Research on Yehwan Song  

1. Net Art

Literally, Net Art refers to a genre of digital art that is created and exhibited primarily on the internet. In my opinion, for a work to be considered Net Art, it needs to rely on web-based platforms, technologies, and networks to exist. Based on these media, a Net Art also needs to have creative expression, interactivity and aesthetic.

2. Introduction

The process by which the work is created, emerges or evolves

Yehwan Song creates experimental websites and interactive graphics that prioritize content structure over conventional templates and web design norms. Her work challenges traditional user experience patterns by subverting expectations and encouraging users to engage in more thoughtful, exploratory interactions. 

Visual, technical, and material feature

Yehwan's work blends visual, technical, and material features by merging her design background with her coding expertise. While she initially didn’t plan to focus on coding alone, she recognizes the distinct differences between design and code. She explains that design, such as creating icons and branding, is about crafting unique environments that represent each brand, while code is more about constructing a unified environment governed by a single set of rules. By leveraging her proficiency in both design and coding, she enhances her creative process and research, using the synergy between the two to deepen her exploration and refine her projects. This integration allows her to innovate at the intersection of aesthetics, functionality, and interaction.

The artist’s intentions, views, background, methods, inspirations 

Her background in both design and coding allows her to create experimental websites and graphics that push the boundaries of user experience. She aims to subvert common expectations and encourage users to engage more thoughtfully with digital environments. Inspired by the balance between structure and freedom, her work encourages users to explore, learn, and rethink their digital interactions as a form of self-care.

3. Discussion

What’s the significance of the work? What impact does/doesn’t it have?

Yehwan’s work is significant because it challenges the trend of minimalist, user-friendly web design, advocating for a more creative, unpredictable, and content-driven approach. She seeks to transform how people engage with websites, making them spaces for exploration rather than just task completion.

The key features of the web for Yehwan’s work are interactivity, generative design, and the flexibility of code. These allow her to create dynamic, content-driven experiences that engage users in unpredictable ways, moving beyond static templates to foster exploration.

What are the connections with the concepts we are learning in CCLab?

Yehwan’s work connects to CCLab’s focus on experimental uses of digital tools and the internet as an artistic medium. Her approach emphasizes non-traditional design and user interaction, encouraging exploration and engagement, much like the themes we study in CCLab.

What can we learn from it?

From Yehwan’s work, we learn the importance of challenging conventional web design and embracing creativity and complexity. It shows that the web can be a space for artistic innovation, where design, code, and content intersect in unexpected ways to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

4. Individual Conclusion

I was deeply astonished by the creativity in her work. My experience with website was so narrow before recent classes. From her work as well as other examples we've seen in class, I got to know how much possibility lies in website design in terms of aesthetic and audience engagement. The experience a good Net Art can provide is both linear and non-linear. Linear in terms of the logic in the concept and the content which need to be well delivered to the viewers, while non-linear in terms of there's huge space in digital world where you can jump to wherever you want. It inspired me to think about the viewers' reading order, potential in interactions and visual hints in building my own website.