by sara.waldenberger -

Proto01 // Three Prototypes

Hello hello Blog! I’ve missed you <3
In today’s Blog post I will present the three quick and dirty prototypes I made for Birgit’s class a few weeks ago. The assignment was to focus on making something very fast (20 mins if I remember correctly) and bring one of the prototypes to class for a fun speed dating task where we could show each other our weird creations.

The Pomodoro Timer

I struggle A LOT with staying focused on tasks and shifting from task to task trying to do things simultaneously even though it does not work like that. Funnily enough I started writing this post while I was on the finishing line of a work project. Instead of just taking 10 more minutes on the work thing and being done with it I decided naaaah, I’ll start something new (while still thinking about the work thing stressing out about it). Aaaanyway I’ve tried many different focus methods but the one that works best for me is using a Pomodoro Timer.

The Pomodoro Timer is a time management technique where you break down all of your tasks into 25 minute blocks of focused time. Between each time block, there is a five minute break. It’s simple, effective and very easy to implement because you can literally just set a timer on your phone. Of course there are many different apps, youtube videos and physical timers to help with this method. Personally I love the Ultimate Focus app on my iPad next to me while I’m working.

I really love seeing the time go down and how fun it is to drag the red part (= time) around. But I kind of hate that it’s on a screen and that I can’t input the task I’m trying to focus on in text on the screen.

I’ve started looking into physical timers (like the big one we have at FH) for my desk but of course I want it to look cute and I haven’t found one yet that I liked. Soooo I thought I could use it for my prototype. Wow that was a long introduction to this very simple concept. I promise the others will be shorter.

So this is what I came up with. I really would like my hypothetical timer to have chunky physical buttons so that is what I focused on to visualize in this first prototype.

The Tea Bar

My roommates and I drink lots of Tea but I don’t really like how we are currently storing them. I would love to have them displayed on the wall and have easy access to them. Also, sometimes I can’t decide which tea I would like to drink so in my prototype I added one box for a random tea. I also added a honey dispenser and a drip tray to the tea bar.

The Blood Donation Feature

For my master’s thesis I would like to create a concept for an e-health application. This prototype is a scribble of one possible feature of the application. A simple form to register for donating blood.

by julia.steinle -

#1 EXPERIMENT: Typewriter Art

At my grandparents house I started restoring an old rusty typewriter. It took a while until I had all the parts moving again (WD40 helped a lot) and I figured out how to format a document. After some basic sentences I finally started experimenting creatively with it.

The Experiment

As typewriters are artifacts from a time before personal computers, I do not want to revive them in them in a way that they were intended to be used. Which is why I came up with my own idea to create small chicks and bunnies with the limited signage that is offered.

Artist research and inspiration

A glimpse into my idea development and research

The result

I must admit I imagined this to be way easier, but after this my fingers really hurt and I am not sure if my neigbours hate me or not, because typing is actually really loud… So after 1/3 of this A4 page I gave up on the planned pattern and decided to iterate.

Resources:

by dorota.bicarova -

Review of a NIME paper

“Listening to the Climate” : A Reflection on ClimaSynth

Climate change has become an overwhelming topic, often measured in numbers, graphs, and satellite images. But what if we could hear its effects instead? That’s the core question behind ClimaSynth, a web-based sonic interface developed by Eleni-Ira Panourgia, Bela Usabaev, and Angela Brennecke. Their paper, presented at NIME 2024, explores how environmental perception can be enhanced through real-time audio interaction, using granular synthesis to sonify future climate scenarios.

As someone researching the intersections of sound, interaction design, and environmental awareness, I found ClimaSynth to be both conceptually rich and technically compelling.

Link to a pdf: ClimaSynth: Enhancing Environmental Perception through Climate Change Sonic Interaction

Where ClimaSynth Shines

ClimaSynth isn’t just a tech demo, it’s a poetic instrument. Users interact with environmental recordings through a minimalistic web interface, manipulating sounds that morph depending on climate data and speculative futures. For instance, a serene “birds near water” recording can gradually transform into insect-heavy textures, mimicking a sonic shift tied to rising temperatures and drought. These transformations are not just aesthetic, they’re emotional cues for users to reflect on environmental degradation.

