Secret Words
Sound-Reactive Projection, Public & Private Expression, Intuitive Interactives (2024)
“Hiding something might make you feel safe, but it will also weigh you down. If you spit out your secrets, it makes you feel free.”
“Hiding something might make you feel safe, but it will also weigh you down. If you spit out your secrets, it makes you feel free.”
"Keeping silent may make you feel safe, but it will also weigh you down. If you express your secrets, it might set you free." Secret Words is an interactive projection that reveals hidden messages through sound. Words remain obscured behind colorful boxes until participants create noise—shouting, speaking, or clapping—causing the words to emerge dynamically. The louder the sound, the further the words move, glitching and interweaving with others. Silence, on the other hand, keeps them concealed. This project explores the relationship between communication and self-expression, reflecting on how public and private narratives intersect in the digital age.
Experiential Design Narrative
I wanted to free private, secret words through an interactive and intuitive medium. Hidden behind colorful boxes, these words remain unseen, reflecting how personal thoughts can be both concealed and trapped. When participants speak—whether softly or with a shout—these secret words are released, free for a moment, as long as the voice holds. The louder the sound, the further they travel, weaving together, making connections or sharing with each other, mingling their words. If no sound is made, the words stay in hiding, reinforcing the weight of silence.This project explores the tension between expression and suppression, transforming voice into a visual and interactive experience—where silence provides protection, yet voice fosters connection, and neither is lost in the act of revealing.
Proposal Idea
Audience members can anonymously submit their secret stories online, which are then displayed in real time within the installation. The project invites participants to experience the paradox of sharing—where personal secrets are both revealed and obscured.
https://editor.p5js.org/ppplain/sketches/1jYRKT_3p
https://editor.p5js.org/ppplain/full/1jYRKT_3p
︎ Role
Content creator, Development, Motion and Visual design, Experience design, and Interaction design.
︎ Tools & Methods
p5.js
︎ Thanks to
Queenie H.