art-s-talker has developed this tag to help you find interesting environments boosting the ideas’ flow whether you need to work or unwind.

For “e-Creative 2009″ we have selected London’s unique creative restaurant Sketch, trendiest The Hoxton Hotel, the most wanted amongst professionals The Hospital Club, famous V&A, independent The Prince Charles Cinema, conceptual restaurant Inamo, and many more.

The search for 2010 addition has started, and if you know an interesting place that you think deserves the tag, please do send your suggestion to info@art-s-talker.com with “creative socializing” in the subject field. It can be a coffee shop, cinema, bookstore, gallery, park, etc..or simply a little corner somewhere in the town.

art-s-talker became member of Westminster Arts last year following involvement in the public arts project.
Funded by the City of Westminster, the organisation works with and supports a number of different art forms including dance, theatre, visual arts, film, photography, literature, spoken word and music. Westminster Arts Members include Serpentine Gallery, Tate, The Photographer’s Gallery, Soho Theatre, Regents Park DFAS, Chinese Cultural Centre.
The event was a great success with a great variety of projects presented. “e-Creative” attracted a lot of interest and was distributed through the network.

This project received art-s-talker’s “InIn” tag that recognizes potential to innovate inclusively through exploration of alternative ways of communication and interaction.

The Reactable is a revolutionary new electronic musical instrument designed to create and perform the music of today and tomorrow.
It combines state of the art technologies with a simple and intuitive design, which enables musicians to experiment with sound, change its structure, control its parameters and be creative in a direct and refreshing way, unlike anything you have ever known before.

The Reactable uses a so called tangible interface, where the musician controls the system by manipulating tangible objects. The instrument is based on a translucent and luminous round table, and by putting these pucks on the Reactable surface, by turning them and connecting them to each other, performers can combine different elements like synthesizers, effects, sample loops or control elements in order to create a unique and flexible composition.

As soon as any puck is placed on the surface, it is illuminated and starts to interact with the other neighboring pucks, according to their positions and proximity. These interactions are visible on the table surface which acts as a screen, giving instant feedback about what is currently going on in the Reactable turning music into something visible and tangible.

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Additionally, performers can also change the behavior of the objects by touching and interacting with the table surface, and because the Reactable technology is “multi-touch”, there is not limit to the number of fingers that can be used simultaneously.

One of the great examples of creative performance application is Bjork’s concert (“Volta” tour). Damian Taylor, a Grammy-nominated producer who engineered “Volta” album said: “Each time you put an object on there you really don’t quite know what’s going to happen, so you just have to surf it, ride it and balance it out…The singer particularly liked the visual feedback that lets the audience see how the Reactable makes music”.

As a matter of fact, the Reactable was specially designed to open up a whole new universe of pedagogical, entertaining and creative possibilities with its collaborative and multi-user capabilities.

If you have an idea how this design idea can be applied in an inclusive way, please do share it with other readers and us. Also, if you are generally interested in the subject of inclusive design, we would love to hear from you and about you.

“SixthSense” is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

By using a camera and a tiny projector mounted in a pendant like wearable device, ‘SixthSense’ sees what you see and visually augments any surfaces or objects we are interacting with. It projects information onto surfaces, walls, and physical objects around us, and lets us interact with the projected information through natural hand gestures, arm movements, or our interaction with the object itself. ‘SixthSense’ attempts to free information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.

We’ve evolved over millions of years to sense the world around us. When we encounter something, someone or some place, we use our five natural senses to perceive information about it; that information helps us make decisions and chose the right actions to take. But arguably the most useful information that can help us make the right decision is not naturally perceivable with our five senses, namely the data, information and knowledge that mankind has accumulated about everything and which is increasingly all available online. Although the miniaturization of computing devices allows us to carry computers in our pockets, keeping us continually connected to the digital world, there is no link between our digital devices and our interactions with the physical world. Information is confined traditionally on paper or digitally on a screen. SixthSense bridges this gap, bringing intangible, digital information out into the tangible world, and allowing us to interact with this information via natural hand gestures. ‘SixthSense’ frees information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.

If you are experiencing problem with watching this video you can also find it on our Vimeo Page

The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.

The current prototype system costs approximate $350 to build.

If you have an idea how this design idea can be applied in an inclusive way, please do share it with other readers and us. Also, if you are generally interested in the subject of inclusive design, we would love to hear from you and about you.

At the core of Inamo is our interactive ordering system. Diners place orders from an illustrated food and drinks menu projected on to their table surface. Customers also set their table ambience, discover the local neighbourhood, and even order a taxi home.

If you have an idea how this design idea can be applied in an inclusive way, please do share it with other readers and us. Also, if you are generally interested in the subject of inclusive design, we would love to hear from you and about you.

One of the major destinations of the Festival was Earls Court exhibition Center that hosted 100% Design and Designersblock shows, this was also the spot we chose for art-s-talker’s first show for the London Design Festival.

art-s-talker’s stand Inclusive Innovation Future Scenarios, supported by Philips and Canon, presented some of the most forward thinking  projects that explore ideas shaping the near future of design and society in general.

The show lasted 4 days and its success exceeded all our expectations. We were overwhelmed by the  extend of interest for our concept and a great number of enquiries about possible collaborations from designers, high profile design companies and investors. We were especially pleased to see that young designers found our vision on the Inclusive Innovation very inspiring.

We made a number of very interesting and diverse contacts ranging from official bodies (the UK Innovation Board) to head designers of Sony, Philips and international investors in the creative industries.

