After interesting feedback from the class (including an overwhelmingly positive response to this prototype, which I loath), I hit a figurative wall in my process. How could I combine a visually pleasing interaction with actually meaningful data? I decided that I ultimately could not realize my ideas successfully using openFrameworks. While I was able to generate beautiful and meaningful data visualizations, my capacities in the language were preventing me from creating the sort of meaningful user interaction I desired. I decided to turn my efforts toward creating a web-based interface, as I felt confident I could at least create opportunities for interaction that I could not in oF.
This setback taught me an important lesson for my process. While technological tools are important to learn and know, it is more important not to get caught up in a certain technology. oF is not yet an environment I can quickly iterate within, so I had to turn to environments in which I felt more comfortable. As far as building confidence for future projects, especially my thesis, I know now that my summer will need to be filled with practice and confidence boosting. I need to get over my technological-tool roadblocks in order to create the meaningful interfaces and interactions that I want to make.
The current iteration of my project can be found here, or a video demonstration can be seen below. I am looking for user feedback and plan on making both interface and content changes before my final project will be presented in class on Tuesday.
(password = earthquake)
did you have an earthquake today? from Tami on Vimeo.