Projects: CPeLevated

Check out YouMedia in the news! December 2, 2009: Life Learning with Wendy Priesnitz December 2, 2009: marshall4frog Blog November 30, 2009: PhysOrg.com November 24, 2009: Nicholas Senn H.S. Library November 19, 2009: Tween Books November 11, 2009: Megoland's Blog October 20, 2009: ETC Global News October 20, 2009: Web NewsWire October 19, 2009: Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning October 10, 2009: Chicago Sun Times September 16, 2009: YOUMedia Students Speak July 11, 2009: PLA Blog
		Project Website: - Link Project Deliverables: - Design a space and new media experience for teenagers in the Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago, IL. Roles: - Experience Designer - Engineer


The MacArthur Foundation, Digital Youth Network, and the Chicago Public Library tapped the ETC for a new project in conjunction with Katie Salen's Institute of Play to design a new media space for teenagers in the Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago, Illinois. We completed this project in 15 weeks.
The library provided us with a floorplan and the vision they developed with MacArthur and the Digital Youth Network. We immediately began sketching ideas on whiteboards and copies of the floorplan, and built a scale model out of foamcore to help us understand how objects were going to fit in the space. We also used 3D software to visualize and measure the space. On a weekly basis, we presented our plans and collected feedback from our clients, and incorporated their suggestions into new designs. We also visited Chicago in the early stages to take measurements and photos of the space. We took that opportunity to speak with the teens in the YouMedia program who would be using the space, and to speak with their volunteer mentors.
	As a designer, I worked with my team mates to define the areas of the space and how we wanted people to move through it. Our partners at Chicago Scenic Studios were a big help with this, advising us as we continued our research and came up with new ideas. I also worked with the other engineer on our team to define an electrical plan - deciding on where we would need power and data to support the technology and activities planned in the space by the Digital Youth Network. One thing I was really excited about was that I had a lot of chances to develop creative ideas for interactive installments in the space.
The physical model helped us visualize the space in three dimensions and allowed us to iterate quickly.

Most of these ideas centered around how to display student art in an interesting way, while others were ideas for custom-built furniture such as bookshelves and seating. When it became obvious that our budget would restrict what custom items we could build in the space, we decided to focus on one element.

One of several ideas I brainstormed for displaying student work.	Speaking to ETC faculty about the project.
The 'LCD Tree' was an idea that I came up with very early in the brainstorming stages of the project. We returned to this idea as a fun, interesting way to display student art that was also easy to design, build and implement. I designed it based on the feedback of my team, faculty and Chicago Scenic Studios; we decided as a team that we'd focus on finishing up the design for the space first and foremost, and then add the tree as time permitted. When we presented the final design to the clients, they really liked it, and it would go on to function not only as we'd planned, but also as a popular landmark in the space. The tree was manufactured by Chicago Scenic Studios, who also executed our plans for furniture and flooring. The library's union workers, employed by U.S. Equities, painted and installed data and power according to our specifications.
	The 'LCD Tree' was an idea that I came up with very early in the brainstorming stages of the project. We returned to this idea as a fun, interesting way to display student art that was also easy to design, build and implement. I designed it based on the feedback of my team, faculty and Chicago Scenic Studios; we decided as a team that we'd focus on finishing up the design for the space first and foremost, and then add the tree as time permitted. When we presented the final design to the clients, they really liked it, and it would go on to function not only as we'd planned, but also as a popular landmark in the space. The tree was manufactured by Chicago Scenic Studios, who also executed our plans for furniture and flooring. The library's union workers, employed by U.S. Equities, painted and installed data and power according to our specifications.
Left: Final LCD Tree design; Right: Final installation.


Opening day for YouMedia!	Getting interviewed by YouMedia teens.
On July 9th, 2009, the Digital Youth Network and the Chicago Public Library debuted the YouMedia teen space in conjunction with hosting the American Library Association conference. It was really exciting to see our designs realized, and awesome to see the excitement that it generated.