here

With so much media and technology at our fingertips, we rarely take time to just sit in the world, to listen, to touch, to be present with intention. here focused us on what it means to be present—present in the city, in our communities, and with each other.

Leveraging wearable technology, here’s concept was simple: at check-in, conference attendees each received a badge with an LED. The badge sensed its proximity to other badges and lit up in response. With each illumination, the particulars of a badge’s “interaction” were recorded, uncovering trends related to behavior and communication in a group setting in order to provoke dialogue about the role of technology in our everyday lives. Individuals could access data specific to their badge using tablets placed throughout the conference space; aggregated data analyzing the collective experience was presented in analog form and regularly updated as more information was gathered. The visualized data revealed surprising patterns about how we relate to one another. Do we seek others like us, or do we seek strangeness? Do we keep to ourselves, or do we court community?

here examined our connections to the built space and to each other. It made us think critically about the technology we’re putting out in the world.