We had an hour field trip on the Cooper Hewitt – Smithsonian Museum, and it is absolutely new age amazing. This exhibition wants to show how sensory design can solve problems and enhance life for all people, including those with sensory disabilities. Contemporary designers are experimenting with materials, exploring technology and embracing the differing needs and experiences of users, in order to heighten sensory awareness and improve daily life. Firstly, we visit 3 floors of delights for 5 human senses- touching, smelling, seeing, hearing, tasting. The Old Carnegie Mansion that house this Museum is beautiful. we started on the top floor where there was a furry wavy wall that we rub to get orchestra sounds. Then we got to smell boxes which were designed to evoke special memories.

 

The staff we encountered were all knowledgeable and friendly. we receive this special pen to scan the barcode on displays to record all your favourite items; all on your own personal web page to re-visit them later. There is a wide variety of colourful items and creative stuff on display. A special room on the 2nd floor allows you to draw any image on light-table and its projected onto 2 walls. You can stand against the wall and become part of the image.

 

The exhibition demonstrates that by opening up to multiple sensory dimensions, designers reach a diverse range of users. Maps that can be touched as well as seen facilitate mobility and knowledge for sighted and non-sighted users. Audio devices translate sound into vibrations that can be felt on the skin. Tableware and kitchen tools use color and form to guide people living with dementia or vision loss.

 

Color can help people navigate places and products. A colorful button, handle or grab bar stands out from its surroundings, as shown in the Dementia Care Bathroom Fixtures by HEWI. Vividly colored dishes can stimulate the appetite, while tools designed for tactile feedback make everyday tasks easier. Featured here is the Eatwell bowl, designed by Sha Yao, which uses the color blue to help people with Alzheimer’s distinguish food from the dish, red-and-yellow exteriors to stimulate the appetite to stimulate appetites for those with dementia.

The designer’s responsibility is making the people’s life much better and convenient. This is not your typical art museum, and everything is touchable or smell-able or audible. It is the most interactive museum or gallery we have ever been at.

In the book “Visual Representation semiology of graphics”, the author J. Bertin introduce how to make the data visualisation, and he makes many examples for that. Data visualisation refers to the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualisation is an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data. When you think of data visualisation, your first thought probably immediately goes to simple bar graphs or pie charts. While these may be an integral part of visualising data and a common baseline for many data graphics, the right visualisation must be paired with the right set of information. Simple graphs are only the tip of the iceberg. It makes me think about the incident that has made our code1 classwork in the last year. I use the Processing and P5.js to show my interview questions result. Those are the selection of visualisation methods to present data in compelling and exciting ways.

Reading due:

• Visual Representation from Semiology of Graphics (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Five Models for Making Sense of Complex Systems (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.