Instruction Sets For Stranger was created as coursework for Major Studio at Parsons School of Design.
Its goal is to build an installation set in a public place that encourages strangers to interact with it without receiving any written instructions. The project, which is a collaboration with Seri Kwag, was completed in one week.
Instruction Sets For Stranger
Year: 2022
Seri and I decided to install a giant dice set in the public area so everyone could play with it. Since dice are a common tool for many board games, we were curious to see the scenarios of people playing with our giant dice.
We wanted an expansive, soft lawn to keep people from throwing the dice on the concrete floor. So we chose the lawn at Bryant Park, which is large enough and safe. We also placed the poster on the lawn near the dice.
Since we didn't set restrictions on use and space, the dice rolled far away from the poster sign after use. Still, the kids naturally picked up the dice to interact, and the way they played with dice was something we did not anticipate: they kicked them as footballs, sat on them as stools, built them as blocks, etc. Of course, maybe because they are still too young to know what dice are and how to play with them.
Adults seemed indifferent to the dice; they were more focused on other things(listening to the band, chatting, taking a nap, and so on). But kids seemed to be more interested in dice, even if they didn't know what they were.
Takeaways: The giant dice set demonstrated how openness in design can lead to unexpected interactions, particularly in a public space without rigid rules. While the initial expectation was for people to play games with the dice, the actual engagement—especially from children—went far beyond this, as they repurposed the dice creatively. This highlighted how even simple, functionally defined objects can be reinterpreted in diverse ways. The contrasting reactions between children and adults emphasize the importance of considering different audiences in public installations and how flexible design can appeal differently to each demographic.