Summative Assessment 2020-21 - Undergraduate Professional Program
Proxemics deals with the study of space with humans and interfaces, calculating ranges and closeness that affects behavior, social interaction, and nonverbal communication. The relative distances from humans are described in four levels - Intimate zone, Personal zone, Social zone, Public zone. These zones were recorded by Edward hall who conducted observational insights on how humans set their own rules of personal territory subjectively. At certain proximity, humans maintain non-verbal communication between individuals that will either make the situation intimidating or acceptable. However, in conducting social activities within their bubble, there can be triggers of personal trespassing that ignites defense mechanisms when intrusion. This essentially is marking boundaries unconsciously that are not disturbed or rattled .using this ideology, how can we design digital/non-digital interfaces in the real world that induces interpersonal space and unconsciously structure themselves in their own bubble. By utilizing existing mediums, how can we evolve them into more meaningful and interactive forms of digital/non-digital realms that can be foreseen in the future (considering 5 to 25 years)
This challenge statement can be contextualized in two ways, - Public spaces in Metropolitan Cities and News Media and its Consumption.
Public areas have the most opportunities for proxemics implementations as it is a shared community of strangers and acquaintances. These outdoor spaces can give clues about personal relationships with others and coexist with the population. They include malls, apartment and shopping complexes, public facilities such as hospitals, libraries, significant streets, unexplored spaces, and more. Considering public spaces, how can we implement proxemics to make an area substantial and resourceful. Some tangents of proximity include navigation or wayfinding, dense and overpopulated areas, parking availability, public compliance, safety, and convenience, tracking systems, and more.
News media is another direction of proxemics exploration where mediums like newspapers, televisions, online sources, magazines, and other vehicles of news can be improvised to include proximity features. Some tangents here include fake news, misinformation, misleading text, exaggerated headlines, ethics, and more.
PUBLIC SPACE IN METROPOLITAN CITIES
Area of Exploration: Exhibition centers - Trade fairs, Artifact collection events
Problem Statement: How to efficiently run a center with appropriate crowd management and health supervisions. Convention centers can get too crowded in yearly events such as auto-expo, art exhibits and more. It can lead to suffocation, trouble in way finding and chaos in an elite event, considering pandemic lead to health hazards. For an efficient and effective run, there must be an organized system of user interaction and experience inside the exhibition center to get equal engagement with the kiosks and other facilities to reduce crowd and conclude an insightful visit.
Vision: Create an organized exhibition fair using latest, futuristic technology to improve efficiency, and user experience by minimizing health hazards. The plan includes beacon technology for transmitting information and schedules, social spaces with respect to current covid guidelines as well unforeseen future pandemics, installing soft barricades, redesigning a kiosk model with features and utility.
Goal: