Pixelsumo is the blog of
Chris O'Shea, an artist and designer based in London.
Random project
Audience
with rAndom International
Smoke, Heart, Talk dolls
Posted June 24th 2006 under Royal College of Art, Toys
Reporting on the Royal College of Art Show 2006. Read more on Pixelsumo.
Daniel Goddemeyer from Interaction Design has created these three dolls for children with a purpose.
Smoke is a doll whose physical breathing behaviour is depending on the parents smoking habits and how much the doll is exposed to passive smoke at home. Smoke’s physical breathing is depending on it’s exposure to smoke. If exposed frequently to smoke, Smoke’s breathing becomes irreguraliy and finally ceases simultaniously with the appearence of real nicotine stains. It can be cured, but only by the breath of a non-smoker and not the own parents.
Smoke takes the parents consideration for the child’s health out of the parental home and makes this socially visible. It is a lasting visual sign and accusing reminder of how much the child’s health is affected by passive smoke.
Heart is a doll that can record heartbeats and let his heart beat accoording to the recorded heart beats. It comes with a diary where the recorded beats can be annotated and combined with drawings or pictures.
How can a recorded heartbeat symbolize be a lasting memory of a special occasion or situation where it was recorded? Can the feeling of closeness to somebody be created by doll or device whose heart is beating in the same rhythm as the heart of a special person? How does it feel when it steals your heartbeat and lives with it ever after? How is the reaction if something personal such as a heartbeat (and their state of health or nervousness) is exposed and compared to others?
Talk is a doll that monitors the communication between child and parents. The dolls height is depending on this communication and provides social visibility outside of parental home.
Whenever the child tickles Talks ear, it’s head pops out and the child can whisper something into the ear. When touching Talk, it’s head pops out and it playes back the recording.
It always playes the latest recording until being shaken. Then the recordings get mixed around and it playes a random recording from it’s collection.
Talk monitors the communication between the child and the parent. In case of a communication breakdown between the two, talk’s head pops out less and less and it’s voice gets more quiet until it finally falls silent.
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