Reflections from the Text Wall project

Mia’s Reflection
I worked in the table group this term, and through the process of our number of iterations and meetings, I uncovered a couple epiphanies in the greater sense. I think when we’re caught up in the details of specific study, we can miss that larger-scale stuff. One good one I found is always hire a programmer.

This could come off as a glib comment, but in honesty, I discovered that we were able to focus on developing the concept and deliberate aesthetic of the project instead of being overly-frustrated by the technology. This is invaluable to know since it’s relevant to other projects in a variety of fields.

I also learned that your first instinct in selecting a research direction usually turns out being the strongest idea. A couple of my classmates discovered that multiple people had actually come up with the text wall concept at the end of last term. The fact that we developed and actually had quite a successful outcome proves that your first instinct needs conviction and stamina to be carried through, because it’s not worth missing those opportunities of discovery.

For my own study for next term, I’m really interested in examining how media could be a negative and uncomfortable experience for people. I think it’s great how design and technology are used to improve society’s well-being, but it interests me more to examine it from the other end of the spectrum. How could we design streaming media to really provoke people, outside of conventional technology issues? That’s something I don’t get to read about or experience often.