For the past few months, I have been working with other locals on a new web site dealing with images and expression. “Kazomi” (the working title) got me a trip to Istanbul and some bills paid, but the biggest payoff so far has been the chance to apply my graduate training to a real-world design project.
We are currently looking for people to play with an early version of the web site and complete a short survey to help direct the next phase of development. A $50 Amazon gift certificate will be given to one lucky participant, randomly selected from everyone completing the survey. This online user study is open through Sunday, October 18.
The Alpha release is ready for testing
One of the principle inspirations for this design concept is Bill Gavers and his work with ambiguous design. There is a spectrum of data representation where one end is precision (universal truth) and the other is art (personal truth). Somewhere in between, precise data is presented in an ambiguous way, so as to force the observer to become a co-creator of its meaning. Imagine a house tricked out with sensors, collecting data used to generate an abstract digital painting. As the data changes, only those in the house who are aware of how the painting has evolved will be able to interpret what it may mean and how valuable that information is.
Our project leverages this same insight to encourage people to create arrangements of photos from a pool of images they have never seen. There is an interesting long-term value that emerges from a community of people creating these social objects, but that aspect of the project is several months away from being realized. For now, we’re focusing on how people are experiencing the core interaction.
The online study will inform our understanding of how the interaction is perceived. Participants will be asked to explore our proof-of-concept web site before returning to the survey to complete a few questions about the experience. I hope you can take a few minutes to help us out.