Aquatic Resonance

Breathing with nature—where land, water, and movement meet at MAP mima.

Client

Map mima

Duration

10 weeks

Role

Researcher,

experience designer,

Tools

Figma, Touchdesigner, Rhino, CapCut

Project Description

The Aquatic Resonance is an immersive experience that explores the connection between human actions and the Lake Macquarie ecosystem. Through movement and breath, visitors shape a responsive underwater world, where projected fish react in real time—inviting reflection on our environmental impact.

Design Philosophy

Do you know that ?

Rock layers rise and fall like tides of sea; Mountains experience curling and stretching; Glaciers breathe; Stones have pulsating pulses.

The world is soft and full of elasticity, every heartbeat and breath we take, nature gives us feedback. If the universe wants humans to explore space, it will give us a moon. If the lake wants us to get close to her children, what will she give us?

The AQUATIC RESONANCE explores the interaction between human activities and underwater organisms, the randomness and small changes on land can have vastly different impacts on the underwater world. In this scenario, humans are outsiders, and their role is a thought-provoking question

Objective

Navigate the uncertainty around what MAP mima’s visitors actually want or expect from an interactive experience.

Discover and define real user needs through observation, testing, and iteration—not assumptions.

Design meaningful, site-specific interactions that go beyond visual novelty and adapt to the unique context of MAP mima.

Design Challenge

Develop interactive experiences that align with MAP mima’s environmental focus while remaining open and adaptable to evolving visitor needs.

Use subtle, body-driven inputs—like breath and movement—to create intuitive, reflective engagement.

Deliverable

Delivered two immersive interface concepts that respond to breath, motion, and sound in real time.

Created flexible, sensory-driven environments that adapt to different user interactions.

Encouraged visitors to reflect on their connection with nature, bridging technology with local ecological awareness.

Overall Installation

  • Overview of the cube

  • The ceiling features a movement-tracking camera and is decorated with wave and fish-shaped lights. On the floor, transparent tubes with LED strips have two breath sensors at different heights for users of various statures, but only one person can use them at a time. A proximity sensor is also installed below the screen.

  • Breath Sensor Interaction

    • Random color generation highlights the subtlety and unpredictability of human actions like breathing.


    • Reinforces the often unnoticed but impactful relationship between humans and the environment.

  • Dynamic Fish Interaction

    • The installation simulates a responsive aquatic ecosystem where fish projections react to human presence and behavior in real time.

  • Physical Installation Design

    • Transparent tubes and fish-shaped lights guide visitors through a narrative of pollution to purification.


    • Visual contrast emphasizes the effects of harmful versus beneficial environmental actions.

Experience Narrative

  • Passive Interaction

    When no one is interacting, the fish in the scene move freely, creating a serene underwater atmosphere. The transparent tubes with breath sensors and the ceiling's fish-shaped lights are off, enhancing the immersive, deep-sea experience.

  • Individual Interaction – Blue Light

    When a visitor triggers the blue light via the breath sensor, the hanging fish-shaped lights gradually illuminate from bottom to top. As the blue light rises, the fish in the screen will also light up and act more vividly, and with soft music playing, the fish appear to move closer to humans. This process lasts for 10 seconds, after which the system slowly returns to its initial state.

  • Individual Interaction – Gray Light

    When a visitor triggers the gray light via the breath sensor, lights in the transparent tubes illuminate from top to bottom, turning the entire tube gray. As the light reaches the bottom, venue screens cloud over, and with deep music, fish move away, simulating pollution effects. This process lasts for 10 seconds, after which the system slowly returns to its initial state.

  • Individual Interaction-Movement-Based Interaction

    When no one is using the breath sensor and a visitor approaches the screen, the system detects their movement and responds accordingly. The fish on the screen swim towards the visitor, and if the visitor moves, the fish follow their movements. the third one

  • Multiple Interaction-
    Fish Scattering

    When visitors simultaneously make large gestures, such as waving their hands or stretching their legs in front of the screen and meet the system's set threshold for the number of actions, the motion capture system recognizes these movements and triggers the fish on the screen to scatter.

  • Multiple Interaction-
    Noise Disturbance

    When a group of people start talking loudly, causing their noise level to reach 120 decibels, the fish on the screen will respond with visible fluctuations.

Solution Highlights

Reveals Invisible Impact

Real-time fish interaction turns subtle human actions into visible environmental effects, making ecological impact feel immediate and personal.

Honors Local Identity

Rooted in Lake Macquarie’s natural and cultural richness, the installation reflects community values through interaction and theme.

Invites Curiosity

Layered sensory design—transparent lights, tubes, and waves—draws visitors in, encouraging exploration and longer engagement.

Elevates the Atmosphere

Physical elements enhance the immersive feel and double as ambient staging for community performances.

Final video demonstration

Design Process

As the experience designer, I focused on shaping the overall user journey—translating research insights into interactive concepts that were meaningful, intuitive, and site-responsive. I collaborated closely with the team to frame the design direction, craft sensory interactions, and prototype experiences that aligned with both user behaviors and the ecological narrative of MAP mima.

Discovery (Weeks 1–2)

We began by exploring the environmental, social, and spatial context surrounding MAP mima.

  • Key activities included:

    • Reviewing the design brief and identifying core challenges

    • Conducting background research (academic sources, site analysis, community data)

    • Collecting user insights through surveys and interviews

    • Mapping key themes to inform the concept direction

  • My role:

    • Shaped early experience goals based on user needs

    • Synthesized research findings into initial interaction principles

    • Helped align the research with feasible, emotionally engaging design opportunities

Define (Weeks 3–4)

We explored potential concept directions by analyzing precedents and drawing inspiration from relevant interactive installations and environmental artworks. These references helped us understand how sensory inputs like breath, motion, and sound have been used meaningfully in other contexts.

  • Key activities included:

    • Conducting precedent research to gather inspiration and identify interaction patterns

    • Extracting insights from existing works to inform our own concept directions

    • Translating external references into context-specific ideas for MAP mima

    • Developing initial user journeys and experience sketches based on selected themes

    My role:

    • Researched and analyzed reference projects to guide early concept thinking

    • Identified transferable interaction strategies that could suit the Cube space

Develop (Weeks 5–8)

Built and refined prototypes through two rounds of user testing and iteration. Feedback helped shape both interaction responsiveness and narrative clarity.

  • Key activities included:

    • Building low-fidelity prototypes to test core interaction ideas

    • Conducting two rounds of user testing using System Usability Scale (SUS) and qualitative feedback

    • Iterating concepts based on user responses and behavior patterns

    • Evolving our design from abstract interaction ideas into cohesive, embodied experiences

  • My role:

    • Designed and facilitated user testing sessions to evaluate interaction flow and clarity

    • Analyzed feedback to identify usability issues and emotional engagement gaps

    • Refined interaction elements—such as breath-triggered visuals and fish behavior—based on real-time responses

    • Helped iterate and align the experience narrative with both user expectations and the installation’s ecological message

Deliver (Weeks 9–10)

Finalized the installation with integrated breath, motion, and sound interaction features. Delivered a polished, site-responsive experience for public engagement.

  • Key activities included:

    • Finalizing interaction mechanics for breath, motion, and sound inputs

    • Designing the spatial layout and light-based visual storytelling

    • Ensuring the technical feasibility of sensors and environmental feedback mechanisms

  • My focus:

    • Finalized the experience flow and how each interaction would visually and emotionally affect the underwater world

    • Designed the spatial narrative—from pollution to purification—using light, motion, and material contrasts

    • Ensured that the installation created a reflective, intuitive experience that invites users to consider their ecological impact