design « neufuture

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City Noise

Concept

Instead of improving on my original concept, I decided to take a new direction that compliments one of the other interests in my work. For the data logging project I sample audio noise in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I am interested in the noise of the city an how it affects us over time and location.

The original idea was to take six samples total(3 Brooklyn, 3 Manhattan) each 10 minutes long. I am choosing major thoroughfares in each of the two boroughs which I have mapped here.

Execution

I had planned on taking the three Manhattan samples Tuesday and then Brooklyn on Wednesday so they could both be around noon on a week day. Tuesday I went out and was able to get samples from Union Square and Times Square. I positioned myself in a place about 20ft from the street and in major flow of foot traffic in all locations.

On Tuesday I went out to Broadway and Flushing and just as the recording was ending, the battery on the recorder failed. I realized the M-Audio records were very poor records and would be better off just using my iPhone with a mic.

Analysis

Now I was left with one sample from Brooklyn and two from Manhattan, so I brought these into Processing and wrote a csv with the amplitude data. Because the sound levels were so low(even though they were maxed on the recorder) I had to boost the gain, which created noise on top of noise. The data samples were taken 10 times per second. I then took this data and created a graph shown below.

Brooklyn = blue
Manhattan = red

Next steps

This data needs to be filtered. I could probably take the averages of certain time periods and create some sort of curve that would better represent the data. Still, you can see the peaks of noise which gives you somewhat of an idea about noise pollution in these areas.

Fantasy Device – Nutrition Analysis

I feel like I’ve been all gadgeted out lately. It has become not a matter of what exists, but rather what devise works properly and have the necessary features without being overly complexified. That being said, if there was one device I would like to see, it is something that helps me keep track of my health through what I eat.

This device consists of two components and would be easily portable so that you can keep track what you eat where ever you go. The first compontent is the analyizer. This is basically a minutre tent that easily flaps out. You then insert what ever food into this space and press the single button begins the analysis. While analyising, there is a yellow LED. Once the analysis is complete it then uploads the data to the second component—your iPhone. After uploading the data, the green LED turns on indicating a return to “ready” or “idle” status. If the analysis or upload is unsuccessful, a red LED will blink.

Your data is then store in a database on your iPhone as well as being uploaded to an online account that keeps track of your eating and drinking habits. Their are two major difference between this device and calculating typical nutrition facts.

You can calculate restaurant meals and items that don’t have nutrition facts
It is a much more in depth analysis than the information provided on current nutrition facts. These facts include any harmful additives (such as MSG)

Good Data Bad Data

Looking through two of my favorite info graphic sources (WIRED and GOOD) I came across this diagram of global meat consumption. The info graphics from these sources usually tend to range in how well they represent the data. This particular graphic is obviously created partly in jest. It is good for understanding who falls in top and the lowest consumer brackets, but beyond that the representation gets a little silly. For one thing it is hard to really compare how much meat is eaten in each country since they are represented by bovine parts with greatly varied form.

The graphic also goes on to give you an idea of how much meat that say Sierra Leon eats through a complex equation of amassing different types of “common edible things”. To understand this list you have to refer to the key, where one discovers that these “common edible things” aren’t so common after all… Santa?? really?

So though the data and visuals is amusing, it doesn’t really accurately represent anything at all.

Of course, if your looking for the most reliable data, NY Times always seems like a good place to turn. They recently compiled data on water facilities across New York. This data is presented in both map and list form. It presents information on facilities that discharge pollutants. By providing the date of last inspection, it puts this data in better context. By clicking on a facility, you are able to get a timeline of violations as well as the source of the data in for further investigation. Overall, it provides a very digestible an accurate picture of water contaminating pollution sources across the US.

Way Over Budget Productions

This upstart events production agency is throwing all kinds of parties. From TV, fashion, advertising, and music—they’ve got it covered. Their diverse themes allow invitation designs to be created in a diversity of styles.

Aroma Espresso Bar

I spent four months diving deep into coffee culture and Israeli phenomenon known as Aroma Espresso Bar. This place has a magical magnetism that sucks in the Israeli population from across Manhattan. Using their established brand image, I design for both print and web for the US division of Aroma.

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