The Alberta Set
Contents 01
identify activity
p 2 _ Activity choice p 3 _ Single task choice
02
document & analise activity
p 4 _ Cup experiments
03
design & document experiments
p 8 p 10 p 12 p 16 p 20
_ Water sensitive paper _ pH reactive paper _ Multi layered paper _ Path saucer _ Fortune telling saucer
04
concept embodying findings
p 22 _ The idea p 28 _ The presentation
05
Reflection
p 30 _ Reflection
Artefacts as Experiments:
Practice-led theory in design
brief The objects we design can provoke unexpected reactions into users, letting us learn something about people’s behaviors. In this sense, products become experiments and can generate knowledge if their use is documented. Our task is producing a series of artefacts, testing them on users, documenting and getting conclusions to inform the design of a new everyday object. My group is given the set of actions involving beverage preparation. Each one will have to choose one to analyse.
1
identify activity activity choice My group has “beverage preparation”, so I decided to choose “cappuccino making” as my focus of interest. My first activity has been storyboarding the set of actions and identifying the phases. I shot a short video to describe and analyse the preparation process. What caught my attention was the milk splashing during the frothing moment.
Cappuccino Making
2
single task choice My first idea was working on the creation of the milk cream, since it’s what makes a real cappuccino. There are many ways of doing it, so one option can be experimenting with things everyone has in the kitchen, to create a new way of prepare it. It marks the difference in the beverage look and most of the times it creates a decoration. It can be something very fancy to offer to your guests but very easy to prepare. So, another idea can be a tool helping to decor your cappuccino.
3
Document & analyse activity cup experiments After the first tutorial I was adviced not to find a solution but just to play around. For example splashing more milk, suggesting how to do it or enhancing this moment using the mug. To play with it, I had to understand how the splash worked and in order to do it I tried out different types of cups. I experimented using a milk frother with espresso cups, cappuccino cups, mugs and glasses.
4
USERS REACTIONS What always happens is that, starting from the surface, few and regular drops fall far from the cup. Then, going deeper, a vortex starts making the liquid spill from the edges. So, from a circle far away from the cup, the milk arrives nearer to it until it creates a puddle at its bottom.
Almost no one ever seen a milk frother or used it, they found it a weird but fun experience. Coming without instructions, I didn’t explain how to use it and they started spilling immediately, not knowing its power. I got two types of reactions: someone didn’ t want to get everything dirty and someone took it as a game. Everyone was thinking to do something wrong when spilling, not knowing that it’s just what normally happens and it’s unavoidable.
5
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN Users’ biggest issue was avoiding to stain themselves or objects/surfaces around them. The final concept, in order to bypass worries, will have to be a protection from dirt and a product that can be easily washed or be monouse.
6
the artefact The deeper you go, the more you spill, so the behaviour I want to experiment is the spilling of milk while frothing it. I decided at this point to focus on the saucer to help me doing it. To froth you have to go up and down with the tool, deepening and pulling it out. I want to enhance this moment encouraging people to splash milk. This can be a stressful moment because it gives the feeling of doing something wrong or not knowing how to use the tool. Giving a purpose to the spelt milk, the user feels he’s doing it right and will continue increasing the movement and obtaining the foamy milk.
7
DESIGN & document EXPERIMENT ARTEFACTS 01
water sensitive paper I used water sensitive paper which changes color where milk falls. This creates “drawn” decors. The user could try different hand positions to spread the liquid in a certain way and create diffent shapes. The color of the stains it’s a surprise.
8
USERS REACTIONS The mat reacted instantly with milk. It was appreciated because it took away the sense of guilt and dirt, shifting the attention from the later cleaning to the drawing the mess is creating. Sometimes it generated disappointment because it was giving away everything too soon, so it caused boredom after the first uses. The users would keep just one drawing as a memory and not all of them. In the use of the tool, it was mostly said that they wouldn’t have tried to change their way of handling it just to draw on purpose. They wanted to see what the natural movements could produce and maybe try something new the later times. Eventually, the interest fades.
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN The instant reaction could let users understand how to play with the product, but the speed can make it too short to be fully appreciated. The final concept will have to produce a reaction lasting in time, which could keep satisfying the users even after the first entertainment.
9
02
ph reactive paper I used red cabbage as a dye for normal paper. It is a natural indicator, so it reacts to Ph. For this reason I initially thought of mixing lemon into milk, to get a reaction (milk has 6,8 pH, so it should not give visible changes). Later I realised it could be a way to detect the acidity of your milk, to avoid consuming the expired one.
10
USERS REACTIONS This experiment was not appreciated because some one just wouldn’t have expired milk in the fridge, some other didn’t understand the principle behind it so didn’t get the warning sign and somebody was worried about what could have been discovered about their milk. So, generally it has been considered a smart trick but it created discomfort in the users.
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN I decided to leave this option and not to use any influence for my final design.
11
03
multi layered paper I experimented different kinds of paper with a bottom layer of crepe paper, which stains the one over it when wet. I used different combinations to identify the best reaction: - print+crepe - handmade+crepe - nepalese+crepe - decored+crepe - absorbent+crepe - normal+crepe+decored - crepe+decored - crepe+watercolor Since I didn’t get any good result, I tried to substitute the crepe paper with color pigments. Spreading the powder between two layers, I created a whole staining surface. This time the result was much more decorative and effective.
12
USERS REACTIONS The surprise was appreciated and it was considered a good later enjoyment while drinking your beverage. On the other hand it didn’t give the possibility to play with it, so the uncomfortable feel of spilling was still there, adding even the disappointment from the missed chance. After a couple of times, since even moving differently the result can’t be masted, the user gets tired of it. Everyone would keep just some of the outcoming drawings, but if they were somehow collectibles they would enjoy keeping them. It was suggested a differentiation in the reactions, to keep the curiosity always high.
