GD177 Cover sheet for submission of work for assessment

Cover sheet for submission of
work for assessment
SCHOOL:
Media & Communications
Program name
Grad Dip Communication Design Program code
GD177
Course/unit name
Design Commerce and Culture Course/unit code
GRAP2081_1410
TAFE National Module Unit
of Competency (UOC) name
TAFE National Module Unit
of Competency (UOC) ID
Assignment no.
3
Due date
30/05/14
Name of lecturer/teacher
Campus
ONLN
Class day/time
ONLN
Tutor/marker’s name
Office use only
School date stamp
Toni Roberts
Toni Roberts
STUDENT/S
Family name
Given name
Student number
(1)
(2)
Jennifer
Honnery
s3441851
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
DECLARATION AND STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
1. I/we hold a copy of this work which can be produced if the original is lost/damaged.
2. This work is my/our original work and no part of it has been copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due
acknowledgement is made.
3. No part of this work has been written for me/us by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/teacher
concerned.
4. I/we have not previously submitted this work for this or any other course/unit.
5. I/we give permission for this work to be reproduced, communicated, compared and archived for the purpose of detecting plagiarism.
6. I/we give permission for a copy of my/our marked work to be retained by the school for review and comparison, including review by external
examiners.
I/we understand that:
7. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is my/our own. It is a form of cheating and is a very serious
academic offence that may lead to exclusion from the University. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and
visual form, including electronic data and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited.
8. Plagiarism includes the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy my/our work.
Student signature/s
I/we declare that I/we have read and understood the declaration and statement of authorship.
(1)
(3)
(2)
Jennifer Honnery
(5)
(4)
(6)
Further information relating to the penalties for plagiarism, which range from a notation on your student file to expulsion from the University, is contained
in Regulation 6.1.1 Student Discipline and the Plagiarism Policy which are available on the Policies and Procedures website at
www.rmit.edu.au/policies.
Copies of this form can be downloaded from the student forms web page at www.rmit.edu.au/students/forms.
Cover sheet for submission of work for assessment
1111 page 1 of 1
Exploring the Web
Assessment 3
Jennifer Honnery - s3441851
RMIT Design, Commerce and Culture (Graph2081)
Due Date: Friday, 30 May 2014
Introduction
In his article ‘Various Notes’, Garry Emery discussed the potential for digital media to become a “means for exploring informational, spatial and experiential
possibilities”. In the 10 years since this piece was written, the World Wide Web has infiltrated nearly every aspect of social life, presenting a virtual world that
exists alongside our physical reality, informing and enhancing day-to-day existence. The Internet of tomorrow will begin to permeate our physical existence
as more devices are connected and computers begin to interpret data and relationships without human input. This presentation seeks to explore the ways
in which Emery’s informational, spatial and experiential possibilities have manifested in today’s online realm, and the methods by which we can continue to
understand, and design for, the complexity of the web into the future.
Method
The accompanying online presentation will explore the informational, spatial and experiential possibilities of the web via two interactive animations. Each
animation provides a visual representation of the ideas being discussed, while interactive ‘hotspots’ will provide text based detail and analysis. Each ‘hotspot’
will cause the user’s cursor to change shape to signify further material.
Box 1 - Google Interface
In 1945, warfare scientist Vannevar Bush wrote a paper calling for a new relationship between mankind and knowledge: “[The human mind] operates by association. With one item in its
grasp, it snaps instantly to the next that is suggested by the association of thoughts, in accordance with some intricate web of trails carried by the cells of the brain… Yet the speed of action,
the intricacy of trails, the detail of mental pictures, is awe-inspiring beyond all else in nature.” (1945).
In 2004, Garry Emery acknowledged the potential digital media possessed in the exploration of informational possibilities. Searching for information online was improving with new technologies deployed by Google, and the concepts of linked data and data relationships were being discussed in theoretical terms. Tim Berners-Lee coined the term ‘Semantic Web’, a network
through which computers intelligently interpreted user requests by forming associations with sets of data, and “a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise and community boundaries” (W3C, 2013).
Today semantic technologies are beginning to power all transactions online, from search tools that analyse keywords in conjunction with time, place, gender and age, to targeted marketing
that examines your browser history to determine interests (Amerland 2013). As shown in the interactive diagram containing this text, browsing the Web is a task that involves non-linear
trains of thoughts, associations and referrals between sets of user-generated content. Not unlike the nodes of the brain, each set of data is connected with every other set, encouraging
exploration and the construction of relationships between seemingly unrelated data. We are standing on the brink of a world of information that operates by association and the potential for
a reality in which computers will generate new content alone, using associations to enhance our lives. Addressing both this complexity and new awareness of the interconnected nature of
information online will be the next challenge for designers of digital interfaces and designs.
Box 2 - Design News
“Complex doesn’t have to be confusing; it can be beautiful and elegant. On the web, complex can be necessary and powerful.” (Collison, 2011). Rejecting the notion of ‘less is more’, Simon
Collison emphasises the necessity to embrace to growing complexity of the web, and to understand the medium behind the message. As the Web transforms to embrace the uniquely human
characteristic of thought by association, do Marshall McLuhan’s ideas of the medium as message, and the medium as an extension of ourselves still hold weight? (2013).
