The project and materials provided in this case were created entirely by me. The previous research materials (links before strategy) were provided by the contractee.
Methodology: Design Sprint
Methods Addressed: Map, Target, Wireframes, Documentation
Tools: G-Drive Suite, Figma
Deliverables: UX Strategy, Sitemap, User-Flow, Desktop & Mobile Wireframes, UX Documentation
If you would like to dig into the research provided by contractee, feel free to request access
When leading the Product Design team (about 4) in this parking-ecosystem startup, I created, conducted and deliver everything from research to hand-off in this case. Initially the scope was to design the home-screen with a dashboard in mind, but I ended up redesigning the entire platform.
Deliverables: Interviews Analysis, Feature Map, Layout, Design Evaluation, UI Design
Methods: Stakeholder Interviews, Information Architecture, UI Design
Methodology: Design Sprint
Methods Addressed: Ask the Experts - Stakeholder Interviews, Learn through patterns, Map, Sketch, Prototype
Tools: G-Suite, InVision
The entirety of this project was done by me. Through a Sprint-like methodology I took the brief given by the client, define a scope, identified assumptions, ideate through How Might We(s), chose a target and design hypothesis, establish success UX metrics from the proposed product, define Design Principles, mapped the Golden Path(s) for both platform roles, sketched and created the User-Flows. With Figma I created the wireframes displayed in this case. I also created a Research Plan for validating the design hypothesis based on the ‘Cognitive Walk-through’ -mediated method.
Link to Figma prototyped Wireframes
Link to Figma prototyped Wireframes
Cognitive Walkthroughs
I was solely involved in the deliverables presented in this project. The closest methodology I aligned with is Design Sprints, were I de-briefed the given requirement through the 4 Jobs To Be Done provided and redesigned a financial advisor app. There was an initial app-evaluation, domain research, design hypotheses, Golden Path, Product Information Architecture and Mid-Fidelity screen-designs. The Mid-fidelity wireframes were delivered through Figma and Google’s Material Design system.
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Keynote, G-Suite
Methodology: Human Center Design
Deliverables: User Interviews, User Surveys, Competitive Research, Design Principles, Sitemaps, Wire-Flows, UI Design, Clickable Prototypes, Micro-Interactions with Motion Design (Lottie with After Effects), Desktop Wireframes
Methods: User Research, Competitive Research, Information Architecture, UI Design, Pitch Deck, Prototypes
Having different sources to a place where creatives channel their creative blockage and funnel their frustration through a playful way of tentative sustainable ideas has come to: three types of interactions and a pre-screen that sets the turning-point towards fun.
The first screen is a feed of memes about creative block. A good way of setting perspective is through tragic comedy
Images are separated in three categories. The first is an unclaimed or abandoned object, the second is a highly sustainable material and the third a remake design. Whenever shuffling a new remix, the idea is to also create phrases. This phrase should include terms like as upcycle, reconfigure, renewable, inclusive, composting, durable and modular.
Having in mind Mobile Devices peripherals, I set onto creating a more playful interaction. An interaction from the intersection between common gestures in the real world and Mobile Phone's accelerometer.
I've borrowed two playful gestures from daily observations the reflexive spinning and the swift juggling. Two gestures that could be technically feasible and experientially engaging.
I've decided to simplify the interface towards the new experience. The accelerometer remixes the images, and a tap shows the prompt from a generated text. This text is a computational mix from the description of the objects shown on screen. This way, people can be inspired visually and textually.
The interactive prototype was made in Javascript using Cooper Hewitt Museum's API, a RiTa a toolkit for computational literature and the p5js library. This is where the Interactive Prototype can be experienced.
Through Javascript, I'm retrieving all the data from the Cooper Hewitt Museum including images and text from their online exhibition data base. I clean the information and select a topic, in this case, all objects in the museum related to 3D Printing.
Turns out the spinning gesture is one of the blind spots in Phone Accelerometers. This is why, the prototype will only respond to juggling-type gestures.
By retrieving the descriptions from the 3 objects shown in the screen, I create one phrase by remixing the tokens through a set of computational procedures. Every time the images shown change the tokens by which the phrases are created change.
Even though the prompted phrases have grammatical errors, embracing the computational glitchiness aligns with the overall playful and mind diverting concept of overcoming a creative block.
How can a fabricated object have an interactive life? The M-Code Box is a manifestation of words translated into a tangible morse code percussion. You can find the code here and what's needed to create one M-Code Box is an Arduino UNO, a Solenoid Motor (external power source, simple circuit) and a laptop with Processing.
There are two paths to take this project further. One is to have an interpreter component, recording its sounds and re-encoding them into words, like conversation triggers. The second is to start thinking on musical compositions by multiplying and varying this box in materials and dimensions.
This project came upon assembling two previous projects, the Box Fab exploration of live hinges and the Morse Code Translator that translates typed text into physical pulses.
This project is an ongoing pursue around the question of how to overcome a creative block? Partnered with Lutfiadi Rahmanto, we started out scribbling, sketching and describing the problem to better understand what it meant for each of us and how do we scope this problem and usually respond to it.
From the first session we were able to narrow the idea onto a determined goal: A tool to aid inspiration in the creative process. This led us to consider various things around the sought scenario and allowed us to start asking other creatives around this. We sought to better understand –qualitatively– how creatives describe a creative block and more importantly how is creative block overcome? From this session we were also able to reflect on how to aid that starting point of ideating, often a hard endeavor. A resonating answer in the end, was through linking non-related words, concepts or ideas.
We also researched two articles with subject matter experts about Creative Block and Overcoming It ("How to Break Through Your Creative Block: Strategies from 90 of Today's Most Exciting Creators" and "Advice from Artists on Hot to Overcome Creative Block, Handle Criticism, and Nurture Your Sense of Self-Worth"). Here we found a collage between our initial hypothesis with additional components such as remix, from Jessica Hagy's wonderful analogical method of overcoming her creative block by randomly grabbing a book and opening it a random page and linking "the seed of a thousand stories". Another valuable insight was creating space of diverted focus from the task at hand generating the block. We also found a clear experience-design directive for our app, to balance between constrain –structured scrambled data from the API– and freedom –imaginative play–.
After validating our intuitive hypotheses on how to address the problem through the contextual inquiries and online articles we came up with a solid Design Brief:
Encourage a diverted focus where people are able to create ideas by scrambling data from the Cooper Hewitt's database into random ideas (phrases).
Through this research we created seven different behavior patterns and mapped them onto this two-axis map, that defines the extent to which personas would behave between casual/serious and unique/remix.
For a more detailed description of these archetype behaviors visit this link
This enabled us to create our guiding design path through what Lola Bates-Campbell describes as the MUSE. An outlier persona to direct and answer the usual nuances behind designing, in this case, our mobile application tool to aid Mae Cherson in her creative block. We determined her goals and thus her underlying motivations, what she usually does –activities– during her creative environment and how she goes around between small and greater creative blocks in her working space. We also describe her attitudes towards this blocking scenario and how her feelings entangle whenever seeking for inspiration. There were some other traits determined as well that can be reach in more detail through this link. Overall we crafted this Muse as a reference point for creating an inspirational experience for the selected archetypes –The Clumsy Reliever and The Medley Maker–.
Parallel to the archetypes mapping, we began thinking how to engage our audience –Artists, Designers, Writers, Thinkers, Makers, Tinkerers, all poiesis casters–. Soon we realize the opportunity of captivating our audience through a game-like interaction. A gameplay that requires simple gestures and encourages discoverability. Some of the games we took as reference are Candy Crush and 2 Dots. Two simple games that have out-stand for their heavily and widespread engagement.
By having research cues and possible game-like affordances in mind there's proliferous space to weave tentative design solutions. Hence we made a couple whiles to sketch layouts, concepts, poetic interactions and nonsense infractions.
On the other side we created sense and sought a balance between amusement and feasibility. At the end of this session we came up with three Design Layout Concepts and general Affordances (call to interaction): Linking, Discovering and Dragging.
From these concepts we started making interactive prototypes. While creating the Discovering prototype, we realize people's intuitive mental model beneath a Candy Crush-like interaction did not match with our design intent, and trying to match it resulted overly complicated and forced. This is why we created prototypes for the Linking and Dragging concepts.
Another prototype explores the underlying preference between text-driven inspiration and visually-driven inspiration. While testing these prototypes we realize some people tent to feel more inspired by imaging the words from a text, and other people feel more inspired by visual queues. This prototype allows both explorations.
The next step is to select one gameplay interaction from our user tests and sintactically address the text data from the API.
This is another interaction mode –Remixing Mode–, thought after Katherine's valuable feedback on our final prototype that can be accessed in this link.
Time's running out! Will your Concentration drive the Needle fast enough? Through the EEG consumer electronic Mindwave, visualize how your concentration level drives the speed of the Needle's arm and pops the balloon, maybe!
Second UI Exploration
I designed, coded and fabricated the entire experience as an excuse to explore how people approach interfaces for the first time and imagine how things could or should be used.
The current UI focuses on the experience's challenge: 5 seconds to pop the balloon. The previous UI focused more on visually communicating the concentration signal (from now on called ATTENTION SIGNAL)
This is why there's prominence on the timer's dimension, location and color. The timer is bigger than the Attention signal and The Needle's digital representation. In addition this is why the timer is positioned at the left so people will read it first. Even though Attention signal is visually represented the concurrent question that emerged in NYC Media Lab's "The Future of Interfaces" and ITP's "Winter Show" was: what should I think of?
What drives the needle is the intensity of the concentration or overall electrical brain activity, which can be achieved through different ways, such as solving basic math problems for example –a recurrent successful on-site exercise–. More importantly, this question might be pointing to an underlying lack of feedback from the physical devise itself, a more revealing question would be: How could feedback in BCIs be better? Another reflection upon this interactive experience was, what would happen if this playful challenge was addressed differently by moving The Needle only when exceeding a certain Attention threshold?
This is a project that celebrates hours that can be read either from left-to-right and right-to-left, same as palindrome text –flee to me, remote elf–. A concept of living symmetry overlaid with pleasing coincidence, and chunks of daily serendipity.
I designed & coded this project in Javascript with the creative toolkit p5.js. Hop in, and catch the palindrome hours! Link To Project Here
UI Drafts
This installation pursues playful collaboration. By placing the modules through arbitrary configurations the idea behind this collective experience is to create scenarios where people can collaboratively create infinite layouts that generate perceivable chain reactions. The way to trigger the installation is through a playful gesture similar to bocce where spheres can ignite the layout anywhere in the installation.
After an apparent success –context-specific– and consequent failure –altered context– the project turned onto a functional alternative. The next process better illustrates it.
These images show the initial thought out circuit that included a working sound triggered by a –static– threshold. We also experimented with Adafruit's Trinket aiming towards circuit simplification, cost-effectiveness and miniaturization. This shrunk micro controller is composed by an ATTiny85 nicely breadboarded and boot-loaded. In the beginning we were able to upload digital output sequences to drive the speaker and LED included in the circuit design. However, the main blockage we manage to overcome in the end was reading the analog input signal used by the microphone. The last image illustrates the incorporation of a speaker amplifier to improve the speaker's output.
1. the functional prototype that includes a hearing spectrum –if the microphone senses a value greater than the set threshold, stop hearing for a determined time–
2. the difference between a normal speaker output signal and an amplified speaker output signal.
After the first full-on tryout, it was clear that a dynamic threshold –the value that sets the trigger adapts accordingly to its ambient–. The microphone however, broke one day before the deadline, so we never got to try this tentative solution –even though there's an initial code–.
Plan B, use the Call-To-InterAction event instead. In other words, use collision and the vibration it generates to trigger the modules through a piezo. Here's the code.
A couple videos that illustrate the colliding key moments that trigger the beginning of a thrilling pursue.
And because sometimes, plan-b also glitches... Special thanks to Catherine, Suprit and Rubin for play testing
When studying Interactive Technologies at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, I was working towards an interactive installation that blended the bowling gesture to trigger scattered half-spheres to generate a musical experience. This is an evolved and collaborative idea, from the Generative Sculptural Synth. The ideal concept is an interactive synthesizer that's made up of replicated modules that generate sound. It is triggered by sphere that creates chain-reaction throughout the installation's configuration.
Methodology: Iterative Concept and Prototyping
Tools: Arduino and Little Bits
Deliverables: Prototype of a modules that communicate and trigger through motion and sound range
It started out as re-configurable soundscape and evolve into an interactive –bocce-like– generative instrument. Here's a inside scoop of the brainstorming session were we –with my teammate– sought common ground. (1. Roy's ideal pursuit 2.My ideal pursuit 3.Converged ideal)
It started out as re-configurable soundscape and evolve into an interactive –bocce-like– generative instrument. Here's a inside scoop of the brainstorming session were we –with my teammate– sought common ground. (1. Roy's ideal pursuit 2.My ideal pursuit 3.Converged ideal)
After the slum dunk failure of the DIY Audio Input, I realize the convenience –limited– of prototyping with Littlebits. This way, I could start concentrating in the trigger event, rather than getting stuck at circuit sketching. I was able to program a simple timer for module to "hear" –boolean triggered by the microphone– and a timer for the module to "speak" –boolean to generate a tone–. What I learnt about the limitations of the Littlebit sensor is a twofold. They have a Sound Trigger and a conventional Microphone. Both bits' circuits have the embedded circuit solved out which turned out to be useful but limiting. The Sound Trigger has an adjustable Gain, an embedded –uncontrollable– 2 second timer and a pseudo-boolean output signal. So even though you can adjust it's sensibility, you can't actually work around with its values in Arduino IDE. The Microphone bit had an offsetted (±515 serial value) but its gain was rather insensible.
This is why, when conveniently using the Sound Triggers, the pitch is proportional to the distance. In other words, the modules are triggered closer when lower pitches are sensed and vice versa. However, since these bits –Sound Trigger– are pseudo-boolean, there can't be a Frequency Analysis.
Can unpredictable melodies be created out of Constellaction’s concept?
Composition
Modules will bridge through consecutive emissions and receptions of sound. In the end, the purpose is to create a a cyclic chain that sets the stage for a greater pursue: creating a generative audio experience –like a tangible tone matrix–. In this exercise I will explore simple initial attributes such as trigger-thresholdand tempo.
Concept
How can sound-modules resemble basslines through replication? For the first phase of this project, I will explore ways of creating a module that, triggered by a sound, generate auditive-chain reactions.
Tone Matrix
Context
The general idea is to create different behaviors with these modules to the extent that they become generative. In this particular exercise –Mid-Term–, the idea is to create looped compositions that resemble bassline. By scaling these modules, emergent and unpredictable scenarios can appear.
BOM (Bill Of Materials)
Mind the Needle is project exploring the commercially emergent user interfaces of EEG devices. After establishing the goal as popping a balloon with your mind –mapping the attention signal to a servo with an arm that holds a needle–, the project focused on better understanding how people approach these new interfaces and how can we start creating better practices around BCIs –Brain Computer Interfaces–. Mind the Needle has come to fruition after considering different scenarios. It focuses on finding the best way communicating progression through the attention signal. In the end we decided to only portray forward movement even though the attention signal varies constantly. In other words, the amount of Attention only affects the speed of the arm moving, not its actual position. Again, this is why the arm can only move forward, to better communicate progression in such intangible, rather ambiguous interactions –such as Brain Wave Signals–, which in the end mitigate frustration.
The first chosen layout was two arcs the same size, splitting the screen in two. The arc on the left is the user's Attention feedback and the other arc is the digital representation of the arm.
After the first draft, and a couple of feedback from people experimenting with just the Graphical User Interface, it was clear the need for the entire setup. However, after some first tryouts with the servo, there were really important insights around the GUI. Even though the visual language –Perceptual Aesthetic– used did convey progression and forwardness, the signs behind it remained unclear. People were still expecting the servo to move accordingly with the Attention signal. This is why in the final GUI this signal resembles a velocimeter.
UI Alternatives
Physical Prototype
Sidenote: To ensure the successful popping-strike at the end, the servo should make a quick slash in the end (if θ ≧ 180º) – {θ = 170º; delay(10); θ = 178;}
This is the Interactive Wireframe so far, for my BCI Interactive Installation. Basically I'm trying ways to better communicate what's going on when using the Mindwave, and how can we translate its signal into a more structured task. The code for this UI Wireframe can be found in this Github Repo.
Inspired by the "Hi Juno" project, I sought an easier way to use Morse Code. This is why I've created the Morse Code Translator, a program that translates your text input into "morsed" physical pulses. One idea to explore further could be thinking how would words express physically perceivable (sound, light, taste?, color?, Tº)
So far I've successfully made the serial communication and the Arduino's functionality. In other words, the idea works up to Arduino's embedded LED (pin 13). This is how a HI looks being translated into light.
Followup, making the solenoid work through morse coded pulses. You can find the Processing and Arduino code in this Github Repo.
Images taken from their Blog Post
After a lot of searching and looking around, I stumble upon a company that creates interactive products for commercial scenarios beyond tactile interfaces onto tangible ones. The interactive product is triggered by lifting one of the products sold in the store, to expose an album of first-person stories around diverse brand’s products. Even though it sets an innovative consumer experience, after half an hour of waiting for someone to comply, I finally decided to take it for a spin. The product is a sealed black box, with what I imagine is a projector, a computer and a camera. The main idea behind it is to transform any surface into an interactive tangible user interface. Basically this is a usable interactive experience with catchy stories behind a tracking framework.
The fact this product is interfacing with real tangible artifacts does set an entire realm of possibilities, even though it was only used for triggering a strictly tactile command interface. This tactile-2D-interface had the proper affordances to easily manipulate the experience. Its results could easily be noticed when navigating and selecting different features, and because it was built on top of the tactile interface paradigm, it was really easy to learn how to use it. However, it lacked the first principle of interaction design, it wasn’t perceivable as an interactive display at first sight. Not really sure why, but its call to action –or its lack of– left clients adrift. Even still when the product had a blinking text prompt of 1/10 of the display’s height –more less– for inviting people to interact –"Please lift to read the stories"–, the overall idea of how to start the interactive experience wasn’t overly persuasive. Maybe, given to the fact that it resembled a light-display-installation that you’re not supposed to touch kind-of imaginary scenario, but not 100% certain. Overall the 5 minute experience was entertaining.
The hypothesis I had before approaching the product was that this interface should aim for what Norman calls affective approach, considering the context and goal are for retail purposes, it is not a scenario that requires a serious concentrated effort reach its goal. In these order of ideas, the product balances beauty and usability fairly well, where easy-going use and contemplation are conveyed.
Through this first exploration of interfacing Neurosky's Mindwave I've learned a couple things around EEG and Processing. The current library I'm working with is called Thinkgear, which allows to read different signals (low and high values for alpha, beta and gamma, and delta and theta signals, plus a blinking signal). Besides the annoying bluetooth pairing, this consumer interface is still in the making and Processing's latency doesn't make it easier for user feedback. I'm sure there's better ways of interfacing this to optimize user feedback –other software–, and there should be better consumer EEG devices out there. Nonetheless it has been a thrilling experience to better understand the sine and cosine functions, arrays and libraries. Here's my second draft I've crafted with this curious Natural Brain Computer Interface. The code for this UI Draft can be found in this Github Repo.
“The answers should be given by the design, without any need for words or symbols, certainly without any need for trial and error.” Don Norman
The answers Don Norman addresses are PERCEIVED through affordances. As he describes it, these affordances are “primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used [, and] provide strong clues to the operations of things”. Thus, affordances allow the transition from the first principle to the second (Perceivability to PREDICTABILITY). It’s thanks to these visible assets in products –affordances–, that people are able to interact (operate and manipulate). Given to FEEDBACK (the third principle) people can understand and know how to overcome error (machine’s) and mistakes (people’s). Through repeated interaction, people get to LEARN how to use a product, and thanks to CONSISTENT standard practices among similar products, transfer its usage from one type of product to another.
Besides use standards and best practices, Don Norman addresses the importance of affection in the design process. He points the nuances between negative and positive affection, and draws the importance of creating good human-centered design whenever addressing stressful situations. In the end, he emphasizes that “[t]rue beauty in a product has to be more than skin deep, more than a façade. To be truly beautiful, wondrous, and pleasurable, the product has to fulfill a useful function, work well, and be usable and understandable.”
