Interaction Design

My idea for an interactive design is an interactive window on a train. The idea is that you would be able to select a mood and add an overlay of a scenery which would be more appealing than the view outside the train window. This could be the view of inspiring mountains, a calm riverside or a beautiful sunset. This would make for a much more interesting train ride.

The product is based on Samsung’s smart window which demonstrates that it is possible to have a transparent touch screen as a window and a smart device.

The brand I am linking this product to is South West trains. I decided on this because I find their overall feel of trains is much more modern and is a more calming experience. They are usually longer journeys as well so it would be more appreciated by the average commuter. This could be targeted towards people coming home from work, or even an family where the parents are finding ways to entertain the kids on a long train journey.

I created this example of things that the interactive window could do. To expand on this idea, I am working on creating a better interface where there is a clearer navigation for better interactivity.

House Doctor

So, one of the ideas that I chose to develop further is a product that monitors energy consuming factors in your home using sensors. These appliances could include heavy consumers such as heating, lighting or low energy consumers such as a TV or microwave on standby. My idea started off as a switch that will automatically turn itself off if not in use or when on standby like the microwave, TV and chargers. These small consumers actually use up a lot of energy and is called Phantom Electricity. This was developed further with the idea that it could also be controlled through the use of an app on your smartphone or smart device. When out and about, you could use to app to turn that power consuming electrical off. 

This was further developed with the idea of a free standing sensor in the home, or one attached to the ceiling which could measure the temperature of the house and send you a notification on your phone if you have left a light on or the heating. It would also be a great addition to be able to switch it off through the app. This would be great for the environment because even turning your heating down 1 degree can save a lot of energy and money spent on heating. The app itself could also have categories where there can be other tips on how to be energy efficient in other ways.

The overall idea is a likeness to Battery Doctor for your phone however it is for the energy consumption and state of your house. Overall, a House Doctor.

Lots of little ideas

I am now into my 2nd year of my Digital Advertising and Design course where one of my goals this round is to update my blog a lot more. Starting off the first project of the term is the Creative Collaboration brief. This includes the task of starting to work with various people with skills different to your own as part of a collaborative group. The main idea is to get away from secludedly simply working alone on your computer, where teamwork plays a larger role in the real industry.

The brief I decided to go forward with is the Low Carbon Project where the goal is to come up with an original idea that will help towards reducing your carbon footprint. I chose this project because it is a topic which I actually believe in and wish to come up with an idea that will improve the state of the environment.

My weak points include my inability to make decisions and overall concept ideas. This makes collaborating with others who have this ability a great benefit for me. The kind of person I am looking for would be someone who can lead and organise the group together.

Some of my many ideas include:

Lightbulbs that change colour when old telling you to change it or add a warning on a lightbulb to indicate that it has been on for a long time and it needs to cool down

Company that will pay for your large appliances e.g dishwasher, fridge… they will dispose of it for you, collecting it from your house

develop a switch that will automatically turn itself off if not in use/ when on standby like the microwave, tv, chargers… (can react to an app)

heat sensors that will turn off lights when you are not in the room

create more secure bike stations… a reason to dissuade from biking is that you fear it could get stolen, more secure facilities can help with that

ride a bike and charge your phone

Advertise groups with fitness classes to generate energy, riding bikes

portable device that you can attach to a bike to charge it- additional option to attach it to santander bikes

minimise food waste by learning where to store your food in the fridge or freezer – you could have food labels which tell you where to store it in the fridge e.g- store this is the fridge door, or on the top shelf of the fridge

I am therefore looking to collaborate with a graphic designer or possibly a product designer.