One Big Round-Up!

We have come to the end of the project. It's been a very difficult, but exciting project. There have been highs and also many lows (i.e not being able to get OpenCv working on windows boo!- works now yay!). Learning processing has been like learning a new language, but as they say "Practice makes perfect!" (Well, perhaps not perfect but given it a very good go!

I have documented my process throughout this project in this blog and in a sketchbook. I find the blog particularly helpful, as I can quickly create entries regarding research I have found and ideas I have come up with from home or in College. Therefore Ideas are not forgotten; It's a great tool for idea development.

I used my sketchbook to brainstorm and to sketch initial ideas. This was a great starting point before being unleashed on the computer to make some "Magic!"""".

When I started this project, I found Processing very hard going. If I am to be honest, I still do! The hardest thing with the programme is knowing what it feasible with limited knowledge on coding. During the last ten weeks, I would come up with many ideas, but my level of Processing knowledge would mean that many of this ideas were not feasible.

After carrying out much research and many, many, many experiments, I started to understand what was feasible and what would be near impossible to create without a vast knowledge of the programme. I realised that the best idea was to keep to a simple idea and use simple code, but experiment with the variables to create different and very exciting effects.

I went through a phrase of the project, where I was trying to create sketches with imported movie clips that triggered when movement was detected. After many trials and hours of reading forums online regarding the matter, I realised that this wasn't as easy it sounded. That was when I decided to keep it simple and focus on particles to create a "funky" effect. This was so much more exciting, I actually able to experiment and get some really cool results rather than spending hours with no such luck.

I experimented with changing variables in my code and changing the backgrounds, flipping my background so that it mirrored by actions e.t.c e.t.c Hours of amusement! This also meant that I could spend more time experimenting with my background image and layout, all of which has been documented on this blog.

As already discussed on the blog, my inspiration was Michael Jordan and his Jumpman website. I originally wanted to create the same style and feel as the material on his website for my advertisement, so that people could relate the two. Funny enough, only today did I look back again at the Jumpman website and find this page which I have already shown on this blog:

Note the style of the Jordan Holiday section with the snowflakes. I could find some correlation there with my stars. Besides, I feel I have captured the overall feeling of the Jumpman website in my installation with a slight feminine edge. I obviously didn't want to copy any element exactly, but to capture the "feeling" of the site using colour, font style e.t.c

If we had to develop the project further, there would be a couple of tasks I would carry out. Firstly I would actual try and get my digital advertisement installed with a public place and find out peoples reactions and level of interactivity. Secondly, I would create the website that I have already discussed in past blog posts. This would be a website to advertise the fictional range of trainers, in the same style as Michael Jordan has with his Jumpman site:  Jumpman

I would obviously include all the elements I have devised, including the altered "Jumpman" Logo and the colour coded swoosh and trainer range. I would also include endorsements by Swin Cash (as researched), the pro WNBA Basketball player in much the same way as Michael Jordan.

All in all, a very rewarding project with its huge level of commitment needed to get your head around the code!