APD Week8 Play and Sound

Theme

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/1vJTwfiPo70

Play and sound

My response to this week’s theme is a white noise environment generator. Users can generate a environment they feel relax by filling the scene with illustrations. By dragging illustrations, users can compose a virtual environment surrounding by comfortable white noise to help them sleep or study. The volume of white noise is decide by the distance to center. In my response, sound is used a tool to compose an environment and also relaxing users.

Context

In this week, several amazing examples about creative way to use sound as a source to generate graphics are shown (like the Yomeci land by Uyen http://www.uyenng.com/you-me-the-city). The barcoder player (Made byEi Wada, aka Crab Feet ) is the one attracted me the most. It makes me started to think about the connection between graphics and sound. In the field of film and animation, normally sound is used as a tool to form atmosphere especially in horror or as sound effects. I usually listen white noise recordings to help with my sleep. White noise can give me a relaxing environment. However, sometimes it is really difficult to tell what it is from (like from radio, water or wind). Thus, I decided to make a generator allow people use visualization to compose their own white noise. It makes people easier to picture an environment they are sitting and relaxing. This response is a typical Paida form of play according to Caillo’s distinction (1961). In Sutton-Smith’s (2001) seven rhetorics, it belongs to play as self which is an experience of relaxation in this case. Another interesting concept claimed by Kottman (2010) is art supplies, games and play media can works as an approach of therapy for children. Similarly, my response with visualization and sound is working as a self-therapy tool to release stress and get relaxation. It explores the potential of play as a therapy approach or tool.

Method

First, I search and download high quality white noise from royalty free website. Those sound are the core of this response.

Second, visualization of those different white noise is made in Adobe illustrator as the vehicle of white noise. Thus users could compose sound by visualizing their scene.

Lastly, I programed the generator by unity. White noise are attached to illustration objects. A listener is set in the center so when an illustration is dragged away from center the volume will be turned down.

Reflection

There are couple of things could be better. The type of illustration and sound could be more to give users more options. In terms of visualization environment, illustrations could be made into animations. Scaling could be added to objects which will allow users have more control on visualization.

References

Caillois, R. (1961). Man, play, and games . Free Press of Glencoe.

Kottman, T. (2010). Play Therapy: Basics and Beyond. American Counseling Association.

Sutton-Smith, B. (2001). The ambiguity of play. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com