Workshop on Physical computing and Interaction Design at the National Institute of Design, Gandhingar, India
Workshop Outline
Artists and Designers are seemingly intimidated by Scientific or Technological concepts, Even though the realm of Science and Technology is a rich playground and minefield for artistic and design interventions. The workshop will serve as an introduction to these concepts with a focus on electronics and computing. We will use Physical computing environments to bring the computer out of the box that it is currently trapped in and use it as an extension or a medium for creative ideas.
At the end of the workshop you will be expected to design,prototype and build a creative electronic artifact that reacts to your physical presence.
Introduction to Electronic Poetry at the National Institute of Design, Bangalore, India April 2011
Workshop outline
This is a short introductory, “hands on” workshop on physical computing. Physical computing is the art of releasing the computer out of the box that it is currently trapped in and turning it into an expressive and humane artifact. In this introductory workshop, we will look at the history, the tools and some of the techniques used by artists and designers working with physical computing.
During the course of the workshop, we will complete short practical exercises and one large final project as a way of learning some of the tools of the trade. Some of these tools and techniques include basic electronics, micro-controller programming, design iteration and rapid prototyping. We will work not only with open-source hardware and software but also with discarded junk and electronics.
The workshop participants are expected to learn not just the technology and techniques but also engage in some amount of imaginative, thoughtful and critical debates on the contexts of these technologies.
Pre-requisites: Some basic programming would be helpful but not necessary.
The website/wiki for the course is at http://nidphysicalcomputing.wikidot.com/
Outcome and Grading
The students will be judged on 2 projects that they will be expected to finish during the course of the workshop. One of this is a small individual project and the other a group project. The projects will involve the construction of 2 artifacts that demonstrate interactivity in creative, thought provoking forms.
The projects will be judged on the basis of:
Mastery of tools-micro-controller programing, sensors..etc 20%
Use of Materials 20%
Functionality 20%
Aesthetics 20%
Documentation 20%
In addition to this, individual students will be assessed on their ability to work in a group,add to constructive debates in class and ability to document their learning process.