Day 3: (Tue Sep 2, Week 2) Workshop: Animate Furnishings

Notes for 2025-09-02.

Assignments

1. Due Thu Sep 4: Exercise: Precedent Research. Please submit to the Assignment 1 Shared Folder prior to class.

Administrative

1. Please remember: if you can’t make any of the usual EH&S fire extinguisher training sessions to qualify for laser access, IDeATe is hosting two locally, no sign-up required:

   • Tue, Sep 9, 2:30 PM in HL A4 Near (near vending machines)

   • Wed, Sep 10, 10:00 AM in HL 106C (Studio B in library lobby)

2. The first FriDeATe (social free food) event will be Friday, Sep 12 5-6PM in the basement open area.

Agenda

1. Intro comments (10 minutes)

   • remember the ottoman, the garbage bins, and the chairs?

   • Jacob Tonski, https://vimeo.com/41786246

   • Raffaello D’Andrea

   • robotics vs automation

   • metaphorical or narrative roles

2. Breakout in groups of three (10 minutes). Please quickly identify two possible approaches to animating a furnishing.

   1. What’s the furnishing?

   2. What’s the context?

   3. What are the metaphorical or narrative roles of both device and participant?

3. Discussion (10 minutes). Each group will briefly articulate a sample project.

   1. How are participant expectations violated?

   2. Where is the locus of hidden agency?

4. Prototyping and documenting (60 minutes). Goal: rig, simulate, and document one or more interactions with animate furnishing.

   • we have chairs, drawers, lights, hallway couches, water fountain, sink, etc.

   • we have: dowels, rope, tape, cardboard, markers, etc.

   • one person puppets, one person interacts, one person films

   • if you get something done quickly, refine and revise

   • important: please upload one or two brief (<30 second) videos to Assignment 2 Shared Folder documenting your interaction

5. Review (20 minutes)