Martin Adolfsson and Daniel J. Wilson share the inspiration behind their app minutiae, how it works, and what a collaboration between a photographer and a neuroscientist looks like. They also offer what this exploration and experience has taught them about the ways creatives interact with technology, and how they measure minutiae’s success.
Read MoreBobby McKenna Enlists Elite Artist Lineup For Steven Soderbergh's Interactive HBO Series
As McKenna puts it, "I saw Mosaic as an opportunity to collaborate with talented artists [with] a wide range of styles. I figured an email with 'Steven Soderbergh project' in the subject line would be pretty difficult to resist, so I aimed high with my proposed artist lineup."
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AN APP THAT ENCOURAGES YOU TO LOOK UP FROM YOUR APPS
AN APP THAT ENCOURAGES YOU TO LOOK UP FROM YOUR APPS
WNW Member Ekene Ijeoma is a designer known for his data-driven, socially-engaged interdisciplinary work. Last September, we featured Ekene's installation, "Wage Islands", a 3D map which tackled the geographies of access in New York, a direct result of disparate wages and housing costs. Ekene's latest project is Look Up, a participatory public art app made with Processing and support from Google Creative Labs. As you near any street intersection, the app asks you to look up from your phone to engage in the diversity and serendipity of the city.
Look Up breaks the habit of constantly checking phones and builds a ritual of looking up at intersections and not missing out on the city – draining all the energy we pour into our phones back into our streets. The app uses crash injuries and fatalities data from NYC DOT’s Vision Zero road safety project to create a 1–5 energy score reminding participants why our streets need their energy, eyes, and “hellos”. In doing so, Look Up creates a space for participants to get in tune with the energies, rhythms and vibrations of the city. You can choose if you want to be prompted at every 1 to 3 intersections, or at random while on foot, on a bicycle or in a car. It's free, open source, doesn't require a SIM card, uses low battery and data and doesn't store or share your data.
"Whether it's strangers making eye contact and saying hello or friends hugging," Ekene writes, "Look Up hopes to tear down the digital walls we build up, opening us to seeing, acknowledging and valuing the people and city around us."
Visit look-up.nyc to learn more about the app, and search tag #lookupnyc on Twitter and Instagram.
GET TRUMP'S TAXES AND SELL GUNS TO GOOD GUYS AT THE GOP ARCADE
GET TRUMP'S TAXES AND SELL GUNS TO GOOD GUYS AT THE GOP ARCADE
Deemed too offensive for the app store, the GOP Arcade lives on here, and the silver lining is it's more free than freedom. WNW Members and frequent collaborators #20 Brian Moore, #22 Chris Baker, #2444 Mike Lacher, and William Herring are the minds behind these satirical slants on classic arcade games. You can now "Get Trump's Taxes", "Bomb the Right Place", and if you're feeling especially adventurous, why not try your hand at "Science Fighter", "Good Guy with a Gun" and "Trump Toss"?
We spoke to the guys about how their collaborative efforts bring out the best in each of them, as well as the balancing act of satire with this particular joint effort: "We tried to make all the games come from the same point of view, that of the GOP. Keeping that consistent let us be pretty silly while rooting it in satire. We also hope to include more than a few games that are underhandedly educational. Like 'Bomb the Right Place,' which can actually sharpen your Middle Eastern geography."
They even offer their predictions for the 2016 election: "Trump! We can’t wait to be the target of his sweeping new libel laws!'
How was the idea for the GOP Arcade born? Have you ever shied away from bringing politics or mainstreamed beliefs into your work?
We tend to make a lot of dumb internet jokes together, and we’d been thinking about making more games. We figured the election would be fun topic to make a bunch of really short, topical games about. Some of our stuff is more political than others. A couple years ago, Baker and Lacher made this simple page joking about the NSA and it quickly spiralled out of control (millions of views in a day and hackers actually using the hashtag we made to rally together and bring down The NSA’s website [no joke]).
What was your reaction when the App Store rejected the GOP Arcade, which now lives here? Do you carry that rejection like a badge of honor?
At first, sadness, pain, anger, regret. Late night phone calls filled with tears. Angry screeds cut from magazines and mailed to Tim Cook. Chris made a crude voodoo doll that resembled Jony Ive which he ran through the microwave a few times. But then we figured we could put the games on the web and reach more people that way.
How do you balance going so over the top that it’s clearly satire, without just going over the top? What are some of the challenges that come with a project like this?