The choice to make ClimaSynth a web application is a smart one. It emphasizes accessibility, allowing anyone with a browser to engage with the experience, regardless of device or platform. This aligns beautifully with the ethos of broadening climate awareness beyond academia and into more public, participatory domains.

Another aspect I appreciated was how the team uses climate storytelling prompts in the interface. These small bits of narrative—like “trees readjusting their flexibility”—help ground the abstract sound manipulations in relatable ecological imagery. It’s a great example of how interface design can nudge user interpretation without being didactic.

Also worth highlighting is a thoughtful and often overlooked section: the ethical standards. The authors openly acknowledge the environmental cost of building web and cloud-based tools—specifically their energy demands and carbon footprint. It’s refreshing to see this kind of transparency and accountability in a digital art and research project. They even reflect on how publishing the app on GitHub (a platform supporting sustainable software practices) contributes to a more positive “handprint.” This attention to how the work is made—not just what it does—adds another layer of credibility and care to the project.

Where the Paper Left Me Wondering

While the system and concept are well-executed, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a gap in understanding who exactly ClimaSynth is for. Is it a tool for public engagement? An artistic instrument? An educational platform? The authors mention “communicating climate change impacts,” but more clarity around the target audience or use-case scenarios could strengthen the work’s purpose.

Defining a user persona or community—whether that’s students, environmental activists, museum visitors, or musicians—might guide future iterations and also offer pathways for more impactful deployment. For example, if ClimaSynth is intended to foster awareness among high school students, it might benefit from a more guided interface or educational context. If it’s for artists, perhaps more export and remix functionality would be useful.

Similarly, I’m curious how ClimaSynth would perform in a collaborative or public setting. Could this be scaled into an installation? Could multiple users interact with it simultaneously? Could it be a live performance tool? These are all exciting possibilities that hint at ClimaSynth’s potential, but aren’t fully explored in this first prototype.

Final Thoughts

Overall, ClimaSynth is an inspiring step forward in the space where sonic interaction meets climate awareness. It reminds us that listening is a powerful way of knowing—and that sound can be both data and emotion, fact and feeling. In an age where climate anxiety often paralyzes, interactive tools like ClimaSynth offer a more intuitive, embodied way to reconnect with the world around us—and imagine what it might become.

As the project evolves, I’d love to see deeper engagement with users, clearer audience intentions, and expanded sonic possibilities. But as it stands, ClimaSynth is a meaningful addition to the growing field of eco-acoustic design.

by elina.dorzhieva -

First Lo-Fi Prototype

Prototyping Something I Actually Needed: A DIY Card Holder

Prototyping doesn’t always have to be about complex mechanisms or perfectly rendered 3D models. Sometimes, it’s about solving a real problem in a clever, quick, and personal way. That’s exactly what I did when I created my first low-fidelity prototype: a custom card holder made from an old makeup bag.

The Problem

Like many people living in student housing, I rely on an access card to enter my dorm. The problem? I kept forgetting it or misplacing it. I wanted something that made it easier to carry my card—something I could simply wear around my neck, so I’d always have it on me. And if it could look nice too, even better.

The Prototype

To create the card holder, I used what I had at home. The back piece is cut from a light blue plastic makeup bag—a resin-type material I chose specifically because it’s semi-rigid, waterproof, and still allows a card chip to be read through it.

For the front, I used the transparent part of the bag, which features small printed illustrations of people swimming. I loved how it looked—playful, bright, and just a little bit surreal. It added a fun visual layer to something that could easily be purely utilitarian.

To make the card holder wearable, I punched two holes and tied a pink ribbon I found among my accessories. It’s soft, slightly shiny, and gives the piece a gentle, decorative touch.

User Testing (aka Class Feedback)

We had a feedback session in class, and it was both helpful and encouraging. First of all, everyone immediately recognized what the prototype was and how it worked. That kind of clarity is important in prototyping—if people “get it” without explanation, you’re already off to a good start.

