For my Major Studio 2: Interactivity class. A "pecha-kucha" discussing all the assignments so far, and how they helped me form my final project question, as well as my project idea.

1. My Final Project Pecha-Kucha By Ashley Parkin

2. Assignment 1: Network Community http://www.slideshare.net/yardieap/my-network-community A slideshow documenting my community of inspirational people, projects, audiences, and events. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT???? It was a great way to discover what particularly interests me, how these things will dictate my future exploration, and maybe what direction am I curious to take in Major Studio 2 and my Graduate Thesis project.

3. Assignment 2: Seven Projects in 7 Days Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

4. Assignment 2: Seven Projects in 7 Day Project - Drawing retail window displays Constraints : 1. Only use pen and the # of colors used MUST coincide with the day # (i.e. Day 2 => black and red) 2. Only go to retail stores that follow the letters in my name each day (i.e. Day 1 => “A” for ArmaniDay 4 =>“L” for Longchamp Day 2 =>“S” for Saks 5th Ave. Day 5 =>“E” for Eres Day 3 =>“H” for Hermes Day 6 =>“Y” for Yves St. Laurent Day 7 => “P” for Prada) HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT ??? Great visual research for my planned final and thesis project, and it taught me to create using limited supplies and limited options, which is a vital skill in art school 

5. Assignment 3: Reading Johan Huizinga’s Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=194 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? I learned that there is a significance to the concept and construction of play, that even the simplest form has a complex system of interactivity. My ideas for my final and my thesis won’t be a game, but it will ask people to interact with a fake web site and this essay was informative in that regard.

6. Assignment 4: Play-Testing Asked 3 people to surf these web sites and fill out a survey with their opinions on each one : Louis Vuitton Dior Yves St. Laurent Givenchy Jean Paul Gaultier HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Useful competitive analysis for my projects and I learned a lot about making a survey. It was good watching people interact with web sites they usually don’t go to and getting their point-of-view about the experience.

7. Assignment 5: Reading Donald A. Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=209 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Creating things for a broad audience requires a lot of critical thinking, research, analysis, continuous testing and editing. Since I’m creating a commercial product, I have to keep this in mind during the brainstorming and constructing.

8. Assignment 6: Reading Mark Weiser’s The Computer for the 21st Century My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=212 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? That technology can be created to enrich people’s lives without having to change the very fabric of existence. It can even be used to say a message or bring up a point, which is what I want to do.

9. Assignment 7: Reading Stephanie Houde and Charles Hill’s What Do Prototypes Prototype? My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=215 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Never underestimate the power and importance of EXCESSIVE prototyping in all aspects of design, both digital and non-digital! 

10. Assignment 8: Game Re-Design My partner and I re-designed the game “Hangman” with one new rule, one new mechanic, and using 3 themes to inspire the “new and improved” game. Check out the details here. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Once again, lots of creative boundaries with an already established product with only one thing allowed to change and specific guidelines to follow when designing or reinventing something into a completely new thing.

11. Assignment 9: Reading Iain Borden’s “Another Pavement, Another Beach” My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=233 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Like skateboarders, I need to look at limitations and boundaries as a source of creative and interactive opportunity, not as a design burden or design-block.

12. Assignment 10: Reading Katie Salen’s “Pokewalkers, Mafia Dons, and Football Fans: Play Mobile with Me “ My Post Thoughts: http://a.parsons.edu/~parka410/blog/?p=236 HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? There is incredible synergy between technology and play, which has shown to be vital in the social interacting experience. I’ll definitely find this useful when I create my final project and thesis.

13. Assignment 11: Environmental Space My partner and I traveled to The Market NYC to observe the social interaction that goes on there. Then we brainstormed a scenario and came up with ideas to manipulate the social interaction within this space. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT??? Just like designing everyday things, creating or manipulating an environmental Space with social interaction involved requires acute observation and remembering the audience’s needs. I need to keep this in mind for all creative design.

14. Final Project Question Out of all these assignments and the lessons I learned from each of them, I have come up with this question I want to answer in my final project: How do I use the physical and digital mediums to communicate and inspire interaction towards an audience?

15. Final Project Idea I want to create a croquis look book that showcases my product ideas in the vein of what the Fashion industry does with their lines. My goal is to observe how people react to the pieces and if they communicate the message properly, so that I can prototype and test without the worry of wasting supplies, time, and money.