Distant bodies... united personalities by Tijmen van Gurp

Lighce

Distant bodies... united personalities

B1.1 & B1.2

DPM12 Distant Bodies Light, Time, Space & Movement

Imre Cok Rincke Driessen Tijmen v. Gurp Bram Hoestra

B 1.1 & B 1.2 - Distant Bodies Lighce

Contents Frontpage

Preface

Introductions per team member General product description

Project development

Sequence of events Integration aspects

Detailed product description

Philosophy Scenario of use Technology and form Light, Time, Space, Movement

Reflection

Development Atmosphere and cooperation

Conclusion

6 14

16 24

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B 1.1 & B 1.2 - Distant Bodies Lighce

Preface For three of the four group members, the very first project of the study of Industrial Design on the University of Technology in Eindhoven was rather vaguely described. For our fourth member, even after having some experience with this study, the design case was not much clearer. This has leaded to an exciting development of a project for which lots of theses had to be formulated and explored, and which immediately required demonstration of insight in human interaction and a little spirituality. The case was described as follows: Design a product/system that allows to gather information about the activity of one person and shows related output to another person in such a way that it relieves some of the stress/ worries. Initial ideas were basically about finding a method to enable people to exchange physical impulses. They would form an addition to ordinary conversation over distance. Due to the investigation of what the essence of what lacks in long distance-communication, the aim of the project shifted. The final prototype is a device that is no longer about exchanging physical impulses, but about exchanging presences. Its aim is to make the users feel like the other person is around in some spiritual way. The essential aspect about the product is that it allows for the implementation and expression of personalities. To describe the development to this stage really quickly: from the physical impulses, the exploration followed whether a device could be found to exchange moods or emotions, of which the essence subsequently seemed to be that people long for the presence of each other.

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Preface

A couple of very important virtues have been taken along in the process of this product. The first mayor requirement for the system that we formulated is that it should not operate by interpreting body language of the users, but by simply copying it. The interpretation is a task of the users. Once the device makes a mistake, the entire communication fails. The exchange of personalities is another topic of importance. When the device does not provide the possibility of insert and show personality, it is impossible for the user to feel a proper connection. Another aspect is that this device helps the users to maintain some kind of common history. It lets them do something together when they feel the other person is around.

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Introductions per team member

Since I was sick, I missed some important parts of the development, like the midterm exhibition and some of the decisions needed to be made without me. I think this was a problem for everyone in the team, because they had to do everything with just the three of them. This is also one of the reasons why I had the idea that I wasn’t a part of the team, it didn’t felt as my own project. Luckily, in the last time this feeling has changed and my worse feeling disappeared. Even though I didn’t was there for the whole project, it feels as my own (and of course also from the others) and I can see that I am a little proud of what we have made together. The overall product development went as good as it gets, but of course there were also some disappointments and things that good have been done better. For instance, discussions could be a problem in our team, because everyone had a clear view and meaning and was in the start of the semester not ready to changes this. Later on, we learned to listen to each other and communicating went a lot easier. Another thing that slowed everything down was the idea generating itself. It was not the case that we couldn’t come up with any, unlike wise, we had too many ideas.

Preface

Imre Cok From making mood boards to making real structures and from developing my own ideas to collaborating with others in good and nice discussions, the last 4 months I learned a lot of new skills. Or developed the ones I already had. My vision about Industrial Design is right now better than ever before, thanks to the project and my helpful teammates. Even though I was sick for a long time and did miss a lot, I think that I certainly have contributed enough in the development of this project.

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Even though, the huge amount of ideas wasn’t even the biggest problem of all, but it all took a lot of time to investigate and to make or project description more clear.

Preface

I don’t see the disappointments as negative points, because after all we learned from them. Without them and without my sickness I think the product would be something whole different than right know but I don’t mind. You can also see it as new opportunities and lessons for later. I like our lamp/table a lot. Even though it is meant very serious, I think it also is a bit funny. Funny in a way of it is something new and never heard of before. Perhaps when it wasn’t made with rice but with some other structure, I would have taken it more serious. Still, the rice was the best option for us to make the device of. The most positive expect of our design is the fact that it are actually to pieces of furniture made to one. You can use it as a lamp, which looks very good in my opinion, but it can also change into a lighting table on which you can make structures and communicate with each other. I choose this project because in the beginning of this semester I was suffocating with homesickness and I would love to help with a solution to it. Even though I have no problems anymore with being far away from home and my friends, I can see how the lamp would work in practice. I can vision it. In the end I’m glad I could help with making this and I can say that I’ve learned more of it then I thought in the beginning.

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Introductions per team member

I am satisfied with the end result of the project. I think that it is a nice prototype with a subtle appearance when it is in the lamp form although it is not a small unit to have in your living room. The subtlety comes from the sweet warm light shining though the rice to the side and below. Also the natural colors, which we had chosen for, blend in the living room very well so that the lamp takes part of the environment and not that it demands all the attention to the lamp. When you change the device in the drawing position, the device goes through a transformation and I think that its appearance of warmth and integration also changes. For a start the position from where the light comes from changes. Also the warm yellow light is now a white light from the beamer. This light feels straightforward to me. Straightforward as in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey there I want to communicate with youâ&#x20AC;?. I am not only satisfied about the final prototype but also within my learning process towards the prototype. I worked with 3 very different other characters in this project. This was very good to me because it made me see how other people think about the same thing but totally in a different way. It gave me insights from a whole other perspective than in the direction that I was thinking in. Working with these different fellow students resulted in a different kind of thinking.

Preface

Rincke Driessen The Distant Bodies project was my first project during my study of Industrial Design. Before I started with Industrial Design I didn`t really knew what the study was all about but now after my first half year I got more understanding of it. The biggest factor that showed me what studying Industrial Design means was the project in which we (my group and I) went though all different kind of areas and stages to get to our final prototype.