All these opportunities open up great perspectives for our project agenda 2010. We will keep all our members posted on all new projects.

e-Creative London 2009
Also at the London Design Festival we launched the first edition of the digital directory “e-Creative 2009″. For our stand we created a digital presentation showcasing samples of work of all participants; visitors also could view the contents of the directory on the computers.
“e-Creative 2009″ was also presented in the VIP and PRESS area in the London Design Embassy at the V&A’s Sackler Center. We were very pleased to know that the stock of the directories allocated for this hub for all 4 days finished within first hours of the day 1. We received excellent response from the industry and are hoping that it will bring all the participants many exciting opportunities; and “e-Creative 2009″ will become an invaluable resource for the professionals.
This initial launch is being followed by extensive promotional and distribution campaign planned for end this and beginning of next year. Please watch for the updates.

If you would like to see full gallery or download images from the Festival please visit us on Flickr.

We want to know what you think about creative industry in general, your current position in professional world, concerns that you might have, new ideas to share, etc etc etc. We are very open to any views and welcome interesting discussions.

Send us a draft of your writing to info@art-s-talker.com with “writing” in the subject field. Max word count: —
Max number of pics: — (max — Kb)

Also starting from the next (December) issue we are going to publish mini interviews with some of the members on a particular topic. So it may be you!:) And if your mind is currently occupied with a certain idea, feel free to suggest it as a topics to cover in the interview section.

Simply email to info@art-s-talker.com with “interview idea” in the subject field.

Our network will unite individuals, companies and organization all connected by the creative mindset and willing to broaden their experiences and acquire new skills.

Once accepted you will be able to create a professional profile with portfolio of your work and benefit from everything art-s-talker offers:
- postings about art-s-talker’s upcoming projects, initiatives and events
- news and announcements from companies about their projects and vacancies
- business matching
- artists collaborations initiated by both art-s-talker and you
- and many more

More information about the benefits and all exciting opportunities will be available closer to the launch date.

The official launch is scheduled for early next year. At the moment we are getting the last bits done together with all the current members of our artspace.

Philips Design Probes is a dedicated ‘far-future’ research initiative to track trends and developments that may ultimately evolve into mainstream issues that have a significant impact on business.
The Probes generate insights from research in five main areas; politics, economic, culture, environments and technology futures.

With the aim of understanding ‘lifestyle’ post 2020, the program aims to identify probable systemic shifts in the social and economic domains likely to affect our business and create intellectual property in new areas. It challenges conventional ways of thinking to come up with concepts to stimulate debate. Deliverables range from scenarios and narratives to the creation of experience prototypes and IP fortressing.

SKIN: Dresses

One of this year’s Probe project areas is SKIN, which examines the future integration of sensitive materials in the area of emotional sensing – the shift from ‘ intelligent’ to ‘sensitive’ products and technologies.
As part of SKIN, there are two ‘Soft Technology’ outfits to identify that future for high tech materials and Electronic Textile Development in the area’s of skin and emotional sensing.
The dresses show emotive technology and how the body and the near environment can use pattern and color change to interact and predict the emotional state.

SKIN: Tatoos

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Tattoos and physical mutilation are amongst the oldest forms of personal expression and identity. Subcultures have used tattoos as a form of self representation; a visual language communicating personality and status. Philips Design examined the growing trend of extreme body adornment like tattoos, piercing, implants and scarring.

The Electronics Tattoo film expresses the visual power of sensitive technology applied to the human body. The film subtly leads the viewer through the simultaneous emotional and aesthetic transformations between two lovers.

SKINTILE The Electrobie Sensory Jewellery

Electronic Sensing Jewelry has been conceived alongside a European project, STELLA, developing stretchable, flexible electronic substrates that integrate energy supply, sensors, actuators, and display.
Skintile the Electronic Sensing Jewelry further explores emotional and physiological sensing. It is a new genre of product; a generation of wireless, stick-on body sensors that re-define traditional body adornment.
It explores a range of functionalities in new product forms that are playful, sensual, mood affected, bio activity stimulated, and arousal enhancing. It is  a semi disposable, bio compatible, non-allergenic, breathable, mass customizable, self contained body worn accessory.

If you have an idea how this design idea can be applied in an inclusive way, please do share it with other readers and us. Also, if you are generally interested in the subject of inclusive design, we would love to hear from you and about you.

It uses liquid battery, speech recognition, flexible touch screen, touch sensitive body cover which lets it understand and adjust to the environment. It has a simple programmable body mechanism so that it changes forms in different situations.

the functionality of design

You dont have to carry it in your pocket or on your wrist. You can carry it anywhere, in anyform. You can roll it, bend it, put on your clothes like a clip. It also makes some form changes that makes it more ergonomical: i.e. when you want to talk on the phone, the body form turns into the form of the good old telephone. You can personalize these forms and record them. So it fits you the best in the way that you have chosen. The functions that it has also create a feeling of electronical pet, as it senses your moves, understand what you want, respond you in the best way. It learns you, to fit you better.Also e-motions lets you send forms to the other 888 users. It could be the shape of a heart or a small dance. This way you can talk without words.

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E-motions… It means electronical motions that 888 has. You can send and receive forms from / to friends. You can send a heart shape to your girlfriend, so her telephone turns into an icon of heart. Or you can send a dancing form to your friends to call them to the party tonight. This is the fun side of the product. If we look from the functionality side, 888 is quite flexible. You can put it into your pocket, roll it and make it smaller, or put on your wrist when you want to make a video call on the go. If you want to talk like a normal telephone, there you have your telephone shape. We go through a lot of places and situations in the daily life, so it seems like one form is not enough.

If you have an idea how this design idea can be applied in an inclusive way, please do share it with other readers and us. Also, if you are generally interested in the subject of inclusive design, we would love to hear from you and about you.