Rui Ying

Sensory Shift: Redefined Moments

An experiment of the relationship between the senses, moments, and emotions.

Project Overview

The process aims to explore the boundaries of perception within moments, and the possibilities of preserving, absorbing, adjusting, and discarding them.

It's a moment that I'm after, a fleeting moment, but not a frozen moment.

—— Andrew Wyeth

Duration

3 weeks (November 2023)

Tools

Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, Adobe Illustrator

My role

Concept Development, Visual Design, UI/UX Design, Photo/Video Shooting, Installation Setup

Materials

Plastic, Acrylic Sheet, Light Clay, Desiccant, Sauce, Xuan Paper, Frames, Light Strip, Digital Scanner, Projection

How can we identify and seize the right moment for a positive impact?

The Process

Concept

Context

Countless moments shape who I am.

Some etched into memory; others easily forgotten. Some beautiful and empowering; others heavy and disheartening.

But ——

What is a moment’s length, nature and the relationship with the self?

Is a moment an objectively occurring fact, or a collection of perceptions?

Is the perception of a moment an irreplaceable blend of scent, sound, touch, sight, and taste, or are these sensory experiences interchangeable?

Can moments be preserved?

Interview - idea collections

I discussed “moments” with 10 individuals, aged from their 20s to 50s, and possessing diverse personalities. Interestingly, everyone's perception, definition, and engagement with "moments" did not have completely certain answers. They all showed a certain degree of hesitation, doubt, and uncertainty, resulting in a collection of intriguing responses.

Insight

Rationality and emotion coexist in defining moments.

Factual basis, objective consideration, and multiple sensory experiences can overlap, run parallel, and impact each other.

Evaluation of moments is fluid.

The perceived goodness or badness of a moment can change with objective time and subjective awareness.

Defined moments are a small fraction of many.

Not all moments hold meaning, and their importance is easily neglected due to factors like busyness, apathy, etc.

Moments have impacts on individuals.

The impact can vary in significance, positivity, negativity, factors and emotions.

How can we perceive and define “moments”?

How can we coexist with them and derive more positive impacts?

Thus, I decided to conduct experiments on how individuals perceive, adjust, and manage their relationship with moments. I chose two experimental directions:

Individual: Delving into my perception and sensation of different moments.

Group: Attempting interactive methods to reduce uncertainty and derive positive energy.

01. Installation

Experiment

Idea Integration

In order to find some clues to connect certain moments from countless ones, I organized my diaries, notes, and sketches.

Through my huge collection of moments, I noticed the recurring theme of "windows" both physical and symbolic —— I enjoy observing outside the window, witness stories behind windows, walk past numerous window frames, and have specific windows etched in my heart.

Therefore, I have decided to use "windows" as a thread, connecting multiple moments along this line to experiment with the connection between moments and human senses and emotions.

I have categorized my key life stages into five windows, each framing small yet significant moments for me.

Senses in the Moments

I attempted to categorize and separate the five senses in each moment, but inevitable connections and overlaps between each sense persist. The results of my attempt are as follows:

Sight

Material: Plastic bags, Scanner

I utilized the folds, transparency and softness while also sharp lines of plastic bags to convey visual outlines, shapes, shadows, and the overall abstract impressions.

Touch

Material: Light clay

I used light clay to mold textures individually, in order to magnify and detail the sensory experience of touch.

Smell

Material: Desiccant, Flowers, Scanner

I collect flowers, the process in which collecting withered flowers corresponding to preserving fleeting moments.

Taste

Material: Sauces, Liquids, Xuan paper, Scanner

I dripped fluid sauces and food liquids onto Xuan paper. The process and outcome of flowing and merging into various layers of color, textures, and shapes convey the sense of taste and its abstract impressions.

Sound

I experimented with visualizing sound, using soundless concave lenses to convey the sensation of sound.

Overall sensations

I expressed my overall sensations and feelings through different colors, textures, materials, sizes, and gloss, as well as my intuition and impressions, of the frames symbolizing windows.

Outcome

I layered collected and experimented materials to represent the overlay of my senses and feelings within the moments, forming a comprehensive perception.

Installation

Within Each Frame

Window of summer (childhood)

Mr. Shen directs friends from the window just before the height of summer noon — it is the window etched in my mind.

In my mind, there is a window wide open on a scorching midsummer noon—hot, humid air, a blazing sun. Childhood memories, strangely, only those of summer linger — eating dumplings on the doorstep, the taste of arrow gum, and the golden days in the new house — and should be best complemented by a palm leaf fan, a white tank top with sweat stains, and beads of sweat on the neck.

Grandma’s Window

Over many summers, the window travels with Grandma, and becomes a timeless link breathing in stories of us.

She awaited me behind that window, breathed in daytime air, and chatted with old friends on the phone. Eyebrows raised and memories shared, as time subtly unfolded, leaving traces in the old house with its security screens.

Framed Window of spring daylight

Happiness, for me, is having the strength and freedom to embrace spring. From childhood fears of spring daytime homework, to the present tough days when I returned to that table by the window, I wish to make each spring day longer and more fulfilling.

I appreciate the warmth of March and April, and the various shades of pink in the flowers, outside the window.

I find that happiness lies in the ongoing ability to embrace spring, accumulating strength and enhancing freedom.

Window to home

The rain's sound, the scent of damp water grass, and a subtle sweetness transported me back to Suzhou's lakeside.

Opening the window at winter nights in Providence brought relief from the heat, akin to childhood nights on a cool mat and blooming April afternoons.

By six in the morning, as the city awakened, I closed the window and my hometown left me — it would return another night.

Paused time in the window

That day, through the yard's window, I glimpsed a muted, dark-orange dusk, with drifting dust casting shadows on the living room tiles.

In my childhood, I often studied such still and vibrant light and shadow — classmates' silhouettes vanished into corridor shadows, and I felt like I was dancing when I finally entered that space.

However, such lively light and shadow have become rare in my adult life, perhaps due to disappeared moments of stagnation.

02. BlinkSnap

Development

Analyzing People’s Experience in Moments

Scenario and pain points

Design opportunities

Connecting to 01 Installation Experiment

I decided to use flowers as imagery, and visually record moments by adding various senses. The concept of 'caring for flowers' introduces interactivity to nurture moments and emotions within.

Information Structure

Low-Fidelity Prototypes

Outcome

Visual Identity

Perceiving Moments + Recording Moments

I designed step-by-step questions to guide the users better perceive the sensations and feelings within moments. Unique flowers of the moments will be generated based on the responses, each possessing exclusive characteristics and information for the corresponding moment.

Individual Pages