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Show + Tech: apps we love!

Samantha Lefort — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:02:24 +0000

Ahh February - the month of love...love of Apps that is! Kicking off the SIM Centre's Show + Tech series of 2011, our Valentine-themed: "Apps we Love."

Luring presenters with free candy, we hosted a slew of 2 minute presentations about favourite Apps for every device. A whole lot of sharing and geeking out, some of the highlights:

Path - a social networking App for iPhone that lets you tag photos and see your (select) friends' photos also!

Reactable - an interactive music-making beat-box table that, when played with, can create endless music and sounds, not to mention the awesome grahics. See a demo here

Pulse - a free news reader for iPad. This easy to use interface lets you customize and share with a simple tap.

TeuxDeux - a great design-y schedule for your web browser. Drag and drop to keep everything timely and organized. The iPhone App is 2.99$ so you can sync your desktop and iPhone on the go!

4th Year Emily Carr Student Shelagh McLellan is designing HeadsUp: an App for youth in transition into adulthood, to be used as a touchpoint between patients and doctors in hospitals. A fun and interactive user-interface lets teens get comfortable with answering some of the harder questions. (Shelagh needs someone to write her App! Any takers?! Shoot her an email)

Every Time Zone - knowing what time it is across the globe is no longer an issue with this HTML5 web app - know when to schedule meetings with a simple drag of an icon. This is the future of where apps are going! Now if only they could attend the meetings for you... try it out here

Stay tuned for the next Show + Tech happening March 16th: Games Night!

Show + Tech: apps we love!

Samantha Lefort — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:17:57 +0000

Ahh February - the month of love...love of Apps that is! Kicking off the SIM Centre's Show + Tech series of 2011, our Valentine-themed: "Apps we Love." Luring presenters with free candy, we hosted a slew of 2 minute presentations about favourite Apps for every device. A whole lot of sharing and geeking out, some of the highlights:

Path: a social networking App for iPhone that lets you tag photos and see your (select) friends' photos a well!

Reactable: an interactive music-making beat-box table that, when played with, can create endless music and sounds, not to mention the awesome graphics.

Pulse: a free news reader for iPad. This easy to use interface lets you customize and share with a simple tap.

TeuxDeux:a great design-y schedule for your web browser. Drag and drop to keep everything timely and organized. The iPhone App is 2.99$ so you can sync your desktop and iPhone on the go!

HeadsUp: 4th Year Emily Carr Student Shelagh McLellan is designing an App for youth in transition into adulthood. Heads Up will be used as a touchpoint between patients and doctors in hospitals. A fun and interactive user-interface lets teens get comfortable with answering some of the harder questions. (Shelagh needs someone to write her App! Any takers?! Shoot her an email).

Every Time Zone: knowing what time it is across the globe is no longer an issue with this HTML5 web app - know when to schedule meetings with a simple drag of an icon. This is the future of where apps are going! Now if only they could attend the meetings for you...

Show + Tech: tell all

Samantha Lefort — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 20:43:29 +0000

In case you missed it, here are some of the latest, greatest and craziest digital art, design and software projects showcased at the Emily Carr's Social + Interactive Media Centre's Show + Tech!

Held on the Emily Carr Campus on Thursday October 28th, 2010 in Room 247A, these presentations had five minutes to share their work, in traditional show + tell format: one object, or one slide, to illustrate their topics - all relating to social + interactive media.

Lez Renovate - With their own YouTube channel, blog, and unique style - this Vancouver couple is renovating their house in EastVan, and invites you to follow along through all their trials and tribulations!

Scott Nelson - Giving an overview to some of the Coastal Guardian Watchmen Network's upcoming plans, Scott Nelson explains the data management overview of the system's first operational season 2010, as well as some plans for adding mobile technology in the coming year.

Zoe Lee - Apple-shift-3: a universal command to take a snapshot of your screen. Zoe Lee collected hundreds of screen-shot desktop snapshots and set up her online presence via Facebook.

