Magic Tea v2: Results Usability Test

Introduction Magic Tea (MT) is an interactive art installation with which users can prepare and drink tea (Fig.1). It aims to invite self-transcendent experiences (STE) during this activity. The installation uses tangible connected objects and the users own biometric data to blur the boundaries between the user and the objects used in the installation. The […]

Magic Tea, Technology in Rituals: online presentation and panel discussion

This event on June 14th finalized the residency period of Danielle Roberts at Baltan Laboratories. During the residency Danielle improved and tested the research prototype Magic Tea, an interactive art installation aimed at inviting self-transcendent experiences (STEs) during the act of preparing and drinking tea. The aim of this meetup was to introduce the thinking […]

Self-transcendence and technology pilot workshop

Self-transcendence toolkit The Transformative Interface Framework (TIF) is a tool for designing self-transcendent experiences (STEs) (fig. 1). It aims to support designers in creating interventions that invite STEs during everyday activities using (tangible) interactive technologies. The framework includes questions to guide thinking and decision making. To make the framework more accessible for students without a […]

Slow breathing through entrainment

Magic Tea is an interactive installation aimed to invite transformative experiences during the everyday act of preparing and drinking tea (fig. 1). The first design included several instances of entrainment to promote slow breathing. From previous user tests, it became clear that many participants didn’t notice the entraining stimuli or that the stimuli themselves were […]

Magic Tea design iterations

During the previous experiment with both the interactive and analogue installation users reported obstacles which took them out of the experience and hindered a fluid interaction with the objects. Some of them were technology-related others might be solved at the analogue level. These were Fear of spilling (water, tea), solution: using a genuine teapot with […]

Magic Tea Validation

After conducting the Magic Tea demonstrations it became clear that the intervention had potential for promoting the right mind-states towards a self-transcendent experience (STE). A Wizard of Oz technique was used to simulate automated interactions. Over the past months the system has been prepared to allow users to operate the installation autonomously. This blogpost describes […]

Tasting tea

Introduction This experiment aims to clarify which tea is the most appropriate for use during the Magic Tea ceremony. Earlier research by the author has resulted in the following the design criteria for the tea to be used: as natural and unprocessed as possible, aesthetically pleasing, evoke curiosity, may be unfamiliar. In collaboration with a […]

Magic Tea demonstrations

Introduction During the Cultuurnacht (Culture night) of this year Awareness Lab demonstrated for the first time the Magic Tea prototype. Technical difficulties made it impossible to have a fully automated ceremony. Instead Emanuela Slanzi was asked to perform the ceremony while designer Danielle Roberts manually operated the system. This way the audience could experience Magic […]

Exploring the aspects of preparing and drinking tea

Introduction This post describes an experiment which explored how the different parts in the process of making and drinking tea can become an activity which promotes wholeness and in how far this modified activity evokes factors of enlightenment (attention, interest, energy, joy, calm and concentration). The result are translated into design criteria for the Magic […]

Embodied aspects of drinking tea

Data on drinking tea is not rare, branch organisations often interview the general public on their tea habits and consumption (Dutch National coffee and tea survey, 2018). This may give us information about taste preferences, perceptions and consumption behaviour but it doesn’t give much insight into how the actual act of drinking tea is experienced […]