Building civic pride and engagement are essential for cities to thrive. This semester, teams of Creative Technology and Design (CTD) master鈥檚 students developed proposals in coordination with the City of Denver aiming to do just that.
The CTD program engages students in pursuing practical solutions to real-world design challenges by blending behavioral insights, technology, branding and marketing, and physical objects. This comprehensive approach can yield more meaningful outcomes than one-off fixes are often able to achieve.
Indeed, while CTD students pursue unique paths focusing on creative industries, social impact or performance technology, they also work on cross-disciplinary team projects that push their boundaries and prepare them to succeed in careers across many industries.
Many methods to design
This year鈥檚 cohort had the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Denver to propose solutions for two initiatives as part of Design Methods, a foundational class all CTD students complete.
By nature, good design has no one right approach. Design Methods, taught by Derek Friday and John Breznicky, familiarizes students with many different ways to address design prompts, including the concepts of deliberate observation (e.g. cultural probes, ethnography); 鈥減roblem finding鈥� and 鈥渄esign thinking鈥�; 鈥渨icked problems鈥�; iterative design; and alternative generation and assessment.
The class culminates with month-long final projects in which teams collaborate on proposals to address real-life design needs. This semester, four teams of CTD master鈥檚 students worked on projects in partnership with the Denver Mayor鈥檚 Office to develop solutions to support two remarkable initiatives.
They delivered final presentations in ATLAS鈥檚 B2 Black Box Experimental Studio. In attendance were representatives from the City of Denver, including First Lady Johnston, and Tran Nguyen-Wills, Deputy Outreach Director, along with Josh Wills, Creative Director & Partner at Consume & Create. Each team鈥檚 members brought a variety of skills, talents and interests to their groups and collectively they proposed a series of multidisciplinary solutions.
Friday noted, 鈥淸The teams] were able to generate solid ideas based on the brief and using the process that we taught them during the semester with the caveat that [the process of] developing your own method for problem solving continues to evolve throughout your entire creative process鈥� They were pros and we were really, really proud.鈥�
Here is some of what the teams presented:
Little Saigon / Saigon Azteca
is a vibrant cultural enclave known for its rich Vietnamese heritage and community dating back over 40 years, as well as a growing Hispanic community. The City of Denver has identified opportunities to enhance cultural preservation, spark economic development and engage the community in this district.
City designers presented this strategy: 鈥淓xploring the intersectionality of the AAPI and Latino/Indigenous cultures, including music, dance, and ceremonies, will result in a compelling brand that amplifies the rich heritage of the communities that call this Cultural District home.鈥�
Three teams proposed comprehensive design solutions incorporating branding (logos, color palettes, typography) and digital solutions (web and mobile integrations) along with physical interventions ranging from modular planters to signage to walkability improvements.
In lieu of an ornamental archway over a busy thoroughfare to mark the neighborhood, one team proposed a pedestrian bridge incorporating cultural design elements, with the aim to improve accessibility and safety. This combination of aesthetic enhancement and cultural relevance combined with practical, human-scale problem-solving powered by technology exemplifies what makes the CTD program special.
Josh Will, who developed the project briefs the students worked from, noted in his feedback to one team, 鈥淕iven the community鈥檚 curb appeal鈥攐r lack thereof鈥攊t鈥檚 a very vibrant district and community, and you have done a great job of taking everything that exists on the inside. When you go into a restaurant or any of the businesses, the community is very welcoming and energetic, uplifting, bright and vibrant. And throughout your entire visualization and also the physical planters and archways鈥攜ou鈥檝e taken what exists inside and brought it outside.鈥�
Give5 Mile High
Team: Aaron Neyer, Elizabeth Saunders, Pavan Dayal, Shawn Duncan Jr., Stephanie Babb
is a citywide volunteer initiative led by First Lady of Denver Courtney Johnston and the Mayor鈥檚 Office outreach team. This program empowers Denverites to come together to strengthen the community through collective service.
The City of Denver鈥檚 design team identified two key needs to ensure Give5 Mile High success:
The student team presented a detailed mock-up of a mobile app designed to simplify connectivity and improve participation in Give5 Mile High. They also built a comprehensive brand and marketing strategy incorporating social media and local influencers to boost program awareness and engagement.
In her feedback to the team, First Lady Johnston said, 鈥淭his is exactly what we were hoping [the team] would achieve. It made sense to think this should be a very user-friendly app that invites people to participate, and you all did it. This is incredible. I love that there are lots of things we didn鈥檛 even think about that you can do.鈥�
Mayor Johnston was able to view the presentation remotely and added, 鈥淲hat I love about it is that it fundamentally understands and accelerates the two major principles of the project. One鈥攈ow to make it so much easier for folks to sign up鈥攖he ease of sign-up is so powerful that the app makes possible. The second is the idea that the service is an act of community building. It is a way in which you serve with other people that binds you together, and this seamlessly connects you to other people.鈥�
Additional project presentations
Aside from the work with the City of Denver, two more student teams presented projects combining engineering, design, data and art. Take a look:
Climate Threads
Team: Sara Runkel, Robyn Marowitz, Caitlin Littlejohn, Kate Rooney
Climate Threads aims to raise awareness about air quality and its impact on public health. Through data visualization and textile design, invisible disparities in air quality become visible and tangible. Explore the data on the .