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Preface

One of the biggest insights that I made was that Industrial Design is broad, very broad. In fact I think Industrial Design can be divided up into 10 different smaller studies. These ten different studies are the ten competency areas one has to contend with. But as an industrial designer one has to have understanding about all the competency areas and I think in this project I have seen a lot of those competency areas passing by and sometimes not realizing it. Within this project there were a lot of discussions especially in the beginning when we were still orientating our project. The most discussions were useful because it gave me (and I think the others too) a broader vision about what the project meant and which directions there were in this project and that seemed to be a lot. But after some discussions I sometimes really wanted to do something else or go somewhere else to make some decisions or get inspired of the different surroundings we were in. These different surroundings or actions helped to get our minds clear of our own thoughts and to be a bit opener towards each other. In my opinion we did this to few in the beginning. But when we finally got an idea of what the prototype should look like the discussions became less and we started more to do other things than only discussing our ideas. I, as a person, am more of a doer, instead of a thinker that talks everything over and over again. I do not think that trying to find out possible building problems before building is a bad thing to do but I think it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be too much. Tijmen and I made a good team to build the prototype. This is because we found our way in the middle of thinking and building and that resulted in the nice final prototype you might have seen on pictures or in reality. After this first half year I can conclude that I am satisfied with my first project, enjoy the report!

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Introductions per team member

Than the beginning of the second project I got the disease of Pfeiffer, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knew this until Christmas. I noticed that not everything was all right with but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knew this until Christmas. So I pushed it a bit too hard with working and when I finally noticed that I had the disease of Pfeiffer I was out working for 3 weeks, due to that I missed the final exhibition. Due to this all I decided to do only assignments for a half year. By only doing assignments I learned some extra skills but it was like stopping my study for a half year. So the beginning of this half year was for my in a whole other way new as well. In the beginning we had to learn each other, and learn how we could make decisions with each other. It was good for me to be with beginning students, because I really noticed that I already knew a lot of Industrial design which was nice to notice. And by giving them my information I sometimes took a role giving impulses in to this group for doing new things. This was also a danger, I also good be a sort of brake for the rest of the group. It is not always good to try to prevent mistakes, because you learn a lot from them, and because there is room for mistakes in a half years project. One thing I noticed in this project is that we always tend to do too much discussions and less doing. And I know that I take a big role in this, because I always want to have things too clear before beginning on something. Rincke in that fact is the total opposite of me, I think he just starts doing things and

Preface

Tijmen van Gurp For me this was not the first project because I am a B.1.2 student. Still it was like a whole new beginning for me because my history as beginning designer was a little different than regular. In my first half year I had 2 projects and not one for the whole half year. So that meant for me that in the first project you got a general idea of what designing is about, and then the second project you could begin with a fresh start.

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after or while doing he starts thinking about the problems he finds on his way. So we made a good team working together. Of course it is not so black white as I say it now, but it makes it good to understand.

Preface

This project we had at a certain point clear that we were going to do something with rice. At this time we became the rice project, and everyone recognized us as the rice group. I like how the material is integrated in our concept. When the concept started to grow our philosophy became much clearer and everything started to fit in place. It was nice to see how without totally on purpose our project started to fit perfectly in the light time space move theme. It would be good if we had developed the actual research on our communication manner further. We know that drawing in rice is attractive, we know that the effects are nice, and that it is possible. But it would have been good as we had validated the interaction more with other persons than on the TU/e. While designing you always make decisions on too little information. When at the end our vision of how the product would be was finished we worked really well with each other. Solving the practical problems we encountered went without too much talking and a lot more doing. We experimented with the rice, with camera effects, and we found some good design challenges. I dove in the program max msp jitter, until I got the hang of it, and I could make some nice video effects. Design decisions were made in a logical order, and the group came in a flow of working. Filtering out a loop was for us of a higher level. We could manage it on lower level, but for completely filter the loop there were a lot more problems than expected, and the programming would be on a higher level than we have. We managed to see possible ways of solving these problems, but there was too little time at the 11

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Introductions per team member end to actually build the software for it.

Preface

I think that in the end we managed to make our idea working. We explored some whole new fields of designing, and I think this project has a lot potential for the future. All the communication manners that already exist become more and more advanced, but none of them can gives you such a physical experience as this one.

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Introductions per team member

The Distant Bodies project made me aware of the relevance of some of the competency areas of this study. Especially the Form and Senses competency area I enjoyed dealing with, thanks also to our coach Michael Cruz. When it comes to the integration, I feel that we have been spending too little time on making and validating. The thinking part has taken a lot of time, this can definitely be executed more efficiently, but I realized that especially the envisioning part is something I enjoy and feel comfortable doing. Something that I think will definitely help executing the entire process more fluently next time is having attended some assignments. They provide for some approach for the next project, which I did not have at the start of this project.

Preface

Bram Hoestra Halfway the first year of my study at Industrial Design, I feel that this study offers lots of possibilities for me. In advance, it is hard to predict where you would finish with your first project, and I will not be satisfied if the next project I am going to do will develop just as this, but for a first project I feel that I can be satisfied. We had plenty of time to make the final prototype a lot better, but it took us a lot of time to come up with an actual design before we eventually started to build. The entire process has been very educational, however. I am really enthusiastic about having contributed to a device that deals with something more than plain information. The concept is very cute, and the thought behind it is a noble one, in my opinion. It is funny to see how the project evolved in such a way that it suited the theme Light, Time, Space and Movement more and more. Also, looking at the ideas at the beginning of the project and at those to the end, there is a vast difference visible. Not specifically because the ideas that were generated in the end of the project are better, but because they deal with more values that we considered important for our product.

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Preface

Several decisions in the development of this project have not been entirely rational. There have been moments in which we had to decide between two different options, which were equally good, but had very different implications. One of these decisions came up somewhere in the beginning of the project, after the interim presentation when we had to decide whether we wanted to explain â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;distantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in terms of physical distance or in terms of time. The reason why I voted for physical distance, besides that it could be a bigger contribution to existing methods of communication, is that it just seemed a more convenient choice for me personally, since I also live separated from loved ones. Another example was when choosing between the streamlet of water and the surface of rice. Of course, this decision is very rationally explainable, but there has definitely been some irrational factor when deciding. About the result I would like to say that I think we made a nice contribution to designing in support of exiting parts of life. With this I mean that it is a more interesting challenge for me personally working on a device that deals with dimensions in communication, but also in other parts of human life, that are nice and abstract, more difficult to comprehend in dry information. Hopefully, I will encounter more of these kinds of projects during this study. Also, I would like to express my admiration to our coach, Michael Cruz Restrepo, for showing me how to find and enjoy the parts of this study that really appeal to me, as I have had my doubts whether this study is appropriate for me. I now know it is.

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General product description

The lamps are 220 centimetres high; the lampshades are 45 by 45 by 35 centimetres and are formed by an external wooden structure with rice behind light emitting surfaces in between. The lamps hang from grey steel posts which stand on boxes. In these boxes, there are projectors which project the pattern created by the other user on the surface of rice when the product is activated. For the final design, multiple aspect have been taken into consideration: the form of the product needed to be integrated into the living room of the users, it had to be supporting to the entire experience this project is aimed at, therefore perform a dramatic transformation and of course be usable in terms of correct heights and sizes. For the form a moodboard expressing the atmosphere in a particular kind of living room was used for inspiration. The transformation element of this project eventually became both a physical transformation as a transformation with light. This method ensures that the attention of the users will be captured and contributes to the experience of presence. Not just when the product becomes activated, but also the activating by the first user. This user has to perform a task which is then imitated by the other user. Once the users realize this, the moment of the lamp being activated feels like the first user opens it up for the other.

Preface

In the living rooms of two persons that are very close to each other, be it friends or lovers or relatives, there stand two identical lamps. It is visible that the top parts, with the light bulbs, consist of two parts; the bottom part can be separated from the rest. All plain surfaces of the lampshade contain rice. The bottom part of the lampshade can be pulled downwards and the pattern of rice on the bottom surface can be changed. There is another option to the lamps. When one user pulls the bottom part of his or her lamp down the same part of the other lamp moves down as well. The light bulbs are switched off, and the patterns of rice are lit from underneath, showing the pattern the other user created.

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Preface

The prototype for the exhibition can be used for the demonstration of the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functionalities, but is not fully operational as the eventual product will turn out to be. One of the mayor difficulties in this project is that the projected pattern also gets monitored, thus creating a loop-effect which is solvable in some time with complicated software, but not in the amount of time that is available for first yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bachelors. Also, it would become too expensive to use really small projectors so the boxes on the bottom side of the devices are bigger than they will become. Apart from this, more complicated systems could be used instead of projectors and webcams.

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Project development Sequence of events Start of the project to interim presentation The entire brainstorming and idea generating phase has taken a lot of time in this project. The formulation of the project has been rather vague; at least there was a lot of room for interpretation. Inexperienced as this group was, different approaches were tried, whereas the values of physical distant communications werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t explored immediately. After several coach meetings, towards the interim presentation we started to explore and map the steps undertaken in communication. Based on this form, we formulated three concepts that differed from each other by the different steps that were taken through this format. A bit of the values that were eventually formulated was also part of these concepts. The differentiation between the concepts was that one of them was based on distance between people in time, another on physical distance and the third was based on one person being unaware of the fact that he or she was feeding information. In the mean time, certain values of the concept of physical communication became clear. One example is that devices should not be allowed to

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Proejct development

interpret the physical communication. It can be altered, but not in a way that it is not interpretable. The value of human interpretation of body language is of course that it can be misinterpreted. When a person does that, it is a human mistake, which is considered affordable, since humans make these mistakes all the time. However, when the device fails to interpret human body activity, the things it communicates are wrong, and therefore the entire design fails.

Interim presentation to midterm exhibition After the interim presentation, the choice had to be made whether the distance as stated in the project description would be interpreted as physical distance, or distance in time. The concepts were considered equally challenging. Of course, physical distance provided the technical challenge; distance in time was more challenging because it was harder to actually add a dimension to the communication between the two persons. The idea was that deeds would tell a lot more that texts or anything in the idea of distance in time, but how the create a product that works on that system seemed a challenge. It took quite a lot of time before eventually this decision was made.

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The following generated concepts were therefore based on making the users feel the presence of each other, even though they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close to each other at all. Out of a large quantity of concepts, eight of them were picked to develop further for the midterm exhibition. After another coach meeting, however, the decision was made to only work with one single general concept, and present several options based on that concept. This basic concept came from the idea of a waterfall.

Proejct development

The eventual choice fell on the physical distancescenario. The reason for this was that we felt that this is a bigger contribution to the existing culture because there is a number of ways for people living in the same building to physically communicate already, whilst there is not any way of enabling physical communication over physical distance. This also leaded to the notion of the importance of the concept of physical communication. The reason that a product that enables such a thing is an addition to common kinds of communication is that the existing kinds all make it possible to transmit a specific kind of information that lacks a dimension of usual conversation. It is possible to transmit information in the shape of texts (like text messaging, e-mails), sounds (telephones, Skype) and video. These kinds of information are ways to keep track of each other. But of course being physically separated creates a miss that is hard to express in words, and therefore impossible to solve through common ways of communication.

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In the mean time, the realization began that the technical aspect could become a big challenge. The opinions of the people judging the project varied about what the best choice of direction was. There were five general concepts: with water, the concepts varied between a streamlet that was being manipulated in such a way that user found it matching his mood best, and water streaming over a surface that could be touched and of which the effect created was imitated at the other device. These motions could either be tracked and saved or imitated at the very moment one person was using it. Another material we used was rice. The concepts in this category were pouring the rice by a jug of which the motions were recorded to make another jug perform the same movements, and two simple bowls of rice that could be played with, of which the results of the interactions were imitated.

Proejct development

Around this concept, a philosophy was created and expressed during the midterm exhibition. In order to create the feeling of presence of two persons who are physically separated, a flow of water or another substance is contributing because of the movement. People can experience another personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence when he or she is actually moving. Thereby, a currency creates another sensation when touched than a nonmoving object.

Midterm exhibition to end of project After the midterm exhibition, the choice was to be made whether we wanted to continue with rice or water. Also, making this decision cost some time. Eventually, with the feedback of the midterm exhibition in mind, the choice was made to continue this project with the manipulation of rice as the main theme. 21

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So, for the first user, the device has to be inviting to interact with. Creating a pattern in a layer of rice on a flat surface is a proper method, not just because it is fun to draw or play with, but because it creates a pattern that is easily recognizable and projectable. That has also been the main reason for the choice of rice over water. Yet, this concept is not some kind of compromise to make it easier for us. The fact that the material interacted with is just a thin layer, makes it easier for people to realize that what they are doing is visible for the other person and thus strengthens the connection between them.

Proejct development

Our main goal has been to create a communication system that makes it possible for two separated individuals to feel the sensation of experiencing the physical presence of each other. In this perspective, rice seemed to be preferable over water. The basic structure is that users use a common but flexible kind of material to express themselves. The material has to have to possibility to be put in many various shapes, and be enjoyable to interact with. In this way one substance provides for the expression of the personalities of many.

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Proejct development

When it comes to a single layer, however, one can ask why the material should still be rice. The reason we stick to it at this moment is because it is possible to create simple patterns with it, it feels nice, it is more easily containable than for example sand and the effects with light are very nice. The last argument is a very important one. The effect that is created when rice is lit from underneath is that it seems to be glowing. Therefore, when one person sees a pattern of lit up rice, it actually seems that the pattern created by another person becomes part of the material the first person uses. This also enhances the effect of the feeling of presence. It seems some kind of magical. For the feeling of presence of someone, actually touching is not specifically necessary. The other senses can contribute to that as well. We chose for the visual thing because a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality is best registered out of a visual reproduction. An important thing to keep in mind is that of course a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood is interesting to communicate, but such a thing can be communicated through traditional ways as well. The explanation for this is that moods are not specifically unique, while personalities are. Everyone has particular moods, and these moods are expressed by - culturally influenced gestures. Of course every person expresses their moods in a slightly different way, and therefore it is possible to distinguish between people, but the reason for all differences is the personality. When it comes to sending and receiving sounds, the voice characteristics tell a lot, but that is not what we want to transmit. This device is being designed using a flexible material as a bridge for the transferring of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence. The sound of rice being interacted with can function as the trigger to walk to and use the device, but a clear personality is not comprehensible out of the sound. 23

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Basically what is being done is triggering specific senses in such a way that a kind of sense for the feeling of presence is being activated.

Proejct development

Integration was the next step in the project. For a place the device would stand the living room was picked. A couple of moodboards expressing different atmospheres in living rooms were created, as a guideline for the form of the product. The meaning of light in the specific kind of living room is very big. Thereby, a product such as this can only be integrated in a living room when it has a particular kind of function when not in use. Since there is already the glowing effect of rice when it is being lit and because the entire perception of a living room can shift greatly when the lights are adjusted, the product is being formed into a kind of lamp. Most of the light in living rooms comes from above eye height. This has a calming effect, because the light does not shine directly into the eyes and shades become tinier. Thereby, people are used to light coming from above since this is where light comes from when there is no artificial light. The final result of the design process is that the lightshade has an external wooden structure and all surfaces in between are covered with rice. The design suggests that the bottom and upper parts can be separated, yet also are parts of a whole. The form of the lamp does not imply that it is actually a communication device, but is does show some mysteriousness. Thereby, there no relevance in expressing that the device is about communication, since it is more about experiencing each other, rather than having a conversation.

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Proejct development

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Integration aspects

2 Exploring: Thanks to a couple of coach meetings, some essential values were formulated. From this point on, the sketches and generated ideas began to be more concrete and applied. Thanks to the communication format it became possible to define differences between concepts and choose a direction that suited our style. 3 Envisioning: After having developed a couple of concepts a little deeper for the interim presentation, another bunch of values came up that also functioned as guidelines for the further development of our product. 4 Thinking & 5 Envisioning: From the interim presentation, a lot of feedback was assembled. The essence was that it was time to make a choice. This proved to be rather difficult for the group. Each group member wrote their own ideas about what choice to make, but in the end there was no clear preference. Eventually, the one decisive factor was that the distance in space-concept would be a more dramatic addition to existing methods of communication. 6 Thinking: Once again, some fear for making a definite choice slowed the progress down. Interference from the coach brought the development back on track. The chosen concept was in favour among the selected concepts beforehand, so this was an educational moment. At some time, a decision can be made and the concept can be explored instead of more thinking on the same level. 7 Making, validating, envisioning: The midterm exhibition was used to receive more feedback and to validate the concepts as developed until that moment. Also, first prototypes and material studies were made. For each direction

Project development

Explanation per phase 1 Thinking: This Distant Bodies project was initiated by generating ideas from different approaches in brainstorms. This meant that lots of key words were written down and lots of sketches were made.

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within the concepts, different approaches were explored and validated from the feedback of experts and other students.

9 Envisioning: Most of the virtues and values that are important for this project were assembled and formulated at this stage. Also, setups for reflection were initiated. For the report and the final presentation the philosophy was formulated.

Project development

8 Thinking: For the third time in this project, a dilemma was proving difficulty. As it turns out it sometimes costs time to assemble all arguments in order to take a well defendable decision. Luckily this time there was no argument among the group. After gaining experience from similar situations, this choice was taken a lot more fluently.

10 Making: The final prototype was assembled. Some discussion about the form needed to be overcome, but the basic structure and final functioning of the product were determined smoothly.

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Implications from the integration process

For each group member, in order to improve for the next project, it is convenient to realize that shifting between the stages of integration more quickly can support a more rapid development. However, since most team members started from nothing, it is difficult to apply any other stage of the integration process than thinking. Also, the project description is pretty vague. There was no targeted user group, no scenario to hang on to, which required some decisions to be made before the project could actually be initiated.

Making The final prototype and also the prototypes that were made during the project do not show great technical ingenuity. There has been a lot of time invested in getting the software running to solve the problem of the loop-effect. Several techniques, such as welding, woodworks and some programming were applied. For some team members this meant acquiring some new skills. Some important aspect about the making stage is that is delivered quite some satisfaction. Once something was actually attempted it brought along more positive perspectives than endless talking. It also enlightened the spirits because once the testing prototypes were finished, the reactions of other students and passengers were very positive. Once again, without any knowledge in advance about what this project would eventually look like, it is difficult to tell what kinds of knowledge needed to be assembled. Therefore, once it was time to build, not the greatest could be applied.

Proejct development

Thinking To the end of the project, it turned out that each group member had acquired some skill in making the thinking process run more smoothly. Working from a certain point of view as generated by envisioning activities also helps in this process. An advantage from lots of thinking as an approach is that it becomes easier to formulate and defend decisions that are made. However, it is not an easy method to gain inspiration and it takes a lot of time without tangible results.

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Exploring was applied more. Some materials were tested, prototypes were tested and adjusted, and in the beginning of the project a format was created to map ways of communication. These explorations have proven to be very useful and improved the quality of the final result. For coming projects that is also an important aspect to bring along.

Proejct development

Exploring and validating Because a specific user group was chosen very late, and without skills in the area of for example user focus and perspective, the process of validating was not applied as smooth as possible. Based on questionnaires among students and experts, decisions about the design were taken. An actual targeted user test was not applied.

Envisioning With a project that is so undefined in advance, it is necessary to explore and find values of the kind of area you are working in. A lot of essential aspects of the design therefore came from our coach, and from encountering items when philosophizing. The user tests in this case confirmed the statements we formulated in advance. This development is not a very regular one. Usually the designer encounters important aspects while testing a product, because it can be fine tuned to the users even better. In the case of this project, it was important to thoroughly work on the definitions of the values in order to adjust the design to these statements. The expertise of the coach and other experts, as well as lots of philosophizing formed the most important source of working information for the process of the design. The project developed in such a way that lots of valuable data could be won now that the semester has finished. Interesting studies in this case are mainly kind of spiritual and do not seem to be very suitable for a university of technology. This is also something that made the project very interesting. Based on a lot of empathizing and some user tests among students, a cautious conclusion could be formulated that the final design of this project could very well be a success.

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Detailed product description Philosophy Often, people who are closely connected such as family, friends or in a relationship get separated. Not because their relationship stops, but because they have to be at different places for some time. The longer this time is, the bigger the miss of each others’ presence will become. Modern communication systems provide for the possibility to ‘keep in touch.’ This is based on the exchange of information in the shape of texts. They can become more vivid by voice emphasizing and expressions can be monitored by webcams or video calls. However, there is no popular existing method for the exchange of some physical presence of each other. It is of course impossible to exchange any other thing than information in the current era, but with the right kind of input and output, the combination of expressed information can lead to the users’ perception of the feeling of presence of another person. This is the idea the Lighces project is based on. In order to create this feeling, it was necessary to wonder which aspects of human interaction contribute to the generation of this feeling. This is how the product works: one person physically expresses his state-of-being into a neutral matter. In this case of course that is the surface containing the rice. This state-of-being can be a person’s mood, thoughts or anything that is difficult to express in words. The possibility for a person to express it is essential because it is the way to capture a person’s personality. What happens next is that the pattern that the first person created is being expressed in the same matter the second user uses to express his or her personality. Important to keep in mind is that it is not just some physical presence that must be transmitted, but the specific personality of the users.

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A big trap when trying to create the possibility to exchange presences is trying to make a device that reads and interprets human body language. Of course, body language is often misinterpreted, but those mistakes are human, and part of all communication among humans. A misinterpretation from the device itself is unacceptable, though. The device has been designed for people to exchange their personalities flawlessly, leaving room for human misinterpretations, as happens in ordinary life. Therefore, the general structure of the device is based on a matter that people can implement their moods or any kind of thought in – in a rather abstract way – and this implementation is being imitated as precisely as possible. The main goal of this device is not to exchange information. What is being expressed is expressed through information, but essentially all this information leads to the experience of awareness of each others’ presence, not any particular kind of thing that needs to be said.

Detailed product description

This is of great help of course, since any kind of ‘physicalization’ will now be expressed under the criteria that the first user creates by implementing his or her state-of-being, and thus the personality, into the device. Controversial as it may sound, there is not a single part of the human body that is being transmitted. The impression that is left behind by the first user is basically a negative print of the physical impression of his personality. The personality is of such importance because the second user must experience the presence of a particular person, not just some physical presence.

One thought in the process of the design development was that a continuously moving thing contributes to the idea of presence of another person. The phenomenon of movement never left the design, but is not implemented in the way that was previously thought to be suitable. There is of course no presence of any kind if there is no movement. Thereby, a continuous movement such as a waterfall has a kind of calming effect. It is always there, so as soon as one user links the waterfall to another person the continuousness of the waterfall will stand for the other person being there always. However, the concept of a waterfall seemed not suitable enough to use for the exchange of personalities. As stated earlier, by enabling users to leave a negative of their physical expression of personality a neatly recognizable pattern is created for the other user. The advantage 31

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Detailed product description

of a waterfall is that the interactions with it could be displayed in real time. However, the development of a pattern in rice can also be displayed, and it is the final result that expresses most personality. The Lighces were created in order to support communication between closely connected persons. They add a dimension to conventional communication by creating the possibility for two individuals to physically express their personalities to each other. However, a product such as this must not be too intrusive when not in use. Thereby, the device has better functionality when it changes status at the moment it is being used. Like usually, people are aware of each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; physical presences when they are close to each other, so that is where this project was aimed at. When the users feel the need of each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presence they can activate their product. The product changes shape: from being integrated in the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; living rooms to a product that attracts attention and gives the impression that the other person suddenly is close.

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Scenario of use

In the evenings, the Lighce can be used as a lamp. The light bulb will glow when the bottom part, that contains the surface on which the pattern of rice can be adjusted, is attached to the upper part. To switch the light off, the student moves the bottom part slightly downwards. At the moment this part is being pulled downwards all the way, the conversation modus is activated. The surface of the product of the parents then also drops down. In both places, the lights have now shifted from the lightshade into the surface containing the rice, as the pattern from the other Lighce is being projected on the surfaces from underneath.

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An example of how people with a strong bond get separated is when a child starts a study abroad. It is very possible to keep in contact using the internet nowadays, but when people have become so used to the feeling that familiar people are around, the presences of the parents or the child will be missed. Provided that the student studies in about the same time zone, the effects of the Lighce can comfort the users when they feel they long for each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presences.

The parents and the students can now adjust their patterns as they want to. The information they create by this is transmitted to the other user. Because it is such an abstract form of exchanging information, they will recognize each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personalities rather than messages that are sent when communicating with a cell phone or via common conversation media on the internet. The Lighce is modelled in such a way that it can be integrated neatly in a living room. This causes the product not to form a kind of disturbance when not in use as a personality

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exchange-device, and contributes to the feeling of the entrance of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical presence when it is activated.

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The form of the Lighce suggests that the different parts are all parts of a whole, but users also recognize that the bottom part can be used for something else than just as a light shade. The shift in light is generated in such a way that it sheds a different light through the entire room, attracting attention and inviting to use the device. Either the student or the parents then feel the presence of something or someone. Once they recognize each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personalities in the patterns of rice, they can feel like they are close to each other again.

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Technical description Detailed product description

Technology and form An important problem to overcome in this problem was that the projected images needed to be configured in order to reach the best functionality. These configurations are rather difficult because of several challenges, such as having to bypass a loop effect. After having consulted an expert, the editing programme Max MSP with the video extension called Jitter was chosen. Using tutorials, this programme was mastered up to a level that adequate manipulations could be performed. After another expert meeting, the decision was made that for the remainder of the project, the projector and beamer could not be placed next to each other for a proper functionality. The structure of the lamp post, lightshade and the surface containing rice were put together with the knowledge about where the projector and webcam would be placed. Thereby some aesthetic aspects were taken into account. The Loop Problem First user testing showed that when the image of other person was being projected next to the surface of rice, the users were more concerned with their own patter than the pattern the other one was creating. The concept was considered to be nice, but did not seem to have the desired effect of bringing the users closer to each other. Because of this, the idea arrived to project the images not on a screen, but on the actual patterns of rice. Like this, the users would adapt their own patterns to the one of the other person, and therefore bring them closer together. Also, the entire system would become more of a whole. This loop effect is also known as the Drosteeffect. This is defined as: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A visual form of

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Max MSP & Jitter A theory about how to adjust the images to be able to filter them away was using different colours. The hypothesis was that when projecting in one certain colour a placing a physical colour filter in front of the camera, the camera would only register the drawn pattern while the user still sees the image created by the other person in this particular colour. However, tests showed that this method was not successful, as the projected image was still captured by the camera. Therefore, a more thorough kind of software approach was necessary. Because we did not know what kind of software or other tools we could use for this problem a meeting was planned with ir. P. (Philip) Mendels. Philip is a member of the department Designing Quality in Interaction (DQI). He knows a lot about software that

Detailed product description

recursion known as the Droste-effect. The woman in this image is holding an object which contains a smaller image of her holding the same object, which in turn contains a smaller image of herself holding the same object, and so forth.â&#x20AC;? The problem about it is that the monitored image from one surface now also contained the image of the other surface. This creates such a loop effect that it becomes impossible to tell which pattern belongs to which surface. Thereby, the patterns are not distinguishable. In order to solve this problem, a piece of software could be created that distinguishes the projected images from the drawn image.

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could help us. He gave us a list of programming languages which could apply video editing on live images. These are vvvv, processing and Max MSP in combination with Jitter, and a couple of similar programs. He pointed out that we just had to test these programs, and see which one would be most appropriate. Detailed product description

Afterward these programs and their capabilities were tested. We decided to build our filter in Max MSP because it seemed the most suitable programme for live video manipulation. Thereby it was easily learnable because of built-in tutorials, references and examples. Max MSP is programming software in which you can program all different kinds of interactive `surroundings.` These surroundings can be audio, video or similar media. Max MSP is constructed in such a way that it visualizes the manipulations you are inserting. Different (text) balloons stand for different functions and when you connect the balloons in a certain order by drawing lines between them, generating various outcomes. By connecting the right functions in the right order the right manipulation will follow. Jitter is the video manipulation extension of Max MSP. It can only be used for the manipulation of videos. Video manipulation is a matter of calculating values of all the different pixels on the screen. In Jitter, a screen is considered a grid of pixels called a matrix. The appearance of a single pixel is defined by a combination of colour values - red, green and blue (RGB) - and the alpha value, which defines the quantity of light emitted. All the values of these channels are in a range from 0 to 255. If a pixel has the value (40,250,0,0) it becomes dark red. Having understood that a matrix exists out of 4 planes (ARGB), which hold the numerical information of the pixels in the screen, we can do some calculations or changes to it.

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Detailed product description An example of a programming block in detail Earlier it was stated that a Matrix contains four planes, each with its own value. The programming block above basically splits one matrix that consists of four planes into four separated matrixes that contain just one plane, and assembles the matrixes again after having executed a calculation over each of them. The building blockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calculations start in the upper left corner with the object jit.unpack. This object splits the 4 plane-matrix into four single-plane matrixes. The first dot underneath the jit.unpack object goes directly to the jit.pack object. This is because we no alpha channel manipulation is desired but only the red, green and blue channels. The next three dots are for the red, green and blue channel. The RGB dots are connected to 3 different matrixes of which you can see the grey value of the colours. Each matrix than is connected to a jit.op object with the attribute (@) and an operator (*). The operator then multiplies the incoming values in the left input with the values

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incoming in the right input. Matrixes only operate with values between 0 and 255. Any value above or under these values will simply be considered either 0 when it is under, or 255 when it is over these values. This means that calculations are only effective with 0 or 1.

Finally the different planes are combined by the jit.pack object. This jit.pack object then gives its output to a final matrix with 4 planes. The outcome is a yellowish screen, because blue is eliminated.

The way the filter currently operates

Detailed product description

In this case the red and the green matrix are multiplied with 1, so in fact all nothing has changed to the output. The blue channel is multiplied with 0, which has the effect that this channel is eliminated.

The filter used on the exhibition exists of the four parts shown above. The left block imports the video input, with the options to change the input device, stop the video and see the frame rate. The second block from the left contains a BrCoSa object, which makes it possible to change the brightness, contrast and saturation. The values of these aspects do not have a numerical limit. The third block enables filtering out a specific colour using a colour picker screen or by changing values. The right block makes it possible to filter out a specific colour range which is exactly what we need for the functioning

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of the device in order to make the rice patterns visible. Like this, it is possible to project the drawn pattern in such a way that it results in a well-recognizable pattern when projected on rice.

Development of the form The design of the lamp was to be fine-tuned to have the physical transformation supported by a shift in light. All we now had to do was to find the right shape and form for the device. This was easier said than done because it had to blend into a living room and we had to all be satisfied about the form. To find a final design several approaches were tried. One of them was creating 3D models. Various methods of sketching were used to find the most suitable form. It became clear that the device had to consist of a lightshade, a movable surface and a box containing the projector. The form had to suggest that these parts are all part of a whole, yet have different functions as well.

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With this filter, a suitable projection can be created, but it is not possible yet to bypass the loop effect. Therefore another expert meeting with dr.ir. P.R. (Philip) Ross was planned. He had encountered a similar problem working on an interactive lamp he developed. He used yet another extension of Max MSP, called Cyclops. This is used for the analysis and tracking live video in real time. It analyzes each frame of the captured video in real-time. It then divides the image area in a grid of rectangular zones and analyzes the greyscales, threshold, motion difference and colour differences of these zones. After the calculations Cyclops gives an output that can be used to trigger any programme built in Max MSP. The problem about this method for the case of this project is that an enormous raster would have to be built because of the highly detailed screen. Philip Ross for example had a raster of 3 by 3 zones. This already contained a big amount of calculations, and the patch existed out of many objects. Such an approach would be too complicated for this project. Not just because of the pattern of rice, but also because the camera is situated above the surface containing the rice, which means the hand will create disturbances. It should be possible to create pattern recognition software in order to bypass the dodge effect, but for this project any plausible method is too complex and too expensive.

