fascinating.

Richard and Thomas Ellenson

Tango is a communication device that was designed by Richard and Thomas Ellenson

The Tango’s small, lightweight size and innovative look means there are no physical barriers between communicators. Instead, the design lets people devote their attention to the message being shared, rather than the speech device being used to share it. The six-button layout of the Tango means faster communication with fewer distractions. The structure speeds up the selection process, helping you quickly say just what you want to – the way you want to – in no time. Tango’s symbols were developed by animation illustrators from the education and entertainment industry, making them especially appealing to children and young adults.

Johanna Van Daalen

 

Communication aids are not a neutral technology or transparent medium.  Alongside the message they transmit, they inevitably send out other signals themselves.  Their physical design, interactions, voice qualities, and intonation or lack of it all communicate something too.  How important for these signals to have been considered as part of the design process and for the person using the device to be supported by these layers of communication, not undermined by them.  

 

In order to communicate with other people, Somiya Shabban uses a dialogue book, in which she points to words or images.  This is versatile, but it can be laborious.  When Somiya was still at school, 

Johanna Van Daalen from the design group Electricwig worked with her to help her to express herself more fully.  In particular, Somiya wanted the freedom to express frustration more spontaneously, so together they designed a badge she could activate using a switch next to her head, whenever she wanted to.  

 

When she does this, the badge lights up with the words "Somiya says SOD OFF."

 

This message is wonderfully direct and disarming, and yet the badge expresses so much more besides this information.  It also communicates that she is the kind of person who will use this language; that she is the kind of person to whom this is important enough to dedicate a button to; and that she doesn't mind who knows this.  - Graham Pullin, Design Meets Disability, pp 175-177

Wimpy Braille Burgers

Wimpy wanted to let visually impaired people know that they offered braille menus in all of their restaurants. To spread the word we built braille burgers that blind people could actually read. With the help of skilled chefs we took sesame seeds and meticulously placed them on burger buns so that the seeds formed braille.

Pilar Cotter

Des-nudo, by Pilar Cotter

Musings about transit in communication.

I understand transit as the distance allowed to an emitter between thought and verb, this fictitious hallway where thoughts are filtered, will always be affected by the emotional context enveloping the emitter.

I suppose there are no fixed formulas to activate or facilitate the sorting of this series of emotional complexities which will give rise to either contention or fluidity. Words such as baring or untying come to my head from the collective imaginarium. Words directly related to comunication. Baring implies an act of transparency, untying, the decision to overcome any conflict to transmit what one wishes.

This is how we tie and untie, show and hide, this is how we retain and let go.

Broochs. Porcelain, silver. 11×8 cm, 7×8 cm. 2012.

ins. Porcelain, silver. 11×0,5 cm, 7×1 cm. 2012

Broochs. Porcelain, silver. 13×7 cm. 2012.