Magic Wish

A magic space for children to create & cast their own spells, with the hope that they can learn from Positive Psychology embedded.

Quinny He

https://youtu.be/ITuAWD6XaIw

Description

We have many tools that help kids to learn: Scratch for kids to access programming, Variation Playground for kids to learn music, Cognimates for kids to understand AI concepts, and we even have a whole museum exploratorium for kids to explore scientific phenomena at their own pace. However, all these learning experiences focus on talents, which are non-moral (such as understanding physics). Seldom do people consider helping children develop strengths, which are moral and contribute to virtues (such as the ability to love and be loved). In the field of Positive Psychology, strengths development contributes to personal happiness in both childhood and adulthood. Can we design a learning tool specifically for kids to learn happiness? Located in a dark room, the project creates a magical space for children to create and cast their own magic spells. With the guidance of a magic book teaching children how to use our magic wand, children can use different gestures to control the floating spells projected on a giant transparent canvas and design a new spell for their own wish. For instance, a “heart” shape spell for the wish that “I want my parents to get back together”. This project draws inspiration from Positive Art Therapy, the art therapy for positive psychology interventions, provides our young audience with a magical space to learn optimism, overcome grief, and regain hope.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Education

MediaMoney

MediaMoney provides simple analytics for any public Twitter account. With this handy tool, you can even estimate how much advertising money your favorite Twitter accounts can make with each tweet.

Hank D Wu

https://youtu.be/qo2QN_LnkZU

Description

The chief purpose of MediaMoney ties in directly with a relatively new phenomenon: the monetization of social media. Despite rapid changes in the social media landscape, such monetization has remained rather opaque to content consumers. While many consumers now understand that social media can be a real business that drives very real profits, there remains quite a bit of misinformation regarding the quantity of such payments. Some consumers tend to underestimate the revenue generated by social media influencers (likely because few formal transactions ever take place directly between the consumer and the influencer). However, others also validly overestimate revenue, especially after viewing content depicting the lavish lifestyles of such influencers. The reality is much more nuanced. Consuming “free” media on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter is a large part of an important value creation process. Thus, the primary objective of this project is to cut through the opaqueness and shed light on what truly happens.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Education

Extinction Party – Spring Show

An educational puzzle game that explores the history of life on Earth.

Topher Blair

https://vimeo.com/415729116

Description

What do you do when the world falls apart? Extinction Party is an educational puzzle game that explores the history of life on Earth by looking at the five major mass extinction events. It will take the form of a 3-foot high standing pentagon shape, with each side of the pentagon containing fun ways for participants to explore what life looked like before and after the extinction, and how why scientists think it happened in a certain way.

My thesis project is one side of this theoretical sculpture, which will be playable as a computer game. The game will be a proof of concept for a larger physical sculpture, which would be installed in a museum. I hope that both kids and adults will enjoy playing with it.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2099.00001, ITPG-GT.2193.001
Thesis Part 2: Production, Video Sculpture
Education,Play/Games