One important point that came up was the strap. While the ribbon looks nice, it’s a bit too short, making it awkward to reach the door reader. A longer or adjustable strap would make it more practical.

On the material side, my classmates liked that the card doesn’t need to be removed to be scanned. The plastic is durable, waterproof, and easy to clean. Someone even mentioned that it could be worn while swimming—imagine you’re staying in a hotel by the beach and don’t want to carry anything. You could just wear your room card like this around your neck. Surprisingly useful.

And then there was the design. People really appreciated the look—the little swimmers, the color combo, the ribbon. One person said it perfectly matched my vibe. That made me think: what if this card holder could be customizable? Different prints, colors, or strap styles for different personalities.

Final Thoughts

This was a super simple prototype, but it taught me a lot. It didn’t take long to make, it solved a small but real problem, and I’ve been using it every day since. I even hang it by the door now, so I never forget it again.

What started as a class assignment ended up becoming something personal, practical, and pretty stylish. That’s the kind of prototyping I love: solving real needs in a way that feels truly you.

by leila.orynbayeva -

11. Reflection of the Speed-Dating

Since my Master’s thesis is connected to medicine, I’ve been exploring how to make traditionally “boring” content more engaging using gamification. In previous blog posts, I shared some early ideas, and now I’ve taken it a step further by sketching out what kind of information should be shown on the platform’s main page—for both patients and doctors.

It only took me about 10 minutes to create a rough sketch, but I focused on highlighting what I think are the most important data points: things like “Number of Procedures” “Number of Visits” “Medications Prescribed” “Appointment Calendar” and vital stats like “Heart Rate” “Blood Pressure” “Oxygen Levels” “Temperature” and etc.

User Feedback:

  • All participants understood the layout quickly and found the dashboard structure clear.
  • Everyone liked the overall concept and said they’d actually use it.
  • Some asked if the platform was just for doctors or also for patients—and if it would be available on Apple Watches in addition to phones and desktops.
  • One person even said the idea was TED Talk-worthy and suggested I reach out to medical startups to pitch it.

Final Thoughts & What’s Next:

This session was both fun and super productive. It really helped confirm that the idea has potential—especially from the patient’s perspective. The exciting news is, I already found a startup here in Graz that’s working on something very similar, and I’d love to explore the possibility of collaborating with them. Of course, that kind of process takes time.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to focus on another area of the project: making it easier for non-German speakers to book doctor appointments. In my next blog post, I’ll share more about this idea and how I plan to move forward with it.

by David Adlberger -

Prototyping IV: Image Extender – Image sonification tool for immersive perception of sounds from images and new creation possibilities

Tests on automated audio file search via freesound.org api:

For further use in the automated audio file search of the recognized objects I tested the freesound.org api and programmed the first interface for testing purposes. The first thing I had to do was request an API-Key by freesound.org. After that I noticed an interesting point to think about using it in my project: it is open for 5000 requests per year, but I will research on possibilities for using it more. For the testing 5000 is more than enough.

The current code already searches with a few testing tags and gives possibilities to filter the searches by samplerate, duration, licence and file type. There might be added more filter possibilities next like rating, bit depth, and maybe the possibility of random file selection so it won’t be always the same for each tag.

Next steps would also include to either download the file or just play it automatically. Then there will be tests on using the tags of the AI image recognition code for this automated search. And later in the process I have to figure out the playback of multiple files, volume staging and filtering or EQing methods for masking effects etc…

Test gui for automated sound searching via freesounds.org API
by dominik.bluemel -

02.03: Gradients und erste Gehversuche

Nach der doch ausführlichen Einführung (was für ein Wortspiel) im letzten Post habe ich mich seither stark auf eine sehr spezielle Design-Entscheidung innerhalb der Motion Graphics spezialisiert: dem Design mit Gradients. Das und noch viel mehr heute, hier, im besten Blog der Welt. Nur ein Spot, dann gehts los.

