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On May 2015, Myriel Milicevic invited me for a Guestlecture & Workshop on Artistic Human Plant Interfaces/Elektrobotanik for her Interfacing with Nature class at University of Applied Science Potsdam. The starting 90-120min lecture provided the students (in that case communication, product, and interface designer) an introduction about interfaces with plants. This includes viusal approaches as well as bio sensing projects.

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Long time ago I posted my last summary of my Twitter messages, however for me it is always a nice way to reexperience the developments of a time period. For this reason my most important Twitter messages from July 2013 until October 2014. Read more...

A small summary of my Twitter messages from February 2012- July 2012:

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A small summary of my Twitter messages from August - November 2011:

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For the Programming II Workshop at our Interface Culture department I decided to do an small experiment with Box 2D. For a long time I wanted to play around with Box 2D. Especially merging real world objects with virtual object fascinates me very much. I don't like so much the common Augmented Reality stuff. However, some stuff is really cool and inspires me. Here are some projects I got my inspiration from: EdgeBomber, Laser Sound test, Phun, Crayon Physics, 2d Sketches becomes 3d Reality, ILoveSketch, MotionBeam, Tangible Fire Controlls.

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Fangen wir mit den harten Fakten an. Das Buch ist ziemlich großformatig und hat ein schönes stabiles Hardcover. Selten so ein gutes haptisches Erlebnis mit einem Fachbuch empfunden. Auch die verschiedenen Druck- und Papiermethoden in diesem Buch sind sehr gut ausgewählt. Die Projektsammlung ist im hochqualitativen Druck eingebunden, dagegen ist der normale Inhalt des Buches mit einem einfachen Farbdruck eingebunden. Die inhaltliche Struktur des Buches, das Buchdesign, selbst, sowie die zum Buch dazugehörige Website sind perfekt und sehr gut benutzbar umgesetzt. Ein durchaus 100% gelungenes Design und Konzept. Diese Qualität schlägt sich mit einer Preisspanne von 60-75 Euro ziemlich ins Budget nieder. Doch ist jeden Euro wert! Meine Begründungen folgen in einem Kapitel-basiertem Feedback und einem Schlussfazit:
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The last few weeks I did some research on the trendy topic generative art and design. I was very enthusiastically for reading the Form + Code book from Casey Reas, Chandler McWilliams, and the agency LUST.

The content of this book is very well structured. The first chapters introduces programming and the special characteristics of computers in design and art very well. I really appreciate it, that they chose the more concept introduction, then a technical focus. For this reason the reader gets a very good picture why the computer and programming could be helpful for creating new experiences. The transition from the introduction into the toolbox of creative coding is perfectly done. They explained the concepts of Repeat, Transform, Parameterize, Visualize, Simulate pretty good. Especially, the chosen examples of artworks for the various toolboxes are very appropriate. Therefore this book is a very useful resource for research in a scientific environment. The positive argument is also the little weakness of this book. In a theoretical terms everything is fine. The reader gets a very good introduction in this new topic. In practical terms the reader is very often alone with the code examples. Only two or four pages are too less for inexperienced programmers and designers. They are not going to understand and even learn so much from these code examples. The book delivers so much good content, but on the practical site if failed for me. For German-speaking and French-speaking people it is not worse, because the book Generative Gestaltung (review comes soon) is the perfect complement for this book. The book Generative Gestaltung has got some minor weakness on theoretical aspects, but the practical part and the learning from code is perfectly done!

However, this book belongs to every book collection of visual programmers, new media artists and designers. It is definitely the money worth! I enjoyed the reading very much.

Reminder  for Flashers:

This books reminds me strongly on the creative coding beginnings, like it was with Flash 4, 5 and 6. Flashers, please don't forget your roots! Have also a look on the the old Flash Math Creativity Books (edition 2). Further good code examples are available on Liquid Journey. Joshua Davis and Branden Hall created a very good Flash library for generative design. Check out their Hype Framework!

A small summary of my Twitter messages from July - October 2010:

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A small summary of my Twitter messages from March - June 2010:

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Now I am almost studying Interactive Art for one year. Me, as a Flash and Flex Developer, like coding with audio-visual and interaction-based content. But if I am honest, in the last time I did not use Flash in my projects at all. I had to deal with some other powerful creative coding tools. Some of these tools provide me, as an artist, much more freedom than the Flash plattform can ever provide. For example, creating a visual output for multi-displays applications, programming on hardware (arduino), some real-time video tracking (face detection) experiments, using special Open-GL Renderer for 3D graphics and so on. But I also ran into problems, which I would never have with using Flash. Especially, when I worked together with unexperienced programmer. For this reason, I will describe some of these creative coding tools with their inherent advantages and disadvantages. After this article you should have a good overview about the available tools in creative coding.

Creative Coding Tools Overview

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