VISUALIZING FRUIT FRESHNESS – FBP
Worldwide, foodwaste has long been recognized as a pervasive problem. Due to human conduct, 931 million tons of food are wasted annually as of 2021 (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021). Although distinct harmful consequences in each sector of the global food chain are recognized, 61% of this waste is currently still generated in consumers’ households (UNEP, 2021). As a result, foodwastage at the consumer’s end is leading to a notable responsibility of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant sustainability challenge in the modern world.
‘JESI’ can be viewed as a new medium to be introduced in dutch households, where a new ritual for consuming and purchasing fruit can be established through the use of an abstract notifying visualization. Using color combinations and transitions, the design lets the user stay in touch with the sweetness of the fruit at every moment of its riping process, in order for the user to consume the fruit at their preferred moment in time. A shift towards the direction of consumers being able to engage with their fruit freshness on a regular note is encouraged, reducing the large numbers of foodwaste in high-income countries.
PROLOGUE
Imagine opening the door of your refrigerator, searching for raspberries to add to your morning yogurt breakfast, and soon having to conclude they already have gone bad. As an alternative, you peel a tangerine, hoping this addition will add sweetness to your meal. Unfortunately, the taste disappoints and you are eating a completely sour combination of breakfast. What if, you could evaluate in advance when the fruit in your home is at its peak of ripening? An aid in determining when you could best consume your fruit, through giving up-to-date abstract notifications of multiple ripening stages. As a result, a whole new routine of fruit interactions is established over time. The design JESI intends to prevent fruit waste through the use of an abstract notifying visualization, a new medium that can be introduced in Dutch households.
In this project, a closer step towards the understanding of human behavior and decision-making had been established. Furthermore, the vision of including subconscious thought processes in the world of design has been achieved.
Exploratory Sketching
Linear products – Cylindrical products – Combined products – Complex geometry
Next to my own experience in sketching and drawing in general, I have chosen to follow the ID-elective ‘Exploratory Sketching’ in order to develop the specific skill design sketching on an advanced level. In this elective, I have been able to learn to communicate ideas and concepts by following a guided series of online workshops. Looking at objects from a different perspective, learning to use thick colored designer markers for the first time, and learning notions like foreshortening and convergence have contributed to increase my sketching ability. In future design projects, I will have improved my skills in communicating design concepts through the practice of sketching as a result of this elective.
Healix
Collective stress – Data visualization – Work environment – Aesthetic parameters – Movement
In recent years, office employees have faced a high workload with a great deal of stress as consequence. According to The Handbook of Work and Health Psychology (2002), prolonged stress exposure can cause major physical and mental health issues, such as depression and/or cardiovascular disease. The first step in behavioral change to reduce overall stress levels may be awareness in the early phases of stress detection. This design research project aims to determine whether a physical collective stress visualization increases general stress awareness among workers in a flexible workspace. When collective stress is measured, the artifact Healix rotates its core, bends its plates, or turns its slats to represent a disrupted imbalance.
STUDY RESULT
The study reached the conclusion that the movement of the artifacts, along with an aesthetic that blends within the office environment are the most important parameters for visualizing collective stress. The reasoning behind this outcome however, could not exactly be identified. Unconscious connections that are made in the human brain are conceivably a possibility, such as created metaphors based on life-experience. To give an example, the spinning motion of the plates was not indicative of a stressful condition, but tension in the strings and pressure on the metal plates were. A step toward the objective of incorporating or exploring subconscious mind processes into the field of design had been effectively made during this research project.
VIP – Very Important Products – Design for Debate
Humans are everyday designers. We are able to shape the world around us, either how we see it now or how we would want to see it in the long term. The objects we design have the purpose to support a higher quality of life, inevitably aiming for human progress. However, it is essential to note that not only humans, but objects as well have a sphere of influence and can become a part of our immediate environment. Although humans are the ones leading the way in the world of design, the things we create unavoidably have a reverse influence on the humans who use it. The question that is provoked in the exhibition is directed towards the human observer;
“What are humans without things?”
The exhibition “V.I.P.” takes the form of an immersive audio-visual experience in which 5 “very important products” are put in the spotlight to tell their stories. Through visual and auditory cues, the audience is drawn into a story of relationality and agentic capacity that is completely told from the things’ perspective. The exhibition is an effort to immerse the audience in a powerful experience that makes them reflect on their role and behavior in relation to the things they own. It aims to induce a level of critical thinking, and let the audience question themselves; how do I treat my possessions? Would they be content with their situation? What would they say to me if they had a voice?
