Maitlyn Lang

Spark

Spark is a hyperlocal story-collecting installation created by three Design Engineering students interested in public art, data collection, and community engagement. Spark explores themes of connection to place, strangers, and ourselves. Through voice or text submissions, participants share stories, reflections, and experiences tied to a specific location. Spark then synthesizes these contributions into a collective description of that place’s emotional atmosphere. An accompanying online platform allows people to view submissions and explore the evolving atmosphere of each location, enabling visitors to return to places digitally and experience how their emotional tone changes over time. Developed through many conversations and iterations, the project investigates how public interaction can foster empathy, reflection, and community connection. In the future, Spark could be deployed across multiple locations to collect and analyze stories, sentiments, and public feedback over time.

Project done in collaboration with Bozhou Pang MA 26 DE and Shelly Liu MA 26 DE.

Spark prototype. 
Pink PETG Filament, E-ink screen, Raspberry Pi, and button

Tech image: Spark’s embedded technology. 
E-ink screen, Raspberry Pi, microphone, and button.

Spark rendered next to a public park bench. 
This is an AI-generated image. 

Spark’s website. 

Spark’s online presence allows the emotional atmosphere of multiple locations to be recorded and reviewed at any time. Visitors can view individual stories and the current recorded poetic atmosphere.

Cardboard prototypes