Hybrid Exhibit Environment

Visiting the Miller ICA Museum —

Initial visit references to get the idea of space

• Visited the space to get a better understanding of what it has to offer, and how moldable the exhibit area is.
• Getting a true sense of what the space is and how artworks are proportionate to the walls.
• Getting a sense of a general vibe of what the place has to offer, what kind of artworks would befit the space

Artwork research and conceptual thinking —

Artworks I took into consideration for the hybrid exhibit environment

Formulating which artist/ artwork to take for further exploration

• I chose the artwork and the conceptual thinking behind it by visiting the gallery, seeing various artworks, and the kind of clientele there. I looked up a range of artworks that were based on social and political issues.
• There was a range of artworks, some had an overwhelming presence, and some were differently built or placed. Some artworks had an interesting use of materials that would engage with people around.
• Different interactions I observed— visitors moving around the gallery and seeing different artworks; viewers interacting with artworks that have digital components to them such as videos; people entering and exiting the gallery with much content.
• the one that I could relate the most to was the video display of the pandemic diaries — which in my opinion, is the most recent and most relatable topic of all as it is still pretty fresh in everyone’s minds and continues to impact our lives today.

My plan for The Project —

• Exploring and noticing the environments I cross and the transitions between them to understand the different notions I go through every day. I plan to Visit different galleries to select an artist or an issue that I resonate with.
• Through the use of mood boards, I would create a story around the work that I feel is the most important. The story of the exhibition would also help set the flow and the path of the place.
• Understanding the exhibition space in terms of its floor plan and sketching out the important things to consider like the door openings, staircase, lift, etc. USING CAD tools would make the milestones easier.
• Next, I would like to engage myself with physical model making which I think would give me a sense of space as well. I feel during this process I would like to revisit the miller gallery to understand how the smaller nuances like flooring, wall height and color, and lighting can also have an impact on conveying the essence.
• By Learning software like Little bites, tinkerCAD, and SketchUp to create the drawing of the space and do space modeling I would gain a better understanding of the space.
• Preparing the content to present the idea and what the hybrid exhibition experience would be like. Additionally, work on the final visualizations to reiterate the story being the issue/ artist.

Self-Reflection:

Addressing each step would help me build the concept by noticing different nuances and developing a more interactive exhibition. I think through this process I might have multiple versions of the physical, digital and hybrid environments to explore and engage with. As the first project, I think this will also give me a better idea of how environments need to be considered for a human-centered design. Since an exhibition would be directly related to visitors and their experience, it will force me to adapt different design skills for different spaces. I think this metacognitive regulation could also help me develop a cohesive, conceptually driven environment that tells a narrative through space.

To get a better understanding of the space we made plan and elevation drawings using adobe illustrator/CAD tool. The plan view helped me comprehend what lies within the whole space and a clear idea of the whole space’s availability. The elevation plan gave me an idea of the scale I had to work on and conceptualize my design in.

Plan view of the Miller ICA Gallery 1st floor

Mood board :

Mood board for Cauleen Smith’s exhibition

The feeling that I aimed to evoke via this mood board was that of calm and steadiness. The artwork ‘Pandemic Diaries’ by Cauline Smith strikes a huge chord with me as it intends to symbolize something that can be perceived as both negative and positive. In my exhibition, I intend to create a mood that is of hope and the feeling of cherishing. The pastel colors provide me with that opportunity as it is something about them that is vibrant and lively, some might say that they have a calming, soothing, fresh vibe to them. For my exhibit, I intend to create an atmosphere which is that both chaotic and sorted as I feel it would be a nice way, to sum up, the pandemic. For the flooring, I would want to revitalize the existing grey marble floor by putting a layer of sheen to it to make it more neutral and balanced. The pandemic has come with its pros and cons, despite all the hardships faced, people got to spend quality time in their homes with their loved ones. Some might think that the pandemic made them more creative too. That is the vibe I am going for in my exhibit, showing the positive aspect of the pandemic along with a fraction of the mayhem. As the typography for my exhibits, I plan on using my natural cursive writing as I feel that would help people connect more with what the pandemic was for me, it might also make them feel more strongly and clearly about their respective states when they were confined to their homes.

Storyboard :

Story board for establishing a flow of the exhibition

• I wanted to show the flow of the exhibit suggesting the reason behind that exhibit structure. Thus, on purpose, I divided it into sections to show the different stages and also how the vestibule plays an important role in breaking/providing a gap between the outer world and the exhibit, which is basically the movement in and around the space and the types of interactions it offers.

What other types of environments are becoming hybrid? Give at least one specific example and note whether or not you think the hybridization of the environment improves the user experience.

Hybrid grocery shopping —

• Grocery shopping post-pandemic has become extremely easy and could be accomplished anywhere. This technology has enabled humans to save time and not engage in ordinary tasks. Hybrid grocery shopping has also proved to be a boon for the market, as it turns out that people tend to shop extensively for groceries from the comfort of their homes. It has made one of the most crucial tasks of today’s world completely remote. In online grocery stores, there are more options and the task could be done from the comfort of the home, however, It does not allow the user to check the quality of the goods they are purchasing, and the system is still prone to failures and too heavily reliant on the use of the internet, rendering people living in rural areas moot.

Parti Diagram Ideation—

Ideation of constructing the parti diagram for the space

Massing out the concentrations of my exhibition

First parti diagram for Cauleen Smith’s exhibition

Ways IoT, new tech, etc. can be incorporated into my design:

• Normal life section: Hologram —

I would incorporate screens that showcase the world as it became during the pandemic, showing empty streets, plazas, or former human hubs of activity. The intention behind that would be to show people how the pandemic carved out a big chunk of day-to-day human lives. The interaction in this section would be arbitrary.

I would have advanced holograms which project people at different busy locations or at different social gatherings so that the viewer would have an immersive experience of what it was like before the pandemic came into our lives and created the new normal.

• Pandemic hit section: AR —

I would provide devices with screens that would allow the visitor to choose their own space, converting an empty room to their desired place. This ideation would happen in the second section of the exhibition completely silent and empty during the peak of the pandemic to make the audience experience the sudden change in the environment. The augmented reality would be triggered using motion sensors with particular guidelines to use it and interact with it.

• Opinions created section: VR —

I would have a set of headphones and VR goggles that will help the users have a conversation with or listen to people who have forgotten what the world was like and have adapted to the new normal. (undecided)

Flooring and Wall ideas:

Physical iterations of building the model and experimenting with the visuals

These are the two flooring options that I considered, one was the dark stone flooring already at the gallery, I thought the dark stone would provide a great contrast to the artworks and interactions. The other option was wooden flooring as I thought it would mildly blend the entire space and the color scheme together. I decided to opt for the wooden flooring as it gave me a better instinct and it felt and looked better with everything blending in gently together.

Feedback:

Notes from the desk critique

Parti diagram —

• The massing of the different modules is not suited to the intended cause. There is more space for wandering around rather than interacting.
• The allotted seat for the gallery attended is located at a rather inconvenient spot, in front of the restroom, which might be uncomfortable for guests.
• There is little to no space between the sections, as the content is overlapping throughout the space. There is no clear intention of what the exhibit is about.

interaction—

• The usage of a hologram in the section meant to depict normal life would not be well suited as holograms are not normal and may appear very futuristic, confusing the viewers about the intention.
• The interaction aspects of the exhibit are overall positive but are too heavily reliant on technology, giving no true sense of the artist of inspiration.
• Is technology led, not very intuitive? The usage of the space is inadequate as these similar functions could be performed in either a very large space or by sitting in one place.
• Food for thought — exploring ideas that are more related and centered around humans and have little interactions which help engage the audience.

Basic electronics prototyping: Little Bits-

Quick prototyping of my first interaction where people interact by stepping o the assigned spots which then displays the COVID timeline in a sequential manner. The room has mirrors on the wall creating an immersive experience for the visitor.

• Interaction with electronics is easy because of the usage of blocks that use magnets to snap together. This also makes using and learning about circuits relatively easy.
• For the dynamic floor section of my exhibit, I intended to use the same technology owing to its intuitiveness.

This technology would work basically via the use of triggered motion sensors, which would then illuminate from left to right revealing real-time Covid data.

Revised parti diagram with a more clear layout and sections (left). Reworked model for the new space structure (right)

Building on the interaction ideas

Desk crit —

• The revised diagram is much more effective in its execution and massing. There is a healthy flow and synergy amongst various sections and all sections are equipped with sufficient room.
• The gallery attendant to has been given a decent place that causes him no disturbance and does not allow anyone to be bothered by him.
• The first view might be a little confusing for the audience as the artist’s artwork is introduced without proper context. The interaction too is somewhat confusing and does not reciprocate the true meaning of the exhibit.
• Everyone coming into the exhibit has already experienced the pandemic and might not want to revisit that, but perhaps they would want to accept what has happened and move on with life. Thus, making this section a bit reflective would be a better interaction.
• Introduction to the artist and the artwork presented, her experiences of covid, and how it all shaped her artwork. Providing much-needed context for the audience.
• The dynamic floor interaction could be a really interesting space, and could possibly show a timeline from left to right.
• The next two sections could perhaps be intuitive and reflective with puzzles, thus a more light form of engaging with the audience.
• The last section is more about people providing reviews and feedback and their opinions on the exhibit in a digital manner, which is again a nice way to increase interaction.
• The exit to the exhibit is a bit too tight which might be claustrophobic.

Commenting on the space. Including professors and peers feedback

Designer role reflection: How is the role of an architect and an environment designer different? Be specific when talking about projects, skillsets, tools, approaches, etc.

Architecture and environmental design are two principles that are often confused with one another, that might be because their respective spectrums more often than not overlap each other. However, there are key differences between these fields and roles. To brief, architecture is more about the art and science which is responsible for our built environment, and environmental design is aimed and equipped for improving the built environment. Architects usually have to make more technical drawings and renderings for which they use software like Rhino, Grasshopper and illustrator, these software are also used by many in the design field, but architects make use of them to make sure that there structures are self standing and provide spaces to be occupied by the intended user; environmental designers often take those technical drawings and determine on how to make the design even more sustainable and how to reduce its ecological impact while not compromising on the intended users facilities. Though these definitions might seem similar to each other, they hold different responsibilities, and it is also a fact that both of these principles work seamlessly only when working in tandem. Environmental designers study a small and focused aspect of what the spectrum of architecture holds within. An environmental designer’s focus is the environment and how it can be improved, on the other hand an architect would think about a wider perspective and take into consideration the client’s needs, the needs of its potential occupants and yes, the environment. Although it is a small part of that process, architects now are engaging more actively with this issue and collaborating more actively with environmental designers as threats of global warming are more real now than ever. The real definition of environmental designers have been conflicted in the past though, as some have claimed that they do not have anything to do with ecology and sustainability, but are only responsible for designing spaces which provide an immersive experience or perhaps an ‘environment’. I personally feel that an architect today won’t be able to function at full capacity until and unless it relies on an environmental designer, because today’s design demands and pleads to be sustainable in order to make the future better. Architects have a different way of approaching things, which I feel is often client centric which in turn makes it a financial centric obligation. However, an environmental designer is hired or works only because he/she wants to help make the design more sustainable and well suited for future generations and the built environment.

New iteration — I switched the 1st and 3rd interactions which would, in my opinion, make more sense, as it provided context about the artist first and then other reflective interactions at a later stage which would make the exhibit more flowing and natural. The flow of the order is better organized with the context provided in the first section, which gave me room to explore more engaging interactions in the later stages.

