Project Brief

"In the next century, planet Earth will don an electronic skin. It will use the Internet as a scaffold to support and transmit its sensations." - Neil Gross, Business Week 1999

 

Overview

Technology is in a continuous state of flux, with innovation leading the way to new solutions to problems. Interactive design’s strength is in its responsive nature, and ability to navigate this ever-changing landscape. On a macro level, our needs as users constantly evolve, seeking out technology that fits in our everyday life. On a micro level, interactive designers are expected to respond to new and evolving platforms. Over the past decade society has witnessed an increase in the connectivity of everyday objects as integral to our day-to-day existence. This scenario where inanimate objects are given the ability to transfer data over a network is called the Internet of Things (IoT). A popular example is the Nest thermostat which allows users to control their home's temperature from their smartphone or tablet.

Dr. John Barrett explains the Internet of Things in his TED Talk

 

Details 

For this project you will work in teams to assign interactive features to an inanimate object. This newly connected 'thing' will serve the everyday needs of a specific audience. Your team's solution begins with hardware innovation and ends with the concept for a well designed user experience. Concepts with rationale and supporting imagery (sketches, research, etc) will be posted to the project blog for discussion. Students will then vote on which IoT solution they feel best satisfies the needs of the identified audience. The winning team will be richly rewarded!

Outcomes

Upon completion of this project students will be able to...

• Demonstrate an understanding of the potential for emerging technologies
• Concept speculative interactive solutions for a defined user audience 
• Use play as a tool for creative thinking
• Apply group process in the solving of a design problem

 

Timeline

• Week of March 23 - Project introduced and teams assigned
• Week of March 30 - Concepts posted to blog
• Week of April 6 - Students post comments to blog and vote on best solution

Requirements for KCAI students

• Create a life-hack technology for a niche target audience.
• Create a matrix map identifying extreme points of this experience
• across the top of the matrix: extreme moments/points of the experience (3-4)
• down the side
• human behavior patterns
• artifacts (cash register, grocery cart, etc.)
• wifi solutions
• search for innovation in how modifications to artifacts meshes with human behavior
• Refine ideas + identify best solution.
• Starting with analog sketches, refine and finalize into either vector illustrations or tight sketches. your design must show/tell how it works. Your team is responsible for prototyping both the artifact itself, the digital interface, and visually explaining how it functions in a succinct way.
• Brand your product.
• Create a Keynote presentation and blog post identifying your problem + showcasing your prototype. 

Requirements for Avila students

• Work with your current partner to identify a potential IoT object appropriate to your Life Hack App Project audience.
• Create a matrix map identifying extreme points of this experience
• across the top of the matrix: extreme moments/points of the experience (3-4)
• down the side
• human behavior patterns
• artifacts (cash register, grocery cart, etc.)
• wifi solutions
• search for innovation in how modifications to artifacts meshes with human behavior
• Refine ideas + identify best solution.
• Starting with analog sketches, refine and finalize into either vector illustrations or tight sketches. Your design must show/tell how it works. Your team is responsible for prototyping both the artifact itself, the digital interface, and visually explaining how it functions in a succinct way.
• Brand your product.
• Create a blog post identifying your problem + showcasing your prototype.