Mini Thesis Project // Lisa WoodsCCA MFA Design, September 17, 2012
“�The�cognitive�surplus,�newly�
forged�from�previously�
disconnected�islands�of�
time�and�talent,�is�just�raw
material.�To�get�any�value�out�
of�it,�we�have�to�make�it�mean�
or�do�things�[...]�we are also
the people designing its
use,�by�our�participation�and�
by�the�things�we�expect�of�
[...]�our�new�connectedness.”�
—CLAY SHIRKY
inspiration
“�Emphasizing�the�crowd�
means deemphasizing
individual humans�in�the�
design�of�society,�and�when�
you�ask�people�not�to�be�
people,�they�revert�to�bad,
moblike behaviors.”�
—JARON LANIER
critique
Crowdsourcing�is�a�process�that�involves�outsourcing�tasks�to�a�
distributed�group�of�people.�This�process�can�occur�both�online�and�
offline�and�the�work�is�done�by�an�undefined�public�rather�than�a�
specific�body,�such�as�paid�employees.�
������Although�it�can�be�difficult�to�crowdsource�complicated�tasks,�
simple work tasks�can�be�crowdsourced�cheaply�and�effectively.
Some artists utilize crowdsourcing systems.�In�his�project�the�
Sheep�Market,�Aaron�Koblin�used�Mechanical�Turk�to�collect�10,000�
drawings�of�sheep�from�contributors�around�the�world.�Sam�Brown�
asks�visitors�of�his�website�explodingdog�to�send�him�sentences�
that�he�uses�as�inspirations�for�paintings.�(source:�Wikipedia)
WHAT IS APPROPRIATE WORK FOR CROWDSOURCING?
WHAT ARE CROWD LABOR RIGHTS?
IS CROWDSOURCING FUNDAMENTALLY DEHUMANIZING?
the johnny cash projectchris milk and aaron koblin
the exquisite forestchris milk and aaron koblin
the long now
communal civic
COWBIRD
VIRTUAL CHOIR
NO RIGHT BRAIN LEFT
BEHIND
SAY SOMETHING
PROJECT
JOHNNYCASH
PROJECTARCHITECT.
FORHUMANITY
WE FEEL FINE
OPEN STREET
MAP
“�The�culture�in�turn�will�determine�how�much�of�the�value�we�
get�out�of�the�cognitive�surplus�will�be�merely�communal�
(enjoyed�by�the�participants,�but�not�of�much�use�for�society�
at�large)�and�how�much�of�it�will�be�civic.”
—CLAY SHIRKY
other inspiring projects
THE CREATORS PROJECT
my area of exploration
I’m�interested�in�exploring�new�ways�in�which�computer-mediated�crowdsourced co-creation�can�be�used�to�generate�emotionally�engaging�forms�and/or�create�social�benefit.
my intent for this project
technology
accessibility
resonance
aesthetic quality
humanism
simplicity
crowd-sourced
novelty
feasibility
the (un)writing poetry projectmy mini thesis project
https://vimeo.com/49583729
(Un)writing Poetry Project is a web-based tool that allows people to create
virtual “blackout poems.” Digitized books from the public domain (suitable
for all ages) are the raw material for the poems. All archived poems can be
browsed and shared in a myriad of ways.
thank you.