– Pillow Talk –
Abstract
Digital devices have taken over, obligating employees to stay behind a desk and see their colleagues through a screen. For hours straight, people remain seated with their only interaction being the computer screen in front of them. Studies have shown that staying seated for too long can result in several problems. Think of headaches, decreased blood-flow, fatigue, and pain in the neck or back (The dangers of sitting, n.d.). In recent years more attention has been drawn to the amount of time people are sitting, hence the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking”. The aim of this project is to develop a working prototype that enhances the physical activity and healthy lifestyle of the employees during office hours at the High Tech Campus (HTC). By following a design process, an interactive pillow connected to a smart light on the desk is developed. The pillow tracks the amount of time the user stays seated and will signal the user if this is too long. The design challenge is solved by observing, interviewing, and user-testing.
Website
In addition to the physical design, a website format is implemented in the design concept. Once the user has earned a break and has scanned the QR-code on top of the disk, the user will be guided to a website. The website is designed specifically for the HTC Eindhoven, displaying thought-provoking topics and questions. This can be posed as a brain cracker, quiz, or puzzle that requires the participation of other coworkers to socialize and solve.
Chain Reaction Machine
Through a collection of various interconnected mechanisms, together form a “marble machine”, 20 mm steel balls travel through a loop of mechanism obstacles. The whole system is motorized, which allows it to run in a continuous cycle indefinitely. Whenever a ball reaches the lowest point in the system and has lost its energy, it gets elevated back to the initial position and the cycle continues. The machine consists of 7 distinct mechanisms.
The ball’s path begins at an elevator, where it is lifted to the starting position. Afterward, the ball is guided to a “seesaw swing”, which creates a junction between two different paths. The first possible path leads to a mechanism called “Pillars” and continues to “90° swings”. Afterwards, the path curves 180° and the ball travels back to a rail spiral which leads directly back to the elevator. The other path leads to a mechanism referred to as “Two masses on a pulley”, where the ball takes a short ride on a cart. Lastly, the travels along bumpy rails which curve into a pair of funnels, and traveling back to the elevator closing the loop.
Indulgence – Design & Sensorial form
Comforting – White – Indulgent – Patterned – Fluffy – Peaceful – Engaging
Within following the elective ‘Design and Sensorial form’, the final endeavor focussed on creating an artifact that lets the user experience the expression of the word ‘indulgence’, sensed as a dichotomy; both haptic and auditory stimuli. The experience that had been chosen was ‘preparing a cup of thea’. In order to transform this experience to a indulgent occurrence, different materials had been evaluated. Eventually, the material ‘big cotton’ is knitted in a round turban that can be placed around a preparing cup of thea. During the thea making process, the user is able to let the heavy watercooker rest on the sturdy cotton, as well as touch the material during the wait of boiling the water. Previous feedback within the course i.e. liking the artefact had a pattern, being able to go through the material with your fingers, and the preference of ‘soft’ and ‘permissive’ parameters had been taken into account.
Heart to Heart
Artificial womb – Bonding – Fetus – Premature birth
10-06-2021
“How can a tangible interaction stimulate/create a sense of
bonding between the parents and the fetus in the artificial womb?”
At this moment, prematurely born babies have a risk of long-term health problems and an increased chance of sudden infant death syndrome. Extreme invasive treatments like staying in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are deployed to increase capacity for life. However, this method is still not sufficient.
With a new take on this topic, researchers see potential in the emerging technological development of the Artificial Womb. When the fetus is separated from its parents, the natural process of bonding is hindered. To enhance the bond between fetus and parents during this period, the design ‘Heart to Heart’ allows parents to share their heartbeat with the fetus in the Artificial Womb through a vibrating bracelet and a vacuum cup. In order to receive feedback from the fetus, a button on top of the bracelet can be pressed by the parents at anytime they choose.
This paper will discuss the impact of blade prosthetics on elite sports events. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on a future where technology might improve the chances for disabled athletes in such events. When doing so, there is a focus on the ethical aspect of fairness. The question is whether it is correct to allow disabled and non-disabled athletes to compete against each other in the same competition. This is argued with sources found by research and interviews with two experts, Paralympic Athlete Marlene van Gansewinkel and orthopedic instrument maker Gijs van Gent. The main challenge to overcome is to make running with prosthetic legs comparable to running without them. Even when this era is reached, discussions about the fairness of the improved prosthetic legs will not cause sports events to be different as they are now.
Abstract
FLARE
07-01-2021
‘Flare’ is an interactive communication device that enables people suffering from mild-stage dementia to maintain contact with family members and relatives over distance. The design includes a flower that blossoms, indicating the amount of contact that is had in the near past. To contact relatives, 3 buttons with the functions ‘recording a message’, ‘Playing a message’, and ‘notification’ can be pressed. The buttons are able to blink warm white light, drawing attention to them, in order to know which one to press. Voicemail is chosen because it recognized by people with dementia as they often used this application in their youth. It reduces the anxiety of needing to speak to someone immediately and it gives the opportunity to have contact out of free will. Overall, the design implies the flower needs care. This adds an additional subconscious sense of purpose to the design.
“How might we design a tangible communication product that improves the emotional connection between elderly with mild-stage dementia and their relatives over distance, without inducing anxiety?”
The purpose of the probing diary was to collect information from elderly with dementia and their caregivers in order to create applicable itterations in the design concept. The cultural probing diary had been approved with Vitalis, a residential care facility in Eindhoven, upon this understanding that the investigation would be conducted among residents of their facility. Furthermore, one of the group members would visit them two times during the week of investigation. The probing diary had been approved by the ethics committee Eindhoven University of Technology.
Included with the design, is an app
intended for family and relatives to send and receive voice messages. In the app, the state of the physical flower at home and the date of the last message received is displayed.
Modifind
26-10-2020
Modifind is created to enhance the process of finding in-door lost items for blind and visually impaired people. With the use of the application, items can be easier distinguished, identified or located. Modifind is an audio-based and overall tangible system with google assistance compatibility, consisting of a main ‘hub’, several ‘modules’ and ‘tags’. The goal of creating this design was to design an aid that would help blind and visually impaired people get a personal item in hand, increasing their independence and autonomy when executing daily tasks.
‘Embrace is an innovative smart bracelet that allows you to send and receive your own unique, personal messages to people close to you using touch.’
“Embrace has the goal to enhance the emotional connection between loved ones over distance.”
From this project, I have learned that physical and emotional touch plays part in how users interact with designs due to subconscious emotions occurring in the brain. To influence these emotions as a designer, it is necessary to find out what kind of touch matches the emotion you want to evoke in your user. In our project, we had the goal to enhance the emotional connection between users over distance, bringing comfort and increase positive feelings. Embrace makes it possible to send and receive personal messages to multiple loved ones by swiping over your bracelet. When connecting your bracelet to our app, every contact will be attached to their own personal color. Haptic feedback motors on the inside of the bracelet make it possible to receive the exact pattern your loved one has created.
‘Loyaltree is a design idea that improves the in-store display
concept in supermarkets, presenting collectable items
in a more open, abstract and simple manner’
Previous research has confirmed that people start to feel controlled and tricked by the advertising sector. To reduce this problem, a new design concept was created intending to display a more open and simple manner of loyalty programs to customers.
With this project, I have learned to understand the complete design process, together with investigating the user’s needs. Abroading my knowledge regarding the concept by first interviewing customers and managers of supermarkets, I learned the importance of understanding the target group you are designing for.
Due to its clean white design
and interactive light effects, LoyalTree will attract
customerswith its simpel, natural, organic and abstract
shape. Our loyalty display touches different senses to catch the attention: vision, hearing, and touch. An unexpected light breeze and the calm sounds of nature will spark interest for the products displayed in this unique 360-degree design. Interested customers have the option to gain more knowledge using an AR information feature, integrated in our display viewable on your mobile
phone. Most importantly, the stand is reusable for different
loyalty programs, takes little transport space due to its detachability, is sustainable and cost-effective.
From Idea to Design – TU/e cooperation with loyalty company ©CRAZE – Tutor: Sander Lucas
E-Track
03-11-2019
‘E-track consists of a LED display in the shape of an eye,
in which the pupil follows a person passing by.’
Developing E-track gave me a lot of new learning strategies regarding what is possible with technology. By using the software program Python together with Arduino, I was able to create a LED display in the shape of an eye. The vision behind this idea consists of giving the user ‘control’ over technology, as the technology ‘follows’ a person walking by; insinuating the technology is only able to observe the human form. Subconsiously, this image might gain the user’s trust, when interacting with technological concepts.
Creative programming – TU/e
Multispenser
16 april 2020
‘Multispenser is a concept that improves the current
tea vending machines, giving the user feedback of
the process due through visual cues.’
This multispenser lets the user know what process the tea vending machine is gowing through by showing the words ‘ready‘,’hello‘ and ‘filling‘, as a customer moves a teaglass towards the filling area under the watertube. When no customer is around, the multispenser is ready to be used which can be seen by the red light, meaning the machine is not performing any action, following by a white light when an object is tracked, resulting in a green light when the glass is being filled. From this project I have learned to improve my knowledge regarding electronics by building and re-testing multiple components on a breadboard. Building a prototype in this form made me understand the basics of how a design process should go, by first tackling a problem which according to my teammember and I should be improved in order to next, build a prototype from scratch.
Credit:
Sabarna Senathirajan
Susan Draaijer
‘The world is wired’
Finsished
– 26 may 2017 –
‘The world is wired’ is a concept created
due to a school assignment in the second last year
of 6 years education in secondary school.’
‘Given that this is my first official project, I have learned over the course of six months the fundamentals of electric circuits, the value of social connections, my strength of working individually, and the power of working with little steps every day.
Sponsor
Woll of Fame
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6051 AM Maasbracht
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