Shannon Case – Looking Outwards 08

Kate Hollenbach is a product designer at a company called Oblong. She studied computer science in college and then was working on her MFA when she joined Oblong. She would describe what they do at Oblong as “gestural and spatial interactions in products and installations”.

The work that they do is based in data visualization using very complex hardware called g-speak that can identify hand poses and track hands in a 3D space. This means that it can track what motions your hand is doing as well as where in the space it is – for example grabbing and dragging. There is even ability for multiple people to interact within the same space. These projects are not only for artistic purposes, but also have useful applications for businesses.

The presentation is given really well, with examples coming up on the screen as she explains what the technology is doing. I think this is a really nice way to present because otherwise, even though she verbally explains how things work, the viewer might not understand what she means. The visuals allow for the viewer to better comprehend what she is talking about and also gain insight into the project.