12 Open
Studios

Open Studios was a three-day marathon, running from Tuesday to Thursday. Staying until 7:30 each evening was exhausting, but it was the first time I had to present my work at a truly professional level to such a wide range of people from Lasalle lecturers to industry practitioners. It was a week where the "composition" I’ve been working on finally met its audience, shifting from a private studio experiment to a public conversation.

  • Week-twelve
    30. Mar ~ 5. April, 2026
  • Journal-by
    Choi Yerin
  • Keywords
    • Open-Studios
    • Feedback
    • Public-validation
    • Exhibition-UX

Validations

The most rewarding part of the week was seeing the concept of Atmospheric Aesthetics finally "click" for visitors. It reminded me that interaction is something that should be experienced rather than explained.

> Final Open Studio Setup

Many visitors told me they finally understood what I meant by "branded interactions" and "atmospheres" after they actually tried the prototypes. The atmost-forest website, in particular, seemed to resonate. People felt the shift from the technical archive to the soft, melancholic space of the forest without me having to say a word. It proved that the "felt space" I’ve been trying to stage is actually palpable to others.

Identifying the Accessibility Gaps

> a box of feedback post-its

While the feedback was mostly encouraging, the critical comments were the most useful for identifying gaps of my work and exhibition setup. Also, I could identify several gaps through observing the visitors.

Feedback Themes

Mobile Accessibility: Many people wanted to open the sites on their own phones to save the resources. Since I didn’t have a QR code or a mobile-optimized version ready, I had to give out the Netlify URLs manually. I realized that a QR code and mobile version development is essential for creating a seamless bridge between the exhibition and the user's personal space.

Self-Explanatory UX: Several lecturers and students mentioned that the setup could be more "graspable" when I'm not there to explain it. This is a huge realization as I prepare for the final graduation show, which will be non-functional—relying only on an iMac video loop. I need to make sure the visual storytelling is strong enough to stand on its own.

Publication Quality: I noticed that the size and paper weight (GSM) of my physical catalogue could be improved. It needs to be easier to flip through so people can see the content without having to pick the book up and inspect it closely.

Industry professionals

Ari suggested that looking into existing design systems like design tokens could help my "Parameter Lab" findings be applied to real-world workflows. He also pointed out that 3D platforms like the ones I built could have a future in AR (Vision Pro/Meta glasses) or even emergency simulations. It opened up a new perspective on how "atmosphere" isn't just for branding; it’s for creating a sense of presence in any immersive environment.

Talking with Justin was also encouraging because he shared my view on the current UI/UX industry. We discussed how many firms are so restricted by functional efficiency that there is very little room left for the kind of experimental interaction design I’m pursuing.

Conversations with industry professionals like Ari (ex-IBM) and Justin (Temasek Poly & Fantasic Beaury) provided new ways to look at my research through applied lenses.

Reflections

A surprising moment happened when I met designers from The Straits Times. They were hired by the same person who had reached out to me for an internship opportunity last year. It was a strange coincidence that reminded me how small the design community is in Singapore. Hearing that they are doing similar work to my own research was a great boost of confidence for my future career paths. Overall, Open Studios taught me how to communicate the core of my work verbally and physically.

Next Steps

Looking forward, I have just a few weeks until the Viva Voice and final Lasalle show. I need to focus on refining the iMac video loop to be fully self-explanatory, improving the paper quality and size of the physical Catalogue of Making, and fnalizing the Atmost series based on the comments I gathered including its optimization of mobile version.