During our official exhibition, I took on the role of documenting the event through photography and videography. My goal was to preserve the atmosphere, interactions, and intricate details of our breathing installation while highlighting the audience’s immersive experience.
Here’s a glimpse into the day through my lens.
Dates of Development | March 14, 2025
Sound Design Director | Max MSP: Ashley Loera
Software:
Hardware:
Approach:
To begin the process, I set up the hardware and was able to successfully connect the Router to Xinyi’s Laptop using the ethernet cable and I was able to connect to the TP-Link Router on my laptop under the Wi-Fi tab. After further review, we were able to confirm that Xinyi was able to use TP-Link without the ethernet cable as she was also able to connect to it under her Wi-Fi tab.
TP-Link | Hardware Set-Up TP-Link | Connection | Wi-Fi
Troubleshooting:
Used the following video (as provided by Philly during the DMSP Process Tutorial) to help connect Touch Designer to Max Msp with OSC.
Successfully connected both computers to TP-Link using LFO Object. As referenced in the video below:
Once we were able to connect TD to Max MSP using the TP-Link Router, we ran into more trouble shooting issues:
The Interactive & Immersive HQ. “Connect TouchDesigner & Max 8 with OSC – TouchDesigner Tutorial 072.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcqC5rRmu3M.
Dates of Development | March 13 -14, 2025
Sound Design Director | Max MSP: Ashley Loera
Software:
Hardware:
During Tuesday’s DMSP Process meeting with Philly, I received the following suggestions to further develop the Max Patch:
The video below shoes the various methods considered for this process.
Method: At 1:52, the instructor in the video above shares that zl Stream is a helpful method in smoothing data. I research zl Stream in Max MSP and used the zl stream help suggestion for smoothing of data, which included the use of zl stream and zl.sum divided by 5. The scale was set by the TD scale of 1 to 5.
2. Successfully redeveloped the Reverb FX using eu.verb. While researching reverb options in Max MSP, I came across the eu.verb object and opted to use the eu.verb help patch as the reverb for the max patch. I created a scale for the decay of the eu.verb that is directly impacted by the TD Output Data.
3. Successfully developed a Gain Control System for the Audio and Audio FX channels, which ultimately helped solve the problem of jarring/loud audio and created a Gain Bus that provided a clear sound quality to the output.
Simulator, Sound. “Https://Www.Youtube.Com/Watch?v=RCHgQOPaT08.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCHgQOPaT08.
Date:04/04/2025
Photoshoot: Yixuan Zhang
Graphic Design: Can Huang
Scene Setup & Filming
I invited my friends Ally, Julie, and others to participate in a test and give feedback on the experience. During the session, I also filmed the process and conducted brief interviews to collect their opinions and impressions.
One major takeaway from the feedback was the lack of olfactory (smell) experience, which many felt could enhance the overall immersion and emotional connection of the scene.
I’ve been playing with TouchDesigner recently, exploring ways to connect music and visuals: using the mid and high frequencies of a background track to drive dynamic changes in visuals.
I started by using the Audio Spectrum CHOP to split the audio into different frequency bands. Then I extracted the midand high values as control parameters to manipulate certain layers in the scene—like scaling, position shifting, and even shader-based distortion. The result is a visual that “dances” with the music in real time.
One of my favorite additions is a little boom glow effect—when the high frequencies suddenly spike, it triggers a burst of glowing light in the visuals, like a tiny explosion. It adds a sense of rhythm and punch to the whole piece, emphasizing certain beats and creating a more immersive, concert-like feel.
Next step, I’m thinking about incorporating the low frequencies to control more grounded movements—like global structure wobble or a soft, breathing motion in the background.
Throughout the exhibition, both our own observations and audience feedback revealed several areas for improvement — offering valuable guidance for future iterations of the project.
The microphone required users to blow air at a very specific angle and intensity in order to trigger the visuals. This made the interaction feel unintuitive or difficult for some.
Low sensitivity and limited number of microphones reduced accessibility and responsiveness.
