1. Clive Fencott SpIDERStudio School of Computing University of Teesside A Methodology of Design For Virtual Environments

2. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Introduction Methodology –Particularly content modelling –Integration Problems and further research SpIDERStudio Strange Agency Limited

3. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Me Idle waster Poet and performance artist Formal Methods Methods Integration research Virtual Environment Theory Entrepreneur

4. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs What is the problem? Designing VEs is difficult and time consuming Have to reconcile engineering and aesthetics Need methods and tools That’s why we’re here …

5. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs What is a Method? An underlying model A language A process model Heuristics (Kronlof, 1993)

6. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs A VE Process Model

7. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs What Underlying Model? Turing Machines, Lambda Calculus not expressive enough Interaction Machines Semiotics

8. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Semiotics The study of how people find meaning in the world around them Signs made up of: –Signifier –Signified Huge body of theory built up from this basic insight

9. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Semiotically Closed Interaction Machines

10. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs What Language do we use? UML on the engineering side Can Semiotics help us on the aesthetic side? Yes, but it needs to be adapted for interaction Do they work together?

11. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs A chair looks like a chair:

12. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Interactive Content but it might also be: –Something to stand on –Something to fight with –Something to buy and sell –A symbol of status, a throne for instance The meaning paradox: –A chair doesn’t function as a chair –It does function as interactive content

13. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Content Modelling Theories of: –The meanings people make of interactive content –The types of responses they make as a result Has to be: –Multi-levelled –Multi-faceted

14. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs VE Aesthetics Agency –Intention –Perceivable Consequence Narrative Potential Co-presence Transformation Presence

15. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs The Problem with Agency

16. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs

18. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs

19. Perceptual Opportunities

20. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Method

21. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Now and Future Object Aesthetics –POs as OO attributes of content code Agency at the heart of all VR –Tools don’t support the design of agency –Most tools make implementing agency very difficult at best

22. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs SpIDERS Semiosphere: Interactive Digital Environment Research Studio Semiosphere: –An ecology of meaning in which differing languages and media interact Yuri Lotman, a Russian semiotician Semiotics: –The study of how humans make meaning out of the world around them

23. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs What is SpIDERS? An interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, experimental psychologists and artists and designers Conduct research into theories of interactive content Experimental verification of theories Practical research into the nature of interactive media applications Particularly computer games

24. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Ethos There are many ways of investigating the world: –Empirical science –Qualitative methods –Art practice and other humanities based approaches –And so on They are all of use

25. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Experiments Predictive content modelling –Genre theory, aesthetics, perceptual opportunities, the semiotics of interaction Unrealisms Specialised experimental methods: –Mood and presence –patterns of choice VR as object of study

26. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Methodology Specialist technology, e.g.. Eye-tracker: –To correlate focus of attention with observed behaviour

27. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs

29. Applications Research VR as subject of study People with Dementia (PWD): –The use of Virtual Reality to help PWDs learn new environments Computer Games for exercise: –Games that respond to exercise bikes etc. Computer Games and Older Adults

30. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs

31. University Spin-out company Proof of Content: –The analysis of computer games before they are playable

32. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs Conclusions Interactive content a major field for research and commercialisation Content modelling way behind the technology of interactive content We are still only at the beginning: –Even computer games are in their infancy

33. Clive Fencott, A Methodology of Design for VEs “A Methodology of Design for Virtual Environments” In: “Developing Future Interactive Systems” Ed. Sanchez-Segura Idea Group 2005