Brief
Your project is embodied, where digital is distributed in the physical world, textures and materials are diverse and refined, and highly gestural and glanceable interfaces are the way we experience connections, communication, knowledge sharing and gathering. This should prompt you to deeply think about what the digital world and computation does for people and what is truly beneficial for them. Creating a communal interface that lives in a shared space. Togetherness in the contemporary world is increasingly relevant at home, due to the digitalization of public life and the evolving urban landscape.
Project Description
Why: The project aimed to create a physical interface that fosters meaningful interaction in shared spaces. Designed to highlight cultural diversity, it features an interactive map representing the countries of all CIID students. By allowing them to share and explore personal memories, stories, or recommendations tied to their home countries, the map seeks to enhance cultural understanding and appreciation among the community
What: A physical map that serves as a communal interface
How: The IDP 2025 cohort brings together students from South Korea, China, India, Singapore, Turkey, Germany, Italy, the United States, and Costa Rica, all represented on the map. Using a magnet-embedded magnifying glass, students can interact with the map intuitively. With each country being embedded with a hall-effect sensor and LEDs, placing the magnifying glass over their country triggers the sensor, enabling them to record and leave a message there. Once recorded, the country lights up, signaling that a story awaits exploration. Others can then place the magnifying glass on the lit-up country to play back the message, sparking curiosity, questions, and connection.
