Exploring narrative driven architecture.Architecture has been used as a physical medium that goes beyond providing shelter, but also to tell stories or document historical epochs. The architectural structures of old were designed to give its visitors an experience steeped in narrative such as biblical scriptures or even engender feelings of awe as they passed through a space. This is evident in the well established culture of architecture being something you experience, not merely a thing viewed through images. A building can not speak to you without you being beside or inside it. Architecture is an experience, an adventure and it is storytelling. “ Understanding nor organising are not enough nor necessary” (John Hejduk). This project was an opportunity for me to go after my dreams and passion of exploring storytelling through architecture. My love for film and cinema, fairytales, magic and myths. To somehow connect architecture to my passion of storytelling, whilst being challenging, has taken me to places unknown and helped me rediscover architecture, space and the human itself. The project is not about creating space for purpose, or purpose out of space, it is an experimentation of how space and design can be formed solely based on a narrative and the narratives view and understanding of the world. Is it not a psychoanalysis but merely an adventure where I invite you to feel and understand a person and his feelings through the help of architecture and design. The space will tell you everything that you need to think about.

Scientific data mining purports to extract useful knowledge from massive datasets curated through computational science efforts, e.g., in bioinformatics, cosmology, geographic sciences, and computational chemistry. In the recent past, we have witnessed major transformations of these applied sciences into data-driven endeavors. In particular, scientists are now faced with an overload of vocabularies for describing domain entities. All of these vocabularies offer alternative and mostly complementary (sometimes, even contradictory) ways to organize information and each vocabulary provides a different perspective into the problem being studied. To further knowledge discovery, computational scientists need tools to help uniformly reason across vocabularies, integrate multiple forms of characterizing datasets, and situate knowledge gained from one study in terms of others. This dissertation defines a new pattern class called redescriptions that provides high level capabilities for reasoning across domain vocabularies. A redescription is a shift of vocabulary, or a different way of communicating the same information; redescription mining finds concerted sets of objects that can be defined in (at least) two ways using given descriptors. We present the CARTwheels algorithm for mining redescriptions by exploiting equivalences of partitions induced by distinct descriptor classes as well as applications of CARTwheels to several bioinformatics datasets. We then outline how we can build more complex data mining operations by cascading redescriptions to realize a story, leading to a new data mining capability called storytelling. Besides applications to characterizing gene sets, we showcase its uses in other datasets as well. Finally, we extend the core CARTwheels algorithm by introducing a theoretical framework, based on partitions, to systematically explore redescription space; generalizing from mining redescriptions (and stories) within a single domain to relating descriptors across different domains, to support complex relational data mining scenarios; and exploiting structure of the underlying descriptor space to yield more effective algorithms for specific classes of datasets. / Ph. D.

Phenomenal Things is a comical look into the daily lives of Internet of Things (IoT) artifacts and their experiences as social beings in cyberspace. This Augmented Reality (AR) experience presents a storyworld set in the digital realm where the digital personas of IoT artifacts are engaged in activities normally invisible to humans such as information extraction, learning, talking to each other and communicating with other "things" online. By wearing a head- worn display (HWD), users will encounter anthropomorphized IoT artifacts going about their daily lives and come to understand these characters as digital beings with social lives. Placed inside of cyberspace, participants will find themselves within a circle of anthropomorphized IoT devices in dialogue with one another, as they welcome a new light bulb to their network. As participants move about the AR actors, proximity to each character will cause the participant to "friend" that character. "Friending" in this case means to get close to and influence the version of the story being told by changing the social network of the character. With this work I intend to create a mesmerizing yet subtly-interactive experience using proxemics to create an interactive narrative where participants can create emotional bonds with the AR actors in this immersive theater experiment. / Master of Fine Arts / What is everyday life like for the billions of interconnected sensors and devices that make up the network known as the Internet of Things (IoT)? Many people struggle to accurately describe what the IoT is, so it is likely most of us are unaware what specifically these "smart" devices are doing while continuously completing their digital chores. Beyond collecting information and serving their own unique functions, these devices now autonomously connect to social networks and interact with one another in ways meant to replicate human social networking. Phenomenal Things is a comical look at the social lives of these devices, from inside the Internet of Things. Told with the aid of an Augmented Reality Head Worn Display, the story stars anthropomorphized devices of a smart home network and is centered around the idea of these devices welcoming a new smart bulb to their network. The AR actors engage in dialogue to explain the network to the new bulb, what they are all doing there and how to communicate with other beings online. Participants can directly impact the version of the story being told by "friending" the various devices and thus influencing their point of view as so often happens with the social network experiences of humans.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates stop motion animation as a form of socially engaged visual storytelling. It aims to expand commonly held perceptions that associate animation with the mass media and entertainment industries by investigating three non-industry related contexts: the artist studio, the classroom and the community. In each respective context the coauthoring of stop motion animation was employed as a means to promote collaboration between artists, students and members of the public. This was intended to encourage participants to share their stories regardless of language differences, contrasting levels of academic development and diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Thus, animation making provided a means of promoting inclusivity through active participation and visual communication. This process is perceived as valuable in a South African context where eleven official languages and a diversity of cultures and ethnicities tend to obstruct an integrated society. My fundamental argument is that animation can be used as a tool to facilitate the materialisation, dissemination and archiving of stories whilst promoting the creative agency of the storyteller. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek stop-aksie animasie as ‘n tipe van sosiaal-geaktiveerde visuele vertelkuns. Die studie is daarop gerig om algemene aannames oor animasie – wat animasie assosieer met die massamedia en die vermaaklikheidsindustrie – te verbreed deur drie nienywerheidsverbonde kontekste te ondersoek: die kunstenaar se ateljee, die klaskamer en die gemeenskap. In elk van die onderskeie kontekste word die gesamentlike skepping van die stop-aksie animasie gebruik as ‘n manier om samewerking tussen kunstenaars, studente en die algemene publiek te bevorder. Die doel is om deelnemers aan te moedig om hul stories te deel, ongeag taalverskille, verskillende vlakke van akademiese ontwikkeling, en diverse sosio-kulturele agtergronde. Daarom verskaf die skepping van animasie ‘n geleentheid om samewerking te bevorder deur aktiewe deelname en visuele kommunikasie. Die proses word veral in die Suid Afrikaanse konteks as waardevol beskou, waar elf amptelike tale, asook ‘n diversiteit van kulture en etniese groepe, dikwels die skep van ‘n geïntegreerde samelewing belemmer. My hoofargument is dat animasie met vrug gebruik kan word as ‘n metode om die skepping, disseminasie en argivering van stories te fasiliteer en terselfdertyd ook die kreatiewe rol van die storieverteller aan te moedig.

No description available.

Konsumenter utsätts dagligen omedvetet av reklam från varumärken via flera kanaler och idag krävs det något extra för att varumärket ska ge genomslag. Där kommer berättelsen, ett narrativ eller så kallad storytelling, in som ett mäktigt verktyg inom varumärkeskommunikation. En konsument identifierar sig lättare i en berättelse, det är därmed viktigt hur företaget porträtterar sig och bygger sitt budskap. För att lyckas med storytelling krävs det att man berättar rätt historia. Innehållet ska vara intressant, relevant och engagerande. Aktuella händelser i berättelser berör och engagerar då människan alltid fängslats av nyheter. Främjas aktualiteten i storytelling finns möjlighet till ökat engagemang från kunden. Vi har lyft fram kriterier för kommunikationskanaler och dragit slutsatser för hur modeföretag kan använda aktualitet inom storytelling för att främja konsumentengagemang. Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur storytelling används och om aktualiteten influerar storytellingens potential att skapa engagemang hos konsumenter i modebranschen. Vår studie grundas i en kvalitativ metod med en flerfallsdesign. Datainsamlingen har genomförts via semi-strukturerade intervjuer hos utvalda modeföretag och PR-byråer. Vi har valt dessa två företagstyper för att få fler vinklar i vårt företagsperspektiv. Analysen har gjorts utifrån vår teoretiska referensram i en tematisk indelning.

Att tolka, omtolka och göra nya gestaltningar i rum är viktiga arbetsuppgifter för en inredningsarkitekt. Hur kan jag arbeta med en metod för att undersöka olika rumsliga relationer? Storytelling inom arkitektur och design uppfattas många gånger som något kommersiellt laddat, men bär inte alla rum på en berättelse? I mitt examensarbete utforskar jag storytelling och berättelsers struktur som en metod för att arbeta med rumsligheter. Varje plats eller rumslighet berättar åtminstone en, om inte flera, berättelser. Genom att analysera en befintlig plats ’berättelse’ kan jag genom förhålla mig till den och göra tillägg eller ändringar. En omskrivning av berättelsen, eller ett förtydligande, en artikulering. Kan jag hitta berättelser som inte givits form och skriva in de i de lager av berättelser som redan finns? Kan en bra story skapa bra inredningsarkitektur? / To interpret, reinterpret and make new design proposals in spaces are important tasks for an interior architect. How can I work with a method to examine different spatial relationships? Storytelling in architecture and design is often perceived as commercial, but don’t all spaces carry a story? In my degree project, I explore storytelling and narrative structures as a method for working with space. Each location or space tells at least one, if not several stories. By analysing the existing ‘story’ of a space, I can relate to it and make additions or changes. A rewrite of the story, or a clarification, an articulation. Can I find stories that have not been given form and add them to the layers of stories that already exist? Can a good story create good interior architecture? / <p>The full thesis contains copyrighted material which has been removed in the published version.</p>

Utvecklingen av sociala medier såsom t.ex. Facebook och Instagram har inneburit nya möjligheter att kommunicera sin livsstil och sina personliga val, som överskrider såväl kulturella som geografiska gränser. Nya gemenskaper skapas. Detta får betydelse för hur konsumenter kommunicerar med varandra samt hur märkesinnehavarna kommunicerar med sina kunder. Syftet med min studie är att undersöka hur en märkesinnehavare inom mode använder sociala medier, i detta fall Instagram, i sin kommunikation med kunderna för att skapa engagemang kring sitt varumärke. Aktuell forskning visar att värde i varumärket skapas genom en ömsesidig kommunikation mellan märkesinnehavaren och konsumenterna. Kommunikationen sker både mellan märkesinnehavare och konsumenter samt mellan konsumenterna i en märkesgemenskap. Storytelling är ett verksamt medel i denna meningsskapande process. En semiotisk analys användes för att analysera bilderna och hur de bidrar till märkets storytelling. Resultatet visar att Instagram ger märkesinnehavare och konsumenter möjlighet att gemensamt skapa värde. De tekniska funktionerna i applikationen gör det lätt för märkesinnehavare att interagera med sina konsumenter och skapa en dynamisk märkesgemenskap. På Sabo Skirts instagramkonto är märkesinnehavaren och följarna tillsammans märkets författare. Följarna använder kläderna och ger dem betydelse i sin egen vardag samtidigt som märkesinnehavaren skapar möjligheter för dem att synas på ett instagramkonto med 1,5 miljoner följare. Detta kan tolkas med hjälp av teorin uses and gratifications som säger att användningen av media alltid är målinriktad. Människor väljer aktivt media efter vilka deras behov är och hur väl användningen tillfredsställer dessa behov.