Day 4: Social Interaction! Updates / Goals
Unintended Audience / Panel at Ellen Levy's Studio (Artists + Scientists):
Tonight I attended a very interesting and philosophical panel discussion organized by Victoria Vesna and led by Ellen Levy at her amazing studio near school. Levy discussed an essay and her PhD research into bio-art as it affects human, animal, environment and food. There were discussions of how the artist and the scientist can really reach new levels of thinking and innovation when their minds are open to it.
I introduced myself as a cyborg and pitched Hanky Pancreas to a couple of women who are interested in the space between science, medicine and art. They were interested in the empowerment aspect of it and one posed the question - - "So what would you do with colonoscopy bags?" -- (I'm not sure how I feel about that being the second time someone has asked me that...)
Anyway, it was a great group of people and while they were not my intended audience, it's always good to get in the practice of pitching the concept without people staring at you like you have 5 eyes (although, it would be welcome in that crowd).
Intended Audience / Conceptual Framework:
"Myth unites a people, sanctifies the social order and gives individuals a map of life's path"
Top priority of this semester is actually engaging with my target audience. While I began this project targeting teens, from further research in both psychology for diabetes care and mythical stories, I'm starting to re-think that idea. I'm beginning to see the project as way to tap into various psychological burdens that happen at different stages of a diabetic's life. The way I see it manifesting is through connecting with individuals that represent a certain milestone or time-period that can be psychologically trying in a diabetics life (such as pregnancy, adolescence, childhood etc) and develop an object for them (personal yet universal) that has a visual metaphor incorporated. The visual metaphor chosen would be influenced by their personal story and abstracted using existing mythological symbols. The goal is to help individuals share their story and overcome the burden - - in doing so, they can help others going through the same experience. In this way a kind of "diabetic mythology" could start to develop. I'm continuing my study of mythology and keep finding parallels in what I'm interested in regarding psychological and social benefits of both clothing and story-telling.
Steps forward:
"Each person is a repository of many stories, old and new"
1. Beth:
I have a meeting with a woman named Beth tomorrow who works at JDRF and has Type 1 Diabetes. She wears this insulin pump, which is the one I used to have before. During her undergrad in business she was thinking of a similar idea to Hanky Pancreas, and is super excited to meet and inspire some designs, model, tell her story, etc.
Goals for meeting:
- Listen to her personal myths / stories (diagnosis story, etc)
- Evaluate if she has any socio-psychologcial burdens
- Evaluate relationship to pump / medical tech
- Evaluate relationship to diabetes
- Evaluate personal style / fashion sense
- What kind of message would she send a past self
- Evaluate involvement with diabetes community / social needs
- Verify that she wants to be a part of the website / user testing / photographed, etc
- Specs on her pump / where she wears it on her body / issues?
- Ask more about her undergrad project in business
Plan:
- Draft a series of questions that get at the heart of these inquiries
- Record the interview session (audio / photo / video) if that is okay with her
- Think of some preliminary designs to discuss (based on past experience and ideas)
2. Kerri:
Kerri (from this post) responded to my email! yay!
I'm happy to help out with your thesis project however I can. What can I do to help you get started?- Kerri.
p.s. "Hanky Pancreas" has to be the best title for any diabetes-related project I've ever heard. Love it!
- Figure out her personal myth / story
- Find out how pregnancy affects location of pump
- Explore psychological issues of pregnancy + diabetes
- Explore more about the continuous glucose monitor (where does she wear it?)
- Feedback on mythological interpretation (she has a background in English / professional writer)
- Feedback on concept sketches (would she wear it?)
- Ask if she would be willing to be part of the website, etc
Plan:
- Draft an email with similar inquiries (initial email addresses the first three goals / follow up emails seek the remaining questions)