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I found two informative books on fashion drawing that contain inspiring examples for explanatory design.
The FASHION DRAWING BOOK – Il Figurino di Moda
The PATTERN MAKING BOOK – Il Modellismo Sartoriale
In fashion design
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Hurt Me prototype
Cool Me Down prototype
It is a pity that just the excellent personalities suffer most from the adverse effects of the atmosphere -Goethe
Together with Leo we wrote a paper on a framework for Haptic Psycho Therapy. We presented our research at the Health Pervasive Systems Workshop of the IEEE International Conference of Pervasive Services 2006.
Download the powerpoint slides of our presentation
Abstract: A growing body of evidence supports touch-based therapy for assisting sensory issues stemming from common social and psychological problems. Simulating touch through haptic devices can complement existing treatments for mental illness by providing soothing sensations that help to ground the senses. We introduce the concept of using computerized touch stimulation as a means for psychological therapy, and present a haptic device that allows touch information to be captured, broadcast and replayed in a wearable garment. To be effective outside the home or care-giving facility, this new type of therapeutic wearable needs to be highly customizable, easily controlled by the user and discrete enough to be worn in public.
We developped four prototypes that will be exhibited at the A + D Gallery in Chicago, September 7 – October 21, 2006
The Touchcasting serie consists of:
COOL ME DOWN – An Electronic Cold Wrap for the Treatment of Schizophrenia
More info about Cool Me Down
– Patent pending –
HURT ME – A Bracelet that Generates Controlled Pain for Psycho-Therapy
More info about Hurt Me
– Patent pending –
SQUEEZE ME – A Vest that Simulates Therapeutic Holding
More info about Squeeze Me
– Patent pending –
TOUCH ME – A System and Method for the Remote Application of Touch Therapy
More info about Push My Buttons
– Patent pending –
I now working independently on Seamless Sensory Interventions for the treatment of mental and neurological disorders.
My current research proposes haptics as the key to bringing treatment into the social sphere through devices, and providing new ways to mediate between the patient and the therapist both in and outside of therapy. Self-mutilation is a perfect test-case, because of the definitive “physicality” of the symptoms. However, the broader solutions that I am proposing have implications for diseases as diverse as autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
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I have just chatted with Kelly Dobson today at the lab and we found out that we share a research goal: using machines for therapy.
I will show her the last ptototypes on Haptic Psycho therapy that I made with Leo such as:
Squeeze Me – A Vest that Simulates Therapeutic Holding
Hurt Me – A Bracelet that Generates Controlled Pain for Psycho-Therapy
Cool Me Down – An Electronic Cold Wrap for grounding
Push My Buttons – A System and Method for the Remote Application of Touch Therapy
I have always adored Kelly’s work. In particular, her ScreamBody.
ScreamBody is the first of the series of Wearable Body Organs. ScreamBody is a portable space for screaming. When a user needs to scream but is in anynumber of situations where it is just not permitted, ScreamBody silences the user’s screams so they may feel free to vocalize without fear of environmental retaliation, and at the same time records the scream for later release where, when, and how the user chooses.
One of her last piece is Blendie, a voice controller blender.
The experience for the participant is to speak the language of the machine and thus to more deeply understand and connect with the machine.
She is now finalising her PhD research on Machine Therapy
It is a body-to-body affair. In this way the machines serve as a bridge to the person’s inner life
In Haptic therapy
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to receive the latest Architectradure’s articles in your reader or via email. Thanks for visiting!
I have just chatted with Kelly Dobson today at the lab and we found out that we share a research goal: using machines for therapy.
I will show her the last ptototypes on Haptic Psycho therapy that I made with Leo such as:
Squeeze Me – A Vest that Simulates Therapeutic Holding
Hurt Me – A Bracelet that Generates Controlled Pain for Psycho-Therapy
Cool Me Down – An Electronic Cold Wrap for grounding
Push My Buttons – A System and Method for the Remote Application of Touch Therapy
I have always adored Kelly’s work. In particular, her ScreamBody.
