Interaction and Engagement of Project Design - Coursework Example

?Interaction and Engagement This study seeks to analyse on the interaction and engagement of an existing project and explain the specific characteristic aspects of design that facilitates the leeway for interaction in it and describe how they achieve the engagement of the audience. To illustrate this, the study will examine each aspect of the project’s design, in tandem with relevant theories in designing, and analyse how these theories have been implemented in attaining successful engagement of the audience by enabling their interaction with various aspects of the design. Subsequently, the study will examine another project and offer five alternative design ideas that seek to enhance the interaction of the users with its technology and amongst themselves in a simple, yet engaging manner. However, rather than focusing on how specific technologies work to create the effects, the study will dwell on suggesting simple solutions that can produce the “Wow” factor. The case study being considered for this study is the “Piano Staircase,” a project created under the initiative of Volkswagen. THE PIANO STAIRCASE (Shinn 2010:6) The project, “Piano Staircase,” offers a staircase adjacent to an escalator on a subway in Odenplan, “Stockholm, Sweden” that makes passersby wonder as to what option to take (Shinn 2010:6). This was part of Volkswagen’s experimental campaign known as the “Fun Theory” that seeks to find out whether incorporating some innovations in design that contain the fun element can incite people to “engage in good behaviours” such as climbing the stairs instead of using the escalator (6). While Volkswagen and their PR professionals purport this as the fun element for the sake of entertainment, in actual practice they are aiming at analysing the needs of their audience and meeting their requirements in “new forms” (6). The concept received a great deal of attention through internet, social networking sites and YouTube etc, which benefitted the company much more than the exposure that would have been fetched if they advertised by mean of a “30-second spot during the Super Bowl” (6). Thus, this stands out as a classic example of how interactive designs can engage the audience and lure them to use a certain produce or incite them to behave in better ways. An analysis of Volkswagen’s innovative concept reveals that the inclusion of fun factor has enabled active interaction of most of the audience of the Piano Staircase as can be verified from the video clipping on YouTube. Their concept of encouraging more passersby to “choose the stairs” by providing a fun element in the design, works perfectly fine in this video (Piano Stairs: The Fun Theory 2009). The beginning, the video shows a nondescript, mundane staircase remaining unused by passersby who prefer the adjacent escalator. However, once Volkswagen adorns the staircase flooring with a piano key design on the floor, it attracts public attention. As a result, a couple of passersby, who initially decides to go by the escalator, reverses their decision and takes the stair after they notice a woman coming down the stairs and perhaps on listening to the sound of the piano notes as well. Subsequently, the video shows the number of people who take the stair increasing and as the video progresses, it shows the passersby interacting in different ways with the staircase and these interactions engage them intensely and actively with various aspects of the design of the staircase. For example, the pair of youngsters who walk the stairs finds the fun of the music quite engaging and fascinating. Lured by the design’s interactive charm, the boy hops around, in tune with the music. Similarly, a lone man walking the stairs jumps from key to key to listen varying notes of the piano. On the other hand, when a woman walks a toddler, the notes play the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” In this manner, the piano notes cater to different audiences by understanding the needs of different users so that they can interact with the staircase in the ways that they want to. This strategy enables the design of the staircase to engage its audience in many ways by triggering an intense curiosity in them and providing them a fun element. Thus, in the context of this design, it can be deciphered that engagement of the audience becomes possible when the design enables ample opportunities for interaction with an object. Similarly, the design also enables the audience to interact among themselves as they imitate the actions of others when they see them interacting with the staircase. The design of the Piano Staircase has been most effective in facilitating the interaction because of its ability to “utilize the tension” between the “hidden” music instrument and the “revealed” sound (Dalsgaard & Dindler 2009:1). This triggers the curiosity in the audience, who, by walking on the steps of the staircase that represent different keys. Thus, when they listen to different notes on different steps, they become further engaged to interact with the staircase. In the same manner, when a person watches another doing this, he or she also becomes interested in this activity and thus the interaction among the audience takes place on the staircase. The design concept encompasses the principle of playing on the imagination of the audience by offering the piano keys instead of mundane steps on the stairs and stimulates their inquisitive nature by the different notes of the piano when they start walking on it. Evidence also suggests that quality of the stairwell’s design by “adding visual artwork and playing music” will encourage people to use the stairs than try the escalator (Stuart et