ClickSuite Talk

Today we had a talk from Emily from ClickSuite.  I really like ClickSuite's work and use of new technology.  It has inspired me to look into the idea of augmented reality.  ClickSuite did a project where you look through binoculars and see a butterfly and interact with it with a wand..  I like the idea of the user in a tranquil sleep space when they walk in but then looking through a portal or relevant gadget or mind something into an insomniac experience.. This technology could be fun to pursue with the idea of a physical object interaction fueling the feel of the design.

Journal Discovery

Found this journal about sleep and hypnosis which has many different articles from doctors and psychologists about sleep and behaviours and alternatively about hypnosis.

The article that has been linked is about chronic insomnia characteristics, I think this article is useful in determining the state of mind of insomniacs and what kind of things happen to a group of them.  It's quite interesting to read and if I could relate some of the findings to my experience - it would be more realistic - may see if I can question the author...

Hiding the Elephant

Just found this wicked book to read called "Hiding the Elephant" By Jim Steinmeyer.  It's about magic tricks and the history of magic as profession, kind of something interesting to have a wee read of - am going to read more and see if I can discover something more about neuro magic.. unsure if my sleep mind sub-conscious connection is related to neuro magic-ness..

Inspiration - Two-Face's Lair

Elle gave me this idea of looking into a split or two separate rooms to compare between the insomniacs and either the continuous asleep or just regular sleepers.  I like this concept, but am unsure if I would have time to implement two rooms - I also am unsure of my space scale and type of rooms so I need to look into possibilities and make a final decision by Thursday so my essay can be well fleshed out.

Precedent - Eoes Design

http://matsysdesign.com/category/projects/eoes/

This is a cool space in which reflections and shadows determine the space.  This plastic skin bubble formation could be a cool experience space, I could use a shadow and camera capturing scenario to create image builds and a mind space of an insomniac?  It's a creative surrounding space, that could be used to encompass you like an emotion, I'm unsure how I would implement this but it's fun to think about this kind of experience and space to project and capture with - it would be no colour - just black and white.

More Reading..

I found this book which I could use for one of my sources called "Insomnia: Principles and Management" by Martin P. Szuba, David F. Dinges.  Just reading the first few bits of it and having a skim - it seems to address all elements of insomnia and how to deal, not necessarily a cure.. I quite like the beginning when the writers talk specifically about a case, a young girl, who suffered from insomnia for 7-8 years, from when she was about 12.  It's interesting to hear how people accused her of drug abuse and depression because she just couldn't sleep - she knew insomnia was the main cause of her moods.  I like the feel given by this book and how it addresses her state of mind..I think this book could be very helpful in creating an "Insomniac's Experience" ... still haven't concreted an idea yet though..

Precedent - StoryBox

I really like StoryBox, the large scale installations they do make such a grand statement.  I like the echo of the container and the shape entices people to enter.  I'm unsure if I could get a container for this project but I would love one! http://www.storyboxproject.co.nz/

Three Concepts

I decided (for myself) by today I would have three really rough concepts to kind of choose between..

CONCEPT ONE
This would be to create the sound of sleep.  This is an interactive installation where you experience the environment of sleep while awake.. Images would be projected onto the walls corresponding to the sounds of sleep pre-recording.. The purpose would be to experience the state of sleep while being awake - it would be subtle sounds, calming and relaxing.. interaction would be restless due to amount of people in room so indirect interaction...

CONCEPT TWO
Insomnia is a interesting concept to me, so maybe creating an interactive installation fueled by text picking apart insomnia and the experience.. The user/users would enter a space filled with thoughts, emotions and time in the world of an insomniac.. Some how they would interact with the space and change bits - (not entirely sure on specifics) but the whole space mood would be set by the overcoming feeling of insomnia.

CONCEPT THREE
Designing the physical feel of sleep, an interactive object that has the "feel" of sleep - the touch not the actually mind feel of sleep..In our minds we feel sleep as this peaceful experience - want to relate that to a physical object where people interact with it and it does something - unsure what yet .. May incorporate continuous sleep study - as their experiences could be helpful

These are really REALLY rough ideas - may be updated later...

Encephalitis Lethargica

Encephalitis Lethargica is the opposite of insomnia, more a comatose state, where people sleep for years and then wake up.  I have been researching into the 1917 pandemic through this article.  Talking through the states and confusion of the doctors - linking the symptoms with rabies and Parkinson's.

This article talks about how many people were forgotten as nobody could deal with or help patients after their experiences that they died in the hundreds of thousands.  I enjoyed this article it explains further the people's reaction and the way they dealt with the unknown - I think I want to give the user the isolated experience of the individual...  still unsure about how but the mind experience would be a cool interaction - have to read Awakenings by Oliver Sacks, I think...

Insomnia vs Continuous Sleep

Researching further I kind of like the idea of sleep - either too much sleep or none at all..
What kind of state is our mind when we are continuously awake? Or continuously asleep?

I think I need to pick one of these so I can go further into my research.. I also need to consider the interactive experience.. Maybe I'll read some of these cool books I found and make a decision about the experience and the interaction - I would love to design the state of mind experience in some sort of way...

Books To Read:
Insomnia by Stephen King
Sleep: the mysteries, the problems and the solutions by Carlos Schenck
Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

Oliver Sacks

Not entirely convinced on the whole "humour" idea, I decided to explore different people we were introduced to in the lecture.  Oliver Sacks is a physician, author and neurologist that can't recognise faces.  I wanted to see what his studies were about to spark some inspiration.  He has written many books but one in particular stuck out to me.  It is called "Awakenings" and is about a group of people who were asleep for decades and Dr. Sacks studied them and woke them up.
http://www.oliversacks.com/books/awakenings/

There is a book and a movie relevant to this if I wanted to explore these ideas more...

Popular Science

I found this cool magazine from the 1870 - 2000 called Popular Science.  Each magazine contains feature articles from scientists and doctors about certain things.  I stumbled upon an article from Aug 1908 that looks at humour called "The Nature, Origin and Function of Humor" by Linus W. Kline, Ph.D.

He talks about breaking the surface tension with humour and how each grade of person can appreciate it.  There are six different types of humourous stimuli, according to Kline, these are: animals and their actions, man, man's actions, clothes, customs and manners, and words, language and thought.  Each of these contain there own particulars and details that cause someone to laugh.

I find this kind of study and explanation interesting, the idea of humour and how we connect easily with the "funny side" of things intrigues me.  How do we make the connection of a humourous situation to react with a laugh?  How does our mind view humour?  How do we determine the level of laughter/ reaction to a situation?

Initial Browsing

I broke NEURO and MAGIC apart in order to get a better understanding.

neu·rol·o·gy/n(y)o͝oˈräləjē/

Noun: The branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, functions, and organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system

http://www.google.co.nz/

mag·ic/ˈmajik/

Adjective: Used in magic or working by magic; having or apparently having supernatural powers: "a magic wand".

Noun: The power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. 

http://www.google.co.nz/

With these two definitions, I began to think of mysterious functions as humans and the ideas of experiences.  I want my user to have an unexpected emotional connection with my interactive space - through touch and sound.

I will research further into the connections we make with touch and sound, and how experience provoke subconscious emotions.

Decision

I have chosen to use interaction design for an audience to experience an element of neuro-magic.