Technology - Lights

Still exploring options for light display and data transmission within the device...

What's looking promising:

-Fiber Optics



from How Stuff Works

Technology - It IS possible!

Red Tacton has developed technology which transmits data by, "inducing fluctuations in the minute electric field on the surface of the human body."





How it works:

"1. The RedTacton transmitter induces a weak electric field on the surface of the body.
2. The RedTacton receiver senses changes in the weak electric field on the surface of the body caused by the transmitter.
3. RedTacton relies upon the principle that the optical properties of an electro-optic crystal can vary according to the changes of a weak electric field.
4. RedTacton detects changes in the optical properties of an electro-optic crystal using a laser and converts the result to an electrical signal in a optical receiver circuit."

The best part:

"... RedTacton transceivers which integrate transmitters and receivers are also available."




While it seems Red Tacton recognizes the potential for this to change our everyday interactions into more human-centered experiences, there is only one example of human-to-human interaction while there are many human-to-device examples... They have a collaborative field testing program and I think that there would be lot of value for the company to explore human-to-human possiblities further.

A-ha!

Post-discussion thoughts about, "Bringing Design to Software," by Terry Winograd...

We realized the following about our concepts in earlier postings...

-The user completes the interface.
-In fact, the presence and interaction of the user is required for the functionality, content, and form of the interface - beautiful, no? :)

Concept - The Interaction

Concept - Color Symphony

Notes on this concept:

the touch of corresponding fingers completes a color circuit to display one color - left indexes are blue, pinkies are orange, etc

multiple finger sets at the same time create color symphonies
or mix colors

the body becomes an instrument
like painting with/through another person
it won't work without another person - remedy for disconnected relationships

people who frequently use the device become in sync with one another, and can play color songs

what if each person one interacts with has a different set of colors, so it is a unique experience with each person, as different as people are...
and the movement of the whole hand is incorporated - intensity?
imagine the interaction between Groups of people, all interacting with one another at the same time

transcends age, gender, etc

potential as performance art

Concept - Touch Interaction

The human body can be a powerful connector - both figuratively, where touch enhances relationships between people, and literally, through the use of touch to complete electrical circuits and transmit small bits of information.



Details of the technology that can make this possible.








After a bit of testing, it has become apparent that touching fingertips with another person is more challenging than expected. But ... maybe that makes it interesting - there was a lot of laughing and 'trying again' with the people that I tested ... pretty fun and funny actually.

Concept - Wrapping

Each lighted section on the device represents one relationship. The light is most intense during an interaction with the other member of the relationship.

Device output fades as the relationship fades (interaction is not present) - another interaction with the person is necessary to recharge the relationship and recharge the output on the device.

Concept - Footwear

We identified footwear as a major consideration of the women in our demographic. Specifically, they wear highly uncomfortable shoes because they are the social norm, and are considered more attractive by their peers.

Below is a product that addresses this need for comfort while enhancing the proportions of the foot in a way that is similar to the high heels themselves.





This product enhances the foot even when worn without shoes, and could potentialy become a fashion accessory in its own right.

Affinity diagram

Tonight we created an Affinity Diagram to explore words and phrases that relate to the broad design opportunitites that we identified in our research and explorations. We often use an Affinity Diagram at the beginning of a project, but recognize that the method is useful to identify relationships and narrow focus at other points in the design process when clarity is needed.

We divided the words and phrases into categories, and will use them to generate design concepts.


The diagram:

Form Characteristics

geometric
spiral
soft/maleable
tactile - fur
tigress
fluffy, flowery
moving, rotating parts
sticky
stretchable
translucent
form resembles high cheekbones
butt
outer = input, inner = output, and is portable part
snap in and out
modular pieces - give away/trade with others
light up area looks like jewelry stones
parted lips/lipstick/teeth
red
water - flowing, falling, dripping
orb
representative of female body - bent ankle, waist curve, etc
round
like long, curly hair
tapered
gestalt


Input Categories

eating habits - vegetarian
similar jobs
personal style
astrological sign
music
athletics
taste in food
ethnicity
drinking, partying
places traveled - local and worldwide
hobby
geographic location
friends


Responses

rhythm of the heart
tingling sensation
response
warmth
tighten
colors
sound
captures moment of interaction
sliding open
cold
texture change
light
transparent area transforms to display output
vibration


Input Device Categories

online meeting/dating services
email
cell phone


Qualities

sentimental
proximity
time
lasting impression
heft = expense
poetry


Physical Attributes

chain link
necklace
attach to shoe
attach to clothes
liquid attachment points
magnet
clasp
wrapping
hanging
tree branch form or interaction
woven in hair
interlocking
interchangeable

The object should reflect the inner/outer conflict of these women:
smooth perfect exterior
interior captures relationships

Persona Image Boards

From the brief descriptions that we created of our two personas, Lauren and I created an image board for each woman. The boards contain pictures of not only items that they would each own, but also images of their lifestyles as well as a color palette created from the colors within the selected images.

We found these boards extremely communicative when designing for these women. In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words...

Click images for large view:

Trends - Choose by color

We have observed color as a dominate selection method over and over as we immerse ourselves further into this upper-class female culture. Previously, in the Williams-Sonoma and Lacoste stores in Charleston, and now as main organizational structure in online shopping and magazine websites. This is a dramatic change from the traditional online shopping experience, where color is choosen as one of the last decisions before placing the desired item in a shopper's cart.



At Hermes.com, shoppers are asked to choose a color within a broad product category before seeing images of the products within.




On Style.com, readers search watches by highly-saturated color bars, with a range of styles (for a range of sub-cultures) shown within each color.

Trends - Classics

An entire expose devoted to the "Anatomy of a classic" - the loafer. The style has proven it's staying power, with common form language throughout the years, although each version defines itself as contemporary through details like materials, color, heel height, and toe shape .

Interview 2 - Shannon

We conducted our second interview with Shannon, a 29 year old high school teacher in Savannah, today. We spoke with her for about 30 min, and used the same methods as the previously described interview with Shawna, with one main difference - we did not go shopping with Shannon. She previously told us over the phone when we were scheduling the interview that she rarely if ever goes shopping anymore, and commented that the reason is because she is a teacher.

When we arrived, she apologized for the mess in her home and introduced us to her 2 cats. She welcomed us upstairs and allowed us to look at her clothes and where she keeps her accessories.







Shannon on...


-Accessories

Shannon wears a watch, two rings, and earrings almost every day. She rarely wears additional accessories - she only wears different or additional ones on special occassions.




Most of her accessories were gifts, including the jewelry box that she keeps everything in - the box was a, "last ditch effort," from her ex-boyfriend.







When asked if she has any special items, she enthusiastically said, "Yes," and directed us to her great-grandmother's engagement ring, which she wears every day and feels naked without...




...and a bracelet that she inheritied from her grandmother, which she wears only on special occassions.





-Clothes

She doesn't identify with any certain group, and wears what she feels is comfortable. When she stands next to 'alternative-dressing kids' she feels like a walking Gap ad.


-Getting ready

Her getting ready process is hectic - she plans her outfit while she in the shower, making her decision based upon what is clean and ironed. After her shower she goes to check that the items are infact clean and ironed. After dressing, the last thing she does is put on her makeup and accessories.

She has tried planning her outfits the night before, but ended up changing her mind "8 times" the next morning, so she stopped doing that.

If her morning ritual is disrupted, she automatically feels as if she forgot something.


-Comfort

Comfort is one of her top priorities, especially, "in the feet area." She rarely wears high heels to school; "I stand up all day so I won't wear spike heels."

"The other day I decided not to be comfortable and wore a black dress..." to work.


-What is appropriate

"If I don't feel comfortable in it, it must not be appropriate." If she wears something that is inappropriate for the situation she, "...stresses herself out."


-Portable technology

Shannon only carries her cell phone, and sometimes wished that it was a camera phone.


