times and then bring the results together had some positive
results (diverse perspectives and approaches.
The three categories of insomniacs you researched
and defined
(imaginary insomnia / workaholics / fearful)
were quite different in spite of sharing the
same underlying issues.
Therefore their needs were also diverse.
One big question (which applied to other groups as well) is the suggestion of art as medicine or as
a relief for health issues.
As an experience, art can (and should) be more more than ‘calming’ or ‘therapeutic’.
Although you presented quite a sharp selection of artworks,
we challenge you to
dive deeper into the potential of the BKOR collection, looking for new themes and narratives that
might appeal to your chosen insomniacs in interesting ways.
One big question (which applied to other groups as well) is the suggestion of art as medicine or as a relief for health issues.
No!!!!!
I am not a doctor, nor do I want to bring people 'relief' from their problems, that is not my intention.
So, what if insomnia is not treated as a sickness, a problem and thus there is no 'diagnose culture' aka something that needs to be treated.
What if there are people enjoying their sleeplessness, what if someone enjoys the experience of being awake at night?
A visualisation of the universe
the connection between the human brain and the celestial bodies.
spacing indicating that, we know a lot but there is still much to learn
Megan & Kimmy
Who are you designing for?
What is their relationship to the collection?
Which content are you ‘interfacing’?
What type of interaction is fitting for this?
The people who enjoy sleeplessness, or the people who want to experience sleeplessness
The collection has a few works symbolising what happens in the brain with sleeplessness. A specific work, Polaris and Octans symbolize the connection of the brain and the universe.
The collection is a bunch of creative outcome, sleep deprivation can result in hallucinations and creative impulses.
A student teacher interaction, where the user 'enters' the interface.
Can a night of insomnia help a person break through a block, solve a problem.
The user group would then be people with a problem/creative block (musicians, artists, writers)
The interface helps a person using a night of insomnia to maybe help a block or solve a problem. It only brings the good parts of insomnia on a moment where it is possible and maybe necessary.
The collection consists of one work, Polaris & Octans (brain-universe connection)
interesting for the user BECAUSE sometimes sleeplessness takes a person to a state of deliriousness that helps them make new/unexpected connections. this work symbolises that strange brain-other connection
The interface is a shape based on the BKOR collections, circles and lines and squares. By standing/clicking on certain points of the interface a specific thing happens. All of these happenings are meant to keep sleep away, keep the user awake and active in a strange vibe. So for instance, clicking one square leads to bright blue light, another leads to strange loud sounds, another to mesmerising/hypnotic little films. A user has full control in how long to use the interface, what squares. Maybe they let the sounds play in the background, or not.
SOUND
Stimulating the 5 senses to MAYBE stimulate the 6th?
SMELL
VISION
TOUCH
TASTE
Who are you designing for?
A person with a lack of inspiration
What is their relation to the collection?
The collection is an art work symbolising a connection between the the human brain and the celestial bodies. A sort of 'mystical' connection, something various people have named to be stronger at night (these people are sleep deprived, influencing their cognitive function)
Which content are you interfacing?
A combination between the collection and the things that can keep a person awake (light, sound, activities)
What type of interaction is fitting for this?
A participation, the interface works if a person wants to use it. Without activation the interface is just a thing.
What type of medium is fitting for this?
I am thinking about something that is pushable, on a screen or in real life (one of those digital drumpad thingies or a keyboard)
What are you trying to accomplish through the interface you want to design?
I want to make insomnia a choice and give it a use, not some sickness/diagnose that is a problem.
Which visual design elements have you already collected/designed that can be useful for this?
Not much, the music.
Collection research + sketching a possible interface/prototype
NOW:
What will the interface be?
The concept:
1. The idea is to treat insomnia as a tool. A thing you can use for eg. problem solving, creative blocks, finding new angles to approach something.
