blackdesignr

fifteen week reflektion

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:35:10 +1000

This past semester has been very enjoyable for me. The networked media unit has given me a wonderful insight into the purpose and availability of connected content. Socially, we are all connected and media tools are at the forefront of our daily communications.

Undertaking this blog component proved very worthwhile as I could often refer back to websites or posts that I had included to assist in my other units. Personally it was about documenting parts of my personality as well as documenting my progression through the networked media unit.

I believe that my blog is rich in content and is definitely a good example of what networked media is about and what this unit is teaching. Honestly, you write in the blog every week and it just feels like another entry but actually stepping back and going through it with a fresh mind, it’s amazing the amount of things that I’ve learnt. Although web links dominate my pages I am proud to know that I mixed it up with video, imagery and flash, which are all instrumental tools in mash-up media.

I can see that my blog didn’t get a lot of visits or followings but that doesn’t bother me as it is there now as a point of reference for myself because I ‘ll be happy to keep using it and adding to it with further entries and discoveries. If social media tools are there to help enrich our lives to add depth, then I know that the past fifteen weeks have no doubt been very beneficial to not just myself but everybody else in the unit.

Just like to say, well done on a very successful unit and I hope it will continue to be taught in the following years. Thanks Mitch and the Fresh Peeps at IceCreamLab.

my nmp project b - iTunes:artistcorner

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:58:00 +1000

Well I have finally completed my data visualisation for project B and I must say that it was definitely interesting.

I sought to take in a lot of other works to give me a basis for which to work my project around. Working on the project proved to be a challenging task as to actually determine how I wanted the project to look, what sort of data should be included to make the visualisation and also how the visualisation would be applied in a real life setting.

The basis behind my design was to use data that would come from a personal part of my life, eventually I settled on using the information contained within my iTunes library. The proposition for my data visualisation was to create an extension for iTunes called the iTunes:artistcorner. In a nutshell, what the extension does is, take artists already featured in my library and present them in a web like format. It connects artists who are in a like-wise category and each artist is represented as a node in the web - effectively you would be able to click on the node to view artist information as well as expand the web to feature more like-wise artists.

The grid or web is has three main features - that is: artists in my library are shown with a white node, the visualisation also shows artists that are linked to those in my library but are not within my library and they are shown with green nodes with blue linking lines. Effectively this is based upon the Amazon.com recommendations feature. The last function of the visualisation is the artist film nodes which are shown in magenta with yellow linking lines. The idea behind this is to take advantage of the fact that iTunes gives you the opportunity to purchase movies and some music artists have also featured in films also.

The assignment allowed me to put some ideas behind what I could perceive as being possible for iTunes as well as including my own personal data. The entire imagery was created using Photoshop and drew on the applications of current web trends as well as desktop programs. It takes advantage of the fact that iTunes has become a personal multimedia manager while Amazon has become a personal online store and review critic for content. Both services are so widely used in our modern world and rely on social data for a good deal of what is presented.

Ideally I would of liked to make the project interactive just to give an indication of how it would work in its natural environment, but I beleieve that the concept of my visualisation is a good blend of media outlets to enhance the experience of content management, content representation as well as content availability. I definitely think that the exercise gave me a great insight into the world of data visualisation.

Check It Out - Link: iTunes:artistcorner - Data Visualisation Concept

the top 3hree

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:36:00 +1000

The following are links to my top three posts throughout the semester:

Link: Navigating Networked Media - Finding Networked Media

Link: Web 2.0 | It Is What It Is & Not - On Web 2.0

Link: Plot Me On The Scope - Data Visualisation

Thanks.

this is some fresh stuff

Thu, 28 May 2009 09:09:00 +1000

so I’ve kept looking up some examples of data visualisations to help with how I would like mine to come across or how I would like mine to look. A few websites that I have looked at were really good and informative.

