Digital technologies have become our privileged method of interacting with information. With thei... more Digital technologies have become our privileged method of interacting with information. With their ubiquity, and focus on personalisation, optimisation and functionality, chance and accidental interactions in the Digital Medium are being replaced with filtered, predictable and known ones, limiting the scope of possible user experiences. In order to promote the design of richer experiences that go beyond the functionally-driven paradigm, we propose that digital systems be designed in order to favour serendipity. Through a literature-based analysis of serendipity, we explore the distinct meanings of value that are possible with serendipitous systems, offering examples of the current state of the art, observing the methods used to do so, and proposing a possible typology, while highlighting unexplored fields, experiences and interactions.
Procedural systems allow unique modes of authorship and singular aesthetic experiences. As creato... more Procedural systems allow unique modes of authorship and singular aesthetic experiences. As creators and users of these systems, we need to be aware that their aesthetic potential is not solely defined by interaction but that interpretation, and the capacity to understand and simulate the processes taking place within these artefacts is highly significant. This paper argues that although direct interaction is usually the most discernible component in the relationship between ergodic artefacts and their users, ergodicity does not necessarily imply interaction. Non-interactive procedural artefacts may allow the development of ergodic experiences through interpretation, and the probing of the system by its reader through simulations. We try to set the grounds for designing towards virtuosic interpretation, an activity that we may describe as the ergodic experience developed by means of mental simulation through the development of theories of systems.
Procedural media allows for unprecedented modes of authorship and for the development of new aest... more Procedural media allows for unprecedented modes of authorship and for the development of new aesthetic experiences. As artists and communicators, but also as readers and users of these systems, we should be aware that their aesthetic potential is not simply defined by direct interaction. Although direct interaction is one of the most perceivable components in the relationship between ergodic media or artefacts and their readers, one should not forget that the reader’s interpretation and capacity to apprehend and simulate the processes developed within these artefacts is continuous, ever present and significant. In this context, this paper argues that not only ergodicity does not necessarily imply direct interaction, but also that non-interactive procedural artefacts are able to allow the development of ergodic experiences, not through direct interactions but rather through simulated interactions, by understanding procedural activities and developing mental analogues of those processes. We aim at raising this awareness, setting up the grounds for designing for what we call virtuosic interpretation, an activity that can be described as the ergodic experience developed by means of mental simulations.
This paper proposes an analytical model for computational aesthetic artifacts based on ... more This paper proposes an analytical model for computational aesthetic artifacts based on Espen Aarseth's work. It reflects procedural affinities that may not be found when focusing on surface structures and aesthetic analyses developed from them. The model attests to the importance of computational characteristics and of procedurality, both as conceptual groundings and as aesthetic focuses, as aesthetics pleasures in themselves.
M.M.M.M. is a generative sound and visual installation developed as a temporary exhibit for the P... more M.M.M.M. is a generative sound and visual installation developed as a temporary exhibit for the Puppet Museum of Porto. It leans on the history of the museum and of the company that created it, the Puppet Theater of Porto, and develops a distributed sound composition with generative characteristics, built from sound recordings created through the manipulation of puppets and scenic objects from the archives of the company.
Digital technologies are capable of simulating traditional media and to give rise to new media fo... more Digital technologies are capable of simulating traditional media and to give rise to new media forms that often closely resemble the experience of somatic technologies. Their interactive capabilities are partially responsible for this, but procedural authorship and poïesis are supported by process intensity and generative potential. Designers, the systems and their human operators have very different and maybe irreconcilable points of view, which profoundly affect their experiences during the dialogical construction of the works and of their effusions. From its particular point of view during the traversal, the operator develops a hermeneutic experience during which models and simulations of the system are built. The operator’s actions within the system greatly contribute to this development, but it is their capacity to create theories of the system that is paramount to the success of this effort. The analysis and critique of these digital artifacts, indeed the procedural pleasures attainable through these systems, are indissociable from their procedural understanding. Although traditional aesthetic studies of surface structures or outputs are still possible, once we regard behaviors and computational processes as an integral part of the system’s content, it becomes essential to understand how the operator relates to these beyond a strictly mechanical relation. This paper discusses how models and simulations allow the operator to anticipate the behaviors, reactions and configurations of the systems. How they are continuously revised, confirmed or falsified throughout the traversal, and how this process results in a dialectical tension that is the basis for the development of narratives and of dramatic experiences with these, otherwise highly abstract, systems.