We tried to make all the games come from the same point of view, that of the GOP. Keeping that consistent let us be pretty silly while rooting it in satire. We also hope to include more than a few games that are underhandedly educational. Like Bomb the Right Place, which can actually sharpen your middle eastern geography.
Were there any arcade games that you were toying with that remained in the ideation stage?
We’ve got a pretty long list and we’re hoping to build as many as possible, so we haven’t written anything off yet. Some of the games we’re excited about are Restroom Defender, Mavis Beacon Teaches Trumping, and maybe a tower defense game where you try to stop minorities from voting.
Who do you think will be the 45th president?
Trump! We can’t wait to be the target of his sweeping new libel laws!
How long have you all been collaborating on projects? How do you enable your partners to reach their creative potential? Are your partnerships built on having similar styles, or is it more a chemistry of differences?
We’ve been working together for about four years now, and have done quite a few projects. Everything from apps to videos to bots. At this point we’re pretty familiar with everyone’s strong suits and we just let people do what they do. Conceptually, we’re all on even ground, but Mike and Brian lead on the development side of things, while Baker, a copywriter by trade and thus fairly useless in the normal development cycle, plays more of a producer role, like when he wrangles outsiders to step in and help out where needed.
Who are some of your creative idols and inspirations?
Our Slack channel mostly consists of this video and screenshots from LinkedIn. Maybe those are our muses?
What’s next?
We’ll be making more games as the election approaches. Brian just spent the money from his last six jobs on a VR-capable computer with seventeen GPUs and neon underlighting, so maybe we’ll do some of that.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Chris would like to add that he will undercut any other freelancer’s rate by 30%, with a delivery of 60% better ideas. Recruiters, please contact him at once. And don’t ghost him!
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
BUILDING AN APP THAT STRIKES A CHORD
BUILDING AN APP THAT STRIKES A CHORD
We have to admit: we almost called this post "James & Jamie Make Sweet Music Together." Alternative titles may or may not have included: "Two WNW Members Hit a High Note" & "An App That's Music To the Ears of Kids and Parents." Now that we've gotten our terrible music puns out of the way...
Members #10045 Jamie Kosoy and #10101 James Bartley created a game called Melody Jams, which just launched in the app store today. How do you play? You drag any combination of extra cute monsters up on a stage, where they start playing a tune with the instrument of your choice. You can add lots of monsters on the screen to create and compose your own songs. From there, you can tap to select instruments to play alongside them. It’s easy enough for a baby genius but fun for everyone, even parents.
Though collaborators on this large undertaking, Jamie and James have surprisingly never met. Living on opposite coasts, they figured out how to work together through what was James' first foray into app development, "We’re basically total strangers 3000 miles apart who decided to embark on this prolonged hack day together. Figuring out how to work through that took an immense amount of care and respect of one another, and I think we handled it well."
We spoke to Jamie and James about their experience, inspiration, and the educational opportunities of Melody Jams. They made it clear that this kid (and adult!) friendly game can be enjoyable for even the most tone-deaf among us. Jamie add, "I played saxophone and piano back in the day. I was terrible at both. I love Melody Jams because I can finally play music and sound good."
Tell us a little bit about your creative backgrounds.
James: I’ve been freelancing as a motion graphics animator in New York City for about 7 years now. I originally went to school for interactive but soon after graduating decided to follow my growing interest in animation. I’ve also played music my whole life and still casually play in bands outside of work. I’m super excited to be involved in a project that combines these worlds.
Jamie: I got a BFA in Multimedia before I went to work making movie websites for awhile. I always loved programming and art and motion and interactivity. I still kind of want to be a Disney Imagineer. After close to 10 years working at an awesome agency in New York, my wife and I moved to San Francisco to be closer to family and I struck out on my own.
How’d you come up with the concept of Melody Jams? What were each of your roles?
James: I wanted to create a project with good intentions that brought together a mix of different creatives. When I began developing the idea of a Melody Jams type project, I knew it’d be the perfect project for me to connect with all of the inspiring animators and musicians I'm fortunately surrounded by. In addition, I've always been interested in getting involved in education. We just needed someone that could bring it all together. Jamie and the guys at Arbitrary brought the skills and the know-how to bring Melody Jams to life.
Jamie: James got in touch with me through a mutual friend with a motion test of what he was thinking about for Melody Jams. When I decided to start doing my own thing, I made a promise to myself to keep time open for projects that were inventive and fun and fostered personal growth as a creative person. I put together a small team alongside myself to help build the app out.
