Month: February 2024

In week 5 of the process, I was focusing on refining my enquiry a little bit more while exploring the possibilities, the visual language of the game I was working on, while also articulating not only to myself, but also my classmates, the connections of this project stage to my whole process and studio practice development.

In the game, I was working around the idea of addressing the physical embodiment of reward-driven behaviour in digital space, which is often an outcome of the algorithms and mechanisms of digital platforms. Continuing my previous work and research, I aimed to create a playful, engaging experience that the audience can immerse into while creating a space for reflection. The way to do that could have been the game’s ending and the language used in the games, so I focused on that to create a complete experience.

CURRENT DEVELPMENT

THE GAME
The player starts by setting their starting position in the window on the screen, “curating” their starting position into a square cut-out. They are encouraged to perform (eat the points of the screen) to gain a special reward! The reward is not mentioned, they are not aware what they are playing for, the game offers the motivation through the gamification.

In the game, the player is asked to ”eat the points of social validation” while the time is running out. The player needs to perform, and move to gain points and unlock a “special reward”.A progress bar shows how far the player is from reaching the “special reward”

As the game progresses and the time is running, more points appear and they move faster, encouraging the player to perform more The more points the player gets, the slower the progress bar fills and it can never be fully reached.  The player gives energy, to reach points that will bring nothing. Only to start the whole process again. How long does it take the player to realise the bar can never be filled? 

THE GAME OUTCOME:

FEEDBACK

• It is an effective way to draw the audience in and get them play, it’s fun and communicates the intention quite well
• How to refine the games even more? Is there a way to iterate on them to see what that does?
• How to use the language in the games more effectively?
• Maybe there is too many things happening /the unreachable progress bar/ – think about keeping it more simple to creating more suggestive experience
• Try to avoid the semantics that tell away immediately what the game is about, using more neutral language could lead to more personalized and suggestive experience, that is open for interpretation
• How to put the game and the outcome into a better context? Where does it go?

In my research, I tried to finally narrow down my focus even deeper.

I started researching and jumping between different topics to find a connection to my previous work and a deeper enquiry: how the curation of digital identity reflects to a physical space -> different aspects of digital identity and of course touching social media -> labelling and social media, how we are adjusting our behaviour to fit the label/trend that has been given to us or that we’ve given to use -> And also the behavioural changes -> dopamine loops and reward system loop

Enquiry Update: EXPLORING HOW THE CURATION OF DIGITAL PERSONAS WITH A GOAL (that we sometimes don’t realise) TO ACTIVATE THE REWARD-DRIVEN LOOP REFLECT BACK TO OUR PHYSICAL REALITY

Graphic Design Lenses: Using programming, face recognition and in real-time “activity” to address the topic and to bring reflection / discussion

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Iteration and process:

REFERENCE

Reference I was working with moving further is a project by the studio The Rodina. As a part of the exhibition, the studio created A non-violent exploratory video game addressing the creative labour and extending the visual identity of an exhibition. Players collect labour tokens while their time is mercilessly running out. Landscapes, sounds, and score mechanics reveal the dynamics of a creative worker’s life intertwined with the post-fordist labour performed under the constant pressure of social media and inhumane neoliberal competitiveness. It renders the virtual environment as both liberating and limiting space in which the player can reflect and reimagine the world of work.

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ITERATION AND PROJECT IDEA

In order to create my own interactive space, that is playable, I started experimenting and learning with Java programming, studying different resources, and online tutorials and using the help of AI, I created a playable simple game.

Using my skills, online resources, my previous work and references, I programmed an in-real-time interactive space working on a face-recognition system that addresses how the curation of digital personas with a goal to activate the reward-driven loop reflect back to our physical reality.

Players curate their persona in the digital space to collect social points while their time is running out. Only to start again and again.

Based on my research on how our identities are being shaped through digital spaces. It underscores the often irrational, looped nature of digital spaces we get caught in.

It illustrates how these processes mold our behaviour in pursuit of validation within a constructed digital realm while mirroring back the absurdity of our actions (camera on the right). This creates a perpetual cycle of action and reaction, as we continuously navigate and adapt the both realms – the physical and the digital.

I placed the game on a website, that can be accessed by the audience. This was a first sketch and a roughly created idea that I will be developing and shaping further, however I feel like I am finally on track and know where I am heading (aka I don’t feel TOTALLY lost and I am maybe seeing a little light somewhere in the distance :))

TRY IT YOURSELF ON THIS LINK (ONLY PC / LAPTOP): https://logical-reassurance-485194.framer.app/

After identifying further interest in my research and enquiry, week 3 I focused on creating an approach and tools I can adapt to my project through engaging with references. while exploring the topic of identity vs self-representation and how to create an approach to design as a building tool for an alternative space.

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In the 21st century, it’s challenging to have full control over all the layers of our identities due to the complex and interconnected nature of the modern world, especially in the digital age.

(Personal And Collective Identity: Transformations In The Digital Age, 2020)

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Questions and focus coming from engaging with the latest set of references.

• How to make the space more accessible and easier to reach for the audience? (Remembering Laurent’s comment from the last class about AR being something invisible, not that user-friendly and easy to reach without a device or an app)

• AR can be a great extension of my work, but how I possibly make the space easily engaged with the audience?

• Could an online accessible space or a website be a solution??

In the Unit 2 I was using data collecting, visualisations and diagramming to explore the role of identity in contemporary society, exploring how identities are being (re)shaped through surveillance processes.

Identifying what I want to continue within Unit 3, I was interested in exploring identity’s role in the contemporary world. More precisely the intersection between PHYSICAL VS DIGITAL IDENTITY and how our engagement, and curation of our personals in digital space reflects back to our physical selves. I was aware of the topic being quite general, however, i set a few points to focus on to start producing experiments, hoping the interest will shape further while I put my hands on my studio practice.