Patternmakers 29/5/17 Patternmakers 29/5/17

Vivid Sydney for the data art enthusiast

Vivid Sydney is back from May 26 to June 17 and will be pushing more boundaries than ever – from poetic multisensory installations dealing with complex neurological conditions, to panel talks guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat.

by Nicole Pierre

Vivid Sydney is back from May 26 to June 17 and will be pushing more boundaries than ever – from poetic multi-sensory installations dealing with complex neurological conditions, to panel talks guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Here are our picks.

Ideas

Vivid Ideas is bound to provide more thought-provoking and exciting discussions than ever, spanning from talks on exploring art in the algorithms, and insightful career development advice for creative professionals, to industry updates from thought leaders like award-winning director Oliver Stone and founder of Buzzfeed Jonah Peretti.

Art & algorithms – coding to create

This panel talk moderated by Dr Martin Tomitsch from the University of Sydney’s Design Lab will feature key game-changers in Australia’s digital creative space. Computer-generated algorithmic art is not a new phenomenon (it’s been around since the 1960s), but we’re hoping for some stimulating conversation on the marriage of creativity and computer science. Special guests include the engineering community manager at Google Australia, Sally-Ann Williams, and co-founder at Rising Sun Pictures, Wayne Lewis.

Have your Notes apps (or notebooks if you’re old school – we’re not judging) at the ready for discussion on future of AI-made art.

When: 6 June
Time: 17:30-20:30
Where: International Convention Centre

How to champion innovation in your team and the workplace

The business of creativity is serious stuff. We expect industry thought leader and founder of The Ideas Bodega, Nicole Velik to instil some of her creative wisdom. Useful for those of us with big ideas but unsure on how to translate them into real actions. Nicole teaches that you don’t have to work at Google or Facebook, just to get your creative ideas heard and realised. We’re looking forward to hear her tips and advice on how arts professionals like ourselves, can also embrace innovation in our workplaces.

When: 8 June
Time: 11:00-13:00
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art

Battle of big thinking

Nine advertising execs will be at loggerheads in the ‘Battle of big thinking’, challenging conventional thinking in the marketing & communications sector. Get inspired with what pioneers in the advertising and communications industry have to say, featuring creative director at J. Walter Thompson, Jay Morgan, and chief strategy officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, Kate Smither.

When: 6 June
Time: 17:00-19:00
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art

Lights

Chromesthesia

Chromesthesia is defined as a neurological condition in which heard sounds involuntarily evoke an experience of colour. Duo Harry Hock and Jonathon Bolitho explore a condition which is so difficult to put into words for those living with chromesthesia, into a poetic body of work filled with aural imagery. Some prolific artists who had this condition include Vincent Van Gogh, David Hockney, and Wassily Kandinsky. The installation features a shipping container where participants enter and experience bands of colour that correspond to a specific sound frequency. We challenge you to drop from your preconceived judgments, and unconscious bias’, to immerse yourself in an enthralling multi-sensory experience.

When: 26 May to 17 June
Time: 18:00-23:00
Where: The Rocks

Landscape of the mind

Natalie Robinson and mental research institute, The Black Dog Institute team up to create a thought provoking installation named Landscape of the mind. It involves a series of life-sized human sculptures are scribbled with body maps which were drawn by participants in a real study conducted by the Black Dog Institute. Robinson aims to challenge society’s negative stigma of mental health through giving participant’s the rare opportunity to enter others’ personal experiences of anxiety.

When: 26 May to 17 June
Time: 18:00-23:00
Where: Campbell’s Cove

Future city smart city

If you’re planning to dodge the crowds in the CBD, head to Chatswood's concourse to view animations of airborne homes and water farms harvesting clouds. A multi-sensory experience is created to offer viewers a glimpse into not only a future world of possibilities and the Internet of things – but also one that is sustainable. Despite the project seeming like rhetoric of the government’s ‘Smart cities plan’, the installation actually raises important questions for everyday citizens to think about what sustainable living means to them.

When: 26 May to 17 June
Time: 5:30-10:30
Where: Chatswood

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 4/5/17 Patternmakers 4/5/17

Beyond the Bio: Jodie Bombardier

We are very excited to announce the latest member to the Patternmakers family – meet Jodie. Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and chat with our new administrator, Jodie.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

As someone who’s worked most of her professional life in business operations and events management for large corporations, I was delighted to get involved in a small business, which has a wider purpose. As the administrator, I believe I am making a genuine impact through providing operational support to Tandi and the team – making sure all our projects are running smoothly.

