The Problem
The Brief
To create a digital entity with (displayed) personality, that is connected and fed by the Internet of Things (IOT). This entity should use multi-modality to express it’s personality and go beyond personification.
The Process
Developing the Code.
Using Processing I first started the projected by connecting to the IOT via the Yahoo Weather RSS feed. From there I was able to distinguish the various 'types' of weather patterns to include in the app soundscapes. At this point the soundscapes and visual display/interactions were not designed.
Soundscapes.
Next, was the arduous task of developing soundscapes for the various weather patterns. I chose to use an overlay of two types of sounds at once; one for temperature and one for precipitation. The final outcomes were all 30 seconds in length, providing a simple and manageable amount of sound. Based on the weather two soundscapes would play simultaneously to create the weather story.
Wireframes & Initial Designs.
I created interaction wireframes to display how the app should work on a mobile device. The app was meant to be simple and immersive, so the fewer interactions the better.
Finally I decided on the name and branding identity for the app. Ambience Edinburgh (as opposed to Ambiance) refers to the technical and often scientific sounds associated with weather, specifically in Edinburgh.
The Solution