SOLus
A new approach to healthier lighting for repurposed buildings. SOLus anonymously tracks employees to determine usage patterns and dwell times. This cross platform plugin is cross referenced with lighting analyzations to help create the best use for a space with the light that is available. As part of a Post Occupancy Survey these data sets can help designers make better design choices in the future based on how people used their designs on past projects.
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Brief
Envision and craft a project that addresses a societal need or market opportunity. During the semester you’ll use your process and craft skills to scope, research, ideate, iterate and validate an idea from concept to working prototype. |
Participants :
Solo Time Frame:
11 weeks Subject :
Healthier light for repurposed buildings |
Approach
Primary and secondary research Opportunities analysis Insight analysis User Testing Prototyping Wire-framing UI UX components |
The Problem
Many repurposed buildings have incomplete or poor lighting solutions that effect employee productivity, mood, and overall well being.
Key Features |
Compatibility
SOLus would work within most design software as a plugin. Allowing designers to cross reference employee movement with lighting, heating, and departmental needs to inform the best possible design for the given space. |
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Tracking
Employees would be tracked anonymously by department so that data could be parsed for a better understanding of each department and its needs. Individuals data would be to sole property of SOLus and would only be displayed in larger visualizations through chosen software.
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Post Occupancy Reports
SOLus could be used as part of Post Occupancy Report to allow designers greater insight into whether their intended designs worked the way they anticipated. Allowing for better designs in the future and a greater emphasis on light in general.
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Process
Research |
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Primary
Initial research included competitive analysis, how big of a problem lighting is and who is effected. |
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Secondary
Interviews with architects, interior designers, lighting, designers, and building strategists. |
Professional Interviews:
Brendon Levitt Margo Majewska Doris Anna Guerrero Yana Ronin Darren Blum Danielle R Chamberlin |
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Surveys done through social media platforms helped to support some of the things that individual interviews had already told me.
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Blueprint for success |
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Since this project revolved around products that already exist I want to try to understand how the service would work. After interviewing professionals within the industry I was able to establish a designers journey when working on a repurposed building. From there I asked them where they saw my product having the most benefit within their process.
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Insights |
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1.2. |
Often designers do not have access to the lighting solutions they design after implementation. Never knowing if their design truly worked how they intended.
Many times the best lighting solutions are sacrificed not because of want or need but because of budget restrictions.
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3. |
Designers dealing with light expressed interest in learning from their designs but do not have the time and more importantly the tools to do so.
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Addressing UI |
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The initial UI has a dated look to it. It has hard edges, is very monotone and the action items are not easy to read when selected.
I tried to address some of these issues by rounding out the edges to give it a softer feel. I made all the actionable items highly visible at a glance. I also wanted to add some color to the UI to help differentiate specific areas of use (e.g. environmental, structural, or high level options).
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Next Steps |
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Even though we are mostly a digital profession COVID has put everyone in an odd position. Due to its constraints the next steps of this project for me are as follows.
Interview more professionals
Find users of Autodesk Revit and actually explore visuals and in program UI to make better choices for SOLus
Interview designers with revised visuals and get feed back
Get a better understanding of how designers could use SOLus to learn from past designs
Find users of Autodesk Revit and actually explore visuals and in program UI to make better choices for SOLus
Interview designers with revised visuals and get feed back
Get a better understanding of how designers could use SOLus to learn from past designs
Thank you's |
Personal note |
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Brendon Levitt
Margo Majewska Doris Anna Guerrero Yana Ronin Darren Blum Danielle R Chamberlin Graham Plumb Kate Rutter Grechen Anderson Erin Malone |
The names on the left are just a few of the people that helped me with this project and gave me insight, direction, reality checks and expert interviews for this project. If I have learned anything from this journey it has been that we cant do it alone. We need each other on this design journey. Together we can create mind blowing tools and designs that will make our world a more wonderful place to live. Until next time, be kind, be humble, and enjoy the simple things in life.
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