Browsing by Author "Abel, Troy D."

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Artifacts of the Kree
    Fine, Justin Mitchell (Virginia Tech, 2015-06-18)
    The work presented in this thesis explores the creation and curation of fictional artifacts. The goal was to simultaneously explore and create a wholly fictitious civilization as a means of self-actualization and a grasp at the ineffable. The "Artifacts of the Kree" is a real-time interactive rendering of digitally fabricated objects belonging to a civilization that inhabited a planet far beyond the reaches of humanity. These objects were curated second hand by an unknown sentient species and cataloged in the system presented here.
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    BabyTalk: An App for the NICU
    Robinson, Rachel (Virginia Tech, 2015-06-03)
    The purpose of this project is to improve parents experience in the NICU through design, technology, communication and storytelling. A series of shadowing appointments were conducted to gain empathy and a greater understanding of the environment the design would be in. Next 15 user interviews were conducted. The qualitative data was then analyzed and a needs analysis for the application was determined by identifying patterns in the qualitative data. The design then went through three phases of design, testing and iterating, before the final prototype was complete. This study found that design, technology and storytelling could improve communication and the experience of parents in the NICU.
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    bipolar[i].discuss();
    Walker, Megan Anna Hein (Virginia Tech, 2013-09-17)
    This MFA thesis uses the medium of computer language to explore the chaos underlying Bipolar I Disorder, an enigmatic and disruptive illness. Using creative coding to generate a series of abstract systems representing human traits, I explore the common truth that pervades the seemingly randomness of mental illness: we all break the same.
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    Collaborative Design for Young Children with Autism: Design Tools and a User Study
    McCrickard, D. Scott; Abel, Troy D.; Scarpa, Angela; Wang, Yao (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2013-09-30)
    This paper provides an overview of a collaborative design effort that involves computer scientists, psychologists, and designers working together to investigate design methods to help in the creation of technology to people with cognitive disabilities. The focus of this effort was in developing techniques to help novice designers create technology interfaces to support anger management in young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary output for designers is a card set for which each card has a claim about an anger management technique that can help young people. Design activities leveraging scenarios and personas are suggested that leverage the card set in the creation of technology interfaces. This paper introduces the card set and supporting techniques, describes a design session in an undergraduate classroom setting, and speculates about future directions for this work.
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    Effect of Ornamentation on the Emotion Response and Perception of Motion Graphics
    Musselman, Ryan William (Virginia Tech, 2013-06-24)
    This study explores the effect of ornamentation on the emotional response and perception of motion graphics. A series of motion graphics were created, eye tracked, and tested for changes in emotional responses and perceptions based on the amount of ornamentation in the design. This study collected both quantitative and qualitative data to gain a better understanding of the viewer's overall emotional responses and perceptions of each video. Eye tracking data was studied to validate focal points and areas of interest. The quantitative data was analyzed by looking for correlations and trends. The qualitative data was analyzed for trends and reoccurring ideas. This study found that the amount of ornamentation in logo animations has a direct effect on the viewer's emotional responses and perceptions. More ornamentation led to overall positive changes in the emotional responses and perceptions of the brand or message, however there can be a turning point where the ornamentation can cause a negative response from the viewer.
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    Portrait of a Concert
    Griffith, Gareth Hungerford (Virginia Tech, 2014-07-01)
    Through the use of bio-metric data and audio recordings this research explores the body as it engages the concert environment. With the help of wearable technology and digital audio recording devices, data from four concerts was documented. Additionally personal reflections were recorded at the conclusion of each concert. These documents serve as qualitative data and a point of comparison between the quantitative recordings. These records were then used in the construction of an interactive data visualization that allows further exploration of the data collected by means of a visual interface.
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    Understanding Attitudes and Perceptions For Civil War Battlefield, Interpretive Images
    Abu Bakar, Shamsul (Virginia Tech, 2013-05-08)
    Civil War images are important visual records that captured and depict the realities endured by the American people during the Civil War. These images are a powerful visual platform that depicts the vivid representation of past history. Images of Civil War are frequently used as interpretive media, particularly at historic battlefields to enhance the visitor experience and understanding. However, empirical studies of the characteristics of Civil War images that can influence visitors\' experience are limited. Using historic images of Civil War landscapes, this study identified visitors\' preferences and attitudes for Civil War images at five different American Civil War battlefields: Chickamauga and Chattanooga Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Shiloh National Military Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Antietam National Battlefield, and Gettysburg National Military Park. For this study, the Content Identifying Method (CIM) and eye-tracking technology were used in understanding visitors\' preferences. The results indicate that visitors at historic battlefields prefer images that have a strong sense of active military activities and battle-related action. In addition visitors also preferred images that exhibit a high sense of mystery and are visually complex. The study also revealed that visitor background variables such as gender, age group, and ancestors who fought in the Civil War significantly influence visitor preference for Civil War images. Motivation variables such as interest in learning about "the people," "the military elements," "physical artifacts of the Civil War," and distance travelled to historic battlefields also significantly influence visitor preferences. In term of visitor attitudes towards gruesome images, the majority of the participants believe that these types of images are important visual media that can influence their visitation experience at historic battlefields. Eye-tracking technology was useful in revealing the content that attracted participant attention in some of the images, but not in other images. This study provides information that will be useful to park managers and interpretive designers regarding the characteristics of Civil War images that are important in developing interpretive media for the public and factors that may help in the process of customizing the visitor experience at historic battlefields.
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    Visual Imprints: Understanding Location Data Through Information Architecture
    Lidwin, Christina Marie (Virginia Tech, 2015-09-09)
    Wearable technologies are creating new ways for people to discover and record personal data. While these devices are raising awareness about biometric information, there is a larger quantified self movement encompassing any type of personal data collected by any means and recorded and shared in a variety of ways. Participants in this movement are experimenting with new ways to view and interact with their generated digital information. On a societal level, as we collect more data (personal or otherwise) we are questioning who should have access to different types of data and how collected data should be used. Visual Imprints documents an exploration into how location data is collected, visualized, and understood by people with varying degrees of data literacy. Through the design and development of the Android application Data Atlas, this exploration utilizes aspects of information architecture to illustrate how we as a society might come to better understand what technologies and applications record personal data and how collected information can be seen and used. The exploration also illustrates how creative technologists can contribute to societal questions on data literacy and user privacy as well as create work as a part of the quantified self movement.
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    Writing Images: Blending Drawings and Code
    Kim, Alison Sujin (Virginia Tech, 2014-06-19)
    Drawing has long been known to show the thought process of the artist because of its physical immediacy and the way it encourages fast, informal iteration. In contrast the history of programming has been toward a universal language so that common challenges can be addressed in the same way. This MFA Thesis uses the principles of rule-based and generative art to cross the borders between drawing and coding.