The number of ways in which information can be conveyed has increased greatly in recent years. Illuminated displays are no longer a rarity. Different information channels have become accessible and they bring a wide range of applications with them. By being able to present moving images in large formats, LCD screens, for instance, put TV ads out on the streets. New communication forms offer new interactive possibilities, and permit content to be updated and adapted. Today we even encounter interactive shop windows that enable us to access information about the shop via a touch screen. Users have many more ways to get the information they want. At the same time, selecting information is becoming increasingly complex.

The Problem

Nowadays, digital displays tend to overstimulate passers-by, who often do not even consciously register them as information carriers. Garish colors, supersized images and moving messages dominate contemporary streetscapes. The project SUN_D wants to counteract this situation by arousing people’s curiosity with a new experience that also has an educational impact.

The Question

How can I deliberately manipulate light and shade so as to present information, and thus produce a “display” on which messages can be shown and perceived in an innovative fashion?

The Solution

With my graduation project for my diploma, I want to develop a new kind of system that functions in broad daylight and presents messages effectively and unobtrusively. Simple mechanisms should enable viewers to grasp how the information has been generated and make them, due to their natural curiosity, conscious of the message. Projecting images by sunlight guarantees a unique quality of light and replaces conventional energy-consuming beamer methods. The system should be able to present different contents (word + image) and be used at a variety of locations.


Links: Teaser: www.sun-d.ch

Jonas Burki (CH) is a graduate student at the University of Applied Sciences in north-western Switzerland / HyperWerk Institute in Basel (CH), where he is studying to become a “post industrial designer”. He first attended a preliminary course in design in Aarau (CH); it was here that he discovered his fondness for illustration. But since he was fascinated by the idea of interdisciplinary and project-oriented work, he decided he wanted a more general study program. Eventually he found a course with the right mix: he is now studying design, technology and management at the HyperWerk.