keypad and a small LCD screen.
This
Strangely Familiar: convergence usually means that we loose any
Repurposing Everyday recognizable features (affordances or clues)
that were inherent to the original device. The
Devices virtual nature of these objects means we often
struggle with our conceptual model of their
use. This means that nowadays we expect
Interaction-Ivrea feature redundancy and steep learning curves.
2004, Term 1, Year 1
November 22 – December 16 Designers need to address this unbalance.
Currently we expect users to accept devices
that contain more and more controls, logic and
Faculty: behaviors due to our desire to innovate
technologically and create market dominance.
Heather Martin We need to understand that within this process
Reto Wettach the bonus of any added functionality gets lost
Massimo Banzi in the users struggle to regain control.
Yaniv Steiner
The Brief:
Context:
The aim of this project is not to create new
Today nearly all domestic devices and innovative products for technology sake.
appliances contain digital circuits. We find Rather, the aim is to rethink existing products,
them in our washing machines, radio’s, harness their existing functionality and make
toasters, microwaves, alarm clock’s, VCR’s, them more understandable, meaningful and
toothbrushes and telephones. delightful to use.
If we begin to trace the history of these Our vehicle for investigation will be everyday
domestic devices we soon see how we have digital devices found in the domestic
accepted a shift from a comprehensive world of environment. Our aim is to analyze these
simple analogue control (digital absence) to a devices and explore alternative propositions by
world of digital control - manifested through recognizing the lost qualities of the physical
buttons, screens, repetitive GUI’s and and tangible world, and merge these
instruction manuals. In the process we, the intelligently with the functional benefits of the
consumer, often suffer. digital world.
Manufacturers often exploit the potential power We encourage you to explore more meaningful
of digital technology by loading unwanted or interactions (interactive behaviors) that are
superfluous features into devices – purely more poetic, simple, understandable and
because the capacity is available. Feature intuitive.
creep (sometimes known as requirements
creep) is a term used to describe a tendency For the duration of this project you will be
for a product’s functionality to increase during asked to work in pairs. For your 3.5-week
product development, beyond those originally investigation we will provide you with a
foreseen. Feature creep is often driven by a domestic appliance from the following list:
client's growing "wish list" to gain market
advantage over its competitors. 1. Radio alarm clock
2. Telephone answering machine
As a result devices often converge. This
convergence usually means that the inherent Throughout this project you will be working
physical characteristics and personality of each primarily in 3D, combined with electronics. You
individual object becomes blurred. To take an should consider form and scale carefully in
example, our mobile phone is now a calculator, your final outcome. We encourage you not to
an address book, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, limit your concept in terms of scale (object or
a to-do list, a games platform, a web browser, environment) or network capability (here and
a camera, and finally a phone. Yet our now, or elsewhere).
interaction with these ‘virtual devices’ remains
the same: through a single object, a numerical
Process: Criteria for Success:
During this project we expect you to complete 1. Team working & attendance (20%)
the following process:
Team working and collaboration will be
Phase 1: Analyze key to your success in this project. It is
also important for everyone to attend
• Analyze the existing technology all classes. Absence will be noted.
• Analyze the existing functionality
• Analyze the existing interactions 2. Visualization & Online Documentation (20%)
• Analyze the existing form
• Understand the value of affordances One of the key skills a designer needs
and physicality (tangible UI’s) to learn is the importance of
communication. Without good
Phase 2: Repurpose and Redesign communication ideas are often
misinterpreted. In this project we will
• Decide on which element of the device be asking you to develop your
that you want to harness, or delete communication skills through
• Decide which devices you want to visualization techniques. We will
combine or separate in a new way, and introduce you to various methods and
why techniques for creating visualizations –
• Think of any new features you might merely as pointers to those people
want to introduce, and why unfamiliar with visualizing their ideas.
• Think of new interactive behaviors and Throughout the project we will be
controls to access this new assessing your attempts to visualize
functionality your process.
• Think of how the form of the object
might reflect these new behaviors and You will be required to document your
features work throughout the 3.5-week period.
This might include video, photographs,
Phase 3: Iterate sketches, etc. of your work. We will be
marking your process and method of
• Present these new behaviors and working, as well as your final results.
interactions (play, act, video) This material will also contribute to
• Iterate, design, iterate, design etc. your mandatory online documentation.
Phase 4: Build and Present 4. Final Proposal (60%)
• Build a working prototype (using The final proposal will be marked on the
existing hardware and new sensors) following:
• Present the prototype to the group (in
pairs) • Imagination
• Analysis and problem solving
• Realism. The ability to design
What you will learn: something that will live in the real
world
• Teamwork • Craft. The ability to design and craft a
• Critical analysis beautiful experience
• Functionality flow charts • Prototyping. Ability to prototype ideas
• Modeling in card & foam appropriately
• Video prototyping • Context. Ability to situate the work
• Basic electronics intelligently
• ‘Tinkering’ with electronics
• Sensors and actuators
• Theory of microcontrollers
• Communication and presentation
techniques
