PROCESS

Our project went through various stages which produced a series of physical artefacts that were compiled into a photobook as a final outcome. The process began with researching on our topic of ‘texture aversions’ where we find out what kind of materials were commonly found to be 'disgusting' or 'uncomfortable'. These materials were used for conducting a ‘Touch Test’, our data collection of visual imagery and fear level ranked by the participants. We also created data visualisations to help better understand and summarise our results.

Creating the physical artefact itself was quite challenging and we went through many trials and errors. Each iteration refined our approach, leading to an artifact that represented the complexities of texture aversions. After creating the physical artefact, our project took a turn towards producing a photobook as our final outcome. Serving as an archival documentation of our experimentations, the photobook compiles and provides an archive of our journey through experimentation, ideation, and creation.

PROPOSAL, BACKGROUND

Texture aversion, a subtle but significant aspect of sensory fear, often goes unnoticed amidst our everyday lives. As tactile beings, humans heavily rely on the senses of touch to navigate and understand the world around them. Many people experience discomfort with certain textures, like wet paper or sand, triggering anxiety. Despite its prevalence, texture aversion is less appreciated in psychology. The project seeks to uncover how common these aversions are and identify the textures causing discomfort.

PROPOSED OBJECTIVE

The project 'Touchy Terrors' explores the association of texture aversion with fear responses and visual imagery. It aims to identify commonly discomforting textures, assess the prevalence and intensity of texture aversions, and explore associated mental imagery. Targeting individuals aged 19-26, the project seeks to answer:

"What textures/materials are most uncomfortable to touch, and what do they visualize when interacting with these materials?”

PROPOSED APPROACH

To start, we identified the textures, materials, and items most commonly found discomforting to touch. Our data collection method involves a 'Touch Test,' involving participants to touch these materials to investigate the connection between visual imagery and fear responses associated with texture aversion. In our initial approach, we aimed to create a data sculpture as our final outcome, but later on evolved into creating a photobook that compiled all our experiments from the physical artefact.

Data Collection:
Touch Test

To conduct our data collection process, we set up a space where participants can engage in a "Touch Test". 6 textures, materials, and objects were placed inside a box and hidden from the participant’s view, focusing solely on the tactile experience. Below were the materials we used:

HARD MATERIALS: Wire sponge, Pineapple
SOFT MATERIALS: Moist soil, Hair + Tissues
SLIMY MATERIALS: Slime, Udon + pasta suace

Participants were asked to assess the intensity of each texture and rank their top most feared things during the test, along with the associated visual imagery.

The data collected was recorded onto spreadsheet which would be used to aid our data visualization and artefact. Read more on our findings and insights from the data collection here.

View our Data Collection Excel Sheet

Initial Artefact:
MOBILE SCULPTURE

Initially, we wanted to create a physical sculpture as a tangible representation of the data collection process. Our main focus is to emphasise the visual imagery from the data collected, and to incorporate the various textures and materials used. There were several things that we needed to plan out for the artefact.

Sculpture: Data Sculpture of 6 different sections, 1 section for each material. The data in each section is made up of ranking and number of people. Size and height of each section can be used to indicate the intensity level.

Mobile: Mobile: Total 6 strings representing each material touched, Each string has 20 sections representing each person who touched it. These sections will vary in size according to reaction/rank.

We ultimately decided to combine these two ideas into one "Mobile Sculpture”. “The mobile sculpture would be an interactive artefact which includes 6 spheres representing 1 material each. They are connected by a thread attached to a wooden frame, each section having different heights to indicate the different levels of fear, which includes three categories of fear: the highest area being the most feared, followed by medium, and the lower area as the least.

As previously created on the data visualisation, we expanded on the ongoing theme of ‘circles’. Using styrofoam spheres of different sizes, they were used as a base for each material. As for substituting the textures, some materials we experimented with were foam spray, clay and yarn. As our approached shifted in later parts of the project, this led to having 2 materials photographed in a specific location instead of the movile sculpture.

FINAL ARTEFACT:
PHOTOBOOK

Following the Week 14 presentation, we received valuable feedback that prompted a turn of ideas for our final outcome. It was stated that our artefacts as of that moment seemd more like a collection of testing and experimentation. Hence, the idea of creating a photo book of the physical artifact was suggested as a solution. Recognizing the visual appeal from photographs, we collectively agreed that this approach would elevate the overall presentation.

The decision to produce a photo book not only addressed the need for artefact a more cohesive and visually impactful outcome, but also allowed us to not be limited in a singular mobile structure. This shift also ensures a more accessible and engaging experience for those seeking to understand the nuances of our journey through experimentation and ideation.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our project on texture aversion has been a multifaceted exploration that has brought valuable insights and presented both successes and challenges. The data collection method of having the 'Touch Test' served as an effective and engaging method for collecting data on texture aversions. It provided participants with a hands-on experience, allowing for a more authentic representation of their sensory reactions.

As for what didn’t work as well, the mobile sculpture creation was quite time-consuming and involved a lot of experimentation. The weight problem encountered with certain materials, posed a significant challenge during the physical artefact creation.

However, the photobook was a good solution to solve this problem as it allowed us to not be limited to the mobile. Thus, the visual elements of the photographs could capture the essence of our experimentation, and present it in a visually appealing and cohesive manner.

Despite the challenges encountered, the project provided valuable insights into the intricate relationship between visual imagery and texture aversion. To improve, implementing a prototyping process may help address unforeseen challenges during the creation of physical artefacts, allowing for more time to be allocated to the photobook making.