Da ich, wie bereits angekündigt, nicht mehr ausnahmslos alle Lessons des Kurses machen werde, waren nun als erstes die Einheiten zu Gradients dran. Dabei ist mir bewusst geworden, dass Gradients im Grunde sehr leicht zu erstellen sind. Die einfachste Methode für Text oder Shapes ist dabei direkt in den Fill-Einstellungen, für Dinge wie Solids ist aber auch der Effekt 4-Colour-Gradient sehr hilfreich.

Will man diese basic Gradients besser gestalten kommen dann meist Effekte über eine Adjustment Layer ins Spiel, dabei besonders hilfreich: verschiedene Arten von Blur (directional, radial, gaussion) oder Effekte wie Twirl, Posterize oder Glow lassen Gradients direkt geschmeidiger aussehen.

Um Gradients zu animieren gibt es mehrere Möglichkeiten, ich habe mich jedoch dafür entschieden bereits gelerntes aus den Basics anzuwenden und meine Shapes über Paths zu animieren, damit sich diese bewegen. Das Verziehen der Anchor Points im 4-Color-Gradient geht aber auch sehr gut.

Mit diesem Wissen habe ich mich dann gleich an mein erstes eigenes After Effects Projekt gesetzt, ohne einfach nur stur ein Tutorial nachzubauen. Ziel war eine ansprechende Visualisierung mit verschiedenen Gradient-Effekten. Dafür habe ich im Grunde all das kombiniert was in bisherigen Posts von mir zu lesen war. Das Ergebnis ist dieser Loop:

Im nächsten Schritt möchte ich weiter auf smoothe Easings sowie speziellere Anwendungsfälle für die Datenvisualisierung eingehen, um dann am Ende für meinen Prototyp gut gerüstet zu sein.

by karina.rohrwild -

#1 Illustration and Animation

Animation with Procreate

This is the first post in a new blog series where I will share my experiments with illustration. The goal of this series is to find an idea for my master’s thesis, develop and discover my personal style, and learn more about different illustration methods. I might also include some writing. I’m especially interested in the combination of experimentel animation and editorial illustration – maybe I’ll find a way to connect both in future projects.

For my first experiment, I tried out the animation feature in Procreate. I already have experience using Procreate for digital illustration, but I had never used the animation tool before. To get used to the interface, I started with an old illustration I had already made – a magic potion bottle. I added small bubbles to it and made them move.

How does animation work in Procreate?
Procreate uses something called “Animation Assist.” You create a new frame for every movement. These frames appear in a timeline at the bottom of the screen. Each frame is like a new drawing layer. There’s also a helpful tool called “Onion Skin,” which shows you a faded version of the previous and next frames – this helps you see how your animation flows from one drawing to the next.

Animating the bubbles was a fun and simple way to begin. I learned how movement timing works, how fast or slow things feel, and how repeating frames can change the overall look. It gave me a first idea of how the animation process works.

Next, I created a brand new illustration and tried to make a more advanced animation. But I quickly noticed that animation in Procreate takes a lot of time. Since you have to draw each frame by hand, it’s very slow, especially if you want smooth motion or longer animations.

Conclusion:

My conclusion from this first try: Animation in Procreate is great for artistic, short animations. It works well for small projects or illustrations that need a little movement. But it’s not ideal for longer animations or complicated actions, because the interface isn’t super easy to use, and you have to draw everything frame by frame. Still, I learned a lot from this experiment. I now understand more about timing, movement, and how difficult frame-by-frame animation can be.

by arinze.onyebuchi -

Tapping into the Beat: Thoughts on the dB Drummer Bot (A project by Çağrı Erdem, and Carsten Griwodz)

This is a review on dB: A Web-based Drummer Bot for Finger-Tapping, a project done by Çağrı Erdem, and Carsten Griwodz. You can find more info about the project here and also, a link to the paper can be found here.

This paper introduces dB, a really cool web-based tool that lets you create drum grooves just by tapping on your computer keyboard. Think of it as a drummer bot powered by artificial intelligence that takes your simple finger taps and turns them into more complex rhythms. The idea is to make music creation more accessible to everyone, even if you don’t have a musical background.