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Detailed product description

When all restrictions were defined we started to make small cardboard models on scale to see and feel how the device would look like. To make it really clear we made a small man on scale to see if the size of the object was good. After this we found our preference of the shape. The find the correct size a sketching programme called Google Sketch-up was used. Different sketches of the same form but of various sizes were compared to human proportions. With this comparison we could choose a size that fitted and is in right proportion with the human body. This was important to us because the product should be pleasant to work with and the lamp should feel nice to have in your surroundings. Choice of materials We chose to make a structure of steel because it is strong enough to hold the weight of the lightshade and the tablet with the rice as well as subtle as it can be slimmer than most other materials when having to create a structure that holds the same mass. The result of this is that the attention is being drawn to the separate parts instead of the post. We chose to use wood for the other parts, because it has a neutral colour, and it fits in the kind of living room we chose. We chose a kind of wood that is lightweight and has a light colour and is easy to shape. The surface on which the light lays had to emit light and be strong enough; therefore a logical choice of material was Plexiglas. We also chose for Plexiglas because the surface has a nice feeling. Because we used Plexiglas for the table it was a logical choice to make the light out of the same materials for consistency. We chose rice because the feeling of rice in your hand is almost addicting. You can let your thoughts come while drawing with this material. It also has excellent qualities in combination with light. The rice seems to be glowing when shone upon. Thereby, the difference in thickness of the rice gives a nice contrasting picture when light is shining trough. Everyone can draw but people tend to be shy of what they create, but while drawing in rice you can easily change your masterpiece, or with one flick of your hand fade it away. 41

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Detailed product description

Also the parts are a little rough so that your drawing canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be that precise. We also think the sound of rice is good to hear. When it falls down and hits a surface it moves unpredictable, because the shape is not perfectly round. We also repeated rice in the lamp because it divides the light nicely trough the room. Thereby, the table part and the lightshade form two parts of a whole.

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Detailed product description

Integration To the end of the project, the product was refined in such a way that it contributes to the desired experience as much as possible. Since the product became a still-standing design, it needed to be fitted into an area in which the users would want to use the design. The living room is therefore appropriate. It is a place where people meet and interact, instead of places in the house where they do private things, such as bedrooms or the bathroom. Each living room is different from the others; therefore a couple of moodboards expressing the atmosphere in different kinds of living rooms were created. Inspired by one of them, the final design suits the place where it stands as it is simple, contains no flashy colours or materials and suits patterns that can generally be found in the living rooms of our choice. The patterns consist of simple combination of horizontal and vertical lines and plain surfaces. However, sometimes these patterns are broken by some less sober item, in the case of our design, the rice redeems this task. Also, before the integration in the form of a lamp came up, ideas for the design were generally in the form of a solid table. As the design process continued, the lamp became a slender item, looking less massive. Therefore, it suits most living rooms better. On a regular day, lots of users are not at home during the afternoon. Generally, people work in the mornings and afternoons, and spend evenings at home. The integration part of the design is based on this. The lamp of the design can be switched on and off by attaching the bottom part of the lampshade, which contains the rice, to the upper part or moving it just slightly downwards. The lamp has been designed in such a way that it suggests that the bottom and upper parts are parts of a whole, yet also that they fulfil different kinds of tasks.

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Detailed product description

Transformation The Lighces have been designed to transform on the moment of activation. The goal of this transformation is to make the user become aware of the device in a different way as it fulfils another task. The integration of the product is to be broken so that the user sees the product stand out of the room, just as another person would. Assuming that the product is being used in the evenings, at one moment the device functions as an ordinary standing lamp, shedding light from above eyesight. Once activated, the surface containing rice drops down to a height which is comfortable for interaction with the hands when standing in front of the device. The light bulb is deactivated, and the surface lights up as the pattern created by the first user is being projected on the surface of the other person. This means that the light comes from a height that is below eyesight, which makes the entire device more mysterious since people are used to light coming from above. This mysteriousness contributes to the Lighces being some kind of temple: a place where people can reach something or someone that cannot be reached outside of it.

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Light, Time, Space, Movement

Light There are three important aspects of the product that have to do with light. There is of course the projection of one pattern on the other side in light. The consequences of this projection are firstly attracting attention, then there is of course the ability for the second user to recognize the pattern, and finally it has a mysterious and atmosphere enriching effect. Light is one of the main reasons for the decision to use rice as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;conversation material.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; With rice, it is possible to create a pattern for oneself, but it also emits light in such a way that it is visible what the other person created as well. Another aspect of the product in the category of light is the shift within the product. In order to create the important effect of seeing the table transform, the light shifts from above eye height to underneath this height. This is the kind of change that creates a great transformation using a simple method. It puts the table, so to speak, in a different light.

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During the development of the project, it became more and more clear how much it suits the theme it was placed in. The triggering of human senses by the Lighces is closely connected to each of the four aspects of the theme.

Then there is the light of the room the product stands in. For this project, we decided we wanted to create a product for a living room with neutral tones in colour. This means that the effect of lamps and the lights coming from the window are very influential. Based on this situation, most decisions

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for the aesthetics of the Lighces were made. The tables were designed to be integrated in the room as smoothly as possible. In this way, the transformation seems more dramatically. At one point, the table is a simple piece of furniture and suddenly it stands out.

Another view on time is the time of the day. This is also interesting in relation to light. There are huge amounts of scenarios thinkable for two persons being physically separated. There is of course the possibility that they are in different time zones, which could mean that the time of the day on which the Lighces are used is different for each user. A less dramatic variation is that the users live in the same country and the same time zone but in different houses. In that scenario the users are working with the product in the same state of day. This means not just the same numbers on the clock, but also in some time they are at home, like after work. Most plausible users will live in the same rhythm, so eat at roughly the same times etcetera. And of course the light outside will be the same. In the evening, when habitants use artificial light instead of sunlight from the windows, the transformation of the product will be most dramatic. Besides this, the time of day the used for relaxation is of course the moment most people will feel the miss of each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence. Space Already some things were mentioned about space in the texts about light and time. This emphasizes the correlation between the categories of the theme. When the devices are approached from the perspective of space, it comes down to the room in which they stand. The implications related to this have

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Time When the decision was made to create a product for people that are separated over physical distance of distance in time, this category of the theme seemed to become less relevant. However, there are of course numbers of ways we perceive time. In the case of this concept, when in use, is being manipulated somewhat simultaneously by the two users. The Lighces do contain the possibility to leave a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;message,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; so that some time passes before the second user receives it.

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Also it was taken into consideration where the users would be at the moment of their biggest urge for physical presence. The living room is a place where people meet each other, rather than private rooms or at another place than the house. It is also the place where they can generally be expected to be around during the evenings, because it is the place where most people have dinner.

