Consume Now Think Later - IAT 445 Project Installation April 26, 2007

posted: april 26. 2007

Project Website: www.consumenow.com
Project Brochure - Download PDF

“Consume Now Think Later” is an interactive art installation/exhibition that addresses issues surrounding the environment. The structure of the installation will comprise of four distinct areas; three of which will provide tasks related to consumption, pollution and urban sprawl. The fourth space acts as a centralized area where data collected from the first three spaces generates visual feedback, showing the participants how their choices affect the environment.

This project is part of an ongoing class in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at SFU Surrey. The course is called Immersive Environments (IAT445). It started in Stanford and it is now in it's consecutive 5th year here at SFU. The members of the class (under the mentorship of instructor Steve DiPaolo) co-conceive of one innovative public project and work as a large organized production team to create a strong, original, shared final project.

The class was highlighted in the SFU President's Report (2003) on innovations in 'Unconventional Learning'. It also received a major article in the 'Chronicle of Higher Education' and was the subject of published articles on emergent learning and collaborative design such as ACM SIGGRAPH Education publications.

The “Consume Now Think Later” project was presented live on Thursday April 26th, 8:15am at Fraser Heights Secondary School.



INTERVIEW / April 18, 2007 with Alex Cotoranu, Student and Marketing Manager for “Consume Now Think Later” project.

What are the objectives and future plans for this project?

The primary purpose is to create discourse between students, designers and environmental activists, and collect feedback in order to find ways to further develop the project. The secondary objective is to create awareness of environmental issues. By making this a live installation we take it from being a theory to an interactive tool.

What technologies were used in the development of this project?

The programming language max MSP, which allows for real-time interaction and connectivity between spaces; 3D software including Autodesk and Maya; Photoshop to process images; videocameras and digital cameras; a fog machine; analogue electrical circuitry and sensors to detect human interaction.

The team consists of 45 students. It must be challenging to mobilize and coordinate such a large team. What has this project taught you personally?

I’ve learned a lot about team dynamics and how to resolve issues. Communication and organization are key, and everything is inter-related - all things affect each other.

What is your career goal and how will this project help you and others on the team to achieve your goals?

That’s a funny question. It always changes as I learn new things and pick up new skills. I think I would like to run my own design firm, or work for another design firm. In general I would like to use the design process I’ve learned here and apply it accross various fields. This diversity keeps your mind and skills fresh and active, and you aren’t limited to highly repetitive work. I like SIAT for this reason, you learn the process, develop practical skills, and when you go on to your career you should be able to apply the process to different fields.

What does Interactive Arts and Technology mean to you?

Studying Interactive Arts and Technology means being able to express myself creatively accross different media from analogue to digital (video, prototyping, sketching, web, audio etc). It’s great because rather than specializing, you explore all these different fields. It opens opportunities in many domains, and you might discover things you hadn’t considered before. For example I thougth 3D animation and programming were beyond me, but now I know they’re not.

How big of a role does ‘design’ play in your studies?

Design is very associated with our studies. We use the underlying design process (research, going through iterations and trying to solve a problem) regardless of the task. It‘s not trial and error, it’s about gatehring knowledge, formulating different possible outcomes, slecting the best one and developing then presenting it. This is a simplified explanation, but you can apply design to any system, task or problem.

Do you see designers, technologists and artists as having an important impact on culture?

Yes. Culture always changes and shifts. You can’t always apply the same solution. With each generation there are different issues and technologies, and we need to find new methods to adapt and use these in an evolving process. We as designers and media specialists can be pioneers of the new methods.

What advice can you offer to high school students considering studying in the Interactive Arts and Technology program?

You can explore any problem using the philosophy/ method we’re using in our Consume Now project, and you can impact change in the world.