Animate Activate

Research background: Animate Activate was developed with the Stylecraft Melbourne showroom and selected to be part of the Saturday In Design 'The Project' event in July 2012. The project was a timely investigation of the potentials that LED screen arrays hold for interior design and architecture. The project was seen as an extension of the developments taking place in architectural media facades and referenced works developed by M.Hank Hausler, Erwin Redl and Muti Randolph. A number of RMIT Interior Design graduates and students who had shown an aptitude in video production and digital animation were asked to contribute works for the event. Research contribution: The design sought to examine how the use of large scale video screens (80,000 LED light source) could become a medium that is integral to interior design. McLeod and a team of RMIT students explored how the potentials of using LED screen based technologies to animate interior surfaces and produce stunning spatial effects. This involved the use of a LED curtain system that created an architecturally scaled digital interface within the showroom. Research significance: Saturday in Design is an annual trade event for the Melbourne design community and selection for inclusion in this event is a form of industry peer review. The event featured the work of 23 prominent design firms working in collaboration with retail design showrooms. From an initial call for selection to which over 100 designers apply and small selection of collaborators is decided by the showrooms and event coordinators. More than 3000 design industry professionals attended the 'Activate Animate' exhibition. The 'activated and animated' backdrop acted as a mesmerising backdrop to the weekend's activities. The event was sponsored, documented and publicised by INDESIGN magazine (http://www.saturdayindesign.com.au/category/the-project-2012 and http://issuu.com/indesigngroup/docs/sid2012_onlinebooklet)