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Project report for unit2
Category: Unit two
Testing through intervention: Artefact, Event, Process
Evaluation of interventions
This blog is trying to transform new information I received into knowledge
I have to ask myself, what has been learned from my intervention and my reflections on it? What went wrong? How I corrected that or maybe I didn’t correct it? I need to find ways to ensure that my evaluation is both objective and purposeful.
Ways of data collecting
- Qualitative Observation (collect information by observing the target group to learn more about the project)
- Video Recordings (focused on groups intercating with “melding experiment”
- Photos of suggestions filled in by stakeholders on sticky notes
- Final Interview (Through asking stakeholders questions and writing on paper about their experience of the interaction and suggestions）
Qualitaive observation
By qualitative observing my stakeholders, I find out which interactions are enjoyable and which are annoying – a permanent feedback process.
Observations may help explain behaviors as well as social context and meanings because the evaluator sees what is actually happening.
Ericsson et al, 1993
The 22 stakeholders who participated in this offline intervention were observed and collected reactions and feedback. Through my observations, the faces of each of the 22 participants expressed surprise at the intervention, and each of them enjoyed the interaction, which means that the direction of the intervention through the combination of embroidery materials and interaction is exciting and confirms that the direction is feasible.
In addition, I received a lot of encouragement and likes by posting my intervention video online on Reddit in the embroidery community and on Tik Tok, where the intervention video has 632 likes.
However, I observed that when they touched the crocodile clips to try to interact with the computer, they would impatiently try multiple touches if they were not sensitive,which indicated that I need to explore conductive materials in the embroidery itself, such as conductive thread, or other more sensitive conductive materials for the audience to interact friendly with.
At the same time, since the poster that attracted stakeholders to this intervention was “free hand-made embroidery”, when stakeholders were attracted to it, they would come up to me and ask what it was about, and then I would give them embroidery bookmarks first and then invite them to my intervention. This process suggests that my stakeholders may be suspicious or doubtful towards the statement and I need oral explaine this, so next time I should indicate on the poster ” Experience Tech+Embroidery, Get Free Embroidery”, which will make my stakeholders more clear of their participation.
Interview
Through a short interview with each stakeholder who experienced the intervention offline，and the following questions were asked
- Do you prefer the embroidered bookmark on the left, or the interactive embroidery on the right? （Closed, fixed-response question (Structured)）
- What would you suggest for this interactive embroidery? （Standardized, open-ended question）
Reargarding the first question, 22 stakeholders who participated in the offline intervention said that interactive embroidery was more to their liking than normal embroidery bookmarker, and suggesting that the way of embroidery craft + technology is the future.
Regarding the second open-ended answer, because of the issue of crocodile clip sensitivity, some were suggesting a more user-friendly experience. Then some were suggesting that it could be animated accordingly to the embroidery and then influenced by the interaction. Others suggested that the overall appearance of the interaction could be improved and made more aesthetically pleasing. These suggestions I need to accpet and try to overcome so that before the next intervention to make an iterative piece.
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Bibliography
Atsdr.cdc.gov. 2022. Chapter 7: Evaluation Methods | Principles of Community Engagement | ATSDR. [online] Available at: <https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_program_methods.html> [Accessed 25 August 2022].
McNiff, J. 2002. Action research for professional development; Concise
advice for new action researchers; 3rd Edition. Jean McNiff.
Delve. 2022. What is Qualitative Program Evaluation? — Delve. [online] Available at: <https://delvetool.com/blog/programevaluation> [Accessed 25 August 2022].
Intervention in Camden Lock Market and Brick Lane Market
Introduction
The intervention “melding embroidery” took place on August 18 and August 21 at Camden Lock Market and Brick Lane Market respectively. To attract stakeholders to participate in the intervention, I prepared 12 embroidered bookmarks to give away. The two interventions each lasted two hours and the total number of stakeholders was 12. By asking as well as handwritten feedback on sticky notes.
