project 2 readout of design

DSDN 112 – Interactional Media – Project 2

My idea is to have a small AI chip that looks like an Arachnid which attaches to the main power supply of the house hold and monitors its use, distribution and other functions fitted to the task of helping to save power.
This chip will come with a special soft ware which can be loaded onto any device with WIFI in order for the AI program to interact with the user and display the information it is gathering. The software will be different for each different AI so as no mixed signals from other programs come up and to also keep all information private from others outside the household.
My first Idea is to have the menu of this program customizable so the user can have it their own way, making it easier to read and use the information readout of power usage. The display of this so far is a basic readout of the house (like a blueprint) which will then be displayed in a red colour scale to show how much power is being used in which areas of the house, percentages will also be shown in this readout but you can choose to disable them.

My target audience for this project design is mainly people who have just bought their first house and need help keeping track of where their power goes but it’s also for anyone with a house (since it connects to the main power system and that would be a bit hard in a flat with more than one person/family in the building) The software may also be a bit hard for older people at first so the audience will most likely be drawn to younger house owners.

Interface Design Concept

I decided to do my concept on photoshop/paint since it would look more profesional and I don't really want to mess it up like last time (my drawing is getting worse and I just don't trust myself to do a good job by hand this time)

Ideas for project

I was watching Star Trek with Mum (like every Sunday) and something hit me for an Idea, having a small chip with a simple AI program which gathers data on your power usage and displays it to you via wireless (expect a Sci Fi to give you an awesome idea an something to do with future power saving devices)

What they had in the power bridge was this little parasitic AI which attached it's self to the main power core and transmitted the data to the enemy giving them the upper hand on what to do to make them use up all their power for Shields. I thought that if it worked for them then why can't I try and design one that will work for us in helping to monitor our own power consumption and placement within the household (my sister's usage will mesure up plenty of proof if it worked)

findings for power diary

I decided to monitor the power consumption of the TV in the lounge since it's the biggest electrical device in the whole house (50" LCD read projection so it must use a lot)
To my surprise however, it used about 5% of the total power in the house (7% including the Sky digital reader - 8.5% including the PS2 when it's on)
My best guess at this time is that since it's the newest TV we have that it was built with power saving in mind and also that most of the power being used must be from other small things that we seem to use allot (my sister for example who uses all the lights in the bathroom, the hair straightener, hair dryer and has her stereo on full as well as her TV at the same time) Unfortunately I cannot monitor anything upstairs since I can't seem to get up there without getting my ear blown off but from the readout I figured out (kind of) from the main power supply in the house, most of the power used is used in the top 2 levels of the house (which means that I use less power than everyone, somehow I feel rather proud of that fact)

final model - photos

 

Final Project - attached to dummy cover (clay brick meant to be a phone but failed)

final overview

Riach Alyssa Scented Cell Sticker

This sticker for A cell phone is made with the intention to admit a scent as you interact with it. The idea was to have the Gel the sticker is made of, react with the heat from your hands and release a pleasant smell. In theory, this could affect your mood at the time of use or just be a pleasant surprise for the user. The simple design was to add a more pleasing ascetic to the design without affecting the overall experience (having two different smells would distract the mind and defeat the purpose) Instruction Hold the dummy phone as you usually would a normal cell when using it for either texting or talking. As the sticker on the back begins to warm up from the heat of your hands it should begin to smell. If that fails or just takes too long then just lightly scratch part of the purple area and smell.

Colours

My findings with appeal of colour so far

Green - Draws attention but looks gross so not really appealing
Orange - Pale works as it's an appealing colour and matches quite a few scents
Pink - A basic bright colour used to grab attention (especially for girls) so it dose work
Purple - A bit like Pink but less girlish so it's better
White - Simple yet affective so it works well for everything (but a bit plain)
Black - Same as White but more appealing for something like a cover (it's settle)
Blue - Can work depending on design and shade
Clear - May look too simple and half baked so I'll see
Yellow - A bit like Green

Experiments

I tried to alter a concept for making fake Mucus to help as a starting point to making my final design but unfortunately it failed quite hard. I ended up making the solution too moist when I attempted to add the scent mix and because of this the product became too gooey (like putty) and I also did not think about the side effect with the chemicals used for the gel would result in the horrid soapy smell which overpowers the scent I wanted.
This experiment however is the only one so far that has set (kind of) and their fore the only successful one so far (If you can call it that)
I need to find a way to make it without the chemicals so the smell I want is the only one there while also having it set more so it's less mailable and more desirable (and less slimy)

