2 Blocks
2 Blocks aims to bridge the gap between Kendall Square and The Port, two distinct parts of one city, only two blocks apart. The project's primary goal is to foster connection, understanding, and opportunity by shedding light on the massive inequitable gap. The project consists of an interactive physical installation with an augmented reality portion, as well as a podcast, a book, and many events that celebrate the aspirations and voices of local youth.
I oversaw the art direction of the physical piece, as well as the augmented reality portion.
Data visualization: educational inequity in Cambridge, MA.
An animation I created using Adobe Illustrator and After Effects representing the 2 Blocks story.
Provide a platform for our youth to express their aspirations and connect with the broader community, inspiring them to envision their place within Kendall Square’s innovative landscape.
We started with students sitting on top of blocks, but after receiving some feedback that the students and blocks felt too separated, I went ahead and experimented with a stair case. The stair case represents how we want to be making progress, and taking steps toward a brighter future. I worked to design the type and QR code in a way that would give just enough information to those who did not know our project.
Front
Back
The AR Exhibit:
The 2 Blocks installation contains a QR code that takes you to four different stories, three of which are on the web. Story 3, however, prompts you to download an app called Hoverlay, which allows you to view our Augmented Reality portion of the installation.
Taking inspiration from an AR concert performed by the band Gorillaz, I began sketching out my vision. I immediately saw our characters in 3D interacting with a 3D modeled Cambridge.
It was important to me that the students' voices be the focus of this story. There would be one student interacting with a different building in Kendall Sq and the Port, 3 students and 3 buildings in total. We ended up using models of Fletcher-Maynard Academy (to represent education), the MIT Museum (for design), and the Broad Institute (for science).
The exhibit features three different pieces of audio, recorded by three of our students, focusing on each building and what the student likes and what they wish they could gain from their business/school. The text bubble animation was created by myself and one of my students using Adobe After Effects. I felt that having the text appear on a text bubble would really amplify the theme of "Our Voices," which is the name of this story.
The installation was installed May of 2023 and currently resides in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.
