Blog3 - Brainstorming

The Experience

This week I completed my Empathy Map and worked on filling out my Personas, along with creating a questionnaire to survey people about acceptance of art installations, as well as geographic location considerations. In the beginning of the week, I completed my DESign301 stand-up presentation, where I shared a significant aspect of my brainstorming process. The focus of my presentation was on the concept of creating an art installation to address noise pollution in Auckland's CBD. The challenge I faced was the abstract of installation art. It doesn't directly engage users, making the concept potentially difficult to empathy. During the presentation, I raised this issue, asking how I could reduce the abstraction of the installation and make it more understandable. Following my presentation, my mentor suggested visiting existing art installations in Auckland for inspiration. I wen to CBD with my classmate Xinquan, visited the Big Backyard event at Wynyard Quarter, as recommended in class. This event was bustling with activities, and I was struck by how it brought the community together. During the event, I encountered the “Sounds of Sea” installation, which, despite its simplicity, effectively engaged people and encouraged interaction.

Reflection in Action

I aimed to develop a strategy to make my art installation more accessible and engaging to the public. I acted on my mentor's advice to observe existing installations, hoping to gain insights into effective methods of audience engagement. I assumed that by studying successful installations, I could find ways to refine my own concept. The installation on Wynyard Quarter provided me with valuable examples of how art can be interactive and community-centered. This experience made me realize the importance of creating an installation that not only conveys a message but also invites public participation. I felt a mix of relief and motivation after seeing the effectiveness of the “Sounds of Sea” installation. Xinquan, who accompanied me, seemed equally inspired, and our discussions during the visit reflected our shared enthusiasm for making our work more impactful.

Theory

From a theoretical perspective, the experience made me rethink the role of public art in urban spaces, especially in terms of how it can promote community engagement and social awareness. One of the key roles of public art is to transform abstract concepts into concrete forms that can be perceived and experienced by the audience through emotional connections." Sounds of the Sea" is an installation that made me realise that simple designs can also convey complex ideas, but the key is interactivity and accessibility. The key is interactivity and accessibility. Artworks should not only convey information, but also make the information vivid and accessible through interaction and participation. I can apply this knowledge to my own project, ensuring that my installation not only raises awareness about noise pollution but also resonates with and involves the community. In general, I’ve learned the importance of observing and learning from existing work to improve my own design processes.

Figure1.0 Auckland Concil's booth promoting seabird and marine mammal conservation at Big Backyard event

Preparation

Looking ahead, I plan to apply these reflections to the design of my project, particularly to enhance the interactivity of the installation. I would like to design an installation that not only raises awareness of noise pollution, but also allows the viewer to understand its effects more visually through interaction. I realised that to achieve this I would need to further research examples of successful interactive designs and possibly test audience engagement through prototype testing. In addition, I considered incorporating some emotional triggers into the design process to enhance the resonance effect of the installation. This is not only to reduce abstraction, but also to allow the audience to really feel the impact of noise pollution on humans and marine life when participating in the interaction.

This reflective process has given me a deep understanding of the potential impact of public art in society, as well as an awareness of the challenges and opportunities faced in my own projects. Through continued exploration and adjustment, I believe I can design an art installation that is both visually striking and thought provoking.