With the production of artifacts with biological systems with generative potential, where nature’... more With the production of artifacts with biological systems with generative potential, where nature’s randomness and physiological processes have an important role in the definition of form, we understand that artifacts do not only need to attend to the needs and desires of their users, but also have the capacity to foster emotional connections that arise from their nurturing and from an understanding of their morphogenesis, from the proximity and time required for their growth and development. These artifacts will only develop into final products if the system is understood and nourished by their users. Their end results are singular and unique, with aesthetic qualities that arise from the understanding of the artifacts’ growth constraints and the bonds that are created with them. The traditional quality canons of mass produced goods are challenged, as the resulting artifacts will not get final shapes that are both polished and free of imperfections, but that are inconstant, gnarly and sinuous. Other aspects, such as production time and the dedication that the systems require from their user are motive to question the connections that will arise between users and these artifacts. We intend to contribute to the discussion about new production models that may be alternatives to mass production in specific uses. With these systems we seek to catalyze greater empathy between objects and their users, to understand which aesthetic qualities emerge and how their specific characteristics are interpreted. Geometrically simple experimental models with ants, bees and mycelia (the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments), have been developed to better understand the conjectural elements of these systems. In these, the matrices and the system are designed but the final results are reliant on the choices of those who manipulate them and by the variables of the biological actuators. We intend to make our findings available, allowing others to replicate our experiments in order to obtain a broader understanding of reactions on the interaction with the systems and the perceived quality of the final artifacts. To better understand how individuals respond to this type of objects, we are developing small series of artifacts, made with mycelia, in an embryonic stage. These will be distributed to users that will be asked to nurture them into final objects; in this process each user will be asked to nurture his artifact into a final object, where all options will be of their choice, from the sunlight exposure to the interruption of growth. Each user will be asked to register the daily evolution of their artifact and to describe their feelings towards it.
The worldwide phenomenon of the disappearance of bees with the consequential imbalance of ecosyst... more The worldwide phenomenon of the disappearance of bees with the consequential imbalance of ecosystems is a problem that needs to be addressed in order to guarantee a sustainable future. Beekeeping is an activity, generally associated to agriculture, that allows small farmers to generate more food and income, this reality has had a shift in recent years with the number of small beekeepers decreasing, and big corporations gaining control over the industry. Regulations and the Colony Collapse Disorder, among other factors, may have a major role in these phenomena. With the intent to contribute to a more sustainable beekeeping practice in a local context, this research is being conducted to better understand this reality, looking for design driven opportunities. The challenge is to gain a deeper understanding of the beekeepers, a practice that is understudied by designers, particularly considering in-depth research methods. This
Apresentação e programa da Conferência Anual Acesso Cultura 2017, dedicada ao tema "Acesso Aberto... more Apresentação e programa da Conferência Anual Acesso Cultura 2017, dedicada ao tema "Acesso Aberto / Open Access" no sector cultural
Digital technologies have become our privileged method of interacting with information. With thei... more Digital technologies have become our privileged method of interacting with information. With their ubiquity, and focus on personalisation, optimisation and functionality, chance and accidental interactions in the Digital Medium are being replaced with filtered, predictable and known ones, limiting the scope of possible user experiences. In order to promote the design of richer experiences that go beyond the functionally-driven paradigm, we propose that digital systems be designed in order to favour serendipity. Through a literature-based analysis of serendipity, we explore the distinct meanings of value that are possible with serendipitous systems, offering examples of the current state of the art, observing the methods used to do so, and proposing a possible typology, while highlighting unexplored fields, experiences and interactions.