Some participants suggested considering other ways of sensing breath — such as body movement, pulse, or temperature — by using more diverse sensors.
The 5-second inhale duration was considered too long by several users. A 4:6 breathing rhythm (inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6) was proposed as a more natural and meditative alternative.
The sound of blowing air was described as storm-like and slightly harsh. Visitors recommended exploring softer or more ambient alternatives to avoid overwhelming the calm atmosphere.
Suggestions were made to add layered audio effects to enrich the sonic environment.
Adding surround sound or echo effects through multiple speakers was also proposed, to create a more immersive spatial experience.
Visual richness: The visual changes were not dynamic enough and became repetitive over time. They suggested adding more variation, layering, or complexity to keep the experience engaging throughout.
Visual consistency: Some feedback pointed out a lack of coherence between the physical installation and the digital visuals. Jules suggested importing photographs of our sculpture into TouchDesigner and transforming them into abstract visuals. This could help bridge the gap between physical and digital elements, creating a more unified visual language — similar to the method used in 77 Million Paintings.
Time & Dates | 8:30AM-12:30PM, April 4, 2025
Members | Process Group & Philly
Location | Alison House Atrium
8:30am
On the day of our exhibition, we arrived at the venue at 8:30am to begin setting up. We borrowed some cushions and low tables from Alison House and arranged the space according to our pre-designed layout. To make the area more inviting and comfortable, we added two extra cushions and set up additional screens for visitors to relax and enjoy the work.
Our installation was carefully placed in position, accompanied by the handmade flower sculpture, glowing orb lights, and LED strips to enhance the atmosphere. Ashley brought her projector light, which helped create a warm, immersive vibe. Meanwhile, other team members prepared printed materials, including postcards, flyers, and a step-by-step interaction guide, which we displayed at the entrance.
9:00am
At 9:00am, Philly arrived with microphones and lighting equipment. With his help, we started the technical setup and testing. There were some initial issues with audio connections and device compatibility, but Philly was quick to assist and troubleshoot. We then followed our planned schedule: testing audio and visual responsiveness.
During this process, we encountered a few problems — the microphone sensitivity was too low, which affected both the sound and the visuals in TouchDesigner. Ashley and Philly worked together to adjust the audio settings, while Hefan carefully fine-tuned the visuals to match our original intention.
10:30am
At the same time, Yixuan was documenting the whole process, taking behind-the-scenes footage and detail shots of the space and installation. Around 10:30am, a small group of meditation enthusiasts arrived for testing. We guided them through the experience and conducted some short interviews to collect feedback.
11:00am
By 11:00am, more and more visitors began to enter the space. Jules arrived as well, and he spent some time engaging deeply with our installation. He gave us valuable feedback — including actionable suggestions like improving the surround sound. Ashley and Philly began working on that right away.
11:30am
At 11:30am, the exhibition officially started. Everything ran smoothly, and many visitors interacted with the installation just as we had hoped. However, we also noticed a few unexpected issues and took the chance to interview some willing participants. The event wrapped up around 1:00pm.
This semester’s course is centred around group work, and I am very happy to be able to work with people from different professional backgrounds to produce a large project. During my undergraduate studies, I have always wished to work with students from different disciplines, as I am fully aware of my own limitations in my thinking and abilities, and I am unable to take on the responsibility of producing a large-scale and comprehensive project. Therefore, I am glad that I have been able to choose the course of my choice this semester.
In the course of collaboration, I found that we all have very good ideas and opinions, but a good project requires everyone to work together to do something, and our team leader Xinyi has done just that, leading us to work towards a common goal all the time. Throughout the whole process, Ashely and Ruolin have been in charge of the sound design, while yixuan and hefan have been contributing in the visual design. Ashely and Ruolin were responsible for the sound design, yixuan and hefan contributed to the visual design, and Li and I were in charge of the interaction design to help connect the software we were using and share data sources.
