Task 2 - Concept Proposal & Early Prototyping
Siti Zara Sophia Binti Mohammad Reeza (0359881)
Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design (Honours)
INSTRUCTIONS
GOOGLE DRIVE LINK
SLIDES
Performative Media A2 by Group 8
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT
DEMO VIDEO
REFLECTION
Assignment 2 felt like the moment where things started to become real. After spending time analysing precedents in Assignment 1, this was our first chance to move from observing other people’s work to actually proposing something of our own. It was exciting, but also slightly overwhelming, because we had to translate abstract ideas into something that could eventually exist as an interactive system.
The concept of The Cosmos Within Your Touch came from our interest in connection — initially between people — and the idea that the human body itself can be understood as a kind of micro-universe. Researching ideas around stardust, cosmic origins, and visual metaphors helped ground the concept, but what challenged us most was figuring out how those ideas could be experienced, rather than just explained. This was the first time I really started thinking about concept and interaction as inseparable.
During the early prototyping phase, TouchDesigner quickly became both exciting and frustrating. On one hand, seeing particles respond to sound and movement felt incredibly satisfying — it made the concept feel alive. On the other hand, it also revealed how sensitive interactive systems are. Small changes in parameters could completely alter the mood of the visuals, and getting things like audio reactivity to feel expressive rather than flat took much more experimentation than expected.
One of the biggest learning moments for me was realising how important emotional pacing is. It wasn’t enough for the visuals to respond — they had to respond in the right way. Subtle shifts in colour, density, and motion often communicated more than dramatic effects. This made me more aware of restraint as a design choice, especially when dealing with abstract themes like emotion and connection.
Working as a group also shaped the project in meaningful ways. Our concept evolved through discussion, disagreement, and iteration, and at times it was difficult to keep everything aligned between the written proposal, visuals, and prototype. However, this process made it clear how important communication and shared understanding are in collaborative creative work. The project improved whenever we took time to step back and re-align conceptually.
Overall, Assignment 2 helped me understand that early prototyping is not about perfection, but about discovery. It’s a space where ideas are tested, challenged, and sometimes proven impractical — and that’s okay. This assignment gave me a clearer sense of how conceptual thinking, technical experimentation, and emotional intention need to develop together, rather than separately. It also set a strong foundation for refining the work further in the final installation.
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