stadium

Stadium: Communication Through Containment


 * Rationale:**

For this project I chose the stadium for several reasons: first, I had recently been to Japan and watched a show there, and was intrigued by the transference of energy that occurs from the action to the crowd, and how the space helps in strengthening the atmosphere. I also did not want to choose something that was commonly used among everyday communication devices; I wanted to research something new that I've yet to explore in depth. I stuck with my initial visual idea regarding the stadium map, which was to make the map look like a seating chart. Since the idea of an enclosed space was important to me, I felt that containing the map within a seating chart format would be most effective in communicating the ideas across. Since the main intent of a stadium is to house a large amount of people who are there to witness an event for entertainment, the method of communication within a stadium utilizes all 5 senses of a human. Through action and subsequent reaction, a domino effect occurs within a stadium where the overall atmosphere created by single persons greatly affect each other. In this way, a stadium is not only a physical device but also an emotional catalyst where one is made to focus on the subject at hand, and the reaction and expression of each person reverberates throughout the enclosed space. Thus, communication is established between each person in a stadium, simply through the use of a contained space.

I started my research by looking for the definition of a stadium, and its most basic elements. I then researched further into possible subheadings and factors that helped create the experience of being in a stadium. Initially, I came up with 4 sections: atmosphere, broadcast, audience and event. However, after expanding my ideas in the concept map and transferring it onto CMAP, I realized that I only really needed two main elements, and the smaller elements could connect from there. This helped in organizing my map visually as I originally struggled to organize the information in a seating chart format. The two main elements are audience and stadium, with audience focusing on the actual people and the emotional characteristics, while stadium focuses on the physical characteristics of the stadium and the operation of it. From there, I transferred the rough concept map onto the seating chart format by detailing the route that each major and minor element took, and how many steps it would take to get there. I decided not to rotate the terms as to look more visually like a seating chart, as this affected with the reading ability and overall effectiveness in communicating the information.

I had the most difficulty trying to organize the information so that it was easy for the viewer to follow, while still retaining most of the information I had gathered. It seemed that all the terms were connected and there was a lack of focus and hierarchy. Also, I had difficulty in transferring the information into a visual format, as the seating chart concept constrained me by not being able to have a free flowing map like most other people. If I had to redo this project, I would try to focus more on the visual appeal, as this one was leaning towards the information side. It would be interesting to see the contrast in approach and which one would work better.

[|2005n_pro01_08_cyeung.pdf]
 * Project 1 Final:**