-Her friends

She dresses similar to her "core group of friends," and feels comfortable with that.


-Brands

She doesn't buy any particular brand, except for the Gap because she has a credit card there. She is more concerned with cost than brand or label.


-Style

Shannon says that she sometimes dresses grungy, sometimes preppy.

Interview 1 - Shawna, shopping

Interview 1 - Shawna, at home

We just completed a 2-hr contextual interview with our first interviewee, Shawna, a 22 year old female here in Savannah. We met with her based upon the recommendation from a friend that she would be perfect for our demographic.

When we arrived, she welcomed us into her home, turned on some music, and was very open and talkative about her lifestyle, the items that she wears, and her thoughts.

We began the interview with a casual chat about her studies to establish rapport, and very quickly were able to move into the interview session. She granted us permission to photograph the session, as well as to use the images and her first name here on this site.

We chose not to audio record the interview for a couple of reasons: one, we have used this method in other situations where the environment would not allow recording because of noise or other factors, and found that thorough note taking enabled us to still record substantial information, including both direct observations and important quotes, and our interviewees were more comfortable speaking freely because there was no recorder. Additionally, with a focus on utilizing our own intuition on this project, a detailed transcription of the interview is unnecessary, and would probably actually distract from our internalized observations and instincts.


Shawna on…

-Her Style

“I feel like I have an eclectic style. I don’t like to follow trends, but I’ll pull certain things from them.” For instance, she observed that micro-mini skirts are in fashion now, but she chooses not to wear them because they are not right for her body type, and they would be uncomfortable to wear.

When we asked her if she dressed the same as her friends, she said, “No.” Period. Silence.

Her friends say that they have never seen her with the same outfit (or combination) twice.


-Getting ready

It takes her about 1hr and 15 min to get ready for her day, especially because blow-drying her hair takes “forever.” She showers, dries off, applies her makeup, picks out her outfit, and then gets dressed. She usually picks out clothes beforehand only if they are for a special occasion. She chooses her clothing before she chooses the accessories to wear with them.



“My car was like my closet for a while.”

Comfort plays a big factor in what she chooses to wear. When she makes her dressing decisions, she does so based upon where she will be going that day and the conditions there.

She often goes for a theme when dressing. For instance, a common color; “I’ll wear green earrings and green shoes.”




-Where she shops

Shawna shops “everywhere.” She mentioned a variety of places from the Salvation Army and Goodwill to Wet Seal, Express, and Victoria’s Secret at the Oglethorpe Mall to yard and estate sales.

She also often shops when she goes home to St. Louis, partially because she finds the shopping there better – the used-clothing stores are less picked over, and the stores are more what she wants.


-Going home to St. Louis

“I’ve been gone, and look at me now!” She will dress more fashionably, more uncomfortably, to impress the people she hasn’t seen in a while.


-Accessories

“Lately I’ve been really into bright colors.”



She brought her jewelry box out to the living room where we were talking. (She keeps it in the bathroom.)



Many of the items were purchased at an estate sale; she was really excited to tell us about the rows of tables with box after box of jewelry.




-Purchasing

Sometimes she will buy an item even if she doesn’t have anything to wear it with, and the longer it goes unworn, the more special it becomes and the more perfect the outfit has to be once she does wear it.

“I’m a bargain shopper. Fashion and bargains go hand-in-hand for me.” If she’s going to buy something very expensive, she’d better get her money’s worth from it. She often won’t buy expensive items because she figures it eventually has to go on sale.


-Brands

She would buy Dolce & Gabbana if she could afford it, and would wear their clothes if she lived in New York or St. Louis, but not in Savannah.
But lately she has purchased Hugh Boss because there were a couple of really great sales that came through Savannah. She just bought a $1000 suit for $150.

“Brand mattered when I was younger, but not now.”


-Portable technology

She always carries her cell phone, and sometimes her Polaroid camera, but that’s about it. The Polaroid doesn’t fit into her new, smaller purse though.
She does wish that she had a camera phone, “That would hit two birds with one stone.”