The first one that I looked at was Smashing Magazine and reading their page titled: Data Visualization: Modern Approaches, it gives you a very good insight into the applications of data visualisation and how expansive the use of the media solution is. The article is very rich in content and it is nothing short of amazing, just the kind of graphic imagery the creators of the individual visualisation have come up with.

Link: Data Visualization: Modern Approaches - Smashing Magazine

The second reference I found was the article by Garrick Schmitt, titled: Data Visualization Is Reinventing Online Storytelling and Building Brands In Bits and Bytes, for the Advertising Age. Schmitt’s entry is a complete account of how individuals and organisations are using the power of data visualisation to further their presence or expand their brand. He also makes note of the Radiohead film clip for ‘House Of Cards’ and how the band partnered with Google to ‘open’ up the data to allow individuals to make their own remixes and post them to the group.

Link: Data Visualization Is Reinventing Online Storytelling and Building Brands In Bits and Bytes - Advertising Age: Garrick Schmitt

nmp project b - update 2

Wed, 20 May 2009 23:30:00 +1000

This is the second update of my project. It is a look in stages of how the program would work within the iTunes environment.

more on that data vizion

Sat, 16 May 2009 15:58:00 +1000

Ok, so I’ve probly shown that this data visualisation stuff is fascinating to me. Working on my data visualisation project has got me to keep digging up stuff for inspiration and just to see what kind of things people are working on around the globe.

I find it is so large now that even big corportions are adopting data visualisations as part of their promotion/advertising campaigns. One of the notable ones I have found is Visa with their current ‘Go’ campaign. It draws on the same principles as the Flickr Time example I showed in a previous post. Quoting from Data Visualisation Is Reinventing Online Storytelling by Garrick Schmitt: The “Go” microsite features seemingly random bits of data (16,438 people in Paris smiling back at the Mona Lisa) that the user can explore to see how Visa is “helping more people go places and do things.” Similarly, the banner ads feature live video streamed from cities (such as Times Square in New York) around the world that show people “going” and utilizes similar data.

plot me on the scope

Tue, 12 May 2009 18:31:00 +1000

The use of data is so widespread that information can be applied to the greatest or to the most minuscule of references. We use data everyday and even if we might not consider it on a regular basis as it occurs, it is definitely there.

Data. Everywhere was one of the best lectures that I saw because it shows the natural relationship between information and application. What does it mean to be surrounded by quantities, characters and symbols and not know how they relate or can be related to us?
Data is an interesting thing because so many things in life can be calculated according to the information contained within collected material and I think what I found most interesting is how the scores of information can be visually reprsented.

Data visualisation can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be and its intention can come across just as well in both perspectives. The visual representation of data lends itself to a wide array of possibilities and the ability to engage and capture an audience provides avenues as a designer to totally wow a client , I mean, blow their mind right out of their expectations.

So can evolved data visualisation be considered as a form of art? It is fair to say that with the advancement of technology, the commonplace pie chart, bar graphs, tables and histograms are good for what they are; simple. That said, simple does not have to be boring and some examples that I have come across online are testament to just that. A modern approach can leave an everlasting impression.

Flickr Time is an application that draws on the Flickr API to present uploaded images from the site and displays it as a clock showing the current time.

This is an interactive representation of the US trade deficit in regards to partnering nations, implemented by Brightpoint Inc. The input data is combined from trade deficits in consecutive months and years. The image allows you to play continuously to see the shift in deficits or you can stop and manipulate the visuals yourself.
Link: US Trade Deficit Data Visualisation - Brightpoint Inc

This is an image off the Oakland Crimespotting webpage. It is a visualisation of crime nature in the Oakland region. The data is plotted via area, time and degree. At the bottom is a timeline with a slider which can plot more crime or decrease according to the level of crime during that month/year. It is also built as a tool for understanding crime in cities. Link: Oakland Crimespotting

Social data is so widely available now-a-days that almost any sort of information can be obtained to create a visualisation which also allows individuals and groups to present atypical images like never before. I must say that much of this stuff reminds me of Jackson Pollock, who would then be one of the greatest data visualisers in history, if that were the case.

