This document discusses virtual objects and spaces, providing examples of how virtual ideas have connected people, objects, and spaces over time. It outlines the history of virtual concepts from cyberpace in the 1960s to the internet of things in 1999. Examples are given of projects from the 2000s that combined virtual elements with physical objects, products, or locations to tell stories and create new experiences for people. The document emphasizes that data and objects each have more meaning when combined rather than on their own.

1. VIRTUALS
Connecting people, objects & spaces
Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino
@iotwatch designswarm

2. About me
Product & Interaction design
First UK distributor of the Arduino (tinkerlondon.com)
Partner (riglondon.com)
Consultant (designswarm.com)
Founder of connected lamps (goodnightlamp.com)
Organiser of 4 year old London IOT Meetup (meetup.com/
iotlondon)

4. Almost or nearly as described,
but not completely or
according to strict definition.

5. Not physically existing as such
but made by software to appear to do so.
Carried out, accessed, or stored by
means of a computer,
especially over a network.

6. Creating stories using physical objects
to make us experience the world
in new ways.

7. The histories of virtual

8. CYBERSPACE (1960s)
DIGITAL (1940s)
WEB 2.0 (1999)
WORLD WIDE WEB (1991)
INTERNET (1974)
VIRTUAL REALITY (1938)

9. WEB 2.0 (1999)
INTERNET OF THINGS
(1999)
ARG (2001)
TRANS
MEDIA

10. The histories of virtual conversations

11. chat rooms (IRC now Slack)
Games chat / ichat
Facebook/twitter/Instagram
Geocities/LiveJournal/Myspace
newsletters (eg. Pretend Office)
email

12. Virtual ideas

13. Perplex City
Cards + cities
Mind Candy
2005

14. Crossroads
Mobile phones + cities
Area Code NYC
2006

15. Shark runners
GPS + sharks
Area Code NYC
2007

16. Botanicalls
plants + mobiles
Kati London
2004

17. We tell stories
books + maps
Six to Start
2009

18. Tweenbots
cardboard + cities
Kacie Kinzer
2009

19. Irak Wikihistoriography
Books+Wikipedia
James Bridle
2010

20. FRSTEE
3D printing + data
RIG London
2011

21. A ship adrift
Wind sensor + maps
James Bridle
2012

22. Hello Lamp Post
SMS + cities
PAN Studio London
2013

23. N.B.
Data is meaningless in itself.
Objects, products and cities are losing their meaning on their
own. This is why we consume so much or are disengaged.
Data isn’t superior to objects nor vice versa.
They can complement each other and make people see the
world in a new way.

24. Thanks.
Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino
@iotwatch designswarm