Curation of Digital-born Creative Work
About
The following digital-born creative works, primarily crafted using Twine, Figma, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, have been curated from the final assignments of the course titled 'Reading and Unreading Digital-born Creative Works: Critical Making of Contemporary Information' (INF1005H/6H LEC0113) at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. Students presented and exhibited their works during the final session. The descriptions provided are primarily derived from the students' own accounts of their works and presentations.
Description
'Another Day', developed in Twine by Runjie Dai, provides players/readers with an immersive portrayal of homelessness. Through interactive narratives, individuals have the agency to influence the protagonist's fate. They may opt to seek sustenance and shelter or relinquish all and sleep on the streets. Dai's compelling narrative leaves a lasting impact on the player/reader, resonating deeply within their hearts.
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Jiaki Han and Kehan Tan's 'Post Pandemic' is an interactive art piece created using Figma, featuring three doors named 'SUFFOCATED,' 'INVADED,' and 'DISTANCED.' These keywords succinctly encapsulate the pandemic experience, inviting users to explore each door's room for a deeper understanding of the collective challenges endured.
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Kexin Han and Peiwen Zhang's Twine work 'Live a Life | Just Alive' centers around the profound theme: "Life has so much more to offer. Nothing is more important than your own happiness!" This work starts from a scene where the character gets really tired from daily tasks and living pressure. There is a voice in his head that suggests he do something for himself but there’s also another voice constantly reminding him about the things he “has to” do. Everytime the player presses the button, the text symbolizes the idea of enjoying life getting smaller until it disappears. In the end, there is a button suggesting the player to step out of this negative cycle and enjoy their life now. The button directs the player to a list of fun events that happen in Toronto this spring.
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Rui Hu’s digital artwork, titled 'Project 0,' serves as a meticulous examination of technology. With the escalating sophistication of technology, the monitoring of online activities has become increasingly accessible for companies and organizations. The widespread use of cookies, employed to collect data without individuals' knowledge or consent, allows websites to track and store user activity, providing a personalized experience and tailored content. While this may offer benefits to users, the compromised privacy raises significant implications for personal security, financial matters, and legal rights. Through the incorporation of abstract videos and images that generate a visually stimulating atmosphere, this digital artwork functions as a poignant reminder of the potential risks associated with cookie monitoring and the erosion of privacy in this technologically advanced era. It emphasizes the imperative of establishing greater control and transparency over personal data online. Programming langugaes such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript are employed to create 'Project 0'
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Yisu Hu and Peiwei Li's 'Changing', developed in Twine, employs the first-person perspective to narrate a story centered around a young polar bear, diverging from the typical human viewpoint. The pivotal and interactive element revolves around the polar bear's emotions; by clicking, players and readers gain insight into what triggers these feelings. The narrative progresses from a sense of "something changing" to "feeling strange," "uncomfortable," "sick," "pain," and eventually "asking for help," culminating in silence. This gradual escalation in emotional intensity underscores the severity of the polar bear's distress. The polar bear's expressions and behaviors evolve throughout the narrative. Initially, it lounges on the ice, appearing relaxed, but soon becomes visibly anxious and begins to perspire. Eventually, it breaks into tears. Concurrently, the imagery is designed to depict the gradual melting and disappearance of the ice on each page. While players may not immediately notice this if they focus solely on the text, they may realize that something is changing as they progress. Ultimately, nothing remains. Even the plea for help from the polar bear, represented in red to signify blood and injury, fades away. This serves as a metaphor for the dwindling voice of a dying polar bear, calling out for assistance. Moreover, all human activities contributing to global warming are depicted in red, aiming to make a strong visual impact on those who engage with or observe the story. The intention is to convey the gradual and incremental nature of global warming and environmental degradation. These processes do not result in sudden destruction; rather, they unfold gradually. If left unchecked or disregarded, they lead to dire and irreversible consequences, akin to the melting ice portrayed on successive pages. The narrative seeks to underscore the reality that while games and stories may offer the possibility of saving, reversing, or reloading, such interventions are not feasible in real life. Certain damages inflicted upon the environment are permanent and irreparable.
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Lenora Huynh's interactive narrative, "me love you wrong time," created in Twine, serves as an exploration of modern dating and parasocial relationships, delving into the fascinating realms of messaging apps, simulation games, and the evolving landscape of remote living during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the era of a globally accessible web, individuals are confronted with a myriad of choices. The narrative provocatively questions the concept of the "right person, wrong time."
References
The Glory - Television Series
Extracurricular - Television Series
Is bullying this big a thing in Korean schools? https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/gd1k5z/is_bullying_this_big_a_thing_in_korean_s chools/
Bullied in Korean Highschool | The Voiceless #26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3A45YCTo8g&t=415s&ab_channel=AsianBoss
K-dramas shed light on school violence & bullying (feat. ‘The Glory’) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27XLCxl8LSs&ab_channel=KOREANOW
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Molly Csak and Gemma Julien's work, "Poverty," illustrates the relentless struggle of attempting to break free from poverty and attain financial stability, only to find the goalposts continually shifting further away. Through interactive decision-making, readers navigate paths that can lead to success and improved circumstances or to dead ends. Each decision is accompanied by poetry reflecting the emotional highs and lows of battling financial insecurity: curiosity, hope, dread, anxiety, and exhaustion. Developed using Twine, CSS, and HTML, this project employs images and poetry to craft a branching narrative about ascending in a Western capitalist society. Readers begin on the first page and are presented with two choices, with subsequent pages offering further options to navigate towards success, accompanied by evocative poetry or phrases. Despite the nine possible endings, each conclusion loops back to the beginning, perpetuating the cycle. To revisit previous pages, readers can scroll to the upper left corner of the page to access a grey arrow for navigation.
Image sources: (references preceded by page names)
Sell some of your belongings: JeepersMedia. (n.d.). “Yard Sale” [Image]. openverse.https://openverse.org/image/412dde3f-7687- 40a8-8a67-91bd10f2c485?q=yard%20sale
Look for odd jobs AndreyPopov. (2019). Newspapers Tied With Rubber Band On Green Grass stock photo [Image]. iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/newspapers-tied-with-rubber-band-on-green-grass- gm1188462086-336110430
Look for job training programs AP Press. (n.d.). [Image of job training program]. Voices of America. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/short-term-training-can-lead-to-technology-jobs-without- college-degrees-/6689105.html
Consider starting your own business The Sunday Collection. (2023). [Image of expenses plan]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo- of-an-empty-business-plan-16037851/
Look for other ways to make money Karsarov, C. (2022). [Image of taxis and ride shares in Toronto]. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-uber-drivers-pay-toronto/
Consider downsizing your living Ibrahim, S. (2018). [Image of micro apartment in Hamilton, ON]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/micro-dwellings-1.4758636
Research small business loans [Image of pile of papers]. (2020). The Mortgage Reports. https://themortgagereports.com/17354/mortgage-good-faith-estimate-guide. Retrieved from: https://assets.themortgagereports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/How-to-Read-a-Mortgage-Loan- Estimate-LE.jpg
Move to a smaller apartment Ibrahim, S. (2018). [Image of micro apartment in Hamilton, ON]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/micro-dwellings-1.4758636
Cut back on expenses White, A. (2020). [Image of canceled Disney+ subscription]. BusinessInsider. https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-cancel-disney-plus
Apply for a small business loan [Image of small business loan application]. (n.d.). Industrius CFO. https://www.industriuscfo.com/preparing-business-loan-application/
Continue working hard and striving to improve [Image of park in Toronto]. (2020). blogTO. https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/05/toronto-parks-open- right-now/
Find ways to enjoy life without spending money [Image of park in Toronto]. (2020). blogTO. https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/05/toronto-parks-open- right-now/
Look for ways to increase your income White, A. (2020). [Image of canceled Disney+ subscription]. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-cancel-disney-plus
Consider starting smaller Philhillphotography. (2012). Wrong way go back sign [Image]. iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/wrong-way-go-back-sign-gm177425160-21439209
Start smaller Hristova, B. (2020). [Image of stairs on a hill]. CBC. https://i.cbc.ca/1.5517899.1585767098!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/sta irs.jpg
Go to work [Image of someone unhappy at work]. (n.d.). Onsight. https://www.onsightapp.com/blog/unhappy-at- work-bring-new-life-to-your-job
Look for a better job [Image of frustrated employee]. (n.d.). Society for Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/executive/resources/articles/Pages/unhappy-workers.aspx
Consider going back to school marchmeena29. (2018). Scholarship money concept [Image]. iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/scholarship-money-concept-coins-in-jar-with-money-stack-step- growing-growth-saving-gm961638104-262606479 Retrieved from: https://i.insider.com/5d277dba21a861073136ff43?width=700
Talk to a school councillor Getty Images. (n.d.). [Image of someone speaking to a councillor]. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/4375849/ontario-psychiatrist-shortage-report/
Research financial aid options [Image of stylized lungs]. (n.d.). Business Recorder. https://www.brecorder.com/news/461168
Apply for financial aid Shamsuddin, A. (n.d.). Mr Sloan the Loan Shark boss [Image]. Art Station. https://www.artstation.com/artwork/2xO4og
Consider part time school [Image of budgeted coin stacks]. (n.d.). IP Knowledge. https://ipknowledge.net/does-your-budget-of- 2022-go-to-the-office-or-the-mobile-user/
Enroll in school [Image of accumulated loans and bills]. (n.d.). New York Post. Retrieved from: https://nypost.com/wp- content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/Buried-by-Bills-student-debt.jpg?quality=75&strip=all
Enroll in job training program StockSnap. (2015). [Image of empty hands]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-palms-black- and-white-698561/. Retrieved from: https://rboleyblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/empty- hands.png?w=768&h=343
Continue looking for other ways to make money Llano, F. (n.d.). [Image of boy carrying pineapples found in trash area]. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-hunger-mounts-venezuelans-turn-to-trash-for- food/2016/06/09/52c25da6-2e6c-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html
Graduate and get a better job [Image of silhouette of graduate]. (n.d.). ACS Technologies. https://www.acstechnologies.com/church- growth/faith-during-graduation-season/
Save more money [Image of women paying bills]. (n.d.). HR Grapevine. https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/salary-finance-2020-04-30-69-of-employees-are-feeling- worried-about-their-finances
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Yanch Ong's "What keeps you up at night?" is an interactive game crafted using Twine, providing insights into the challenges associated with ADHD and executive dysfunction. The game's notable features include a stream of consciousness, self-talk, and self-compassion. The use of mouseover, as opposed to clicking, metaphorically symbolizes a lack of control and heightened distractibility.
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Andrew Abraham's digital creative archive developed in Twine, 'Catastrophe,' delves into the nakba (catastrophe) period in Palestine and the ongoing erasure of Palestinian space and narratives (Sandock 2023). Upon entering the work, individuals find themselves in a space where depopulated towns and villages are meticulously listed in the order of their attack. However, a time stamp initiates in December 1947, ticking down the months every 5 seconds. As time progresses, the villages attacked during that specific month gradually vanish from the page. While scrolling down the list, users are in a race against the clock as more extensive sections of town names disappear. Many of these village names are hyperlinked to embedded audio sourced from the Palestinian Oral History Archive at the American University of Beirut . These audio clips feature oral histories of Palestinian elders narrating life in Palestine, the nakba itself, and the subsequent life in exile, symbolizing the ongoing catastrophe. With time passing, not only do the villages disappear, but the narratives and stories of Palestinian elders from those villages also fade away. As survivors of this catastrophe age (the youngest already in their 70s and 80s), there is a pressing need to document their histories before it's too late, preventing the loss of knowledge and experience. Many of these villages and geographies now exist solely in the memories and imaginations of Palestinian elders. To preserve the significance behind those village names, documenting the stories of the people who were there becomes imperative.
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Mellisa Vincent's Twine work 'How to Survive Existential Anxiety & Dread!' deals with anxiety and it is manily inspied by the words of Audre Lorde
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Zhen Wu and Zhaoxiang Xie's Dian Lake: Who is Guilty? created in Twine offers two choices for the players/readers either choose to protect the envieonment or continue to ignore the environment changes will lead to the bad ending. It emphasizes how individual behavior plays a crucial role in protecting the environment and every individual has the power to make a difference and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable planet.
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Shangzhou Xia's "Choose your Destiny" unfolds as a straightforward urban Toronto adventure story marked by a non-linear structure. Its conclusion is contingent upon the choices and exploration undertaken by the audience. According to the artist, completing the narrative may engender a fresh perspective on a social issue or leave lingering uncertainty. The moment has arrived to shape our destiny. The works was created in Twine platform.
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Jia Zeng and Jiazhou Bi's work, "Bye My Friends," centers on environmental conservation. Created within the Twine platform, it underscores the dynamic interaction between the human and non-human realms.
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Jocelyn Knibutat's Twine work, titled 'It's Stuffy,' delves into nuanced themes, including pandemic-induced loneliness, monotony, and claustrophobia. Other significant aspects explored in the narrative encompass the deterioration of mental health, experiences of loneliness and isolation, the rejuvenation of passion and drive, and the strategic utilization of available resources—embracing introspection and imagination. The storyline unfolds as a portrayal of a day in the life of a solitary working adult, examining the dynamics of individual isolation and the coping mechanisms employed during the transition from perceiving home as a secure space to confronting a more emotionally charged and claustrophobic environment. The artistic composition integrates dynamic text elements, such as text movement, mirrored text, and bouncing text (rumble/shudder), effectively visually elucidating different facets of the underlying themes. Notably, the mirrored text represents the woman's coping strategy of deliberately avoiding explicit references to the pandemic, acknowledging the dual nature of "home" as both a physical location and a constructed "safe" space. This intentional avoidance serves as a mechanism to contend with distressing aspects of the pandemic. Additionally, the woman employs her imagination, creativity, and sewing skills as outlets for staying occupied and entertained amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. In the context of the origami airplane, its symbolic presence underscores the tendency for days to blend together during the pandemic, particularly within the confines of a consistent work and home routine. This symbolism emphasizes how the passage of time can be easily overlooked in the absence of tangible markers, contributing to a prevailing sense of temporal disorientation.
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Jia Cao and Qiyao Li's interactive art piece, 'Finding Hope in the Time of Crisis,' is designed using HTML, CSS and JavaScript to promote social-emotional wellness and resilience, specifically addressing crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the creators, this digital art employs particles and moving models to visually engage and inspire, symbolizing the human spirit. The artwork concludes with a message encouraging viewers to discover inner strength during challenging times. Through a blend of visual elements, it adeptly communicates intricate emotions and ideas, fostering an interactive exploration to convey social-emotional concepts. Jia Cao and Qiyao Li describe the media design which encompasses four types: 1. Rotating Color Loop: A dynamic shape loop revolves around the term "Hope," portraying a glimpse of vitality against the black background. 2. Self-spinning "Hope": Interaction attempts result in the entire illustration spinning around the centroid, accentuating the elusive nature of hope. 3. Freezing the Moment Status: Shapes can be frozen, but the "Hope" remains elusive, persistently spinning and evading interaction. 4. Appearing Emitters: Clicking between arrow, bird, and drop shapes leads to cumulative emitter appearances, symbolizing the emergence of new clues to hope.
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