I believe that this lecture was a very beneficial insight into what we may be able to produce for the second project in networked media production.

on that project two grind

Sun, 10 May 2009 01:49:00 +1000

So today I decided to try and find some examples of data visualisations and comment about why the particular examples I choose appeal to me. Firstly I have been trying to find out exactly when the shift began to occur but that is proving to be a daunting task.

I can understand that the shift by many individuals and companies towards representing data in a visually pleasing manner stems from the availability of media tools to effectively open up new dimensions of interpretation. I have come to think of it as the evolution of data. Where it has been is still for some application but where it is at and where it is going as well as where it could go is what is exciting at this point in time.

Ok, so these are the examples that I have come across and it is good to note that graphing like this is even being adopted at government levels so it feels like a somewhat global shift.

The Fidg’t Visualizer is interesting because of how it works, aestheically it isn’t very inviting but coupled with your Flickr or Last.fm account, people in your network are subject to a ‘gravitational’ pull to a certain string or line called a Tag Magnet. When a tag magnet is created, others in your network that have that tag on their account a pulled towards that string. Link: Fidg’t Visualiser

This is the ‘stack’ visualiser by Digg Labs. I liked this because of its simplicity…people are dropped from the top and added to a line. The more people that flock to a certain story, the taller the line gets and it starts to change colour.

As for my project itself, I have worked out exactly what I would like to do and that is to do something that incorporates the music I losten to on my computer from my iTunes account - it will be data representing the amount of times I’ve listened to a song, top genres and days when played the most. Over the next few days/weeks I will try and figure out the best way to graph my figures.

nmp project b - update

Thu, 07 May 2009 17:44:00 +1000

This is an update of my data visualisation project. Basically the idea behind it is to create an iTunes section that takes into account my music library and creates a visualisation of related artists and possible artists that I might like but are not in my library as yet. It is a combination of personal data as well as data that would be in the iTunes Store and is similar in concept to the Amazon.com recommendations feature.

Here is the work in progress:

mul+iplici+y..

Wed, 06 May 2009 20:57:00 +1000

well i must admit that this weeks lecture was perhaps one of the hardest ones for me to follow. but just looking at some of the examples from our nmp del.icio.us site, the social media commentary that can be attributed and gained from multiplicity is quite interesting.

i think to help me better understand, i’ve adapted to calling it a montage or collage. but i think it just adds another dimension to what is already something that speaks alot by itself. very interesting indeed.

webtwopointoh | itiswhatitis¬

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:27:00 +1000

Wow, so I am a part of web 2.0. Seems cool enough, for a long time the meaning behind this term escaped me and to be honest, it annoyed me.

What was all this web 2.0 compliant crap that I was reading everywhere? Turns out I was a part of it, go figure. I do admit that it does give me a better feeling to have a grasp on the applications of web 2.0 and the possibilities that it presents although currently a lot of what can be done is being done and is being exhausted.

Here I go…hop on Facebook and update my status. What’s that, someone has replied to my status. I’ll write on their wall. Look at that, someone I don’t know likes my wall comment. I’ll add them as a friend. Hey, my new friend has commented on my earlier stauts update. I’ll write on their wall. User driven content is what makes web 2.0 so versatile in a way (as what I have understood) and the Facebook networking example is only a mere reference to capabilties and conventions.

Delving more into web 2.0 you get a sense of what is next? What can possibly follow on from Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, even eBay? (you may wonder why I left out the likes of YouTube and MySpace, personally, I think the buzz surrounding those two sites are dead, especially MySpace).

Visualise this if you will - a new way of being personable online with the creative and customisation output of MySpace, the connectivity and outreach of Facebook and the workflow and adaptability of Twitter - this could very well be a future web trend as many try to understand where web 2.0 stands and is heading at this point in time, others even offer the debate as to what the global economic crisis means for the web. Read: What’s Next After Web 2.0 - Richard MacManus

The web is both strong and delicate and how information is created, stored and reviewed is both critical in its upkeep and advancement. What I have found is that 2.0 presents opportunities for people to be heard and for ideas to get off the ground and although I like change as much as the next person, is the web to change so much that it will not be able to be controlled? Furthermore, who will control it? These are questions I find I ask myself as a future media producer about to enter the wonderful, volatile and expansive world of design and communication.

Being web 2.0 compliant seems like a dull statement at this point in time and I cannot understand why others employ that statement on their websites - it sounds as though you are adhering to a direct order with no choice of advancement rather than attempting to push the boundaries and stand out, afterall isn’t it about users and growth?

One such website that is adapting to future trends is Meebo (I cannot grasp these quirky names like Zongo, Bebo and Twirler as such) but what makes Meebo interesting is that it captures a new way of communication. At present it combines the use of various communication tools in one local spot - these include: Facebook, MySpace, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo Chat and Jabber - this is perhaps the closest attempt at my previous mentioned visualisation of a future trend of ‘localised connectivity’. Visit Meebo.com
It cannot be considered web 3.0 (a little inadequate for such a title, maybe) but it borders on 2.1 (although the web is not released in stages like software) and it provides for a little more of an exciting outlook.

I find it interesting as to the future outlook of the web and how others see it as becoming automated along the lines of the term ‘semantic web 3.0’ - ideas such as a self updating web space, integration into everyday living (grocery ordering fridges via web connection), and even the way too futuristic; direct from web to brain post updates, bypassing RSS. Read: 10 More Future Web Trends - Richard MacManus.

For the time being, web 2.0 is here to stay and despite my not so enthusiastic feel about it, I do commend its applications - how else would I be able to buy online and have it delivered from the UK? How would I be able to communicate with friends in realtime and share pics? How would you view cleaner and crisper content? I guess that without being heavily involved in it, it may seem to move too slowly for me but the current stage and future possibilities of the web present both hard and excitable times. It is what it is and what it is not it could be.

Read:

What Comes After Web 2.0? Today’s Primitive Prototypes Show That A More Intelligent Internet Is Still A Long Way Off
What’s Next For The Internet?
What Is Web 2.0
Wikipedia 3.0: The End of Google
Web 2.0 Isn’t Dead, But Web 3.0 Is Bubbling Up

data viz - proj two

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:05:00 +1000

Okay so for my project two I have decided that I will do a data visualisation, the concept of visually representing data has been growing in momentum over the last view years, with the collection of social data at the forefront of visual representation.

I would like to incoporate perhaps something personal as my data set, just so I can personally see how a part of my life may be graphically interpreted. I’m actually kind of excited about plotting part of my daily life.

I found this video from TED’s vault of video talks and I admit that I don’t entirely understand what is happening but what I do see is the future prospects of such a data graphing capability especially in the likes of medicine.

Link: Data Visualisation In The AlloSphere

nmp project a - reflexion

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:49:00 +1000

Ok so I did not get as good a mark as I would have hope for but it is a learning curve. I perhaps did not give myself enough time to execute the assignment as well as I would have liked and that is something that will have to be rectified. Thank-you for my feedback and I do admit that I did not check the terms and conditions of my sourced images. Sorry. Now I am looking forward to project B. It will be interesting and challenging as well.

I’m still here ya’ll……

so i've been looking around...

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:05:00 +1000

Today I had a look at some of the other projects from our networked media class and I must say that most of the work that I saw was really cool and showed the various ways in which media elements can be used to link to other formats in various ways from simple tags and links to flash automation and shows the innate quality of clever design through media production.

nmp project a - exoticcars online

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:16:00 +1000

Project A for first term Networked Media Production required me to curate an online exhibition. One that implemented some of the various attributes associated with networked media. The focal point of the online exhibition was to consider the best way to present my subject to the viewer and then to address the size of the collection, finding the available tools to assist in the creation and presentation of the collection. All content was to be licensed and attributed accordingly and appropriately.

