foundInspiration
New Ecology of Things
Instructor: Phil Van Allen
Collaborate w/ : Sara Moore
ABOUT:
As designers, we all have our preferred sources for inspiration. But how much do we really know about how those sources came to be? What were the factors that lead to their creation? How do they exist within a broader cultural and historical context? With these questions in mind, Sara Moore and myself created a learning system for designers, writers, historians and anyone else that needs to stay creatively inspired.
THE KIT:
Found Inspiration comes as a kit, containing eyeglasses, a set of 10 keys, a wheel for inserting the keys and a notebook. This system combines common objects with new, data-gathering technologies.
EXPLORATION/COLLECTION:
The glasses can be worn either indoors or out and allow the user to see and archive facts about the objects that surround them. The glasses serve as a source of "on-the-go inspiration" and through visualizing the histories and information about objects, the user is forced out of their current frame of mind, into the deeper meanings behind their surroundings. They can also collect information with a key, as an alternative to the glasses.
The notebook is for on-the-go retrieval of the found information and stores all of the data from the glasses and keys.
ARCHIVING:
Once back at their workspace, they upload the gathered information to the wheel through the notebook. The content collects as a stack of text and images that they browse through by turning the wheel. This fast retrieval of information allows for the user to remain inspired, without interruption. While browsing, the user has 10 keys to tag the content with. They label the keys with "smart ink" that can automatically collect tagged items. Once they upload the contents of a key to the wheel, they can erase the ink and re-use the key for a different tag category. They can insert as many or as few keys into the wheel to view the tagged content. If they feel uninspired, they can insert the web key that allows access to their friend's archived content.
Additionally, there is a "Fiction" button on the wheel that when pressed, generates fictitious stories about the found objects. This serves as a way to get into a different frame of mind and hopefully gain inspiration.
Instructor: Phil Van Allen
Collaborate w/ : Sara Moore
ABOUT:
As designers, we all have our preferred sources for inspiration. But how much do we really know about how those sources came to be? What were the factors that lead to their creation? How do they exist within a broader cultural and historical context? With these questions in mind, Sara Moore and myself created a learning system for designers, writers, historians and anyone else that needs to stay creatively inspired.
THE KIT:
Found Inspiration comes as a kit, containing eyeglasses, a set of 10 keys, a wheel for inserting the keys and a notebook. This system combines common objects with new, data-gathering technologies.
EXPLORATION/COLLECTION:
The glasses can be worn either indoors or out and allow the user to see and archive facts about the objects that surround them. The glasses serve as a source of "on-the-go inspiration" and through visualizing the histories and information about objects, the user is forced out of their current frame of mind, into the deeper meanings behind their surroundings. They can also collect information with a key, as an alternative to the glasses.
The notebook is for on-the-go retrieval of the found information and stores all of the data from the glasses and keys.
ARCHIVING:
Once back at their workspace, they upload the gathered information to the wheel through the notebook. The content collects as a stack of text and images that they browse through by turning the wheel. This fast retrieval of information allows for the user to remain inspired, without interruption. While browsing, the user has 10 keys to tag the content with. They label the keys with "smart ink" that can automatically collect tagged items. Once they upload the contents of a key to the wheel, they can erase the ink and re-use the key for a different tag category. They can insert as many or as few keys into the wheel to view the tagged content. If they feel uninspired, they can insert the web key that allows access to their friend's archived content.
Additionally, there is a "Fiction" button on the wheel that when pressed, generates fictitious stories about the found objects. This serves as a way to get into a different frame of mind and hopefully gain inspiration.