The premise for this project was “Hello World”–the typical diagnostic test used to see whether a program is working properly. We were free to interpret this assignment however we wanted.
As someone who approaches projects very analytically, I immediately began brainstorming different kinds of systems to hack and test. The breathalyzer seemed like an interesting object to work with because it is, itself, a system and it’s also used to test the systems of humans.
My first thought was to program a breathalyzer to read “Hello world” if the user blew under the legal limit, as a signifier that the person’s system was working well enough to drive.
Even though this idea was kind of clever, the concept wasn’t very strong–just because someone’s blood alcohol content is within the legal limit doesn’t mean they are functioning optimally.
The issue of drunkness vs. sobriety became much more interesting and funny when considered in relation to every-day objects. I started collaging breathalyzer images with tea pots, lipsticks, and tether balls. I wanted people to wonder whether these combinations were meant to prevent someone from drunkenly using the object, or whether drunkness would enhance the user experience.
I formalized this inquiry with a pictorial manual for a breathalyzer done in the spirit of the Ikea’s furniture assembly guides:
I also made breathalyzer mash-ups out in the world. I printed out some images of the device and photographed them stuck to different objects around my neighborhood:
