Initial Personal Project Pro Forma

BA/BSc Hons DESIGN for INTERACTIVE MEDIA (Top-up)

Module Number ADM306b
Module Value 4
Year 2005-2006
Semester 1 & 2
Tutors WKB/DL/SN/SP
Assignment Personal Project Pro Forma

Student name: Nigel Whitbread

Student number: 06000671

Email address: nigelwhitbread@yahoo.co.uk

RESEARCH PAPER PRO FORMA

I. Your general field of enquiry

Locative Aware Services – Locative Media. Research what devices can be used, what content is being broadcast, and what applications are being used to produce the content. An investigation into what innovative ways locative media is being used to provide context driven content


II. Your chosen subject

This research project will be looking at what devices (PDA’s, mobile phones, Node) would provide the best platform for location aware content. They are to be used outside in city centres and provide historical location context driven data as if the city is an extension of a museum that is mapped over by the past


III. Your objectives. What are you going to document /uncover / explain / question?

To determine what content is required to enhance the historical sense of a city and how different it might have looked in the past. To find out if users would prefer audio, textual, stills, video driven content or a combination of all four. Using primary questions and the information uncovered I will create a prototype application to run on a specific device.


IV. A description and assessment of research base. Primary sources. Secondary sources.

A large part of my primary research will involve visiting museums and historical sites of Cardiff, and conduct interviews and questionnaires with visitors, staff and the general public. Secondary data will be taken from existing research papers on locative media and handheld devices.

V. An indication of your preferred methodology and why it is appropriate. What academic approach will you choose that is best suited to the analysis, contextualisation and cultural critique of your subject?

The methodology I propose will include, semi structured interviews (of the general public, museum visitors, staff and school children of a variety of ages) to be undertaken in Cardiff to gain an understanding of the interest people show in using devices to look at historical with contextual relevancy. Analysis of acquired data – filmed, photography, audio, interviews, questionnaires. Creation of a prototype on a relevant device based on users expectations.

VI. References to key thinkers/academics

Researchers and academics in the Locative Media sector, including – Anne Galloway, Mathew Ward, RK Harle, A Hopper, Nicolas Nova, and Ben Russell.

VII. Indicative bibliography

Galloway, Anne and Matthew Ward (2005): Locative Media as Socialising and Spatialising Practices: Learning from Archaeology (DRAFT). Forthcoming Leonardo Electronic Almanac, MIT Press. Available online: http://www.purselipsquarejaw.org/papers/galloway_ward_draft.pdf

Harle, R. K. and Hopper, A. (2005): Deploying and Evaluating a Location-Aware Systems. In: Proceedings of the Mobisys 2005. Available online: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/DTG/~rkh23/pubs/mobisys2005.pdf

Russell, Ben (2004): Transcultural Media Online Reader Introduction, TCM Online Reader.

Mobile Location Based Services. Andrew Jagoe., Prentice Hall PTR, 2002

LocationBased Services: Fundamentals and Operation, Küpper, Axel, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2005.

Pasta and Vinegar webblog., Nicolas Nova, http://tecfa.unige.ch/perso/staf/nova/blog/, 2006,

Locative.net, http://www.locative.net

VIII. Additional information that is relevant.

Will map out a schedule of work so that I can effectively manage my project
Will consider what I would like to be able to publish and where, e.g. who is my intended audience, names of conferences and journals/publications that may be interested in your work.

IX. Any questions you may have for staff.

I would like feedback on have viable my proposal is, if they think it can go the distance and do the think it would be worthwhile approaching museums, schools and other institutions.