Rethinking media art processes: from digital tools to physical prototyping

One recurring theme in the Creating New Spaces podcast. Media artists discuss the challenges of working with physical materials. Two examples are Seph Li and Yizhen Li.

Seph Li’s interactive installation

In Seph Li’s interactive installation Phase, participants use a custom controller to influence the visual evolution of the artwork. During the interview, he highlighted that the most difficult aspect was fabricating the controller:

"I think I printed at least six prototypes of the frame to get the strength and the support of the inner structure right to fit in everything, and it doesn’t go loose."

Yizhen Li’s immersive installation

Yizhen Li’s work, Lava’s Lament, is an immersive installation that uses a cone-shaped fabric structure as a vessel for projection and soundscapes inspired by volcanic imagery. She described one of her biggest challenges as choosing the right fabric that could act as a projection surface while maintaining its structural integrity.

Navigating challenges in physical media

Many media artists, including myself, find working with physical components challenging. Personally, I gravitate toward technology because it aligns with my strengths. Working with physical materials presents two main challenges for me:

• Neurological Limitations: I have a neurological condition called dystonia, which causes tremors in my hands. This makes tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as soldering, difficult.
• 3D Thinking: Spatial reasoning is not my strongest skill. My partner, Kirsty Sharp, is a jewelry designer with excellent 3D thinking skills. When I encounter a spatial problem, I often seek her advice.

Focusing on strengths through collaboration

One effective way to address the challenges of working with physical materials in media art is to collaborate with those who have the necessary expertise.

At one point in my practice, I became interested in creating responsive objects. To bring these ideas to life, I had to learn about model-making and casting—skills that were outside my background. Now, as I revisit ideas for responsive objects, I find myself rethinking my approach. Instead of trying to handle everything alone, it is more productive to focus on my strengths—electronics, programming, and interaction design—while collaborating with sculptors or ceramicists for material components.

Process shapes outcomes

The way we approach making—whether through planning, experimenting, or prototyping—directly influences what we create. One of my key motivations for the Creating New Spaces podcast is to explore how artists work with technology.

A thought experiment: rethinking my process

Processes become habits. Some habits are beneficial, while others may limit creative possibilities. This thought experiment is a way to step outside my usual methods and explore whether a radical shift in process could open up new opportunities.

Reflecting on my current process

My typical approach to making an installation involves:

• Sketching spaces and drawing plans to visualize how elements will function together.
• Developing the media—such as building a Max/MSP patch for an interactive space.
• Adding an input to the patch that simulates expected data from a camera or sensor bypasses the need for early physical testing.
• Integrating actual input data.
• Testing prototypes in physical spaces to refine and simplify the design.

Considering a different process

If I were less proficient with digital tools but still wanted to create media installations, my process might look different:

• Sketching spaces and drawing plans to visualize spatial relationships.
• Building scaled models using wood, cardboard, or other accessible materials.
• Collaborating with technical experts on interactive or digital elements, letting them handle sensor integration and logic.
• Using digital doubles/simulations to visualize how digital elements function in the space.

Adjusting my process

This thought experiment raises important questions about how different prototyping methods shape creative outcomes in media installations.

For example, by using PCB assembly services, I have eliminated the challenges of electronics and soldering. However, the lead time for fabrication requires me to plan more carefully—an adjustment that ultimately introduces more structure to my workflow.

Moving forward, I plan to explore alternative prototyping strategies, such as:

• Integrating physical scale models earlier in the process.
• Incorporating digital doubles and spatial simulations later in the development cycle to refine interactions before full-scale implementation.

Rethinking process: a thought experiment for artists

Every artist develops a working process over time—one that influences what they create, how they solve problems, and where they encounter difficulties. But what if that process could shift? What new possibilities might emerge?

I encourage you to try your own thought experiment. Step outside your usual way of working and consider a radically different approach. Here are some guiding principles and questions to help you rethink your process:

Guiding principles

• Process determines outcomes. If you want different results, start by questioning how you work.
• Collaboration is a tool. Bringing in expertise can strengthen your work by filling gaps in your skills.
• Prototyping isn’t one-size-fits-all. Digital simulations, physical models, and hybrid methods each offer different insights.
• Constraints shape creativity. Technical limitations, materials, and site conditions influence the final piece.
• Iteration leads to refinement. Testing ideas in different ways can open up new opportunities.

Questions to rethink your creative process

• What are my core strengths? If I didn’t have them, how would I approach my work differently?
• What parts of my process have become habitual? Do they still serve my work?
• How do I currently approach prototyping? Could I integrate more physical or digital testing?
• Where do I face the biggest challenges—technical, material, or logistical?
• What constraints (space, time, tools) limit my process, and how could I work within or around them?

By experimenting with your process, you may uncover new ways of working—or reaffirm that your current approach is the right one for you.