Exploring possibilities for major projects I think a really interesting area of study is taking technology away from the screen and into our hands. It seems that nearly all of the advancements in technolgy that either make our lives easier, enhance our social lives or simply improve communication between us and our peers are screen based – is there not a whole world outside this?
There is a lot of work done in this area, notably Durrell Bishop – see Designing Interactions book and of course Gillian Crampton Smith with the marble ball answering machine.
A major center for tangible media that I need to explore more is the tangible media group at the MIT media lab. One project in particular that I find very interesting is connectibles!. I think a lot of developments in the web, the social network phenomenon for example is perhaps trying to substitute aspects of life that we have lost in the modern age. For example there are more people living by themselves than ever before, lonelyness and depression are widespread. The general consensus is that this is ok- we are more connected than ever, we are all permanently plugged into a worldwide network of friends, right now i can see in the bottom right corner of my screen “you have 12 friends online”. But can I touch these people, are they really my friends, i mean is the whole concept of having “180 friends” (or 600 in the case of some people I know friends) online at any one point beneficial to us.
Without wanting to sound like an uber-materialist, I question whether modern technology by taking away physicality has devalued what we hold dear – be that music, as a result of the ipod, our photographs or even your relationships with people as a result of facebook.
That is why I think the concept of connectibles is so interesting, it is bringing things full circle it is acknowledging that part of our emotional attachment to things – both material and our relationships with other people rely on a physicality that is currently lacking.Tangib
