ELLIE Forest
Exploring Ambient Feedback on Noise in Shared Study Environments
Ellie Forest is an interactive installation designed for shared study environments such as campus workspaces. It consists of small modules called Bugs, placed throughout the space, that respond to ambient sound with calm, wave-like light and subtle audio. When the environment is quiet, the Bugs produce gentle, pleasant patterns. As noise increases, these patterns become disrupted or fade entirely. The aim is not to enforce quiet behaviour, but to make changes in noise levels more perceptible — supporting awareness through subtle, shared ambient feedback rather than direct intervention.
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The Bug modules combine light and sound output, responding in real time to ambient noise levels measured within the space. Each module produces wave-like light patterns during quiet periods, which become disrupted as noise increases. The system is designed to be non-intrusive: feedback is ambient rather than directive, requiring no active participation from users. Sensitivity thresholds are a key design consideration — activating too frequently risks reducing the perceived impact of the feedback.