McLuhan used the light bulb to describe the manner by which the medium is the message: while the light bulb itself contains no message, it enables the creation of new spaces – at night
– that allow the generation of new content (2013). In a similar manner the original concept of the hyperlink, and the subsequent development of non-linear narratives certainly suggest the
power of the medium of the Internet. New mediums such as social media have in turn influenced real world interactions, the tools made available by these virtual social spheres, rather than
the content distributed, have enabled the development of new spaces and new content.
In the web of associations, social media has dramatically enhanced the manner by which users find content and explore related information. More so than ever, information is found via a
network of referrals rather than content searches. This concept is utilised in an application developed by Simon Collison: ‘rushmore.fm’. Rushmore connects musicians with fans, and fans
with fans, to encourage the exploration of new music, higher quality music and more interactive content (Rushmore, 2013). The complexity of the web, in these instances, is reduced as each
application – Rushmore, Facebook or You Tube – relies up on pre-web social interactions and technologies.
So far, we have identified new possibilities in the development of information online, as suggested by Emery, and the manner by which they are used today. In the future, however, as more
devices are connected to the Internet, and computers are able to generate content alone by analysing relationships between data and things, new spatial and experiential possibilities will
arise. The Internet will grow away from the screen and further interweave with modern lives. Can we use similar, pre-web situations and technologies to understand this new complexity?
Box 3 - Colour Wheel
Marshall McLuhan described media as an extension of man: “all technologies are extensions of our physical and nervous systems to increase power and speed” (2013, p. 118). Technologies
such social media and online collaboration tools such as Wikipedia, could also be described as extensions of ourselves. Indeed, all metaphors currently used within Web based systems can
be seen as furthering of our own physical and social capabilities. There are several thoughts regarding new metaphors for the new Web, some following McLuhan’s prescription, and others
breaking away from the concept that the web is an extension of ourselves.
The Panopticon has long been used as a potential metaphor for a world where all technology is connected, and thus monitored. Ultimately, “person-to-object, object-to-person and object-to-object communications – the Internet of Things – will open up tremendous opportunities for market expansion and business profitability” (2010, The Internet of Things Council). Such
a situation could eventually result in society in which everyone is unwittingly monitored, as in the Panopticon. Sally Appin, on the other hand, perceives a future based on anoptism, a hidden
architecture, that is user-generated and humanistic in approach (2011). While these metaphors help us consider the overall nature of the new Web, they do little to assist users in comprehending the nature of interaction with information itself.
In an interview with Conor O’Driscoll, Collison remarked on the importance in acknowledging the ‘ebb and flow’ of the web, and the constantly shifting landscape (2010). These descriptions
accurately capture the mood of the Web, the manner by which some websites impact users more than others, and the way no path explored can ever be repeated. As McLuhan suggests that
technology is an extension of ourselves, the new Web may be described as an extension of our environment, existing alongside, within and contributing to our physical world. The ebb and
flow of the web, the concentration of traffic in some places and then others, and the ways in which we navigate through the shifting landscape of information can open up spatial and experiential possibilities not considered online before (Collison, 2010).
Introduction to next animation
The following interactive visualization explores the notion of the Web, now and in the future, as a cityscape, a place with the potential for exploring spatial and experiential possibilities.
There are many parallels that may be drawn between the city and the web, including the impact of local and global culture, pathways and the notion of navigation, community and a sense
of space, and finally, as described by Collison, the ebb and flow of the people, traffic and atmosphere (2010). Understanding these relationships will help inform digital design decisions in the
interconnected, associative Web of the future.
Just as the city can impart clues regarding local cultures and the influence of global culture, so can the Web exist in these two distinct, yet
connected spheres. Global brands, trends and events are clearly evident online via marketing and user discussion, just as chain stores appear
in streets, and branded clothing in windows. On the other hand, a stroll down a city street will reveal nuances unique to the city, the glorious
Christmas windows in Harrods, London, or the heady fumes of tuk-tuks in Bangkok. As identified by Soraj Hongladarom, “instead of erasing local
cultural boundaries, creating a worldwide monolithic culture, the Internet reduplicates the existing cultural boundaries”, allowing local cultures
to grow virtually as well as physically (1998). In his article ‘When enough design is too much’, Emery describes the disorder that arises in cities,
the untidiness that “is aesthetically and psychologically satisfying” (1999). This localized chaos, in tune with local cultures adds character and
enjoyment to the act of weaving paths through the city. Does this sense exist in the online world? The act of browsing online can often lead to
new discoveries, user-generated content that imparts new knowledge, or draw attention to the forgotten, and can evoke a similar response. In
this example, designers must be aware of the ‘disorder’ necessary to balance order, just as we appreciate the unexpected in the city street.