Confluence
Team: Abe Homer, Shalimar Alvarado Cruz Hebbeler, Abhinav Mehrotra, Alexander LaFontaine, Cambria Klinger
Confluence is an interactive, immersive experience that explores the artistry of water. The dynamic fluid simulation can be interacted with by tilting a cairn on all four axes. Laser-cut and built using chipboard, the cairn represents the confluence of both the digital and physical world. The installation was completed with the use of projection, spatial audio, and soft ambient lighting for a peaceful and immersive experience. Learn more on the .
Designing through radical creativity and inclusion
Gordon M眉ller-Seitz, guest researcher and Chair of Strategy, Innovation and Cooperation at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) in Germany, provided students support and guidance throughout the semester. In addressing attendees, he summed up the ATLAS program by saying, 鈥淚 really appreciated that you live up to your motto that you strive for radical creativity. But it is not only radical creativity鈥攊t is also this radical inclusiveness.鈥�
Learn more about the Creative Technology and Design master鈥檚 program
Students proposed design solutions to bolster community interaction and pride in support of the Little Saigon neighborhood and local volunteering initiative, Give5 Mile High.Experimental games from the ATLAS community and beyond? Retro arcade classics? Industry luminaries, fans and friends? Unlimited breakfast cereal and nachos? It must be time for Whaaat!? Festival, Season 7.
ATLAS associate teaching professor Danny Rankin and assistant teaching professor Anthony Pinter are gearing up for this year鈥檚 gaming gathering, now in its seventh year. We discussed the inspiration behind the event and why everyone from noobs to S-tier gamers will find something to love.
What is Whaaat!? Festival all about?
鈥淲haaat!?鈥� is the reaction to amazing interactions and experiences. It is the feeling you get when your expectations are shattered. The Whaaat!? Festival is a day devoted to that feeling鈥攖hrough experimental games, alternative controllers and playful interactions, we want attendees to wonder, 鈥淲hat could possibly be next?鈥�
Who is the festival for?
Anyone interested in games, alternative controllers, and weird and playful interactions will have a great time at the Whaaat!? Festival. The festival is open to the public 鈥� we just ask that attendees do buy tickets on . We have a few different ticketing levels available, including a pay-what-you-want option for folks who might have limited financial means. Every ticket includes our all-you-can-eat cereal bar and nacho bar lunch.
What inspired you to start the festival?
The inspiration started with other great festivals that we've attended and shown work at. We love play-focused events like AMAZE and Indiecade, and we wanted to bring together the games and creators we love to an audience here in Colorado. Beyond that, we hope to stretch the imagination of our attendees by featuring work that expands the boundaries of what we call "games."
Is there a theme for this year鈥檚 event?
We've embraced a "golden-era 90s sitcom" vibe for this year's promotion style, and that will connect with some of the surprises at the festival鈥攈idden laugh tracks, haunted televisions, maybe even a sitcom living room set? That said, this year's arcade game selections are all over the place鈥攖he theme every year is just, "Games that make you say Whaaat!?"
Speaking of keynotes, any cool special guests scheduled to present?
Yes! We have two awesome guest keynotes this year 鈥� Josh Zhong and Naomi Clark!
Josh is a Resident Researcher at ITP, an interdisciplinary program housed within the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. (Coincidentally, several of our faculty past and present are ITP alums!) Josh will also be running his wild game, First Person Josh, and his talk is scheduled for our morning keynote slot around 10:30 AM.
Naomi is an Associate Arts Professor and the Chair of the NYU Game Center. Naomi has worked on over 35 titles in her career, and has several published books, including the seminal A Game Design Vocabulary. Naomi鈥檚 talk is scheduled for our afternoon keynote slot around 1:00 PM.
Why should people attend?
Because what else are you going to do on Saturday in Boulder when it's forecasted to be 50 degrees and rainy? [Editor鈥檚 note: at the time of this interview, the weather was forecasted to be sunny and in the 60s?]
But, actually, it is a chance to play awesome games (including some that haven鈥檛 been released yet), connect with local game makers and developers, and see what is going on in the local game community here in Boulder. It is also a great opportunity to see the ATLAS Institute, which sponsors the festival (and whose faculty serve on the event鈥檚 organizing committee.)