To begin the project, it involved some research on effective web layout as well as exhibition design. I specifically focused on interactivity and the correct methods when designing for web. This would be something that had to engage visitors that are viewing the online gallery so it had to have some form of continued transition from one piece to the next.

Using the information obtained during the research, the concepts for the online exhibition involved the requirements of a suitable and effective web page size, format and the placement and dimensions of visual elements.
Two concepts were subsequently examined, including an all black and white fixture in square format and a full colour wide-screen. Overall I had decided to combine the two concepts by making it full colour but still in the square format. I also had to decide on how the online exhibition would be handled in terms of creation and the obvious choice that came to mind was to do it in Flash as most updated browsers now support Flash as standard but I did consider an entirely HTML based web page as well.

Once I had worked out the nature of the page layout I thought about what I wanted the exhibition to be about and settled on a catalogue of exotic cars, I chose to use cars because it is not something I had done before and I do have a genuine interest in cars. While the debate over the content was settled, I looked at collecting some imagery and I came across a very nice archive at NetCarShow.com that provided me with everything I needed from concept cars to unique full production cars.

As I finished collecting the content and making sure that a clear reference log was kept for each borrowed image, I began to design my Flash page, to say that it was straight forward would entail me telling a lie because it wasn’t, I had seen a site once before where the images would all line up neatly but were able to be separated individually to create a scatter effect which appealed to me because it reminded me of cars driving off in different directions, so creating something similar would be nice but alas came the coding, actionscript is not my strong point as I am still learning and I found myself writing numerous codes and to test the page only to find it wrong and frustrating. Making the site very similar proved to be a huge challenge so I browsed online and came across TiltViewer, a very pleasant and interactive web gallery interface that not only required you to input your own coding but it also introduced me to XML coding as well.

I found it difficult to follow the structure of XML at first but I soon learned that it was close in nature to HTML and also a great productive tool to control Flash content externally. Although I acknowledge that not all the coding for the site was done by me, I great deal was and I highly valued the opportunity to work in XML. To me that is partially what networked media is – discovering something and adapting to make it your own to redistribute to others.

The resulting web page is the culmination of TiltViewer and myself; I honestly like the implementation of TiltViewer because it gives the gallery substance by allowing the viewer to tilt, rotate and enlarge the images. My role is what makes the images show up in the gallery as well as the logo design and accompanying text when the images are rotated. The website was created using several tools notably TiltViewer and also Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash and 110mb.com.

To view the online exhibition please visit:

NMP Project A - ExoticCars Online - blackdesignr

browse vs. search: clean and dirty relativity

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:05:00 +1000

So this whole thing about ontology is more interesting than I intended to give it credit for. The world ‘ontology’ has briefly entered and escaped through my ears on various ocassions without receiving much thought or recognition on my part but the ‘Carving Up the World’ lecture managed to, how do I put this, managed to shift some inner attentiveness, yes that will do.

The relation to concepts in hard reality or virtuality is impacted on greatly through the categorisation of said information and the heirarchy in which that information is presented. Honest to the big man upstairs, I had no idea what this word ‘ontology’ meant but now it makes relative sense (I have not provided the meaning of ontology above).

The readings that I undertook gave a good insight to the uses and shortcomings of such a process ot theory. As a good example by Clay Shirky in his writing about the internet - ‘Ontology Overrated: Categories, Links and Tags’ - it defines the lines between what it is to browse and what it is to search. To browse is to be systematic and look through a range of data in ordered sequence to definitely find what you are looking for. To search is to look through a range data in an unordered spread to give you a possible or definite match to what you are looking for. Shirky’s example of Yahoo and Google was an easy way to understand this perception. This is a manner of clean versus dirty and in this case, highlights the benefits of sometimes being dirty.

