Week 24 5-9
So this is the last post...I guess the best course of action is to reflect. I liked this project but tot be honest I bit off way more than I could hope to handle. I found myself swinging in waters with PHD's and Masters professionals that have 20 years of working in a field just to be moderately successful and have a comfortable understanding of lighting design. Those are some deep waters and I do not own a scuba tank! From a positive stand point I have found that I am good with people, I some how got access to multiple people that I had no business being in contact with. I started with one suggestion from Graham about a teacher at CCA and ended up with six different architects, interior designers, building strategists, and "light analyzers". I apparently make a decent impression and people want to help me? I have a knack for unearthing a valid problem and or situation that needs to be addressed. I guess if I am talking good I gotta talk bad as well. I know I don't work well on my own, I excel in groups. By myself I am too much in my head and don't do enough prototyping. I overthink everything when I am by myself! Also my technical skills are lacking. I can see what I want to do I just cant do it yet that will come with practice though. I know that I have a long way to go but I also know that I have some very strong attributes that will make me a a great designer one day. My journey may be a bit slower than others but I know I'm a late bloomer ;) Lastly I had my doubts about choosing CCA a few times but as I look back on it now I am so glad that I chose CCA. From the teachers to the students I have felt nothing but love and support and a desire for me to succeed. So to everyone at CCA THANK YOU!
Week 23 4-30
Last interview is lined up for tomorrow which I am hoping will inform me enough to finish my service blueprint properly. Visuals are SLOWLY coming along but never the less they are coming along. Two weeks seems insane to get everything done and shored up but it always seems like that on every project. Today is hunting down video clips for our video and trying to make a rough cut of that before Friday. Golden Rule at CCA : take a step back and look at the big picture, then prioritize, then polish. On last arrhythmia inducing push before it is all over...Lets GO!
Week 22 4-24
This week I worked on branding and visuals for my service this is the basic start. Motivation is hard and isolation sucks but we keep going, right. The biggest issue I am running in to is finding images to show the visualizations for as an overlay. I don't have access or the knowledge to create the visuals that I want so I am having to get creative. I will most likely have to stitch something together in Keynote or Premiere and make it look the best I can. Thats all for this week.
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Week 21 4-16
I had another interview with Brendon Levitt this week about the direction that I wanted to pursue with my project. Brendon is a data driven architect that designs for efficiency and functionality. I got some very interesting leads from him, foremost being Enlighted which is a company that does pretty much what I am trying to do with my project but not used for the same thing. They use thermal cameras to analyze light and employee use patterns. Most of what they do is to make sure people are working. The further that I progress in my project I believe that my service would be best served as a tool for architects to learn about their designs and how successful they are after implementation. One of my main issues is finding software renderings of existing spaces from the programs that I would like to intertwine my service with. I would love to have actual visuals of the space and how the data would look inside the program. That is proving difficult.
One of the things that Brendon emphasized to me was that he has not seen any real use for this kind of data. He had seen this type of product/approach before but never really saw any concrete benefit of it. He did make the caveat that he is of a different mindset and other architects might find this information useful and that I should find other architects and ask their opinions.
I have emails and phone calls into Enlighted to see if I can talk to someone about their business model, how they are framing their software for success, and if they might be able to help me along in my process.
One of the things that Brendon emphasized to me was that he has not seen any real use for this kind of data. He had seen this type of product/approach before but never really saw any concrete benefit of it. He did make the caveat that he is of a different mindset and other architects might find this information useful and that I should find other architects and ask their opinions.
I have emails and phone calls into Enlighted to see if I can talk to someone about their business model, how they are framing their software for success, and if they might be able to help me along in my process.
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I have also started on a Service Blueprint to try to better illustrate how my service could be used by designers and architects. I have never done a service blueprint before so I am learning how to do that and it is a little slow but I am getting there. This is my first attempt and I am looking forward to see how I can make it better.
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Week 21 4-10
Wow where to start COVID 19, spring break, moving, funerals, and a slew of other changes that have impacted everyone. I does make the process of user testing prototypes a bit more difficult. Part of this round of prototypes for me was cleaning up loose ends that might effect the quality of my service. The biggest was getting reliable unbiased data on employee movements and dwell time. If these are skewed then the service looses it's appeal and usefulness. I narrowed down two things for sure.
1) An app. is a viable data collection option.
2) RFID chips are probably the best alternative.
3) Multiple options are necessary to accommodate different size businesses
1) An app. is a viable data collection option.
2) RFID chips are probably the best alternative.
3) Multiple options are necessary to accommodate different size businesses
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The first set of three screens (Test 1) users deemed untrustworthy. People felt as though they were being forced into something. That there were things they weren't being told.
Meanwhile the second set of five screens (Test 2) was deemed as transparent, clear, and trust worthy.
The biggest lesson that I learned from this round of prototypes was that it is not only the information that you are presenting to users that is important but how it is being presented. The language, intent, and cadence are paramount when dealing with anything pertaining to privacy. If you bring people along with you and explain what it is your doing they will be much more inclined to trust you with their information.
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Test 1
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Test 2
My next steps are to really dive into how the people that I am designing this service for will interpret the data that I am collecting. I want to start exploring the most popular software that is used for analyzing light and see how I could incorporate my data into their visual interpretation of light. I am hoping to be able to show the value my service would have for designers. Showing them how a space is currently used and possibly how it would be used after they have implemented their design. Giving them a better understanding of their designs and how people actually use a space.
Week 16 3-6
I had a very interesting talk with one of the professors that works in the Architecture program at CCA. His actual area of expertise is light and how to design spaces with light in mind. What I was not anticipating was the sheer scope and magnitude of the area of light design. After I explained what I was trying to do his first response was "I need you to understand what you are getting into. You need at least five years in the field to understand how this works, that is on top of any schooling that you have had." I know a lot more about what it takes to calculate the light of an interior space. I have 2 more interviews next week with one with him and one with Margo who is another professor in CCA's architecture department. What I learned from this particular interview was that clear boundaries and expectations need to be established and maintained before and during the interview. While my interview was informative I wasn't able to get to my questions until the complexities of light analysis were explained and by then the interview was over. I also think that I have to focus on the employee part of things and make a bit of a minor shift AGAIN make that the focal point of the project. Their is too much tech and experience that is needed to try to fully understand and embrace the other two parts. My biggest concern is how to do that without having the information that is gathered and analyzed exploited for nefarious purposes. The tech is already out there so its not like I'm introducing something new it's simply figuring out how to use it responsibly.
Week 16 2-28
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I am making legit headway on my new direction, in that I have 3 interviews with people this week. All of which work specifically in the field of interior light. One is a architect and two are interior light designers. These are not the kinds of people that I interviewed before and I am excited to hear how they approach the problem of lighting repurposed buildings. As far as my prototype goes I have decided to focus on the grading part of this service. My hope is to answer these questions through my prototype
1) Is a lighting grade important to people 2) If so how important (superficial or job changing) 3) How in depth or detailed does the grade need to be 4) How to make the grade digestible to people I also made a bit more detailed overview of what I want the service to do and where I want the emphasis to be. There are already services that do similar things but not as cohesive as this. Architects and Interior designers already do some of this but it takes time and there may be a perceived conflict of interest since the people doing the testing are also selling the solution. |
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Week 16 2-21
This week I have done more research to better understand my new direction. Narrowed my target group and am currently in contact with several architects to pick their brains about how they deal with light in new and repurposed spaces. I am currently working on a service model flow to better understand how the service will work from start to finish.
Problem Statement
Solarus is designed to provide a healthier source of light for those who work in adaptively reused buildings. Current lighting conditions in adaptive reused buildings is in many cases poor. Leading to fatigue, irritability, and reduced productivity. By addressing this problem we can allow for a better mental, physical, and emotional state for those working in these buildings. Not only leading to a better quality of life for workers but better work as well.
Research
Academic paper research
A Literature Review of the Effects of Natural Light on Building Occupants
(https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/30769.pdf)
Lighting affects students’ concentration positively
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258169434_Lighting_affects_students'_concentration_positively_Findings_from_three_Dutch_studies)
Lighting Quality and its Effects on Productivity and Human Health
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308032041_Lighting_Quality_and_its_Effects_on_Productivity_and_Human_Healts)
Interviews with Darren Blum and Danielle R Chamberlin about feasibility of project
Online surveys to see if others suffer from poor light effects
In school interviews to see if others suffer from poor light effects
Market research
Questions To Be Answered
What does this service look like/entail?
Is the service simply informative?
Will it provide a solution?
Who would benefit the most by using this service?
Is there a behavioral nudge involved anywhere?
Problem Statement
Solarus is designed to provide a healthier source of light for those who work in adaptively reused buildings. Current lighting conditions in adaptive reused buildings is in many cases poor. Leading to fatigue, irritability, and reduced productivity. By addressing this problem we can allow for a better mental, physical, and emotional state for those working in these buildings. Not only leading to a better quality of life for workers but better work as well.
Research
Academic paper research
A Literature Review of the Effects of Natural Light on Building Occupants
(https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/30769.pdf)
Lighting affects students’ concentration positively
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258169434_Lighting_affects_students'_concentration_positively_Findings_from_three_Dutch_studies)
Lighting Quality and its Effects on Productivity and Human Health
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308032041_Lighting_Quality_and_its_Effects_on_Productivity_and_Human_Healts)
Interviews with Darren Blum and Danielle R Chamberlin about feasibility of project
Online surveys to see if others suffer from poor light effects
In school interviews to see if others suffer from poor light effects
Market research
Questions To Be Answered
What does this service look like/entail?
Is the service simply informative?
Will it provide a solution?
Who would benefit the most by using this service?
Is there a behavioral nudge involved anywhere?
Week 16 2-13
I have a better idea of what direction I am going in for the most part. I am now trying to figure out how to inform people about the benefits of natural light and get them to engage in healthier habits to obtain better light. At this point I am still hazy on how I am going to do that but I have some Ideas about possible gamification. Either in a literal game or possibly in a points system that would allow for merch or discounts of some kind. The biggest question that I am grappling with is whether or not to simply inform or inform and nudge to do. It's kinda like working out, we KNOW working out for 30 minutes a day will significantly improve out health. Yet how many of us actually do? We KNOW not having exposure to natural light is bad for us. Yet we still don't go outside or expose ourselves to enough natural light. So is KNOWING enough? Is simply arming people with the knowledge enough to change the behavior? I could be wrong but I don't think that it is enough. So the goal is to figure out how to keep that knowledge in the forefront of their mind in a non intrusive way. Wish me luck!
Week 16 2-06
Guess I am pivoting on m project. After reviewing things with our new teacher for Senior Project I am on the wrong path for my project to be considered an Interaction Design project so it is on to the next bit. Apparently I will be learning about data visualization this semester so that I can fulfill the necessary requirements. New project brief next week and let the SS begin!
Week 15 1-30
Time to revisit the project brief that we set forth for this project in the very beginning.
Goal for the work : I want to help people feel better and I want to inform them of what their lighting conditions are so that they can make informed decisions to improve their light intake.
Timeline :
Week 1 _ 1-31
Try to figure out how to actually program something to get the results that I want. If I can figure out a proof of concept I would be stoked. (I will refer to this as programming from here on out) I also want to refine my app. not only visually but functionally as well.
Week 2 _ 2-07
Programming and added features to app. User testing of app and functionality of app.
Week 3 _ 2-14
User test app. Discuss with class how to make app better for the user. Specifically what information would people find most important, how would they like that information presented, where do they see this app living within their everyday lives.
Week 4 _ 2-21
Work on form factor of glasses. Just to have an idea of what they might look like and get user feed back on whether or not people would actually wear/use them.
Week 5 _ 2-28
Programming
Week 6 _ 3-06
Programming
Week 7 _ 3-13
Programming
Week 8 _ 3-20
Programming
Week 9 _ 3-27
Programming. If I haven't made any progress programming then I am going to have to figure out how to smoke and mirrors the experience. Either way I have to smoke and mirrors (S&M) something because I have a feeling that the results are going to be subtle. I may have to figure out how to show an exaggerated version of what I have to offer.
Week 10_4-03
Start on video to show all aspects of my product. What the glasses do, what the app does, why people should use it.
Week 11 _ 4-10
Combo of programming/S&M, video, and app work
Week 11 _ 4-17
Combo of programming/S&M, video, and app work
Week 12 _ 4-24
Polishing everything getting ready for the show
Week 13 _ 5-01
Polishing everything getting ready for the show. Allow time for nervous breakdown.
Week 13 _ 5-08
Allow time for nervous breakdown. Finish any loose ends. Practice my presentation for the show.
Goal for the work : I want to help people feel better and I want to inform them of what their lighting conditions are so that they can make informed decisions to improve their light intake.
Timeline :
Week 1 _ 1-31
Try to figure out how to actually program something to get the results that I want. If I can figure out a proof of concept I would be stoked. (I will refer to this as programming from here on out) I also want to refine my app. not only visually but functionally as well.
Week 2 _ 2-07
Programming and added features to app. User testing of app and functionality of app.
Week 3 _ 2-14
User test app. Discuss with class how to make app better for the user. Specifically what information would people find most important, how would they like that information presented, where do they see this app living within their everyday lives.
Week 4 _ 2-21
Work on form factor of glasses. Just to have an idea of what they might look like and get user feed back on whether or not people would actually wear/use them.
Week 5 _ 2-28
Programming
Week 6 _ 3-06
Programming
Week 7 _ 3-13
Programming
Week 8 _ 3-20
Programming
Week 9 _ 3-27
Programming. If I haven't made any progress programming then I am going to have to figure out how to smoke and mirrors the experience. Either way I have to smoke and mirrors (S&M) something because I have a feeling that the results are going to be subtle. I may have to figure out how to show an exaggerated version of what I have to offer.
Week 10_4-03
Start on video to show all aspects of my product. What the glasses do, what the app does, why people should use it.
Week 11 _ 4-10
Combo of programming/S&M, video, and app work
Week 11 _ 4-17
Combo of programming/S&M, video, and app work
Week 12 _ 4-24
Polishing everything getting ready for the show
Week 13 _ 5-01
Polishing everything getting ready for the show. Allow time for nervous breakdown.
Week 13 _ 5-08
Allow time for nervous breakdown. Finish any loose ends. Practice my presentation for the show.
Week 14 12-15 1/2way
Halfway though the last year of my collegiate life, I think. This semester has taught me a lot. Lesson one, EVERYDAY, you must address your project in some way everyday. There are about 60 days in a semester (Monday- Friday). If you do 1 hour of work each of those days thats about 60 hours, YOU CAN GET A LOT DONE IN 60 HOURS! Lesson two, SHARE, it behooves everyone involved to share your work. It doesn't matter the fidelity or clarity of an idea or prototype. It is always clear and perfect in OUR minds but often it is far from either of those things. By sharing you get feed back, which gives you clarity and understanding. Lastly, CHALLENGE, everything decision you make. Why are you making this decision? Bias, ego, vanity, laziness, naiveté? Is it based on your design principles and benefit your user? If not why are you doing it? If it is for a good reason then explore, if it is for the aforementioned reasons then stop being a jack ass.
I am looking forward to refining the digital prototype or at least get it to a PoC point.
Lesson four PRESS SEND.
I am looking forward to refining the digital prototype or at least get it to a PoC point.
Lesson four PRESS SEND.
Week 13 12-8
So the work has stopped and it al about the compiling of information and the cultivation of a good story and presentation. I am still messing with the Tech part of things but it is super frustrating and of course it is not as easy as I thought that it would be. To top it of one of my parts broke so now I need to figure out a visual work around so that I can show what is actually happening instead of being like "ooooo look at the magic blinky light!" I have started on my presentation and video for my app and should have that wrapped up by Wednesday night. I sent Kate a link to the presentation and hopefully that got through. Over all I feel like it is doable but it's going to be a push to make it as good as it can be. Once again I feel it's important that I leave a little something to remind myself when I look at this in the future. "You may not make it as a Rembrandt but you can always be an Ah Leon, you just gotta pick yourself up and keep moving. Because the destination is great but not without the journey."
Week 12 12-1
Family and work do not mix! We babysat a 6 month old baby for 3 nights (unbeknownst to me until the night of) and I have no idea how people do it? Maybe you get used to it? I don't know but kids are a level of stress that I had not anticipated. You are responsible for something that could literally kill itself while it's sleeping. WTF!! I am still not quite right from sleep deprivation and fried nerves.
I got a lot done this week but not as much as I would like, so it is going to be a full tilt boogie to the end:
*Compiled research findings and process
*I am almost done with the clickable prototype (another hour)
*I have components done for the video and pretty much how the flow for the app will be portrayed
*Still need to shoot the infomercial video, I am working the kinks out of that
*Started on the open box part of things but that is last on my list
I got a lot done this week but not as much as I would like, so it is going to be a full tilt boogie to the end:
*Compiled research findings and process
*I am almost done with the clickable prototype (another hour)
*I have components done for the video and pretty much how the flow for the app will be portrayed
*Still need to shoot the infomercial video, I am working the kinks out of that
*Started on the open box part of things but that is last on my list
Week 11 11-24
So the yeah moment last week was short lived. I got the parts but one of them was the wrong part, I got the right part yesterday but not nearly as exciting a week later than expected. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how people will use my product, how much control I ant them to have, what can they actually adjust, do I want them to have to be connected to a service or is this a stand alone that the have complete say over in terms of what information they share and how they use it. I worked on some simple user flows and figured a few things out but I need to work out the order of things for the best experience. I also found that I don't know if adjustments should be through the glasses themselves or through a live feed on their phone. My initial response is to make the major adjustments on the phone and then fine tune with glasses on. I need to test that ASAP to get that hashed out. I have also played with the UI a little bit and have decided to make things as simple and straight forward as possible and give the user the ability to go deeper if they want to. Kind of like the equalizer on some music apps. Initially you can adjust bass, treble, balance, but if you go to advanced you get like ten different sliders to adjust way more stuff. I want my initial adjustments to simply be brightness and warmth of the light. If they need to go further there will be an option for CMYK since that the format that I got from my research. Now it is just an issue of figuring out flow and the look/feel of the UI. Still a long way to go but I am getting there. Also thank you Kate For suggesting time blocking and disconnecting, this has served me well in the last few days and I feel and though I am steadily making progress through my crowded lobby.
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Week 10 11-16
AAAHHHH!!! They are here they are finally here (please see images below). It has taken FOR....EVERRR for these little bastards to get here but they are finally in my possession (insert maniacal laugh here)! Let the tinkering begin! By the end of this week I hope to have a POC for the actual technology. That I can measure the incoming light, match it to the best possible output from my LEDs, and then produce the missing bits for the user. I understand that a finalized, true to form, working model is a ways off but I feel like I can start running. Next steps to go along with the Tech is to start prototyping controls and interface, both physical and digital. Buttons, dials, sliders, spiderwebs, presets, CONFIGURATIONS! I know I am a bit excited but this week has been a bit harsh and depressing not to mention the lack of internship interest in me. I have had a plan since I started at CCA and that was to show through my work that I have gotten better each year and my goal is to make this last project a banger. I think that I can make this something I can be proud of even if companies are overlooking me now they won't by the time I am done. Since this post is a bit of a journal of our experience I will put this in caps and bold...THIS TO SHALL PASS, THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS. YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT THROUGH YOU ALWAY MAKE IT WORK...STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF! I AM BETTER THAN I THINK I AM.
6 Cone Spectrometer!
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LCD Display!
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Multi Color LED!
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Quick and dirty story boards to get a basic outline of how I want to put together a promotional video, kind of like the out of box experience that we did in behavior. I think that is my best avenue as far as explanation and execution go. These will be more detailed by next week but they give me a basic idea of what I need and how it is organized. One foot after the other and simply keep moving forward.
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Week 9 11-10
So I got half of what I was expecting as far as my parts go. The itty bitty display arrived Thursday and the spectrometer is on back order. I am getting closer to being able to prototyping the actual technical part of the project. Which I am both very excited about AND terrified of since coding is not my strong suit but mostly excited. Since I couldn't do that part of it I started making rough sketches of other things that this thing could be not just a pair of glasses or a hat but rather something that isn't obvious. So I started with things that would be close to your head and then other types of clothing. Then I started to think well what if it is a shared light source, like camping. We all gather around the campfire or a lantern when we go camping and it creates a source or community. Could a shared source of healthy light create that same sense of community? Could that improve work relationships? Would it create a divide between the haves and have nots? Is it portable? ...and welcome to another rabbit hole. It feels good exploring areas that I previously wrote off. Seeing them on paper gives the whole process a bit more validity at least in the dismissal of an idea. So I am going to try to push and come up with some silly outside the box ideas and see what works and what doesn't. Maybe some of the "doesn't work's" actually work when put to paper?
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Week 8 11-3
This week is all about getting out of my head and into the real world. I have been doing a lot of thinking as of late about the technical part of the project but I think it is time to get dirty and make some prototypes regardless of how ugly they are. The first thing I want to try to make is on a baseball cap. It will give me something to attach the hardware to and the bill will give me a area to securely fix the LED's to and adjust how close they are to a persons eyes on both the X and Z axis. It will be clunky and ugly but should give me a lot of information on how to proceed. I also started to rough out some ideas for how I want the app to look and flow. I want the app to be very simple and straight forward. I want the user to have small interactions with the app. Nothing too deep or complex, just set up your viewing options, don't mess with it again unless you cant find your glasses (find my glasses is an option). I want people to forget about my app so to speak. I think that is a bench mark of great design, that people don't realize how much they need your product until they don't have it. Then it is a crisis that needs to be fixed at all costs. Providing a none intrusive need into their lives that helps them to navigate the world in a better way. I have a long way to go with the visual side of things but I'm going to make it awesome. I had planned to work on my hat this weekend but forgot that my Arduino stuff is at school so that will be started on Monday.
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Week 7 10-27
So this week has not gone as expected the parts I ordered are on hold and the display is out of stock so that is a bit of a set back. So instead of working on that part of things I have been thinking about if I can get this to work what will that actually look like for the person? Not necessarily the form factor but rather what will the change be to the viewer. I was thinking about this and all that kept popping into my head was these ads they run for polarized sunglasses. The ones that show this blinding light while your looking at a surface and then as soon as someone puts on the glasses and they see this picture.
All I could think of was my idea coming across like a late night infomercial! I have gotten over that, but it is still like a motivational poster so to speak. It's the one poster you hang up to remind yourself to never become or be like that thing...ever!
I have also been thinking of a digital aspect for the glasses. Something Ana Arriola said she came to CCA to give lecture a few weeks ago. She said, "when you are designing/redesigning something tear it completely apart. Then be VERY deliberate about what you put back or add on." This resonated with me simply because I think that is how design should be. I don't want the digital part of my experience to be arduous, or confusing. I want to make sure that I make it as simple and seamless as possible. What do I really want this to be? How do I want people to feel about the whole experience. Similar to Haakons out of box experience in his behavior class. I want people to feel excited and yet relaxed. I want people to never think about the product unless they don't have it. I want it to be new and familiar at the same time. Get ready for a lot of pictures next week, the pot has been stirred, lets see what we are cooking with!
All I could think of was my idea coming across like a late night infomercial! I have gotten over that, but it is still like a motivational poster so to speak. It's the one poster you hang up to remind yourself to never become or be like that thing...ever!
I have also been thinking of a digital aspect for the glasses. Something Ana Arriola said she came to CCA to give lecture a few weeks ago. She said, "when you are designing/redesigning something tear it completely apart. Then be VERY deliberate about what you put back or add on." This resonated with me simply because I think that is how design should be. I don't want the digital part of my experience to be arduous, or confusing. I want to make sure that I make it as simple and seamless as possible. What do I really want this to be? How do I want people to feel about the whole experience. Similar to Haakons out of box experience in his behavior class. I want people to feel excited and yet relaxed. I want people to never think about the product unless they don't have it. I want it to be new and familiar at the same time. Get ready for a lot of pictures next week, the pot has been stirred, lets see what we are cooking with!
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Who has two thumbs and feels totally out of shape?
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Pro tip:
Don't go play full court basketball with a bunch of 20 year olds when you haven't played in over a year. That is if you want to keep any delusions of yourself still being in "good shape". |
Pro tip :
Plan ahead. Sitting in traffic for an hour while you slowly cool down from an intense workout is not the best position for your body to do so. I believe the words I am looking for are...stiff, locked, and I know better than that. |
Pro tip :
Whether a experience is good or bad learn from it. Observe your surroundings, enjoy the people who are sharing your journey, and relax...you got this. |
WEEK 6 10-20
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I had a meeting on Monday morning with a lovely woman who actually builds LEDS. For the past 5 years her job has been to create better functioning LEDS that try to address the issue of blue light. Which in reality is not as bad as it has been hyped up to be. While blue light can effect your circadian rhythm the biggest factor is duration and intensity. She explained it in terms of coffee. Most blue light is like 8oz of drip coffee compared to 8oz of espresso, the drip will effect you but your body will overcome and adjust relativity quickly; while the 8oz of espresso will effect you in a much stronger way that you can't easily adjust to. I also got some great parameters to work within. Being reminded by someone to take baby steps was really helpful as well. She told me to START SMALL, don't worry about all the gaps, FILL IN ONE GAP and then MOVE ON TO THE NEXT GAP. POC is a slow process that builds on step at a time regardless of how small the step. Really started to think about the project in general and how I am going to proceed. It feels a lot like an Industrial design project and I need to figure out how to bring it back into IxD. Not that what I am doing is totally ID I just feel it needs to feel more rounded. I also started thinking about some of the things that my experts told me and sketched out a few of the things I was thinking about. Not very high fidelity but mostly for mental markers so I don't forget. Started to think about if this could be use d in negative ways. I need to think about it more but there are definitely areas that it could be exploited and I want to try to make sure that doesn't become a possibility. |
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WEEK 5 10-13
This week started a little slow in that trying to find parts for my project is a bit difficult. The places that I have found that sell the parts that I am looking for are REALLY expensive (like $250 for a 2"x2" OLED and a switch) so I am on the hunt for reasonably priced hardware. I have been looking into code without much luck either but there are bread crumbs which means there is a loaf of bread around here somewhere OR I'm going to end up being fed candy by an evil witch. I am hoping for the former. These paths may not be that giving right now so I started to think of different cost effective ways to possibly implement my idea in a physical form. So I started to do some sketches to work out some forms. I made me realize I have lost a lot of my Industrial design skills (if you don't use it, you don't lose it, it just gets rusty as hell and hard to manage) which made me sad. New goal is to go back to design drawing a day.
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Some super good news I have an interview tomorrow with a friend of a friend. She designs LED and OLED panels. WHAT!!! So the hope is that I will get some great insights into what is possible, if the direction that I am trying to push is technically feasible, and if it is, is it cost effective? I am really happy that I pivoted my project, it seems as though I am getting the right help on each step of the project which is awesome. Every time I think that my hands are tied someone or something comes along and helps me get free. I do have concerns about how feasible my project is in the real world but I am excited to see if I can actually apply the things that I have learned at CCA to create something out of thin air. It is really interesting how your confidence builds over time and how we start to trust in our abilities. This is the first time since I have been at CCA that I feel like I can actually do this...and maybe be really good at it some day.
WEEK 4 10-6
I may not have mentioned this before but I am a believer in the universe providing for us. Not really in a religious way but more of a your on the right path so I'm gonna help you out kinda way. Last week we had a review in my Experience class and people we didn't know came to critique our projects. One of those people was Darren Blum who wasn't even supposed to be there AND just so happen to have worked on lighting with Acuity. Acuity is one of the largest lighting companies in the world, basically if you have ever been in a large multi story building there is a really good chance that they provided and or designed the lighting solution for that building. After talking with Darren I decided to alter my projects direction and I am really glad that I did. I had my first of what I hope will be many interviews with him. I got a ton of leads and info from him that I previously had not found on my own, apparently experts are experts for a reason. I feel as though I am back on track as far as my overall work schedule goes but a little further behind on the research side of things. I knew going in that light was an expansive topic but with as much research as I have done, only to find that I have really just scratched the surface, is a little intimidating. The bright side of this week is that I got validation for my idea from someone that has worked in the field and has no reason to sugar coat anything. Having someone tell you that your idea is interesting, that a POC is totally doable with current technology, and is something that is worth pursuing...well it just feels good! I think that my biggest challenge now is to start contacting companies that Darren suggested and seeing if I can get the equipment and materials that I will need to start prototyping. They actually have small versions of products for students and designers called developer kits and DIY kits. I had no idea that companies would just give away tech or sell it on the cheap. This week has been been a swing for me to say the least but I am feeling good about my choice of direction and my ability to accomplish something that is working and dare I say...feasible?!?!?! The next steps are to get into contact with the companies and people that Darren provided for me and keep on truckin!
WEEK 3 9-27
Catching up sucks especially going in blind without any feed back from my teachers yet. Ahhh, the joys of winging it! This week I have been trying to catch up with the work that I missed while I was in the hospital. I am follow the outlines that were left by our teachers which are very helpful. I am also trying to get info from classmate but it is not quite the same as having feedback from the source if you know what I mean.
The biggest milestone this week is that I have changed the direction of my project and have decided that I want to explore light! I know that sounds super broad but I want to focus on workplace lighting. I may expand into home lighting but I feel like we have control over our homes and the lighting option there. I am more interested in places that we don't have control over the lighting options. We have to sit in offices (in our case classrooms) that have no windows and florescent lighting. I noticed that I start losing energy after about an hour in places unless I am dynamically active. So I asked my self can the wrong type of light literally steal your energy or cause you body to lose its momentum? We all know that too much blue light is bad for sleep but and not enough of certain lights be bad for us? Why do I not seem to lose energy when things are lit by indirect sunlight?
I decided to frame this from both a well being and an employer bottom line stand point. The truth of the matter is that the fastest way to make a change in the work place is to show that there is a correlation to profit or productivity. If I can show that changing your lighting would increase productivity by even 1% bigger companies may take interest in that and make a change. Regrettably, if I go to Amazon and say, "hey the lights you have are not good for your workers you should change them." that I will have much success. If I go to them and say I can reduce sick days, mental stress, or increase productivity by changing their lighting I will have a better shot. The take away is that I hope to be able to make the work environment better for people in general. If it benefits the employer then so be it.
The biggest milestone this week is that I have changed the direction of my project and have decided that I want to explore light! I know that sounds super broad but I want to focus on workplace lighting. I may expand into home lighting but I feel like we have control over our homes and the lighting option there. I am more interested in places that we don't have control over the lighting options. We have to sit in offices (in our case classrooms) that have no windows and florescent lighting. I noticed that I start losing energy after about an hour in places unless I am dynamically active. So I asked my self can the wrong type of light literally steal your energy or cause you body to lose its momentum? We all know that too much blue light is bad for sleep but and not enough of certain lights be bad for us? Why do I not seem to lose energy when things are lit by indirect sunlight?
I decided to frame this from both a well being and an employer bottom line stand point. The truth of the matter is that the fastest way to make a change in the work place is to show that there is a correlation to profit or productivity. If I can show that changing your lighting would increase productivity by even 1% bigger companies may take interest in that and make a change. Regrettably, if I go to Amazon and say, "hey the lights you have are not good for your workers you should change them." that I will have much success. If I go to them and say I can reduce sick days, mental stress, or increase productivity by changing their lighting I will have a better shot. The take away is that I hope to be able to make the work environment better for people in general. If it benefits the employer then so be it.
This is the poster that inspired me to pivot my senior project. Although this project also has scent incorporated into it, it really got me thinking about light and how prevalent it has been in my life. As well as how much it impacts everybody on the daily.
Project Brief: Senior Project
Name of project : FLUX 2
Summary : My goal for this project is to get a better understanding of light. Why is too much of one type of light bad for us? Why is some light good for us? Why do fluorescent lights seem to drain your energy? Basically how light effects and affects us on a daily basis and how can we improve our lives by using the right types of light, especially in the workplace.
Overview of the context : The problem is that we are unknowingly being exposed to different kinds of light that can be detrimental to us and our well being without even knowing it.
Opportunity : The opportunity is a simple, information for people and employers. If light affects productivity, moral, and or the wellbeing of people then that is something that needs to be addressed not only for people’s wellbeing but for employers bottom line. Showing that specific types of light negatively affects any of the aforementioned areas could elicit a change in the workplace. Having a twofold benefit of increased well being for people and an increase in productivity for employers.
Goal for the work : I want to help people feel better and if I can do that simply by informing them that there is a better way, then I would consider that a success. The ultimate success would be making a change in the places people work. We have no real control over those lighting situations. If changing out a light bulb can make work environments better for everyone then that would be ultimate success.
Timeline :
Week 1 _ 9/27-10/4
Research to have a basic understanding and vocabulary before talking to professionals and experts.
Week 2 _ 10/5-10/11
Talk with Darren and the Lighting Research Center
Start user testing
Week 3 _ 10/12-10/18
Meeting with Philips
Collect data from user testing
Resources :
WEB
Darren Blum - https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamdarrenblum/
Lighting Research Center - https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/
Philips if I can get in touch with someone there
User testing with different types of lights
Name of project : FLUX 2
Summary : My goal for this project is to get a better understanding of light. Why is too much of one type of light bad for us? Why is some light good for us? Why do fluorescent lights seem to drain your energy? Basically how light effects and affects us on a daily basis and how can we improve our lives by using the right types of light, especially in the workplace.
Overview of the context : The problem is that we are unknowingly being exposed to different kinds of light that can be detrimental to us and our well being without even knowing it.
Opportunity : The opportunity is a simple, information for people and employers. If light affects productivity, moral, and or the wellbeing of people then that is something that needs to be addressed not only for people’s wellbeing but for employers bottom line. Showing that specific types of light negatively affects any of the aforementioned areas could elicit a change in the workplace. Having a twofold benefit of increased well being for people and an increase in productivity for employers.
Goal for the work : I want to help people feel better and if I can do that simply by informing them that there is a better way, then I would consider that a success. The ultimate success would be making a change in the places people work. We have no real control over those lighting situations. If changing out a light bulb can make work environments better for everyone then that would be ultimate success.
Timeline :
Week 1 _ 9/27-10/4
Research to have a basic understanding and vocabulary before talking to professionals and experts.
Week 2 _ 10/5-10/11
Talk with Darren and the Lighting Research Center
Start user testing
Week 3 _ 10/12-10/18
Meeting with Philips
Collect data from user testing
Resources :
WEB
Darren Blum - https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamdarrenblum/
Lighting Research Center - https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/
Philips if I can get in touch with someone there
User testing with different types of lights
WEEK 2 9-20
ER's, Hospitals, and Surgery
Well, week two did not go as I expected. On Tuesday around 5pm I went to the ER with swelling in my leg, for me to say that I need to go to the hospital, it has to be significant. By the time I was diagnosed and admitted to the hospital it was 330am. I was told that I had an infected abscess that needed to be drained so the infection didn't get worse. I was told it was a common procedure that was very straight forward and would take about 30-40 minutes start to finish. The only catch, I would have to be under general anesthesia. Long and short of it it had to be done and to be honest I was a little excited. I have never had surgery before. The designer in me was like, "I'll get a little inside info about procedure and process, how the doctors and nurses work. How the OR is set up, what needs to made better, etc." Technically I saw the OR and the doctors and nurses...technically. The funny thing about general anesthesia is that you don't remember shit, like nothing, no matter how hard I try I can't remember anything about the OR, my doctor, or any of the nurses. So as far as inside info, I got nothing, by the time I was good enough to really remember anything I was back in my room eating breakfast with my Norco (pain killer and anti-inflammatory). What I did get out of the experience was a lessened fear of surgery, a case of anxiety from missing a week of school, and a gratefulness for having medical insurance (first time in my life for that).
WEEK 1 9-13
Thoughts, goals, dreams and fears about this project :
I would like to get a project that is "finished" that I can be proud of in a more wholistic sense than the projects I have done so far. So far it has felt like, "you have 4 weeks to figure out how to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine using a vending machine...and...go!". Even if we were on to something it has been on to the next project and if we have any interest in it you can revisit it during the break.
I want to understand what drives me in this field, in some ways I feel like a kid in a candy shop and all I have in front of me is options. Part of the drive for me right now is that there are simply so many possibilities and so many problems that could be addressed/solved.
I hope to enhance or develop all the skills that I already possess and have a better understanding of how to apply them in the real world, so many of our projects have been teasers so to speak. There is a lot of wham, bam, thank you ma'am. We don't really get to have any quality time to talk or cuddle its just on to the next one...I'd like to have a thoughtful conversation with at least one of my projects. That being said a successful project to me would be one that has promise for implementation and shows potential employers that I am good at this and that I would be a value to them.
I am concerned that...I am a big fat fake and will have taken a huge risk, gone into more debt then I have ever made in 2 years of working, and let everyone down who is rooting for me, including myself! I am afraid that I will graduate from CCA and have to go back to living pay check to pay check doing inconsequential work while trying to pay off my aforementioned debt while trying to start a family.
I want to understand what drives me in this field, in some ways I feel like a kid in a candy shop and all I have in front of me is options. Part of the drive for me right now is that there are simply so many possibilities and so many problems that could be addressed/solved.
I hope to enhance or develop all the skills that I already possess and have a better understanding of how to apply them in the real world, so many of our projects have been teasers so to speak. There is a lot of wham, bam, thank you ma'am. We don't really get to have any quality time to talk or cuddle its just on to the next one...I'd like to have a thoughtful conversation with at least one of my projects. That being said a successful project to me would be one that has promise for implementation and shows potential employers that I am good at this and that I would be a value to them.
I am concerned that...I am a big fat fake and will have taken a huge risk, gone into more debt then I have ever made in 2 years of working, and let everyone down who is rooting for me, including myself! I am afraid that I will graduate from CCA and have to go back to living pay check to pay check doing inconsequential work while trying to pay off my aforementioned debt while trying to start a family.
Initial Exploration
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The first order of business was to come up with 5 ideas that we might want to explore for our Senior project. They needed to be areas that we were interested in but not necessarily our final direction for the project. Anyone who has ever had to design anything knows that our first ideas are never our end product. Just like us they change, grow, and become something bigger and better than what we first thought. Especially when they/we are exposed to others...so of course we had to see everyones ideas.
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ReframingWe wrote down 3 different things from the blue categories below and interchanged them sort of like Mad Libs. What was interesting was how when you switched out a category or left a category out how the statement and the questions that followed changed drastically. I will use this in the future and may even tinker with the wording to make it work for different things.
"I'm exploring how TECHNOLOGY in INDUSTRY/COMMUNITY can help SOCIAL IMPACT." After deciding which of these sentences sounded interesting or sparked our interest we narrowed them down to our top 2-3 and then wrote down some of the questions that came to mind when thinking about these scenarios.
What I learned and what I want to explore :
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They say you learn something new everyday and the biggest thing I learned was to shut up and think before I speak. I said things that were not well thought out and in turn I believe were not communicated properly and possibly misinterpreted.
What learned was I seem to have a fixation with using technology to get people off their screens and back into the world. I found myself playing too many screen based games this summer and what I found was when I went home for 10 days and didn't have access to those screens I was so much happier, healthier, inquisitive, and explored more. I think that I have come to the conclusion that technology should be a facilitator of human interaction and exploration. Not the watchful manipulator that it has become. Now the question is how do I do that...
Next steps:
Well I guess I am going to get busy researching everything I can about dynamic physical interfaces, passive interfaces, and screen alternative interfaces. Back to the screen to hopefully get some leads on real people to talk to and pick their brains about what is actually out there, what the future might be, what is most promising, etc. Let iteration round 1 begin!