ScreamBody is the first of the series of Wearable Body Organs. ScreamBody is a portable space for screaming. When a user needs to scream but is in anynumber of situations where it is just not permitted, ScreamBody silences the user’s screams so they may feel free to vocalize without fear of environmental retaliation, and at the same time records the scream for later release where, when, and how the user chooses.
One of her last piece is Blendie, a voice controller blender.
The experience for the participant is to speak the language of the machine and thus to more deeply understand and connect with the machine.
She is now finalising her PhD research on Machine Therapy
It is a body-to-body affair. In this way the machines serve as a bridge to the person’s inner life
In Haptic therapy
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UBICOMP TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR PEOPLE WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Patients are Impaired in Remembering Temporal Order and in Judging Their Own Performance, J. Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, vol. 24, no. 3, 2002, pp. 261–269.
Today, Rob Van Kranenburg sent me an interesting article he wrote in 2003 on how ubicom applications could provide feedback for people with OCD. He is developing solutions in the framework of contemporary performance and theatrical practice.
The paper can be found here.
The paper mentions that in the US and Netherlands, one in 50 adults currently has OCD, and twice as many have had it at some point in their lives.
How could ubicomp be instrumental here? Phase 1 is researching if ubicomp applications can assess if a person has a tendency for audio, visual, tactile, or other kinds of feedback that would signal the task scenario’s closure. In Phase 2, we would have to access, for example, if visual feedback on clothing or another appliance could break the chain of repetition for a person who functions on visual feedback but is dealing with an apparatus that does not provide such feedback. Working closely with psychiatrists and OCD patients, in Phase 3 we could test whether such ubiquitous computing applications could break the loop of repetition, assuming that it is the kind of feedback that is responsible for the taskloop’s nonclosure.
Finally the paper concludes that ubicomp applications could focus on temporal markers and serendipitous feedback scripting into various scenarios to raise self-awareness.
In pervasive computing
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to receive the latest Architectradure’s articles in your reader or via email. Thanks for visiting!
UBICOMP TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR PEOPLE WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Patients are Impaired in Remembering Temporal Order and in Judging Their Own Performance, J. Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, vol. 24, no. 3, 2002, pp. 261–269.
Today, Rob Van Kranenburg sent me an interesting article he wrote in 2003 on how ubicom applications could provide feedback for people with OCD. He is developing solutions in the framework of contemporary performance and theatrical practice.
The paper can be found here.
The paper mentions that in the US and Netherlands, one in 50 adults currently has OCD, and twice as many have had it at some point in their lives.
How could ubicomp be instrumental here? Phase 1 is researching if ubicomp applications can assess if a person has a tendency for audio, visual, tactile, or other kinds of feedback that would signal the task scenario’s closure. In Phase 2, we would have to access, for example, if visual feedback on clothing or another appliance could break the chain of repetition for a person who functions on visual feedback but is dealing with an apparatus that does not provide such feedback. Working closely with psychiatrists and OCD patients, in Phase 3 we could test whether such ubiquitous computing applications could break the loop of repetition, assuming that it is the kind of feedback that is responsible for the taskloop’s nonclosure.
Finally the paper concludes that ubicomp applications could focus on temporal markers and serendipitous feedback scripting into various scenarios to raise self-awareness.
In pervasive computing
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Picture taken from the magazine I-D horror issue of July 2006
A longitudinal cohort study develops on the relationship between goth youth subculture, self mutilation and suicide attempts to understand if deliberate self harm is associated with contemporary Goth youth subculture.
The paper, published in April 2006, is written by Robert Young, Helen Sweeting, and Patrick West: Prevalence of deliberate self harm and attempted suicide within contemporary Goth youth subculture: longitudinal cohort study. It is a study made with 1258 people aged 19, surveyed in 2002-4 and followed-up since age 11 (1994) in Scotland.
