SETTING UP FOR VIVA VOCE

Based on my previous draft, I planned to begin my presentation with my Semester 1 explorations, showing how they led into my speculative direction. However, I was still concerned about whether I needed to produce a publication, something I was trying to avoid due to time constraints and uncertainty about its purpose.

While in the midst of the chaos, I decided to physically lay out all my works across my table and Sanna’s table in D301 to better visualise the setup. While this helped me understand the spatial arrangement, I noticed that there was a large empty area on the second table, which made the setup feel incomplete and unbalanced.

I experimented with an alternative setup using three pedestals in D501. This arrangement was quite appealing because there is height variation and it looks clean with the white barrier wall as backdrop. However, it brought about more limitations.

I realised I would not be able to present my Semester 1 explorations anywhere, which are essential as the foundation of my project. Additionally, there was no practical way to include AURA Cloud as I could not mount my vertical screen onto the pedestals. Since this setup compromised the clarity and completeness of my narrative despite its aesthetic appeal, I decided to return to the two-table setup.

Side-track: I I kind of gave up with the printing. The colour consistency was all over the place across different printers. It’s funny how the shitty school printer (middle) has printed the blue I wanted for AURA but the printers outside failed to match it. Even after readjusting the colours and fitting to CMYK codes, the results were not in my favour…

Once the iMacs were ready, I was finally able to consolidate the setup more effectively. I decided to fill up the empty space with my A3 posters on a wooden platform. I initially considered putting them on the divider wall but the viewing height would have been uncomfortable. And wow, I can’t believe my setup is done and it’s time to prepare for our last presentation.

END OF SEMESTER/UNI REFLECTION

Looking back at this semester, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Not because everything went perfectly, but because I stayed true to my intuition and saw my idea through to the end. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to work on a speculative project. There were moments where I questioned whether it was the ”right” choice, especially when faced with expectations of practicality or real-world applications. But deep down, I felt strongly about exploring a concept that provokes thought rather than solves a problem.

Although part of me wishes that the project could have extended into a more practical direction, perhaps supporting communities such as individuals who struggle with emotional expression, I have come to accept that not all projects need to be solutions. Some are meant to raise questions, create discomfort and spark reflection. And in that sense, I am proud of what this project has become.

Beyond the outcome itself, this semester marked significant growth in my practice.

When I first started, I was a complete novice in TouchDesigner and creative coding. The process was often frustrating, confusing and at times overwhelming. But over time, I became more comfortable navigating the software, experimenting with systems and thinking computationally. I am not expert but I can confidently say I am now much more capable and confident that when I first began.

More importantly, creative coding unlocked a new way of thinking for me. Before LASALLE, I would have likely stayed within more traditional mediums. I never imagined myself working with code, systems or interactive technologies. But through this course, I discovered a whole new dimension of design.

It is something I genuinely want to carry forward. I hope to continue exploring this intersection between design, interaction and computation, whether I am working as a creative technician or eventually teaching creative coding.

FINALLY...

To Andreas, thank you for your guidance, patience and honesty throughout this journey. Your feedback constantly pushed me to think deeper, refine my direction and stay grounded in my intentions as a designer.

And to my classmates, thank you for being there through the chaos, the troubleshooting and the many moments of uncertainty. Whether it was debugging code, giving feedback or simply sharing the experience in the studio till late nights, I would not have made it through this process alone.