Part 1
The first assignment in this five week workshop course was an individual one-day exercise in expression of personal character through the form of a small sound-generating object.

My project was a concept for a passive looking sound-box that fades to the background by removing any explicit functionality in its surface.

Using a warm and honest material like wood, and suggesting changes in orientation as the primary mode of interaction, my proposed object was a white-noise generator. Each of its four long sides represents a different white-noise channel and depending on which side is in contact with the base surface, a different soundtrack plays.

Part 2
The second workshop was a group effort and explored the theme of tactility related to sound.

As a group, we created three sound-boxes with a pair of textured surfaces and an accompanying unique soundtrack for each. Two textured strips (of different material, temperature and moistness) where slipped inside of each box and a music player with a sound loop played from within through headphones.

We set up the three boxes, invited people to experience (feel and listen to) each box, and asked them to draw or write what first came to mind.

Group Partners
Antonio Aguilar (APD), Ruedee Sarawutpaiboon(IxD), Matthias Schmiedbauer(APD)

Part 3
The final and longest assignment was a group project calling for a product or experience concept for use in a music event, that could also be adapted for a different environment.

Our proposal was an installation (named Sound Garden) where artifical trees, housed in a space, attract visitors through light and emit sounds when interacted with.

The suggested interaction is through proximity, where placing a hand close to any part of the tree would play a sound loop. Depending on where that hand is placed, a different loop plays. With multiple people interacting with one tree, a more rich melody or soundtrack forms beneath the canopy of a tree, inviting people to explore the musical possibilities together. Sounds would be directed downward from the branches with directional speakers, constricting the sound aura of one tree to a close radius. Different trees in a space would produce different types of sounds.

Tow full-size models were built along with two different soundtracks (one for each model). We acted the scenario using Wizard of Oz techniques (activating sounds through hidden controls and a bluetooth-capable phone) to illustrate our concept.

Group Partners
Paola Alvarez(APD), Wang Chao(IxD), Matthias Schmiedbauer(APD)