Procedural systems allow unique modes of authorship and singular aesthetic experiences. As creato... more Procedural systems allow unique modes of authorship and singular aesthetic experiences. As creators and users of these systems, we need to be aware that their aesthetic potential is not solely defined by interaction but that interpretation, and the capacity to understand and simulate the processes taking place within these artefacts is highly significant. This paper argues that although direct interaction is usually the most discernible component in the relationship between ergodic artefacts and their users, ergodicity does not necessarily imply interaction. Non-interactive procedural artefacts may allow the development of ergodic experiences through interpretation, and the probing of the system by its reader through simulations. We try to set the grounds for designing towards virtuosic interpretation, an activity that we may describe as the ergodic experience developed by means of mental simulation through the development of theories of systems.
Procedural media allows for unprecedented modes of authorship and for the development of new aest... more Procedural media allows for unprecedented modes of authorship and for the development of new aesthetic experiences. As artists and communicators, but also as readers and users of these systems, we should be aware that their aesthetic potential is not simply defined by direct interaction. Although direct interaction is one of the most perceivable components in the relationship between ergodic media or artefacts and their readers, one should not forget that the reader’s interpretation and capacity to apprehend and simulate the processes developed within these artefacts is continuous, ever present and significant. In this context, this paper argues that not only ergodicity does not necessarily imply direct interaction, but also that non-interactive procedural artefacts are able to allow the development of ergodic experiences, not through direct interactions but rather through simulated interactions, by understanding procedural activities and developing mental analogues of those processes. We aim at raising this awareness, setting up the grounds for designing for what we call virtuosic interpretation, an activity that can be described as the ergodic experience developed by means of mental simulations.
This paper proposes an analytical model for computational aesthetic artifacts based on ... more This paper proposes an analytical model for computational aesthetic artifacts based on Espen Aarseth's work. It reflects procedural affinities that may not be found when focusing on surface structures and aesthetic analyses developed from them. The model attests to the importance of computational characteristics and of procedurality, both as conceptual groundings and as aesthetic focuses, as aesthetics pleasures in themselves.
M.M.M.M. is a generative sound and visual installation developed as a temporary exhibit for the P... more M.M.M.M. is a generative sound and visual installation developed as a temporary exhibit for the Puppet Museum of Porto. It leans on the history of the museum and of the company that created it, the Puppet Theater of Porto, and develops a distributed sound composition with generative characteristics, built from sound recordings created through the manipulation of puppets and scenic objects from the archives of the company.
Digital technologies are capable of simulating traditional media and to give rise to new media fo... more Digital technologies are capable of simulating traditional media and to give rise to new media forms that often closely resemble the experience of somatic technologies. Their interactive capabilities are partially responsible for this, but procedural authorship and poïesis are supported by process intensity and generative potential. Designers, the systems and their human operators have very different and maybe irreconcilable points of view, which profoundly affect their experiences during the dialogical construction of the works and of their effusions. From its particular point of view during the traversal, the operator develops a hermeneutic experience during which models and simulations of the system are built. The operator’s actions within the system greatly contribute to this development, but it is their capacity to create theories of the system that is paramount to the success of this effort. The analysis and critique of these digital artifacts, indeed the procedural pleasures attainable through these systems, are indissociable from their procedural understanding. Although traditional aesthetic studies of surface structures or outputs are still possible, once we regard behaviors and computational processes as an integral part of the system’s content, it becomes essential to understand how the operator relates to these beyond a strictly mechanical relation. This paper discusses how models and simulations allow the operator to anticipate the behaviors, reactions and configurations of the systems. How they are continuously revised, confirmed or falsified throughout the traversal, and how this process results in a dialectical tension that is the basis for the development of narratives and of dramatic experiences with these, otherwise highly abstract, systems.
