Crossmedialab Blog

The Orange monarchy as a brand.

Rogier Brussee — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:09:41 +0200

One cannot help noticing that the Dutch have a new King. Even as a republican, I have to admit that the Orange family has done a great job of promoting the Orange monarchy. Willem Alexanders stylized WA logo has been (and still is) displayed on public buildings. Pictures of Maxima and Willem Alexander looking optimistic have been staring us in the face (or next to us staring in a radiant future) from billboards. They had a million or so children attending the “koningsdag” (kingsday) games donned in orange t-shirts with a cartoon king, and a televised opening of the games showing them being nice and friendly surrounded by young children. They have given carefully controlled TV interviews and of course had a day long televised coronation event that gave rise to an endless stream of news items, and allowed them to appear with traditional regalia as well as designer dresses, and parade their young daughters. Last not least, the campaign “went viral” as companies gave away orange crowning “wuppies”, sold orange t-shirts, pastry, flags and peppers, and citizens dutifully dressed up in orange, often reusing the orange they had acquired for sport events like the football championships. In short, from a marketing point of view, the coronation was part of a well used, crossmedial event to market the house of Orange and the monarchy.

The Great Arsenal of Democracy. A brief genealogy of Radio as propaganda medium

Kees Winkel — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:23:58 +0200

When Reichskanzler Wilhelm Marx accosted the Weimar Germans for the first time via Radio as a mass medium on December 23, 1926, his advisors must have had a certain understanding of the potency of the medium in terms of ‘informing’ the citizens, in those days also referred to as propaganda, not having the current more negative connotation. Since the early days of deploying the medium as a mass medium of information, it rapidly developed into a medium of manipulation and even intimidation, propagating diverse social utopic experiments. Barely seven years after the occurrence, the German National Socialists with Joseph Goebbels as their communications mastermind and herald, understood the potency and relevance of ‘owning’ this medium and letting it work to their advantage. But not just the Nazis understood the power of mass media as a political instrument. It was President Roosevelt who prepared the American people gently for war with his so called fireside radio talks, claiming the United States of America to be ‘The Great Arsenal of Democracy’. Radio had, by then, become the true medium of propaganda. What has become of that ever since? This paper focuses on the topoi and developments of radio from the early days of mass medial propaganda to contemporary new digital media.
Discourse analysis of primary and secondary sources from the past and the present lead to the conclusion that not only traditional radio but also contemporary social media like Twitter and Facebook all carry the same fundamental agency through the topoi to turn a media into a propaganda tools with fundamentals such as envisioning utopia, mass manipulation, fear of isolation and adjacent, as the thread that runs through it, wanting to belong to a group.

Graduation Project Festivals

Lies Geven — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:39:52 +0200

One of the most important aspects that makes festivals a ‘time out of time’ experience is the world you live in for the time you are there. Lowlands welcomes you with lighthouses, as if you are coming home after a long trip, Paaspop gives you an all over view on the field when you arrive. Some festivals have the city as a décor , others have fences around it. But all of them have one thing in common; they have an original identity which they want to send out.
This is exactly the thing that interests me as a student of Cultural Studies. How do you define a festival identity and how do you translate that into the field layout? You can see the festival as a person, for example Rabobank Amersfoort Jazz would be a Jazz loving man, interested in talent, quality and new experiences, drinking his beer in the pub. Festival Classique describes itself as a woman, which also returns in the layout as a silhouette of a girl. People, and festivals too, have a personality and express that in their appearance. The appearance of a festival is seen in the advertising up to the field layout. With the use of particular colors, the arrangement of things like stages, food service and toilets, return of artifacts and symbols, names, a new world is made.
After forming a theory for festival identity analysis the outcome will be combined with a description of field layout and a case study. With this I hope to make a good base in this social-esthetical research to festivals.

Augmented reality: hallucinations 2.0?

Caroline Maessen — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:31:08 +0200

While reading Oliver Sacks' latest book "Hallucinations" it struck me that there might be a resemblance between people dealing with all kinds of hallucinatory experiences and people coping with future developments like augmented reality. In both cases, people are subject to information that isn't real. Maybe Sacks' insights may turn out to have predictive value for how we come to terms with the overwhelming amount of virtual sensory information we're about to allow into our lives.

Museums and the Web 2013

Thijs Waardenburg — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:15:08 +0200

Last week I visited Museums and the Web 2013, the annual conference about digital technology and museums. We were invited to give a talk about the results of our social media monitor, which was developed in the context of the project 'Museumkompas'. But before I explain more about the presentation, I like to tell a little more about a number of other presentations that I attended.

Graduation Project: Co-creation

Nathalie Out — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:08:13 +0200

How can your festival experience be something unforgettable? According to Youngworks, ‘doing things together at festivals’ is a high priority of the youngsters this year (M. van der Maal). For example, helping to build the decor at the Solar Weekend Festival or even to perform at Magneet Festival. You can say these are forms of co-creation, which is used at music festivals to get the crowd more involved with the festival and to create an even more memorable experience.

