Week 5

Theme: "Presentation Week"

Introduction

This week each team presented their final human interaction concept along with a prototype of their design. Each group prepared a small exhibit showcasing their design and the different types of input and output. There were some groups who had difficulty with the Arduino programming but overall the two week project proved to be highly insightful. I was able to expand my current knowledge into the way we as people interact with our surroundings and how products can be designed to improve these experiences. 

Presentation

There were a few concepts developed by classmates which I found to be truly inspirational and remarkable. The concepts presented by each group are documented below and accompanied with images. 

Interactive Retail Display Concept:

My understanding of this particular concept and its purpose was an architectural display panel that creates an atmosphere and develops emotional connections in places and outdoor spaces. Today, most spaces lack presence and are seen as dull or uninviting. The idea is that these Multi-LED display units would be placed around major communal precincts such as shopping centers while it detects the movement and number of people and subsequently emits different colours and patterns. People are able to interact with the display by moving back and forth and congregating around it. 

The reason why I appreciated this concept was because of its design approach. I am not concerned with its technology or overall aesthetics but rather the group's decision to create tangible spaces and meaningful places through the application of light and "people power."

Tempered Chocolate Cooking Concept:




Group Collaboration "Buzzer" Concept:

Heating Element Cooking Concept:




Child Care Behavioural Control Concept:




Marathon Running Concept:


DJ Water Pump Concept:

This concept is an interactive device designed for DJs to allow them to emphasis the rhythm and beat of a particular tune through hand movements or gestures. The device works by detecting a DJ's hand movements and their relative proximity. Depending on the proximity of the DJ's hands different volumes of water is projected up into the air. This design is able to amplify the audience's experience while giving the DJ an added means of connecting with the music.

I admire this concept because it is unique and innovative. Whats more is that this design could have numerous applications and be used in a variety of different environments. I also appreciated the fact that this design allows DJs to experience a visual representation of thier music and view the different levels of tempo and beat that are usually unseen.  

Interactive Alarm Concept:




Trolley Game Concept:

Interactive Lighting Pillow Concept:




Child Sleeping Concept:




Interactive Teddy Bear Concept:




Traffic Light Display Concept:


Motion Analyzing Concept:

The format of the presentation was great as it allowed students to walk around and talk about their ideas in a informal "group discussion" format. This format allowed us to take the time to interact with each group's concept and gain a better understanding of the design intent. Due to the fact that there was no time restrictions it was possible to have a lengthy discussion with the other groups about their concept and learn about the different techniques they used to design their prototype. 

As a side note I would highly recommend conducting these informal presentations or round table discussions for initial concept pin ups. They offer classmates the opportunity to provide instant peer feedback and encouragement.

Brainstorming

Next week our team will be concentrating on developing initial concepts or concept bombs for the semester project. Before our team gets started on next week's tasks I wanted to complete my own research around the topic of 'sensing the news' and what defines news. 

My definition of news is publicised information that is delivered through multiple platforms. News is an information source that is highly sought after and valued as a means of learning and knowing what is happening. Furthermore, it is my belief that news is subject to people's individual interpretation and can therefore take on many different meanings. Just like the game of "Chinese Whispers" information seems to always become either distorted or simply incorrect due to people's different interpretations of the information.

Lecture
The lecture this week focused on three key areas of interaction design, these included, object, behaviour and scenario which relates to Bill Verplank's "Do, Feel, Know." In order to clearly understand the importance and relevance of these three factors I decided to make my own analogy to interpret this information.

My analogy is as follows: a user interacts with an object through certain behaviours in a particular scenario. The user goes through three phases, engage, feel and learn.

The most important phase I believe is the learn phase, also called "know", because it is when the user is able to make sense of what they are doing. It is also the stage that allows the user to make a connection with the product on an emotional level. This connection creates value for the user.

Reading
Bill Verplank states "a novice needs a path, a learner needs a map." Bill Verplank is referring to the different types of behavioural learning patterns. After reading this extract I was able to identify how people with different levels of experience or knowledge learn through mapping and conceptual models.

Verplank talks about how simplistic interactions require only knowing one step at a time. This is known as path knowledge. People are also able to benefit from map-like knowledge which are known as mental maps. These maps are a user's conceptual model which they use to understand how to interact in certain situations.

He goes on to say that "good interactions are the appropriate styles of doing, feeling and knowing plus the freedom to move from one to the other". Therefore, when users interact with an object it should be intuitive and free of ambiguity.