Abstract+Research Question+Key Words

Abstract:

I want to explore can (how) “less is more” (The phrase as adopted by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a precept for minimalist design) work in Digital Arts particular emphasis on spectator’s experience. More and more complex technology and gorgeous pictures are used in digital media (such as interactive multimedia, moving image) to offer viewer an immersive experience. It seems more information viewer received, the duration of viewer’s experience would be longer. Actually, we can experience and muse more through a simple digital work. Because of simplicity is about abstracting the obvious, and adding the meaning which we can feel more deeply. My argument is simplicity could not be boring or lack of immersion in digital media. Instead, it could give viewer a musing or a pure immersion. And I will combine practice- based research which could prove sometimes “Less is more” works in digital media not just reducing but also adding with theory.

Research questions:

    Can (How) “less is more” work in Digital Media particular emphasis on viewer’s experience when visual effects of the industry is more chaos and full of complex technology?

 

Key Words:

•     Simplicity
•     Less is More
•     Viewer’s experience
•     Meaningful
•     Digital media

questions I want to explore in paper

My project is about simplicity and complexity particular emphasis on simplicity in digital arts. The question I want to explore is:

How “Less is More”(The phrase as adopted by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a precept for minimalist design) work in New Media?

This question seems oppose two myths examined by Pierre Gander in his paper Two Myths about Immersion in New Storytelling Media, “more sensory information, more immersion”; “more paticipation, more immersion”. 

I can explore through some aspects to define the board question.

1. “Simplicity is the art of complexity, is about substracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.” — by John Maeda
2. Does simplicity reduce an immersive experience in new media? Or instead, it may increase with appropriate methods and how.

The paper about immersion

I’ve read the paper “Two Myths about Immersion in New Storytelling Media” by Pierre Gander.

It’s a long, dialectic and useful article. I learned how to write a dissertation in a prudent methodical way, which is different from my previous essays in BA course.

He builds some arguments and then gives many examples to disprove them.

Whatever Gander’s paper argues two myths about immersion in new storytelling media are correct or incorrect. The more immersive audience’s experience is, the more successful the project is. That’s what I am looking for, at least.

One of two myths what he discusses in his article is “more is better” which is related to my project concept “simplicity and complexity” . In my opinion, “more is better” or “less is better” depends on audiences themselves or different surroundings. Just like a post I wrote couple days ago, sometimes a simple image or story is much more interesting and thought-provoking than a complicated one. More information or advanced technology may not increase immersion, but distracts audiences’ attention from the image or story.

So if we can’t decide which one is better, why not give the choice to audience? So I am considering to do an interactive work to lead audience choosing what they prefer.