Interactive Home Fashion

2005-11-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

Poetry, Habitat, and Light: Reflection and Conclusion

A poetic experience is not created through a product; it transcends the metal, plastic and wiring required to manufacture and enable it. Poetry, by definition, is a work of literature, but poetry as a concept in interactive product design embodies the power embedded in this rich literary creation and brings it into everyday use. Creating a product that evokes a poetic experience involves thorough understanding and immersion in not only the product's domain, but also that of the user, the intended context, and most importantly influential cultural and social manifestations.

Poetry is not something that can be handled and manipulated, but through understanding of tangibility and its interaction with the undulations of context, it can be implicated and predicted. We embraced this ethereal goal, and with it under our wing evaluated the specific domain of home style to create a marriage through a new interactive product.

Experience occurs when a person and another person, object, or place interact over a period of time. It is the impulses between our brain's synapses; and though it is not something we can quantify, it is something we can understand, nurture, and expect. Within every experience there is opportunity for poetry, and given the right formula of context and behavior, it can be encouraged to exist.

Poetry lies in the same realm as epiphanies; it is understood by everybody, but incapable of being defined by any formulation of verbal vernacular. Epiphanies have the power to excite and motivate us, or inversely to indicate our misjudgement and realize our errors. Both epiphany and poetry are creative energies that we all have, and they both affect how we perceive and react to reality. They infer meaning, and allow us to experience, if even for a milli second, our individuality.

So, how does product design relate to this concept? Products exist to be handled and used by people. This fact alone establishes them as potential catalysts for poetic experiences. Every product is used to complete a task, and every task requires a certain amount of physical or mental energy to execute. During this kinetic period, our mood is heavily influenced by many factors, a lot of which are directly related to our use of the product. If something goes wrong and we don't understand why, we become upset or confused; if something goes right, we either maintain our mood or it becomes more positive. This is the window of opportunity for a poetic experience to happen, and the design of the product or environment being used has a strong presence in determining whether or not one happens.

By gaining an understanding of poetry we have enabled ourselves to design a product that can serve a function while also evoking an experience through its use. If we can apply this understanding towards future problem solving, then can we can continue to design products with an element of humanism, and in turn create new opportunities for poetic interaction through product design.

2005-11-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

Three-Dimensional Model

Using StudioTools, we built a three-dimensional model to demonstrate our product with volume in an artificial environment. This exercise allowed us not only to realize our product as it would appear when manufactured, but also to understand how various elements will interact in a real environment.

This step allowed for another development of form, mainly in the base/docking portion of the design. This alteration was made to create a more cohesive form language, and maintains the integrity of the metaphor to nature that has been carried on throughout product's development.

2005-10-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

Scenario Creations

Scenario One

Scenario Two

Scenario Three

2005-10-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Materials

Alumminum

Stem Shaft
Stem Bottom
Charger Base / Docking Station

Silicone

Bulb Casing

2005-10-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Final Direction

Our final design direction is an accumulation and simplification of all of our concepts. We have developed an interactive lighting device for the home that utilizes basic tactile interaction principles. Through implementation of touch-sensor technology, the device responds to static electricity, which includes the human touch.

There are three components which work together to make up the device:
1. Docking base
2. Stem/Antenna
3. Light pouch

The device has three operational positions, which are illustrated below. The device may be on while docked in its charging station, as well as if it (stem and pouch) is removed and placed elsewhere. Additionally, the light pouch may be detached from the stem of the device and used as a remote light source.

The device responds kinetically to activation by gently swaying when touched by the user. When not in use, the pouches emit a gentle glow, and begin to brighten as they come in contact with the human touch.

2005-10-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

Mechanical/Technical Components

The device includes the following mechanisms to operate, which are illustrated above:

1. Inductive Charging
2. Static Current Sensor (touch sensor)
3. High-light, Low-heat LED fixture
4. LED dimmer
5. Ni-Mh Battery

2005-10-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Final Renderings

2005-10-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Refinement

After discovering our final design, we began to refine its transitions and components. The main areas we focused on were the base of the stem and the light source itself. There was also an abundance of development of the curve of the stem, which ended in an arc that complements the design as a whole.

2005-10-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Concept Sketching

In this phase of the project, we explored a series of ideas through standard sketching and brainstorming techniques. As we began to design, we started seeing the complexity and difficulty in creating a product that is not only functional but also beautiful. We tried to develop concepts that would not only be desirable but create a poetic experience for the user by manipulating light and space.

Dan's Explorations:

Lauren's Explorations:

Group Form Development

Through an iterative design process, we were able to concentrate our designs based on the findings of our research and our focus.

2005-10-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Exterior Lighting

With our original focus and the results of our ideation phase in mind , we began to look at other forms of portable lighting devices. By gaining an understanding of how we use light to unify and divide outside environments, we could then in turn relate it to our final design.

2005-10-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Persona Exploration

Mr. and Mrs. Townshend

Chicago, IL
Married, 4 years
Met in a sociolinguistic class at University of Illinois
2 fish, kept in separate tanks next to each other -flake and quake
Lives in 2br loft downtown

Leiland Townshend

33 years old
Assistant Advertising Director at General Mills
Likes: color, natural light, playful things
Dislikes: The Sharper Image, anything chrome, Hummers

Sofia Townshend

31 years old
BA Communications, In-Progress Masters in Human Resources/PR
Likes: collectible vinyl toys, Marc Jacobs, her husband
Dislikes: meat, designer handbags, bureaucracy

Establishing personas allowed us to determine the taste of our target users. We created a styleboard that applies to Mr. and Mrs. Townshend, which includes objects that they like and own.

2005-10-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Target Market

After completeing the research phase of our project, we began to narrow down who we were designing for and devleoped our Target Market.

Upper-middle class
Urban environment
Limited space
Minimal natural light

2005-10-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

Light and Space: A journey through art, heath, and the magic of science

To gain a better understanding of how light and space are used to evoke emotion within artwork, we observed various styles that posessed these attributes.

By revisiting objects or artwork that have already utilized the power of manipulating light and space, we hope to learn ways to apply the same manipulation to our product. We have explored paintings with dramatic use of light, such as those by Caravaggio and Rembrandt from the Baroque and Renaissance eras, respectively.

Another era that we have explored extensively is Russian Constructivism, and the unique composition of two-dimensional space by artist such as Malevich.

The final kind of art we have decided to observe is modern art, primarily three-dimensional or experiential conceptual installations. One artist that we have been particularly influenced by is James Turrell, who is a light and space artist. Turrell creates illusions of depth and objects using only light our perception as his tools. His minimal manipulation of the elements is something we would like to carry through our design process.

As we decided upon our focus of bringing light into communal spaces, we found a plethora of information supporting natural light as a healing entity.

“Light is the basic component from which all life originates,
develops, heals, and evolves.”
-Jacob Liberman,O.D., Ph.D.

As we move along and begin to design, it is good to know that whatever we realize can be manufactured. We did some fairly extensive preliminary materials research and found that there are multiple emerging and existing technologies that support very versatile digital interfaces and displays.

Some of the emeregent technologies we have looked into are electronic paper,electroluminescent displays, and projection sensors. We have also found some interesting materials and applications, such as Litracon, a concrete made of fibers and glass that is almost fully transparent. One interesting application of current technology we found was a project involving fiber optic cables to channel sunlight.

2005-09-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Observing people in their homes

We conducted three contextual observations of homeowners, which consisted of a home tour including interjecting question and answer, identification of important/valuable objects, and insightful conversation about how various spaces are used. The three homes and their inhabitants were varied stylistically and functionally. Though there were predominant differences in our three observations, we found ourselves drawing common conclusions based on a more general use of space and environmental conditions.

Tom's House:

"I think theres a little bit of all of us in it; everyone has their get away spot. But it's still laid out for the family, and that's important to us."

- Tom

John and Heather's House:

" I don't like overhead light. I hate flourescent light. When im in the kitchen cooking, I put on softer light that glows."

"...I just love sun."

- Heather

" Windows are more valuable than walls."

- John

Murray's House:

"You can enjoy breakfast outside while being in an air-conditioned space."

"The conservatory gives you the advantage of being able to be in the house while you're outside."

- Murray

Conclusions

Based on the commonalities we found in these three homes, we are able to establish a pattern in how people interact with their objects and spaces based on certain aspects of the home such as natural lighting and activity.

2005-09-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

First-person observation: Homeowners on their homes

We approached parents who no longer shared a home with their children, and asked them each to take photographs of places or objects in their home that they favored and why. The results were interesting and diverse; the mother and father's selections were not only different in location but in importance.

Arnold:

Front Porch: "It is peaceful and I can read and listen to the birds."

Kitchen: "I can sit at the counter, gaze upon your mother, and gorge myself"

Office: "The opposite of the above two. Sensory overload. Chaos. Multitasking. Getting things done. "

Angela:

Dining Room: "This area has always been visually appealing to me but even more so recently. It is comfortable yet elegant and has come to represent the real heart of our house. I LOVE the massive, yet warm teak table surrounded by the leather chairs. I also love the colors of the contemporary screen complimented by the lush carpet, beautiful arrangement of flowers, and circular mirror."

Hallway: "I LOVE the dramatic and beautiful visual that the Carolyn Young and Gary Hastellaros (sp?) prints provide as soon as you enter our home. I also LOVE the progressive photos Lauren and Nathan."

Bookcase: "I LOVE that the bookcase blankets the wall with wonderful, colorful treasures from friends, trips, and your childhood. I love the intersecting lines, the strong vertical ladder, and the warmth of the teak."

2005-09-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Research Objective

Our intention was to find spaces and artifacts that are valuable to people regardless of their personal taste, and how these things are displayed in their homes. Through a variety of contextual and traditional research methods, we set out to gather information pertinent to this idea. We established two different means of acquiring contextual user-based data, one with our presence and one without.

2005-09-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Style: Building up and breaking down home fashion

Understanding the homes we are designing for is key to understanding the people who live in them. Through juxtaposition of contemporary versus traditional homes, we were able to develop a focus that sought out the important objects that transcended style.

2005-09-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Reinterpreting: Art, Subculture, Fashion and Technololgy

2005-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

Poetic Tangibility

How can an item that we use every day become less of an object and more of an extension of ourselves? There is a constant desire for products to be better, faster, smaller, and multi-functional, but are these quantifiable characterists really what makes a product desireable or successful? During a brainstorm analyzing the correlation between poetry, style, the home and technology, various themes arose that alluded to bridges between these four seemingly distinctive categories. Understanding how various people use poetry, style and technology determines how to create poetic experiences for them through design.

2005-09-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Opportunity

To create an interactive home fashion product that marries the beauty and style of upper-middle class homes with the practicality and avail of modern technology. Through an understanding of our target market via contextual research and extensive immersion in current trends, products and environments, we will develop a product that seamlessly blends beauty, style and technology to create a new niche for environmental enhancement.