Monday, December 28, 2009
Le Laboureur - Made for Hard Work (Hyper Island, Interactive User Experience)
This was an interactive concept for french work wear brand Le Laboureur; re-defining what Hard Work is, by letting workers of all professions claim recognition and get appreciated for their efforts.Made by Hyper Island students Sveinung Skaalnes Anna María Larsson, Lasse Korsgaard, Nathan Ross and Ämeli Hansson (Interactive Art Director 2010.)
Le Laboureur - Made for Hard Work from Sveinung Skaalnes on Vimeo.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Apply to the Hyper Island Recruitment Tour at Hyper Island's Recruitment Tour is kicking off on November 7th, making stops in Amsterdam and Oslo.
Cas Lemmens, Interactive Art Director student who will be at the Recruitment Tour day in Amsterdam, answered some questions that those who are considering applying for the tour might ask themselves.
What's it like being a Hyper Island student?
Being a Hyper Island student is one of the best experiences in my life. In the three months I've been here, I learned so much about myself, how I work, how I act in groups and most of all how I can improve myself. Everyone at Hyper is really open, and can't wait to help you with problems you have. Each and every one of the student has a personal field of interest, which brings a great learning experience when you ask them for help.
And beside that you have the parties, gaming contests, daily laughs and unique experiences you'll cherish for the rest of you life.
Why should I go to the Recruitment Tour?
Because the day is just full of new experiences. First of all, you get the chance to meet really interesting people who have the same interests as you but with a different view on it. There's a lot of time to mingle with them, so by the end of the day, you go home with a bunch of new friends.
And secondly, you get a taste of how Hyper Island works, and how it is to study there. It's a small appetizer that gives you a sense of the main dish.
Is the interview scary?
It was one of the most difficult interviews I ever did actually. I didn't know what to expect, and the permanent pokerfaces didn't make it easier. But when you step out of the interview, you realize there is nothing to expect, nor to prepare. You just have to go in and be yourself.
What did you learn at your Recruitment Tour day?
The best thing about the Recruitment Tour were the other attendees. I met people from all around the world, and by the end of the day I knew a lot more about different cultures and countries. It was nice to meet those people, and you got a feeling how it would be to work in group with different cultures.
What have you learned from working with students from different countries?
It's very rewarding. You handle problems a lot more efficient since you see it from many different perspectives. And the creative process becomes a lot richer. You get inspired by stories, pictures, experiences that your friends will share. It's probably the most attractive thing of Hyper Island, in my opinion.
I'm really interested in Hyper Island, but I'm unsure if I have enough computer/software knowledge. What's your advice?
Hyper Island does not expect any great computer/software knowledge at all. They focus on group dynamics, and being a good leader. You work on several projects, every time with a different group. And the more diverse the group is, the more exciting the project will be. People who have a good computer knowledge are handy, but certainly not the only thing that is necessary. We need copywriters, actors, clothing designers, music specialists, sport fans, happy cookers, ... you name it! Any field of interest will come in handy what so ever. Be proud of what you know, it will be handled with all the respect it needs!
Top three reasons I should go to Recruitment Tour in Amsterdam?
1. You'll meet very interesting and awesome people.
2. You'll get a small taste of what Hyper Island has to offer you.
3. You'll just have a great day and a unique experience.
Thank you, Cas!
Apply to the Hyper Island Recruitment Tour at:
http://tour.hyperisland.se/
Thursday, September 17, 2009
We were curious to find out what the Hyper Island Interactive Art Director 2010 students have experienced since beginning the program in August this year. Here's what four of the students had to say:
How did you find Hyper Island?
Google and destiny. :) I was searching for inspiration last January, and I found the DM09 website. At that time I had no idea about what Hyper Island was, but I was very curious, so I went to the Hyper Island's web page and the more I read about the school and the programs, the more I felt I had to be a part of it. I don't regret my choice at all, I'm loving the Hyper Island experience.
What's been your two biggest learning experiences so far?
There is a continuous learning experience about how to work with groups. This experience is so great because it is useful not only within the Digital Media world, but you can apply in whatever group you are part of. We learn a lot about ourselves and others, become more tolerant with differences and start to see them as a positive aspects of life. Our class is based upon diversity, and that is a great learning experience: people from different countries, cultures, ages and backgrounds, sharing their knowledge and life experiences. More than interacting with technology, we learn how to interact with people, and that is something very valuable.
What was the first module about? What did you learn?
The first module was about understanding group behaviour and leadership, and how to build teams. It's a deep experience, since it is based upon a lot of reflection and feedback and this is something that we usually don't learn at school, at least in Brazil, where I come from. I became more aware of my attitudes, enhanced my perception of how other people behave and became more tolerant. I also learned how to give and receive feedback, not avoiding conflicts but actually learning how to deal with them, which is definitely not something easy to do but extremely important.
What's the new module about and what's your group working on?
