Face Your World
"Face Your World" (2002-2003) is a community project for children by Jeanne van Heeswijk (NL).
"Face Your World" detail from the 2003 book cover
This project is especially developed for kids from 6 to 12 years old, in 3 neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. It contains four different aspects: a multi user computer game with which the kids can recreate their own surroundings, a bus with six work spaces for the children, three bus stops on which the children"s creations are exposed, and a website showing the worlds and with more information on the project.
With digital photo cameras, the kids take pictures of their own neighborhoods. These photos are uploaded to the Face Your World system on the bus. After logging in, the kids can recreate their environment in a 3D space, using their own pictures as well as those that are already in the database.
The interactor consists of the 3D navigation mode and the 2D edit mode. In the navigation mode the user can place new objects in the 3D world by choosing a flat object or a box, and a texture from the database (a building or a car for example) to "stick on" the object. The objects can be moved, rotated, lifted, scaled, deformed and deleted. It is also possible to modify an object in the 2D edit mode. On this 2D drawing board the kids can cut, draw, paint, type, mirror and erase. While navigating and building their world, the children can take screenshots, which will be displayed on the bus stops and website.
In the 3D world, the users are represented by avatars. This way, the kids can see each other navigate through the world. The world is one shared place in which every child also has its own exclusive area, where no one else is allowed to build, unless they ask for permission. The kids can then negotiate in a chat environment. This chat space can also be used to just send each other messages, making communication and cooperation a vital part of constructing a world.
http://www.faceyourworld.net
This project was co-developed by Jeanne van Heeswijk and V2_Lab.
Credits:
Artist: Jeanne van Heeswijk (NL)
Web designer: Marco Christis (NL)
Design Office: Blixem Media (NL)
Collective: Atelier van Lieshout (NL)
Designer: Roger Teeuwen (NL)
Wexner Center for the Arts (USA)
Technician: Bram Perry (NL)
Interaction Designer: Enric Gili Fort (E)
Designer: Lenno Verhoog (NL)
Project Manager: Angela Verschelling (NL)
