Digital representation: ‘push’ and ‘pull’ media

This section discusses matters relating to architectural presentation that has been transformed by the introduction of various digital technologies. ‘Push’ and

‘pull’ media are discussed to explore the concept of using interactive media in communication and collaboration in the design process.

This research explores types of digital representations that have been

employed and the reasons for their use in transforming representation methods.

Liu (2005) states that architects focus on designing new concepts of space; this has been developed through computer and the advent of the Internet.

Technology enables architects to understand how people view the digital world and virtual space, to find the implications of new concepts of space and to bring

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those findings to the physical world. Therefore, elements of design have been transformed because of technology. For example, the materials used in the structure and façade of buildings have been changed from stone to concrete and from wood to brick. Moreover, cladding systems have been designed for covering buildings. The architect needs to represent these ideas effectively.

Traditionally, hand drawings were used to demonstrate material types, but now CAD can represent all the design elements in 2D and 3D. Architectural

representations have been transformed from pen drawings and colour paintings into CAD outputs. This research agrees that digital technologies enable design and demonstration, whereas the architectural representations themselves remain unchanged in contemporary architectural practices.

Digital modelling is a design tool that is already well established in

contemporary design practice, including architecture. The research in this area explores the importance of digital modelling on the practice of design and its impact on the design process. According to Khaminwa (2011), modelling tools are no longer peripheral add-ons to architectural practice; they have become integral to it. However, problems are still encountered in the use of such modelling techniques. These problems include the accuracy of the digital

model, the time needed to produce it, and its effectiveness as a communication tool. The part of this research that addresses these issues would help redefine the practice of design and enable its communication to be more effective, especially for those individuals with non-architectural backgrounds.

Architecture has experienced a cultural change in the communication of design in recent years. The development of computer technology, the increase in computer memory and processing power, and the improvements in display resolution, software and mobile applications allow for the helpful communication of information about architectural projects. The most notable forms of

architectural illustration employ computer-generated image (CGI)

representations. The rapid innovation of the Internet continuously transforms styles of presentation. Although digital media are widely used in architecture, there seems to be a significant gap in knowledge about digital presentation and alternative methods of communication. Architectural practice now faces a

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challenge in shifting communication methods to encompass the development of new technologies.

Architectural representations are currently portrayed from architects’ points of view. The architects ‘push’ information that they want to show to certain stakeholders. This is normal practice, as a designer knows the best design project strategies to present. However, this method might mean that objectives are missed if other stakeholders are looking for different information.

‘Push’ media, such as television, are used to deliver messages to potential customers, whether they want to receive them or not. Bosma (2006:31) explains that push media is a term that describes the audience’s position in a new media environment. The audience is not involved in adding content, navigation,

reaction or acceptance of an invitation to participate. Wong (2013) explains that advertisements are produced to push the message to customers. According to Luppa (1998), web design incorporates push media. Advertisers want to put forward the latest information by making adverts ‘jump out’ of the computer screen. Another characteristic of traditional push media for advertising is that they represent ‘one-way systemic communication’. The advertiser talks and people listen but cannot talk back (Luppa, 1998:25–27). Likewise, push media in the present research context refers to information which is presented by the architect. In this case, viewers are not involved in navigating, adding content or taking any actions.

In contrast to this, ‘pull’ media offer a different way of communicating, as stated by Wong (2013):

“Instead of pushing, you need to learn to pull. It takes more effort, time, and creativity, but in social media, this is the only way to genuinely build your community of online supporters and retain them.”

Wong is of the opinion that pull media require effort from users, with the result that they are able to engage more fully with the media. There are opportunities in the use of this kind of media for it influences users, especially in social communication. Pull media can build active distance communities, meaning people will get responses from each other more quickly than before. This

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research investigates the capability of employing pull media, such as interactive digital media, to contribute to design communication. Furthermore, the research explores users’ working practices being grounded in the design of

communication systems and interactive digital media. The design process is concerned with communication between the stakeholders and their active participation. Architects, engineers, clients and other stakeholders have varied background knowledge and different levels of technical skills, and therefore perceive media in different ways. According to Corby (2006), pull media entirely depend on the engagement of participants. Bosma (2006) states that the media designer must know the user’s activities. The best way to capture the user’s attention is to show hospitality, ‘creating a playful and interesting space of engagement’ (Bosma, 2006:32). To design interactive media, a friendly user interface is beneficial for various users.

