Seminar 4 April 11th

The future of interactive design- Neo's Seminar

1. Intelligent Agents
-Applications (myware/spyware)
-Semantic web
-Spimes (space + time = spime)

2. Transmedia Interactions
-ARGs: Alternate reality games
-The best - A.I
-Metacortechs - Matrix

3. Human - Robot
-Broad definition

4. Wearable
-Adidos
-The hug shirt
-Bodymedias (sense wear armband)

The three main problems with robot manufacturing
- form
-function
-manner of behaviour

5. Ubiquitous computering
-Ubicomp
-Interaction- designers have a roll to play.

6. Digital tools for making digital tools.
-Apllications- ebay
- myspace
- Ning

Summary.....
To predict the future is to invent it. Make it more humane by new technologies



The nature and art of workmanship - Gina and Mattew's seminar

-David Pye
1940s designer, industry

In this chapter David Pye accurately and concisely differentiates between craftsmanship and modern machine done work. He writes his philosophical yet practical, perosnla ideas on craftsmanship. It doesnt focus on any specific craft (though Professor Pye is a woodworker himself)

craftsmanship/workmanship risk.
Now humancraft is required only at the beginning of the design process. rather than followed the whole thing through.

workmanship of certainty
Computer/lazercuter
-Machine is made-takes a while-should get achnoledgement for making machine aswel.
-Man has created such tools that make perfection possible.

William Morris- Printing press

Ron Arad- 'The method is only part of it. its not everything'

Tinker chair 1988- hand crafted

Greatful for mechanical machines these days. Ron Arad works the same place as David Pye.

Front design- a design firm from sweden
www.frontdesign.se/sketchfurniture

- this is what pye would have wanted.

Now we need new designs rather than polluting the world with old ones. Shouldnt abuse this and manufacture lots of the same thing- this is polluting

WOR (handcraft) vs WOC (machine built)
-Writing
-Handwriting compared to printing- a lot of work. All of the machines we use these days were created in WOR to start with.
typewriter midway
-Always trying to illiminate risk. These days we hardly have risk. WE have built machines that create pretty much perfect.
We have automatic machines that make 100s of bolts. Without anyone watching at all. You could go one step further and create a machine that uses the bolt in its right place.
Which is better then, out of WOC and WOR? Something about WOR is appealing. Even though with WOR we often get less quality. ie Cutting acrylic by hand vs lazercutter.
We expect more of WOC products
Some people belive that handicraft should be exstinct.


Manuel De Landa

-Richard's Seminar

-Homogenous- consistant
-Heterogenous- inconsistant

-Science has reduced materials to basic properties- chemicals.
-Craftsmen deal with the material as a whole.

'know how'- giving starting points/constraints. let the material/computer figure out the end product.


Social Dimensions of wearable computers
-Ana Viseu

-Wearable computers
-Technology getting smart
ie hot water cylinder connected to electricity so can be turned off.

Ubiquitorous- means everywhere.
Minitureisation/hands free. - Laptop, ipod, cell phone, simulation goggles.
Design has become more proactive. A way of connecting your body to the world. Moving from a tool that you wear on your body to a part of your body. Almost like we're trying to perfect our bodies ir carbon fibre legs.

Will we lose sense of natural instict? Intuition? What is nature? What is artificial? The difference between the two isnt as clear as it used to be.
Is it a human becoming part of a computer or a computer becoming part of a human being? Is it certain that WOC will take over the whole world?