For this assignment, I went back to the basics and utilized the main coding concepts we learned in class last week to create a simple and EXTREMELY plain piece that showcased my understanding of generative text using p5js. I used a poem from Mahmoud Darwish, a popular poet from Palestine, as text for my sketch. The main concept of my sketch was to create a simple piece of art that displays his poem using generative text that includes elements of interactivity, while simultaneously prioritizing simplicity and minimalism. This can be seen through the simple text font and color used in the sketch to display the words of the poem.
The process of creating this sketch involved a lot of trying to understand the coding concepts that come with generative text. This was because I was confused about the concepts we learned that week. Through practicing and studying the material once more I was able to better understand the technicalities behind generative text and how to successfully implement it in my sketch. With that being said, I used this assignment as a way to integrate all the other things we learned in class such as the ‘mousePressed’ command and different ways to position elements within my sketch. Side note, pressing the mouse allows for users to see the whole poem, if they wished to view it in the non-generative text form. Back to my sketch, implementing past material with new material helped me better conceptualize how these different elements within p5js are able to compliment one another, which in a sense enriches the flow and user experience of the sketch.
Another side note, I used functions but decided to keep them on the main Javascript file instead of a separate file due to the fact that it made it easier for me to organize the code. Anyway, back to the sketch coversation!
As I mentioned, I was struggling initially with understanding and implementing generative text concepts, which is why the parts I am most proud of are ones that relate to it:
function drawWords(x, y) {
// Splits the poem into words and removes any empty strings from the poem
let wordGroup = poem.split(' ').filter(word => word.trim() !== "");
// A random number from the array is selected as a starting word and ending word
let firstWord = random(int(wordGroup.length));
let lastWord = firstWord + random(2, 8);
// Makes gold the color of the text
fill('gold');
// Displays the selected words from the poem at specified positions
text(wordGroup.slice(firstWord, lastWord).join(' ').trim(), x, y);
}
My Final Sketch:
In terms of improvements, I think I would have loved it if I was able to have made my art more complex. Although not necessary, I feel like using generative text to create something more complex would have helped add more effects and style to the piece as a whole. By doing so, it would have made my sketch more dynamic and potentially more appealing to users. Overall, this sketch has made me want to practice using generative text in my future projects as I want to develop my skill in it and add more complexity, effect, and different forms of user interface design to my sketch. I really enjoyed learning and experimenting with generative text as I was able to combine a poem from one of my favorite poets to create text that is creative and sometimes even humorous.