Adjustments Week 8

1) Challenges you encountered when you were making this prototype. 

I couldn't figure out the right amount of white paper to use on the inside of my cube. I tried small bits of all different shapes and sizes. I tried covering an entire wall in white, I tried strips, and backing the glass in white. Nothing really caused the colors to pop the way I wanted them to. I was also disappointed with my "extra-bright" LEDs, which weren't all that bright.

2) Write about issues that you were able to solve and the progress you made.

I think I did a good job of containing all the wires and resistors for the button console (which was clearly a hit). I was shocked that I was able to get it all to work. Electronics are magical to me. I "solved" the issue of the thread being visible, but I think I want to unsolve it. The fishing wire made the disks spin a lot less and restricted their freedom to move, which made the whole scene less enchanting. 

3) Write about your experience on the Exploratorium floor. What did you observe? In what ways did the users' interactions with your piece correspond to your expectations, and in what ways did they not?

It made me just gleeful to see the kids interacting with my piece, even if their interactions were just pushing ALL OF THE BUTTONS, and then bringing their friends back to do the same. I did feel like kids--especially the ones moving a bit slower--"got it." They sat down, played with the lights, looked around a bit, and encouraged their friends to look inside. I didn't feel, though, like there was enough of an interactive hook to slow down the kids that were moving really fast. 

4) Anything interesting you may have noticed regarding the visitors' interactions with any of your classmates' exhibits.

I stood very near Alex's project and it was an absolute delight. Like he mentioned, parents totally sabotaged their kids' discovery. The kids started out very determined to crack the code, but very few of them succeeded before being ushered along by their parents. Many of them gave up on their own after a few failed tries, but many of the things that they tried were hilarious and delightful to watch. I also stood near Nish's cube. Most visitors didn't know to look into the eye piece, which actually surprised me, since I'm forever trying to peer into boxes. Winnie's piece garnered tons of attention from the kids, but very few of them were interested in the light patterns. They were mostly just knocking the buildings over energetically. 

5) Other changes that you think would improve the piece based on your experience on the floor. Changes could be informed by your observation of visitor interaction, seeing your piece in the museum environment, seeing your piece in a certain light condition, on a certain table.

In addition to seeing the piece in action, talking with one of the explainers and another artist from the Exploratorium gave me a lot of good ideas.

Small changes:

1) from fishing wire back to thread

2) from hot glue to less hot glue, with the thread passing through the center of the glass

3) attach the base to the button console 

4) attach the cube to the base

Big changes:

1) make it possible to move the lid in a controlled manner

2) add more LEDs, shining directly at the dichroics

3) replace one of the side walls with white, directly opposite the wall with the additional LEDs

Possibly:

1) make it possible to move the LEDs somehow. Perhaps put them on some kind of hand crank. I'm not sure how possible this would be, but it would be very interactive and it would allow the user to forcibly cause the lights to hit the dichroics.

6) Which of the above changes you would like to make by next Friday

All of the small changes. #3 under big changes. I want to try my "possibly" change, and if it fails, revert to simply adding more stationary LEDs (#2 under big changes). I'll probably leave lid movement until next week, when I have a better sense for how much movement the lights and thread together will create.