exercise 3

The Making of a Complex System

Organize into groups (2-3) and discuss the terms and ideas presented in the first three weeks. Try to understand what is needed to make complexity and emergence. As a group create 2-3 demonstrations of complex systems. Use yourselves as agents and/or think of creative ways to generate and document something that is a complex system. Post your process and approach as well as your experiment online on your blog.

PROJECT #1 FOLLOW THE LINE

SYSTEM: We wanted to connect to the system of the consumer by adding our own element into the shoppers daily interactions.

GOAL: To see whether people follow directions without being told to follow directions.

SET UP: We placed blue tape starting from the outside of the shoe store to the inside with arrows pointing in the direction of the store. I recorded people through photos for an hour to see if customers followed the line.

MATERIALS: Camera & tape

CONCLUSION: People did not follow the line completely. For the most part people stayed on the line when they would stop to look at shoes. Some people followed the line for a few seconds but would quickly stop before anyone really noticed them.