Artificial life models constitute a rich compendium of tools for the generative arts; complex, self-organizing, emergent behaviors have great interactive and generative potential. But how can we go beyond simply visualizing scientific simulations and manipulate these models for use in design and creative art contexts? You Pretty Little Flocker is a proof-of-concept study in expanding and exploring the aesthetic state space of a model for generative design. A modified version of Reynolds' flocking algorithm (1987) is described in which the space of possible images is extended and navigable in a way that at once provides user control and maintains generative autonomy.

Auditory displays have been successfully deployed to assist data visualization in many areas, but have as yet received little attention in the field of artificial life. This article presents an overview of existing design approaches to auditory display and highlights some of the key issues that are of practical relevance to the use of auditory displays in artificial life research. Examples from recent experiments are used to illustrate the importance of considering factors such as data characteristics, data-display mappings, perceptual interactions within and between display modalities, and user experience and training in designing new visualization tools. It is concluded that while further research is needed to develop generic design principles for auditory display, this should not stand in the way of exploration of bespoke designs for specific applications.