figurative sense explores user experience at budapest design week 2014

figurative sense explores user experience at budapest design week 2014
photo © attila nemes

this day and age can be classified as a time where user experience and interactions have grown tremendously with the advancements made in technology. when we wake-up in the morning, most of us immediately check our phones for notifications. then, we may listen to our iPods on our daily commute, and once we arrive at work, we flip on the screens of our computers. the field has vastly changed our everyday behaviour and with this, has also shaped our spatial and tangible environments; in many cases preceding or even crowding out traditional design principles. function no longer necessarily needs to have a direct relation to form, as so many services and products exist only in the virtual realm. 

‘distributed projection structure’ by aether architecture
photo © attila nemes

at budapest design week 2014, attila nemes of kitchen budapest has curated ‘figurative sense’ to express how new modes of thinking in design and technology have driven user interaction and experience. it is an approach that does not expect one adapt to an object with physical properties and functions, but instead, relies on them as a partner, involving them in the development of its use and purpose, whereby the user’s needs are in the focus. with a number of installations, the show attempts to present the process illustrating the transformation of design thinking that is manifest in turning a concept into a product, and technology’s eminent role in this. 

the pixels showing shades of pink
image © designboom 

nemes explains that the exhibition begins with a sense of irony. upon entering the gallery, guests are presented with aether architecture‘s ‘distributed projection structure’, where the term ‘digital’ can be used lightly. 300 pixels floating within the space appear to be individual screens that are continuously morphing into various colors.contrary to this assumption, the effect is produced by a projector concealed within a cube that creates the imagery according to a pre-defined algorithm determined by ultrasound sensors that detect the movements of people in the near vicinity. the construction consists of 5-by-5-centimeter plastic squares polished on one side. these elements are fixed to steel plates in the floor using 3-millimeter rods. 

understanding and using consumer experience leads to increasingly successful solutions, as the industries that easily accommodate simple changes can be innovated or forced to adapt. the ‘sold‘ team has done exactly this in the online second-hand market. in the 2000s, the consumer period related to certain articles was shortened – in the retail sector of electronic goods, for example, a product cycle of 16 to 18 months has become customary. today, we buy a new phone and sell the old one once in the same amount of time. ‘sold’ relies on this possibility of selling these unwanted goods and keeps developing the idea.  

‘sold’ by david lakatos, matt blackshaw, and anthony devincenzi
photo © attila nemes

in the age of various website shops, we are used to 1-click-buy. ‘I wonder if 1-click-sell also works’, the founders contemplated. all that users need to do is take a photo of the item they wish to advertise; in continuation, the company’s app automatically recognizes it, prices it, and sells it via internet channels. users only need to attach a label, then they can lay back on their couches, and glance at their online bank accounts to see if the sum received for the object has been credited. the success of the project is indicated by the fact that ‘sold’ was acquired less than one year after its foundation by dropbox, a technological company with approximately 200 million active users. 

photo © attila nemes

‘fruitflan’ is the creation of balazs serenyi and andras kangyal.  the duo was approached by a news publisher with the goal of fully visualizing the statistics of the most read articles on its website. the endeavor lead to a tool in the form of a colored grid that allows companies to keep track of visits, trends, and visitor sources of stories in real time. in turn, editorial teams have been enhanced with the ability to manage their content faster.

‘fruitflan’ by balasz serenyi and andras kangyal
image © designboom

 

 

 

marton andras juhasz observed paralyzed persons ridden to electric wheelchairs, and came up with an idea to use ‘gyroset’ to change the way they are controlled. the focal point of the concept is to make use of head movements in order to ensure that even users who are otherwise completely limited in movement can safely maneuver with ease. in order to test this hypothesis, juhasz and his team created a series of games in which the subjects were asked to navigate through obstacles. ‘gyroset’ facilitates disabled persons to live a fuller, freer life, and represent significantly less burden to their environment taking care of them and helping them from day to day, as well as to the health care system.

 

maneuvering through obstacles

‘gyroset’ by marton andras juhasz
image © designboom

the curator, attila nemes, explaining the capabilities of the ‘gyroset’
image © designboom 

looking from the entry towards the back of the gallery
photo © attila nemes  

 

 

 

the collection of works is a physical representation of mankind’s progression in the technology. whether it be about how the workplace can be more efficient, how old belongings can still be useful to someone else, or how the disabled no longer have to feel confined, each piece has its own place within the exhibition as it provides its own commentary on the state of design alongside the electronic arts. 

each project makes a statement about the state of technology in relation to our lives
photo © attila nemes 

 

 

1/24