to Artful Design • Chapter 2: “Design Expressive Toys”
Ningxin Zhang.
[10/09/2024]
Music 256A / CS476a, Stanford University
From this week's reading, I'd like to respond to Sonic Lighter discussed in Artful Design Chapter 2 (p70-73), which describes how Ge designed and built this first sound-based mobile app with Smule. As Ge described in the book, this is a playful exploration of design and is intentionally "useless" for practical purposes since it cannot physically light anything a flame. However, it's interesting to manipulate a virtual flame by blowing into the microphone or tilting the device, turning this intangible experience into something that feels more tactile and blurring the boundaries between digital and physical interactions. But what surprised me more was the wild and imaginative feature that it could "ignite" other sonic lighters nearby through sound signals. If the basic feature is still reasonable, this feels like some secret digital magic (an invisible communication that happens in sci-fi) between mobile phones for first-time users. I can always play with this interesting and thoughtful design product all day without considering whether they give me practical uses because some unexpected little fun can easily light up my day. (And that Sonic Lighter user who left a "hi" message is legendary:))
Then, I'd like to respond to the following Ocarina design stories (p75-86). Ocarina feels more organic since it uses similar gestures as we play this instrument in the real world (also, the mobile phone size is just right!). Combining a microphone, touch screen, and accelerometer to create intuitive techniques (pitch change, vibrato...) is a necessary quality that a good mobile instrument should have (the cost of learning matters because people's patience is always limited;)). The visual feedback is also effective (the beauty of simplicity!)—glowing, expanding rings that react to finger touch to give a sense of life and movement (almost feel the phone breathing with me and the music). Besides, just like the sonic lighter, the fun of listening to global users playing the Ocarina is another shining point: the moment you learn about this feature, you feel connected to musicians worldwide. This is not a solo experience anymore. Instead, it's a sense of belonging to a much larger music community, which brings the interactivity to another level (not just between humans and machines, but also between human beings.) The most touching moment was the Ocarina user, a soldier in 2009 who found a rare moment of calm amidst the chaos of war. I think this is the ultimate meaning of the Ocarina. No matter how advanced technology becomes and what we design, we should always remember the feelings of love and pain.
Lastly, I want to respond to p94 about Nicholas Cook's quotes. For a long time, we've been passively experiencing music as a product to consume instead of seeing it as a performance or communal activity—it's almost like we've forgotten that making music can be a collective experience. That's why I like Jacob Collier's concert, in which he involves the audience as a choir. Everyone was together at that moment.