Interactive Telecommunications

Antennae

I found this at a 99 Cents store in Los Angeles.

Rope LED Lights sold at Target

These are rope LED lights sold at Target. They were originally $12.99, but before Christmas, they went on sale 30% off to $9.99 and after Christmas, they were half off, so $6.99. I bought them for my Toy Design class, which I will take next term. I also bought white LED rope lights for our digital xylophone prototype (Tom Igoe's Physical Computing and Tucker Viemeister's Industrial Design Classes), which is still under construction.

Ambient Chair

Physical Computing - Device Group - Week 3

The configuration of our instrument.

Physical Computing - Device Group - Week 3

Here are some proximity sensors that we hooked up. One of the problems we faced was that some of the sensors were interfering with each other. We solved that by putting another piece of copper mesh around the disk and sensor and used shielded cables. We were able to get 4 proximity sensors to work in tandem.

Process of Writing and Designing "Manhattan Stories: Fiction and Non-Fiction"

I was really excited about this project. My bus had made a detour because of Fashion Week, and I started to think of this trip as a game with paths and detours. At first, I wanted to make a game, but then I couldn’t think of an incentive for why people would play it, and what I could teach them.

While I took the bus, I would watch people getting on the stop. I wondered about the distinguished gentleman sitting in the front. Where were this woman and her baby heading? Where was her husband? Why the lady was wearing a scarf on a sunny day? I started to watch people in their neighborhoods. The man dressed in a tuxedo in Central Park…for what occasion? The girls playing atop a fire escape above the Fish market in Washington Heights. So many people in Manhattan, so many stories. From people to food to spaces and history: their stories intrigued me. What were their lives like?

I opted to write a collection of stories, and included photographs of people in the city. Some are New Yorkers and some are tourists. I use the visual information to tell a story. Most of it is fictional, and reflect my predilections of their stories. “Non-fiction” refers to the subjects in my photographs and “fiction” reflects the story about the people or space. Hence, Manhattan Stories: Fiction and Non-fiction. This book explores all my questions, and hopefully gives the reader a piece of New York and its Culture.

Poetic Vase

The poetic vase is made out of plexi glass, and can change in form as the user rearranges the circular tiles. Some of the tiles have lines of poem (by E.E. Cummings) etched into them. It can look playful, yet elegant.

The other vase turned into an "Extroverted Vase." You insert the flowers externally.

Physical Computing - Week 3b

Norman Readings

I agree with the Norman readings. The most important thing that I got out of the "Designof Everyday Things (DOET)" is that design should be visible. So many times, the aesthetic of the design is prioritized over it's function. Also, design should be intuitive (like the door examples). In contrast, too much functions can hinder the usefulness of the object. I believe one possible solution to this could be that similar objects can have the same functions, so that learning becomes uniform. An example would be a cell phone interface and touch pad. Most of them are similar regardless of how old the model is or the design. In any case, one should keep the design simple. All in all, I'm glad I own the book for Intro to Industrial Design.

In "Attractive Things Work Better," Norman makes a good point that people/users tend to forgive design flaws when the object is attractive. This is true, I believe for the older Apple computers (the IBooks and IMacs that came in funky colors). I have also experience a coulple of malfunctions with my Powerbook within the first 3 months. My speakers had to be replaced. I took it in, and because AppleCare also reinforced that my product would be in good working condition eventually, I wasn't upset. Partly because of the design of the Powerbook, and it's packaging. The same went for my 3rd Generation Ipod. The battery drains faster than the newer ones, but since I love the design of the older one with the red lights (keys), I will never sell it. On the other hand, I used to own one of the 1st generation G5 PowerMacs, and there was something wrong with the videocard. I had to take it back to the Apple store several times before they replaced it. I ended up selling it because I hated having to ask someone to help me lug 50 lbs. to the Apple Store everytime. I don't know if attractive things work better, but I do agree that people forgive the device or object if it is more attractive.

Physical Computing - Week 3a

More on improving the subway environment in NYC. We
took 30 survey of people taking the train at Union
Square.

Most of them would improve the environment below,
navigational and temporal signage. This is what we
came up with.

For more information on this project, please visit this link:
http://www.annehong.com/itp/physgroup/

1. Schematic
2. Interface Design
3. Simulation