omart

In the second week, we were introduced to UX design, by Arjen and Maythal, and also a method to research UX design. The method is called "User Flow" and it's a diagram that displays the (complete) path a user takes when using a product. In the workshop, we were asked to either analyze an existing app the our user group uses or a self designed app we're going to make. So I decided to make a user flow for a conceptual app(*not final) for our chosen user group.

The user group we have is "The Creatures of the Night" and we specified it to "First Responders". So I made a user flow for a conceptual app that would create walking routes that includes the artworks that are found in the BKOR Collection.
This user flow is based off of the research that we've done of the user and collection.

WEEK 3: STATION WEEK

In the station week we learned a lot about physical interfaces and we focused on the technical aspects of it (coding). The workshops showed me examples of physical interfaces that requires the user to interact with it and, in return, the user gets access to something. Afterwards, we were given lessons in coding and we were mainly working with the Circuit Playground. These lessons thought me a lot and gave me a clearer idea of the technical aspects of physical interfaces. After the two workshops it inspired me for some ideas for an interface regarding the assignment.

Do note that these ideas were quick flashes of inspiration and they may or may not be related to my final interface. Plus, I'm also aware that these ideas are more about using/transforming the artwork into an interface and not so much making an interface that would connect them to a collection of artworks. (Though you could argue that this also "connects" them to the artwork.)

One of the idea was to use one of the artwork from the collection "It's Never Too Late To Say Sorry". The idea was to make a sound censor-based interface that's built in to the megaphone. This will be connected to a screen with a camera.

The idea was to make the user vent and shout their problems, anxieties, etc. away and depending on how long the tlk or how hard the user speaks, the screen will fade away and show the user. You can possibly start with the screen showing instructions, like "Let it all out" or something. Telling the user to start talking, then at the end, it shows the user, like a reflection. Showing them that they're human.

This idea is based on our research and how our user group "First Responders" are often overglorified. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure and stress on these people and it's bad for their mental health. Because of this, they are less likely to seek help for their mental help, to keep their image of a strong and stoic hero.

By allowing them to vent out about their hardships, we allow them to let go of stuff, freeing their mind from these problems. At the end, the screen will show the user, as a way to tell them that they're still human and they're allowed to make mistakes. (self reflection.

Another idea was to make a motion censor-based interface that's connected to the artwork "Yellow-free Zone" from the BKOR collection. The idea was to attach some circuits playground to the user that would detect their movement. These will be connected to the light system and a sound system that plays music. Depending on how much they move, the lights will change color and music will speed up.

The idea was to make the user sit still and decompress. Depending on how much the user moves, the lights will flash really fast and music will speed up. This can be really fun for those who seek to release energy. However, if the user decides to sit still, the lights will turn a calming blue and a more melodic and slow music will play.

This idea is based on our research about "Light Therapy" and the effect blue light has on the human's circadian rhythm. A lot of first responders suffer from sleep depravity because of their work. This could be physically, because they often work late night. This can also be mentally, because they suffer from trauma's that prevent them from sleeping.

This would be perfect for those who seek to release energy or want to fix their sleeping schedule.