User:Ssstephen/I hope that you're the one. If not, you are the

A record of technical stuff, but I think it would be better to move this and make it more disintegrated.

20231019

First I turned on wireshark. Then I created this page. Now I will work on a client website. I had the tab already open before I started wireshark so I opened and closed it again. Knowing I am observed affects my behaviour. I stand up and tie my hair up. I sit down again. I am playing music on spotify but from my phone so I wont have information on that. I have another chrome tab open for gmail but apart from that my computer is not obviously doing anything else, I mean there are no other programs or applications currently open. There are plenty of other processes running though and in the time it took me to write this paragraph (and stand up and sit down again) 2890 events have been recorded in wireshark. In the time it took to write these two sentences its gone up to 3209. The numbers are graphically very similar, the three almost looks like an eight, like the inside numerals have been swapped with the outside one. A sort of folding or reversing of what is usually concealed and what is usually revealed. Like that toy that kind of looks like flubber. I forget what it's called so I'll open a new tab and google it. I do an image search. I use a combination of mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts to change tabs in Chrome. when I use the keyboard shortcut I have to go via my gmail tab. I wonderr if it connects to anyone when I don that. Ok the toy seems to be called a water trick snake. Inside and outside. Full of water.

I have some notes saved as a txt file from when I spoke to the client last week, I'll open them now in NotePad. I use windows explorer to find the file using the mouse. I have an external mouse plugged into my laptop via USB because there is a problem with my trackpad. And it is more comfortable for my hand. There are five small things to fix, and then I need to migrate the dev site so we can do some user testing. "dev site" is short for development website and is a term used to describe a website which is only intented to be seen (generally) by the programmers, designers and other parties involved in creating or building the website. "user testing" is a part of the process where the site will be shown to a small number of other people (in this case clients of my client) who will test the functionality and experience of using the website. With the intention of getting feedback from them on whether the site is meeting their needs, to then potentially adjust how the site works to better meet these needs. Ultimately to make more money for my client by encouraging their clients to use the site more and buy more stuff.

I check my email, why? Habit. Procrastinating. I open VS Code, why? Habit, working. Wireshark is now at over 40.000 lines no fuck it jumped to 70.000. I guess VS Code must be a bit chatty. I duplicate the project folder (the wordpress theme actually) and open it in VS Code ("Add Folder to Workspace"). Like Adobe software, VS Code uses the concept of a "Workspace" to describe the environment it sets up for me visually on the screen. This helps me to switch between the relevant files easily and efficiently. It probably does other more complicated stuff but meh. I open the style.css file and update the version number and save by pressing Ctrl+S, why? Habit, productivity, practice, technique. It's super effective. Technically I haven't done any work yet? But the annotation slows it down.

I use the inspector in Google Chrome. I wonder if it creates much network activity.

I open Filezilla. I'm going to connect to the server using SFTP, to modify files. The log in details are saved in FileZilla. I use the mouse to navigate to the file location on my harddrive and on the server. These are both symbolic locations but the one on my hard drive feels more real. Maybe because I know it is on the table in front of me. I'm not sure where the server is, I think it is possibly in Ireland. It makes me feel connected but in a way that emphasises the distance and lack of clarity; I dont know what I'm connecting to. I refresh the page, the first edit seems to have worked. It was a small visual tweak for mobile displays. I'll check it on my phone too one sec. I check it in two browsers on my phone (Brave and Chrome), why? Rational doubt, empirical methodology. It's super effective. But it looks good on both this time. I'd like to check on an iPhone too, generally this is good practice but also in this specific situation I know the client will look at it on Safari on his phone, and he's a stickler for details so it would be great to know he will see the best version. But I dont have an iPhone and they're expensive. And I cant be bothered using an emulator, it'll be fine.

I use Google Chrome's passsword manager to log in to the wordpress back-end of the site through my browser. It actually didnt really work today for some reason (usually autocompletes the fields) so I open the settings in another tab chrome://password-manager/passwords and copy and paste the password from there. Why? Because the normal operation wasn't functioning as expected so I had to find another way. Oh my god the annotating makes this so slow.

I count backwards from 50 to 1. I get interrupted at 27 because I never made it. This is inefficient and magical. I need to stop so I'll switch off wireshark. I got so little done.

20231018

its a list of things I could and might make

https://pad.xpub.nl/p/its_a_list_of_things_I_could_and_might_make

20231011

purified form

Today I will annotate my work through a method I will try to develop of mystical skepticism. Is it possible to doubt outside the rational and empirical structures of science? What unity or connection is there between this method and the universe, as a horizon of possibility?

A rhythm exists and I wonder why. There is music and there are voices, and my fingers press the keys and the colours of the screen flicker and morph. There appears to be a life or energy flowing somewhere between these things and I am curious about it.

The screen shimmers between different symbols, letters, images. The colours are symbolic. White means the ground, although sometimes it switches to white symbols on a dark ground. They are full of meaning and relationship. I press two buttons to the left of the keyboard and the screen answers with a flicker.

I count out loud to 40. It symbolises both the number of pages to be made and the enormity of the task. It represents a period in the desert, long but with an end in sight. What is the relationship of the desert to the stars? If the screen can flicker from a dark to a light ground, is it possible for the sky to also switch from day to night?

I have taken three of the forty steps.

I have taken seven of the forty steps.

⊞ is a series of movements and reconfigurations. It is a creative act and one of elision. I use the keyboard to communicate my will to the machine with commands such as "Ctrl + C" and "Ctrl + V". I firstly inform the computer that I wish to control it. Each letter has a deep and layered meaning. CVCVCVCVCVCVCVCVCVCVCV. "Alt + Tab" asks the screen to flicker. The computer must match my multithreading. It must be prepared to follow my changing demands in our shared focus. FAVCV. F is to seek, but it is optimistically labelled to find. It I enter the incorrect combination of symbols ("samle") the incantation is useless and I will not dfind what I seek. I try again "sample" and the computer gives me what I desire. Why does the machine demand perfection? Why does it value perfection in me, what is it trying to teach me? Why wont it leave me alone?

I have taken eleven of the forty steps. I will rest.

design only generates longing

Daniel Van Der Velder, Research and Destroy.

All these questions take so much time.

20231010

chronotype

What does it mean to put form on time? You need a structure in your day. A calendar app can be really useful. John Cage's Water Walk: music is just structured time. How long do we have left together? How long is this song going to go on for? HOw long can you hold your breath?

I used to make to do lists in InDesign because I felt at home there. It was at the time the best tool for the job because I could print the list out on nice paper and make it look cool. What do or did I like about the visual appearance? Some professionalism or ease of reading or structure for sure. But to print it on recycled paper and A5 is more about materiality. Making time tangible. Making the future tangible. Is it ever? Projection is not about forecasts and control but something more subtle and sidereal.

These days I make to do lists in LibreOffice Calc because I want to use more open source software. There is a folder containing metawork like to do lists, projection is a project and something I practice, just like the work I do for clients. There is never an expectation to get paid for this but it certainly fits in the same category in my mind and I try to do it in similar "working hours" of the day. This is not about overarching plans or trying to meet my needs generally. It is about completing work tasks effectively.

I open (by double clicking) the most recent version of the To Do list .ods file as it is much easier than starting from scratch. Although it presents some problems as it forces me to think of what was urgent last time I did this. In this case last time was quite a busy moment. Lots of things were done since then. Some things slipped through the cracks, oops. That's what happens when you have cracks. I save a new version of the file and start deleting things I dont need.

The layout is kind of copied from what I used to have in the InDesign document. I use empty rows and columns for visual margins. The content starts in cell B2. It's a title that says "To Do". The font is Work Sans SemiBold and it is set in 10pt, colour "automatic". I think even if it wasn't automatic I would make it black, because I want to print it clearly and cheaply. I use Work Sans because I am trying to switch to using Open Font Licence and open source fonts more generally. Previously I would have used Helvetica Now or some other proprietary font. There is a visual difference between these fonts too which is also relevant buuuuut this description is getting very detailed maybe not right now.

The second cell (C2) also has some information about the document, a date range. "10.10.23 – 13.10.23". This is the new date range I have put in now. It is a four day period and probably will change when I work out how long the tasks will take. Part of this process is about caring for myself and not trying to do everything immediately. This cell is in Work Sans Regular 10pt colour automatic. The change of font weights I guess is part of the structuring and trying to make this information clear to myself. It's calming maybe.

After this there is a blank row to make it prettier.

After this there is a row with three cells of data. In columns B, C and D are the client name, task, and estimated time required, in hours. It goes SemiBold - Regular - SemiBold. The middle column is much wider as it's content is generally longer. It continues this way down the page, grouped by client. If there is more than one task associated with one client, I do not repeat the client name but leave cell B blank in that row. After all the tasks for one client there is a blank row.

Because I was very busy last time I did this there are also two rows at the bottom with total hours and days that the work will require. This time I dont want so much structure so deletio.

Now I will start changing the information/data/time. This annotation method is super in depth I'm not getting the task itself done. Which is reflexively a bit interesting in this context. Getting too distracted now, back to the document. I make a category called "Other" at the bottom to group the small tasks where I only have one thing to do per client. I also put metawork in here like invoicing. What do I mean metawork? I'm trying to have a work for things that I do not technically get paid an hourly rate. I dont know if it's useful or appropriate to separate that work. As a self-employed worker (oooh what does that mean?) it is important to keep track of how and when you are getting paid.

Oh amazing the list is way shorter than I thought it would be. That is a bit calming, which was kind of the point. I don't include anything on this list that is not to do with paid projects at least fairly closely. This is another division of my time: we are talking about a specific type of work time here. It is separate from other things I want to do, like cut my hair, read for my thesis, go for a walk while it's sunny. Separating tasks and types of tasks can avoid confusion, and makes me calmer and more comfortable. An hour ago I was more spinny than now, I am calming. Putting things in a known place or time helps to understand and accept them. and to put my

"The Tyranny of Structurelessness" the xpub1 radio says. Interesting. I will print it without permission, I still havent read it.

I can see the possibility of getting sucked into this particular hole, but actually I would like to finish the structuring ritual. There are a few more steps. I will

The idea of structurelessness has become a Goddess in it's own rights

save it as a PDF. I used to save the PDF with crop marks when I used InDesign. In LibreOffice Calc im not sure if it's even possible, but more importantly I realised its not necessary. I use the mouse to click File > Export as PDF because I don't know the keyboard shortcut yet (or maybe I need to create one).

There is a section of the PDF Options dialogue called "Structure" which is interesting while listening to the Jo Freeman reading on the radio. Maybe I dont need to print it out actually, I can just listen to it. I suppose the argument is about becoming conscious of structure and not allowing smokescreens to remain. Even the informal structures are still there. If you destructure, what will be left in the wake? What will people build in the wreckage? Creating a power vacuum. The "PDF Options" Scturcture section has the following checkboxes:

The Structure must be explicit, not implicit

• Export outlines (default on)
• Comments as PDF annotations
• Comments in margin (greyed out, unavailable)
• Whole sheet export
• Export automatically inserted blank pages (greyed out, unavailable)
• Use reference XObjects

I have no idea what any of this structuring does. And I dont care. But I would like to remove the page title from the export. It is in another tab called User Interface. I also select only page 1 to save to PDF. Now I run into a software issue in this workflow: the best software for the next part of the job is Adobe Acrobat Pro. How aggressively do I want to remove this from the workflow? Not aggressively enough I guess because here I am still using it. I dont know any other software that really gives me details of how a document will print, and lets me edit PDFs on a more useful level than any other program.

For example the title still exported (it always does, LibreOffice bug or just I dont know what to do with the new software yet?). It takes two seconds to remove in edit more in Acrobat. I also delete the page number, I dont even know how to turn that off from LibreOffice. The print dialogue in Acrobat is also so powerful, its so easy to print actual size which is important to me. It is structured and reliable. I also want to print some books today but I think I'll do that later.

I send the file to print on the HR_follow me network. Now I'll go find a nice piece of paper and print it out.

I found some lilac paper. I made sure to walk anticlockwise around the building: also a kind of structure but more importantly a way of destroying structures. A counter structure. I used the "Handinvoer" tray on the printer, because I was using non-standard paper. It recognises the A4 size though which helps the machine and me.

When I get back to the studio I look for a ruler but I can never find one here. I look for a while and then notice there is a guillotine on the table so I try that. I totally mess it up though and rip the paper. I think I will keep that ripped edge in the context of what I am doing today. I try to use a straight edge of the guillotine as a ruler but that doesnt work either. So I look for a ruler again, in a different room. It takes maybe five or ten minutes just to find the ruler. What is important about this, why am I filling time with this activity? I walked a little bit clockwise to get to the xml but it would have taken ages to walk around the other way. What is unimportant about this, why am I not filling time with this activity?

I find a ruler finally and go back to the cutting board. It is covered in a white grid of 1cm squares, with numbers along the bottom and side. I use it (as well as the markings on the ruler) to make the page exactly A5. It's not really necessary, why do I make it A5? Having a grid in place makes things easier in interesting ways. Have you ever looked at the showthrough in a document where the grid is lined up well, it looks so cool. It's not really a correct A5 size, I'm cutting by hand and there is only so accurate I can be. And I keep the ripped edge too which maybe makes the whole thing silly. When I get back to my desk I put it on top of my notebook. Exactly on top of my notebook.

Normung bringt Ordnung!

20231009

periform

As in what is around the form, thoroughly formative, form through out.

Today we are talking about our prototypes and projects. I want to make Jian's weaver module. I open a bunch of tabs she send me on zulip, the tabs are in google chrome. I slept well but I'm tired today. I moved at the weekend so I'm a bit spinny. I will read the tabs and I will make a BOM and I will koln the git and I will solder. And maybe the module will work or maybe it wont. It's a prototype as in its an iteration of something that already exists. It has an author already (Jian) but I assume I will become an author too through remaking (rewriting?) the module. I will probably change the code. I will probably get HPGL involved and analog signals so it can interface with other things I do.

I like the idea of making something in an existing framework, especially Jian's framework of modules as it comes from a similar place to work that I make. I like the idea of this particular module as it weaves

The transform module Weaver can be used to add a typo-graphic pattern to the print layout. The main factors that shape the final patchwork are the rotary knobs that define all positions of four basic patterns. Additional parameters can be used to add repitition factors that create a rhythm for the patterns. Ultimately, patch cables are being used to pair and weave the basic patterns in order to create a final patchwork. [ Inst 

I changed tab to Jian's "Modular Matter" PDF. I copy and pasted the text above to find her description of the module. I wonder if I can translate it back into the language of analog synths. It is a sort of delay, as it creates repeats. I wonder if I can recreate these features in hpgl. I wonder if wondering is a type of prototyping, or the other way around. I guess I'll find out.

I stopped and had lunch. I'm not sure if I want to document things like this in this way. I wonder why, I feel like I would prefer to make a case study f a particular type of work. But it would be interesting to expand this annotation method from something so curated. What if I set alarms for random (or a variety)of times, and document what I am doing at that time? Could be impractical. Or may need more varied forms of documentation. I dont want to wake up while I'm sleeping. I dont want to type while I'm cycling. Anyway I'm back from lunch now and back on this work (the annotation is a form of documenting specific tasks?) so I will write again. Then I got distracted because we're making stamps. Now it's 18:11 and I'll try again.

The process of making the tool as well as the unfamiliar experience of using the tool hopefully sparks critical conversations around tool ecologies and helps to break open engrained ways of working. 

This is also what I want to do. Looking at the list of modules maybe I should make the input and output ones too DYNAMIC GLYPH and EMERGENT MATTER. I'm not really sure why I'm writing this down it's more notes on what I'm reading rather than a description of the process. I'm reading through the page of a website and thinking and taking notes. I dunno. Now I'm going to read the PDF which is longer so I'll write more detailed notes on another wiki page. I add the page to be created to my reading page on the wiki. Now ill use wiki magic to transclude it here:

https://media.xpub.nl/2023/thesis/modular-matter-Jian_Haake.pdf

[modular matter's] experimental and modular setup may help to break open those long-established habits and lead to unexpected designs and meaningful printed outcome, for example in the form of small posters or even simple publications. Moreover, the counter approach of the tool hopefully sparks questions and critical conversations about the current status quo of this field, initiating essential reflections and re-imaginations of the creative practice and its tool ecologies

I am interested in doing this too but maybe not so much within the practice of ⊞ because I hate it and I want to destroy it. Not really so angry but I at least want to smash it and dissolve it. Jian talks about "translating" the operating modes of sonic modular synthesis to print publishing. The translation part itself I find really interesting as it seems to be the point of connection and a point where definitions can be easily broken.

Each module performs a certain operation

This is an important part of "modular" that I would like to extend. I remember a conversation with a person in a modular shop (in SchneidersLaden in Berlin maybe) where I said I wanted to get a compressor module. They explained that an amp module and some other small function modules would be a better idea. This blew my mind that modules could be even smaller and sharper than I expected. Is there a difference between the division of labour for machines and for humans, if so why? It is about not treating humans as modules that can be exploited. It is about letting a human be so much more than a task that they perform, a discipline they are trained in. It is about making a tool useful and productive. What happens if tools are modular but not small and sharp? Or humans? Is it possible for full and complex humans to still be open and modular? Where does a module end and a where does an instrument begin? Where does one instrument end and where does a band begin? Where is that sound coming from?

I need to add modular synth things to my reading list. Something from Dieter Döpfers https://doepfer.de/home_e.htm Something mmmm I have a list somewhere I dunno. read deverahi again. I more want things about the philosophy of modular in general.

Thinking about translating these modules (or the idea of them) to HPGL: some functions could be interesting at different points and thus stay modular. For example a module that adds header and footer data to SCale or ROtate the content coming into it. Pseudocode that I think makes sense in HPGL:

SC(new scaling factors)
    inputcode
SC(remove the scaling effect

RO(new scaling factors)
    inputcode
RO(remove the scaling effect

I 'thiiiiink' maybe these effects could be applied in different orders, repeatedly, at different points of the process, to get different results? Not sure. Would have to try it to find out. Added to the prototyping list. As in the module is a function in the programming sense of the word.

This comes with the risk of inaccessibility and could make the tool less approachable for some readers

I appreciate this concern. I also wonder how necessary it is, there are probably very particular people who would be interested in this in the first place. But it is very caring thanks Jian <3 Combining technical and personal modes of address appeals to me also, and maybe explanations of why such a tool exists but I think she is probably going to include these too. Oh yeah the next paragraph explains that, or more specifically that she will be explaining the tool's context.

I am trying to consciously reflect on my own tool ecologies.

yus me too.

I need to read more about specialization and disciplines.

Before the Digital Era, typesetting and composition used to be very hands-on, manual operations that were directly connected to the printing process. Nowadays, the act of making the book (and printed matter in general) is in large part digital.

What is lost in the transition from manual to digital labour? The palms, lifelines, the back of the hand, scale. no hands ten fingers. Where will this rabbithole go https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-10-fundamentals-of-re_b_9625926 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_imagery http://piano-jazz.blogspot.com/p/water-pianism.html I'll try to focus on Jian's pdf but this is distracting.

goes a bit strange

You want to get to a point where you're playing as a spectator, you're not the one pulling the string

From danthecomposer. One part of me wants to complete the original task but one part of me wants to follow the flow, it is conflicting.

By mental preparation, it is meant that one unlearns what is thought to be known and understood, recognising that any preconceived ideas about playing the piano, especially about what is considered ‘beginner’ level and ‘advanced’ level, are an illusion.

It may be said that in order to enjoy some fresh water, the glass must first be emptied of its former contents.

Change is mostly limited to those situations in which the brain is in the mood for it.

You only need a piano to hear the results of what has taken place in the mind

Not a lot of ability or responsability given to the tool in this theory. The more something is practiced, the more connections are changed.

You become a spectator.

This is presented as the end goal, kinda weird.

Yet, even without a complete set of pens, the sharpest chisel or the finest brush, in mind, the true writer always has a story to tell, the true sculptor a scene to carve and the true artist a landscape to paint.

mmmmmmm ateriality though. The role or potential role of motor imagery in imaginative practice. What if I start thinking (closely, motorically) about a practice I have. Then I imagine (still just thinking!) alternative things happening in that situation to the usual practice.

Think about the process of sending an email. Really think about it in detail. You take out your laptop and place it on the table. You hinge it open and the screen automatically switches on. You log in, or maybe you dont need to. You locate your browser or email client. Picture the button you press to create a new mail, if you press a button. Imagine moving your fingers across the trackpad to click it. Or pressing down on the keys for a keyboard shortcut. You type the subject of the email, "TRANSCEND". You move to the recipient input field, maybe by moving your fingers over the trackpad and clicking, maybe with a keyboard shortcut again. You are going to send it to your close friend, AIWASS, so you type his email address AIWASS@boleskine.co.uk. Your fingers seep through the keyboard and walls of the house. You enter the house from several directions, up through the floorboards, through the tab key, but primarily through the bow window to the north. There is a blind person playing guitar. There is a green fire above their head. You enter the fire and when you emerge you are the guitar and you are the tab key and you are the at-sign. You blink and forget. You press send. You close the laptop by physically shutting the lid.

This could maybe be used in less imaginative ways that are closer to reality as it seems, or reality as you want it to be. Actually maybe that is more rather than less imaginative, takes more work to stay closer to lived/perceived/actual experience in this case.

Ok back to Jian's thing

The actual materialization, the emergence of printed matter, is often not even part of the designer’s process.

This is an interesting point, and I wonder how it relates to my practice. Does it really have to print out onto paper? I like making things for print but I make things for screen at least as often. So the strange connections I'm making should maybe connect to screen as well, in the coming months. A lot of what I make is published to the web. Or becomes a music or theatre performance. Take existing inputs, functions and outputs, and pull all the wires out and make a new patch.

the conditions and implications that come with the  digital workflow and tools are often overlooked or even concealed

I would also like to reveal these conditions and implications. And in a Geertzian way see the potential

to affirm it, defend it, celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it

And also to question, destroy, highlight, protest against. Being entangled in corporate environments (hellscapes?) does not mean I have to be happy about it, or go quietly.

For reading list: Awkward gestures: designing with Free Software, Snelting.

Dependency on proprietary tools is not problematized enough in the creative field and can expedite instrumentalization and a lack of agency.

I'm not sure what she means by instrumentalisation in this context but I suspect it is related to my own concerns above about the tooling of practitioners.

They shape the world, which is why they must not be ignored nor underestimated, but rather be used and built with care and consciousness. 

<3

Do I want to make tools that are actually useful alternatives to the mainstream, or do I want to make art that looks like tools to highlight the issue?

Far too often efficiency and productivity are prioritized over creativity and out of the box thinking. Similar 

Why be creative? Why think outside the box?

the beauty and potential of the outskirts.

Oh yeah that's a great reason.

All design options are predefined by the applications, and even though they may seem to offer endless possibilities and combinations, in the end they shape and limit what is (im)possible. ☻

These interfaces have become so embedded in our conception of reality that we now have a crisis of the imagination, where it is difficult to even think of anything different.” (Howell and Pogorzhelskiy, no date)

Quoted by Haake from The Screenless Office website, Brendan Howell.

The possibilities of the tool are what is considered possible, and the tool’s limitations define the boundaries of what can be envisioned. 

Is the solution to this to have, or simply to imagine, other tools? Are there other solutions? Use the wrong tool? Hold it the wrong way? How can you hold InDesign the wrong way?

OSP references, to do talk to them more.

Matt Ratto ... envisions critical making as a combination of “two typically disconnected mode of engagement in the world”, namely critical thinking and making. 

Connecting.

For reading list: Matt Ratto, Ratto, M. and Hockema, S. (2009) ‘FLWR PWR: Tending the walled garden’, in Dekker, A. and Wolfsberger, A. (eds.) Walled Garden. Amsterdam: Virtueel Platform. Garnet Hertz. What is Critical Making?’, Current, 18 April 2016. Available at: https://current.ecuad.ca/what-is-critical-making

She presents three methods for escaping proprietary software as designers: hacking, floss alternatives, make your own tools.

However, it is not only possible, but sometimes even easier than expected to get used to other tools. 

Sometimes, but I think it's important to note that its hard too. And I will try to describe that honestly as I do it.

Alternative tools, with all their idiosyncrasies and characteristics, have the potential to produce and shape more relatable, unusual and interesting outcome.

Yes, this is not always why someone uses InDesign though.

The [DIY] tool can be unconventional, playful and fun and is freed from necessities that go beyond personal demands. The poetic and vernacular qualities outweigh practicalities and economic interests. A small, intimate gesture may prevail over a grand universal solution. 

experiment with clumsy and crooked DIY tools that help to slow down and unfamiliarize the workflow

Finding new ways to interrupt engrained habits of graphic designers is a gesture towards a more critical practice. A practice that is not only being shaped by proprietary tools, but instead one that re-evaluates and actively shapes graphic design tools and how they are being used

I have a similar motivation although I am not so interested in the tool as the locus of change. It's about being a water pianist. Its about ⊞ being a field involving more than one person. Its about interpersonal human structures and the boundaries and ports within them. And dissolving in different places in different unfamiliar ways.

Stopped on page 15 after this is more technical so I will read as I build tomorrow.

the next day, the technical chapter

What if you just listen to the digital output from Jian's modules? Make music with them? What happens if you plug analog inputs into them? Maybe something fun.

da code

The Friction Label module uses this typical format as inspiration, yet the parameters for the styling range in the extremes only and cause moments of failure and distortion. This effect encourages makers to test the margins and limitations

This is a really interesting constraint.

Weaver is on page 39. BOM:

• – 6 audio jacks
• 15 rotary potentiometers, 10k–
• 1 LED, 3 mm
• 1 resistor, 1k
• 2 pin headers, 1 x 20 sockets
• 1 LilyGO TTGO T8 ESP32-S2 + power supply
• audio patch cables
• 4 M3 bolts + nuts

 The operation is inspired by a wind or breeze that blows into a small body of text, playing with the words and carrying them to new places

This is lovely.

parameters regulate the strength, speed, acceleration and vortex of air flow

 The user has to let go of habitual precision and perfectionism and instead welcome happy accidents and little failures. The focus shifts from the final outcome to the process of creating,

 the practice directly feeds back into the shaping of the tool.

Does this happen in mainstream proprietary software? I like that some programs encourage me to make my own keyboard shortcuts. InDesign has the concept of "Workspaces", the visual layout of panels and toolbars that work for you personally (or a specific workflow).

Another interesting aspect of the modular setup is the possibility of collaboration. Due to the fragmented workflow, the tool can be operated by more than one user, which allows for a collective design approach and enables playful and interactive ways of working. The literal entanglement of the physical hardware modules manifests their complex interrelations and interactions. Similar to the single modules in the setup, a group of users may explore interesting and new ways to listen and respond in a collaborative design workflow.

Great.

Slow down your creative process and make it unfamiliar, tangible and situated! Embrace clumsiness and be open for the unexpected! Explore the detours, off-roads and so-called dead ends! There, you will hopefully find some inspiration and encouragements for your own future makings.

References

• Culkin, J. (1967) ‘A schoolman’s guide to Marshall McLuhan’, The Saturday Review, 18 March 1967, pp. 51-53, 70-72.
• Groten, A. (2019) ‘Hacking & Designing: Paradoxes of Collaborative Practice’, in Bogers, L. And Chiappini, L. (eds.) The Critical Makers Reader: (Un)learning Technology. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, pp. 237-244.
• Hertz, G. (2016) ‘What is Critical Making?’, Current, 18 April 2016. Available at: https://current.ecuad.ca/what-is-critical-making (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• Howell, B. and Pogorzhelskiy, M. (no date) The Screenless Office. Available at: http://screenl.es (Accessed: 13 April 2023). *Korsten, F.-W. (2022) ‘criticality’, in Wesseling, J. and Cramer, F. (eds.) Making Matters. A Vocabulary for Collective Arts. Amsterdam: Valiz, pp. 105-112.
• Make Noise (no date) Echophon, MATHS and Function. Available at https://www.makenoisemusic.com (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• Make Noise (no date) The Pillars of Hercules. Available at https://www.makenoisemusic.com/content/manuals/EchophonManual.pdf (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• Manovich, L. (2013a) ‘Software is the Message’, Software Studies Initiative, 17 December 2013. Available at: http://lab.softwarestudies.com/2013/12/software-is-message-new-mini-article.html (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• Manovich, L. (2013b) Software Takes Command. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
• McLuhan, M. (1964) Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. 1st edn. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Open Source Publishing (no date) ‘Tools’, Open Source Publishing. Available at http://osp.kitchen/tools/ (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• De Heij, G. (no date) TOOLS SHAPE PRACTICE SHAPES TOOLS. Available at https://www. burg-halle.de/design/kommunikationsdesign/kommunikationsdesign/lehrangebote/l/toolsshapes-practice-shapes-tools/ (Accessed: 13 April 2023).
• Pater, R. (2021) CAPS LOCK. How capitalism took hold of graphic design, and how to escape from it. Amsterdam: Valiz.
• Ratto, M. and Hockema, S. (2009) ‘FLWR PWR: Tending the walled garden’, in Dekker, A. and Wolfsberger, A. (eds.) Walled Garden. Amsterdam: Virtueel Platform, pp. 51-60.
• Snelting, F. (2008) ‘Awkward gestures: designing with Free Software’, Freeze+Press. Available at: https://freeze.sh/_/2008/awkward/# (Accessed: 13 April 2023).

I'll maybe keep writing notes here as I write notes there (above) about the PDF. Or maybe not the process is now confusing me, and distracting from the actual reading. I moved from the kitchen table to the couch. I put headphones on because I'm getting distracted a lot today.

I've been reading and writing. Her thesis gives me lots of ideas so it's partly about gathering information but more about taking notes of the directions it is sending me in and avenues it's opening up. I might read this again it's really helpful. I was listening to recordings from music I was playing but it's too distracting so I listen to other people's music instead. I took a break and made a sandwich and now I'm eating it while reading again.

I get distracted by two words "manual" and "digital". I take them out of context and watch a video about hand independence at the piano. Yes it totally distracted me so I'll take a break for a minute and when I get back try to return to the original flow. I kinda got back into it, and finished the more theoretical part of the text. I can read the other bit tomorrow. I liked the weird part, although reading Jian's stuff was also very inspiring so I'm glad I made time for both. Balancing a bit I guess. Maybe I'll print some books before I read. I'm not sure if I'll document in this way again I dunno how relevant it is.

20231006

perform as in bring about

I think I am about to do some paid work. I am expecting an email from one client, and also received an email (and WhatsApp message) yesterday evening from a second client. I read and responded to the WhatsApp message at 18:17-18:36 (CET), but decided this was too late in the evening to respond to or even open the email. Otherwise my focus gets sucked in, and there are other things I would prefer to get sucked into.