How does Melody Jams work? Is there an educational element to it?
Jamie: When you open the app up, tons of extra cute monsters appear on the bottom of your screen. You can drag each of them up to a designated spot to bring them to life. Once they’re up on the main stage, they start playing a tune with their instrument of choice. You can add lots of monsters on the screen to create and compose your own songs. From there, you can tap to select instruments to play alongside them. It’s easy enough for a 2 year old but really fun for everyone, even parents.
James: The animated characters linked to each melody hopefully keep kids engaged visually while recreating the intimacy of creating music with friends. I’m really excited to see how kids and adults like playing along with their own instruments. I believe that exposing young kids to creative improvisation early on can be really beneficial.
"I didn’t see why music apps couldn’t have music that parents could enjoy at the same time."
We can imagine the musicality of this game will be more enjoyable for parents than the beeps, sirens, and honking horns featured in other games. Did other like-minded games inspire you?
James: Yes, absolutely. While working on this project I did come across a handful of similar music apps for kids. They were full of beeps, sirens, and honking which, as a music guy, I couldn’t really enjoy. I didn’t see why music apps couldn’t have music that parents could enjoy at the same time.
Jamie: The landscape for kids is really pretty dire! There are a couple of app makers out there making really beautiful and interesting things (Toca Boca, Tinybop) but most of the rest of it is really bad. I hadn’t really dug into it until we started on Melody Jams, but it feels like there’s so much room for improvement.
Are either of you parents? If so, brag about your kids here :)
Jamie: I’ve got a niece now, but no kids [yet]. My wife is a design-thinking teacher, so I’m inspired by her when it comes to kids and educational technology.
James: I have an awesome nephew who was a big inspiration in the creation of this app.
Do you play any instruments? If so, did that influence your approach to the game?
James: I’ve played a ton of instruments over the years but I’m primarily a bassist. Nathan Mckee, who composed the first music for Melody Jams, and I currently play in a band together in NYC. Throughout my childhood my parents were very supportive and let me have a practice studio in our basement. Over the years I had dozens and dozens of musicians over just to mess around, explore, and “jam”. My favorite thing was always improvising with friends and I hope the app re-creates that experience for others.
Jamie: I played saxophone and piano back in the day. I was terrible at both. I love Melody Jams because I can finally play music and sound good.
"We’ve never collaborated before. We’re basically total strangers 3000 miles apart who decided to embark on this prolonged hack day together. Figuring out how to work through that took an immense amount of care and respect of one another."
What were the biggest lessons you learned during this process? Any unexpected challenges along the way?
Jamie: Oh dear, I could write a dissertation on optimizing assets for iOS here if you wanted. One of the most interesting aspects of the project for me was that James and I were working on this together, but we’ve never collaborated before. We’re basically total strangers 3000 miles apart who decided to embark on this prolonged hack day together. Figuring out how to work through that took an immense amount of care and respect of one another, and I think we handled it well.
James: I can say as I write this that I've still never met Jamie or the guys at Arbitrary in person. We did video chat daily throughout the project while using Slack to stay connected throughout the work day. Through this all I feel we developed a great working relationship. As for the app itself, every phase of the project was a learning experience for me. I’ve never built an app before as I primarily work in motion graphics. In my world it’s animate, render, deliver. The app process requires a ton of planning, testing, and as Jamie mentioned, optimization. You have to constantly be investigating the limitations while trying to find new ways around them. There were a lot of new factors that I had to consider with every design and animation decision. Since we were working without any budget and in our off time, we had to move very strategically and make decisions with respect to what was possible to achieve with everyone's schedule. It was a very challenging experience but I really enjoyed it!
Best advice you’ve received:
James: I received a ton of advice during this project that was extremely helpful. Knowing I was entering an area I knew little about, I made sure to ask anyone I could get in contact with for guidance. Also, collaborating with someone who had the experience I lacked made this all possible and provided for a great learning experience.
Any WNW members whose work you admire?
Jamie: I’m just trying to keep up with Charlie Whitney. Jay Quercia and Phil Sierzega are amazing designers who ceaselessly inspire me.
James: Erica Gorochow, Marcus Eckert, and Lucas Zanotto have been a big inspiration for me. They are all super talented animators who put out awesome apps over the last few years.
What’s next?
Jamie: We’ve got more jams on the way, and I’m planning to make more apps with spirit just like this.
James: I look forward to collaborating with new animators and musicians to create more jams. Outside of that, I hope I can continue to work on projects that I’m proud of.