2. using the interface is a choice, not everybody will want to use it and that is why it should be very accessible. WEBSITE (screens are actually encouraged, to stay awake)
3. The design of the website/interface is based on the artwork Polaris & Octans (by Marinus Boesem). the sculptures resemble the north and south pole of the universe and alle the unknown space in between, it is located in Brainpark II because Boesem makes a comparison/explains the symbolism between the human brain and the universe and it's limitlessness
-no beginning and end (no limits to imagination)
-very little knowledge about the possibilities (the space in between is empty)
4. the brain and insomnia connection is my focus point, as insomnia is not explainable in a concrete way, nor is there 'a cure' so: Why look at insomnia as a problem that needs solving? eg: many artists/musicians/writers express their enjoyment "Feeling closer to god/a truer purpose" of insomnia
A possible Scenario
User 1 is a student, it is the year 2021 and corona exists. The student remembers studying pre-corona, where occasionally she would have an assignment/felt inspired and would stay up till early morning. She spend the night working, painting, thinking, writing, anything that came up in her mind. She realises that ever since corona nothing like this has happened and she misses the 'altered state' she would get in ever so occasionally.
But then, a website arises. User1 opens the website, and reads that the website is a tool to keep her awake. She starts exploring, clicking here and there, arriving at pages full of white noise, hypnotic shapes and colours, information and stories from other people ('Mutual friends').
User1 enjoys the websites for a little while, she finds it interesting but does not really see the point. Then a pop up comes up, telling to think on why she is here and not sleeping/working --> a message meant to inspire the user1 in getting active while leaving the page on. or not, it is the users choice.
The next morning User1 thinks back on the previous evening, looks at what she did/created and thinks: 'well, this is all a load of bullshit'. But the interface has served it's purpose by assisting a user in working in a different setting. literally and figuratively.
Apparently there are some people who enjoy their wakefulness:
It can inspire a person.
The Website
www.staywoke.org
1. read instruction/basic info and purpose of website (keep you awake)
2. click the centerpiece (polaris&octans like shape)
3. video starts, intro to different elements of website (vibrating colour/psychedelic visuals, white noise, experimental sound, time going backwards/distorting)
4. video ends, user is free to explore website (some people might enjoy different elements. they are free to explore the website)
- click centerpiece for video
- first ring for time morphing
- middle ring for hypnotic visuals
- outer ring for sounds
5. extra information regarding the BKOR and why it is relevant/concept explaining/polaris & octans explaining
6. 'Mutual Friends' a tab with further information, poets and writers that created at night. things I would have read and explored if I had more time
Color combinations meant to increase alertness/decrease melatonin
The melted/distorted clocks
Ptolemaes map of the solar system
a central point surrounded by rings. (circulation - no beginning/end - celestial bodies - clear organisation)
BRIAN ENO
It makes no sense. COURSE ADJUSTMENT
I feel like I am collecting and collecting, without getting further/producing
USER: sleepless person
INTERFACE: small book based on shape of P & O
- inside book: small (weird) assignments for drawing, writing, poems, lyrics, product design,
WHATEVER
- meant to give a person a
purpose! might as well fuck sleep
and get a little creative.
Friends
SLEEPLESS PERSONS
INTERFACE INGREDIENTS
ROLE OF COLLECTION
drawing
Storytelling
poem writing
Song writing
Product/animal designing
The artwork and research of that has been crucial in getting where I am now (concept wise) The shapes also jumpstarted my designing process (it just makes sense)
That is why the packaging of the concept is important to be related to the collection. metaphorically wise it makes sense. The art work is the house of my whole process and research
VU psychology class
Message in Supermarket
Mom's friends
The user is building a simple fictional weird world, by doing small writing/drawing assignments that as a whole form the elements of a fictional world
Laws of nature
Geography
Front page
introduction
Cosmology
Culture
Conclusion
back page
Inspiration:
Conditional design workbook
a collection of books, all based on different art works. Every book has it's own focus on creating a 'dreamworld'
Feedback Meghan
1. stronger connection to bkor
-find more artworks, every art work own edition of book and story
TODO: create a category of artworks (which ones and why)
2. make design front page, how are they gonna behave as 'a collection' (eg: color, size, name)
3. design one book FULLY
TODO: finish content inside and out (typeface, color, paper, information, layout)
4. Print one book, give to people, give them specific questions i can use for feedback.
a collection of books, all based on different art works. Every book has it's own focus on creating a 'dreamworld'
IMPORTANT & URGENT
IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT
NOT IMPORTANT BUT URGENT
NOT IMPORTANT & NOT URGENT
Finish prototype (for testing) [DONE]
Create outlines for BKOR selection (which & why) [DONE]
Design front pages of books, use selected artworks for designs & titles
make planning for printing
Research binding techniques + necessities
Go outside
Every book/BKOR piece represents one key element of creating a fictional/dream world.
