Animated Conversations: Creating a system of dialectic, gestural, emotive micro-interactions to augment virtual conversations

Workshop Leaders: Dr. Mark Bradford & Andre Murnieks

Description:

“We are our movements; therefore, the knowledge we have of ourselves is inseparable from the sense we have of our movements” (Ingold, 2011).

Small actions are important: our mindset, our words, our acts from one moment to the next establishing us in relation to others. The world is understood through arrays of activities, practices diffused across social space and time and performed by individuals moving through them, from place-to-place, in distinct moments in socially productive ways. Animated gestural conversations allow us to conceptualize the co-creative possibilities of collective contexts. 

A taxonomy of abstracted, threaded movement acts can capture points of view involving actions, practices, interactions, activities, (inter)actions, reactions, human activity, and social practices. Through a series of group activities, demonstrations and discussions, students will seek to co-design a series of animated glyphs to convey attitudes, reactions, and feelings as conversational support in a deprived virtual setting. The group will attempt to finalize the system as a singular taxonomy to aid in virtual conversations with an emphasis on sharing creativity and critique.

Required Tools, Materials, Equipment & Software

In addition to a computer with preferred illustration and animation software, participants will need: (1) mobile device with front and rear-facing cameras; (2) Zoom app installed; (3) willing to explore objects and spaces in your interior or exterior environment; (4) earphones for your mobile device (recommended in noisy places); and (5) connection to high-speed WiFi network (recommended or expendable data).

Fees

Participation in this workshop is free for students and 160NZD (approx. 95EUR / 115USD / 430PLN) for professionals. Have questions? Please email our event organiser at exhibition2021@motyf-festival.com

Professional tickets are on sale now. Student tickets will go on sale March 31, 2021 at 9:00PM (NZDT) / 9:00AM (CET).

Workshop Leaders

Dr. Mark Bradford is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Massey University, College of Creative Arts, Ngā Pae Māhutonga Wellington School of Design in New Zealand. Mark has a PhD in Business from Massey Business School [MFA?]. His interdisciplinary research investigates how design(ing) action is increasingly enacted relationally between people. Through his PhD research process – inspired by the Japanese martial art of Aikidō – he designed the ‘BeWeDō® framework.’ BeWeDō is a unique way of enabling people to feel heard through designing inclusive spaces where physical movement amplifies thinking, enriches exchange and transforms conversations into action. Everyone’s voice matters!

EMAIL: m.j.bradford@massey.ac.nz mark@bewedo.com

WWW: https://creative.massey.ac.nz/ www.bewedo.com

TW: @BeWeDo

Andre Mūrnieks is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Massey University, New Zealand focusing on motion and interaction design. Andre has a Master of Fine Arts in Design and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from The Ohio State University. As a form of applied research, Andre’s project and scholarly work explores the implementation of human-centered approaches to interaction design with particular emphasis on the narrative of digitally mediated user experiences, often through the use of motion as a methodology for discovery, presentation, and visual communication. He hosts the biennial conference, Motion Design Education Summit (MODE), and authored the chapter Navigating VOX/UI: The Integration of Motion in a Voice-Controlled Information System in the book The Theory and Practice of Motion Design. www.andremurnieks.com

IG: andremurnieks

TW: @andre_murnieks

LI: linkedin.com/in/andremurnieks

About Motyf 2021

This workshop is presented as part of the Motyf Festival 2021.

Motyf is an International Symposium and Media Art Exhibition that explores current and future forms of interactive and motion typography expressed through art, design, space and technology. The theme of the 2021 Festival is “Communicating Complexity” and will broadly explore how the elements and principles of visual, motion and interactive design can be leveraged within sequential, interactive, spatial or experiential works to authentically inform our understanding of society, elucidate complex concepts, or aid in the communication of data. Please visit the Motyf 2021 Website for more information about our workshops, symposium and exhibition.