Dan Melancon and I dreamed up a conceptual absurdist step sequencer in response to the first in-class assignment for Code of Music.
Before designing our own step sequencer, we played with an online fruity loop step sequencer but found the interface difficult to navigate and confusing.
We needed to devise a revised step sequencer, or something completely new based on the following prompts:
- Disciplined self-indulgence
- Work at a different speed
In response to “disciplined self-indulgence”, we decided our user could interact with our sequencer only at set moments in time determined by the sequencer and communicated to the user via a buzzer. The user can do anything with the sequencer during that disciplined timeframe, and in return would be indulged with candy as a reward.
However, we decided the sequencer itself would secretly work against the user by operating at a different speed, gradually speeding up over time without the user being aware. This unpredictably could be potentially irritating. The final user experience of our sequencer would be both aggravating and indulgent.
For our design, we felt a life-sized gumball machine would be the most effective with a clear point of interaction. The gumballs in the machine could potentially float in the dome space and generate the audio and the dispenser would reward the user with candy upon each disciplined use.
