John James Marshall thesis.pdf - OpenAIR @ RGU - Robert Gordon ...

elationship is indicated and given a value (Reciprocal-User 2). Again this value
is also restated as a separate category to indicate the user-object relationship.
A subtotal is calculated for the sophistication of these objects (Sophistication =
Production (2) + Adoption (3) + Relationship (2). This gives a value of seven for
the ‘sophistication’ of these objects. This is combined with the ‘complexity’ of
these objects Total = Complexity (2) + Sophistication (7). This gives a total
value of nine for these objects. The principal technology used in the production
of the objects is recorded (SLS®). Multiple technologies could have been
indicated but it is considered that this is implicit the generative nature of the
work. This work was commissioned for the ‘PBB’ exhibition and is not
commercially available (at present). This status is recorded (Non-commercial).
These objects have been designed based on predetermined rules, conditions and
variables by using the Virtools 63 interactive, real-time development platform.
This is indicated (Generative). This level of analysis has been applied across the
entire database of one hundred and forty-eight selected objects produced by a
wide array of practitioners within the past ten years.
This formalised, structuralist system of categorisation is by no means presented
as a definitive method of analysis. It is acknowledged by the researcher that
other readings of the same objects are possible, probable and likely. However,
great care has been taken to attempt to maintain parity and rigour across the
range of objects in this study. An aim of drilling down to this level of detail is so
higher-level insights can be arrived at.
4.2.2 Application of database categories.
Based on the framework of analysis developed (above) the researcher sought to
refine and test the theoretical picture of the field of study as revealed through
this formalised system of categorisation. To distil meaning from this analytical
framework the researcher needed to develop a method of parsing the database
of objects, preferably in a visual manner. Various kinds of filtering mechanisms
were considered. Since the criteria applied to these objects are not indexes of
each other (i.e. the technological integration does not necessarily have any
impact on the user-object relationship) it was discovered that a ‘fuzzy’
63 http://www.virtools.com/
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