Identification as belonging to the Goth subculture was the best predictor of self harm and attempted suicide. Although based on small numbers, additional longitudinal analysis suggests both selection and modelling mechanisms are involved, selection mechanisms possibly being more likely.
One famous female role model is Theda Bara, the 1920s femme fatale known for her dark eyeshadow, curves and smoldering onscreen presence. By Wikipedia about Theda Bara’s look being an inspiration for Goth fashion.
Definition of Goth subculture by Wikipedia
Goth is a contemporary subculture prevalent in many countries around the globe. It began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture is remarkable for its longevity compared with others of the same era. Its imagery and cultural proclivities show influences from nineteenth century Gothic literature, mainly by way of horror movies (particularly cinematic depictions of vampires).
The goth subculture has associated “gothic” tastes in music and fashion. Gothic music encompasses a number of different styles. Common to all is a tendency towards a “dark” sound. Styles of dress within the subculture range from death rock, punk, Victorian, androgyny, some Renaissance style clothes, combinations of the above, and/or lots of black attire, makeup and hair.
Gothic woman, traditional style, with big hair, spikes and piercings
Picture from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The reviews were also particularly interesting in judging the results of this work. A pertinent one by Mark Taubert, Senior House Officer in Palliative Medicine:
Young’s interesting study (1) claims to find a strong association between Goth subculture and deliberate self-harm before and after adjusting for confounders.Importantly, it fails to distinguish that the Goth subculture is not easily defined or categorised, spans several continents and has evolved to include a wide range of musical and clothing styles. This contemporaneously includes Mallgoths in the US, Gogans in Australia, Dark in Latin America, Cuervos in Spain and Spooky kids and Neogoths in the UK (2, 3). Young et al should have made it clear in their discussion that any conclusion only relates to a small sample of gothic youth in the Central Clydeside Conurbation. One cannot assume that Goth youths’ subcultural trends, icons and ideals would be similar in other geosocial regions.
Perhaps not all confounders have been taken into consideration given that Young’s study was conducted in Scotland between 2002 and 2004. During this period, a Scot won ‘Pop-Idol’ (Michelle McManus) and another won ‘Fame-Academy’ (David Sneddon). Both these TV programmes were difficult to avoid given the intense media coverage. The study concludes that the causality for Goths self-harming more than, say, Pop-Fans (53% and 7% respectively) remains unclear. The exasperation with current popular cultural trends may have driven one subculture, the Goths, to drastic methods of protest, such as overt self-harming.
Could frequent, involuntary exposure to mass-produced pop music affect the mental health of one youth sub-culture population more than another’s? As Ovid states in Tristia: Est quaedam flere voluptas.
Another point of view on the paper by Andrew J Ashworth, General Practitioner:
The observed association between deliberate self harm and the Goth subculture is seen as most likely to be by self-selection. I propose a physiological basis for that self-selection that is consistent with this and other evidence and offers theraputic possibilities.
The recorded method of deliberate self-harm in this study was “cutting, scratching or scoring”: all activities that might be expected to release endogenous endorphins systemically. Those who have suffered long term trauma can be expected to have higher levels of dynorphins (chronic endogenous antinociceptives), which are opiate kappa agonists, reducing dopamine secretion in the Nucleus Accumbens and causing reduced mood reactivity. “Driving” dopamine secretion through increased opiate mu secretion through physical (eg cutting), psychological (eg taking part in dangerous activity) or drugs (eg Heroin), or by smoking (Nicotine acts directly on Dopaminergic fibres)can rebalance the opiate system by overcoming the inhibitory kappa effect to permit perceived normality. Reactivity of mood mediated by dopamine can thus be subject to behavioural control, including deliberate self-harm by cutting, scratching or scoring.
Finally, the author’s reply to the reviews:
The definition of “Goth” is contentious, but covers a wide range of musical tastes, social groupings, and aesthetics. The most relevant distinction here is between contemporary (usually younger) “Baby, Bat or sometimes referred to as Mall (US)” Goths vs. “mature, real or Elder Goths” 1. Our paper, as is clear from the title, refers to younger Goths; the results may not apply to all Goths.