As in the city, navigating the Web can be viewed on a holistic level, and page by page. User interface design ensures that visitors intuitively
understand how to navigate through websites, just as street signs point us in the right direction. While walking through the city, or browsing
online, encounters may be had, planned or unplanned, and, in the age of data organized by association, online browsing will adopt a far more
organic narrative. Collison argues that all design should empower the user, navigation online should seek to neither confuse or dictate, but
enable and support the paths that visitors follow (2010). The spatial experiences to be found online may be virtual and abstract in nature,
however, when comparing with a physical task, such as navigating city streets, can assume quite tangible qualities, and evoke similar feelings of
exploration and freedom.
The noise, bustle and chatter of the café can be likened to the streams of comments that populate social media threads today, but it is the
deeper connections made through groups sharing common interests online that evoke a sense of community and place. In his web application
Rushmore, Collison highlights the importance of meaningful connections between artist and fan, as well as between fans, and building a community around a shared passion (2013). Just as the café creates a place for interaction, chance encounters, and a sense of locality and place,
communities online can encourage interaction with like minded people and a sense of belonging to a unique group or place. While virtual interactions like this may lack the physical cues that make up real-world relationships, they do involve a distinct action: instant access to information
to enrich relationships in virtual communities. There is tremendous focus on human – computer interaction, ensuring interfaces are easy to
learn and work with. What about human – human interaction online? How can digital design contribute to the ways we interact with each other
in the virtual sphere? As suggested by Collison, as designers we have a responsibility to be mindful of sensory experience and human emotion
(2010).
In several articles and interviews, Collison alludes to the ebb and flow of the Web and the importance in building a visual language that responds to this (2010). In the city we witness surges of traffic, crowds of people, and then, occasionally, a quite alley, or a distinctive little shop
tucked away from the world. Each instance adds to the dynamic nature of the cityscape as we weave our way through it, just as each encounter
adds meaning to every search online. Addressing the nuances of the Web, acknowledging context and embracing the ebb and flow are crucial
tasks for digital designers today.
Conclusion
While there are many metaphors used to describe and understand the virtual world that exists today, the city street has allowed an exploration of the experiential and spatial qualities that
the web is beginning to assume. As the Web develops into a set of data built on relationships and associations, the ways we interact with information and each other will change, and adopt
characteristics that closely resemble physical life. The way designers react to these changes will determine the way we experience information in the future. The construction of a visual
language, both unique to the digital realm and drawing from experiences in the physical world will allow designers to amplify the experience of browsing online. The visitor of the future will
navigate the unique pathways of the online world, and exist in a parallel virtual space as real as the physical one we live in today.
References
Amerland, D 2013, ‘How the Semantic Web Changes Everything, Again!’, Forbes, 23 July, viewed 24 May, 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/07/10/unlock-value-from-big-data/
Appin, S 2011, ‘Panopticon as a metaphor of the Internet of Things’, The Internet of Things Council, viewed online 22 May, 2014, http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/content/entry-nr-1-panopticon-metaphor-internet-things-contest-sally-applin
Bush, V 1945, ‘As We May Think’, The Atlantic Monthly, viewed online 23 May 2014, http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/
Collison, S 2011, “Taming Complexity” 24 Ways, viewed 23 May 2014, http://24ways.org/2011/taming-complexity/
Collison, S 2010, “The Articulate Web Designer of Tomorrow” 24 Ways, viewed 23 May 2014, http://24ways.org/2010/the-articulate-web-designer-of-tomorrow/
Emery, G 2004, ‘Various Notes’ viewed online 6 May 2014, < http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/mastersofdesign/sites/emedia.rmit.edu.au.mastersofdesign/files/GRAP2081/Various_notes.pdf
Emery, G 1999, ‘When enough design is too much’, viewed online 4 May 2014, http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/mastersofdesign/sites/emedia.rmit.edu.au.mastersofdesign/files/GRAP2081/When_enuf_des_too_
much.pdf
Hongladarom, S 1998, ‘Global Culture, Local Cultures and the Internet’, in C Ess and F Sudweeks (eds), Proceedings Cultural Attitudes TowardsCommunication and Technology ’98, University of Sydney, Australia,
231-245, viewed online 23 May 2014, http://sammelpunkt.philo.at:8080/2117/1/19_hongladarom.pdf.
McLuhan, M 2013, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, Ginko Press, viewed online 22 May 2014, http://reader.eblib.com.au.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/
‘One Minute With’, 2010, ‘One Minute with Simon Collison’, One Minute With, viewed online 22 May 2014, http://oneminutewith.com/simon-collison.
Rushmore, 2013 Rushmore.fm, viewed online 22 May 2014, https://rushmore.fm/purpose.
The Internet of Things Council, 2010, ‘Panopticon as a metaphor of the Internet of Things – why not? But if it were the opposite?’, The Internet of Things Council, viewed online 22 May, 2014, http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/content/new-years-contest-panopticon-metaphor-internet-things-%E2%80%93-why-not-if-it-were-opposite
W3C, 2013, ‘W3C Semantic Web Activity’, W3C, viewed 24 May, 2014, http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/
Images
Google Search
https://www.google.com.au/
Australian In Front News Interface
http://australianinfront.com.au/
Kuler Colour Wheel
https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/
Street Scene - Google Maps https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Queensland+Academy+for+Creative+Industries/@-27.452856,153.014283,17z