So Yahoo was built upon the premise that ‘it knows’ and so ‘it will tell us’. Google was heralded because it changed that course and offered itself as ‘this is how I know it’ but ‘tell me how you know it’ and then ‘I’ll show you where it is known’ - this gives a wide range of possibilities from unrelated to highly related or better than what you were initially looking for - you choose.
I have only suggested a very very very marginal look at the application of ontology through this post but read the readings and lets discuss.

Ontology Is Overrated: Categories, Links and Tags
What is an Ontoloy? And Why We Need Them
Ontology and Why I Am Not Obsessed With This Fancy Little Overrated Word
It Turns Out Both Bad Data and a Teaspoon of Dirt May Be Good For You

semi-permanent | 2009 | sydney

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:41:00 +1000

Attending Semi-Permanent this year is definitely one of the highlights of my year thus far. The exhibition showcased some of the most talented designers and media producers from down under and across the globe.

The speakers were awesome, kicking off with Melbourne’s own Timba Smits, one of the creative minds behind Wooden Toy magazine (circulated around sydney and melbourne) and also featuring notaries like Danny Yount - genius behind the opening credits for films such as Rock N Rolla, Iron Man and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Scott Dadich, creative director at WIRED Magazine and Vernon Wilbert a head media producer from George Lucas’ firm Digital Domain - Wilbert showcased the creation of the Gears of War promotion advert, a popular warfare game, using the technology of machinima - a production technique utilising the real-time recording of computer generated imagery - the term is derived from machine and cinema.

Definitely a must attend for any designer or media producer. View the Semi-Permanent video montage below plus other links.

Semi-Permanent Sydney 2009 Montage from Semi Permanent on Vimeo.

Links:

Semi-Permanent | Sydney
Digital Domain
Wooden Toy Magazine

project a - hmmm

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:56:00 +1100

project A has been under way for about a week now and I’m having to change my image sets around in my project. i couldn’t find any photos that i liked (one’s in good resolution anyway) but I have come across a site called NetCarShow and they have some fantastic photos of exotic cars so it looks like it might be a goer.

by the way…i’m making an online gallery for exotic cars for my project, incase i hadn’t told you already. good now that, that is sorted - visit NetCarShow

api stands for something...what about copyright?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:20:00 +1100

this weeks lecture was very interesting for me due to the nature in which online networking is managing to reach boundless avenues. the thought on the use of API’s is something that us (media producers) are going to have to understand and take full advantage of…the idea of efficiency with less effort is very appealing but does the registration of material (i.e. copyright) enter the frame at all? it was something that popped into my head as i went back through the lecture notes and couldn’t see anything in there so i decided to go looking myself.

so does providing an open api whereby individuals can piggyback content such as photos, information, videos etc flirt with the ideals of copyright? the answer seems to lie with the end user - it’s provided as a tool, whether you use it correctly is totally up to you. but does this suffice? this is the questionable part for media producers – it may enhance workability but what if your productions are intentionally or unintentionally used and distributed?

one such case i found involved flickr’s open api and a user involving his photographs which also lead me to look at the U.S Induce Act. really, do open api’s induce infringement and should providers be held accountable for breach? read what i’ve read:

- Blaming the Flickr API for Copyright Infringement

- Open API and Copyright

- Flickr and the Law

- Mashups and APIs

- Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act

dephining API

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:19:00 +1100

well I thought I would give a heads up about what API stands for. here it goes:

1. An application programming interface (API) is a set of functions, procedures, methods or classes that an operating system, library or service provides to support requests made by computer programs - Wikipedia

Link: API - Wikipedia

2. Application Program Interface. Generic term for any language and format used by one program to help it communicate with another program - Dave Groth

Link: API - Dave Groth

3. API stands for Application Programming Interface. APIs in Java typically consist of a set of objects that developers will use to add some functionality to a project. Many complicated tasks can be abstracted and easily performed using an API that other developers have made available - Wantii

Link: API - Wantii.com

Ok, so I think it stands for Application Programming Interface - someone please correct me if it is wrong - but that would mean that it was wrong in class time as well…