With the production of artifacts with biological systems with generative potential, where nature’... more With the production of artifacts with biological systems with generative potential, where nature’s randomness and physiological processes have an important role in the definition of form, we understand that artifacts do not only need to attend to the needs and desires of their users, but also have the capacity to foster emotional connections that arise from their nurturing and from an understanding of their morphogenesis, from the proximity and time required for their growth and development. These artifacts will only develop into final products if the system is understood and nourished by their users. Their end results are singular and unique, with aesthetic qualities that arise from the understanding of the artifacts’ growth constraints and the bonds that are created with them. The traditional quality canons of mass produced goods are challenged, as the resulting artifacts will not get final shapes that are both polished and free of imperfections, but that are inconstant, gnarly and sinuous. Other aspects, such as production time and the dedication that the systems require from their user are motive to question the connections that will arise between users and these artifacts. We intend to contribute to the discussion about new production models that may be alternatives to mass production in specific uses. With these systems we seek to catalyze greater empathy between objects and their users, to understand which aesthetic qualities emerge and how their specific characteristics are interpreted. Geometrically simple experimental models with ants, bees and mycelia (the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments), have been developed to better understand the conjectural elements of these systems. In these, the matrices and the system are designed but the final results are reliant on the choices of those who manipulate them and by the variables of the biological actuators. We intend to make our findings available, allowing others to replicate our experiments in order to obtain a broader understanding of reactions on the interaction with the systems and the perceived quality of the final artifacts. To better understand how individuals respond to this type of objects, we are developing small series of artifacts, made with mycelia, in an embryonic stage. These will be distributed to users that will be asked to nurture them into final objects; in this process each user will be asked to nurture his artifact into a final object, where all options will be of their choice, from the sunlight exposure to the interruption of growth. Each user will be asked to register the daily evolution of their artifact and to describe their feelings towards it.
The worldwide phenomenon of the disappearance of bees with the consequential imbalance of ecosyst... more The worldwide phenomenon of the disappearance of bees with the consequential imbalance of ecosystems is a problem that needs to be addressed in order to guarantee a sustainable future. Beekeeping is an activity, generally associated to agriculture, that allows small farmers to generate more food and income, this reality has had a shift in recent years with the number of small beekeepers decreasing, and big corporations gaining control over the industry. Regulations and the Colony Collapse Disorder, among other factors, may have a major role in these phenomena. With the intent to contribute to a more sustainable beekeeping practice in a local context, this research is being conducted to better understand this reality, looking for design driven opportunities. The challenge is to gain a deeper understanding of the beekeepers, a practice that is understudied by designers, particularly considering in-depth research methods. This
Apresentação e programa da Conferência Anual Acesso Cultura 2017, dedicada ao tema "Acesso Aberto... more Apresentação e programa da Conferência Anual Acesso Cultura 2017, dedicada ao tema "Acesso Aberto / Open Access" no sector cultural
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Designers, the systems and their human operators have very different and maybe irreconcilable points of view, which profoundly affect their experiences during the dialogical construction of the works and of their effusions. From its particular point of view during the traversal, the operator develops a hermeneutic experience during which models and simulations of the system are built. The operator’s actions within the system greatly contribute to this development, but it is their capacity to create theories of the system that is paramount to the success of this effort.
The analysis and critique of these digital artifacts, indeed the procedural pleasures attainable through these systems, are indissociable from their procedural understanding. Although traditional aesthetic studies of surface structures or outputs are still possible, once we regard behaviors and computational processes as an integral part of the system’s content, it becomes essential to understand how the operator relates to these beyond a strictly mechanical relation.
This paper discusses how models and simulations allow the operator to anticipate the behaviors, reactions and configurations of the systems. How they are continuously revised, confirmed or falsified throughout the traversal, and how this process results in a dialectical tension that is the basis for the development of narratives and of dramatic experiences with these, otherwise highly abstract, systems.
randomness and physiological processes have an important role in the definition of form, we understand that
artifacts do not only need to attend to the needs and desires of their users, but also have the capacity to foster
emotional connections that arise from their nurturing and from an understanding of their morphogenesis,
from the proximity and time required for their growth and development.
These artifacts will only develop into final products if the system is understood and nourished by
their users. Their end results are singular and unique, with aesthetic qualities that arise from the understanding
of the artifacts’ growth constraints and the bonds that are created with them. The traditional quality canons
of mass produced goods are challenged, as the resulting artifacts will not get final shapes that are both
polished and free of imperfections, but that are inconstant, gnarly and sinuous. Other aspects, such as
production time and the dedication that the systems require from their user are motive to question the
connections that will arise between users and these artifacts.
