New Tools of the Trade: An Exploration of Interactive Computational Graphic Design Processes

This thesis investigates the context, development, and implications of Gwigglerbooth, an interactive, experiential and real-time social media form creation tool. The main objectives in developing Gwigglerbooth were to explore interactive computational graphic design processes and to explore the role of emerging technologies, such as the Xbox Kinect^® sensor and the Processing programming environment for the Android^® smartphone platform, in design practice. The use of technology in design has long been a contentious issue, as a designer incorporating technology into his or her practice is often seen as surrendering a degree of control over his or her work. The context of this thesis establishes a framework for exercising control over computational graphic design, while reflection on the project asserts the relevance of computational graphic design to the overall discipline, points to the designer's role as a mediator, and urges design to embrace the integration of emerging technology into its practice.