Nikolas Badminton - Presenting what Social Media isn't, Nikolas demonstrated strategy creation for momentum and impact in the realm social media platforms, with a focus on marketing and engagement.

Michael Verity - S3D Filmaker and Artist in Residence presented some slides about his recent musings, as well as a nostalgic project about his childhood home in Fogo Newfoundland. Stay tuned for a longer posting about Michael's interesting work with S3D!

Don't be shy and come on out for our next Show + Tech!

After this round of terrific short presentations, we're looking forward to the next round of amazing and inspiring stories. What does play look like when it uses some kind of technology?

Sharing geeky toys, revealing researcher insights, making learning fun; whether it's something they're working on or something they've found, come out and see what we're playing with!

Show + Tech: COME OUT + PLAY!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

5:30 -- 7:00 pm

Room 285D, North Building (IDS Classroom) Emily Carr University

Vancouver Sun names SIM Centre Director as one of BC's 100 Women of Influence

Samantha Lefort — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000

The SIM Centre's own Dr. Alexandra Samuel has been named as one of British Columbia's 100 Women of Influence. The Vancouver Sun writes:

It wasn't an easy task to come up with just 100 women of influence in B.C., as so many women are accomplishing so many amazing things. But these women, from seven distinct fields, deserve to be recognized.

Here is what the Sun had to say about Alexandra and the SIM Centre:

Alexandra Samuel and her husband Rob Cottingham launched Social Signal, Vancouver's first social media firm. Samuel quickly earned a reputation for her writing about the impact of social media on work and personal lives. In 2009, Samuel (whose PhD dissertation at Harvard was on computer hacking) was hired as director of the new Social and Interactive Media Centre at Emily Carr, created to further the university's research role and foster its connection with B.C.'s tech sector.

New design and creative thinking from MAA students at Emily Carr

Samantha Lefort — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Designing a compelling report on company's research achievements. Writing a white paper on industry trends. Brainstorming possibilities for transmedia gaming. These are just a few of the ways that MAA students at Emily Carr have helped to drive the SIM Centre's applied research. And we're excited that this year's incoming MAA class has brought a fresh group of talented designers and artists into Emily Carr, and to the SIM Centre. Here are some of the MAA students who recently presented their research interests, and who you will likely meet at future SIM events and presentations:

Katherine Soucie. Katherine continuously works towards developing new ways to modernize traditional textile techniques by producing textiles and clothing that are new and functional. Katherine believe that reinventing pre-existing materials raises our sense of awareness, appreciation, and expresses our need for individuality. Katherine looks forward to continuing the dialogue between garment & wearer, and between art and fashion during her MAA.

Myron Campbell. Media arts mogul, loves to draw and make his drawings move. He is currently working on a short film in S3D with Micheal Boyce, and if you visit his site you will find one of the animations he has created from memory. Myron, in the Special Achievements Category, has just been nominated for "Interactive Designer of the Year" for Switch United, by the Georgia Straight.

Elisa Yon. Rooted in architecture, Elisa comes to Emily Carr to explore her curiosity and inherent need to question the world again. Concerned with memory, drawing, and collective idea sharing, Elisa brings a unique perspective to her Master's degree. To see how Elisa has mapped her memory of places she has lived and their memories, visit her blog.

Marten Sims. More than a Graphic Designer, aims to represent scientific information in a way that is much more accessible. He uses graphics merely as one of the tools with which to solve communication challenges. As an artist Marten is focused on the issues of communication, identification, and information. Marten's design and research practice explore the human interrelations of out-of-sight marine conservation.

Keep an eye out for more updates, new faces, projects and exciting news as we get to know all our Grads!

Engaging companies in the design conversation

Samantha Lefort — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 09:30:00 +0000

Design can be a powerful driver of business innovation and growth, but designlanguagecan take years to learn fluently. So how do you engage companies in the design conversations that can help them make their next leap forward?

That's the challenge that a number of Emily Carr students have tackled through their real-world immersion at Powertech, a division of BC Hydro. Powertech made Canadian history by creating Canada's first and only Level III Electric Vehicle Charging Station, the fastest way to charge electric cars.

But it takes continuous innovation to stay on the forefront of alternative fuel-source technologies and initiatives. Emily Carr's Social + Interactive Media Centre, funded by a 5-year grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, supports innovation through applied research.

A design team led by Professor Louise St. Pierre, an industrial designer with a focus on sustainability, gave Powertech insight into how design can help them grow and enhance their competitive advantage. Two students, Sarah Bailey and James Hallam, spent the summer working on site at the company; their placements laid the groundwork for a semester-long project in which 16 3rd-year design students are now working with Powertech on projects that research real-world solutions to enable the transition from petroleum to electric or hydrogen fueled transportation.

Samantha Lefort is a student in the design class that will work with Powertech through December 2010. She spoke with Sarah and James about the co-op placement that kicked off the Powertech collaboration:

What was your role at Powertech?

James: Our title was "Design Ambassador", but we actually got to do stuff. Our role was to make Powertech aware of the potential of design, as a business tool, research tool, a competitive advantage, and a new way of thinking. Since we were the first people who've ever played that role in Powertech's clean transportation business, there were no set measures of success. So we hadto be embedded in the company: if it had been an outside position, it would never have worked.

Sarah: What we were really doing was creating a new understanding of the space that they were in. It was our job to look for new opportunities, and help them come up with a new framework for clean tech research as an engineering firm.

How did this project come about?

James: It all came from Mari Nurminen, Powertech's Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning. She was educated as a business person, but because of her previous exposure to design, she saw the opportunity for design to advance the company's long-term growth.

How did this experience affect your own design work?

Sarah: It was an amazing, completely engrossing experience. I have a lot more confidence now, knowing how I contribute as a designer.

What was a typical day like?

Sarah: We spent a lot of time talking to people in different design labs, just finding out what everyone was working on, and trying to understand their language, their way of seeing things. Then we translated that into visuals, diagrams, and ideas that helped them to have conversations among themselves about what their priorities were and how they saw themselves as a company.

James: Our work was always better when we talked to people -- to anybody and everybody. We got all these contributions from different people, put them on drawings and notes, and then created mind maps by arranging and rearranging the these into categories and patterns. That was how we found where there were opportunities or design...like working on the charging station, or helping them to develop their visibility and company profile.

What advice would give to future students based on your experience at Powertech?

Sarah: Get that first job out of the way,and test what you've learned in the classroom in the outside world.

James: Find your own opportunity to get involved in a real-world project. No one knows what you can do until you let them know. And the best place to meet them is by hanging out at the water cooler.

The power of letter writing in the digital age

Samantha Lefort — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:32:26 +0000

Letter writing. When was the last time you wrote one? Hand-writing a letter is one of the most useful and informative ways to pass on information. But in this age of typing 40wpm the art of a handwritten letter has become somewhat of a novelty. Time, energy, and producing large quantities of communication information have been main deterrents from the age-old method, but what about their efficacy? Is having all this information effective? Or are we too quick to dismiss and disseminate information? How much of it are we actually absorbing, and what parts of this information is actually producing positive change?

With the online social-media activism community all a-Twitter about efficient and meaningful change-making activism, it leads us to wonder if the most meaningful changes will occur on or off-screen. A project spearheaded by ECUAD Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Culture + Community, Duane Elverum, intends to gather the strength of the masses, and produce letters for social change. Duane writes:

"Shakespeare described the entire human experience using only 26 letters. This got us thinking…

You may have heard that a few of us are working on a project to see what it takes to get involved and make change on issues we personally care about. It should be pretty simple to feel connected to our city, and get involved in the process of decision-making that affects our lives, right? We’re aiming to make the connection between our personal concern and the public world, and here’s how we’re going to do it…

Politicians and behavioural experts tell us that writing a single letter about an issue has very little effect on change, but regularly hand-writing a letter per month on a particular issue to the leaders who are responsible to the issue can have a profound effect on the direction of policy. Turns out consistency, pressure and follow-up are key factors.