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN The late reaction was considered a good entertainment while drinking the cappuccino, but it didn’t give the immediate playful relief. The final concept will have to produce both instant and lasting enjoyment. Since the outcome is not likely to be kept, it should preferably be a washable and reusable product.
13
14
15
04
PATH SAUCER I created a mockup clay saucer, modelling it over an upside down plate. The concept is having a sloping surface so that spilling milk it can flow and be conveyed. On the surface I engraved a path in order to direct the milk and create drawings. The user is encouraged to spill to see the decoration complete.
16
17
USERS REACTIONS This experiment was everyone’s favourite because the flowing was very neat and could turn the mess into order. They felt more engaged and amused using this one. The saucer keeps all the milk and the users liked just having to wash it to have it as new and use it again. Everyone felt encouraged in spilling more and change their way of using the tool to finish the drawing. It even enhanced the natural spills from the cup borders because the path starts from its bottom. No one needed explanations because the shape and the path were already a strong motivation. They naturally felt like spilling to create, as if something was missing and they had to finish it. 18
The flowing surprised them because it was at the same time expected but exciting when happening for real. Even when the foam settled on the surface, it was unexpected that the milk started leaking from there to complete the channel. It’s a slow movement and made them want to have more paths to show to their friends and keep surprising themselves. Since the milk seemed changing a bit color, I was asked to test other saucers colors reactions. This saucer could provoke boredom less easily because it’s more intriguing. It’s a nice object to use when you have guests. If on the bottom it had the normal shape of a plate, it could be used as a normal part of a table set with an added entertained value.
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN The flowing was a very simple but effective entertainment, producing the right feelings in the user. The final concept will have to encourage the user to spill more, changing his way of handling the tool to play.
19
05
fortune telling saucer Using a thermosensible material, hot milk spilling could leave meaningless stains on the upper part of the saucer. On the back, though, there are signs to read them as a fortune telling game. The user would want to spill to know his future. It refers to the tasseography tradition and in particular the 1920’s fortune telling cups. It’s an easy way to read it without experience and it brings sociability. I simulated the resing using again the red cabbage dye.
20
USERS REACTIONS If not told, no user would have turned the saucer. There can’t be the surprise effect. The color change was not a strong enough reason to check if something is happening even on the bottom. Always not knowing, nobody would have changed the use of the tool to enjoy the moment. Once told about the fortune telling feature I got two reactions: someone loved to be able to predict the future without any experience and found it a good way of socialising during coffee time; others, not believing in fortune telling, felt uncomfortable and wouldn’t have used it.
INFLUENCE ON THE FINAL DESIGN The fortune telling was not considered a good entertainment and it didn’t provoke in the users the expected feelings. It was a step back in the experimentation because it lost the lasting enjoyment and the encouragement to spill more and play. The final concept will take inspiration from the path saucer, because it satified the users in the most simple but effective way, providing all the solutions to my insight opportunity.
21
concept embodying findings The idea I decided to be guided by the users’ reactions, so I developed a saucer collection. It is called “Alberta Set”, as the name of the North American city where the white Milk River flows.
size The normal cappuccino cup has a diameter of 14cm ish. The saucer is going to have the diameter of a normal plate (24-28 cm), so that it can be used even on the other side for just eating. Since it should give the idea of a cappuccino mat and the tea one is usually 35,5x23 cm, I made my saucer with a final diameter of 24 cm. This way I left 10 cm in diameter for the milk to spill freely without staining the surface under it. 22
adjustments Some of the users spelt too much milk from one side, so it leaked out of the saucer. In my final design I put an extra ridge to contain it.
23
patterns The drawings of the paths could have been be more complicated and different for each one of the 6 set components. In the final design I made a consistent selection of
24
radial and geometric shapes, continuous lines from the center to the edge with crossings. The more intricated the better it is because it’s more interesting to watch.
colors The users told they wanted more colors to see the possible reaction of milk. My idea was instead to use dark matte colors to let the milk stand out. For this reason I made two different palettes with pop and shaded colors, to check users’ reactions. SHADES: Designed in a range between dark grey and taupe, in an elegant degradè.
POP: Using an Andy Warhol’s style palette, these bright colors are perfect for a poster. Milk results very visible and these tones enhance the playfulness of the concept.
25
renders To communicate my concept I made renders showing clearly views of inside & outside, sides and a stack of plates illustrating the colors.
26
I created even a poster with azimutal view of the set, to visualise the patterns. I tried at the end to render a plate into a picture placement.
27
The presentation For the final exposition we had a 1200x800 mm desk. To keep everything organised and track my journey into the project, I decided to printo out a table sized surface showing the developement and explaining my steps. I had 6 essential points to point out, so I numbered them and I used espresso cups as place cards to connect table material and background explaination.
28
29
final reflection I think that overall the project has been very challenging for me because it was the first time I really had to focus on a product and its users’ reactions. It was hard producing experiments to try on people without knowing where they could have brought me. But it revealed very effective when it gave me surprises and unexpected results. Nonetheless it was fun to explore without constraints. The method I learnt reading the bibliography and putting it into reality, could be very handy as one of the design tools I’ll be asked to use in my professional future. What I could improve is my way of documenting my activity and experiments on users. Involving more people and showing their behaviour is the clearest way to motivate my work process and design choices. 30
Martina Bonetti Product Design Year3
The Glasgow School of Art, Session 2014/2015, Term 1