Note: This page will be updated as I continue to work on this site. To learn about this project, please refer to the link below.
ascensionexperience.webflow.io
Introduction
Ascension was a project based on the issue of unequal privileges and opportunities. This experience was done at the end of my first year in the Interactive Media Design program. The assignment for the quarter was to take a social issue and create an installation or experience out of it.
Initial design
Our inspiration for the project was from the previous quarter where I created a video prototype about an installation based on police brutality. We took this idea and wanted to create something based on the idea of unity and collective effort. This was in the midst of all of the crime happening during that time and we wanted to deliver a positive message showing that when people work together, they can make a change. I utilized Google Sketchup to create the visual mockups for the physical design.
We decided to create a physical installation that consisted of two paths. One path saying that they can make a change, and the other saying that they can’t. The idea was that the users would converge in the middle of the installation and work together in at the end point to power the unit. It was a very abstract representation, but we had confidence that we could pull it off.
We were committed to this idea for a while but the biggest reason we didn’t pursue this path was because of the viability. We didn’t have the resources necessary to create this installation. It would require hours of gathering materials and building. We didn’t have the budget, skills or time to complete such an ambitious endeavor in such a short amount of time.
At this point, we were stuck. How could we redesign our project after being deep into the quarter without having to completely start over? This was where we really had to think about the situation at hand and really consider our capabilities to deliver something by the end of the quarter. After a lot of thinking, I was struck with the idea which would satisfy our goals while remaining completely viable.
Redesign
After a lot of brainstorming, we eventually derived from the main idea and focused on inequalities in society. This led to basing our project on the issue of unequal opportunities and privileges. Once we had our idea set in stone, we struggled with the issue of how we would create this idea into an installation.
I pitched the idea to use the physical building of our school as the actual setting for our installation. Instead of creating something completely from scratch, why not use resources readily available to us? Using the building eliminated the need to source materials and set aside to build. All we had to do was get permission from the building’s administrator to use it on our presentation day. Not only did this cut cost, it cut out a lot of stress and saved a lot of time for the team.
Our idea would still remain abstract and be framed to represent the “rise to the top.” We would still have two paths where the users would be split into two groups, privileged and unprivileged. The convenience would still be given to the privileged group in the form of the building’s elevator. The unprivileged group have have a more inconvenient privilege in the form of taking the stairs to the end goal at the top. Both groups having the same destination but different experiences along the way.
This worked in different ways to our favor. For the privileged group, they would get to the top quickly and easily similar to those fortunate enough to have such opportunities. The unprivileged group would have to carry items to the top which represent the added burdens those less fortunate face. Even though they may reach the same destination, the unprivileged group would take more time and have a less pleasant experience similar to many who don’t have such luxuries. We intended for the the privileged group to be smaller because very few have the opportunities and this worked with our installation because we could only fit a certain amount of people on the elevator. On the other hand, the unprivileged group was greater in numbers to relate to reality and we were able to have many people taking the stairs at the same time so long as they moved in a line. Our design for this installation was able to fulfill our intention for the message while being a totally practical alternative compared to our original design.
Website
We created the website for our installation using Webflow in order to design it to look clean easy to understand. We used photos of the building to describe the installation. Our intention was to showcase the architecture of the building to make the website look sharp and pleasing to the eye. The website utilizes simple parallaxing effects as the user scrolls down to see the description/goal of the product as well as the videos to accompany it.
The first video is the video prototype which described the installation. It consisted of video clips showing the experience for both groups (privileged and unprivileged). Voice-over was utilized along with text on screen to make the message clear. The second video was the video shown the end portion of the experience. It was a story of two individuals, one privileged and the other unprivileged. It described a typical day in their lives and the different issues that they have to face. This video served as the visual representation of the experience.
Challenges and pitfalls
We had the challenge of really delivering the intended message. In our installation, we added projections along the walls for the unprivileged group to try to discourage them from completing the experience. It felt more like a last minute addition than a well thought out design decision. A way to change this could have been creating a narrative along the way so that the users would truly understand what we’re trying to convey in person, rather than through a video.
We also had the issue of making sure the privileged group would stay “entertained” as opposed to sitting around for the other group to make it to the top. To mitigate this, I played violin to keep the group entertained. Again, it could have been planned better but it was the best way we could make sure the timing was correct.
As much as we practiced the timing, we didn’t account for having large groups of people. We didn’t have the chance to practice the entire experience beforehand with such a great amount of users. We wanted to plan and practice this because we knew that we would need help in supervising both groups. It would be three people trying to control 30. We didn’t know what to expect when it actually happened. We also had to make sure that we accounted for those who might have troubles moving up the stairs or even in the elevator.
Conclusion
This project was challenging but it allowed me to build my skills as an experience designer. I had to really consider the constraints that my team and I had and just work with it. Luckily, I was able to think of a way to make it happen and it turned out to work in our favor in more than the intended way. I learned valuable skills working with my teammates and being open to different decisions and criticisms for the good of the project. I learned how to make decisions under pressure especially with ambitious deadlines. What I learned here gave me the skills to prepare me for my senior capstone project.
Bryce Villanueva 