The bouncig balls were they easy part (got the code from the book I am learning with). The hard part was figuring out how to connect them. The solution was simple, just... hidden.
7.11.08
19.10.08
Processing
I have to say, working with Processing is very easy. What I am doing right now is pretty basic, but this is the first mildly interesting thing I have done without having my hand held by a book or tutorial. Click on the image to interact.
Move the mouse around to draw, and double click to clear the screen.
Down-town
Design can solve problems, sure, but there comes a time when the problems are so pervasive, that adding design to the mix... well, lets equate it to a cell phone with fake chrome details. It looks great when you buy it, but as soon as the fake chrome starts chipping off the cheap looking plastic underneath, all you are left with is a lie of chrome and the reality of cheap plastic.
The Connective Corridor is this lie. Sure, it sounds like a great idea: create a culturally enriched corridor from Syracuse University to the center of downtown Syracuse. It would, in theory, open up the historically distant campus, and help the city by revitalizing a downtown which could currently serve as the poster child for urban decay. The reality of the CC is much different, because it is missing one vital element: something to connect to.
Lets go across the country to my hometown - Spokane, WA. In many ways, Spokane and Syracuse are very similar cities. When I visit downtown Syracuse today, I remember downtown Spokane 14 years ago. Block after block of boarded up storefronts, and the busiest part of it all was the central bus terminal. Commercial activity was, to put it lightly, sparse. But in 1999, Spokane completed it's first major project to revitalize downtown - River Park Square. River Park Square is, for lack of a better term, a mall, but it is in the center of downtown, with connections via sky walk to many buildings, creating a massive network of buildings that includes everything from condos, offices, local stores and businesses, and national chains. By connecting all of these elements of downtown and by providing ample open, indoor public spaces, the mall is also a great meeting place through which access to all of downtown was possible.
While the initial reception to River Park Square was not the best, it was built at the ideal time. It was constructed very soon before the recession caused by the Sept. 11 attacks, and as such, it was poised to ride the wave that came afterwards. Because of the public's attraction to the mall and its public spaces, developers came back to downtown and renovated many buildings and hotels. Today, even a Tuesday night downtown is busy and vibrant, with many stylish restaurants and bars, and many local stores and shops, and lets not the multi-million dollar condos that sprung up in once abandoned buildings.
Granted, another thing Spokane has going for it is it's extremely popular annual community events, such as HoopFest (3v3 basketball) and Bloomsday (1/2 marathon). These events transform downtown for a few days every year, each drawing hundreds of thousands of participants and tens of millions of dollars to local businesses. These events show off Spokane at its best and create a real sense of community within the city. It really is no wonder that the the population of Spokane keeps rising, and that it is rated as one of the best cities in the nation to start a new business.
When I see Syracuse downtown, I see a lot of potential. Old buildings with lots of space ready to be occupied by a new generation that embraces the arts and urban environments But what downtown lacks is the elements that are actually going to attract people, like indoor public spaces that are highly accessible and visible. The biggest detriment to a potential Syracuse downtown renewal, economy aside, is the development at Carousel Mall. With the mall so close to downtown, business is easily drawn away from the urban center to a massive assembly of national chains that only serve to draw Syracuse resident's hard earned money away from the city. So, back to the Connective Corridor.
The Connective Corridor is this lie. Sure, it sounds like a great idea: create a culturally enriched corridor from Syracuse University to the center of downtown Syracuse. It would, in theory, open up the historically distant campus, and help the city by revitalizing a downtown which could currently serve as the poster child for urban decay. The reality of the CC is much different, because it is missing one vital element: something to connect to.
Lets go across the country to my hometown - Spokane, WA. In many ways, Spokane and Syracuse are very similar cities. When I visit downtown Syracuse today, I remember downtown Spokane 14 years ago. Block after block of boarded up storefronts, and the busiest part of it all was the central bus terminal. Commercial activity was, to put it lightly, sparse. But in 1999, Spokane completed it's first major project to revitalize downtown - River Park Square. River Park Square is, for lack of a better term, a mall, but it is in the center of downtown, with connections via sky walk to many buildings, creating a massive network of buildings that includes everything from condos, offices, local stores and businesses, and national chains. By connecting all of these elements of downtown and by providing ample open, indoor public spaces, the mall is also a great meeting place through which access to all of downtown was possible.
While the initial reception to River Park Square was not the best, it was built at the ideal time. It was constructed very soon before the recession caused by the Sept. 11 attacks, and as such, it was poised to ride the wave that came afterwards. Because of the public's attraction to the mall and its public spaces, developers came back to downtown and renovated many buildings and hotels. Today, even a Tuesday night downtown is busy and vibrant, with many stylish restaurants and bars, and many local stores and shops, and lets not the multi-million dollar condos that sprung up in once abandoned buildings.
Granted, another thing Spokane has going for it is it's extremely popular annual community events, such as HoopFest (3v3 basketball) and Bloomsday (1/2 marathon). These events transform downtown for a few days every year, each drawing hundreds of thousands of participants and tens of millions of dollars to local businesses. These events show off Spokane at its best and create a real sense of community within the city. It really is no wonder that the the population of Spokane keeps rising, and that it is rated as one of the best cities in the nation to start a new business.
When I see Syracuse downtown, I see a lot of potential. Old buildings with lots of space ready to be occupied by a new generation that embraces the arts and urban environments But what downtown lacks is the elements that are actually going to attract people, like indoor public spaces that are highly accessible and visible. The biggest detriment to a potential Syracuse downtown renewal, economy aside, is the development at Carousel Mall. With the mall so close to downtown, business is easily drawn away from the urban center to a massive assembly of national chains that only serve to draw Syracuse resident's hard earned money away from the city. So, back to the Connective Corridor.
I rode on the connective corridor last week, and that was to get to the Warehouse for a class. The bus was completely empty, and along the way, I saw nothing that would compel me to get off and explore the city and what few businesses it has.
There needs to be something downtown that would actually attract students and the public. In that lies many interesting - and much more meaningful - design challenges.
18.10.08
Left a Mark
Wearable technology is a fantastic class - one of those classes where you get graded on your level of self motivation, since the professors pretty much let you do whatever you can think up. After a couple of introductory classes to the Arduino platform, we started our first large scale project, in groups of two.
The whole goal for the project was to create anything, as long as it involved a system in which two arduinos were communicating, where a third party could come in and mess with the system. We came up with this (click it):
The whole goal for the project was to create anything, as long as it involved a system in which two arduinos were communicating, where a third party could come in and mess with the system. We came up with this (click it):
The problem with that whole idea was the cost of the materials. $500. That is a bit much for a couple of college students on a two week project. Back to the drawing board, and this time make it cheaper:
Ah, much better. I don't really know how much it ended up costing us, but it certainly wasn't $500. Now for the copy!
Concept:
This project aims to explore the connections between strangers through the act of leaving your mark in a public space. By creating a system in which two areas share a finite quantity of light, a mechanic is established that lets a person's presence remain in the space even after they leave. Others are forced to deal with this presence, and by interacting with the system, they deteriorate the impact of others while establishing their own lasting presence.
Scenario:Two chairs are connected in a system with a finite amount of light, and by sitting on the chairs, users alter placement the light in the system. If both chairs are occupied the system is at a standstill, with no light transfer between chairs, but if one person leaves, the light from their chair will be drawn away to the other still occupied char. If the person in that chair leaves, leaving both chairs unoccupied, the light will remain as a marker of their presence until another chair is occupied, in which case the pattern repeats itself. This system creates the potential to establish a cooperative dialogue between the users of the chairs, and ultimately creates a mechanism which acknowledges the continuance of a person's presence to third parties observing the process.
To make a long story short, I have rarely been so excited about creating something. I guess you can expect a lot more physical computing out of me. Also expect some Processing very soon.
12.10.08
Up Till Now
My name is Sam. If I had one defining aspect for those who first meet me, it would be that I am strikingly tall, but the purpose of this blog is not about my stature - I just like to be able to have a mental image of people - so there is your hint.
I have known that Industrial Design was my calling since 8th grade, when I read about it in a magazine for 8th graders whose moderately overbearing parents thought they would like to read about depressingly overachieving students with a marked lack of meaningful childhood experiences. I thought most of the magazine was a complete waste of my time, but the little sidebar excerpt about ID finally let me apply a sense of purpose to my potpourri of seemingly divergent interests. After making it through the doldrums of high school and nearly two and a half years of college, I find myself here.
I have known that Industrial Design was my calling since 8th grade, when I read about it in a magazine for 8th graders whose moderately overbearing parents thought they would like to read about depressingly overachieving students with a marked lack of meaningful childhood experiences. I thought most of the magazine was a complete waste of my time, but the little sidebar excerpt about ID finally let me apply a sense of purpose to my potpourri of seemingly divergent interests. After making it through the doldrums of high school and nearly two and a half years of college, I find myself here.
I am a 3rd year Industrial and Interaction Design major at Syracuse University, and happily so, since Freshman year was an intensely awkward period, and in retrospect, so was a majority of my 2nd year. The reason for the blog is that now in my 3rd year, I am starting to make sense of my self and what I do, and aside from the obvious benefits of documenting my experience, I am hoping that it will allow me to explore who I am as a designer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)