#interactivedesign2020

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Day 2: Light CPX

“The listener” is a robot which listens to the human that uses it, encouraging speech for the user and thereby making a social experience. When activated through speech, the CPX lights up in a positive yellow colour. 

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Prosess to the visualization task

In the beginning, we researched and found out quickly that Oslo bysykkel offered the most readable and understandable data from which we could potentially visualize. We found - in the historical APIs to Oslo bysykkel - some interesting data on the docking and removal of the bicycles in stations in Oslo, and were intrigued by "how" and "why" these numbers varied, depending on the terrain, the possibilities of transport and other factors. Further we decided to focus on the numbers for St. Hanshaugen, and then compare them to the stations in the center, wanting to find contrasts between these two places and using this contrast to create an exiting visualization.

We had three main ideas which we discussed: -  A cirle beating like a heart, where the occational speed-up and slowing-down of beats, shows the number of people coming and leaving the center. The experience here comes from the noticable variation of 24 beats, in comparison to one. - A two-dimentional city-picture where one sees the city to the left and a hill to the right. Several bycycles go to and from the center, showing the ratio 24 to 1 in count of bicycles and giving an experience through their movements and positioning. -  A thought of having the visualization not as a "stationary object", but more a moment and feedback.

We chose to mix all these ideas in some form or another, keeping some of the moving element of the beating heart, and some of the estetics of the two-dimentional city-picture. The last idea became our basis of which we worked wednesday and thursday, exploring a few possibilites for giving the user a rewarding feedback. 

Esthetically, we wanted early on to take inspiration from the colours and shape of the logo of Oslo bysykkel, defining the brands identity and creating unity of expression. 

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Further development of concept and paper prototype

After prototyping and testing with user, using Marvel to show the concept, I found out further that the incentive and “rewarding process” in the game needed attention. I explored the different aspects of the app, and was especially intrigied by the “location side of the app” or the GPS. I also found out that the app would need to be more dynamic and personal, giving the user a feeling of an plyable app, that changes according to your abilities and contribution, not only by luck.

[interactivedesignblog]

Group Temple-run: 

Nikola, Lina, Ema, Anna Elizabeth, Henning 

“Chair-run” is based on the one-player, first-person game “Temple-run”, where a running man must for as long as possible avoid the obstacles coming his way. 

In the beginnning of the workshop, we played around with ideas of having the users to stand, use the functions with his/her hands, head and feet, and jump when the man in the game has to. We soon found out, though, that it most likely would be exhausting and eventually tedious for the user to play. Three days before the demonstration, we settled on the idea of the user having to sit down to activate a command in the game. Since there are four necessary commands in the game, we put a chair for every command, and put signs on them, showing the direction of movement for the running man. 

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Vending machine

In group with Lina and Henning. 

LOVEMATCH is a two-player vending machine, it asks a series of personal questions to the two participants, compares the results and shows, with a dial, how much they match. If the machine senses a promising match, it will play romantic music, if not, it will play metal music. If the vending machine makes it a match, confetti will go off and the participants will be able to see eachother, - the reason being that we wanted to offer not a object, but rather an experience. 

Already from the start, we had a goal to make a product that challenged the conventional idea of a vending machine. And we started playing around, and wanted to end up with a machine that surprised and entertained, not only the participants of the game, but also the potentially surrounding people. This is the reason for the dial being so big, and the reason for the placement of the participants. 

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Workshop “What is a switch?” - Below some switches

The main thing we learned in this course, was just to try and dive into it, and explore different ideas, no matter how trash they could - at first sight - seem to be. Found it to be good with just testing, testing - foolin’ around a bit, havin’ fun with what I found around!