My intent for the quarter was to create a fully interactive presentation of panoramic photographs taken within the Knowlton School of Architecture. I would classify the results of this project as only partially successful. If the goal of interactive media is full immersion of the user, a user interface should offer self-directed exploration across the appropriate topics as well as self-directed immersion in these topics at a depth decided by the user. If one school of motion picture editing emphasizes the invisibility of the editor, one school of interactive design similarly emphasizes the content and tone of the information while de-emphasizing the method needed to navigate across information.
I was able to achieve some degree of interactivity, including bi-directional scanning across the panoramic photos as well as the ability to choose from two magnification levels; however, this type of interactivity is far simpler to create using Quicktime VR technology while offer far more robust user control and feedback. The use of DVD Studio Pro to accomplish a similar level of interactivity required the creation of nearly five hundred programable menus, each with three to five hypertextual links. A more transparent and convincing navigation and visual feedback system would have required the addition of video tracks resulting in greatly increased programming, bandwidth, and storage requirements.
It is my belief that interactive technology affords an opportunity to create learning, entertainment, and art environments that allow users to engage in media in more effective, and for the moment, less traditional ways. The hope is to allow users to synthesize information in novel, unpredictable ways. Perhaps in this respect my project reached modest levels of success. I approached the creation of the photographs in a manner similar perhaps to that of axonometric drawings—that is, I attempted to create graphics rich in visual information (in this case spatial, lighting, and material) without introducing author-imposed bias, tone, or direction. In other words, my intent was to provide the user with enough information-rich data to come to their own conclusions.