For this project, students will create a project examining the connections between and within collections of their own in order to develop a metaphoric form that reveals a novel perspective of aspects of our society and culture (local culture, global culture, subculture, etc). This project entitled “The Database Narrative” is intended to encourage students to resolve these potentially polar opposites and create a critical visual form. These collections of “data” need not have an intrinsic value (like a baseball card collection), for they are often accidental collections of information, often in the form of objects.

The collection can, and perhaps should, endure a radical symbolic transformation and bear little, if any, semblance to its original self. Take ownership of the design and see the collection as a resource. The final resulting design form need not be seen as a collection in of itself.

List of collections

After becoming familiar with a beginner’s understanding of how loudspeakers operate I began classifying speakers according to their modes of interactions with users —

Roles of Speakers

Input From User Receives a Controlled/Predictable Response

1. Manual User Input

   1. Analog — Laying a needle on a vinyl record

   2. Digital — Tapping a track to play on

2. Vocal User Input 

   1. Analog — Asking a DJ to play a song

   2. Digital — Asking voice assistant to play a song

Input From User Receives a Variable Output

1. Asking voice assistant for internal, static data

   1. “Whose device is this? What’s x’s number?”

2. Asking voice assistant for internal, live data

   1. “What’s the battery level?” “Do I have any messages?”

3. Asking voice assistant for external, static data 

   1. “How many inches in a foot?” “What year is this album from?”

4. Asking voice assistant for external, live data

   1. “What’s the weather?” “Who is the president of the United States?”

Prior Input from User Receives a Variable Output

1. Device notifies user of internal event

   1. Alarm, reminder, etc. 

2. Device notifies user of external event

   1. User receives a message, news alert, etc.

No Prior Input from User Receives a Variable Output

1. Device notifies user of internal event

   1. Overheating, low battery, low storage

2. Device notifies user of external event

   1. Amber alert, weather alert, etc.

The level of autonomy required for some of the interactions from a speaker led me to reading into how Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays into the interactions.

Materials

Artificial Intelligence and Its Implications For Income Distribution and Unemployment
— Korinek, Stiglitz

The Potential Impact of Technological Development On Future Jobs
— Stefan, Toma, Marinescu

Artificial Intelligence and Economic Growth
— Aghion, B. Jones, C. Jones

Low–Skill and High–Skill Automation
— Acemoglu, Restrepo

Are Ideas Getting Harder To Find?
— Bloom, Jones, Van Reenen, Webb

The Cost of Code Switching
— Chandra Arthur

… what if there was just one world where we could all be our true selves instead of the brand of diversity that purports that minorities are acceptable provided they behave in a specific way, what about a truer sense of diversity, where people are praised for their uniqueness and the cultural capital they bring to places and situations as opposed to being disciplined or shamed for it? What acceptance of different speech patterns even within our own American lexicon so that when a person says the word “y’all,” we appreciate what that might mean about their heritage or their upbringing as opposed to what we think it means about their level of intelligence.

Excerpt from The Cost of Code Switching — Chandra Arthur

Final

From research I decided to create a book that would combine three products — a written and visual explanation of the voice–coil loudspeaker, the roles the loudspeaker play for the user, and piece of writing about the prejudices associated with voice assistants – who speak to the user through loudspeakers.

As mentioned above, Why isn’t Siri Like me?, is a triptych of works. The images featured throughout the book are speakers from my collection that I compiled at the beginning of the project, processed to give an analog contrast to the digital subjects — the loudspeaker and the voice–assistant. The works build on top one another, with a literal piece clearing the way for more abstract ones.

Visit here to view the book.