The range of comments in response to our conclusion, that both selection and influence mechanisms may be involve, reflect the lack of evidence on this issue. To highlight this, we drew attention in the press release following publication to the possibility that engagement with Goth subculture could have positive rather than negative consequences for some young people. Our contribution is a first step towards producing an evidence base to test this, rather than relying on media speculation.
Some contributors have suggested that the association between self- harm and Goth subculture may be accounted for by other factors. However this is unlikely, since we adjusted for the strongest and most relevant correlates of self-harm found in other studies of young people. Others have suggested that our results were not valid due to the small numbers involved. We would point out that our paper underwent a formal statistical review before publication. Further, while the media focused on the 25 young people who unambiguously identified as Goth, nearly 8% of our representative sample had identified with Goth subculture, in varying degrees of intensity, and were 3-4 times more likely to self-harm, than the other participants.
It has also been suggested that by adopting a quantitive approach we may have missed contextual factors (this is obviously true of any non- qualitative study), and that the high rate of self-harm found among Goths is a form of decoration, analogous to body modification. We dispute this on two grounds. Firstly, since those who self-harmed were asked why, we know that the majority, regardless of youth subculture did so to relieve anxiety, anger and other negative emotions. Secondly, while cutting could be interpreted as some form of subcultural display, such an argument is difficult to sustain in relation to attempted suicide.
Finally, on a hopeful note, the I-D horror issue that I bought this July 06 seems to offer a nice come back into the Goth world …
In self mutilation and fashion
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to receive the latest Architectradure’s articles in your reader or via email. Thanks for visiting!
Picture taken from the magazine I-D horror issue of July 2006
A longitudinal cohort study develops on the relationship between goth youth subculture, self mutilation and suicide attempts to understand if deliberate self harm is associated with contemporary Goth youth subculture.
The paper, published in April 2006, is written by Robert Young, Helen Sweeting, and Patrick West: Prevalence of deliberate self harm and attempted suicide within contemporary Goth youth subculture: longitudinal cohort study. It is a study made with 1258 people aged 19, surveyed in 2002-4 and followed-up since age 11 (1994) in Scotland.
Identification as belonging to the Goth subculture was the best predictor of self harm and attempted suicide. Although based on small numbers, additional longitudinal analysis suggests both selection and modelling mechanisms are involved, selection mechanisms possibly being more likely.
One famous female role model is Theda Bara, the 1920s femme fatale known for her dark eyeshadow, curves and smoldering onscreen presence. By Wikipedia about Theda Bara’s look being an inspiration for Goth fashion.
Definition of Goth subculture by Wikipedia
Goth is a contemporary subculture prevalent in many countries around the globe. It began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture is remarkable for its longevity compared with others of the same era. Its imagery and cultural proclivities show influences from nineteenth century Gothic literature, mainly by way of horror movies (particularly cinematic depictions of vampires).
The goth subculture has associated “gothic” tastes in music and fashion. Gothic music encompasses a number of different styles. Common to all is a tendency towards a “dark” sound. Styles of dress within the subculture range from death rock, punk, Victorian, androgyny, some Renaissance style clothes, combinations of the above, and/or lots of black attire, makeup and hair.
Gothic woman, traditional style, with big hair, spikes and piercings
Picture from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The reviews were also particularly interesting in judging the results of this work. A pertinent one by Mark Taubert, Senior House Officer in Palliative Medicine:
Young’s interesting study (1) claims to find a strong association between Goth subculture and deliberate self-harm before and after adjusting for confounders.Importantly, it fails to distinguish that the Goth subculture is not easily defined or categorised, spans several continents and has evolved to include a wide range of musical and clothing styles. This contemporaneously includes Mallgoths in the US, Gogans in Australia, Dark in Latin America, Cuervos in Spain and Spooky kids and Neogoths in the UK (2, 3). Young et al should have made it clear in their discussion that any conclusion only relates to a small sample of gothic youth in the Central Clydeside Conurbation. One cannot assume that Goth youths’ subcultural trends, icons and ideals would be similar in other geosocial regions.
Perhaps not all confounders have been taken into consideration given that Young’s study was conducted in Scotland between 2002 and 2004. During this period, a Scot won ‘Pop-Idol’ (Michelle McManus) and another won ‘Fame-Academy’ (David Sneddon). Both these TV programmes were difficult to avoid given the intense media coverage. The study concludes that the causality for Goths self-harming more than, say, Pop-Fans (53% and 7% respectively) remains unclear. The exasperation with current popular cultural trends may have driven one subculture, the Goths, to drastic methods of protest, such as overt self-harming.
Could frequent, involuntary exposure to mass-produced pop music affect the mental health of one youth sub-culture population more than another’s? As Ovid states in Tristia: Est quaedam flere voluptas.
Another point of view on the paper by Andrew J Ashworth, General Practitioner:
The observed association between deliberate self harm and the Goth subculture is seen as most likely to be by self-selection. I propose a physiological basis for that self-selection that is consistent with this and other evidence and offers theraputic possibilities.
The recorded method of deliberate self-harm in this study was “cutting, scratching or scoring”: all activities that might be expected to release endogenous endorphins systemically. Those who have suffered long term trauma can be expected to have higher levels of dynorphins (chronic endogenous antinociceptives), which are opiate kappa agonists, reducing dopamine secretion in the Nucleus Accumbens and causing reduced mood reactivity. “Driving” dopamine secretion through increased opiate mu secretion through physical (eg cutting), psychological (eg taking part in dangerous activity) or drugs (eg Heroin), or by smoking (Nicotine acts directly on Dopaminergic fibres)can rebalance the opiate system by overcoming the inhibitory kappa effect to permit perceived normality. Reactivity of mood mediated by dopamine can thus be subject to behavioural control, including deliberate self-harm by cutting, scratching or scoring.
Finally, the author’s reply to the reviews:
The definition of “Goth” is contentious, but covers a wide range of musical tastes, social groupings, and aesthetics. The most relevant distinction here is between contemporary (usually younger) “Baby, Bat or sometimes referred to as Mall (US)” Goths vs. “mature, real or Elder Goths” 1. Our paper, as is clear from the title, refers to younger Goths; the results may not apply to all Goths.
The range of comments in response to our conclusion, that both selection and influence mechanisms may be involve, reflect the lack of evidence on this issue. To highlight this, we drew attention in the press release following publication to the possibility that engagement with Goth subculture could have positive rather than negative consequences for some young people. Our contribution is a first step towards producing an evidence base to test this, rather than relying on media speculation.
Some contributors have suggested that the association between self- harm and Goth subculture may be accounted for by other factors. However this is unlikely, since we adjusted for the strongest and most relevant correlates of self-harm found in other studies of young people. Others have suggested that our results were not valid due to the small numbers involved. We would point out that our paper underwent a formal statistical review before publication. Further, while the media focused on the 25 young people who unambiguously identified as Goth, nearly 8% of our representative sample had identified with Goth subculture, in varying degrees of intensity, and were 3-4 times more likely to self-harm, than the other participants.
It has also been suggested that by adopting a quantitive approach we may have missed contextual factors (this is obviously true of any non- qualitative study), and that the high rate of self-harm found among Goths is a form of decoration, analogous to body modification. We dispute this on two grounds. Firstly, since those who self-harmed were asked why, we know that the majority, regardless of youth subculture did so to relieve anxiety, anger and other negative emotions. Secondly, while cutting could be interpreted as some form of subcultural display, such an argument is difficult to sustain in relation to attempted suicide.
Finally, on a hopeful note, the I-D horror issue that I bought this July 06 seems to offer a nice come back into the Goth world …
In self mutilation and fashion
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to receive the latest Architectradure’s articles in your reader or via email. Thanks for visiting!
p
A still picture made out of the Texture of Light system
Today at Siggraph I presented my second research poster session on ‘The Texture of Light’ which is research on lighting principles and the exploration of life feed video metamorphosis in the public space using reflection of light on transparent materials.