Proposal for Project 1 of DSDN112 – Introduction to Interaction Design

I have decided to focus my design for this project on the sense of Smell and Surprise (with the aid of sight and feel)

My Idea is to create a few objects (initially it was to be out of felt and some other details since it’s nice to the touch and rather absorbent with scents) but after a discussion during my tutorial that may be a bit too simple, so I decided to focus more on what people actually expect to actually smell and what not. So I will make some objects out of different materials and implant different smells into them (some may already have a smell so I will attempt to replace that smell with something completely different and unexpected)

I’ve already begun with experiments on what smells people find pleasant and which they can’t stand and plan to use the smells that match the majority of my findings (since it would get the most out of this for everyone that tries it)

I will still do the felt idea as well as making objects without a scent smell like something totally different and present them both (or the best one most likely since I’m still not sure which will work out the best)

Storyboard (Project 1)

The storyboard to my Proposal for the first project (really bad drawings I know)

How to Make Scratch n Sniff Stickers with Jello

1. Decide on the images and associated scents that you want to use. Images of strawberry can be used for strawberry-scented stickers; pictures of lemons can be crafted into lemon-scented stickers. Go through coloring books, comics, kid's books, newspapers, magazines and other printed material.
    
2. Choose and purchase gelatin in the flavor associated with the image and scent that you decide to use for your stickers. Purchase an unsweetened drink mix in the same flavor as the gelatin.
   
   
3. Dissolve some gelatin in a cup water, following the instructions on the package. Use a paint brush to apply the gelatin and water solution to the back of the images that you selected to use.
   
4. Place them in a well-ventilated area to allow the solution time to soak in to the paper and to dry. As it dries, the gelatin will stiffen the paper, and give it the texture for use as stickers. Allow the stickers to completely dry.
   
   
5. Follow the instructions on the package of unsweetened drink mix to prepare a cup of the drink. Use a clean paint brush to apply a small amount of the prepared drink to the front surface of the sticker. Place it once again in a well-ventilated area to dry completely. Once dry, the stickers are now ready to use.
   
   
6. Use your scratch-n-sniff stickers. Apply a little water to the back of each sticker with a clean paint brush, and place your sticker on a surface of your choice. The gelatin solution will serve as the adhesive that will stick it to the intended surface. Lightly scratch the front surface of the sticker to release the scent, and sniff.
   
   
   
   

Scratch and sniff stickers

- popular in Pree-schools and early Primary as a reward for good work (usually on a little certificate)

- they usually have a smell that matches the picture or colour (apple or green sticker mostly smells like candy apple)

- sometimes (depending on the quality, brand and price of the stickers) the smell can be different (like being more real than completely artificial and sweet) which gives a different reaction/experience

- some also don't smell as expected which gives an element of surprise (it's mainly just the coloured ones though. never really those that have pictures of objects that have a scent)

Basic smells for these are usually Bubble gum (or some type of sweet candy like smell) or some type of an artificial fruit smell (really sweet to appeal to the general target)

1. Creation - The microencapsulation technology that is so vital to scratch-and-sniff products first came about as a method for creating carbon copies. Gale Matson, an organic chemist at 3M, developed the microencapsulation process in the early 1960s. With his copying process, two pieces of paper were affixed together; the top piece was for the original document, while the bottom piece was used for the copy. Tiny capsules were filled with a colorless ink and affixed to the back side of the top piece of paper. The pressure of the pen on the original would break open the capsules. The clear ink would then mix with a special developer agent on the second sheet of paper to create an exact copy of the original writing.

   Development - To apply Matson's microencapsulation technique to scents, a process was developed to break down and encapsulate scented oils. To be used in a scratch-and-sniff sticker, the various oils must be blended in a reactor with a water and polymer solution. After approximately 12 hours of blending at high speed, the oil droplets are small enough for encapsulation. Once the oil has been trapped in a tiny capsule, it is mixed with an adhesive, and applied to the surface of the scratch-and-sniff sticker.

   Use  - After the scratch-and-sniff sticker has been manufactured, it is up to the consumer to activate the sticker, releasing the scent. This is done in a fairly simple and straightforward manner. The user simply scratches the surface of the sticker. This breaks open the microcapsules, releasing the scented oil. Every scratch-and-sniff sticker is covered with countless microcapsules. Each subsequent time that the sticker is scratched, new capsules are broken open. As long as it is scratched gently, a scratch-and-sniff sticker can last for years.