Specific shots of different sections in the exhibition. Working on the physical model

Conceptual Feedback —

The individual sections are working well, but they are starkly different from each other, I should attempt to make them more cohesive with each other—

• The introductory section about the artist and her work is working well.
• Explain the timeline interaction a bit more for clarity as it could use some context for better comprehension.
• Puzzle interaction makes sense by itself and as a reflective activity, however, as the visitors won’t have time to interact with them, it might also have an effect on their perception of the context. The interaction would work better if it had some sort of relationship with Cauleen Smith’s work.
• Reflection as the last section is making sense as it makes the visitors end the exhibit with an opinion of their own.
• As Cauleen Smith’s work is mentioned only in the initial section, and not once in the other sections, thus the motive seems to be lost in the exhibit.

General feedback —

• All the walls should not have elements as they might appear cluttered and untidy and overwhelming.
• Work on the physical model, and bring all the pieces together.

Changes I made —

Before (left) and After (right), changing the dynamic floor interaction details to make it more clear so that the visitors experience the whole section.

• I explained the timeline experience in more detail and in turn, made it easier to follow by decreasing the number of steps the visitor has to take in order to be on the designated path.

Before (left) and After (right), building up on the idea to make it more relatable to the artist.

• I kept the basic essence of the puzzle interaction, but in order to make more cohesive sense, I related it to Cauleen Smith’s work practice so that it becomes easier for the visitors to understand the process and making of the pandemic diaries.

Before (left) and After (right), adding a more reflective approach and creating a collaborative space.

• After editing my interaction, I also changed and added something to the last section which is to create and work on your own manifestos, which allowed people to plug their opinion into the walls. A physical note-taking apparatus is also added to the walls for the same.

New Parti Diagram —

Final Parti diagram with revised massing and color coding according to the changed exhibit idea

• I changed the color allocation and divided the space into spaces that would be more actively used by the visitors.
• I changed the sections and reshuffled the organization of the space to make more cohesive sense.
• I made a designated path that I would want the visitors to ideally follow.

Initial renderings form the visual captured from the Sketch up model

After finalizing my concept, I worked on my renderings and shortlisted views that would befit my new organization of the space and make people understand the flow and order of my exhibit better. While making the renderings, one particular rendering that proved to be a challenge to illustrate properly was the rendering of the mirror interaction as I was not able to showcase its essence properly. However, I used Adobe Dimensions and gave the walls of the space a realistic reflection to look dreamy just like I intended.

Feedback —

• For the font, take into consideration how long it spans across and what size it is, it should be something a person could read easily.
• Positioning the elements according to a set hierarchy along with the right leveling.
• Avoid making the space covered with singular tones, make it more agile and attractive.
• Move the touch screen elements into one section which might make it more relevant.
• Explain why I chose to have the vestibule as an interaction and not take inspiration from the original piece itself.

Final Deliverables—

Plan and Elevation:

Renderings:

Interactions:

Model:

Self-Reflection Meta-Cognitive Experience:

What motivates you?

Thinking about giving something I designed a real life is what keeps me going. I have invested myself into curating and conceptualizing this space with all its elements, thus, I would definitely want it to see real form and for other people to experience it. The interactions I designed are interesting enough for me to experience, thus, I want others to interact with them too and give their opinions.

What distracts you?

The aspects which I thought would initially work but turn out to hamper my overall exhibit probably distract me, this could be the elements that I added or the interactions, or even the flow of the overall space. If it does not go according to plan, it would frustrate me.

What keeps you engaged?

There are many aspects that would keep me engaged, the overall process is something that I yearn for. I really enjoyed curating this space, and it kept me focused all this while. Other aspects that kept me engaged were learning new 3-dimensional modeling skills through Sketch up and making renderings which helped me visualize the space on a real scale.