Intervention in Cameden Lock Market
The total number of participants at Camden lock maket was 7, with 4 local stakeholders from the UK, 2 from South America and 1 from Europe. When I asked them whether they thought the embroidered bookmark or the “melding experiment” was better, they all said the latter was better, but I will be looking for their suggestions on user experience and how the project can be improved.
Colleceting Feedback in Cameden Lock Market
This stakeholder stated that when he touched the crocodile clips, sometimes the feedback was not quick , which made the experience less friendly for him, and he suggested that I could use other materials or other way to make the experience better . When I asked this feedback to other stakeholders, some of them agreed, so this is a breakthrough and an area for improvement.
At the same time, several stakeholders in South America and Europe said that the appearence of this “melding experiment” could be made more elegant and beautiful.
Intervention in Brick Lane Market
When I asked the grandfather ，an embroidered bookmark or the “melding expeiment” he experienced, which one is better . he said that the embroidered bookmark was the past and the latter was the future. At the same time, his advice was “the future is made important” because of the age of the stakeholder, and I appreciate his encouragement!
The alumna said she was surprised by this interactive experience, while the advice she gave was that it could with graphics.
Conclusion
This intervention enriched the diversity of the data sources I collected in terms of race, age, and occupation, while most of the suggestions they gave were mutually agreeable, so I will take some time to anaylze the feedback collected for the evaluation.
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Feedback from RR’s Tutorial and self-reflection
Feedback
One of the questions I asked Richard today is that I’m at a point where I’m struggling how to move to the next step in the iteration, which is going head to the evaluation step, as I’m confused which of the stakeholder suggestions I’ve received whether are useful.
When I talked to Richard about the feedback I received until in Chinatown and online social platform, I was not satisfied with it because I wanted to get feedback from more ethnically diverse people. He thought that was one of the reasons why I was in a struggling situation, and he suggested that I need to do a bit more testing with that version of the project with different kinds of people and different places before I have enough feedback to make another iteration worthwile as I’ve really only got one or two bits of sustantially back.
Self-reflction
When I researched the three places where Richard suggested I can go for the intervention including Camden Lock, Brick lane and Shepherd Bush Market. I found that these places are indeed famous in London and are focused on crafts, music and international cuisine, which means that people in these places are more likely to spend time in the area rather than in a rush like in Chinatown. I reliazed that when I consider making an intervention next in terms of location, I should consider the type of area, such as which places people pass by in a hurry and which places people are willing to stay and enjoy that area. And include whether the area’s main purpose is about crafts, because that’s fits my embroidery project, and the feedback I get from interventionn can be more efficient, targeted, and diverse，and I’m planning to do my intervention in these three places this week.
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Intervention#2
Type of Intervention
The intervention of this project is an artifact-based intervention that receive the reactions and respones of stakeholders through works that combine Chinese embroidery and technology.
Feedback and adjustments from the August 8 tutorial
After a Tutoria with Richard on August 8, he suggested that I should try to contact Embroidery Magazines as well as Craft Council, I have sent them an email and am waiting for their response. on the other hand, I have to narrow down my stakeholders from people who don’t know about Chinese embroidery specifically to people who are interested in Chinese embroidery or even embroidery, or even people who are willing to buy embroidery, which was really helpful and made it easier and faster when I did the intervention.
I will split into online and offline intervention. The online intervention is by sending short videos，posts to social platforms. Offline interventions involve stakeholders personally participating in my interactive work and getting feedback through both forms.
Online intervention
For this online intervention, I posted videos of my work to TIKTOK (with the embroidery hashtag attached), and to REDDIT’s digital embroidery community.
The work has received a total of 652 likes and 17 comments on tiktok.Basically most of the feedback was that it was great and ask me that how I did it. It was hard for me to get progress on this intervention on tiktok because it was all met with good feedback.
This feedback was really helpful, as this poster shared the FBk design and his thoughts on electroluminescent wire and sound interaction! I’ll go ahead and research what FBk design is and his ideas.
Offonline intervention
I chose the location of this offline intervention in China Town because I thought there were lots of people and interested in Chinese culture.
I created a “Free Chinese Embroidery” poster to try to attract the attention of my stakeholders, who would not be attracted if they were not my stakeholders, and then planned to invite them to do my intervention when I attracted them.
Luckily, the Singaporean, who is an engineer, said there was nothing special about this work for him, as well as he suggested whether I could replace the crocodile clips with needles, a conductive metal material, and then trigger different sounds or change the color of the thread through the audience’s own actions of threading the needle. It was a bit of a hit, but it was a source of progress. I will look into the implementability of this idea!
It is worth mentioning that the offline intervention was held from 10.30 am to 12 am on 13th August，a total of 10 stakeholders were attracted from this intervention, 9 of whom were come form China, Singapore, Taiwan and the remaining one was Pakistani.
# Realisation # AC Process
“Melding experiment 2”
This experiment is using the way of nonlinear processes on my project, this theory based on the book »Prototyping Interfaces, it introduces me to vvvv, Arduino, tracking methods and display technologies in an understandable way. Building on top of that, it opens new dimensions for my creativity, through many practical examples and the endless possibilities of prototyping.
The design process in interaction is becoming a complex equation with so many variables that I have to keep experimenting, making mistakes, iterating and testing!
The purpose of “Melding experiment” is to try to interact with the embroidery as much as possible using whatever tools I could, which are aiming towards a creative and disruptive goal, that is not exactly defined at the beginning.
Tools
- Makey Makey Board
- USB Cable
- Alligator Clips
- Connector Wires
- Plug&play apps
- Discarded Chinese Embrodiery
How
Alligator clip to embroidery, When I touch it, the computer thinks I’m pressing the keyboard.
Chanllenge
- What are other ways viewers can interact with the Chinese embroidery?
- Can I use the sounds with other media such as animation?
- Can I create a program that triggers sounds only when the keys on embroidery are pressed?
Biblioraphy
Barth, J., 2013. Prototyping interfaces. Mainz: Hermann Schmidt, pp.2-4.
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Workshop of Creative Self-thinking
In this blog, I use the way of Disruptive Creative Thinking and Reverse Assumption to re-define my project.
Richie Manu for showing us his concepts and knowledge about innovation on June 8. This blog is also a review of some of the innovation concepts based on what he imparted in class, and repurposing that knowledge into my projects, displaying this picture not only helps me apply the creative concept of my own project, but also helps others to better understand my direction of my project.
Through this innovation workshop, I found a lot of disruptive directions in which I could make attempts as a change maker! The next thing I want to do is to conduct a “Melding experiment” of my project.
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Feedback on first intervention from stakeholders & experts
Research question:
How can we encourage the Chinese traditional embroidery industry to embrace new methodologies?
Intervention:
The intervention of this project is an artifact-based intervention that receive the reactions and respones of stakeholders through works that combine Chinese embroidery and technology.
Experts:
- Master of Chinese arts and crafts, engaged in Hunan embroidery for more than 50 years.
- Researcher and embroidery committee expert of Hunan Museum
- Director of Changsha Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.
- Director of Industrial Development Bureau of Jinxia Development Zone
- Director of the Cultural and Creative Center of Changsha Museum
Feedback from experts
- Highlight handcraft techniques, such as mao stitch，increase its educational significance in interactivity
- More improvement of art forms, can add animation projection. For example, hiding the conductive thread on the surface of the embroidery.
- Determine the theme of the embroidery work
Stakeholders：
People who has existing interest in embroidery or want to buy it
Feedback from stakeholders
- The idea is very creative, the bird sound if more soft and crisp
- Whether it is possible to add the element of animation, so that still pictures become animated to enhance visual spectacle and interactivity
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Summary of Monday’s class
This blog has mainly helped me gain a deeper understanding of what intervention means and how it can be linked and enhanced to my personal project intervention and extension of the question of my project
What is intervention
David Mills for explaining the definition of intervention to us again.
From my understanding, an intervention is a behavioral strategy that affects or changes the outcome. There are many types of interventions, such as medical interventions for addicts in the medical system. the intervention can be to send the addict to a rehabilitation medical center for treatment
According to the results I have collected, the success rate of these addicts who are sent to rehab medical centers is 5%-10%, but if there is no intervention for these addicts, the probability of success is 0.
