The question of what I’ll be doing for my creative phase has been one that has haunted me since I began my PhD. At long last, it’s time for me to figure out the answer to that question.
The supervisors made an excellent point that what I’m seeking to do, effectively, is not to solve or eliminate a problem. Rather, the subject of translocal mediated connection is an opportunity space! I seek to design a response that “augment[s] and enhance[s] practice in new ways” (Hornecker et al., 2006).
Within that frame, it’ll almost definitely be a creative probe or a workshop—one where I will be making things with other people. I will also be leveraging my skills as a web developer, interaction designer, and creative generalist in some manner.
So, some design ideas did surface from the survey data, and I’ve been keeping a running log of all these ideas:
- An annotatable map where participants can mark emplaced experiences and send them to each other. There could be a creative element such as the ability to upload one’s own images, draw directly on the map, or place stickers on the map.
- Google Maps tours, docs – a way to see where the other person is on Google Maps…but this runs into the issue of privacy
- A platform for people to “design” a village together and add their own accents cumulatively – things don’t disappear every session. But with temporal limitations, lest it becomes unreadably chaotic too quickly.
- An accumulative platform in which users participants may decorate a virtual page or canvas, write messages to each other, and perform actions within the space (rather than simply a collaborative whiteboard, but it can be inspired by a collaborative whiteboard). Possible features could include stickers, drawing, and varied artefacts that behave differently. Build a drag/drop site together? [One possible manifestation that I’ve done – Animal Forum]
- A collaborative storytelling toolkit, TTRPG, or something, that’s designed specifically to be used online. Fun, but potentially time consuming.
- And more…
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