I opened this annotation tab first to start taking notes before the process begins for today. I am on the HP Windows laptop, and I am using the Chrome browser. There are several reasons for this: the HP computer is most familiar and powerful enough to perform the tasks I need. It also has all my work files stored on it and the Adobe software I need (probably just InDesign for today, maybe Illustrator). There are also some reasons I would prefer not to be on this setup and am transitioning away from it: the laptop is physically breaking, for example it currently works better with an external keyboard and mouse. Also I would prefer to use proprietary software/firmware less for political/ethical reasons and a desire to be able to customise and access my software in ways not available in this setup. Also while I'm thinking about the computer I think I'll back it up now that I remember.

Backing up (copying my files to a second location) is a simple enough process when I remember to do it. I have an external hard drive which appears as "Seagate Expansion SCSI Disk Device" when I plug it in via USB 3.0. The properties panel says its capacity is 1.34 TB which seems strange. Oh no hang oh it's because it's partitioned, I guess its 2 TB in total. I open the windows backup settings and press a button to manually "Back up now". Backing up is helpful for my work because: a) laptop hard drives break and b) I make mistakes, and it's very helpful to not have lost too much progress in these situations. I enjoy my work but repeating the same exact tasks twice does not seem very enjoyable, and would (does) feel extremely pointless when it happens. I guess this can give some insight into what it is about my work I enjoy, or see as purposeful: it is the process yes but not purely for it's own sake. There is an end goal maybe, or expectation or discovering, developing or moving somewhere. The repetition of the exact same actions is usually not the point in itself, although I'm sure it occurs a lot in other ways. Something is being produced.

Ok now I'll actually work. It's 12:18 cet and I will now open my emails (Gmail!) in another tab of Chrome. I will also open InDesign as they both take a few moments to load. I have 5 new emails since 18:41 cet yesterday. Or rather 5 that make it through the filters, there are four others that go to junk folders. Of the five, three are from hosting providers for websites I or my clients manage. Two are about billing and one is about a migration the hosting provider has made to a new back end software. I open and glance at each one very briefly. The fourth mail is a Google Ads summary for another client I am working with at the moment. They added me to their Google Analytics account temporarily because I am working on some SEO for their site. The fifth email is the expected one from the client, no actually there are two emails, so I have to read a bit more carefully to get my head in the right gear and make sure I find the task to be performed. Ok they have attached a .docx file with some notes of amendments to be made to a document we are working on. They probably made the document in Microsoft Word, I will open it in Google Docs because that is convenient to do from my Gmail webmail (two clicks and it opens in a new tab). I quickly scan through the document, there are 11 changes to be made this will take about an hour I guess (well without annotation it would). I also find the correct file to be edited, and immediately save a new version of it as this will be significantly different to the last. It is now 12:27 cet and I guess this is when the main task starts. I'll get a glass of water first. Ok also I talked to Thijs and Bernadette for a while now it's 12:36.

I start at the end of the edit notes because this client refers to page numbers, working backwards prevents the page numbers I'm focusing on from shifting too much as I work. Flying through it, great. Several of the edits just involve deleting pages and replacing images. Two of the images I need to get from twitter shich involves converting .jfif to .jpeg file format. I have software that can do it locally on my computer, but it is easier to convert with a web based service. I search for "jfif to" and it autocompletes, and succests I use https://convertio.co/jfif-jpg/ I have probably used this exact service before it looks vaguely familiar, but there are many similar tools. This one is handy because it allowed me to upload both files at once and batch convert. Saves a few seconds that I can spend doing something more fun like nothing or eating or crying. I download the files and use Windows Explorer to move them to the project directory. I open two explorer windows (well the project folder was already open) and I drag and drop from one (the "Downloads" folder they automatically download to) to the other. Drag and drom means using the mouse to "move" the items across the screen, which causes them to be moved in the file directory. I use a similar drag and drop technique to placeor "link") the images in the InDesign document. I rescale and reposition them using the modifier keys on the keyboard. Shift to lock aspect ratio. Alt to set the scaling origin to the center point. I also use the arrow keys to move the image by a fixed increment (which I nearly always set to 5mm).

The next edit is a littl emore complicated and involves drawing a graphic. I open Adobe Illustrator, I actually only noticed I opened it after it happened. I am taking some flag graphics from a file to add them to the image. It's funny that even with this annotation method some actions are happening less consciously, I wonder do I need to becom emore aware somehow. Yes of course, always.

I use some keyboard shortcuts to change clipping paths, groups and layers. This is repetitive but for a purpose. It happens fairly quickly. I use a vector effect called "Flag" because I'm making cute 'lil wavey flags. Fun. I applly the effect from a drop down menu, then a dialogue box opens where I make some more specific adjustments to the effect. It has a preview mode which makes the adjusting much easier. The software also "remembers" the effect as an "appearance", so I can change it again later losslessly. Ok that edit took a little longer, all good now though. Six more to do and it's now 13:04 cet. I'll take a break for a minute and get some water. I check my phone which is on a different table, theres a mesage from my dad on WhatsApp I message him back. I look out the window. I look at my emails. I eat a biscuit.

I download an icon from the internet. I tweak it in Illustrator to make a graphic for one of the pages. I notice the backup is done so I unplug the hard drive. This one is taking a little longer too, maybe I'm slightly distracted. The next edit involved opening another InDesign document, exporting two PDFs, and replacing those files within this one. And also sending an email, so a little distracting from the main work flow. The email was to an employee with the client company who deals with anaging their online resources, amonst other things. I sent her the two updated PDFs as they will need to be added to the website, and I will need the updated URLs back from her. Although these are tasks I could do it makes sense for her to do it because all the website updates can be more easily manbaged when they pass through one person. She has a good overview of what is there, and thus is able to take care of the site and manage it. This also means she takes more responsibility upon herself. There is not much need technically for this convention but socially (or in relation to the people working on the project) it makes a lot more sense in this situation.

The language of the last edit confuses me a little. Then I realise it is just a typo, and I can make the change needed. Ok the edits are done. If there had been more of them I would double check the notes, but I'm tired today and I think it'll be fine. I write a quick email and finish writing these notes. I'm a bit tired and emotional today so im glad it's finished. It's 13:45 cet.

20231004

This annotation method is not really very sustainable, it is taking a lot of work. I'll keep trying for a little longer though because its interesting.

I met online with the client mentioned yesterday. Was tempted to annotate here in real time as I talked to them and then remembered I am a human being who cares about other human beings and that would be fucking insane. Still feel a little weird that I am annotating this at all, it is not with their knowledge or consent but I am not mentioning their names or anything so I think it is ok? I may change my mind on this as I'm not sure. Also it is my time and my interactions I am describing. Maybe better to limit it to things that I do, and refer others only when necessary and with their permission. For today I will try to refer to them as little as possible and keep the focus on my actions, values, and motivations. This removes a lot of context though so not an ideal solution. We are prototyping.

I had a meeting earlier on Microsoft Teams with two other participants from the client company. I showed them the PDF I created yesterday and described it's purpose. We discussed at length the aspects of this sample (prototype) that we would like to pursue; graphic design things such as photography, typographic treatments, cover page ideas and use of symbols; and also other elements of the project to be decided at this stage such as text content, tone, overall focus and purpose. I felt that all three of us could express our opinions quite freely, and also the freedom to make suggestions that could be wrong which is important in a creative atmosphere. The document deals with issues of diversity and inclusion which is a very sensitive topic and this can cause people to shut down sometimes which is not helpful, I feel we were all allowed to express opinions, ask questions, and work it out together. Of course we each had our specialties (design, marketing, and DEI officer) which mostly meant less an authoritative position and more an ability to guide in these specialised topics. Not everything is better flattened, specialists and professionals have training and experience. Again I took notes in a .txt file while having the meeting, using Microsoft Notepad. I wore Philips SHB8750NC bluetooth headphones during the video call, as the audio quality is better (is it? or more comfortable?) than my laptop's built in speakers and microphone. I sat in a quiet room for the meeting.

As a result of the meeting I will now make three sample cover pages which they will present to the management board tomorrow. This is because we decided on three more focused thematic and visual directions for the publication. I stopped this work for a while to eat and talk to Jian, do a station skill (a workshop in the university) about feedback in arts education for two hours, eat and talk to Jian and Aglaia, read for my thesis (Geertz, Deep Play). Then I returned to this work, about 4.5 hrs later. I open the document in InDesign 2023 because that's my jam now. I'm going to go to the bathroom before I start properly, gimme one second.

Ok then I got distracted talking to Aglaia. So now it's more like 5hrs since I was at the meeting earlier. It's 16:32 gmt the time zone is a little bit of an advantage that I have. I'll try to do it very quickly though I need to do other things today too. The brief is quite simple, to make one typographic and two photographic covers. I use unsplash.com to find royalty free photography. Is this ethical I dont know. It's now 17:04 gmt and I have emailed the sample covers as a three page PDF with a more in depth (262 words) description of what I see as the pros and cons of each option in the body of the email. It is inevitable that I become a little more invested in this, it is my time and effort going into it so I want it to be good. I also want to resolve it efficiently, no point wasting time.

I close InDesign as I finish writing this commentary. I will check my emails this evening as if they want to review before tomorrow I would like to do it before GRS class at 11 (10 gmt).

And then I saved the prototyping page as an a5 pdf and then I printed it out for class tomorrow.

Now I want to do a little more with the cv2hpgl prototype. I get marcus out, but I'll leave the hp on for this notetaking. slowly transforming slowly spinning. First thing in the python script is using pyserial to read the input. cool works. then I need to output something (anything) to hpgl using chiplotle. I drew a lil square. and then a random zigzag. It works if you plug in the plotter first, then the esp32. it doesnt work if you do it the other way around. the plotter needs to be ttyUSB0.

Ok then loads of messing around with serial input and data types and serial.reset_input_buffer() and weird things like that. and I made the y axis do a sine so were kind of going in circles and its interesting for sure.

Next I want to add the second input and maybe the gae input too.

Its not in real time which is sad. So maybe fix this or maybe find a system that takes it into account (record and print on trigger for example)

20231003

performance upgrade

Prototype implies maybe that something will go wrong, something is going wrong, this shit could be better? Is this optimism or despair?

An old client got in touch last week who I worked with three years ago and previously on an annual project. Last year I was trying to make time for xpub so I turned the work down. This year I need money and am less afraid.

We spoke last week on Microsoft Teams to catch up, he's a kind guy, was telling me about his family and hobbies, nice to be in touch with him again. He also told me about struggles they had with the replacement they got for me last year, and showed me how the project went while I was off it. It seemed fine. The project involves the publication of data on salary levels in Ireland, from the point of view of a recruitment agency. He is keen to take it in a more socially conscious direction this year which is exciting but ultimately the publication is a promotional piece for this private company so potentially problematic. The company has a DEI officer (diversity, equity and inclusion) so he suggested they become involved also.

Today I will prepare some sample pages for how the new report could look. My plan is to use the InDesign document from 2021 as a starting point, as it will make it easier for me to adhere to the brand guidelines and a lot of the work is already done in terms of typography, grids, colours, that can be reused. How long will this transition take from Adobe to other tools? Do I plan to reach an end point? Maybe, I at least would still like to phase out old practices more than I currently have. However the existing workflows and processes are efficient which in this situation is super useful. I don't want to spend more time on this than necessary.

I open the document and save it in a newly created folder for the 2024 version of the publication. I also open a .txt file I made during our video call with some notes on the new version. The notes mostly detail how the company would like to have a social impact, be honest, authentic and trustworthy, and celebrate positive changes that have happened in the workforce recently. Are these appropriate aims for a company? Yes I think so, although they have to be woven into the profit motive to be allowed, it is still a positive that a company has these goals and I hope they can have a helpful impact by pursuing them. I am also driven by $$$ in this situation (it's my job) and I also hope that we can have a positive rather than negative effect on the world while doing it. Note for future prototypes, how to improve this balance, how to increase awareness of whether the effect is in fact helpful.

I'll start by deleting most the pages in the document, because I only need a few sample spreads for today. There is a separation between the content and the form, which is helpful, because the content doesnt exist yet. Neither does the form I suppose. Based on our conversations at the moment, I will develop some visual approaches to the document, and the client will create the text content and decide what data to gather. The process is less linear than it appears. Ok the annotation is really distracting from the work I wonder if I need to change the balance a little.

I go to the clients website and socials to see it their brand has changed in the past years (usually more reliable than a formal brand guidelines document). Its pretty much the same. They have been active with their social impact campaign which is reassuring. I notice they have some mentions in particular about equality, which I will use in the visual approach. I'll make the text and figures bolder and bigger. Impactful? Yes I guess so, its part of the language.

I mess around with typesizes and colours for a while. I make a big fuck-off equals sign for the front cover. It doesnt have to be super involved. What does it mean to furnish a business with these symbols? What am I allowing or creating? They have some photography of awareness campaigns and environmental restoration actions they perform, I'll include them in the sample pages.

Then I talk to xpub2 and michael about our work for a while. Then I do therapy for a while. Then Simon is here and then I go for a walk. This all takes about four hours and now I'm back at my laptop no wait this is not entirely true. I used the laptop to take notes while talking to michael, and I used it to video call therapy. But my focus is back to note taking and I guess the work from earlier. I have to talk to them tomorrow morning so would be good to finish it this evening. Ideally in the next hour or so (its 18:17) so I can send it to them (like before 18:00 gmt so they can see it in work hours). It's not really very considerate to send someone a work email at 18:00 I think, but its kind of accepted practice. I think I would prefer not to engage in it.

The InDesign 2023 thing is getting annoying, this time I had to specifically find the 2022 InDesign.exe file I wanted to open the .indd with, because it was auto opening with 2023. Maybe I'll uninstall the new version. Fuck it still opened in the new version, maybe I'll just use it its getting too complicated not to.

I download a free svg of the world map from https://simplemaps.com/resources/svg-world . Is it ethical or legal to use this in a commercial project. It's a Robinson projection. I don't have time to worry about the political implications of using a specific projection. My computer wants to open it automatically in Inkscape, but I need to do it in Illustrator so I can copy paste to InDesign. The transition is harder than the source or the destination.

I go back to their socials to find placeholder images. I'm getting a little bored I'll send it to him soon. Ok found a couple of new images. Meh it looks ok, I'll send it to him and we can talk in the morning. I export a pdf and now I'll draft a quick email. It's also a question of how happy I want to be at this stage of a project like this. Its too much expectation for it to be great. It's also too early to invest so much time into it, and energy of other sorts. Is it ever appropriate to invest the amount of emotional energy into work like this that one would be "proud" of it? How proud do I want to be? Why?

Oopsi I got distracted by my volition and exported spreads instead of pages. Exporting again, I'll save on top of the same file. I care so much less about PDF exports when they are not going to print, it's part of my training. If this was a PDF for print it would be such a different experience, maybe I'll write about it here at some stage.

Hi folks, 

A few sample pages here so we have something to look at as we talk tomorrow.

Trying to keep it similar to what we have had in the past but with a very different approach to photography, as well as some strong typographic pages where we can (maybe) make some big statements. Also all using sample text for the moment but if you wish we could tweak this for showing to management on Thursday, to give them an idea of where were planning to go. For example even a contents page could be interesting.

All up for discussion of course, looking forward to chatting about it tomorrow!
Stephen

The words I use in this context have different meanings to other contexts. "interesting", "an idea","a very different approach", "strong", "looking forward to". It's not lying but it's certainly a specific interpretation of the words. I sent the email at 18:54 (17:54 gmt).

It's got a picture of a bombax tree on the front, I like it.

20231002

As well as making connections I want to examine ones that are already there, and examine my own practices as they exists generally.

Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting: what are you doing here stephen? Documenting old and new things that I am doing and how they connect.

What does it mean to perform?

per- 
word-forming element common in words of French and Latin origin, meaning primarily "through," thus also "throughout; thoroughly; entirely, utterly," from Latin preposition per (see per (prep)).

The verb was used with wider senses in Middle English than now, including "to make, construct; produce, bring about;" also "come true" (of dreams), and to performen muche time was "to live long." Related: Performed; performing; performable.

How can a performance be open in the same way as an object can, to refuse to be finished?

now I try to connect the pen plotter to marcus

today I think I will learn how to use debian some more.

What is the difference between "su" and "su -"? Something to do with $PATH. Something to do with directories.

Its a little confusing switching between two laptops. The manual for DraftPro DXL plotter reminds us to use the hpgl IN command.

And first the tty needs to be configured: "9600 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, one stop bit, and continuous error checking." on page 7-7 of the manual.

stty 9600 parodd parenb ixon ixoff -F /dev/ttyUSB0

Then you can send it hpgl files or directly send commands with echo.

cat file.hpgl > /dev/ttyUSB0

echo "IN; SP1; PU0,0;PD0,100;PA100,0;SP0;" > /dev/ttyUSB0

Also its not important for the cv2hpgl module, but I want to test sending text to the plotter.

I'm using chiplotle now again and I think it might be helping with buffering, not sure.

chiplotle> plotter.write_file('myfile.hpgl')

So editing the hpgl file and running this from another terminal window (in the venv).

I think I will switch to using a python script with chiplotle imported into it. then the python script can take inputs from the esp and send them back out the other side as hpgl.

20230925

As the breeze kindles the fire hold me near, ooooh breeze in the air.

Set up a table. Plug in speakers. Electricity. Desk. Install Debian on Macbook Air. His name is now marcus he is my new friend. Install Arduino on marcus. try to set up nano. no. try to set up esp32 WROOM dev kit. yes. needed a python upgrade first. debian is unfamiliar but nice to try it. the tape on the screen was maybe too much. the tape on the desk will also be too much. structure. build it up and then destroy it all again. againtropy. breadcube is sick. something with the hard drive. grub. its better :)

go to /etc/apt/sources.list and change all the bullseye to bookworm.

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

its more better.

esp32. check the pinout to find an analog in. GPIO36 works, its marked SVP on the board. SensVP on the pinout, i dont know what that means. connected it to a 3.5mm jack. loaded an "AnalogRead" example sketch. it seems to be reading something, cool.

break it down. think about it. work it out. think about it.

voltage divider.

in python use pyserial. import serial. look up docs. interpret the data. sensor = serial.open(dev/ttyusb0) or something like this. make a while loop where you read the serial. use an fft library to interpret it.

find notes from last year on how to send stuff from python to pen plotter.

badabingbadaboom.