My poster
I chatted with Kenneth Brecher, professor of Astronomy and Physics, Director, Science and Mathematics Education Center at Boston University.
He is the author of Project Lite that is about light inquiry through experiments. We discussed longely my Texture of Light project and we shared some exciting experiment results.
He mentioned the work of Karl Gerstner «Auto-Vision» who experimented with plexiglas sheets and images coming from TV.
Between 1962 and 1963, Gerstner made his first attempts at optically distorting television images with lenses made of Plexiglas. In 1964, he exhibited his results for the first time in an installation that used 12 television sets, each one shown wearing a different pair of so-called «glasses». ( Exhibition: «Crazy Berlin» at Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin) Also from 1964 comes the oldest existing version of «Auto-Vision» for a single television set. A new housing for the black-and-white TV set closes at the front, with a square television, and can accommodate six differently formed Plexiglas lenses, with everything meticulously packed in a crate for its transport. In this form, the perfection of design and presentation makes Gerstner’s «Auto-Vision» function as the prototype for a possible serial production. (…) «The name identifies the difference from television. The aim is not to broadcast programs, but to create programs directly. For this we use daily television programs that are abstracted through a ‹pair of spectacles,› and alienated to the point of being non-representational,» is Gerstner’s comment on the process(1) These Perspex ‹spectacles› have something in common with Op Art. They can be swapped around, and each pair creates a different effect.
By Media Art Net
(1) Cited in Johannes Gfeller, «Frühes Video in der Schweiz,» in Georges-Bloch Jahrbuch des Kunstgeschichtlichen Seminars der Universität Zürich, 1997, pp. 224f. Gfeller provides a comprehensively researched account of Gerstner’s TV works.
In Tangible Vision
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to receive the latest Architectradure’s articles in your reader or via email. Thanks for visiting!
p
A still picture made out of the Texture of Light system
Today at Siggraph I presented my second research poster session on ‘The Texture of Light’ which is research on lighting principles and the exploration of life feed video metamorphosis in the public space using reflection of light on transparent materials.
My poster
I chatted with Kenneth Brecher, professor of Astronomy and Physics, Director, Science and Mathematics Education Center at Boston University.
He is the author of Project Lite that is about light inquiry through experiments. We discussed longely my Texture of Light project and we shared some exciting experiment results.
He mentioned the work of Karl Gerstner «Auto-Vision» who experimented with plexiglas sheets and images coming from TV.
Between 1962 and 1963, Gerstner made his first attempts at optically distorting television images with lenses made of Plexiglas. In 1964, he exhibited his results for the first time in an installation that used 12 television sets, each one shown wearing a different pair of so-called «glasses». ( Exhibition: «Crazy Berlin» at Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin) Also from 1964 comes the oldest existing version of «Auto-Vision» for a single television set. A new housing for the black-and-white TV set closes at the front, with a square television, and can accommodate six differently formed Plexiglas lenses, with everything meticulously packed in a crate for its transport. In this form, the perfection of design and presentation makes Gerstner’s «Auto-Vision» function as the prototype for a possible serial production. (…) «The name identifies the difference from television. The aim is not to broadcast programs, but to create programs directly. For this we use daily television programs that are abstracted through a ‹pair of spectacles,› and alienated to the point of being non-representational,» is Gerstner’s comment on the process(1) These Perspex ‹spectacles› have something in common with Op Art. They can be swapped around, and each pair creates a different effect.
By Media Art Net
(1) Cited in Johannes Gfeller, «Frühes Video in der Schweiz,» in Georges-Bloch Jahrbuch des Kunstgeschichtlichen Seminars der Universität Zürich, 1997, pp. 224f. Gfeller provides a comprehensively researched account of Gerstner’s TV works.
In Tangible Vision