Tech researchers needed a whimsical intervention.
SKILLS
Experimental Design, Physical Prototyping, Contextual Research & Testing, Project Management, Sketching, Illustrator
Team
Jess Lewis, Takara Portis, Sarah Schoemann
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Take Aways
Use affordances to your advantage - for instance, white fiber absorbs light.
Understand team skillsets holistically, and then use them.
Hot glue saves lives! A natural insulator and protectant, hot glue’s natural properties of resistivity and flexibility make it perfect for coating delicate electronics.
Test early and often, and in the installation space.
What we did:
1.
First, we defined our goal: a whimsical interaction. Then, we researched possible spaces and gathered inspiration, landing on an augmented yarn bomb in the Tech Square Research Building plaza.
I conducted observational research to understand how people naturally use the space. This informed an effective design strategy.
2.
Design concepts and sketches. We sketched prototypes and interactions on paper, whiteboards, and in Illustrator. From there, we began testing our concept.
We prototyped many different interaction models and ways for lights to project long distnaces.
3.
We tested the core interaction and built up the model from a basic LED to a house, made RGB LED light string.
We then installed the yarn bomb at night in the research plaza.