al 2013:6). The Piano Staircase and its capability to engage the audience through its interactive potential substantiates this hypothesis. (Sample Project for Enhancement Suggestions) (Staircases: Ultra Modern 2013) Though the above staircase has immense potential to engage the audience in terms of its ability to offer an interactive platform for the audience as it is, I would like to further explore its possibilities to in the context of what it could be. Thus, I offer some suggestions to enhance its design by adding some more effects to create the Wow factor. The means of engagement can be perceived as the “structures that are intentionally shaped through design” (Dalsgaard & Dindler 2009:5). Thus, the structure of the design needs to “instil curiosity” in the audience, which has effectively done in the Piano Staircase by means of its steps that represent piano keys (5). I do, however, feel that if the structure is further enhanced, this may help in instilling more intense curiosity in the audience. Currently it has a static visual appeal in terms of steps designed as keys of the piano. However, if the structure includes changing light effects, it will further enhance the interactive capabilities of the staircase and will become more engaging for the audience. Thus, I will suggest incorporating lighting effects on the wall, parallel to each step. The lights on the first step will trigger on when a person places r foot at the bottom line of the staircase. Similarly, as the person ascends the stairs and places foot on each step, the bulb on the step above will light up. In one context, it will provide higher illumination on the step but more interactively it will engage the attention of the person using the stair. Similarly, as the user reaches the landing at the top, the light will turn off. Rather than just climbing the stair as a routine exercise to move up and down, the staircase will provide the person a medium to enjoy a routine act. The second suggestion I offer for enhancing the interactive features to engage the users of this staircase is to place a rectangular aquarium at the bottom of the just tall enough to cover the height of the first step and the whole area till the end of the adjacent wall. This way, every time a person walks up or down the stairs he or she will be catching glimpses of aquarium and the fish swimming in it. The fish must be all flashy and gaudy colours so that they will add variety to the otherwise sober ambience of the setting. The third enhancement will focus on designing a fountain that will connect the aquarium to a concealed water tank on the floor above. This will be done through transparent glass pipes of one inch thickness and of a light green hue to compliment the colour of the steps. The pipe will be lining through all the four edges of the glass panel and also stretch over all the four edges of the aquarium. The walls of the aquarium will also be the same colour and tone of the staircase so as to render it as combination of mutually complimenting elements. The fourth element of design enhancement will be providing appropriate sounds effects for the whole project. Because of the aquarium and fountain elements in the design, the sound system will be based on these aspects and focus on engaging the user with the interaction with these. Thus, the design will involve the activation of sound akin to water flowing in a stream that will be triggered when a person climbs each step of the staircase. This way, as the user moves up or down each step of the stairs, the sound will be generated, which will provide the effect as if he or she is actually walking over a river or stream. In the sound system, additional features, such as the chirping of the birds or the croak of a frog may be included as appeals to the senses of the user. The fifth and final recommendation that I would endorse for enhancing the interactive elements of the design will be to replace the steps with transparent light green glass steps that will give more interactive potential to the setting. This way the person using the stairs will be in a position to have a view of the aquarium. Similarly, the lighting effects will have higher ability to engage the users by means of the sprightliness and diversity in colour. Engaging the audience, whether they are the users of a public facility or a private property like home, engaging the users with appropriate interaction potential is a necessity for designs. This will enable the users to both attain their purposes as well as to enjoy the process. Thus, even a monotonous activity such as climbing a stair or moving around from one room to the other can be more engaging. This will help them enjoy an action than merely doing it as a process to complete a task. The basic purpose of design technology is to facilitate the interaction between the audience and the object so as to attain a certain level of the audience engagement with the object. This will enable the audience to enjoy their interaction with the object rather than merely using it as a means of attaining certain objective such as climbing up and down, crossing a river or making the object serve any other purpose. Bibliography Dalsgaard, P. & Dindler, C. 2009. “Peepholes as Means of Engagement in Interaction Design.” Engaging Artefacts. (accessed 17 Nov 2013). Piano Stairs: The Fun. 2009. YouTube.Com. (accessed 17 Nov 2013). Shinn, S. 2010. “Stairway to Reinvention.” From the Editors, Biz Ed, January/February. (accessed 17 Nov 2013). Stewart, S., Mosher, M., Vey, C. Calder, B., McCaffrey, G. & Serafini, A. Art in the Staircase: A Step towards Sustainability. (accessed 17 Nov 2013). Staircases: Ultra Modern. 2013. Michael Burke Construction. (accessed on 17 Nov 2013). Read More