Difference between intervention, testing and experimental process （Cai views)
An intervention, challenges how I understand the challenge/research question. It is not about validation of my intuition but challenge it. It is not there to solely to react to a hypothesis.
A test/ testing is a tool with a hypothesis based research
Experimental process is about methodological and ontological enquries
Based on Cai’s point of view, I want to apply it to my own personal projects， Help me better understand these concepts and relate them to my personal projects.
Applied acknowledge in my project
My question
How can we encourage the Chinese traditional embroidery industry to embrace new methodologies?
Intervention#1
- The intervention of this project is an artifact-based intervention that receive the reactions and respones of stakeholders through works that combine Chinese embroidery and technology.
“Melding experiment”
Experiments combining traditional Chinese embroidery with sensors, potentiometers, animation, etc.
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Asking to embroiderers about my intervention and their needs
This online meeting not only asked their feedback on my intervention, but also explores the needs of embroiderers and the problems they want people to help them solve
Evidence of online meetings （11th，June)
Participant background
These craftspeople are all women and have been practising embroidery for between 4 to 48 years. The education level ranges from primary school education, junior high school education to Specialty.
Participants：Xiang Embroidery Craftmen in Chang sha city （Hunan province, China)
Number of participants：11
Age distribution of participants：22-60 age
Question/enquiry
- views on my personal project
- problems they are facing or problems they would like others to focus on and help them solve
1. Feedback （views on my personal project）
Evidence of feedback
When I sought their feedback on my personal projects, such as the combination of embroidery with technology, I desired each of them to embroider their memories, identities and stories on a 3d embroidered duck. The response from embroiderers aged 45 above was that due to their limited age, literacy, understanding and decades of traditional thinking in conservative background of the past, it was difficult for them to understand or give me advice on my project, but they expressed their willingness to cooperate with me and support me in my project, but also said that the production of 3d embroidery was a bit complicated for them, and they suggested that it is crucial to reduce the man-hours of this production and the complexity of the process.
I reached a preliminary understanding with these embroiderers that we now start with a piece of cloth embroidery instead of making 3D embroidered ducks, because the materials and tools required are complicated and the production process is complicated.
When I mentioned whether it was possible to use everyone’s hands as the basis and then express freely, their first reaction was that it was acceptable and positive, because it was easier than 3D embroidery, and it was something they had never touched before. The themes of their works were previously painted by embroiderers, and this was the first time that they were related to their own themes. This time, they can embroider for themselves, not for others.
They immediately said if they were each embroidering their own palm prints and fingerprints, I said that I still need to think about and give them feedback on Tuesday, how to incorporate their unique story into the palm print, not Back to the realistic embroidery style （Time demanding).
2.Feedback (problem they faced and wanted it be solved)
- Improvements of embroiderying tool (they hope someone can design or provide ergonomic tools to help them reduce the physical strain during the embroidery process, such as the spine, which can lead to spinal strains caused by bending over for a long time).
- Increase in income (this viewer says they don’t have any ideas either, just simple and pure, to make a living and hope to earn some money with their own hands).
- Talent people can lead them to innovate (lead them to embroider new themes, increase the interest of the theme, or develop new stitches).
- Young people communicate with them more
- Loing some weight, or try to stay in shape as much as possible
Summary
Through this communication with so many embroiderers, what I really feel is the simplicity of their inner thoughts. I am very grateful that they are willing to actively support my personal project, so I say that I want to protect this group with more enthusiasm. Help this group to have a voice in society, and I hope my personal projects can connect with them as much as possible. Therefore, next, I will draw and design the pattern of the palm print by myself, and then communicate with them, try to let them express themselves fully and freely under a simple framework, and show more people their own stories. Stories belonging to their group, in order to build emotional connections with more audiences through works. I will also discuss with the programmers and think about how the sensor and the embroidered palm can be integrated to better increase the interactivity, interest and the times of the work.
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