We showcase ATLAS student games and projects as part of the festival, so it is also a time for students to see the sort of work they could do if they decided to join us as majors in the Creative Design and Technology program at CU Boulder.
Final thoughts?
We hope you鈥檒l consider joining us for season seven of the Whaaat!? Festival鈥� it promises to be the best one yet!
Event details and schedule:
Tickets:
When: Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 10 AM - 4 PM
Where: Roser ATLAS Center, 1125 18th St., Boulder, CO
Our Q&A with festival organizers explores the inspiration behind the event as they power up to welcome gamers to ATLAS for a day devoted to all things games.
It鈥檚 one thing to study how the relief and albedo of the ice sheets affected weather patterns during the Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 years ago. And it鈥檚 a whole other thing to develop an interactive, engaging museum exhibit on the subject for general audiences. But that鈥檚 just what teams from the (CIRES), the (NSF NCAR), NOAA and ATLAS managed to do.
Millennia ago, ice sheets formed over huge swaths of North America that were nearly as tall as some of our continent鈥檚 highest mountains. They were so massive that they essentially created their own weather.
Former CIRES postdoc Dillon Amaya (now at NOAA鈥檚 ) along with Kris Karnauskas, CIRES fellow and associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, with NSF funding.
Researchers long hypothesized that the ice鈥檚 massive scale during the Last Glacial Maximum was enough to block the jet stream and change weather patterns sweeping in from the Pacific Ocean. For example, back then the area around what is today Southern California was much wetter while the Pacific Northwest was relatively drier. Today that is reversed.
Through advanced computer simulations, the CIRES team discovered that albedo creates a cooling effect that alters atmospheric circulation in ways that cannot be explained solely by the sheer size of ice sheets. Albedo is a measure of the amount of light reflected off of a surface鈥攁nd ice sheets reflect a lot of sunlight, significantly impacting wind patterns. The research showed the Pacific Ocean was the driver behind the changes.
Translating Complex Research
In spring 2022, ATLAS offered a class called Design a Science Exhibit for ATLAS and Computer Science students. It centered on designing approachable museum exhibits that translate hard science for everyday people. Led by ATLAS director Mark Gross and adjunct faculty member Wayne Seltzer in collaboration with Eddie Goldstein from the Denver Nature and Science Museum, student teams partnered with researchers and museum specialists to prototype exhibitions that incorporated coding, materials selection, fabrication and storytelling.
Gross notes, 鈥淲e should be teaching our engineers to communicate with broad audiences, particularly around climate change. We might do good science and engineering, but we鈥檙e not always good at communicating it to the public.鈥�
A team of CU Boulder students formed a group to translate the CIRES ice sheet research into an exhibit prototype, including, ATLAS PhD student, David Hunter; Natasha Smith (MS Environment, Environmental Policy); and ATLAS undergraduate students Caileigh Hudson, Logan Turner and Julia Tung.
Seltzer explains, 鈥淭he that inspired this exhibit is not all that accessible to readers who are not climate scientists. The students focused on what they decided was essential knowledge鈥攖he factors that result in an ice age and how computer models can help us predict climate change.鈥�
Experimenting with Form
The team originally conceived of a sandbox as the project medium. As you moved the sand around to build different topographies, visual projections overlaid from above would show how weather patterns change. The idea made sense in theory, but practical stipulations (sand can be challenging to manage in a museum space) pushed the team in a different direction.
Hunter details this evolution, 鈥淲e made little blocks that represent [topographic features], and then you could put the blocks on top of each other so you could sculpt [a landscape.] As a team, we went about designing and building the whole rig and had a prototype by the end of the semester, and we got to show it alongside everyone else's work at NCAR.鈥�
NSF NCAR science educators were so impressed with the prototype that they invited the team to work on a permanent installation.
Making it Real
The biggest challenge then became orchestrating all the different people and components involved in developing a functional exhibit that could live for the long-term with as little ongoing maintenance as possible. Hunter notes, 鈥淭here鈥檚 the digital prototype building, but then there鈥檚 the physical make-this-real part as well as the education part and ensuring visitors would get the right message.鈥�
After two years of iterative collaboration with scientists, curators, coders, fabricators and educators, the exhibit is now officially on permanent display at the Mesa Lab Visitor鈥檚 Center. Thousands of guests each year will be able to explore how massive ice sheets can alter the climate in surprising ways.
Amaya related, 鈥淭his was probably one of the most gratifying experiences of my scientific career. It's not often that a piece of research like this leads to such tangible educational outcomes, so I'm super proud of our team for seeing it through! It's my hope that this exhibit can help illustrate some of these exotic climate interactions so that visitors can leave with a better physical intuition for how and why things were so wildly different.鈥�
If you go:
1850 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, CO
Free Admission
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. 鈥� 5:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 9:00 a.m. 鈥� 4:00 p.m. MT