Wong (2013) suggests the first strategy of pull media is that the designer must know the products and users. Second, the designer must determine users’

requirements. Thirdly, the product should become the main source of information for users in the industry. She suggests that people should stop pushing and start pulling. Designers need to think about what users care about, put forward the work and make sure that the message is received. Manivich (1995) (cited in Lopes, 2009:32–35) talks about interactive media in which people are asked to participate. The user clicks on an image on the computer screen to link to another, thus following the designer’s plan. Hagel and Brown (2008) find that pull models seek the opportunity for creativity, allowing

participants to deal with immediate needs. To exploit the opportunities created by uncertainty, pull media help people to respond to unanticipated events and attempt to increase available resources, while simultaneously supporting people to find the information that is most relevant to them. For example, YouTube lets people search for and choose their favourite programmes. This evidence shows a trend in creating platforms that assist people to choose appropriate resources when they require them (Hagel and Brown, 2008:93–110).

Therefore, a step forward for communication during the design process would be to encourage stakeholders to ‘push’ and ‘pull’ information, while new media can enable people to interactively communicate and the information can be

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distributed quickly, widely and efficiently. Hence, exploring stakeholders’

experiences of the design process and architectural representation is important in identifying their problems and the required improvements. The lessons learnt from reviewing some of the literature on pull media can be applied to this

research by determining the design information that stakeholders want to see. It is important for architects to acknowledge stakeholders’ backgrounds, in order to push appropriate information to them. In accordance with Wong (2013), this is an opportunity to integrate the idea of pull media into architectural

representation. The architect should consider using digital media for the presentation of designs to stakeholders, updating information based on interactive media concepts to create a collaborative product.

The use of social media promotes interactive collaboration, as Internet

technologies enable users to connect to each other, creating communities and activities. It is a fascinating idea to identify significant attributes of social media that can be applied to communication practices in the design process. Push and pull actions in the design process are operated through digital media by

exploiting certain activities on social media such as real-time communication, viewing and sharing information. Therefore, attributes of social media

applications will be explored, together with software use in the built

environment, in order to bridge their characteristics to facilitating the design process and solving problems in communication.

This research emphasises the analysis of communication problems within the design process. One issue raised from architects pushing information, is that this method creates misunderstanding between stakeholders, as they look for different design information based on their individual project role. Architects try to demonstrate the best design to convince clients and gain uniqueness in their plans. They attempt to escape from the use of grids or a metric system,

although they do need advice from engineers at the beginning of design. If it is too late to seek advice, this will affect the design process as the work will need to be redesigned; it takes more time to deal with problems that have already happened rather than to prevent problems. An insufficient design process affects the life cycle of an architectural project, as any problems encountered during the construction process always increase time and cost. A construction is

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a customised procedure. To enable an effective project, avoiding errors in the construction process is aided by efficient communication and collaboration in the design process.

To improve communication and collaboration in the design process, the

attributes of pull media influences this research to investigate how current digital media are used by stakeholders in architectural project. Advanced digital

technologies aid design and expression, for professionals and laypersons alike, to better understand architecture. However, certain issues are revealed such as misunderstandings in communication and using incompatible software between stakeholders. Moreover, cost and technological skill can be barriers to using advanced technologies. Therefore, by considering stakeholders’ experience, the architect can understand problems and find solutions in the complex design process. The circumstances of communication in the design process need to be reviewed so the relevant issues are elucidated and possible contributions

uncovered.

Digital media in architecture are used to communicate the design, however, stakeholders are the audiences and the efficient communication would not be achieved if the receivers without understanding their desire, requirements, and experiences in the design process. The next section investigates stakeholders in the design process in order to find the critical issues in communication and collaboration.