We have decided to try this out; we’re each taking an issue that is personally important to us and beginning the process with a single letter to those in power; so far we’ve talked about issues like water, noise, electoral reform, light pollution, garbage and ecological footprint.

It doesn’t matter what the issue is, just that it matters to you, and that you find – and write to – the people who make decisions about it at the various levels of leadership.

What would you choose?

Rather than trying to stop climate change, or create sustainability, we’ve decided to each take on a part of our world thinking that the whole might bend in the right direction under the pressure of consistent targeted concern.

Do you want to find out more? We’re holding a party on Oct 16 to eat and drink and talk about this. Please bring some food, drink and ideas to share and we’ll see what we can do with 26 letters. Location TBA.

Here’s a link to a 10 minute TED talk that started it all, from a politician’s point of view.

RSVP to delverum@telus.net

See you on the 16th,

Duane"

Using technology for sustainable design: an interview with Emily Carr MAA student Karen Whistler

Samantha Lefort — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 17:30:00 +0000

Karen Whistler is a currently completing her MAA at Emily Carr. She has a particular interest in systems, sustainability, and getting to know Vancouver. Samantha Lefort sits down with Karen to talk design, SIM, and the future.

What brought you to Emily Carr?

Karen: I am from Seattle and grew up in the northwest. My husband and I enjoyed Vancouver every time we visited and were delighted to find out about Emily Carr. I was drawn to the emphasis on research in design, focus on sustainability and resources on campus.

Have you had a chance to explore the SIM Centre, and if so, how/why? What was your initial reaction?

Karen: I have worked in digital agencies and helped build social media strategies for clients and I can say that work was very flat. It was driven by technology as an end and sought to capture how people were currently engaging with media instead of pushing the concepts further. So, I think the SIM Centre is a working on a much deeper level.

What is your involvement with the SIM Centre?

Karen: I'm working with the SIM team on the branding for the iDMAa conference with another MAA student, Marten Sims, and a group of undergrad students. It is a fun collaboration and I can't wait for the conference.

Are you a web designer or a print designer?

Karen: I don't think that print and web are competing ideas, rather they enjoy using a variety of media to work together to reinforce the same message. It is all about telling the story and building the voice of an organization.

How can technology help what you do?

Karen: I want to promote a shift toward sustainability. Through technology and social media, people are coming together in ways like never before. I see technology as a tool for education and a way to join people in an authentic conversation around battling social barriers to sustainability.

What is it about sustainability that interests you? Certain facets or aspects?

Karen: I am interested in the cultural aspects of sustainability. It is an attitude, behavior and system that restores natural balance. I like looking at the problem holistically to see how the smaller problems impact the big picture.

Currently we have a system that is not working well for the planet or the people in it. I am exploring how can we adjust that system in a way that engages and empowers people to participate and take responsibility for their part in promoting sustainable or wasteful practices.

To me, sustainability is not just about making products that can be labeled green. It is about doing what is right. Stewardship of natural resources and human rights are critical ethical issues.

What are you currently working on?

Karen: My first month at Emily Carr I really dove in and it has been wonderful. This semester I am doing research on Systems Thinking for Louise St Pierre and PowerTech, analyzing research data for BC Children's Hospital for Deborah Shackleton and fellow MAA student Elisa Yon and working with Haig Armen gathering research for Pulse Energy.

I am also refining my thesis direction by looking into the history of the concept of disposability within our culture to better understand the root of unsustainable practices. The most valuable part of my experience here so far has been the people I have connected with. I am constantly learning and am inspired by the potential for the future.

Where would you like to go?

Karen: Ideally, in the future I would like to have a nice balance of practicing research based design and teaching at a university. I am at Emily Carr to work on those long range goals. For now, I love the work I am doing and am excited to see where the future leads me.

Thanks Karen! We look forward to all your upcoming creations!