David Rios – Page 2 – ITP / IMA Winter Show 2018

Eva Philips

A Dyslexic’s Experience is designed for users to face the challenges that individuals with language based learning disabilities encounter, by learning and writing with a new visual representation of the alphabet.

https://www.evaphilips.com/itp-winter-show-2018

Description

One in five people have a language based learning disability, the most common of which is dyslexia. However, most of the population, even some dyslexics themselves, misunderstand the disability completely. Dyslexia effects the part of the brain that processes language and thus, most dyslexics have difficulty decoding sounds and relating them to letters. This slows their reading rate and makes spelling a challenge. A Dyslexic’s Experience is a project designed for anyone to understand this language processing barrier first hand. Throughout the interaction the user will learn and spell words using a visual representation of the alphabet designed by measuring the volume inputs of spoken letters and drawing circles with radii based on that input. The barrier between the user and this new alphabet is meant to recreate the challenges individuals with learning disabilities face. When the user scans a symbol from the visual alphabet in the ‘learn’ section of the board, the corresponding letter will play over the headphones. Requiring the users to learn the alphabet by matching the oral sounds of letters to the symbols is meant to highlight the difficulty dyslexics have decoding sounds. Once the user learns enough letters to make a word, they will scan the letters one at a time in the ‘write’ section of the board. As they scan, their word will be displayed on the screen and they can submit it into the library of words written by previous users. The symbols that make up the alphabet are purposely similar yet unique in order to make the interaction somewhat challenging. In conclusion, the user will gain a first hand experience of a dyslexic’s learning differences.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Morgan Mueller, Woan-Chin LIN

Reverie Field acts as a self-reflection experience that allows visitors to transform a memory into light and express their associated emotions through unique dimming patterns and a final climactic animation.

Description

Reverie Field allows a visitor to store and transform a memory into light in such a way that they must think about, and dive deeper into that memory and the emotions that are connected with it. Each visitor enters into a dark(ish) area with a hanging semi-circle of incadescent light bulbs. Initially all of the bulbs are off but when the visitor places their hand on the console they are greeted and invited to begin the experience.

An audio narrative prompts the visitor to reflect on the memory they are thinking about. When the visitor feels an emotional connection to that memory they are prompted to press a finger against a console interface. As the visitor begins pressing different fingers, they see the lights reacting in different ways. As the experience begins to finish each bulb holds its' current state and at the climax the bulbs perform a unique animation that can be appreciated by the visitor.

The incandescent light dimming and lighting up in various patterns are symbolic of the emotions the visitor is feeling at that time. Through letting the visitor see the result of their memory and emotions in the form of a unique lighting pattern, hopefully visitors could appreciate their emotions and gain a deeper personal connection with themselves. The animated light pattern that arises at the end of the experience is meant to help keep the connotation of uniqueness to each experience. If the visitor decides to go through the Reverie Field again then they will have a different visual experience.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing