MA UX Blogs - Present

UX of Present Week 1

be careful what you wish for

UX Studio Practices

Speculative Design

Team, research methods & Duration

Diya, Priyanka, Sakshi, Shivangi, Sian, Stav

Data Physicalization & Speed Dating

18th Oct - 24th Oct

THE brief

Design an implement for modifying the present.

We explored the 'present' and its meaning. Theories like Presentism and Eternalism define its role in time. Society commodifies time, especially in the digital age. The "now" is slightly delayed as the brain processes events (Gell, 2020).

The present is not a singular, static point in time but a dynamic intersection of actions and processes.

It is constantly being negotiated as users interact with the environment (Tschumi, 1994).

Movies like About Time explore reshaping the present, while Interstellar views time as a dimension. Shows like Brave New World reveal how simulations alter the present. Dark matter explores choices splitting timelines.

The present is not a singular, static point in time but a dynamic intersection of actions and processes.

It is constantly being negotiated as users interact with the environment (Tschumi, 1994).

Insights from Initial Brainstorming & Research

Research & More brainstorming

We conducted affinity mapping to organize insights into themes and combined some to explore new directions. Combining themes encouraged new ideas and showed areas we had missed.

Some Interesting Themes

Ideation through theme combinations

One key idea we pursued was ‘multiple timelines + time/space travel. From pop culture and movie analysis, we found reality shifts happen in two ways: through consciousness travel or physical changes.

Two Ways of Shifting Realities

We also analyzed protagonists’ emotions during these shifts to understand the aftermath and motivations for such changes. We questioned the present in the movie/show, tools used for modification, effects of the change, consequences, and the end goal versus the result.

Questions about a protagonist's journey - Movie Analysis

Movie Analysis - Examples

However, we didn't use this data as the findings were not very clear. We weren't sure of how to analyse it in a way that provided new insights.

Primary Research

We aimed to physicalize people’s desire to change their reality. To gather primary data, we conducted a quick research activity near the university canteen. In the first round, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The second round focused on detailed qualitative data, ensuring better analysis.

2 Rounds of Research Activity - Flowchart & Differences

Findings of Round 1

Findings of Round 2

We brainstormed several data physicalization ideas based on our findings, but none addressed a deeper problem beyond simply representing the data.

Data Physicalization Ideas

Feedback & My Thoughts

We explored many directions early on but didn’t delve deeply into any.

By the end of this week, we had no meaningful progress to present.

Everyone had vastly different opinions and tastes, making it hard to reach a unanimous decision.

Next steps

Reflect on what prevented us from making decisions.

Identify where the design opportunity lies.

Finalize one direction based on data that can be effectively physicalized.

Analyze the data thoroughly once it has been physicalized to derive meaningful insights.

References

Gell, A. (2020) The Anthropology of Time: Cultural Constructions of Temporal Maps and Images. London: Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003135180.
Tschumi, B. (1994) The Manhattan Transcripts. New edition. London: John Wiley & Sons.

Gell, A. (2020) The Anthropology of Time: Cultural Constructions of Temporal Maps and Images. London: Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003135180.
Tschumi, B. (1994) The Manhattan Transcripts. New edition. London: John Wiley & Sons.

media References

About Time (2013) Directed by R. Curtis. [Film] Universal Pictures.
Altered Carbon (2018-2020) Created by L. Shankar. [TV Show] Netflix.
Avatar (2009) Directed by J. Cameron. [Film] 20th Century Fox.
Brave New World (2020) Created by D. Goyer. [TV Show] Universal Television.
Dark Matter (2022-) Created by J. Mallozzi & P. Mullie. TV Show. Apple TV+.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Directed by D. Kwan & D. Scheinert. [Film] A24.
Interstellar (2014) Directed by C. Nolan. [Film] Paramount Pictures.
Loki (2021-) Created by M. Waldron. [TV Show] Disney+.
The Truman Show (1998) Directed by P. Weir. [Film] Paramount Pictures.

About Time (2013) Directed by R. Curtis. [Film] Universal Pictures.
Altered Carbon (2018-2020) Created by L. Shankar. [TV Show] Netflix.
Avatar (2009) Directed by J. Cameron. [Film] 20th Century Fox.
Brave New World (2020) Created by D. Goyer. [TV Show] Universal Television.
Dark Matter (2022-) Created by J. Mallozzi & P. Mullie. TV Show. Apple TV+.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Directed by D. Kwan & D. Scheinert. [Film] A24.
Interstellar (2014) Directed by C. Nolan. [Film] Paramount Pictures.
Loki (2021-) Created by M. Waldron. [TV Show] Disney+.
The Truman Show (1998) Directed by P. Weir. [Film] Paramount Pictures.