Language

English

Access

Public for everyone

Duration

50 minutes total for each graduate

Tentative presentation schedule

10:00 - 10:50h

Ilse Driessen

10:50 - 11:40h

Natalia Kubica

11:40 - 12:30h

Olaf Wisselink

13:00 - 13:50h

Helena Krogh Jensen

13:50 - 14:40h

Zoë Breed

14:50 - 15:40h

Kamil Roman

Presentation titles and abstracts

 
Ilse Driessen: Can the city be restorative? Creating a virtual built environment based on the principles of Japanese gardens
According to the Attention Restoration Theory, natural environments have the potential to restore an individual by decreasing fatigue and stress of everyday life. Incorporating nature in urban settings can thus be beneficial for the mental health of people living in the city. The Japanese garden is an example of a small-scale garden in an urban environment that has restorative potential. In this research, the restorative potential of the Japanese garden is re-assessed and commonly used design principles of the Japanese garden are defined. After this, an existing neighbourhood in Amsterdam is replicated in a 3-dimensional model and is redesigned according to the design principles of a Japanese garden. The goal of this new design is to investigate whether an urban environment can be restorative through the placement and form of urban elements only, rather than relying on the incorporation of nature. To evaluate this question, the virtual neighbourhood is compared to the original neighbourhood in a VR walking video. The paper concludes that the city can have a restorative potential when Japanese gardening principles are applied on the built environment. However, more research should be done about the incorporation of nature in the urban environment and the addition of detail in the built environment, as well as other people’s perception of the virtual city.
Thesis advisors: Bas Haring & <unknown>

Olaf Wisselink: Bar, Rope, String: An Exploratory Study into Relationships between
Physical Interfaces and Digital Sound Synthesis
In digital musical instruments, there is a clear separation between sound production: the sound synthesis, and control: the physical interface, typically consisting of a MIDI keyboard or controller. Their relations must be explicitly designed. This is unlike an acoustic instrument, in which there rather is a tight coupling between sound production and control. For this research we are interested in the relationship between the physical interface and sound synthesis when we blur their separation. We develop three physical interfaces that vary in their ability of sound production and control, and in their similarity with the synthesis. The synthesis consists of a plucked string algorithm. We perform mapping experiments in which we make different relations between the parameters of the synthesis and the interfaces. From the experiments we observe several advantages of a blurred separation between sound production and control in the interface, such as parameter coupling, and a tight relation between gesture, motion and sound. However, we note that it can be beneficial to have some degree of separation in order to more easily afford precise and discrete parameter control. Regarding the similarity between the interface and the synthesis, we observe that less similarity allows for more freedom to make different relations. More similarity between the interface and the synthesis conditions their possible relationships.
Thesis advisors: Edwin van der Heide, Maarten Lamers

Zoë Breed: Living Light: Exploring the Performability of Bioluminescent Algae 
The collaboration between designers and scientists has given rise to Biodesign, a discipline focused on incorporating living organisms into the design process. Using living entities presents an opportunity to achieve novel functionalities and interactions that may complement or even replace computer-based sensors. This study delves into the potential of bioluminescent algae, harnessing their natural light-emitting capabilities, for the creation of Living Light Interfaces. Their aliveness and adaptability necessitate unique considerations. To address these questions, this research uses Organism Driven Design, to explore the habitat, behaviour, and characteristics of the algae. Furthermore, it investigates physical interfaces for controlling algae-based systems, and outlines design principles for working with these living entities.
The study culminates in a proof-of-concept Living Light Interface that unlocks the potential of bioluminescent dinoflagellates as biological pixels. This algae imaging system translates digital input into the biological realm, enabling real-time interactions with living algae by influencing their bioluminescent mechanism.
Through a comprehensive investigation into bioluminescent organisms' performance, aesthetics, and their capacity as a transformative medium, this research offers valuable insights for the integration of living organisms into design. Ultimately, "Living Light" not only advances the understanding of bioluminescent organisms but also lays the foundation for a new approach to designing captivating and interactive lighting interfaces that blur the boundary between nature, technology, and design.
Thesis advisors: Peter van der Putten & B. Barati (TU Eindhoven)

Helena Krogh Jensen: How negative is your memory? A Study of the Negativity Bias Towards Visuals According to Humans’ Subjective Perception of Their Own Memory
In the research of how the phenomenon of the negativity bias affects people’s reaction to visuals of different levels of valence, either negative, positive, or neutral, it is the highly advanced technological methods which are standardly used. In these complex methods, including brain scans and measures of event-related brain-potentials (ERPs), things such as late positive potential (LPP) are studied. Overall, it is methods that require a high level of technological knowledge in the field. These advanced and lab-based studies have, with the use of different set ups, suggested the existences of the negativity bias in humans when presented with pictures with different levels of disturbance. In this study we investigate whether these technical complex methods are the only way in which the existence of the negativity bias in this setting can be proven. We created a more real-life inspired setup for our experiment, where we build a hallway with inspiration from museums and art exhibitions, and combined this with following tests and questions which relied only on the participants own perception of what they had just experienced. Thereby, we worked to bring the research out of the lab and towards a more subjective method. Results suggest that the effect of the negativity bias in relation to pictures can also be proven in humans using more subjective and less technological advanced methods. These findings could be useful in the fields of how cognitive processes are studied and open the door for scientists who do not possess the technical skills needed when using the complex methods, such as ERPs. This research only studies the negativity bias in relation to visuals, but the method may prove useful in other cognitive scientific fields.
Thesis advisors: Max van Duijn & Petra de Place Bak (Aarhus University)

Kamil Roman: Streetwear: What is the Hype About?
With the increasing prominence of streetwear fashion within mainstream culture, limited research has explored the profound brand preferences among streetwear enthusiasts. This study investigates the various factors driving positive brand preferences among deeply engaged streetwear consumers. Employing a qualitative research approach, five semi-structured interviews were conducted, guided by a theoretical framework with concepts such as branding practices, themes of identity, influential figures and self-congruence. Qualitative analysis of the interviews identified five focal areas: 1. Self-Identity & Confidence, 2. Social Networks & Cultural Events, 3. Influential Figures, 4. Exclusivity & Target Audience 5. Brand Narrative & Values. The findings highlight the distinct preferences of streetwear consumers, with a strong emphasis on personal identity and being highly educated about the clothing they wear. Furthermore, these insights can aid marketers in cultivating favorable brand perceptions and preferences within the realm of streetwear.
Thesis advisors: Peter van der Putten & Leonie Harkes 

More to be added later.

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