The Hello.Wall, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute, is an ambient display that emits information via light patterns. While it fulfils an informative role for the initiated members of an organization or a place, others might see it as an atmospheric decorative element and enjoy its aesthetic quality. The work is therefore at the crossroads of privacy-enhancing technology and informative art.

The Hello.Wall can rely on other artefacts to communicate more detailed information. These mobile devices are called View.Ports. Depending on their access rights and the current situation [e.g., distance to the wall], people can use View.Ports to decode visual codes/light patterns, to download or just browse information [e.g., video], to paint signs on the wall, or to access a message announced by a light pattern.

SIAM is a task-management system able to foster group communication and provide awareness of what other people are doing. SIAM focuses on a collaboration infrastructure and user interface to manage tasks, where every object can be synchronously shared and every change is immediately visualized at all machines.

The Personal Aura enables users to control their appearance in a smart environment. In real life, every person adopts different social roles, depending on their situation and social environment. The Personal Aura enables persons to decide whether they are “visible” and in which social role they want to appear.

Via Eyebeam reBlog Information aesthetics.