1.
Space
2.
nature
3.
Landscape
4.
Culture
5.
Creatures
Polaris & Octans
Spanning
Runescape
Grafische Wand
Zandwacht
All artwork have a concept story strongly relating to the book subject (space, creatures, etc).
All artworks consist of 'lines' and gan be simplified in a nice way
every book is an element in the dream/fictional world that a person can create.
so book one, space is only relating to everything space related.
1.
Space
2.
nature
3.
Landscape
4.
Culture
5.
Creatures
What to do next: get testing on testing page + write down key elements taken from it. Use feedback to make interface Amazeballs.
Hilgemann integrates the natural forces (gravity, erosion, the metal pieces seem to create tension between/hold the buildings together.
The 'Zandwacht'(Observatorium) is a concrete sculpture visualizing three stages of a dune. It is visible from all sides and creates an interesting view of the beach/dune landscape. It changes shapes because of the moving sand.
Untitled (luigi de Lerma) is a wall ornament build out of different runes. Some of the runes symbolize: the harbour, earth, the river, the sun, the tree of life, mankind, god.
A graphic wall by Bouke Ylstra. Two strange creatures sketched in a 'normal' way, feels like a sketch, nothing too polished. Also has slight robotic/mechanic feel, like a map drawing.
Feedback
made me think on the function of the collection & the interface. How do I want to use the collection? What do I want to achieve?
I don't want to make a medicine, but to try to give insomnia a function/find the benefit
I found:
Lots of research on people who enjoy creating at night. Mostly: Writers/poets write about their experiences. eg: feeling closer to god,feeling kie you understand everything, a clearer mind/more inspired
Thought back to Polaris & Octans artwork (found in previous weeks while researching collection) --> Space, the unknown, science, space metaphor for the brain. both have no end/beginning. both with unknown possibilities
In the end I let go of the 'keeping a person awake' but I kept the 'benefits of staying awake'
I took the shapes of the constellation (Polaris & Octans) map and simplified them. This created a a shape that worked for me because of it's clear lines/organised feel
Felt like I had a lot of info/inspo. But I had trouble combining it in a clear interface that makes sense
Important here: Using Insomnia as a tool/exploring the possibilities and fun stuff being awake at night can take you to.
The purpose was there, but not the shape.
Circles worked, represent the 'no beginning or end' and represents the artwork
Up you see some webdesign sketches
Art inspiration for interface, the hypnotic/weird/psychedelic state sleeplessness results in
I used After effects to create intense videos, that I planned to use as a 'keep you awake' video
exploring/inspiration for timelessness. I was trying to find ways to visualize timelessness
IMPORTANT:
The pieces were not falling in place/I had trouble explaining my plan (usually means I need to evaluate my plan)
How I adjusted: What is my goal? To find a use for insomnia. Why? because there is a lot of research/interesting stuff on the brainpath and it's thoughts at night. How? An interface that supports/gives a person a starting point/guide in creating a story
Feedback Meghan + research on fictional world building methods = find more artworks, every artwork attacks one part of world building --- not sure: one book/multiple
Testing happened here (more info on Testing page)
Found artworks =
--Chosen based on symbolism to worldbuilding technique (start big, end small) think about space, laws of physics, religion, language, landscape, culture, creatures, history.
--Also based on looks, needs to fit with Polaris & octans (mathematical shape, map-like, possible to minimalism it.
I chose to make a collection of five books. One book for one Worldbuilding element.
-space
-nature
-landscape
-culture
-creatures
These are the covers I made, all of them are drawings I made. Every book has a cover based on the artwork they are paired with. final design on final design page
Adobe XD prototypes (unused)
post test sketches/additions