So, What does it takes to build an interactive wall?
The answer is easy; an interactive wall kit by Bare Conductive, a projector, basic coding knowledge, and a few sleepless nights. It all started when we decided to shift our office out of the old building. The reception area in the new place was well, bland.
The idea was to use the small space on the east wall of the entrance to tell our story. I think somewhere deep down, we always knew which projects we wanted to showcase, making it easier to push past procrastination stages initially.
The process started where all good things start—a PSD file. After several sketches and scribbles, I started working on the final illustration, which had to go as a sticker on the wooden case containing the electrode pads, conductive ink, and the touch board.
The decision to name the wall ‘Experience Engine’ was taken at conception of the idea. One of my favorite parts is a short description of the engine, which beautifully captures the essence of the idea. Of course, this was written by the mighty man himself -Sandip Maiti, CEO of the agency, a rare occurrence in my experience.
By this point, obviously, we knew what projects were going up on the wall. Motion design and projection mapping process was happening in parallel.
Vibrance in colours is the key. Do remember, you are dealing with a projector as a display unit. The colours will lose hue & saturation values with additional lights around the installation. So crank those levels.
The D day. We opened the doors to our new office on the 5th of February 2020. The engine, paired with our agency anthem, comes to life. The wonderment in the eyes of everyone at the agency is something that will stick with me for many years to come. Here's a video of a colleague explaining another how to operate the wall. :P
Interactive walls have been around for quite some time now. But building one yourself and analyzing human behavior around interactive installations indeed teaches you a thing or two.
A boom in newer mediums of interactive tech, beyond the black mirror we hold in our hands, is just around the corner. Given a choice, consumers are looking to experience new-er things and are comfortable exploring experimental mediums of interaction.
We as tech & design enthusiasts, have an exciting time to look forward to.
