Week 1 - Creating and Experimenting
The first week of labs and readings reinforced why I am here in ITP: To create and experiment with the ways we interact and use software (and more broadly computational technologies). The two readings expressed my own frustrations around modern interfaces, and will likely serve as a basis for projects I would like to work on as the semester continues. Interfaces are meant to be seen and felt. To respond and react to a user's input.
The idea that software should be invisible is false and yet it's embedded in the terminology of the field and the cultural hivemind of software as a whole. Like the idea that digital data can't degrade and will be remembered forever. The readings and labs remind me of Wendy Chun's work Software as Memory and I'm excited to bring my own expertise into my projects throughout the semester. Applying the concepts from the lessons and labs however, were difficult to understand at first. My expertise lies in software. Hardware though is another story. I used to have an arduino uno kit, but I could never get myself into working on projects and ultimately the kit just gathered dust.
The first labs were confusing at first. Realizing I had to utilize The Shop took longer than it probably should have, but the labs were helpful teaching me the basics of the breadboard and to feel more comfortable with the materials at my disposal.
The best way to describe the labs were like an adult's arts and crafts camp. The circuits I put together, while simple, made me excited about what I will be able to build throughout my time here at ITP especially as I become more comfortable fabricating and building more elaborate projects.
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