We intend to contribute to the discussion about new production models that may be alternatives to
mass production in specific uses. With these systems we seek to catalyze greater empathy between objects
and their users, to understand which aesthetic qualities emerge and how their specific characteristics are
interpreted.
Geometrically simple experimental models with ants, bees and mycelia (the vegetative part of a
fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments), have been developed to better understand the
conjectural elements of these systems. In these, the matrices and the system are designed but the final results
are reliant on the choices of those who manipulate them and by the variables of the biological actuators. We
intend to make our findings available, allowing others to replicate our experiments in order to obtain a
broader understanding of reactions on the interaction with the systems and the perceived quality of the final
artifacts.
To better understand how individuals respond to this type of objects, we are developing small series of
artifacts, made with mycelia, in an embryonic stage. These will be distributed to users that will be asked to
nurture them into final objects; in this process each user will be asked to nurture his artifact into a final object,
where all options will be of their choice, from the sunlight exposure to the interruption of growth. Each user
will be asked to register the daily evolution of their artifact and to describe their feelings towards it.
Designers, the systems and their human operators have very different and maybe irreconcilable points of view, which profoundly affect their experiences during the dialogical construction of the works and of their effusions. From its particular point of view during the traversal, the operator develops a hermeneutic experience during which models and simulations of the system are built. The operator’s actions within the system greatly contribute to this development, but it is their capacity to create theories of the system that is paramount to the success of this effort.
The analysis and critique of these digital artifacts, indeed the procedural pleasures attainable through these systems, are indissociable from their procedural understanding. Although traditional aesthetic studies of surface structures or outputs are still possible, once we regard behaviors and computational processes as an integral part of the system’s content, it becomes essential to understand how the operator relates to these beyond a strictly mechanical relation.
This paper discusses how models and simulations allow the operator to anticipate the behaviors, reactions and configurations of the systems. How they are continuously revised, confirmed or falsified throughout the traversal, and how this process results in a dialectical tension that is the basis for the development of narratives and of dramatic experiences with these, otherwise highly abstract, systems.
randomness and physiological processes have an important role in the definition of form, we understand that
artifacts do not only need to attend to the needs and desires of their users, but also have the capacity to foster
emotional connections that arise from their nurturing and from an understanding of their morphogenesis,
from the proximity and time required for their growth and development.
These artifacts will only develop into final products if the system is understood and nourished by
their users. Their end results are singular and unique, with aesthetic qualities that arise from the understanding
of the artifacts’ growth constraints and the bonds that are created with them. The traditional quality canons
of mass produced goods are challenged, as the resulting artifacts will not get final shapes that are both
polished and free of imperfections, but that are inconstant, gnarly and sinuous. Other aspects, such as
production time and the dedication that the systems require from their user are motive to question the
connections that will arise between users and these artifacts.
We intend to contribute to the discussion about new production models that may be alternatives to
mass production in specific uses. With these systems we seek to catalyze greater empathy between objects
and their users, to understand which aesthetic qualities emerge and how their specific characteristics are
interpreted.
Geometrically simple experimental models with ants, bees and mycelia (the vegetative part of a
fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments), have been developed to better understand the
conjectural elements of these systems. In these, the matrices and the system are designed but the final results
are reliant on the choices of those who manipulate them and by the variables of the biological actuators. We
intend to make our findings available, allowing others to replicate our experiments in order to obtain a
broader understanding of reactions on the interaction with the systems and the perceived quality of the final
artifacts.
To better understand how individuals respond to this type of objects, we are developing small series of
artifacts, made with mycelia, in an embryonic stage. These will be distributed to users that will be asked to
nurture them into final objects; in this process each user will be asked to nurture his artifact into a final object,
where all options will be of their choice, from the sunlight exposure to the interruption of growth. Each user
will be asked to register the daily evolution of their artifact and to describe their feelings towards it.