This week’s reading talks about the evolution of public media interface through past decades. The form of interface changed from banners, signboards to LED billboards, along with the change of technology and social impact. As Huhtamo says, “As an information interface, the definition of the screen should incorporate a separation between hardware and software. It should function both as a frame and a gateway through which messages are transmitted and retrieved.” The uniqueness of a public media interface is that it holds the information of the announcement, and attracts attention from public spaces. In this case, the way the audience interact with it is being attracted by the display and then being informed of the content. As a result, this kind of interface can be regarded as a medium between authorities like governments, social media, and enterprises and the audience in public spaces. It is a platform where messages are transmitted and retrieved.
As an authority of public media interface, the biggest challenge is the most efficient and attractive way to present the message. In each era, the presentation of message is influenced by people’s interest, technology constraints, and content of the message. As the audience, we should consider the intent behind these attractions while being informed by them everyday. As it is said in the article, “Neither the roles the urban screens play nor the forms they take have ever been self-evident. Rather, they have been caused by economic, political and social developments accompanied by highly divergent discursive commentaries, cultural debates, practices of looking and social struggles.”
Question:
How does the form of public media interface influence its attraction?
