We, the Universe

From September to December of this year, Don and I were honored to be involved with the Emily Carr University on Granville Island in Vancouver. We co-taught a class called Senior Core Studio, in which 4th year students get to work with a topic of their choice. The students had 12 weeks to take their projects from Concept to Completion. Our job was to listen, empathize, motivate and encourage.

There were so many great projects, so many great ideas, however there was one project that stood out because of its wonderful mixture of concept, imagery, narration and execution. The project was aptly titled “We, the Universe” by Ms. Maggie Chok. Believe it or not, the universe was just one or four areas that she was hoping to explore within her all encompassing topic.

Maggie set out to explore the physical and metaphorical implications of DEPTH that transcended traditional norms such as art and literature. In order to achieve this kind of reverence for life, Space was to be her mechanism. She created a series of four books that utilized unique philosophical and metaphorical devices to approach outer space: Matter, Forces, Scale and Perception. Her goal for each book was to illicit a sense of awe and wonder in whomever read through them. Mission accomplished.

Nuff said, have a look. All Images courtesy of Maggie Chok

~ tyukawa (We’re looking forward to our next opportunity at ECU in 2009)

GE Augmented Reality

I found something rather amazing when doing research for my Ideation 3 class in the Communication and Ideation Design program at Langara College. I stumbled upon a site for General Electric titled "Plug Into The Smart Grid". The site was designed by the talented crew at North Kingdom who continually push the envelope of creative online experiences.

The site leverages experiential design to educate the user on GE's commitment to Smart Grid technologies.But the real show stopper is the Augmented Reality component of the site. It allows you to see a digital hologram of Smart Grid technology literally in the palm of your hands. You really have to SEE it to BELIEVE it. Just follow the instructions and enjoy.

~tyukawa

Above Image (GE Ecomagination Website)