Data visualization is moving from the macroeconomic and large-scale – census numbers and such – to the personal. And digital work is getting more physical. So, it’s telling to look at this latest interaction design project from Copenhagen-based creator Andrew Spitz. The sound designer-turned-interaction designer built an app in Max/MSP that pulls travel information – entered manually or from TripIt – and outputs graceful arcs in a 3D-printed sculpture that acts as a tangible travelogue. (I’d actually love to see it go further, perhaps showing elevation with flight tracking or something, but the simple gesture here is nice.)
Max to me is a surprising choice, but it shows how capable that environment can be for those willing to push it.
loci – 3D Printed Sculptures of Your Flights {+ tangible}
loci – 3D Printed Sculptures of Your Flights from Andrew Spitz on Vimeo.
I think it makes even more sense to understand Andrew’s work in a bigger context. Here are a couple of favorite projects covered on Create Digital Music:
Voice Messages Become 3D Paper Waveform Sculptures: Paper Note
Radio in an Online Age, Made Tangible: Skube Are Smart, Last.fm + Spotify Speakers
Seeing a pattern?
In another meeting place between digital and tangible, Andrew is using hand-stamped elements to make the UI for Flying, an iPhone app that will link to loci with tracking information. I love this sort of technique – the kind of broad perspective that reminds you that, just because you’re working in digital media doesn’t mean you can’t mix non-digital media. Watch:
Flying – The Making of the Stamps from Flying on Vimeo.
Now, I just need a custom version of this that, for now, has a little map of Western Europe and a lot of short hops.