MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT II / ASMT 01

Naura / 0356798 / Interactive Spatial Design
MDP60104 / Multidisciplinary Project II
Assignment 01: Design Analysis & Concept Proposal

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Week 01:

• Visited FABU’s workspace at KLSCAH to gain insight into their ongoing projects and working environment. 
• Observed their current setup, tools and workflow to understand how they organise and execute their work.

Assignment Progression:

For Week 1, I focused on finding a project niche that I am genuinely passionate about and want to share with others. After brainstorming various directions, I narrowed my ideas down to three main topics:

• The ongoing genocide in Palestine.
• Indonesian cultural history, specifically focusing on the arts.
• The environmental impact of the Oil & Gas industry and the shift to renewable energy.

Reflecting on these, I have decided to move forward with the topic of Palestine. I feel a strong urgency to address the misinformation surrounding the crisis, and I want to use this project as a medium to spread accurate awareness.

Week 02:

• We got briefed on the first assignment

Lecture notes:

• Design Futures looks at how design, technology and creativity shape tomorrow’s products, services and environments, especially through emerging trends and innovation.
• Interactive Spatial Design merges architecture, design, technology and UX to create responsive environments that adapt to human needs rather than staying static.
• Spatial design focuses on the relationship between architecture, interior, objects and people, turning neutral space into meaningful place through user-centred decisions.
• Key concepts: space vs place, interactivity, user-centric design, and designing flexible spaces that can change with future needs.
• Case studies:
• The High Line, NYC: 
• Old elevated freight rail converted into a linear park.​
• Features: planting, seating, pathways, art, multiple access points.​
• Shows how adaptive reuse + spatial design can create a new public “place” from infrastructure.​ 
• REXKL, KL:
• Former cinema transformed into cultural hub (events, retail, F&B, library, etc.).​ 
• Mixes old structure and new program to create layered social spaces.​

Assignment Progression:
During my first consultation, I pitched my concept regarding Palestine. My supervisor noted that the topic is currently quite broad, so he challenged me to define exactly what kind of emotional response I want to evoke from the audience. 

Since I plan to use projection mapping as my medium, clarity is crucial. My next step is to research and analyze existing immersive installations to understand how they effectively use storytelling to trigger specific emotions.

Week 03:

• Narrative environment: a space designed to tell a story by blending architecture, technology and performance.​ 
• Goal: move beyond function to create interactive, emotionally engaging experiences.​
• Draws from UX, interaction design, scenography, exhibition design and graphic communication.​
• Interaction design perspective: see through user’s eyes, invite dialogue and participation instead of passive viewing.​
• Co-design and participatory design: involve users and stakeholders so the narrative reflects local culture and needs.​
• Techniques: environmental storytelling, hidden clues, reactive environments and collaborative zones.​
• Transform audiences from observers into active participants who influence the performance of the space.
• Case Studies:
• Blur Building
• Building made of mist; visitors lose clear sight and familiar sounds.​
• Forces reliance on body and non-visual senses; the atmosphere itself performs and constantly changes.​
• Scents of Space (UCL)
• Translucent chamber with controlled fragrance zones acting as invisible boundaries.​
• Shows how smell can define spatial areas and guide movement without physical walls.

Assignment Progression:
During the consultation, my lecturer emphasized that for a topic as sensitive as this, the site context is crucial. I was tasked to:

• Select a site with extreme relevance to the narrative. 
• Conduct a site analysis (photos & precise measurements). 
• Identify and interview Malaysian movements supporting the Palestinian cause to gain local insights.

I initially intended to base the project on a creative space in Indonesia I visited three years ago. However, upon attempting to gather current data, I discovered the site had been demolished during recent civil unrest.

I struggled to find concrete details about the collective that used to occupy the space. The lack of digital footprints suggests a level of media erasure, which (ironically and tragically) ties back to my project's core theme of suppressed narratives.

Given these setbacks, I have refocused my case study research on Malaysian movements, specifically looking at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) as a potential site anchor. I am currently:

• Compiling a visual archive of local solidarity events to analyze their spatial layouts. 
• Vetting interview candidates who can serve a dual role: acting as both the 'client' (organizers) and the 'user' (attendees) to provide a holistic view of the requirements.

Week 04:

• UX research: systematic study of user behaviours, needs and attitudes using observation + feedback.​
• Importance: supports better usability, higher satisfaction, fewer lost sales and more informed design decisions.​
• Good research involves real users, diverse perspectives and active participation from designers (not fully outsourced).​
• Research should run continuously: before concept, during iterations and after launch.
• 5-step process:
• Define objectives: what do we need to learn, what problems are unclear.​ 
• Form hypotheses: what assumptions do we hold about users.​
• Choose methods: considering time, budget and manpower.
• Conduct studies: interviews, surveys, testing, analytics.​
• Synthesise: validate or refute assumptions and turn findings into design opportunities.
• Qualitative vs Quantitative:
• Qualitative (interviews, observation, focus groups, usability testing): explains why/how users behave as they do.​ 
• Quantitative (surveys, web analytics, metrics): measures how many people do something and how often.​ 
• Both types complement each other for evidence-based UX decisions.
• Method Highlights:
• Interviews: rich, in-depth insights but time-consuming and require skilled interviewers.​ 
• Online surveys: fast and cheap; need careful wording to avoid bias and fatigue.​
• Usability testing: observe users doing tasks to find usability issues and measure satisfaction.

Assignment Progression:

This week, my focus shifted to data validation and synthesis. I successfully scheduled the interview with the NGO, which will provide the 'client' perspective I need. More importantly, I conducted a final interview with a Palestinian participant to cross-reference my research. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, ensuring factual accuracy and authentic representation is my top priority.

On the documentation front, I began weaving these diverse data points together. I transcribed the interview sessions, analyzed the questionnaire responses, and integrated these insights into the Project Report alongside the literature review.

Below is my slides for the first assignment submission:

Reflection:

Engaging deeply with this topic pushed me beyond the surface-level information I usually encounter on my social media feed. It was a realizing moment: if I—someone with an algorithm already saturated with Palestinian content—was missing crucial details and stories, then the information gap for my peers must be significantly wider. 

Conducting the questionnaire with my social circle confirmed this hypothesis. It offered a reality check on how much (or how little) my generation actually knows about the nuances of the ongoing war. 

Overall, this assignment has been a lesson in ethical storytelling. It challenged me to figure out how to translate the sorrows and frustrations of this conflict into a design that is meaningful and impactful, without being performative or tone-deaf. It taught me that to promote change, we must first bridge the gap between awareness and understanding.