Following my ConcreteBlock project, I decided to re-design and understand better what is my critic of body-screen interaction. In general my main goal was to get more connected with our body, feel it better, force people to stay in one posture to feel something, to remind us all that it is there.
Thinking how our body posture changes while we use mobile computing devices inspired me.
While we use our mobile devices our body transformed into an unnatural posture. only when we become self-aware or the pain kicks in, we stretch out trying to free our body from the uncomfortable pain but soon our body slips back into the posture that the mobile device dictate.
According to spineUniverse, the use of these devices influences our posture and body mechanics in unhealthy ways that contribute to neck, upper back, shoulder, and arm pain. Furthermore, poor posture while sitting, standing, walking, or in a static position can lead to more than upper body pain and stiffness—poor posture affects other parts of the spine, such as the middle and low back.
What strikes me the most is that An adult human head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds. So how much heavier is the head when it's tilted? At 15 degrees of forward tilt may equate to a head weighing 27 pounds. At 30 degrees forward, the strain on the neck equals a 40 pound head.The greater the angle, the greater the strain: 45 degrees forward equals 49 pounds of strain, and 60 degrees forward equals 60 pounds.
The first step in my research was to photograph myself using my mobile device in 3 different situations: Lying on my back in bed using both of my arms and standing while holding the phone with one hand.
pictures of body postures
In the moment i looked at my pictures i got a real time feedback on my body , how ridicules and contorted it becomes. my vain self would never want to be seen this way, yet, i constantly see others taking part in virtual life looking this way in the real world.
I wanted to amplify the experience. I created an exoskeleton that would keep the body in each posture and subtracted the mobile device. if a cast is meant to heal your pain or your fracture, my exoskeleton/cast might heal you only because it might cause you more discomfort.
First Attempt was to create it from coardboard, using the laser cutter..
So with the great help of Gilad and Nick I created a 3D model of the cast and then sliced and glued it.
The outcome could have been poetic but turned out to be uncomfortable and lost it critical meaning or intent. I couldn't understand if it's the shape or the material that i am using.
so i decided to switch gears and re think the idea.
What do i do when I get stuck? i go to the junk shelf. and if there is nothing in the junk shelf, than I go to the things that i love the most: my references folder:
The gas mask, an object that terrified me.
I had to carry it in a box for about 2-3 months, use it a couple of times and overall, learned to love it. When looking back on it: colouring each part in basic colours (yellow, red and blue) makes the parts distinct from one another.
Our head, is the control room for our body, even when using the phone, the phone is facing towards the head, as if it is projecting all the information for every part, not only the eyes.
Maurizio Cattelan is doing it great, with sculpture and art direction. his small manipulation or suggestion on how to see life or different events and the fact that he is using primal colours is always as inspiration for me.
It made me think about ways that i can use the face or the hands. maybe create a mask / a hat / a wearable that will demonstrate the torture that our head is going throughs almost 2.5 hours a day.
How can i make a statement about this subject? how can i raise Postural awareness? or just general awareness about this subject? I wanted people to feel it, to see it. think about what they are doing to their bodies.
I couldn't ignore S&M aesthetics. the belts and the cuffs are in a way a Prosthesis to limit, expand or enhance pleasure but also create or maintain different body postures.
Materials like ropes, leather and metal seemed like a good way to start. I didn't want to stay in this world, i wanted to find my own graphic language.
I thought a lot about how in the army we used to make all our equipment very tight and organise by using wide black sewing elastic band. It was a free material and people were so creative in order to create small tweaks for daily used objects.
In the first Attempts I was only using the wide black sewing elastic band. The head band became very slippery and nothing seems to hold my head. so i had to go back and sketch some of my ideas and instantly i wrote helmet. so i figured that is my way to manipulate my head movement and hold my hand weight i need to find a strong structure on my head.
I drew some sketched to understand what the position that i want to do:
After sketching, I understood that I am going for 3 postures. I wanted to use colour coding for each one if they are going to share the same interface.
I found in the junk shelf an interior of a head-set. Later, Went to the fashion district in a search for buckles, rubber strips, cotton chords, rings, etc.
The first model:
I had a hard time with the holes i made in my elastic bands, first i tried using eyelets, but the materials dissolved so fast that i found my self after a minute or two with huge holes. then i went to the hardware store and found a 1/4 inch grommet tool that had a robust eyelet. It fit perfectly for my idea and even contributed to the aesthetics of the project.
I sewed everything to an average wrist dimensions and the head-set was adjustable so i didn't have to worry how would it fit for every person.
Some Graphics:
Video:
