Proposal of design for a social lamp
The last teamwork project this semester was a critical design. Our task was to create a design proposal for a critical artifact which enquires people about their experience of indoor climate environments. We were working in teams of three people.
As indoor climate has various aspects, we had a discussion about it using a-frame cards for inspiration. On one side there was picture and sentence describing a situation (from field studies). Inside there was broader explanation of situation including an involved person. On back there were our notes, that we would like to discuss.
Project was divided in three phases (three weeks total).
1. Getting inspiration – field studies
In the beginning and later in project we felt like we don’t know what we are going to built. It was like fumbling in the dark, experimenting and going forward step by step. I learned that is important to plan an meeting, so you both could feel more comfortable. Besides what we missed is explaining to people we meet, what we are going to do and that we are more interested of observing them when doing something, not only having an interview. However, in this moment we didn’t know quite clearly what we are going to do, though. Critical design was something new for us 
Kitchen of university’s canteen
We grabbed a video camera and went downstairs to a kitchen of canteen. We didn’t warn them that we will arrive, however we were lucky enough to have an opportunity to observe how they are working in their most busy time of day. To be honest, we were allowed to do that only with a second time, so field studies in this case were a balance between politeness and perseverance. But they were really friendly and told a little bit what kind of food they are making.
Even though we didn’t have much talking with people in kitchen we gained good impression of the indoor climate there. It was a narrow space, hot with high humidity. It seemed like they didn’t have a time for making all the environment cosy, because there were improvised bookshelf, which didn’t support find a book coveniently. They used quite many workarounds in environment (spoon to keep doors opened).
Following a student in canteen
Getting inspiration from environment
Then we followed a student from the moment of picking up food to choosing a table to sit. After that we had short interview of how he feels like in canteen and what would it like to change.
He said that uncontrolled noise of the people sometimes is disturbing and music, green plants there and beautiful view outside seen through windows is something that keeps the atmosphere relaxed.
As it appeared later, we were mostly inspired by this case as we built a lamp that reflects an atmosphere around table.
Visiting local art school
We made an appointment before about visiting it and observing environment. They were nice people and made a trip through all the building telling about their environment.
We found out that interiour of the rooms really affects popularity of it. Too many colors (paintings) on the walls could make someone anxious, but much of white color can make a nice balance between relaxing and exciting environment. There were many interestingly styled rooms used for exhibitions. But after each exhibition they paint it back to white having a fresh start for the next one.
Literature and examples of critical design
For better understanding of critical design we had an assignment for reading a one scientific paper each about particular experiment. Then we made posters and presented to each other. For me personally that have a lot of understanding by examples.
Social Bubbles - critical design artifact
2. Provoking discussions – critical artefact
In the beginning of a week we had a guest lecturer for a workshop on critical artifact methodology. He showed examples of his own experience and directed us on making our artifacts in groups. The most important in this case was to find assumptions (related to findings from field studies) and thinking of the ways how can we challange these.
From discussions an idea about social climate in socially rich environment (canteen) appeared. We wanted to question value of private space and indicating a state of private space to other people. Two of our three teams as appeared later had works related to social climate, which shows that concept of indoor climate could be broad as well.
After that we built a mock-up of canteen and the bubbles around each table. We imagined that these bubbles could isolate people from outside, and people could decorate their private bubbles as they wish (music, light, color, transparency) in that way either inviting people to join in their private space or not.
This mock-up later supported us to explain our idea, and to help other people feel themselves in this situation in that way provoking them to think what would they do in this situation.
Social Lamp - critical design proposal
3. Design proposal
After presenting our mock-up and idea, we got a lot of feedback to transform it to a design proposal. People liked an idea about indicating their mood and overall social atmosphere around their private space. They also wanted something more realistic, because bubbles seems like too much into a future.
In the beginning we made a little human-like toy which reflects social climate around a table with its facial expressions. But then with a help of tutors we gave up the idea of human like creatures and started thinking of something more abstract. Because human-like creatures make people expect human-like behaviour. Besides emotions are very complex and facial expressions would limit indication.
Idea of social lamp
Then we came up with an idea of a lamp which reflects social climate with a light (intensity, color, brightness) reacting on voice and touch. This would give more richeness for expressing the mood and the abstract form could make it more interesting giving the people enough interest to play with it.
It is meant to provoke discussions about social climate indoors. Let people talk, imagine, argue … share their ideas and opinions.
Reacting on touch
Social Lamp reacts on touch
The brightness of a light would change depended on voice, that would grab attention of people, making them touch it. When touched, a water ripples could appear right from fingertips.
When ovals being moved, a color of lamp would change in that way allowing people to choose a color that best describes social climate into their private space.
Reflections of project
After a project I had some reflections that could be better. I learned a lot, to be patient in team-work, to be more critical sometimes. I learned to work with a wood while making this provotype. I learned that I should practice more when presenting, and to get idea through, I should have a stronger opinion.
List of important points I would improve next time:
- It is easy in falling in trap of adjusting the idea to the design rather than extracting design from the idea.
- In teamwork sometimes it is hard to get concensus, takes a lot of the time for getting common view.
- Critical design requires a change of mindset – instead of thinking about usable, ready, intuitive product we should think about product that is open to interpretation, provokes discussions and is not very useful always.
- When there lack of ideas in the team (no ideas, no discussions) it is useful to invite somebody from outside to listen to us, make an opinion and suggestions.
- Tangible mock-ups help to discuss and generate new ideas. It helps to present idea as well, so that everybody understands it.
- Next time there is need to find consensus faster so time for user testing is more.
- Presentation should be practiced before, ideally if one person presents the idea and other persons make additions and helps to answer questions.
If you want to see more pictures of a project, check out my personal Flickr account or our common account.
