In the Field

Field is a Hackney-based digital design studio. It is known for a range of works and exhibitions, including the Creators Project-commissioned visualisation app Energy Flow; a data-driven sculpture, Two words for tomorrow, for GE; and the Hyperfeel video work for Nike. We caught up with co-founders Marcus Wendt and Vera-Maria Glahn to find out what the studio is up to in 2014.

Hello, Field. What are you up to at the moment?

We kicked off the year with some of our most ambitious projects so far: A highly dynamic and data-driven identity project for a global brand that will “live” across a huge range of media from mobile and web, to installations and physical devices. And a series of commissioned generative artworks for a large scale installation, to inspire and capture the spirit of a research centre.

Additionally, there are always a number of creative side-projects going on — blending augmented reality and consumer products; reactive lighting and fashion, and our next foray into audio-visual narrative performance.

You work extensively with algorithms and generative functions. How do you manage a co-existence of randomness on one side and narrative on the other?

Algorithms, randomness and generative strategies are more of a toolset than a philosophy for us; we’re placing them very carefully within a narrative structure, or a design pipeline. In the end, human beings and the whole world around us is dynamic, unpredictable to a certain extent — so generative strategies are just bringing visual communication closer to how life already is.

Given the generative nature of many Field projects, how much planning and (particularly) artistic work is involved?

We try to keep a good balance of planning and instinct and think that’s very important for our output… from a spark idea that might be driven by sheer curiosity into a technique or a certain emotional gesture, to a production plan, to allowing ourselves to make the final calls purely by artistic gut feeling.

Energy Flow

How does data influence your thinking and work?

We’re most interested in how humans think, feel, and act. Data can be a representation of that.

Do you see your work as “digital art”? Is there such a thing as “digital art” anyway?

These categories are best defined from an outside perspective. We’re most interested in expressing certain ideas, creating experiences that work as communication tools with a wide audience, and we use our contemporary media to do this.

How does working with larger brands change your thinking? Do such projects limit what you intend or indeed want to do?

Commissions for big brands can do both — sometimes it can be an extremely interesting challenge to think through the complexities and find the right tone of voice for a branded project. Also the scale and reach of a collaboration with a global brand can be exciting in dynamic identity and installation projects. But, of course, you wont find space to express your most daring and personal ideas within this setting, that’s why we like to develop these ideas in side-projects, and gradually feed the learnings into commissioned work over time.

Complex adaptive systems are often seen as being “on the edge of chaos” (particularly when related to complexity theory). How do you ensure that, particularly with client projects, your algorithmic and generative works remain within a given set of boundaries — or do they invite completely free range or free thinking?

Sometimes we leave a lot of room for chaotic processes, and other times steer to a clearly defined design objective.

We’re lucky to have worked with clients who really embraced the potential of generative design, who were willing to invest their own reputation — and who were in the end extremely proud of the results, and about facilitating progressive work.

How much of your work is governed or informed by experimentation, both in form and in function?

We always aim to work from a very defined conceptual basis — due to multiple projects running in parallel, short timelines, requirements of the design process, communicating with clients etc. — however once a project is kicked off we usually invest a significant amount of time into researching new technologies, aesthetics, which often leads to surprising turns and new views.

Your work for GE was nominated for a transmedia campaign. Do you see your work as “transmedia”?

Designing with algorithms means basically to design with ideas and recipes. Because they are abstract its also super interesting to see how these ideas manifest themselves in different media. How an idea originally conceived for animation can become a sculpture frozen in time.

So, “transmedia” work that looks at this from an early start has become more and more important in our projects.

How important are collaborations for you, and what is the essence of a good collaborative relationship?

We always collaborate. You couldn’t run a studio of our scale just with a few core people — so it’s essential. There is no perfect recipe for a collaboration but sharing similar interests beyond the work at hand and mutual respect are a good basis.

Rule of thumb: if you’d be happy to spend an evening together in the pub each week — you’d be good collaborators (not to say that pubs make the most effective collaborations!)

Further information on Field is available at their website and Twitter.
Field will be appearing at Alpha-Ville Exchange, taking place at Rich Mix, London on 17/01/14. For further information and to book, visit the event website.