Facebook usage by local restaurants: a large scale survey

Erik Hekman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:34:06 +0200

This is part of an extended abstract which was submitted by Marieke and myself to "The 13th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management" which will be held in june 2013.

Social media are rapidly becoming a viable way of service marketing and customer engagement in the hospitality industry. Facebook, for instance, allows restaurants to publish information, multimedia content and engage with their customers e.g., to answer questions or learn about their preferences. Being active on social media has become increasingly important as customers more frequently turn to social media and the Web for restaurant reviews before deciding to visit (Lewis and Chambers, 2000).

Graduation Project Bonnefantenmuseum

Maud Bongers — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:39:53 +0200

In a world where everyone is busy, where spare time is exceptional and where time is money, where do we find the time to do the things we love? This hectic world keeps providing more and more things to do and we find it even harder to choose one of those things. There is a lack of time and plenty of things to do.
But what happens to the museums? The number of visitors shows us that less and less young people visit museums these days and most museums have to work hard to attract them. The Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht was really curious to know what they could do to attract precisely those people and they went to the Crossmedialab for answers. That is why I am graduating at the Crossmedialab, to answer these questions. In the end, I am going to write a report with recommendations based on literature research and surveys.

Graduation Project Paleis het Loo

Ruben Theunissen — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:53:38 +0200

Walking behind your parents while you should be quiet and hear the story of a tour guide. This is a memory of me during a summer when I was visiting a castle in Germany with my parents. And I can tell it’s hard to listen and behave when you’re 8 years old and can’t sit still for longer than a minute. My parents said that the castle has been the source of inspiration for many Disney movies. This is the only thing I can remember of that day…

SXSW Interactive: the future in one blog

Michiel Rovers — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:18:28 +0200

South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive in Austin, Texas ended two weeks ago, but does it actually end there? First does it never end in your head when you're back home. Second, you bring back a great amount of impressions that have to be translated in practical applications. Let's start with a brief introduction on the festival itself. SXSW Interactive began as the multimedia portion of the SXSW Film Festival back in 1994. Its original intent was to focus on community-driven technology creativity with a specific emphasis on how the Internet can create a positive impact on the world. It has since become a crossover event consisting of three key areas (Film, Music & Interactive).

“Moving Stories” in Museums: A fruitful seminar on storytelling and digital innovation

Charlotte van Nus — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:02:04 +0100

Last Friday, March the 8th 2013, The New Institute and SNS Reaal Fund organized a seminar called “Moving Stories” in Rotterdam. This event was organized for museum professionals and other interested parties to share knowledge about narrative experiences and digital innovation in museums and learn more about the developments of the projects of SNS Reaal Fund. The program ‘Digital Innovation in Museums’ by SNS Reaal Fund was created in 2012. Harry van Vliet was part of the evaluation committee. Over 90 proposals were handed in and 13 of them are honored. Due to the success of the first edition SNS Reaal Fund decided to give museums an second opportunity to hand in a (new) proposal they have to submit in June 2013.

The Future Now

Rogier Brussee — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:46:28 +0100

The future or now?

The digital library

Michiel Rovers — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 16:11:09 +0100

In the last few years libraries are looking for ways to join the digital developments. The Public Library acknowledges that fundamental changes in society have taken place. Now it’s time to use these changes in their own environment (Hoogendoorn, 2010). The question is in what ways the libraries should anticipate. There is no direct answer. This explains the large number of blogs, trend reports and vision documents relating to the so-called digital library.

Digitization is the trend in most library trend reports. Other trends are related to the rising digitization. In summary, the following trends can be distinguished (Heidinga, 2010 & Huysmans, 2008):
1. Digital information exceeds books: more electronic books and less physical material.
2. Less members and a different target group: the decline of members has partly to do with the internet. Young people and adults no longer use the library as the primary site to retrieve information. In addition, people often receive a book as a gift (Huysmans, 2008)
3. Less reading, less borrowing: particularly among young adults (Heidinga, 2010).
4. Distribution and diversity of facilities: the library develops as a venue for social cohesion(Heidinga, 2010).
5. From allocution to consultation and conversation: the new task of librarians is to assist the public in the way they see and organize content (Huysmans, 2008). Library staff should be proactive in helping the visitor (Hogenkamps, 2008).
6. Multifunctional use of library / supermarket concept: the library is a storehouse of knowledge and information. It must offer services for the neighborhood, district and region, and the public must take part in the decision which services the library offer (Heidinga, 2010).

Every trend report about libraries contains the term digital library. This term can be defined in several ways: "The digital library is the electronic version of a library, where virtual sources are available, advice is given and interactivity is promoted. It is the virtual counterpart of the physical library" (biebblogvlissingen.nl, 2011). The definition indicates that sources in digital form should be offered. Therefore, a lot of blogs and trend reports discuss the use of e-books (Heidinga et al, 2010; bibliotheek2.0.ning.nl, 2010; Boat, 2010). Library 2.0 is also a frequently used term. Library 2.0 is not about technology but the 'attitude' from a library towards the use of the Web 2.0. It is therefore the virtual section of the library (Heidinga et al, 2010). According to Hoogendoorn (2007) Library 2.0 aims to make the library relevant in the eyes of the user, therefore the library dooes what it does best: delivering valuable services to everyone - both online and physical.

