Visualising my Activity.



I've begun to visualise my every day activities, taking the privacy out of even the most mundane of things. I've used different shapes and lines and colours to represent different activities and used graphs to show the amount of time that things happened for. 
I've experimented with different ways of doing this, using different ways of charting, different shapes and compositions, also adding back shapes over the top to create another layer of information. 
I think doing this has really helped me to properly kick start how to visualise my concept, I think perhaps I need to play with visualising my information without the graphs and the numbers, so it is purely about the information, but it still remains in some form of order.





Nike FuelBand.

Nike FuelBand
http://store.nike.com/gb/en_gb/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-300/pid-683902/pgid-683903&cp=EUNS_KW_UK_Icons


The Nike FuelBand is an interesting concept, a device that records all your activity levels, fitness wise, to then motivate you to get fit and to set a weight loss goal.
This information can then be uploaded onto an app where you can then see your progress and link with your friends to see how they're doing and vice versa. 
Interestingly people are then willingly displaying information about themselves onto an app, who knows then where that information is being taken to and who has access to it. 

I'm Watch.


I'm Watch
http://www.imsmart.com/en/i-m-watch/overview

The I'm Watch I feel is a strange piece of technology, a watch that is connected to your phone, I'm not entirely sure why this as a piece of technology is needed as such, as if we already have a phone, why do we need a watch that tells us things the phone can? 
This new piece of technology can receive calls, emails, texts and use apps. You can also listen to music via the device. I'm not entirely sure why someone would constantly want or need to be alerted that someone was trying to contact them via their watch. 

Google Glass.


http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/20/a-detailed-look-at-the-google-glass-experience/

Looking into current technologies that are trying to become integral parts of peoples lives, I looked into 
Google Glass, which is basically carrying the internet around with you, by simply speaking into the set you can search Google, take a photo, record a video, send a message or get directions. 

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/20/a-detailed-look-at-the-google-glass-experience/

Combining Data Visuals.

Layering up different types of data to create a pattern, I think that some parts are quite effective, but perhaps other bits are too busy. I think that my prints perhaps need some form of structure, as if everything is together, there wouldn't be any way of deciphering what the data actually meant.





Data Prints.


I seem to have really struggled to get started with the visual element of this project properly, I think that i've been almost scared to try to start translating my own data.
 I took the recordings of my day to day activities and then assigned a colour, the amount of lines representing the times that activity was done or how long was spent doing it, a circle for each day. 
I also tried assigning a different shape to each activity. I feel that the circular data works a lot more effectively, creating an interesting visual. 
I'm glad I decided to try something extremely simple to begin my visuals as this has given me further ideas to develop with further. 


Rainbow Winters.

Thunderstorm- sound reactive dress

Picasso Explosion- sound reactive dress

Rainbow Winters is a designer who definitely utilises the possibilities for wearable technology 
creating some extravagant visual garments. Fashion and technology are becoming more intertwined with day to day life, reacting to your surroundings and what you interact with.
It could be interesting for me to think about what if the data I collect could change according to what you interacted with, or what environment you were in.


Water and Sun Reactive Dress

Illuminated Clothing- fibre optic woven fabric

Holographic Fabric

All images from http://www.rainbowwinters.com/

Wearable Computers.


I attended a workshop on Arduino technology to create wearable computers run by Rain Ashford. The workshop had all to do with coding and how to program the Lilypad, which I thought could be a really interesting insight into how technology can be used within clothing. 
The workshop was fairly tricky to get to grips with, especially as a lot of element of science were involved with creating circuits etc. The coding was also tricky, but I think could be something really worth while to look into at a later point perhaps for a future project.
We only covered basic coding to turn LEDS on and off and to flash at different speeds or to react with a sensor, but the uses for this technology could become far more complex. 





Craig Lawrence.

           





















Images from Sandstrom Style Keith Meatheringham / Dobson Agency.co.uk


http://style.mtv.co.uk/posts/201202/craig-lawrence-designs-dress-out-cables

Craig Lawrence was commissioned by Currys & PC World to design a dress made out of computer cables. The dress was hand knitted using 500m of Sandstrom HDMI cables. As part of my trend forecast I feel that technology is going to become more and more integral in our lives, and probably going to become something that is more and more involved in our clothing. Even though this dress isn't live, imagine if it was, and this dress was a wearable computer. If all future technological fashion could be as interesting as this piece, I'm sure it would take off in the future.

Craig Lawrence commented: “This has been a challenging but enjoyable project to work on. The Sandstrøm cables used to create this piece have really given the dress its natural, voluminous, structural form. Its texturised, multi-faceted exterior allows the finished piece to capture light in a way that isn’t too dissimilar to the reflective surface of sequins, while the multi-coloured wires encased in the cabling itself have been split up to add colour and depth to the overall dress.” 
http://style.mtv.co.uk/posts/201202/craig-lawrence-designs-dress-out-cables

                                                                                                                     
       
                                                                                     

Symbols of Privacy.




Playing around with the idea of symbolising privacy this week, masking off areas and distorting the face. 
I think perhaps these have taken me off on a slight tangent this week, as I mainly want to concentrate on the area of revealing data, and showing things aren't private anymore, so I think this could perhaps take my project in the opposite direction. It could be taken as looking into online personas and that you could be talking to anyone online and you wouldn't know. I'm not really sure I want to open that can of worms.
 I do however think that doing this has cleared up what I actually want my project to be about, and that is data, and showing peoples data in abstract patterns. 
I think that I can perhaps take forward some of the mark making I've used to cover up the photos, and also has made me think perhaps I could use the human form in some way in prints?








GPS Patterns.



I've started to layer up some of my GPS patterns together to create multiple layers of my journey. Each journey is represented by a different colour. 
I think these are quite simple to start with, but as a way of starting to create visuals I think they'll hopefully get the ball rolling for create more visuals to work with my data. 
Perhaps these could be used as possible backgrounds or combined with other imagery? 



Tutorial Notes.

Points taken from this weeks tutorial with Laura;
- not being able to control the internet
internet dating profile on a dress?
- continue with visual and data side
- perspective on reality
- warped perspective on reality
- why to people 'like' things on Facebook?
- viewing in different ways.
- different ways of monitoring
- abstract/representational
- what I want it to say?
- is it completely digital?
- a record of people doing/or just the data
- what digital perspective gadgets already exist?
- a recording of your activity
- something takes your activity and records.
- digital pollution- cleansing data
- not aware of the health risks, not healthy to be so involved in technology
- work through see where project needs to go
- think about combining visual with data
- digitally changes according to surroundings?

Points taken from the tutorial with Alex;
- making my information beautiful
- colour/size of shape
- allocate shape to each thing that i've done- colour to represent time
- symbols of privacy
- google maps, blurring
- Facial recognition
- black bands
- start playing
- get own imagery
- incorporating text
- cluttered through to relaxed
- switching off from data.

Day to day activity.

Over the past week I have decided to keep a day to day record of my daily activity, I recorded various information;
 Woke up:
Amount of times logged into Facebook:
Time spent on Facebook:
Time spend on the internet:
Cups of tea drank:
Time spent in university:
Time spent in the library:
Time spent on the bus:
Time spent eating:
Time spent chatting:
Time spent blogging:
Time spent researching:
Money spent:
Food eaten:
Soft drinks:
Television watched:
Bedtime:


Googling Myself.

I wanted to see how much of my information was readily available on the internet, I've personally only been online for about 7 years, but imagine if your entire life was online?
There's articles in the paper about people who have lost their jobs because of their Facebook activity or people who haven't been offered a job because of their Facebook account. 
We often readily put this information out there but in this technology driven world, people are going to have to become more and more savvy with what they actually put onto the internet, there is a lot more possibility for the past to come back and haunt you online. 

Google results;
- Blog posts
- Tagged posts on Facebook
- Facebook profile
- Twitter posts/posts tagged in
- UK home address
- Youtube account & videos I liked/commented on
- Activity streams on Creative Matchmaker
- An account i'd never signed up to on Wattpad
- Amazon wishlists
- Names database showing where I went to school
-  UK Manchester address
- Peopletracer
- A petition I'd signed
- A list of events I'd attended
- Link to my dads address
- Links to my blog on unknown website Craftkeys.com

A strange mix of information came up, a lot to do with tracing people and finding out people addresses,  which a lot seemed to have been generated by third party advertising, creating profiles and information through websites that I'd previously signed up to. When signing up to just general websites and online resources such as an online shopping website, you never really know who they're going to share your information with, and what that information is then going to be used for. 
It's a scary concept that you information can go anywhere, and anyone has the potential to be able to access it. 


Screenshot from google.

Tracking Journeys.






I decided to track myself via a GPS signal on my phone, there's so many apps available on phones to track your movements as well as other peoples. Often the apps are advertised as apps for parents tracking their children. I feel that as technology carries on progressing it will gradually become a 'big brother' nation, and technology will be in every possible aspect of our lives. 
Using the tracking app I recorded my journey for a week, the patterns created are abstract and expressive which I like, also starting to create some form of visuals. 









Information Is Beautiful.

                       Most Successful Rock Bands p220-221             Most Profitable Hollywood Stories 2007
                                                                                                                          p224-225

The One Machine- Map of the Internet p90-91

All images from Information is Beautiful by David McCandless

These ways of showing data and information are really inspiring and have definitely given me food for thought to push my project onwards. I think it's definitely important for my data to be abstract, so perhaps people could try and work the information out, but it wouldn't be easy to do so. 

Data Flow.



Literary Organism Poster p78


 News Knitter- Mahirm M. Yavus & Ebru Kurbak p 68/69     Typographic Body- Benoit Lemoine p158


Lux- Helmo. FR p114/115

Images from Data Flow- Visualising Information in Graphic Design

Looking through the Data Flow books I found some really inspirational imagery and ways of translating data into beautiful pattern. A lot of them if there had not been any information you wouldn't have know that the imagery actually represented any form of information. 
The News Knit piece I thought was especially relevant as I eventually translate any patterns I create onto some form of wearable. 


Random Walk The Visualisation of Randomness- Daniel Becker


 Visible Sound Sounds. Butter- Trikoton p115
                                                                                              Illinois:Visualising Music Vocal Album              
                                                             Grid- Jaz de Leon p57

Images  from Data Flow Visualising Information in Graphic Design 2.