We have a great client for this module, a really challenging one: IKEA. In the next 7 weeks we will be working full time in order to find an interactive and digital solution that can attract more people to IKEA's stores. This is great, since the company is successful, open-minded and global. How to take something great to the next level? We shall find out the answer to this question by the end of the module.
Most exciting thing at Hyper Island this week?
Hyper Island has always something exciting happening, whether it is coming from the staff or the students. :) For example, this week we started with workshops, organized by the students who are experts in a certain field and are willing to share their knowledge with the rest of the school. We have no teachers, no books, no homework, so this is a great opportunity to try something new and take the initiative to teach, to research more about what you love to do or always wanted to know about, to improve presentation skills, share and raise the good vibe among the students and of course, have fun! This week, we had workshops about Programming, HTML and CSS, Processing and a lot more are scheduled for the coming weeks.
How did you find Hyper Island?
My dad's company worked together with some students from Hyper Island. So he gave me the link.
What were your expectations before beginning the Interactive Art Director program?
I was really looking forward to work with passioned people, people who lived for digital media like me. And besides that I had really high expectations on the lectures we would get, and the study methodology Hyper would have.
What was the first module about? What did you learn?
In the first module, we researched the current digital industry and tried to make a vision of the future. It was something I wanted to do for a long time, and finally gathering all the information I've been researching in the passed few years together with the research of the other group members, really gave our group good insights. It became clear you had to do this almost every year, so you could keep track of the trends, and keep in my mind what really is the future.
What's the new module about and what's your group working on?
In the second module we have to come up with a new idea for Ikea on how that can improve their services in the future. We're still in an early process and figuring out the bits and pieces. At this moment, we're doing research, learning more about Ikea, the company, the future, the competitors and their marketing in order to find holes or malfunctions where we can work on.
What's been your two biggest learning experiences so far?
The first one was the UGL. It made me realize reflection and feedback are really important when it comes to working in a team. And besides that I got to know myself a lot better.
The second one was the first task we had: the research task. I worked together with really interesting people who taught me to expand my boundaries and think further than I normally do. I made me smarter in some kind of way...
Most exciting thing at Hyper Island this week?
I think that would be the workshops that are going on. I gave mine yesterday, and was really pleased with the result. And I'm curious about the coming workshops since it will handle the material I've been wanting to learn since long.
What do you think you can learn from your classmates?
A better question would be: what can I not learn! The people here are great, they all have their experience, knowledge and own interest. I haven't met anyone yet who couldn't give me an interesting talk. I think the best thing you learn from your co-students, is the fact that you'll see a solution from different angles, which helps a lot!
How did you find Hyper Island?
I found Hyper Island after watching an animated flash self-promotion video by one of the Digital Media students in the previous crews. I think that was about 7 years ago. I was excited to come here after I attended their recruitment tour 2 years ago, I recommend the experience.
What were your expectations before beginning the Interactive Art Director program?
I wasn't sure what to expect, actually. I described it to people as "a digital experiment: what would happen if you stuck x-number of creatives in a room for a year and had them make a handful of amazing projects."
What did you learn during the first module?
The first module included the UGL course. It was helpful in gathering insights about self vs self, self vs group, and the Collective Experience. I wrote about it here.
What's the new module about and what's your group working on?
The current module revolves around 7 weeks of ideation for furniture giant, Ikea. In addition to conjuring up some forward-thinking and fun ideas for the brand, our group is making creative "webisodes" (web+episodes) documenting the process of working together. Check out the teaser and the first episode of our show, LapOfLuxury™ here or follow our daily progress on our website here.
Most exciting thing at Hyper Island this week?
Aside from LapOfLuxury™, I'm probably most excited about all the wonderfully executed programming workshops by some of the Hyper Island students. Today we cover the Processing language, I'm looking forward to it.
What do you think you can learn from your classmates?
Aside from learning skills, I'm looking forward to the discovery process of what I can learn over the next few months.
How did you find Hyper Island?
I heard about it a few years ago, that it was a really good education, but I never really understood what they where doing. Last year a friend of mine went here and I heard from him what they did and how they did it.
I went to a few "Open Houses" and got really impressed.
What's been your biggest learning experience so far?
Importance to actually practice how to work in groups. It's hard sometimes, but the only way to master it is to practice.
What did you learn during the first module?
I learned so much about myself. And how people around me see my actions. To change my own behaviour I need people around me to tell me what I do.
What's the new module about and what's your group working on?
We are working on a new way for Ikea to communicate with their customers.
Most exciting thing at Hyper Island this week?
When Mary got lost at IKEA and Fatih had to call her on the speaker system. Hilarious!
What do you think you can learn from your classmates?
If I have a question I ask the classmate with best knowledge about it. Almost whatever I ask them about, we are so many people with different backgrounds and knowledge.
More important, I learn about myself by receiving instant feedback all the time!
Thank you all! Can't wait to see what your groups come up with for this module.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
One of the Interactive Art Director 2010 student groups present a glimpse into the future of digital advertising: