5-3 Individual page - Giovanni

This messy cluster of words shows my thought process as I tried to imagine the various different interactions a person might have when entering the Academy. Some interactions that came to my mind were people in the bathroom (touching doors, closed spaces, low hygiene), the stairs, the bridge, the piano and the cafeteria. My three choices after brainstorming were: spikes on objects people physically interact with everyday, a mannequin that occupies one of the two urinals (so to allow for only one person to go at the time) and the piano.

bringing the COVID 19 to a macroscopic level

no functionality, just impactful

raising awareness on how the virus behaves

putting spikes in the lift
not to kill people of course.
put the spikes in a way that only one person would fit quite snuggly.
spike it up

After having looked at my notes I noticed that the interfaces containg the spikes were mainly subdivded in to two different parts: symbols and guides. The symbolic interfaces were not as functional as they implicitly denied the use of an object (eg. a door handle covered in spikes) but, at the same time, were strong visual communicators for the people of the academy. The guidance spikes, on the other hand, were meant to actively change someones physical behaviuor (regarding the 1.5m distancing).

After considering what would be the most effective and useful interface for the academy (while keeping in mind the spikes), I have decided to focus my project mainly on the symbolic spikes.

My focus for this interface will be mainly on the symbolic spikes, where the spikes act as a macroscopic enlargement of the virus. These spikes will be placed on objects which are commonly touched (or come in contact) by the people of the academy. My intention, however, is not to harm anyone with the use of these spikes ( and implicitly cause a diffusion of the virus) but to warn people of the potential danger of the virus by keeping them alarmed. For this reason I have decided to isolate these spike-covered objects, similarly to some standalone symbolic installations, with the intent to continously remind the people of the academy. These installations will be also strategically placed around the building, so they will be able to have a greater impact on a specific audience and therefore be more effective. For example, a keyboard covered in spikes might not be as successful in the fashion station in the Wijnhaven building as it might be in the research lab in the Blaak building. Viceversa if we consider a spike-covered doorknob, it will result more impactful in the Wijnhaven classrooms than in the printmaking station in Blaak. These installations will also be accompanied by a breif statement to compliment and inhance the intent of the spikes.

wall - main entrance in Blaak
keyboard - main hall in Blaak (close to research lab)
chair - corridor in Wijnhaven building second floor (where the classrooms are)
door handle - classroom-focused locations in Blaak and Wijnhaven
hand rail - flat rail in Blaak

Wall (Blaak 10 main entrance)

The entrace to the Blaak building is always a busy and crowded people, thus meaning it is a perfect candidate for this interface. People mostly hang out there to smoke and to catch a break from the closed enviroment of the Academy. While catching a break or resting outside, people tend to lean on the outer brick wall of the building (both with their hands or with their body).

My intervention to this problem, one which might ultimately lead to the spreading of the virus, is to install two clear pvc panels (one on each side of the entrance) covered with sharp spikes in order to "scare" the user away and make them ultimately not want to lean on the wall. I believe that panels would be the ideal surface to nail the spikes to, making it easier to remove the interface and to avoid making permanent damage to the wall. Also, clear pvc panels give a better idea of unity between the wall and the nails, thus making the appearance of the interface much more impactful and realistic.

to spike up - where to put

Keyboard (Blaak hall, near the research lab, and second floor)

The bottom floor (research lab and print studio) and the second floor of the Blaak building are the most computer-dense areas in the building. This ovbiously implies the use of the computers in these locations, which translates to a lot of contact with the surroundings.

My interface for these locations is a computer keyboard, with nails or needles pointing upwards from every key, placed on a white small table and isolated from the crowd and other computers (but still visible). This interface would be aimed for the computer users and would remind them of the virus, its danger and its easy transmissibility. It would also encourage them to sanitize their hands before and after having used the keyboard based on the fear created by the interface.

Chair (corridors in Wijnhaven building: where the classrooms are)

Chairs are arguably one of the most touched objects in the Academy: academically, chairs, together with tables, define the standard concept of a classroom, thus making it unevitably one of the most touched objects. While the Blaak building is not as classroom-based, the Wijnhaven building is where the majority of the classrooms are focused, thus making it an ideal location for this interface.

Following my spike 'theory', my re-adaptation of the chair to enhance the presence of the COVID-19 and to raise its awareness would be a chair with spikes placed in the most commonly touched places (behind the back and underneath the bottom). This chair would be placed far from the other chairs, to avoid people sitting on it and getting hurt, but still be visible for the people going to class. This chair would hopefully encourage the users to not touch the chairs in the classrooms with their hands.

Door handle (more classroom -focused locations in the building)

Accessing all the different parts of the Academy and moving from one station to other is an everyday routine for all of us. For these reasons, the door, and more specefically its handle, is the main interface that allows to move from one room to another, also making it a very 'touched' object. Door handles however are more commonly used in classroom-focused areas such as the top floors on the Blaak building and most of the Wijnhaven building.

Similarly to the other interfaces, my version of the doorknob will act as a symbolic one, with very little actual functionality but a great visual impact. This doorknob will be covered in spikes and placed on a wall (even if you push the door handle down, it won't take you anywhere) at a safe distance from other real doors, so to not be mistakenly confused and utilized as such.

Hand rail (Blaak and Wijnhaven staircases)

Stairs are also one of the most commonly used interfaces of the Academy, making them essential to access all the different classrooms and stations. This implies that the hand rails, which are placed for support and protection, come in contact with many people everyday (also implied by the name itself, h a n d rail).

My interface for the hand rails in the Academy in relation to the COVID-19 is to cover a small section of the hand rails with spikes, as a reminder of the presence and the danger of the virus. These spikes will be placed both at the top and at the bottom of the stairs, with the intent to alert both users who are ascending or descending. The spikes will also be placed on the left side of the user. This is due to the fact that commonly people walk up/down the stairs on the right side. Placing on the spikes on the left then, alerts the user but avoids it getting hurt.

general characteristics for the interfaces:

-the main colour will be white (or transparent), with the intent of conveying a surgical and un-altered look to the interfaces, thus enhancing its impactfullness
- the interfaces will be accompanied by a breif text (or question) which intensifies and strengthens the interface