After the last class, I focused on improving the background visuals for our 5-5 breathing guide, addressing feedback from earlier critiques. The previous version had two main issues:
1. After its recent adjustments, the visuals didn’t fully align with the dynamic sphere animation.
2. The repetitive patterns felt monotonous over time.

To solve this, I revisited the original particle effect style but expanded its variety. I created eight distinct 5-second animations, each with unique motion paths—some resembling slow upward drifts, others mimicking gentle pulses or radial expansions. By stitching these clips into a seamless loop, the background now feels dynamic and non-repetitive, subtly shifting to keep viewers engaged without distracting from the central breathing guide. I also fine-tuned the color palette and blending modes to better harmonize with the main dynamic sphere.

The updated background not only complements the breathing rhythm but also adds depth to the installation’s atmosphere. Next, I’ll test the visuals with real-time breathing data to ensure the transitions feel intuitive and calming.

In this test, I explored using microphone input to drive real-time visual changes. While the initial interaction worked, I believe the main visuals could be more expressive and exaggerated. For example, the mic input could control a wider range of parameters — such as diffusion, distortion, brightness, and more dramatic rotations — to create a more immersive, reactive effect. I’m open to experimenting with any visual responses that feel dynamic and playful.

Additionally, when I’m not blowing into the mic, the visual decay happens a bit too fast. Slowing down the rate of change when idle could help maintain a smoother and more organic visual flow.

Test Video in TouchDesigner

Updated video

TouchDesigner Visual Update – Version 2

In this iteration, I moved away from the original circular visual form and transitioned to a more organic, irregular shape. This change allowed the visual to feel more fluid and less constrained, resembling something between flowing matter and an energetic field.

Additional enhancements include:

• Increased Mic Interactivity: The microphone input now drives multiple parameters simultaneously, including diffusion intensity, mesh distortion, brightness shifts, and rotation amplitude. These changes respond more dramatically to volume spikes, making the interaction more expressive.

• Particle Responsiveness: The internal texture now breaks apart and swirls with more visible turbulence, suggesting a kind of sonic turbulence.

• Visual Decay Tweaks: The decay time when there’s no input has been lengthened, allowing the form to fade out more gracefully rather than collapsing too fast.

• Color Feedback: There is subtle hue shifting based on sound amplitude, helping the piece feel alive and emotionally responsive.

Following my previous exploration of visual designs for the 5-5 breathing guide, I’ve continued experimenting with new ideas to create an animation that complements the central dynamic sphere without causing visual conflict.

This time, I tried creating an animation in After Effects using blue particle lines that grow upward, then fall and dissipate. The idea was to simulate a natural, flowing motion that aligns with the rhythm of breathing:

Inhale (5 seconds): The particles grow upward, symbolizing the intake of breath.
Exhale (5 seconds): The particles fall and dissipate, representing the release of breath.

After sharing the animation with the team, we identified a issue:

Problem: The falling motion of the particles wasn’t prominent enough, making it difficult to distinguish between the inhale and exhale phases.

Solution: I’m currently working on enhancing the falling effect by: Increasing the speed and visibility of the particles as they fall. Adjusting the timing to ensure the transition between growth and fall is smooth yet noticeable.