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been two directional. In order to pick the kind of space it was necessary to work from a user perspective, but the definitions of the room in our scenario have also been dependant of the ideal functionality of the device. So, the eventual target room has become the living room in the houses of the users. Of course, there are many ways of decorating a living room; therefore we defined the general atmosphere of the room to be created by patterns of geometrical shapes, simple colours, and no specific dominating aspect like a pattern of flowers or one colour. The reason for this comes from the approach of the form of the product. This form was not defined at the moment of the decision, so that we eventually could adapt it to the atmosphere of the room as we expressed it by a moodboard, but to make the transformation aspect of the product work as well as possible, the living room in which the Lighce will be placed must allow for it.

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When communicating over distance like on the phone, people still move and show facial expressions related to the conversation even though the other person cannot see them. The Lighces allow for a way of expressing the essence of these things, but leaving the dry information usually exchanged out. Once again, this is not a product to replace common kinds of communication, but to form an addition to them.

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Movement Movement has been an important keyword throughout the project. Physical interaction is impossible without movement. It is not just the moving of a substance by the first user that makes this concept work, but the noticing of the movement in the rice. Why movement is such a decisive factor is explained by the impressions of personalities. An object standing still does not express personality as much as when a person is moving. The physical appearance of a person defines the kind of presence that people will miss when separated from each other. Postures, walks and gestures contribute to that.

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Detailed product description

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Reflection Development Orientation phase A design case which is rather vaguely described requires a lot of orientation. Lots of approaches were tried to find a useful concept. Initial concepts were aimed at enabling the exchange of physical impulses. The designs for this were not very satisfying, although what was lacking could not be formulated. A breakthrough in this situation came when a couple of designs were appreciated, and based on these designs a scheme was developed to use as a proper approach for selecting concepts. Some of the first main values were developed, partially thanks to the development of the scheme. From this point on, designs were created that contained more draft. For future projects, it is very convenient to realize that it is very important to find a proper approach. The most important thing, however, is to try and dig deeper into concepts that may have some value to them. Especially in the beginning of the project, it is possible to go back after a wrong decision was made. It took this group a lot of time before concepts were explored at deeper level. Design phase Once the choice was made to work with the concept of distance in space, the concepts produced changed of essence. Still, lots of sketches were made without a lot of depth, but it was visible that the purpose of the designed devices had changed. The emotional side of the product became more important. There were still some differences of opinions in the group, but mainly they were related to less important things than the big picture. In order to start working out some concepts, the most promising ones were selected. Before the midterm exhibition, one main direction was chosen, and a couple of possibilities about it were explored. The midterm exhibition itself was used

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to find the most promising concept. Looking back at the first phases of the project, it can be said again that it could have been very fruitful to further develop a couple of concepts. Once one of them was picked, the development of the project was increased in speed. One of the first user tests immediately was very promising. Reflection

Design evolution The combination of two tables with surfaces containing rice and two projectors to exchange created patterns promised a nice perspective. Still, the concepts had to be finalized. Once again, lots of sketches were made, but they could not tell everything about the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functionalities. In order to find the most suitable form, small models were made, and soon after that, a steel post that would form the structure for the lamp was made. In terms of the form, there was still a lot of discussion. In the end, there had not been any more time to make anything better than the final result. Therefore, it could have been helpful to have started building earlier. The form of the device became important as it contributes so much to the experience of the user. It had to fit into the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; living rooms, and to get this far took quite some discussion. Yet, something more important to take into account for the next project is that creating a basic concept and starting to work on it may be a lot less efficient than first finishing a concept entirely and then make a planning for the construction. Prototyping Some newly acquired skill for some of the group members is knowledge about video editing with software. For the final prototype, lots of evenings were spent in the faculty and Vertigo, since time was running out. The prototype now consists of a construction of steel, wood, Perspex and of course rice. Software running through the projector and webcams has been written by group members. The prototype shows choices for specific colours, shapes and sizes as the group considered appropriate to suit a living room. Thereby, it resembles lots of philosophizing.

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It must be possible, when bringing along all gained knowledge of this project and assignments of the last half year, to work towards a prototype of higher quality in the next project. The final result of this project does show potency and promises for more goods to come. Reflection

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Atmosphere and cooperation Reflection

Team building activities Before the beginning of the project, nobody knew any of the other group members, apart from Rincke and Tijmen figuring out they went to the same secondary school. In order to get to know each other, each member told a bit about him or herself, enjoying a drink on a terrace. Somewhere halfway the project, each member discussed their feelings about the others in a conversation of a couple of hours. From that moment, there was better understanding among the team members. Furthermore, it has been tried to organize a game of laser quest with other teams, and there have been some visits to each others’ homes. When time began to run out, lots of evenings and dinners were spent at the faculty. Comparison In the beginning of the project, there were three students without any specified vision on how to design or to work in this study. It took some time before the group members could think in the same directions as the others. Throughout the entire project, there have been a couple of discussions. The difference between them is that the discussions in the beginning of the project could easily have been avoided, and later discussions were simply necessary. To the end of the project, each team member knew how to interact with the others and each person’s capacities. Overall experience In comparison to other first year’s groups, the development of this group has not been extremely dramatic. Due to personal circumstances and illness, some of the group members have been set back a couple of times. Nobody dropped out, however, and in the end everybody has been willing to work hard for the others. There were no undesired proportions, and when difficult situation appeared, it was talked about.

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The cooperation was often very clear, and the team used all membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capacities well. There has been lots of laughter and fun, perhaps a little bit too much of video games, but furthermore, the ratio between work and private activities has been very good. Reflection

B 1.1 & B 1.2 - Distant Bodies Lighce

Conclusion This Distant Bodies project has yielded a prototype that represents a philosophical approach to case that leaves a huge amount of options open. The initial goal, to develop a product that relieves stress about the well-being of a distant person, has been transformed into to developing a device that can assist to bring people actually physically together. From trying to develop a device to transmit physical impulses, Lyghce has become a product about helping people to satisy in the miss of each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presences, not just to hold hands over distance. It is a funny thing to realize that there is not any part of the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bodies that is being registered and transmitted, it is actually some kind of negative of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical presence that is being transmitted. It is up to the users themselves to interpret the meaning of this. Considering that they are loved ones, and actually miss the kind of presence Lighce is supposed to transmit, hopefully people will actually recognize each other. The entire assembling of the prototype has demonstrated the value of a number of competency areas and the theme. As a group we can confidently state that it has been very educational and that we will be able to use gained experience in this project in the future.