Code, UX, IxD, AI – Turi Scandurra

AI Assistants: empowering knowledge, safety, and inclusion

I just published three AI assistants, designed to make a positive impact on various aspects of our lives. These assistants are now available for everyone to use, free of charge, on both OpenAI’s GPT Store and HuggingFace.

They started out as simple tests, but these assistants could address specific needs and gaps in the current landscape. They’re accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or expertise.

Etymologist: uncovering the roots of language

The Etymologist AI assistant is a comprehensive tool to navigate the fascinating world of word origins and idiomatic expressions. With this assistant, users can gain a deeper understanding of the history and evolution of language, which can be incredibly valuable for linguists, writers, and anyone interested in the intricacies of language.
By providing detailed reports on the etymology of words and phrases, Etymologist can help users better understand cultural and historical contexts, and develop a more nuanced appreciation for the complexities of language.
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-oCSNmD1Sv-etymologist
https://hf.co/chat/assistant/66d7883d64b8ed4ff7ea084b

DIY Chemist: safety and guidance in DIY chemistry

The DIY Chemist AI assistant is designed to provide guidance and support for individuals who engage in DIY chemistry projects. This assistant offers valuable information on solvents, thinners, material compatibility, and essential safety precautions.
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-NJbM5esLj-diy-chemist
https://hf.co/chat/assistant/66d789326d38f3506b76204e

Inclusion Advocate: promoting Diversity and Inclusion

This AI assistant is a powerful tool that helps detect bias and suggests inclusive language alternatives. It’s designed to promote diversity and inclusion in various contexts, from writing and communication to education and workplace settings.
It helps identify and address biases in your language and behavior, develop more inclusive and respectful communication styles, and contribute to a more equitable and diverse environment.
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-Ny0Xnr4Tf-inclusion-advocate
https://hf.co/chat/assistant/66d78ca76d38f3506b7622a2

These AI assistants are not only valuable resources but also represent a step towards creating a more informed, safe, and inclusive world.

Autoplaying video previews for the web

If a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is made of several pictures in a sequence, then a video is worth several thousand words.
A great way to show a preview of online content is by using video thumbnails – an ambiguous term that can both refer to a static image, usually depicting one frame of the video (also known as poster image), or, more interestingly, a video preview that’s a smaller and shorter version of the referenced content.

If you arrived to this page through the homepage of my website, you might have noticed that every post on it features an animated thumbnail. It was a natural choice since most of my work on display is some form of animated media, or at least accompanied by video assets.
For a long time my thumbnails have been simple animated GIFs – one of those ancient formats that managed to maintain popularity for longer than expected – but there now is a good selection of modern, more efficient formats to display motion content on the web.

Lost in the Woulds

I don’t play video games anymore, but I’ve always been fascinated by their hybrid nature, crossing artistic expression and a constant push for technical evolution.
When I was a kid and the Commodore 64 was popular, game making had just become accessible to everyone.
Now that the video game industry is larger than all the other entertainment industries combined, games contain universes, and spending time making a small game might feel pointless. However, these days ‘indie’ game development is thriving, its community is very active, and the resources required do make a game by yourself are freely available online.
I can make things move on a screen, tell the computer what to do, make it beep.
And I had a story to tell. A journey that’s emotional, profound, dramatic, and darkly mysterious.

Picbag

I worked on the UX/UI and brand identity for Picbag, a visual organization app at prototype stage.

Picbag lets users collect inspiration, intelligently tag and sort photos and image snippets, and create moodboards they can share.

Interactive Framework

I worked on the CIPD Profession Map, a framework used by HR and people professionals to guide them in their work, career planning and development.
My role focused on interaction design and actual development of the interactive version of the map diagram. I also created a large set of illustrations centered around diversity and inclusion.

Procedural Circular Animations

I always found generative art mesmerizing, so I experimented with a few JavaScript rendering libraries to create something of my own.

Click on the images to launch the real-time animations

The first one is created with the impressive rendering library PIXI.js. The other three are drawn with Two.js, which defaults to a SVG output.

Etna – amsynth skin

Etna is a GUI skin I designed for amsynth, or Analog Modelling Synthesizer, a virtual instrument by Nick Dowell for Linux and MacOS.

Here’s a demo video of the two in action.

Earboard – Web App

Earboard is an ear trainer for musicians whose purpose is to generate note intervals to play along with. Its layout is modeled on the fretboards and standard tuning of stringed instruments like guitar and bass.

See it in action here: Earboard

It’s a responsive JavaScript web app. Source code