Today we expanded the concept and identified the roles and tasks. Im encharged of the content development. I have doubts whether this is enough work to be asses on. Im interested in designing the audio social interaction as this could prove to be very challenging.

Posted this on the group blog:
Original VISION
“A group of creators with a true purpose that has a timeless, visible and human impact.”
“We all have surpassed our expectations of who we are as individuals and as group”

Original PURPOSE
“Develop a self sustaining human system driven by the creative/intellectual potential of the individuals.”

Concept statement

Imagine a new way of travelling that provided you with the opportunity to interact in alternative ways with local and travellers from different cultures, whilst guiding you through the cultural hot spots of your chosen destination.

5degrees is providing backpackers visiting London with an experience that will expose London’s famous sights as well as generate real life social connections between them and Londoners.

“Rise” is a multimedia guided cultural-social experience for backpackers. It is primarily composed of a website and a downloadable mp3 with guided instructions.

• The website provides the event information (such as place, time and instructions), as well as videos of past events and the guide-mp3 download.
• The mp3 is a set of instructions designed to guide the user through the interaction with London and Londoners.

The user simply downloads the mp3 from the sight and at a designated time and space plays the track on his/her mp3 player.

The mp3 is designed to create a fun and innovative interaction with other participants whilst at the same time introducing the cultural spaces of the city.
The experience ends in a social space such as a pub or coffee shop where participants can have the space to establish social connections with other participants. Thus encouraging direct cultural learning and sharing with locals as well as other travellers.

5degrees aims to generate a conscious two way interaction between diverse cultures to promote understanding, preserve cultural diversity and raise awareness of local issues.

1.“Step this way”

Shoes as traveller guide

‘It’s a lovely sunshine day in the afternoon, you’re walking around London and enjoy the fascinating scenery of the city, then you see a poster on the wall, it’s an event at a pub in Covent Garden this evening, for all of the backpackers who are in London. It might be an interesting event for you, especially as you are travelling alone

You decide to join the event; after checking the map you realize that from where you are to Covent Garden is walking distance, but you’ve never been to that pub before and it’s your first time in London, so you decided to use “the Shoe Guide” to guide you to the pub.

First of all you set up the start and end points on your mobile with the build-in the electronic map. You then send the data from your mobile to your electronic shoes via Bluetooth.
Then you start to walk towards Covent Garden, once you diverge from the route, the sensor on the shoes will detect it, and trigger the vibrator to remind you should go right, left or turn around, until you get to your destination.

With the Shoe Guide you don’t need to neither watch the screen of a GPS device all the time, nor listen to any mechanical voice guide during your journey.’

2.“Table Surfing”

Online Social Network between local and travellers where they share resources

‘You are visiting London by yourself, not knowing who you are going to eat with or what type of food you should try or buy in London. You’ve heard that the city is really expensive and the food is very bad. You feel a little confused.
Then in your hostel you find out that there is this network of
friendly people who love to invite interesting people to their
tables to share food and conversation.
You sign in online, and the next day arrange to meet up with a local from the network at his house to eat for free. You try again the following day and this time you meet up with another local in one of his favourite cheap Indian restaurants.’

3.“Audio Travel Meet”

Audio guided Social Event between traveller and local in a public space.

‘Its your second day in London and you are checking your emails. A friend has sent you a link to an interesting site. The site explains that it is organizing an event in Trafalgar Square especially for travellers. It involves downloading an MP3 and going to the National Gallery tomorrow at 11 am.

It sounds intriguing so you download the MP3 and the following day go to the meeting point. There is a loud noise that indicates the beginning of the event so you play the MP3 on your Ipod.

You hear a voice that introduces himself and asks you to get up and wave. As you do this you realise that there are 60 other people doing the same thing. It then tells you to approach one of them and shake their hand. The instructions continue making you dance and clap and interact with the other participants for the next 30 minutes. You have a great time.

At the end a guy dressed in a Santa clause costume appears and he directs all of you to a local pub where you turn off your Ipod and talk to your new found friends about the experience. As you socialize over a pint, you realize that the group is made up of locals and travellers.’

4.“Virtual Guide”

Guided streamed video journey between local and traveller.

‘One of your friends is studying MA Interactive Media in London. On your first visit to London you meet up with him at his home. He gives you a small device, which is a subtle necklace with a micro camera and a wireless headphone and microphone. He explains that you connect the device to your mobile.

After setting up everything, you turn it on and go out on your own to visit the lovely city because your friend is too busy with his final project.
When you walk through the streets your friend can see exactly what you see in London from the streamed video on the computer screen of his house and chat with you at the same time.
Because it is your first visit to London, you are not familiar with everything here. However, you don’t need to worry about it because your London friend can guide you even if he is not with you. He can see and hear your travel experience and provide you with live feedback on your situation, such as translation, or directional aid. What’s more, if he starts to annoy you, you can switch him off!’