Technology A — Pratt Grad ComD

My first step with module 3 - creating a live sound interaction using the ideas of strain that I developed with my data narrative.

Project Description

BE LOUD – Strained Youth is an interactive, sound-responsive data visualization that explores the relationship between sexual violence and suicide risk among LGBTQ young people. The project is grounded in research from The Trevor Project, which shows that suicide risk increases dramatically after experiences of sexual violence, rising from a baseline of around 7% to as high as 42%. In my final iteration, the visualization listens to the space it occupies. Using the computer’s microphone, ambient sound directly affects the image on screen. A field of vertical lines stretches across the canvas and is pulled downward by an invisible force. As the room grows louder or more active, the lines bend more deeply, colors darken, and on the surface appears a circle connecting the community. When the space quiets, the field slowly relaxes. The interaction is intentionally collective. There are no buttons or instructions required because participation happens naturally through presence. Multiple people speaking or moving together create stronger visual responses, while moments of quiet allow the system to recover. Over time, the piece reflects how shared environments shape emotional and mental pressure. BE LOUD – Strained Youth reframes the idea of “loudness” as both visibility and support. The work asks what happens when voices fill a space—and how attention, affirmation, and collective presence can begin to counteract the weight carried by vulnerable youth.

Credits

Copilot helped greatly in helping me figure out sound interaction through coding and problem solving permissions!

Links

A screenshot of my final page as one of the statements flash on the screen and it reacts to sound.

A screenshot of my final page showing one of the statements fade out on the screen and it reacts to sound.

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BE LOUD - strained youth

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