In this atmosphere of encouraging each other to grow together, I learnt a lot of knowledge and details that I had never paid attention to before. For example, when writing the proposal, we could easily mess up because of the different formatting requirements for different specialisations, but under the leadership of the team leader, xinyi, each of us pushed forward closely in our own part, and we discussed the final draft of the proposal and uploaded it, which was a great deal of work in such a short time. remarkable amount of work in such a short period of time.
This collaborative experience made me deeply realise that true innovation often comes from the collision and fusion of different ideas. What each member brings is not only professional knowledge, but also a unique way of thinking and problem-solving perspectives. For example, I learnt how to express interaction logic in a more intuitive way in the communication with visual design students; in the discussion with sound design students, I understood how sound elements affect user experience. These cross-disciplinary exchanges greatly expanded my cognitive boundaries.
However, frankly speaking, the process was not a smooth one. Due to the differences in our professional backgrounds, we often encountered barriers in communication and understanding. Sometimes, I would focus too much on the technical implementation and neglect the aesthetics of the design; at other times, other students might pursue the visual effect and neglect the technical feasibility. These frictions made me realise the importance of empathy and thinking differently in interdisciplinary collaboration. We need to learn to express our ideas in a language that the other person can understand, and at the same time keep an open mind to accept different points of view.
Special thanks to team leader Xinyi for her tolerance and guidance. Not only is she able to co-ordinate the whole picture, she is also keenly aware of the strengths and needs of each member. In many cases, I think creating jobs, allocating tasks wisely, coordinating time, and controlling the whole picture are far more difficult than simply completing tasks. In this process, I will also pass on the problems I faced in previous group assignments and useful experiences to her without reservation. I hope that under her coordination, each member of our group can organically combine their individual strengths with the team’s goals and show their own style in the project.
This experience also exposed some of my shortcomings. Firstly, in terms of time management, I sometimes get too immersed in technical details, resulting in a disconnect with the progress of other group members. Secondly, my learning efficiency could be improved when facing new tools and methods. These shortcomings remind me that I need to pay more attention to overall planning and learning ability in my future study and work.
Looking ahead, I hope to continue to participate in such interdisciplinary collaborations. I plan to consciously expand my knowledge in my next studies, especially to strengthen my understanding of design thinking and user experience. At the same time, I will also pay more attention to developing my communication skills and learn to explain technical concepts in a more understandable way.
This group work is not only a project practice, but also a precious growth experience. It taught me how to find my own position in a diversified team, how to seek consensus in the collision of different points of view, how to maximise the benefit of the whole group’s results, how to choose the optimal solution, and how to use the best expression, etc. These gains will accompany me in my future study. These gains will accompany me in my future study and career, and become the driving force for my continuous progress. I am convinced that in this increasingly interconnected world, the ability to collaborate across disciplines will become one of our most valuable assets.
This week, I developed a detailed storyboard for the documentary recording of the installation exhibition. To effectively capture the interaction between the audience and the installation, I primarily employed medium close-up shots at eye level. This perspective not only highlights the audience’s natural reactions but also enhances the immersive experience, allowing viewers to engage more deeply with the footage.
The storyboard incorporates a shot/reverse shot technique to emphasize the dynamic interaction between the audience and the installation. On one hand, the shots document how viewers gradually synchronize their breathing with the installation’s background music (BGM) and visual cues, achieving a steady rhythm. On the other hand, they capture the way in which the installation visually responds to the audience’s breathing patterns, demonstrating the reciprocal influence between the two and reinforcing the sense of interactivity.
A major challenge in the filming process is the inability to implement additional lighting adjustments within the exhibition space. This limitation poses constraints on the visual quality and atmospheric composition of the footage. To address this issue, I have referenced relevant visual works and artistic styles to identify optimal approaches for utilizing natural light. By making full use of the available ambient lighting in the exhibition space and employing strategic composition, camera movement, and color grading, I aim to compensate for the lack of artificial lighting while maintaining the intended visual and narrative impact.
This storyboard design not only focuses on the artistic expressiveness of the installation but also seeks to enhance the immersive experience through audiovisual storytelling. The goal is to accurately capture the interactive atmosphere of the exhibition and effectively convey it through the documentary.
