This studio has gotten us onto a few interesting and very “this makes me seem well-informed and edgy” topics. In relation to Creswell’s article on the definition of space, we’ve talked about geo-location apps and services.

“At a time when multiple alienations of modern society threaten our sense of belonging, the importance of place to creative possibility in life and art cannot be underestimated.”

Whilst this quote addresses art, it’s also relevant to our sense of augmented place – geological information services merging with our personal online connections. What we’ve created is are online spaces, and sometimes places, where the companies and brands we once were able to visit on our own terms now come to us. They knock on our doors, follow us to work, break through the windows. One of my classmates reminded us how most of those with smartphones are tracked constantly, Siri and Google telling us exactly how long it would take to get to work.

This information is assumed. Never have I ever told Google Maps exactly where I work, but it understands that a place I visit four to five days a week, for five to ten hours a day, and occasionally gets directed to using the GPS service, is where I spend my time flipping burgers. It’s uncanny. I’m scared that it will start noticing my late night travels to Malvern and assume I deal drugs there or something. Or maybe it’ll read my messages saying “On my way” and know it’s my boyfriend. Creepy.