The digital library also focuses on the interactivity with visitors through digitization. Crowdsourcing is a way to organize this interactivity. Oomen (2011) indicates that the public can play a role through crowdsourcing at six components:
1. Transcribe and correct texts and images
2. Assign contextual knowledge to objects
3. Search for objects to complment the collection
4. Collect en correct descriptive metadata
5. Use the knowledge of non-professional curators in the compilation of (web) exhibitions
6. Gather finances to support activities for expansion, retention, disclosure or enrichment of the collection

About technology and the human species or, are we afraid of the Future? Hawking versus Haraway?

Kees Winkel — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:25:54 +0100

Stephan Hawking and Donna Haraway are two scientists who have outspoken ideas about what the merge of technology and humans actually means to us. Hawking, who has recently joined a Cambridge University think tank that deals with issues of possible take-overs of the human species by apparatus (computers) with sufficient artificial intelligence, is concerned about the evolution of our species. For him, the Darwinian phase of evolution has ended as the human species is nearly done from a natural selection perspective. New evolution comes from incorporating technology and, more important to him, genetic manipulation (brain manipulation) with the purpose of being more intelligent and smarter than our computers that become more and more intelligent, resulting in self-learning and for humans unmanageable apparatus. Haraway on the other hand is not afraid of this kind of aberrant relationships as she poses in her ‘Companion Species Manifesto’; she sees the development of protean relationships with other species as a natural, nearly biological evolution. In this perspective, the merge of human organism and cybernetics, say technology, is a natural process that eventually creates a new species, with its own genetic coding; it is like the ooloi from Octavia Butler’s novel ‘Lilith’s Brood’. In this paper I elaborate on the two apparently different approaches towards the evolution of the human species without alluding to any science fiction-like depiction of a dreamt new universe; no extraterrestrial creatures captivating our planet, no amorphous powers slandering aggravated humans. In this paper I make no emotional choice of future approach, I merely question to pertain the debate of how to cope with the perhaps inevitable absorbance of technology that is in fact becoming more and more sophisticated.

Goodbye Hello

Harry van Vliet — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:35:22 +0100

So it all started with an almost empty desk, a HP desktop computer from the year zero and a short memo saying welcome, you are on your own... And look where we are now! After six years of dedication and hard work the Crossmedialab has established itself as a hub for research on crossmedia in our University of Applied Sciences and beyond. I am proud of what we have achieved in these past six years but it is time for me to move on... It is a goodbye as well as a hello. As scientific director of the new Center of Expertise Creative Industry I will surely work together with researchers from the Crossmedialab and support them to make things happen that matter...So goodbye for now and see you tomorrow!

Telefon Hírmondó (part 2)

Harry van Vliet — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:59:40 +0100

Usage and Experience
The service was not confined to the home, it was to be found everywhere in Budapest, and not only in places where persons required amusement or distraction, as in doctors' waiting-rooms, at barbers' shops, dentists’ parlors, coffee-houses, restaurants, and shops of all kinds, but also in the offices of merchants, bankers, and lawyers, in hospitals and private houses. Hotel guests were free to use the service. Prominent subscribers were the Prime Minister, all members of the Hungarian Cabinest, and the Mayor of Budapest.

The Future Now and what about the Second Screen?

Peter de Groot — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:17:17 +0100

Second screen is the ability to use an extra monitor (tablet, smartphone) while watching the first screen: television. It gives both consumers and producers a platform to interact with each other. The program on the first screen can be anything, from a TV show to a video game to a movie or an advertisement. Watching more than one screen is commonly referred to as the second or even third screen.

Can 4G be the paint tube of the 21st century?

Frank Meeuwsen — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:52:12 +0100

Gaby Zwaan is an innovative artist who is very active on social media. Not only a painter but also interested in new developments. A recent tweet got my attention:

A knife used for screwing

Dick Swart — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:37:52 +0100

Before you read any further, we have to agree about certain aspects of humanity. We humans as a species are animals the same way as bonobo’s, sharks and ants. The genus Homo is part of the tribe Hominini together with the common Chimpanzee and the oversexed Bonobo. This tribe is part of the family of Hominidae together with the lazy Gorilla and the lenient Orang Utan. All these animals share a common ancestor and evolved slowly over time to its present state.

Inspiring research

Charlotte van Nus — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:58:24 +0100

Curiosity is a fundamental component in research. It stimulates the motivation to explore and to discover the “truth”. It is the engine on which research is driven that leads to new insights and knowledge that expectantly is valuable for science and the society. As a researcher you always have your eyes open to new and enticing things in your surroundings that devotes your attention. Judgments’ are not made quickly since there are different perceptions that one can take in. At least, this is what I think what my research attitude primarily is about. As a researcher I find it therefore inspiring to read about other fascinating research and experiments that are being done in the world. In this blog I would like to share one experiment with you.