S.LOW in Motion July 2011 - Berlin/ N.K. WORKSHOP


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S.LOW liaise N.K. WORKSHOP

Saturday 9th July 2011, 1200-1800
HACKING MUSICAL INTERACTIONS: INTERACTION DESIGN FOR DIY EMIS.
This hands-on workshop introduces and explores key concepts of interaction design for electronic musical interactions (EMIs) and live musical performance. Participants will be introduced to interaction design concepts and practices as we explore them through hands-on physical sketching with simple electronic instrument circuitry, circuit bending and hardware hacking. The workshop will culminate in a specific design challenge for the participants, challenging them to create a new performance- ready circuit bent musical instrument within detailed constraints.

Maximum number of participants is 12 Pre-registration is essential and can be done by sending an email to info@nkprojekt.de.
This workshop assumes no technical background or experience whatsoever. It is accessible to novice and advanced participants alike or those simply interested in the subject area. All materials will be provided.

Date: Saturday 9th July 2011, 1200-1800
Fee: EUR 20 + 10 (materials)

location: NK
Elsenstr. 52 2HH 2Etage
12059 Berlin DE
tel: +49(0)17620626386

The Workshop Leaders:
Cavan Fyans is a PhD research student in the performative interaction research group at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), Queen’s University Belfast. His work examines the spectator’s perception & understanding of novel electronic musical interactions. Cavan spends time developing new and innovative ways of breaking cheap consumer electronics (Circuit Bending & Hardware Hacking) in order to re-purpose them into musical instruments for live performance.

Adnan Marquez-Borbon is a PhD research student in the performative interaction research group at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), Queen’s University Belfast. His current line of research focuses on the process of learning and development of skill with novel musical instruments. As an instrument builder, his interest lies mainly in the intersection between acoustic wind instruments and electronics.


Detailed Description:
Concepts such as modes of interaction, affordances, constraints, style, user and spectator experience, are central to the fields of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and interaction design. However, the increasingly popular and diverse disciplines of DIY EMIs, specifically circuit bending and hardware hacking, often fail to consider such concepts in the creation of novel musical instruments. This is commonly due to both restrictions imposed by the bent or hacked device (“there’s limited space on the speak & spell to put extra buttons”) and by the introvert nature of DIY EMIs; many electronic luthiers creations are only ever performed by the luthier themselves (“no one else will play my instrument so it doesn’t matter how easy it is to work”).
The workshop addresses design considerations in a field where options, possibilities, physicality and cost are restricted. Participants will explore how consideration of affordances and constraints can lead to new, innovative and creative designs. Taking into consideration the experience of both the performer and the spectator in live performance, participants will address how we can improve live performance situations with hacked EMIs through simple interaction design concepts.
During the workshop participants will be introduced to the interaction design concepts as we explore them through hands-on examples and physical sketching with simple electronic instrument circuitry. As a group we will examine and discuss instrument design considerations and participants will be presented with a specific design challenge. Through the hands-on experience progressing through brainstorming, physical sketching, hacking, testing and modeling, participants will create a new circuit bent instrument from the design challenge whilst learning about and exploring these central concepts of interaction design.


Below pictures of the workshop at N.K.






CONCERT AT LOOPHOLE (As a practice demo of the workshop)