Performative Media—Final Assignment
WEEK 9
Our group gave a presentation in class, and the teacher gave us some feedback.
He acknowledged that our technical direction is strong and that we already have a clear understanding of the interaction flow and touch-based logic. The prototype successfully demonstrates the main interactions, showing that our foundation is solid. He also appreciated our awareness of space, lighting, and materials, especially considering that we are working within a small installation area. However, he reminded us that projection visuals may be weakened by bright lighting, so we need to carefully decide whether to prioritize projection or shift toward lighting-based visual expression. He suggested exploring DMX lighting, explaining that even small and affordable fixtures can create layered and atmospheric effects. Moving forward, he encouraged us to enhance our visual presentation, further evaluate the relationship between light and space, and refine our installation sketches. Overall, he believes our direction is right and that with stronger visual strategy and lighting design, the project will become even more compelling.
After the presentation, we discussed the final design and the effects we wanted to achieve in Touch Designer.
There are approximately five effects in Touch Designer:
1. Blizzard
2. Blizzard weakening (controllable by moving both hands up and down)
3. Snow slowly melting into water (can be controlled by extending and lowering your hand)
4. Spring gradually arriving (controllable by opening and closing your hand)
5. Spring's revival (controllable by different hand gestures)
The teacher then explained the equipment usage and spatial planning requirements for the upcoming final assignment. The teacher also provided numerous specific suggestions regarding the narrative and spatial experience of the presentation, drawing on past student work.
1. Exhibition Space and Usage Arrangements
The instructor explained that this exhibition will utilize the white-walled space and tower-like structure within the same area of GFED.
In previous years, the exhibition would last approximately 7–10 days, but due to time constraints, this year it will only be on display for 3 days. During the exhibition, students will take turns guarding the artworks, explaining the concepts, and ensuring equipment safety. This is a crucial part of experiencing the real industry process.
2. Equipment Usage and Laptop Issues
All interactive content requires a laptop for playback. Therefore, each group needs to decide whose laptop will be used for the presentation or borrow one from the school. However, borrowing a laptop requires someone to be present and supervise the equipment throughout the presentation.
Furthermore, the instructor repeatedly emphasized the importance of pre-conference testing to avoid issues such as sensor malfunctions or playback failures.
3. Professional Requirements for the Presentation
The instructor showcased many outstanding works from previous years, emphasizing several points:
Physical elements are essential; it cannot rely solely on the screen.
The work needs to possess narrative, visual logic, and an experiential connection to space.
Simple sketches drawn up on the last night are unacceptable; it must undergo genuine thought, design, and testing.
The instructor repeatedly reminded:
"The final presentation is your first portfolio card in the industry."
Through the teacher's explanation, we gained some new initial ideas. Regarding the end-of-term assignment, we drew a simple sketch and showed it to the teacher.
We proposed a system consisting of three screens, ground reflective materials, and dynamic lighting:
The central screen: Presents more detailed dynamic winter visuals (e.g., snowflake particles, blizzards, etc.).
The side screens: Use more abstract, softer colors and prism/mirror-like refraction to create atmosphere.
Ground reflective materials: Place low-profile reflective surfaces to refract the image into the space, enhancing immersion.
Spatial lighting: Consider using subtle, low-brightness LEDs or DMX lights to create a sense of flowing light on the ground.
The goal is to present a semi-enclosed "winter emptiness" experience, allowing viewers to feel the "absent season" within a calm and gentle visual environment.
Teacher's feedback on our ideas
The teacher shared that our overall direction is promising, especially the idea of using layered visuals, reflective materials, and seasonal emotions, but emphasized that the project needs to move beyond technical sketches and become a fully imagined spatial experience. He encouraged us not to abandon our lighting ideas too quickly, explaining that subtle LED or DMX lighting on the floor could give our installation a more unique and immersive atmosphere, as long as it stays within our technical ability. At the same time, he stressed that our next sketches should not look like technical diagrams but instead clearly communicate the experience and mood we want visitors to feel—something that immediately makes people understand the “winter world” we are trying to create. The teacher also reminded us that a successful installation must include real physical components, not just screens; the reflective surfaces, spatial arrangement, and interactive elements must be designed intentionally and integrated into the narrative. He emphasized the importance of early testing, especially for reflection, lighting, and any sensors, so that we avoid issues like visuals not triggering or lights not working during the exhibition. He asked us to prepare a complete materials and equipment list, think about carefully cables and power, and produce clearer spatial layout diagrams. He hopes that by next week we will have sketches or simple 3D visuals that truly “sell the idea” and allow others to visualize the atmosphere we are aiming for. Overall, his feedback encourages us to refine our concept into something more visually convincing, technically grounded, and experientially strong.
The teacher posted two things on Times, which I will complete by next Friday.
I completed the weekly to-do list that the teacher assigned this week.
weekly to-do list
WEEK 10
This lesson mainly focuses on the final exhibition, assignment requirements, timeline, concept refinement, technical planning, and teamwork.
The teacher emphasized the following key points:
1. Overall Arrangement of the Final Exhibition
• Exhibition Dates: December 19th (Evening Opening) – December 21st (Sunday Half-Day)
• Starting December 12th, space measurement, testing, and setup will begin at GF/TV.
• Each student will need to participate in a half-hour shift during the exhibition.
• The final presentation will be held on December 26th, including a review, reflection, and report on the exhibition.
2. Assignment Requirements and Deliverables
The instructor reminds students to complete the following:
• Artist Description/Concept Statement: 3–6 sentences, clearly explaining the concept, experience, and emotional goals of the work.
• Supporting Document: Includes the production process, concept development, sketches, technical explanations, etc.
• Exhibition Video and Photos: To be taken at the exhibition site for the final presentation.
• Reflection: Includes learning points, challenges encountered during the production process, observations on the day of the exhibition, and areas for improvement.
3. Concepts Need Refinement and Alignment
The teacher pointed out:
• Most groups' stories and inspirations were interesting, but the concepts were not yet fully clear and needed more focus.
• The work needs to clearly express in one sentence:
"What will the audience see, do, and feel in the work?"
• The concept must match the interactive methods, materials, and technical logic of the actual installation.
• This week's task is to narrow down the concepts to a clear and actionable direction.
4. Technical and Structural Planning
The teacher emphasized that the next stage will be actual physical production, so it is necessary to:
• Decide on materials (lightweight, easy to construct, safe)
• Determine the structural stability and installation method
• Develop a technical plan for the sensors, projections, and interactive logic
• Bring materials to school next week to start building the prototype.
5. Exhibition Space Usage Instructions
• Make full use of the exhibition space for measurement and testing.
• Especially for projections, lighting, wiring, and spatial circulation.
• Pre-exhibition setup time is limited, so advance planning is crucial.
In class, our group filled out the Exhibition Supervision Sign-Up Sheet, and we chose 1 PM on the 20th.
The teacher asked us to complete concise and effective art descriptions in class and then provide feedback.
Concise and effective art description document
We not only showed the teacher concise and effective artistic descriptions, but also some of the things I did on TouchDesign, including my art installation sketches and some example photos.
The teacher gave us some feedback：
1. The interactive effects have great potential, but need to be more relevant to the theme.
• Our gesture-based particle effects are beautiful, but they don't quite resemble "snow" (if you want to represent snow or a seasonal theme).
• The concept can be adjusted to make the visuals more consistent with the narrative.
2. A clear 3–6 sentence description of the artwork is required.
• The teacher emphasizes writing a concise but clear art description.
• He will use the description to determine whether the actual installation matches the concept.
3. A More Practical Choice of Structure and Materials
• Our initial ideas of using wire, CDs, circular structures, and hanging objects were good, but the teacher reminded us:
• The structure needs to be sturdy and safe.
• The materials must be lightweight.
• The construction method must be able to be completed within a limited time.
• We suggest you refer to Christmas decorations, bubble balls, and lightweight materials to create the hanging objects.
4. Floral/scent interactions are also acceptable, but must remain consistent with the concept.
• If you choose to include scent elements, ensure they don't conflict with the main interaction.
• The teacher approves of this direction but reminds you to maintain overall consistency.
5. The artwork sketches need to be more complete.
• The teacher wants to see a clearer, more standardized presentation sketch (top view + side view).
• Especially the placement of the installation, the direction of the projection, and how the audience enters.
6. The overall direction is good, in the teacher's opinion.
• The teacher said our group has good visuals, good interactive effects, and good ideas.
• But the key is to finalize the concept this week.
Based on the teacher's feedback, we made improvements in class, optimizing the sketch section.
We optimized the sketch and then performed spatial modeling in Blender.
The teacher reviewed our improvements and provided feedback：
The instructor felt our story and design direction were quite clear, even taking shape last week. He particularly praised our design approach and thought placing the installation near human height was appropriate, as long as the props could be easily transported to GMDB. He suggested maintaining an overall footprint of approximately 1m x 1m, with the height adjustable. He also appreciated that we clearly marked the interactive areas, as this helps viewers understand "where to interact."
Regarding the presentation method (projection or screen), the instructor said both were acceptable, but he cautioned against a flat projection surface. He encouraged us to extend, envelop, or add spatial layers to the structure, rather than simply projecting onto a flat surface. He also inquired about our material considerations and suggested continuing to think about how materials could support the overall effect.
Overall, the instructor thought our current direction was excellent and without major issues; we just needed to continue refining the projection/screen structure, material selection, and transportability.
We had an online group discussion over the weekend about our ideas and a list of materials we wanted to buy for our art installation.
The list I wrote in class before
After that, we chose the items we wanted to buy together and made a form.
We continued purchasing materials. Xinli and I bought some materials at the mall: tape, artificial flowers, and borrowed tweezers from a friend to wind the wire. I found some leftover cardboard boxes at home to make the floor, which we then covered with paper.
Shaiba bought some snow scene materials from ArtFriend: snowballs of different sizes, snowflakes, LED strips, and artificial snow. Later, she bought green washi tape and snowflake-shaped crystal prisms online.
WEEK 11
This week's focus was mainly on the creation of physical installations, interactive testing, material preparation, and direction confirmation. Because the exhibition date (December 19th) is very close, the teacher emphasized that we must keep moving forward in the coming weeks, focusing our time on actual construction and integration.
We showed the teacher the materials we were preparing, including artificial flowers, snowballs, LED strips, wire, and nylon cable ties. The teacher suggested that we continue to use more natural and refined artificial flowers and readily available materials. At the same time, the teacher reminded us not to rely solely on the irregular, curved shape of the wire as the main structural support; the structure must be more stable, and both materials and design should be considered simultaneously.
We also showed the teacher the sketches of the installation. The teacher felt that while the overall direction was clear, the sketches, though somewhat rudimentary, required a clear and defined structure. The teacher encouraged us to begin building the sculptural structure as soon as possible, as only by actually starting could the teacher accurately assess the final effect. The teacher also emphasized the need to continue refining the materials list and ensure all tools and materials were readily available to avoid problems with rushing the process later.
The teacher reviewed our progress on TouchDesigner and found that our current tracking method was inaccurate, especially in the silhouette (figure outline) area, causing unstable results. He suggested we consider not necessarily using full-body tracking and try simpler, more stable interaction methods, such as using only hand gestures, or changing the design to make the visual response more natural.
When discussing the visual representation of seasonal changes, the teacher agreed that our direction was correct, but the current effects of leaves, branches, and the "snow → spring" transition were not concrete enough. He reminded us that we needed to think about more reasonable transition methods, as simply changing colors might not be enough for the audience to understand the concept of "winter to spring." He suggested we test more visual changes to make the seasonal feel of the installation clearer.
The teacher also mentioned that our current structural design was too "geometric" and not natural enough. He suggested we soften the combination of flowers and branches, avoiding making the installation look like a collection of harsh lines. Furthermore, he reminded us to pay attention to the feel and texture of the materials, choosing materials more suitable for representing natural elements.
The teacher also showed us examples related to TouchDesigner.
Overall, the teacher affirmed our efforts and felt that we had prepared a lot of materials; all that was needed was to "assemble" them. He reminded us not to be overly nervous or get bogged down in the details, emphasizing the importance of continuous testing and adjustments. Finally, the teacher asked us about our equipment and microphone and reminded us to send him the official materials list for follow-up.
During class, we had a group discussion. After receiving feedback from the teacher, we continued to optimize the shape and structure of our device. We had a new idea: while the initial concept remained the same, we wanted to refine the shape of the simple, irregularly curved wire structure by wrapping it with cotton to make it fuller. We added flowers and snow-like decorations to echo our theme of winter to spring.
We purchased the remaining materials: crepe paper, wire, and cotton. Later, we updated the complete materials list.
During class, I incorporated our new ideas into the sketch. I drew a new sketch and gave the teacher feedback, which he said was very good.
The teacher generally liked our hand-drawn design, praising the structure and material concepts. He suggested that we didn't necessarily need to strictly distinguish between winter and spring, but rather blend the two seasons, allowing flowers and snow to appear simultaneously to increase visual interest.
He reminded us that our equipment and materials were almost ready, and that we should start actual production as soon as possible. He explained that transforming a drawing into a real installation would present many new challenges that could only be solved through hands-on experience. He also emphasized that we needed to go to the site next Friday, so completing a portion of the finished product earlier would reduce stress and allow for immediate on-site testing. Finally, the teacher asked me to send him the sketch in PNG or JPG format.
Before classes begin this week, we will set aside a day for group discussions and simple material preparation and assembly.
Shaiba built a structural model, but found that it couldn't stand up, wasn't aesthetically pleasing, and couldn't support the external materials.
We need to choose some different materials. I saw online that aluminum-plastic composite pipes can be erected, and some people use this material to make devices, so we decided to buy aluminum-plastic composite pipes.We placed the order online.
WEEK 12
This week, our teacher took us to see the space we used for our finals at GMBB. Our group has three rooms, and we're in GM5-47.
We tried running the projector and the TouchDesigner document we created on the laptop in the room.
The teacher reviewed our TouchDesigner documentation and gave some feedback: the teacher said we need to enhance the snow effect and further enrich the animations.
We showed our device sketch to the teacher, who said there were no problems and everything was fine. The teacher suggested that when building, we could first create a structural framework for the cotton so that the cotton would look better. When placing the cotton, we should follow design principles and not just put it in randomly. We plan to do this after the aluminum-plastic composite pipes arrive, as they are the main structural element.
WEEK 13
This week is quite busy, as our exhibition will be held from Friday to Sunday.
The teacher sent some messages on WhatsApp:
Regarding the final exhibition, the location will be on the third floor, section A (3A) of GMBB. The main reason is that this area has high foot traffic, making it easier for the works to be seen by the public. Due to space limitations, prolonged construction on floor 3A is not allowed during the exhibition; therefore, all equipment adjustments and setup must be completed within the designated time slots. Setup time is scheduled from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Thursday, and after 8:00 PM; Friday morning from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM is for final testing and calibration.
The teacher emphasized the importance of clearly presenting the works themselves and the audience experience. The teacher explained that we no longer need to prepare complex exhibition description documents; a short description of each work (3-5 sentences) is sufficient. This description will be used in the final exhibition and will be printed out and placed next to the works to help viewers quickly understand the concepts and interactive methods.
The exhibition will be open to the public from Friday to Sunday, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily. Friday evening, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, is the opening night, and all students must attend to introduce their work to the audience. The teacher stated that this is a crucial segment for the artworks to interact with the public.
During the exhibition, we will also be responsible for supervising the exhibition. On Saturday and Sunday, each student will be on duty for one hour to ensure the smooth operation of the artworks and maintain order. Compared to the original arrangement, the teacher has shortened the supervision time from 1.5 hours to 1 hour to reduce the burden on students. After class on Friday, the teacher will remain on-site to assist and observe; students can choose whether to stay.
After the exhibition, Sunday evening from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM is the designated dismantling time. All students must be present to dismantle the artworks, tidy up the equipment, clean the venue, and restore the exhibition space to its original condition.
Finally, the teacher confirmed that the final class and final presentation of this course will be held on January 2nd. All final work files must be submitted by 11:59 PM that evening, including the Supporting Document (PDF), Final Presentation Slides (PDF), a 30–60 second installation demonstration video, and TouchDesigner working files.
On Tuesday of this week, we went to GMBB to work on our group's installation project.
Production process
We first made the aluminum-plastic pipe to the structure we wanted, and then arranged the cotton, the flowers we made, and the artificial flowers.
We first made the device on the long side of the left side：
After that, we started attaching cotton and flowers to the aluminum-plastic pipe.We must follow the design principles when shaping it.
Final product
We'll work on the shorter side on the right next
We plan to use the irregularity and similarity of snowballs to build.
Final product
Thursday, December 18th (Week 13):
Xinli and I completed the task of moving our equipment from the fifth floor to the 3A floor in the morning. We discovered that the other side of our equipment had broken during the move, and further setup and repairs were required.
In the afternoon, Obata and Shaiba completed further optimizations of our device at GMBB, and device testing using the Touch Designer document.
Shaiba recorded a video on site about our final project
On Friday, December 19th (Week 13):
We had our final test for our final project.
I recorded another video of our final project at the venue
Final Project Image
Our group photo
On Saturday, December 20th, week 13:
Xinli and I completed a one-hour task supervising the GMBB exhibition and finished the final work of powering off and locking the doors.
On Sunday, December 21st (Week 13):
We went to GMBB to remove the equipment and restore the site.
WEEK 15
We gave our final presentation this week.
Presentation PPT
Self-Reflection
In the final assignment of this Performative Media course, I deeply experienced the learning and challenges of the entire process, from concept formation and interactive design to spatial experience construction. Through this project, I not only consolidated my technical implementation skills but also re-examined my growth and shortcomings in media expression and experience design.
First, I realized that technical foundation is only the starting point for a work to function; the real key is how to present a clear and meaningful experience. From initially implementing interactive effects in TouchDesigner to later conceiving the visual narrative of "winter to spring," I gradually realized that there must be a closer connection between technology, visuals, and narrative. Interaction must not only be "usable" but also "meaningful." For example, we designed multiple controllable particle effects, but whether these visual changes truly conveyed emotions and experiences made me reflect on the need to improve my sensitivity to media language.
Second, the teacher's feedback made me realize the importance of spatial design and visual strategies. With the teacher's suggestions, I began to rethink the relationship between light sources, materials, and spatial layout, understanding the limitations of projection under different ambient lighting conditions and how to compensate for this with lighting and reflective materials. This process made me realize that my visual strategy planning for the overall expression of my work is still immature, and I need more practice to improve my aesthetic judgment and spatial thinking abilities.
Secondly, this task made me realize the importance of teamwork and communication. Communication is not only about confirming task assignments, but also about reaching a shared visual and narrative consensus. Through continuous discussion, we gradually clarified the atmosphere the work wanted to convey and the logic of participant interaction, which also made me reflect on my shortcomings in team communication: sometimes I focused too much on technical details and neglected to clearly communicate my experiential ideas to other members. This is one of the areas I need to improve in the future.
Finally, this course assignment also made me reflect on my identity as a media creator. I realized that media is not a neutral technical tool, but a vehicle for expression that can change the perception and emotions of participants. How to better resonate with the audience through media, rather than just making it "fun," will be my goal for the next stage of learning. Through repeated revisions and teacher feedback in this project, I improved my reflective abilities and learned to evaluate my direction and choices in real time during the creative process.
In summary, this final assignment in Performative Media not only honed my technical skills in interactive media production but also deepened my understanding of the relationship between space, narrative, and experience design. I've also identified areas I need to strengthen in the future, such as visual strategy planning, media storytelling abilities, and communication skills. I look forward to translating these reflections into more solid creative practice in future projects.
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