brain
scapes
Group: Dahoon, Jin, Jiayi, Ellen
Week Five
Exploring, exploding, exploiting process, criticality and interaction in relation to user experience design.
Design a way to make brain activity responding to aesthetic experiences visible, tangible, or interactive.
Neuroaesthetic
Partnership: Kinda Studios
Ideation Continuation
In response to the feedback we received during the mid-point review, we identified several key themes to guide our next steps: joyful/playful, group exercise/collaboration, and how these concepts connect to our central topic—breath. Building on this, we continued our brainstorming process and developed ideas such as an interactive installation involving a large wall covered in colored soap water. Positioned across from this would be a white paper surface, where 3–4 participants could blow bubbles toward the paper, collaboratively creating a shared artwork.
testing for potential final
ideation
design
process
We developed an ideation centered around using breath as a tool for art-making, aiming to create a participatory experience where breath becomes a medium for collective creation. To enhance the sensory engagement, we proposed designing the straw to function like an instrument—allowing participants to generate sound as they create the artwork. This not only adds a playful dimension, but also opens up the possibility of transforming these sounds into custom, unique musical compositions. Ideally, we plan that the artwork would be made on an acrylic board, which can then be printed onto paper for participants to take home as a personalized piece of the experience.
We developed this idea as a way to translate abstract concepts into tangible forms—with elements like bubble inflation, color fusion, measurable spheres, and a collective breath-map each representing different aspects of the experience. We envision participants being able to paint or print their work onto paper, turning the experience into a kind of emotional souvenir they can take away.
painting on acrylic board
painting on paper
insights
Based on tester feedback, we found that people genuinely enjoyed the process—blowing bubbles together on paper and watching the colors blend made the experience more engaging and playful. At the same time, feedback from our tutors reminded us that while the concept is strong, the project currently lacks depth in understanding and articulating the underlying processes, and would benefit from clearer framing and reflection.
iteration
Chain Reaction
We see this design as a way to externalize brain activity—mirroring how neurons fire, trigger one another, and transmit signals from the brain, ultimately manifesting as physical responses in the body.
What stopped us: lacks a collaborative element and could benefit from more interactive features to make it feel more immersive and engaging.
Collaborative Bubbles Artwork
We see this design as a way to offer a participatory art experience, using breath as a medium for collective creation. It encourages group engagement, and the resulting prints can be taken home as unique, shared memories between friends.
What stopped us: lacks depth in understanding and articulating how internalized states shift and become externalized, as well as in clearly framing what is actually happening throughout the process.
Reflection & next step
This week we began prototyping to explore how bodily signals can be externally represented and amplified through devices. Our first test was promising, so we plan to involve more participants and expand our set of questions to guide future development. Simultaneously, we’ll continue testing different materials and structures to better amplify these vital signs and craft a meaningful aesthetic experience.