What I find particularly interesting about dB is its focus on how our bodies are involved in music. The researchers recognize that music isn’t just in our heads; it’s something we feel and move to. By using finger-tapping as the main way to interact with the AI, they’re exploring this connection in a simple way. The paper also highlights the importance of “groove,” that irresistible urge to move with the music, and how dB tries to tap into that.

Another great aspect of this project is the effort put into understanding how people actually use and feel about the system. The researchers conducted a user study to see if people felt bored, happy, in control, or tired while using dB. They found that when the AI introduced more randomness and variation into the drum patterns, users tended to be more engaged and less bored. This suggests that a bit of surprise can make the music-making experience more fun. Plus, the fact that they’ve made the code and the music data they used publicly available is a big win for open research.

However, like any project, there are some areas that could be looked at more closely. One thing that stands out is the reliance on just finger-tapping on a computer keyboard. While this makes it very accessible, one participant in the study mentioned the lack of “high-resolution” in the interaction. You can imagine that tapping a spacebar might not give you the same nuanced control as playing actual drums or even a more specialized musical interface. The paper itself acknowledges this “bottleneck” and its potential impact on the feeling of control.

Also, the AI model was trained on a specific type of music: eight-note beats common in rock and heavy metal, in a 4/4 time signature. While this was a deliberate choice for the study, it might mean that dB is better at generating certain kinds of grooves than others. It would be interesting to see how it performs with different musical styles and time signatures.

The paper also mentions that there aren’t great ways to really measure how “good” the AI-generated music is in a way that humans perceive it. They used mathematical calculations to train the model, but understanding how these calculations relate to what sounds good to our ears is still a challenge in AI music research.

Finally, the study found that many users didn’t feel particularly “skillful” while using dB. This might point to a need to find a better balance between the AI’s surprises and the user’s sense of ownership and control over the musical output.

Overall, the dB project is a fascinating exploration into making music creation more accessible through AI and simple bodily interactions. The user study provides valuable insights into what makes these kinds of interfaces engaging. While there are limitations, particularly in the interaction method and the scope of musical styles, dB lays a solid foundation for future research in human-AI musical collaboration. It makes you think about how even simple actions can be transformed into something musically interesting with the help of intelligent systems.

by tobias.schittenkopf -

Pain Creature: Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Design of an Embodied Textile Instrument for Interactive Dance


The paper Pain Creature by Madaghiele and Demir presents an innovative interdisciplinary project combining textile design, sonic interaction, and dance to create an embodied textile instrument. The artifact, Pain Creature, serves as both a reflective tool for chronic pain experiences and a performance instrument.

The paper highlights a successful collaboration between a sonic interaction designer (Madaghiele) and a textile designer (Demir), merging expertise in sound, textiles, and movement. This approach led to a design where material properties directly influenced sound interactions.

Through the use of soma design method, including first-person exploration of chronic pain, the designers translated subjective pain experiences into tangible textile-sound mappings.

The artifact was integrated into an improvisational dance performance, where it functioned as a “parasitic” extension of the dancer’s body, narrating stages of pain. Through this approach, the artifact bridges materiality, sound and movement and offers the audience a richt, multi-sensory experience.

As far as I understand the Bela Mini’s computational constrains forced the designers to constrain the sound design to simpler forms, e.g. omitting the Empty dimension. This highlights a trade-off between complexity and real-time performance limitations. Another critical aspect that was missing in the paper was the effectiveness of the mappings on the audience and how well they were perceived. While the paper notes the importance of gesture-sound mappings for audience understanding, no empirical evaluation of this took place.

As the Bela Mini offers limited dynamic control over musical parameters, the performance could also get stale the longer the performance goes on. With the implication of a live performing musician this could be negated, but the risk of loosing the connection between gesture-sound mapping through a diluted soundscape is very high.

This paper in my eyes documents a novel, interdisciplinary design process and its theoretical grounding in somaesthetics. However, it could be strengthened by implementing audience studies to evaluate how performers and audiences interpret the instrument’s mappings and how much difference it makes compared to a pre-recorded soundscape. I also would love to know how the design would evolve with more advanced textile instruments. Unfortunately, the PD patch documentation is very limited which hinders fellow designers to reproduce the Artifact.