What does your average day look like?

As the newest member of the Patternmakers team I must admit that I have been busy researching, learning and asking questions! For now, we are focused on business process improvement – reviewing, developing and ensuring we have sound operational procedures that support both internal and client projects.

What do you love about your job?

I love working with such a passionate and talented team, who are committed to the role we play in supporting the arts and cultural scene. It is exciting working with a cohesive team, where ideas are put into action. I love the potential reach of Patternmakers to inform and inspire our clients with the vast possibilities of data.

What’s more – Patternmakers flexible work policy allows me to work from home and balance my work and family time. It’s wonderful seeing how progressive the company is as flexible careers are surely the future of work.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

I head to the coast! Living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches means I am never far from the ocean and the sea breeze, which I love. I spend most of my time with my young family. With little ones, it’s all about scooting and cycling, feeding ducks, and constant adventures!

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

I’ll have to say theatre, dance and music. I love the excitement of attending a performance, and that tingling feeling one gets from being swept away in the story.

What are some of your non-work-related goals for 2017?

I would like to have more time for yoga, walking or cycling around our local lake, and learning French, to keep up with my kids!

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

We have recently had two years living in Montreal Canada, which is the hometown of my husband. We moved there when our daughter was three and our son was just ten months old. I have been lucky to have travelled and lived in a few countries but it was quite a different experience moving a young family. It was an exciting adventure yet incredibly challenging a times (especially in the Winter months with -30 degrees wind chill!)

While living in Canada, I travelled to the Rocky Mountains, which is one of my favourite places in the world. Seeing the mountains changing beauty in all different lights and shades was awe-inspiring. It’s almost an artwork in it’s own right.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 4/4/17 Patternmakers 4/4/17

Beyond the Bio: Nicole Pierre

A new month brings a fresh face to Patternmakers - meet Nicole Pierre! Join us as we take few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

A new month brings a fresh face to Patternmakers - meet Nicole Pierre! Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

I’m the Digital Content Coordinator at Patternmakers so I get to organise all the communications across our digital platforms.

What does the average day look like?

I love all things social media, content creation and marketing, which is exciting because it encompasses everything I do at Patternmakers. My work is both varied and fun. One minute I could be creating content for our monthly newsletter and writing a blog about the ‘3 Creatives bringing data to life’, all the way to sourcing data art images and writing copy on our social media feeds.

What do you love about your job?

Despite being a relatively new member on the Patternmakers team, I love the fact that I am creating communications for a brand’s message that I am really passionate about. That is mobilising and supporting the Australian creative arts industry through research and data.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

It’s hard to say just one so I’m going to give you my top two. Firstly, I really enjoy attending art exhibitions. The latest one I went to was ‘Adman: Warhol before pop’, which was interesting to see a completely different body of work to Warhol’s signature pop art pieces dealing with consumerism and mass production.

As a self confessed cinéphile, I also adore going to foreign film festivals. Last year, I went to the Latin American film festival and the Italian film festival. Most recently, I volunteered at the Alliance Française film festival. If you attended, you may have seen me give a short French presentation on Ladies night at the screening of La Danseuse by Stéphanie Di Giusto.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

Currently, I am studying a Master of Journalism at UTS. Pursuing a career in the media and communications sector has been something that interested me for a long time. I am a curious individual who loves talking to people and storytelling so it was a no-brainer for me to pursue my studies in Journalism. I actually just submitted a blog post on the ‘Regulation of fake news in the digital age’ – if you’d like to give it a read.

What is your greatest personal achievement?

Something I am really proud of is learning a second language. The secondary school education system in Australia doesn’t put much of a demand on learning a second language, which I see as a real shame. When I commenced my bachelor’s degree, I enrolled in French classes and did a study abroad in Lyon, France. My experience abroad was truly eye opening – immersing me to a whole other culture, which I always appreciated through art, films, and music.

I later returned to Australia, continued learning French and took a leap of faith when journeying back to France in 2015-2016. The second time, I lived and worked in a small coastal village in Brittany with the goal of improving my French.

