Syne+sign!THE INTERSECTION OF SYNAESTHESIA & DESIGN
Speaker’sNotes:
First,asimpleexperiment…Everyonecloseyoureyes.Canyouimaginewhatthele@erAlookslikeinyourmind?canyouhearthesoundAmakesinyourhead?CanyouimaginehowAfeelsinyourhand?CanyousmellA?Ifyoucan’t,youjustneedtoopenyoureye
Speaker’sNotes:
Synaesthesialiterallymeans“unionofthesenses.”Basically,whentwoormoresensesareconjoined.Forexample,whenapersonhearsmusicandseescolor,tasteapieceofchickenandfeelsashape,orsmellswords..
“ABILITYTOPERCEIVEUNCOMMONMULTI‐SENSORYGESTALTS
INTHEPHYSICALENVIRONMENT”
Speaker’sNotes:
NeuroscienVstsbelieveweallhavesynesthesiawhenweareborn,butaswelearnmoreabouttheworld,oursensesseparate.Foraluckyfew,thisneverhappens.Synesthesiahasbeendescribedasthe“abilitytoperceiveuncommonmulVsensorygestaltsinthephysicalenvironment.”Pa.ernfindinginawayweneverthoughtpossible..
Speaker’sNotes:
AtoneVmeitwasbelievedtooccurmostlyinleXhandedwomenandasfewas1in200,000people;nowit’sbelievedtohappentoanyoneandasmanyas1in20people.Thatmeans16ofyoumighthavesynesthesia..
Speaker’sNotes:
Imagine,foramoment,beingblind.Youcanguess‐butcan’tknow‐howthevisualworldlooksYet,sightiscompletelynaturaltomostofus.Now,imaginethesightI’mtalkingaboutissynesthesia
–wearenowtheoneswhoareblind.Synesthesiaisnolessrealornatural,butit’sashardtounderstand.
Speaker’sNotes:
Whyissynesthesiaimportant?Itisbelievedtobethebasisformetaphor,forcreaVvityandforrecognizingmanyofthepa@ernsaroundus.Considerthisexample:whichoftheseshapesiskikiandwhichisbooboo?98%ofthegeneralpopulaVonchosethepointyoneaskiki.Didyou?
Speaker’sNotes:
Synesthesiaisbestunderstoodthroughtheeyesofthepeoplewhoexperienceit.TakearVstCarolSteen.Carolhaspain>colorsynesthesiaandexperiencescolorsandpa@ernsinresponsetopain.ThispainVngistheresultofwhatshesawduringacupuncture.
Speaker’sNotes:
IhavehadnumerousandongoingconversaVonswithsynesthetes,includingBrendan.Brendanisagrapheme>colorsynesthete,whichmeansheseesle@ersandnumbersinhisownuniquecolors,likehispersonalalphabetshownhere.Brendan’sgrandmothercrochetssynestheVcpa@ernsandhismotherorganizesconceptsbycolor.
Speaker’sNotes:
AndthisisreflecVonist,MarciaSmileck.ShephotographsreflecVonsonmovingwater,whenevershehearsachordofcolororfeelsatexture.MarciaItookthepicturewhentheredroofturnedtovelvetagainstherskinandthewhiteshinglesfeltasso=asSanta’sbeard.
Speaker’sNotes:
ThisisanotheroneofMarcia’sphotographs–sheheardthesoundofacelloonthewaterandtooktheshot.Aneuro‐scienVsttoldhershehadcapturedonfilmtheexactsinewavesproducedbythesoundofcellostrings.Marciacanalsoplaytheseamsofadressandshehearsmusicinmountains.
Speaker’sNotes:
IstandatthecrossroadsofdesignandcreaVvity.Iamnotanaturalsynesthete,butit'smyjobtoformnewinteracVonpa@erns,metaphors,andwaysofdesignthinking.WhenIapproachdesignsynestheVcally,evenassociaVonally,itopensupwiderdesignopportuniVesandmodesofthoughtforme.AndthisledmetoSynesign,theintersecVonofsynesthesia+design.
Speaker’sNotes:MyfirstexposuretosynestheVcthinkingcamewhenIwasresearchingtheideaofmeasuringemoVonthroughsound.WhatyouseehereistheemoVonengine,whichwasdesignedtocaptureaperson’semo@[email protected],inthelowerleXcorner,couldbemanipulatedbetweenamajorandminorchordtoexpressaperson’semoVonalresponse.
Speaker’sNotes:ConsiderdesignerJonathanHarriswhospentsevendaysonawhalehuntwithEskimosinAlaskaandcapturedtheenVreexperiencebasedonhisheartbeat.
Hetookphotosat15minuteintervals,increasingthefrequencywhenhisheartspedup,likeduringthebutcheringofthewhales.
Speaker’sNotes:ConsiderthismemorialinGermanycalledTouchedEcho.Whenaspectatorgraspstherails,heistakenbackinVmetotheterribleairraidof1945asthesoundofWWIIbombersfillshisears.Whileitlooksasiftheyareshunngtheirearsfromthenoise,thesoundisactuallycarriedthroughboneconducVon.Likesynesthesia,it’sauniquelypersonalandunseenexperience.
Speaker’sNotes:ConsiderCharlesIves,calledthegreatestAmericancomposer.Hewouldgooutinthunderstorms,listentothewindandtherainandthechurchbellsclangingandwouldthenracebackinsidedesperatetocapturethesoundsonhispiano.Whenhecouldn’t,hestartedplayingthe“cracks”betweenthepianokeys,whichbecamethemicrotonesofmodernmusic.
Whatdoyouhear?
Speaker’sNotes:
Andconsiderthissound…whatdoyouthinkyouhear?
Speaker’sNotes:Didanyoneguessthesoundofurineanalysis?Dr.CharlesSweeleyatMinnesotaState,foundthathecouldbe@erdeterminediseasesinurinesamplesbyhearingwhathiseyescouldnotsee.Visually,wecanonlyscanonelineataVme,butaurallywecanhearacompletesongorthe57uniqueinstrumentsthatmaymakeupthesong.ThishasalsobeendoneforDNA.
Speaker’sNotes:
ThisisyourcuetounwraptheTCHOchocolate.Putitinyourmouthnowtoletitwarmup,butdonotbiteintoit.Atthestartofthenextslide,Iwantyoutocloseyoureyesanddrawaslow,conVnuouslineofwhatyoufeelyoutasteasyouletthechocolatedissolveinyourmouth.
Speaker’sNotes:
Startdrawingnow.
Thankyou.
Speaker’sNotes:WhenItriedchocolateyataconference,Iclosedmyeyesanddrewawavyline.WhenIopenedmyeyesthepresentersaid,“Thefounderlikestocallthisonearollercoasterride.”Doeschocolatehaveaheartbeat?Andwouldwehaveanevendeeperunderstandingofourlanguageifwecouldsmellit?Ithinktheanswerisyes.
