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The spirit of CHI 2006, full of colors, nice people and nice food. This picture features Matt and I, and I must admit Leo has taken the best picture of all!
So I am in Montreal for the CHI’06 conference. I present with Leo two of our collaborative projects Playpals and Taptap.I attended the Real World Design Solutions session and was impressed by the
Experience Report on The Design of a Tangible Interaction Device to Alleviate Anxiety and Pain in Paediatric Burns Patients talk presented by Sam Bucolo from Queensland University of Technology Australasian CRC for Interaction.
News from the CRC on this project
One of the author presented a case study on the design of a tangible media device to alleviate anxiety and pain in pediatric burns patients. He worked with a multidisciplinary interaction design team throughout the research. He presented his encouraging results of an initial study of the device within a clinical trial.
The initial design sketches from the paper
The main questions on that work for me is to know how the mechanism work, if it is ‘distraction’ that patients experienced or if this is another mechanism. What if the graphics displayed on the screen were not aesthetically pleasing, would this aspect change the results of the study? The novelty of the device, its amazing graphics and scenarios maybe have impacted the results. ALso maybe the kinesthetic experience can impact the patient in a different manner than just ‘distraction’ that can be done by interacting with any kind of device.
This is to me an interesting step in building devices for hospitals in the form of a psychological support to strong pain killers medicaments.
This semester, I take the Harvard Animation class, a VES course at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, taught by Ruth Lingford.
Yesterday during our weekly screening, I particularly enjoyed watching movies from Gaelle Denis, Lisbeth Svarling, and especially the work of Emily Mantell ‘To Have and to Hold’.From Gaelle Denis I watched the very beautiful City Paradise, a journey through a very atmospheric London.
screenshots from the animation
She also is the author of Fish Never Sleep a very cute but intense story of an insomniac.
The cute Cloud Cover animation from Lisbeth Svarling can be watched here. The story features beautiful drawings and a story that can be interpreted in many ways. A little girl followed by her black cloud, looking for cure, looking for love… very touching and sweet.
Finally, I literally adored the work of Emily Mantell ‘To Have and to Hold’
An alternative world based on a companionship fantasy where women take the lead.
pieces of all the individual animations from the RCA show 2004 can be watched and downloaded here Check the Matthew Abbiss’ Play
various kinds of animations can be watched here
In Animation
Walltherapy is research on design methodology for bespoke, end-user created designs that can have a positive effect on their environment. Based on research that states that ambient color, light and texture can affect mood, Walltherapy invites anybody to use their favorite colors to create their own environment.
Walltherapy is an empirical exploration of the neurological, cognitive and contextual bases underpinning the impact of visual stimuli such as colour and light and how people’s mood can be expressed in design through a creative, scientifically-led design process
More about the project
In color therapy
I have found various designed clock such as the ‘designer time machine‘ with its own time-telling technique.The most intriguing one to me so far is the silent alarm clock by Rachel Wingfield and Mathias Gmachl. Currently researching on haptics for sensory therapy, I find this bedding a poetic and transparent manner to support patients with SAD.
Light Sleeper is an illuminating, personalised alarm integrated into bedding that gently wakes in the most natural way. Ever since the beginning of time light has controlled our body clock telling us when to sleep and when to wake. As lifestyles are rapidly changing with increased travel and demands on our time, people’s natural body clocks are out of sync (…) The bedding aims to treat sufferers of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) where insufficient levels of daylight cause medical conditions caused by a hormonal imbalance ranging from depression to loss of energy, pre-menstrual syndrome, weight gain and migraines. It is recognised by most scientists that SAD and other sleep/ mood disorders are linked to a shift in the suprachaismatic nucleus or circadian rhythm and often referred to as the ‘body clock’
The following is a quote about the research on relationship between light and the body internal clock.
Research shows that the body’s internal clock only responds to bright light at certain times of day. This peak time in normal people occurs when the circadian rhythm is in R.E.M sleep, which is approximately 1 to 2 hours before waking. This promotes the use of Light Sleeper Bedding and proves it to be one of the most effective products for treating SAD and improving well being as it synchronises our body clock each morning
In sensory design
This one is very much wearable! A hand bag made out of computer keyboards by João Sabino.
In wearable technology
