This is a first try at using TSL230R to measure HRV (Heart Rate Variability) levels. It will be used as part of a larger project to collect users’ heart rates and translate this data onto a mobile (potentially wearable) screen as a non-verbal messaging system that reveals a somewhat hidden state of ‘being’. The messages will be set to be sent according to the value range of the heart beats as dynamic visualizations (for the time being I will be using Processing). In addition to this, each message will have a specific time span and a specific ‘mood’ or ’emotion’ attached to it. To do this I will be using a second variable EEG: Electroencephalography. HRV and EEG are interesting values to juxtapose as they symbolically represent the physical, biological, and social connections existing between the heart and the brain. This second variable will add a level of randomness to the system, which will enable messages to have a wider visual scope.
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Sketching User Experiences (1)- Bill Buxton
In "Interacting with Paper," Bill Buxton proposes paper prototyping which he calls 'paper interfaces' as an alternative and a better solution to testing user experiences before starting the design process. The author suggests that paper holds powerful affordances that represent systems of control that users respond to and experience, both in terms of a sketch's control over users' actions (control commands) as well as its faculty to lead users to focus on the 'experience' and 'usability' of an interface rather than on its aesthetic feel or design.
‘The Changing Sites of Value’
As part of The Internet as Playground and Factory, a conference series on the politics of digital media organised by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, Patricia Ticineto Clough, Orit Halpern, and Melissa Gregg introduced their individual areas of research and idiosyncratic takes on the notion of 'affect' and its evolution in meaning today as a result of technological progress.
“Conducting a Usability Evaluation” – Patrick Jordan
After having listed various evaluation methods, Jordan provides a guideline for choosing the most appropriate method(s) depending on the level at which a prototype is developed and shows an example of how such testing might be conducted.
Sci/Art: Sachiko Kodama
On March 12, 2010, Sachiko Kodama, a Japanese media artist and professor in electro-communications in Tokyo, presented her work, and what led to her most recent and on-going exploration of Ferrofluid, which she names Protrude Flow.
“Recruiting Participants” – Dumas & Redish
Dumas & Redish lay-out the steps and tactics for recruiting participants; those include: Finding Appropriate Participants, Reaching and Screening Potential Participants, Deciding Who Should Recruit Participants, Knowing What to Say When You are Recruiting, Arranging for Payment or Other Incentives, and Having a Back-up -- But Not Double Booking