I remember when I had a few days in Paris towards the end of my trip before heading back to Sydney. At the hotel, the receptionist was assisting an American just before me, in perfectly fluent English. When it was my turn, I jumped straight into French without hesitation. He was both shocked and impressed, and we continued conversing before he handed me the keys to my room. It was at that moment, that I realised how far I’d come.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 1/4/17 Patternmakers 1/4/17

3 Creatives Bringing Data To Life

From colourful pie charts to wearable data, it is no secret that data visualisation is making data more accessible to everyone.

by Nicole Pierre

Data and statistics are not the sexiest subjects to talk about - and some data can be downright intimidating. In a world where we are constantly inundated with information from news channels to social media feeds, it is tempting to switch it all off.

But thanks to data visualisation, statistics are becoming more accessible - and more interesting - to us all. The human brain is known to process visuals 60,000 times faster than text and designers all over the world are getting on board, using their creative skills to bring data to life. From colourful pie charts to wearable data, we love seeing what happens when art and numbers collide.

Below, we take a look at 3 creatives who are taking data visualisation to the next level.

David McCandless

British information designer and data journalist David McCandless is at the forefront of data visualisation. Trained as a designer and writer, David is a native creative. What’s more, he proudly wears his geeky data journalist hat around.

David’s interest in data visualisation is based on his desire to communicate the facts. David says, “I’m interested in how designed information can help us understand the world, cut through fake news, and reveal the hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath.” He adds, “Or, failing that, it can just look cool!” His inforgraphics often illustrate multiple, divergent perspectives on an issue.

He now leads a small team with the goal of helping everyone make better, clearer, more informed decisions about the world.

His two beautiful infographic books - Information is Beautiful and Knowledge is Beautiful - are both worth a read, and his Ted Talk on The Beauty of Data Visualisation has had over 2 million views.

Stefanie Posavec

Have you ever considered wearing data art? Designer Stefanie Posavec has created wearable data objects including a necklace made of perspex geometric shapes. Despite the vibrant colours, the artwork deals with issues concerning climate change and air pollution in Sheffield, UK – known for its high rates of air pollution.

The necklace is based on data from sensors measuring high levels of particulates – that is matter in the Earth’s atmosphere, which can have damaging effects on human health.

Stefanie aims to challenge viewers to contemplate the impact of air pollution on our bodies. “Since particulate matter damages the heart and lungs, we felt a neckpiece was an appropriate way of communicating this data,” Stefanie says.

Stefanie is also one-half of the Dear Data project - a year long analog data drawing project with Giorgia Lupi, which captures the daily reflections of two information designers living on different sides of the Atlantic. Worth a look.

Mona Chalabi

Some are born talented with both words and numbers, like Mona Chalabi. She is the data editor of The Guardian US, as well as a columnist at New York Magazine. Instead of food and coffee pics, Mona’s Instagram is filled with her own data sketches – known for being both satirical and informative (and often related to taboo bodily functions!). Her data sketch comparing the taxes for sanitary products among 20 countries went viral in 2016.

Have a browse of her illustrations or watch this Ted Talk on 3 ways to spot a bad statistic.

Which data art creatives do you follow? We’d love to hear from you.

Be inspired and stay informed by subscribing to our monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Update to hear the latest industry research and news.

Be in the loop

Tandi Williams 7/3/17 Tandi Williams 7/3/17

Inclusive and Accessible Research: what we learnt from evaluating Unlimited

We're excited to be continuing our work in the arts and disability field this year and thought we'd take a moment to share a bit about what we've learnt...

After evaluating Unlimited in 2015, two independent researchers turned the lens on themselves. Here they share what they learnt from evaluating the accessibility of their work.

In 2015, we – Morwenna Collett and Tandi Williams – were commissioned by Shape and Artsadmin to answer the question: ‘Is Unlimited changing the way in which disability and creativity are viewed within the cultural sector, and if so, how can it do it better?’ – see more here.

We learnt much about the programme, but we also learnt an enormous amount about how to conduct inclusive and accessible research and evaluation. We want to share what we learnt as broadly as possible, to ensure other researchers, evaluators and consultants can work towards equal access to participate in their work. Here are some of the things to consider:

Design

Involve disabled people from the outset: it was critical to have direct experience of disability in our team, and actively seek out as wide a range of people as possible to participate in our work, including people with different backgrounds and experiences, and disabled people who traditionally have faced a higher rate of exclusion from activities.

We asked absolutely everyone if they had any access requirements (even if we knew them) and made sure we set aside the resources to meet those requirements. Beyond technical aspects of accessibility, it was also important for us to be open and welcoming, and encourage people to give us feedback, so we could adjust our approach as required.

Fieldwork

An extended exploratory period was key to ensure we fully understood the issues, and a mixed-methods approach helped us widen accessibility so more people could participate.

Throughout our fieldwork, we offered accessible formats of all materials and resources so people could participate in whichever way suited them. During our qualitative phase, some preferred to be interviewed face-to-face, while others opted for Skype, instant chat or email. We learnt that everything – from the time of day, to duration, to location – matters.

For our quantitative research, we opted for an accessible programme, Surveymonkey, and tested it with a visually impaired person using a screen reader – again, offering alternative formats was valuable. To ensure learning-disabled stakeholders could participate, we asked their mentor to assist them to complete a questionnaire together.

More often than not, we managed to find inexpensive ways to meet access requirements, such as using accessible cultural venues as interview venues. The financial costs of access were lower than we expected; most of the time, true accessibility just required a bit of extra time and effort, such as extending interviews to avoid rushing a conversation.

Analysis and reporting

One of the simplest tools for accessibility is using the right font. We recommend that report content text be no smaller then 12 point font, preferably sans serif style. Any text should strongly contrast with the background colour and it’s best to avoid featuring text over the top of any images.

We produced a Word version as well as a PDF version of each of our reports, to ensure they were accessible to screenreader users. Any infographics or images had alt-text descriptions, so that visually-impaired people didn’t miss out on content.

We didn’t create any web content – but we learnt that when publishing material online, websites must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and any video content should be text captioned (to be accessible for deaf people) and audio described (for visually impaired people).

Conclusion

We learnt so much from working with Unlimited and have carried those lessons into our other projects and workplaces.

One of the tasks we undertook at the start of our project was to develop an Access Statement, which we used to set the intention for the project and plan what we would do to maximise access at every stage of the research (not just the outputs!). This got us thinking: could something like this be useful for other researchers and consultants? Could it help others embed an attitude of inclusion upfront, and design research that was more accessible? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so take a look and help us spread the word.

Our vision is for every researcher, every consultant, every author, every speaker, and every project to have an inclusive mind-set and the philosophy of being open, proactive and responsive to ensuring that everyone can participate and be included in everyone’s work.

Originally posted on unlimitedimpact.org.uk

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 7/2/17 Patternmakers 7/2/17

5 Data Trends for the Arts in 2017

We've been thinking about where arts and culture research is heading in 2017 so we're sharing the top five trends on our radar.

At Patternmakers, if we don’t have our heads down in data models, we have our heads up in the clouds – the data clouds, that is.

We’ve been thinking about where arts and culture research is heading in 2017, and here we share with you the top five trends on our radar.

1. Data culture

In 2016, we saw more arts professionals becoming curious about data, and in 2017, we’ll see a data culture begin to flourish in the arts. This will be evident everywhere from conference programmes to new job titles like Data Scientist and Arts Analyst, popping up in larger organisations.

But as the saying goes, the future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed, and some parts of the arts are more ready for data culture than others. We find it's less about resources and more about leadership – and we're going to see more data savvy leaders coming of age very soon.

2. Less surveying

That's right - we're predicting (and advocating for) less surveying in 2017. Yes, surveys will always play a role in research, but quite frankly our industry is over surveying and we're advising many of our clients to start scaling back. Respondent fatigue is one critical reason, but there are other reasons (like #3 below) that surveying is no longer likely to be the best methodology.

Survey Monkey has made it too easy for anyone to whip out a survey without setting aside the necessary resources and time to properly analyse the data. For a survey to be meaningful, it must align to a broader strategy which details how the results will be used and applied.

3. More ethnography

Instead of surveying, we’ll see more arts research projects use qualitative techniques. Interviews and focus groups are already standard practice – but we're predicting the rise of the less popular but cost-effective ethnography, with its digital cousins netnography and webnography.

Ethnography, which involves the systematic observation of people, we believe has enormous potential for helping us understand how people relate to cultural spaces and participate in the arts. We’ll also see more online focus groups and discussion boards which are gaining popularity in the private sector.

4. Experimentation and action research

As the pace of change accelerates, so too must our research methods. Action research involves a continuous process of action and reflection, where we test and learn rapidly by doing.

This is one of the best ways to extract tangible value from research, but it involves close collaboration between researchers and practitioners over time. We think the spirit of experimentation, though not for the faint-hearted, is ideally suited to the arts and its time is nigh.

5. Insights to action

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail – implementing research insights and recommendations is just as important as conducting the research in the first place. But resources do need to be set aside for interpretation workshops, action planning and implementation to get the most out of research resources.

Think bigger picture when planning your research. When defining research objectives and drafting project plans, include what actions you will take, what you will do with the research insights – and importantly, how it will be managed.

What do you think about these trends? Are you noticing them in your workplace?

If you’d like to learn how to make the most of the data you have, or find out how the future of your organisation could benefit from these trends, have a chat with us - we offer complimentary 1-hr consultations to help you refine your ideas. Contact us today.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 7/2/17 Patternmakers 7/2/17

Beyond the Bio: Brooke Boyce

As you know, we like to dive deep to gather data so this time we decided to take a few moments by going beyond the bio with our resident Research Analyst Brooke!

As you know, we like to dive deep to gather data so this time we decided to take a few moments by going beyond the bio with our very own Brooke Boyce, resident Research Analyst at Patternmakers.

What exactly do you do at Patternmakers?

As the Research Analyst at Patternmakers, I support our Insight Director to deliver our clients’ projects – from the proposal to methodology design, project management and fieldwork, and analysis and reporting.

We are also creating more of our own content, and launching Patternmakers’ courses and events to inspire the future of arts and culture research – so I’m looking forward to being a part of that, too.

What does your average day look like?

I like to start my work day before the hustle and bustle of the City of Sydney begins. I work best in the morning – and it also means I can have the afternoon off to enjoy the fresh air outside.

No two days are the same at Patternmakers – but an average day (if you can call it average) involves working on multiple project elements – from report writing at my desk in the morning, to co-design workshops during the day, and doing immersive focus groups at night.

When I’m not working on our projects, I am a writer for a quiz show, and for a Western City publication.

What do you love about your job?

What I love about my job now is that we are working with our clients to positively impact the arts and culture space – a space that is so, so important for communities.

Research is continually providing new evidence to back up just how important arts and culture is for us. And I’m really excited to be working on projects this year that will add fuel to this beautifully burning flame.

Tell us your favourite type of cultural experience and why.

Historical museums – there is something magical about old places and old things, and the life they have led! And same goes for art mixed with history – the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam crafted an incredibly moving, spiritual experience through their audio guide that was unforgettable.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I grew up on the water in Queensland, so I tend to go to Bicentennial Park/Blackwattle Bay in Glebe, or to the Botanic Gardens to get my slice of fresh air, green, and water.

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled.

My husband and I spent most of 2016 travelling overseas – our absolute favourite places/experiences on our adventure were camping on Vancouver Island, walking the streets of Florence and Rome, and driving around Iceland!

What are you currently reading?

Bolshoi Confidential, a history of the Russian Ballet by Simon Morrison. My grandmother is Russian/Estonian, and I’m interested get a sense of what life in Russia must have been like for my great grandparents before they moved to Australia in the 1920s.

Biggest distraction from productivity?

Our ginger rescue cat Paddington. He put on a little bit of weight with us feeding him treats so he jokingly became Puddington and now he's just Pud.

I was really pleased that Patternmakers could make a donation to Sydney Cats and Dogs Home at the end of 2016.

Favourite quote?

Happiness (is) only real when shared – Christopher McCandless/Alexander Supertramp

Advice for Arts professionals doing research?

My advice to arts professionals when tackling research is that it’s not as scary as you may think. It’s a bit like a puzzle – you might have the borders, or some random pieces – and what research does is fill in those missing pieces for you to get the bigger picture. And if you break it down, step by step, piece by piece, it can be fun and incredibly rewarding.

As long as you (and your stakeholders) are really, really clear at the beginning on your research purpose, and always go back to those one of two sentences, you will end up with a meaningful and useful piece of research.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

5 New Digital Projects Helping People Access the Arts

Here at Patternmakers, we love hearing about new ways for people of all ages to access the arts. Here are five new projects that caught our attention...

Here at Patternmakers, we love hearing about new technology offerings from cultural institutions. Below are five new projects that caught our attention because they not only offer new ways to experience culture, they demonstrate how technology giants are getting ever more creative.

1. Intel X Royal Shakespeare Company

Following a year of research with Intel and performance capture company The Imaginarium Studios, the Royal Shakespeare Company is delivering a new production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest that brings digital avatars to life on stage in real-time, interacting with live actors. Using technology that has most famously been used in films and gaming, they're able to capture an actor’s facial expressions and movements, ensuring the actor’s full performance is translated into the animated character.

Why we love it: The show brings together theatre-making skills with digital innovation, pushing technical boundaries to create a truly innovative production for a new generation. For more information, visit rsc.org.uk

2. Google X Detroit Institute of Arts

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is using Tango, Google's augmented reality technology to give visitors additional information overlaid on real world art, connecting people with artworks in a global context beyond the DIA. Using the museum's smartphones, people can scan objects like an ancient limestone sculpture from Mesopotamia that has long lost its colours over the years and see how it looked before the colours faded, encouraging the imagination about the artworks in its original setting.

Why we love it: Museum goers can experience history in new ways through augmented reality, allowing them to see the unseen, understand how objects from the past were used and experienced in people's everyday lives. For more information, visit dia.org

3. Explorer X American Museum of Natural History

Explorer is more than just another app — it's a personal tour guide and curator to many curious visitors wandering through the expansive American Museum of Natural History. It offers fun facts, videos, and teaching tools for dozens of the most compelling items throughout the exhibits. According to NY Times Joseph Berger, it does things like “lets you hear the sound the real (blue whale) makes underwater” and also has “a Bluetooth-operated feature that guides you with GPS-like directions” to points of interest — apparently very helpful when looking for the bathroom or the cafe.

Why we love it: Explorer enhances the museum experience and in an environment where stillness is usually the standard, it awakens the senses and brings the artefacts to life. For more information, visit nytimes.com

4. Octava X Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

In-performance apps have previously been the subject of taboo, but this new offering finds away around the challenge of bright screens in a dark auditorium. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is now offering Octava, a digital app that delivers real-time programme notes to audiences’ mobile devices, aiming to introduce newcomers to classical music and enhance their concert experience.

Consider the app like a friend who can give you context for the musical ideas you’re hearing, translate the beautiful nuances of the language of the music, and let you know where you are in the performance so you can clap at the appropriate time. And the best part? Octava’s DarkscreenTM technology also allows information to be presented without distracting the user or those around them, and after 45 seconds, the screen goes dark. The user can re-engage if they so choose at any point in time during the performance.

Why we love it: Octava synchronises an old tradition with new technology, enriching the overall experience for concert-going newbies by providing in-depth details about the music and movements and possibly sparking a newfound love for symphonic sounds. For more information, visit rhinegold.co.uk

5. Samsung X Sydney Opera House

We all know the Sydney Opera House is an icon of Australia’s creative and technical achievement. Now with its Principal Partner Samsung, a stylish new social space called The Lounge features technology and art in a futuristic setting. Guests can comfortably sit and enjoy a number experiences ranging from historic architectural drawings and interviews with the Opera House’s architect Jorn Utzon to a thrilling virtual-reality experience of standing atop the famous sails.

Why we love it: The Lounge is an exciting alternative to a behind-the-scenes or backstage tour, and uses the latest technology so guests can engage with the Opera House’s history, art and culture at their own pace and in the comfort. For more information, visit sydneyoperahouse.com

Have you experienced any of these technologies?
Is your organisation experimenting with these technologies?

We'd love to hear from you.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Ideas

Art & algorithms – coding to create

How to champion innovation in your team and the workplace

Battle of big thinking

Lights

Chromesthesia

Landscape of the mind

Future city smart city

Categories

Be in the loop

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What does your average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

What are some of your non-work-related goals for 2017?

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What does the average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

What is your greatest personal achievement?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

David McCandless

Stefanie Posavec

Mona Chalabi

Categories

Be in the loop

Design

Fieldwork

Analysis and reporting

Conclusion

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

1. Data culture

2. Less surveying

3. More ethnography

4. Experimentation and action research

5. Insights to action

What do you think about these trends? Are you noticing them in your workplace?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

What exactly do you do at Patternmakers?

What does your average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

Tell us your favourite type of cultural experience and why.

Where do you go for inspiration?

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled.

What are you currently reading?

Biggest distraction from productivity?

Favourite quote?

Advice for Arts professionals doing research?

About the Author

Be in the loop

Categories

1. Intel X Royal Shakespeare Company

2. Google X Detroit Institute of Arts

3. Explorer X American Museum of Natural History

4. Octava X Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

5. Samsung X Sydney Opera House

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

Connect

Insights in your inbox?

Patternmakers

Acknowledgement