Week Two: Testing the interaction capabilities of everday products!
So, I've been doing a whole heap of scattered concepts around interaction design based on everyday products. This was initially inspired by our first studio-tutorial session on interaction design. But, ever since, it's really got me thinking about how everyday products could be pushed to the limit in order to retain new connections within a community. And more importantly, how that information might be used to enhance the lives of people. Attached I've got some 'back of the napkin sketches' that I've done in my concept book, and also on the note pad on my fridge. Find them attached below!
As the text is a little difficult to read, I elaborate a little more here:
1. Firstly I looked at car/house keys and how they essentially provide you to get in and out of somewhere/something. Devlving further it provides safety, comfort and security. Keys also have a connotation of being locked in or out. In this respect I instantly thought of 'unlocking the key to your heart'. It would be great if you had some sort of key that could monitor your heart rate, or allow you to record information about your heart. This would especially be useful for the medical field, someone with heart problems who needs constant monitoring or a professional athlete.
2. Next I looked at plastic bags. Essentially it helps you carry objects/items from one place to another- most commonly grocery bags or 'shopping' bags. They aren't very environmentally friendly, they break easily, however they are disposable and cheap to produce. Instantly I think about a plastic bag being free in the wind. This is from one of my favourite movies, American Beauty. The link to this can be found below:
I think this scene signifies freedom, spirituality, creativity, and an example of an everyday item being beautiful and wonderful in its own sense. I think if somehow plastic bags could be used to create a beautiful environmentally product/connection with an exisisting product, that would be great. I feel like there's so much scope to the plastic bag. It doesn't need to be this 'non evironmentally friendly product' I think there is a greater purpose for it to be a beautiful free object that connects with others.
3. Next I thought about books. Initially design books, but more broadly books. Essentially they teach, educate, learn, and in a deeper sense, are a social statement. How many times have you looked at what someone was reading on the train? Or what books they had up on their bookshelf in their homes? Did you make a judgement about who they are when you saw this? I think you would! Books tell a story about who someone is or who someone wants to be. If somehow there could be a space that created a sharing situation, where people swapped books, and essence, swapped a connection, I think that would be truely beautiful. It would encourage a shared connection, joy, love and most importantly interaction.
4. The next object, or more a fixture that I looked at was a door. Essentially it allows you to walk in and out of a room or space. It opens, it closes, or consequently says hello or welcome, or goodbye, now its time to leave. What if it could record how many people went in and out of a room at one time? Maybe that could be of some use to somebody.
5. Next I looked at a single die. It assists in games and gambling, contains six sides with the dots representing the numbers one to six. The die represents luck and chance in life. What if the die could sense how lucky you were feeling before you went to the pokies. Would this help a struggling gambling addict, and in turn create a better relationship with their family and friends?
6. The next product I looked at was a hat. Assists in protection from the sun and protection from a 'bad hair day'. You can take it off, or put it on. But what if a hat could protect your 'thought levels' or to take it one step further, your 'emotional levels'. What if you could say one day 'right, today, I dont want to be bought down by anybody elses negative emotions' and what if by putting on a hat, it would allow you to do so.
7. Next I looked at a babies dummy. It assists in keeping the baby calm and at ease, allowing the baby to feel safe and relaxed. But what if this could somehow create a connection with the mother. Orr even record information about the baby's diet, or maybe when the baby should stop using a dummy.
8. Next I looked at a perfume bottle. It assists in smelling great, and essentially attracting the opposite sex. It provides a confidence boost. What if a perfume smell could instantly attract you to someone else who shares your morals, intellect and chemisty?
9. Next I looked at an apple. Initally I think of that saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" What if everytime you ate an apple, your doctor could be notified of your health and then consequently call or contact you if something was out of the ordinary?
10. Lastly, I looked at a common pen. It would be great if it could record what you write/draw, or what your thinking, record how many times you use a particular word, and even spell check a word you've just spelt wrong.
SO MANY PRODUCTS! so many considerations! I think its very easy to get carried away looking at everyday products and the endless possibilities. But I think its very important to bring it back to the two key words we highlighted in the first blog, and thats INFLUENCE and CONNECTION. Bringing it back to these two key words, its evident not all of the possibilities for these ideas aligns with these products. However, the books, the perfume, the hat, and the car/house keys certainly do! Perhaps these are more areas I need to look in to? Perhaps this is all just experimentation and I won't use any of this, who knows! But I'm excited to find out!
Until next time !
1. Firstly I looked at car/house keys and how they essentially provide you to get in and out of somewhere/something. Devlving further it provides safety, comfort and security. Keys also have a connotation of being locked in or out. In this respect I instantly thought of 'unlocking the key to your heart'. It would be great if you had some sort of key that could monitor your heart rate, or allow you to record information about your heart. This would especially be useful for the medical field, someone with heart problems who needs constant monitoring or a professional athlete.
2. Next I looked at plastic bags. Essentially it helps you carry objects/items from one place to another- most commonly grocery bags or 'shopping' bags. They aren't very environmentally friendly, they break easily, however they are disposable and cheap to produce. Instantly I think about a plastic bag being free in the wind. This is from one of my favourite movies, American Beauty. The link to this can be found below:
I think this scene signifies freedom, spirituality, creativity, and an example of an everyday item being beautiful and wonderful in its own sense. I think if somehow plastic bags could be used to create a beautiful environmentally product/connection with an exisisting product, that would be great. I feel like there's so much scope to the plastic bag. It doesn't need to be this 'non evironmentally friendly product' I think there is a greater purpose for it to be a beautiful free object that connects with others.
3. Next I thought about books. Initially design books, but more broadly books. Essentially they teach, educate, learn, and in a deeper sense, are a social statement. How many times have you looked at what someone was reading on the train? Or what books they had up on their bookshelf in their homes? Did you make a judgement about who they are when you saw this? I think you would! Books tell a story about who someone is or who someone wants to be. If somehow there could be a space that created a sharing situation, where people swapped books, and essence, swapped a connection, I think that would be truely beautiful. It would encourage a shared connection, joy, love and most importantly interaction.
4. The next object, or more a fixture that I looked at was a door. Essentially it allows you to walk in and out of a room or space. It opens, it closes, or consequently says hello or welcome, or goodbye, now its time to leave. What if it could record how many people went in and out of a room at one time? Maybe that could be of some use to somebody.
5. Next I looked at a single die. It assists in games and gambling, contains six sides with the dots representing the numbers one to six. The die represents luck and chance in life. What if the die could sense how lucky you were feeling before you went to the pokies. Would this help a struggling gambling addict, and in turn create a better relationship with their family and friends?
6. The next product I looked at was a hat. Assists in protection from the sun and protection from a 'bad hair day'. You can take it off, or put it on. But what if a hat could protect your 'thought levels' or to take it one step further, your 'emotional levels'. What if you could say one day 'right, today, I dont want to be bought down by anybody elses negative emotions' and what if by putting on a hat, it would allow you to do so.
7. Next I looked at a babies dummy. It assists in keeping the baby calm and at ease, allowing the baby to feel safe and relaxed. But what if this could somehow create a connection with the mother. Orr even record information about the baby's diet, or maybe when the baby should stop using a dummy.
8. Next I looked at a perfume bottle. It assists in smelling great, and essentially attracting the opposite sex. It provides a confidence boost. What if a perfume smell could instantly attract you to someone else who shares your morals, intellect and chemisty?
9. Next I looked at an apple. Initally I think of that saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" What if everytime you ate an apple, your doctor could be notified of your health and then consequently call or contact you if something was out of the ordinary?
10. Lastly, I looked at a common pen. It would be great if it could record what you write/draw, or what your thinking, record how many times you use a particular word, and even spell check a word you've just spelt wrong.
SO MANY PRODUCTS! so many considerations! I think its very easy to get carried away looking at everyday products and the endless possibilities. But I think its very important to bring it back to the two key words we highlighted in the first blog, and thats INFLUENCE and CONNECTION. Bringing it back to these two key words, its evident not all of the possibilities for these ideas aligns with these products. However, the books, the perfume, the hat, and the car/house keys certainly do! Perhaps these are more areas I need to look in to? Perhaps this is all just experimentation and I won't use any of this, who knows! But I'm excited to find out!
Until next time !
posted by Kahlia at
03:49
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