My process is broken down into 2 quarters and went through a few important phrases.

Phrase 1: Ideation and iterations (7 weeks)

With my past art project experiences, I learned that having a solid and firm idea is more important than anything else. Therefore, I was determined to settle down an idea I have sufficient adoration, interests, and personal relevance before I move on to the next phase.

I spent a great amount of time exploring my original idea of self-exploration or, in other words, trying to unravel the answer that I have been looking for for years: how to stay true and not fight against oneself.

While I was ideating, I jumped between different artistic formats, discussions with different people, and related philosophical lectures and books. I started with the idea of making a visual novel because it fits my skill set and is relatively easier compared to any physical installation. However, I had a hard time settling on the storyline, character designs, and main interaction.

Later at one point, I drastically shifted away from my original idea by putting the focus too much on trying to include the audience and building an interaction experience instead of the message I wanted to convey. At this stage, I came up with 3 different ideas and collected feedback regarding them, which was also when the idea of heart rate came in.

(1) Visual Novel Game

Ren'Py

Procreate

Storytelling semi-autobiographical
experiences. Audience plays a character that is stuck in a house and would go through 3 main themes.

(2) Interactive Mirror Pieces Installation

Arduino

Interactive Screen

Tap Sensor

Audience interact with different pieces of mirrors (representing information) that all connect with each other. All of them together represents a sense of self. The screen shows a list of answer for the audience to choose who they think these information represent.

(3) Breathing? Machine Installation

Interactive Screen

HRV detector

Responsive to the collective HRV of the audiences, which the screen reveals a portrait if their HRV reach to a similar frequency, symbolizing that only when each piece becomes consistent, the true self would become clear.

After a few days of hard thinking, I eventually settled down on my current idea and kept the heart rate as a key interaction. With the help of a friend, I was able to come back to refine and elevate my idea to another level, which I am very proud and satisfied with.

Phrase 2: Physical designs and blueprints (current, approx 6 weeks)

After settling down the idea, I counseled more experienced connections for their advice on physical implementation. It was a quite complicated project for me since I have not worked on anything on this scale from mechanical and algorithmic perspectives. With some help, I settled down a general workflow to work forward.

My design is comprised of 3 parts: visual, physical, and algorithmic, and the physical part is the major and hardest part to tackle and where I spent most of my time.

The first is to settle down the “puzzle” pieces that made up the sphere. This is the hardest component to figure out since it has to be lightweight, curved shapes (3D printing), and piecing up an entity. Without knowing the quantity and quality of exact pieces, it is impossible to settle down anything that comes after.

I planned to do prototyping with papers by cutting out shapes first, then moving on to cardboard, and then designing the 3D printed versions.

Next is to settle down the interaction that contracts and expands the sphere, which I collected 5 different ways to do so. Eventually, I settled down using fishing lines and rubber bands combined with stepper motors since it is the cheapest and most straightforward method.

I also thought about different ways of connecting the pieces and stabilize the shape:

Round Shape (~40 pieces)

Polygon Shape (in-progress)