Writing – Erik Asia

Report Writing / Publications

Shumka x Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Project Report

Author

This project investigates how tactile, 3D-printed sculptural artefacts support experiential learning in outdoor tourism. Emily Carr University (ECU) faculty and students collaborated with Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (CSBP) to prototype interactive artworks translating ecological storytelling into guest-facing designs.

Transcribe to Survive Design Report

Author

This project, in collaboration with Genome BC's Geneskool educational outreach program designed and fabricated a tabletop escape room to help teach DNA/RNA transcription and translation processes to secondary students across British Columbia, Canada.

The In Between (Cognitive Ergonomics Evaluation in Public Spaces: A Cultural-Affordance-Based Approach)

Author

This research explores the intersection between industrial and interaction design principles to create engaging interactive objects for public in-between spaces. It emphasizes not only designing with the body but also the mind, acknowledging the diverse cultural and social backgrounds of individuals. Employing a research-through-design approach with the creation of discursive artefacts, the study develops a cultural-affordance-based framework for cognitive ergonomics evaluation. This descriptive and reflective methodology departs from deterministic models, fostering cultural and social sensitivity in design for diverse populations. Three affordance typologies are proposed to understand user-object interactions in these spaces where affordances become invitations to action, information for response tuning, and identity forged through social practice. Finally, the D.O.O.R. evaluation, a four-stage process involving deconstructing interactions into non-contact and contact phases, embracing unexpected insights during field observations, associating implied operations through semantics, and employing a cognitive ergonomics evaluation scale to refine designed affordances in an object, is introduced to guide designers in implementing these concepts to reduce the burden of cognitive friction in users. This research aims to contribute to the creation of cultural sensitivity in the design and engagement with objects in public spaces, enriching transient encounters for a wider range of users.

From & Beyond Design: A Collection of Design Research Explorations

Author (Contributor), Section Editor - Designing for Specificity

Reaching for Tools: Gaps in Awareness of Research Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research in Art and Design Scholarship

Author (Contributor)

Researchers, research ethics boards (REBs), and administrators in settings of art and design scholarship are confronted with gaps in training and awareness regarding the ethical and moral demands of conducting creative research responsibly. Creative practices that are entwined with scholarly pursuits invite issues of responsible conduct of research (RCR) and research ethics (RE). The TCPS2 exemption of creative practice from research ethics board reviews in Canada has intensified the gaps in understanding and addressing RCR within academic research, graduate student supervision, and curriculum for art and design.

To address gaps in RCR and RE awareness and training in art and design contexts, a committee was struck at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Ontario College of Art and Design University. Supported by a SETS grant from the Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research the committee produced a series of presentations and discussions entitled, Conducting Creative Research. Following the series institutional resources such as the Research Ethics + Conduct Library Guide and practice-based tools were assembled and circulated to address gaps in access to RE and RCR resources. This poster reviews the knowledge gaps, the outcomes of the committee’s work, and a look at what is still needed.

Nimble Animation Stand Design Progress Report

Author

Usual industry-generated under-the-camera animation setups, making use of an animation stand, are large, expensive, and unable to be easily transferred from one location to another. Self-made animation stands, commonly consisting of lumber, hardware, and pre-made shelving units are DIY solutions to make the setup more accessible, but these are usually still fairly bulky and rigid in utility, commonly having a fixed configuration and unable to be easily disassembled or altered. The design and prototyping of the proposed multi-plane animation stand is to be easily replicated, easy-to-use for artists from non-animation backgrounds, and is portable and suitable for outdoor use and travel.

Nimble Animation Stand Assembly Instructions

Author

*includes materials checklist and assembly instructions