analysing frustration

Concept choosing day! Making the decisions which ideas have more potential is always hard, especially when having an opinion on them. This, again, was the reason to fall back on the QOC- analysis, something I learned in the UFP-Basics assignment. It is becoming a routine in my decision making process lately. As a start, I created 4 criteria. The first was the amount of playfulness, as this is the goal of the project. Secondly, the feasibility is an important factor at this point. I want to create the products of the concepts and test with them. Thirdly, I wondered how long people would be keep being interested in the interaction, as I want to have a connection to the process of creating with my concept. As the last criteria, I decided, at first, to go with 'How well does it fit the Atelier van Lieshout'. Later I changed into 'can it be used anywhere?'. The urge was that my final concept could be implemented in multiple places, not only the AVL.My goal was to cut down to two ideas.

This worked out great! After adding a multiplier of 2 to the first and second criteria, I had clear division in points. The 'Vision Tree' had 22 points, the 'Pursuing Light' 21, the 'Wishing Well' 18, the 'Leave your mark Wall' 30 and the 'Liquid Light' 29. As one can see, there are two ideas with the most points were the mark wall and the liquid light. So far, so good.

Now, cutting down from 2 to 1. This took me 5 hours... After setting up a pro's and con's list of both of the ideas, I saw potential in both of them. Talking to a lot of different people, gave me even more insights of the potential directions and possibilities. After I talked to about 10 people, about two thirds of them chose the liquid light idea. Eventually, after doubting for a while, I was convinced that this should be the one I had to chose. This idea is more creative then the other one and will help me a lot in my goal of user-testing this semester. As we say in Dutch: 'Duurt ff, maar dan heb je ook wat'

Brainstorming and Ideation

3-10 (with expansion of ideas on 4-10 and 5-10)

Getting new ideas, which were based on the first idea I had (light which follows one around through all kinds of different lightsources) was my goal for this evening. While Liza and Wendy were around, I made the proposal of brainstorming together for my project. This resulted in this lovely picture:

It was a very good brainstorm, which immediately gave me images. This was the confirmation that I am not stuck any more. This input is very useful as a base of conceptualisation. To express my ideas, I created some drawings of them:

I have started with the wishing well. This is would be an area of tranquillity. As can be seen on the picture above; there is a well in the middle of the which will be the object of interaction. When people need some luck, or when they are stuck, they throw coins in a fountain. I want to use this interaction to create a shockwave of light inside the 'Atelier Van Lieshout'. This is an indication that somebody is stuck in their process and could use help from different people (and thus different perspectives). 

In this second idea, which needs two pictures to explain, the user walks through a giant representation of a tree, with unusual colours and material. This tree has a lot of different roots, going al the way across the workplace, showing at random places. When passing the roots, there will be light flashing through them. The user can use these object to play around, changing the coloujrs and speed while doing so. The tree resembles the vision of the workplace and the roots resemble all the different directions one takes from this vision. Other references could be made to the period of the 'Enlightment' and Newton. 

This idea is about pouring the light into an object, which will switch the lights on. It is based on the torches which were necessary in the temples during the period before electricity. One torch was needed to light the entire room. I want people to need one glass of 'light' to light a certain area in the workplace. This is a reference to the idea of using light (and electricity) in a way without wasting it; while you are consciously enlighten the room or part of the room, you are consciously using light. This then again is a reference to designing, where designers use the things people consider to be normal and putting them in a different perspective.

Light which has a behaviour is a very interesting research area. Thinking about this resulted in the idea of a light pursuing a visitor. The visitor is challenged by the light to play with it; when the user, turns around the corner, the light will still have some speed and will spin out of the track one will leave behind.

Last, but not least is the, as I have easily put it, 'leave your mark wall'. There are a lot of people who are unconsciously (damn that word is hard to type..) touches the wall or bars on the side of the path/where-ever. I came up with an idea of using that in the workplace to put oneself consciously into contact with his/her unconscious mind. By lighting the touched area on the wall, this is triggered. In a creative part of design, it is important to be aware of every decision one takes (even if it is only in ones mind). This would be a tangible experience; with my first idea to work with fibreglass LED's.