Week 25 - MK2 feedback & evaluation

I have found the past couple of weeks challenging in terms of adjusting to the COVID-19 situation and adapting to working from home. I am quite behind with regards to the prototyping stage, I have done the odd cardboard model and lego prototype but I have felt as though my installation concept has not been clear. I get scared to commit to ideas incase they don't work out but exploring the 'Fun Fair' themed installation helped clarify what I would like my installation to convey.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been so focussed on coming up with an interactive installation that I have been struggling to figure out what it would incorporate and how it would actually work. After taking a step back and looking at all of the research I have done over the past 8 months the narrative became much more clear and I began to think of a concept that links together my project as a whole.

It is important to approach my installation with a fun and playful attitude as I feel people will find this more engaging than a serious one. Sexual harassment is a huge matter of concern but what I started to realise was - it is difficult to address this issue with a playful approach. What have I learned from speaking to my family and friends during this time is that testing people's unconscious bias is a much more interesting way to engage them.

In order to change people's attitudes and opinion's of sexual harassment I want to uncover people's current perceptions by testing their unconscious bias. Drawing attention to people's dismissive internalised behaviour forces them to acknowledge any underlying subconscious judgment. Challenging confirmation bias can show people how their words and actions can negatively impact people and encourage them to think more about what they say and how they act moving forward. I want to investigate the prevalence of sexism and gender discrimination within modern society whilst being engaging to the everyday individual.

Sketching exploration

I sketched out some ideas for potential interactions within the installation, they all aim to educate people through user input and testing unconscious bias. I now need to think of how they will all link together and in what order they will be within the installation.

I like the idea of incorporating Allport's Scale because it is a great way to show the manifestation of prejudice in society and how what may seem like minor incidents can escalate onto discrimination, assault and even murder.

I would like to have a couple of exercises that test unconscious bias and also some that reveal information such as statistics and personal stories. It is important that the installation follows a clear narrative journey that takes the user on an experience and aims to change their current opinions and perceptions therefore educating them.

The past couple of weeks have been all over the place, adjusting to COVID-19 has definitely

thrown me off track. Despite feeling further behind than I initially wanted to be at this stage, I am motivated and committed to submitting the deliverables on time and to the standard expected. While I am upset that I am not able to physically make my installation and display it at the Degree Show, I am looking forward to finishing my honours project as it it something I have enjoyed working on.

I have taken some time and looked at how the installation will work all together, creating a clear narrative from one section to the next. I want to use people's unconscious bias as a way to subtly educate them about the prevalence of sexism in modern society.

Details of installation

1. Unconscious bias - Prove the presence of unconscious bias amongst people by getting users to match up words with personas

2. Societal bias - Show the presence of unconscious bias within society and the portrayal of women in the media

3. Education - Highlight the significance of Allport's Scale and show how prejudice is manifested within society

4. Problem - Sexism - Visual representation of my findings using the format of the Allport Scale to highlight all forms of gender imbalance and prejudice

5. Solution - Looking a variety of potential factors that contribute to the issue of sexism and providing ways in which we can help to combat sexism moving forward

I like the idea of conducting a social experiment, I will be testing how effective the interactive installation works in response to uncovering people's unconscious bias and drawing attention to their dismissive internalised behaviour. I hope that people who interact with the installation come away with an altogether greater understanding of the challenges faced by many in society today.

Draft storyboard

Draft great images

In order to get a better understanding of the layout; I created a variety of potential installations. This meant that I had the option to play around with the space and experiment with different options. This allowed me to visualise the space and figure out what works and what doesn't. I like layout of the first and second installations, it creates a divide between the different sections but also works together well for the installation as a whole.

Next steps:

• Resolve the installation more and focus more on the details of each section