Desideratum

Desideratum was an interactive mirror display built in Processing. It used OCR and layered different visuals over the viewer’s reflection, with each visual set tied to a different theme.

I wanted people to see themselves inside the piece instead of just watching an animation play. The mirror gave the interaction an immediate hook: stand in front of it, see yourself, then watch the software change what gets placed over you.

Build Notes

The project used Processing for the visual system and OCR as part of the input/interpretation layer. Processing made it fast to experiment with full-screen visuals, image layers, camera/display output, and animation timing.

The hard part was balancing response and clarity. The visuals had to change quickly enough to feel connected to the viewer, but stay readable enough for someone walking through a gallery to understand what was happening.

What It Was About

This was less like building a traditional app and more like building a live display system: camera-like presence, themed visual overlays, and enough feedback for people to understand that the piece was reacting to them.

Showcased in an art gallery for an event in San Antonio, TX at Say Si.