Project: Design a 1 minute commercial for a television network, in After Effects, working with a current style.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Colab: Aqueous Medium: Save the turtle campaign
The assignment was to choose an environmental issue in Fiji pertaining to the aqua marine environment. This is a short animation about some of the threats to sea turtles and what you can do to protect them. The animation is set to authentic Fijian music, as our professor recently went on a scuba diving trip in Fiji to shoot some underwater photography. The class video projects were presented in a 3-way video conference between our colab, the environmental department at Harvard, and our professor and the U.S. embassy in Fiji. To view more of our video projects check out my group's site (Squad B) at:
http://a.parsons.edu/~aqueousmedium/bsquad
http://a.parsons.edu/~aqueousmedium/bsquad
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
C & C Lecture: Podcast #1
I have just completed my first podcast ever! To listen to the "party" that always happens right before C&C lecture begins, check out my Club C&C podcast at:
http://a.parsons.edu/~mmarcus/podcasts
http://a.parsons.edu/~mmarcus/podcasts
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Major Studio Interface: Design for the Other 90% photos
These are the major issues addressed in the exhibit by the designers in coming up with solutions that are low cost, energy efficient, and environmentally sustainable.
Major Studio Interface: Design for the Other 90% Photos
Here are some of my favorite designs from the exhibit:
Major Studio Interface: Design for the Other 90% Exhibit
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Major Studio Interface: User Scenarios for Mirror Interface
In order to help define the user for the mirror interface, I thought I would observe the daily morning routine of myself and a friend. Here are the results:
Observations about my morning routine:
-alarm clock went off
-pressed the snooze button twice
-got out of bed
-went to laptop, check e-mail and weather
-went to the bathroom to take a shower and brush teeth
-went back to bedroom and turned the TV on, on the way, then continued to bedroom to get dressed
-went to the kitchen to make coffee
-went back to bedroom to pack bag for school
-went back to kitchen to pack a lunch for school
-sat at kitchen table to eat breakfast and watch TV
-made a phone call
-cleared the table then picked up my bag and left for school
Observations about my roommate:
Woke up and showered
Stays in towel in bathroom to blow dry hair and do make up
-spends about half an hour in front the mirror doing this
Gets dressed
Makes breakfast
Brings laptop to kitchen table and checks e-mail while eating breakfast
Packs things for work
Leaves for work
Based on my observations…
The example of my daily morning routine describes someone who usually rushes to get ready for the day, or doesn’t really waste any time in the morning. For people that have a similar routine to mine, I think the mirror interface would be useful if it had simple functions like playing music or the radio. For people who do not spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, or are just doing something really fast in front of the mirror like brushing your teeth, the mirror interface might just add something else they had to do that they don’t really have time for.
The example of my roommates daily routine describes someone who takes their time in the morning. The mirror interface might be useful to my roommate because she can multitask while spending all of that time in front of the mirror. Perhaps she could watch TV or do something to pass the time while blow drying her hair or putting on make up.
For our user scenarios I think we should consider how much time people have in the morning to use the mirror interface. Some people wake up early and leave enough time to do other things, while others just do what they have to do to get ready and leave for the day. We can then decide what kinds of features the mirror interface should have and have it be customizeable according to what different types of users will use the interface for.
Observations about my morning routine:
-alarm clock went off
-pressed the snooze button twice
-got out of bed
-went to laptop, check e-mail and weather
-went to the bathroom to take a shower and brush teeth
-went back to bedroom and turned the TV on, on the way, then continued to bedroom to get dressed
-went to the kitchen to make coffee
-went back to bedroom to pack bag for school
-went back to kitchen to pack a lunch for school
-sat at kitchen table to eat breakfast and watch TV
-made a phone call
-cleared the table then picked up my bag and left for school
Observations about my roommate:
Woke up and showered
Stays in towel in bathroom to blow dry hair and do make up
-spends about half an hour in front the mirror doing this
Gets dressed
Makes breakfast
Brings laptop to kitchen table and checks e-mail while eating breakfast
Packs things for work
Leaves for work
Based on my observations…
The example of my daily morning routine describes someone who usually rushes to get ready for the day, or doesn’t really waste any time in the morning. For people that have a similar routine to mine, I think the mirror interface would be useful if it had simple functions like playing music or the radio. For people who do not spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, or are just doing something really fast in front of the mirror like brushing your teeth, the mirror interface might just add something else they had to do that they don’t really have time for.
The example of my roommates daily routine describes someone who takes their time in the morning. The mirror interface might be useful to my roommate because she can multitask while spending all of that time in front of the mirror. Perhaps she could watch TV or do something to pass the time while blow drying her hair or putting on make up.
For our user scenarios I think we should consider how much time people have in the morning to use the mirror interface. Some people wake up early and leave enough time to do other things, while others just do what they have to do to get ready and leave for the day. We can then decide what kinds of features the mirror interface should have and have it be customizeable according to what different types of users will use the interface for.
Major Studio Interface: Design Brief
Problem statement:
In a large, fast-paced city such as New York, remembering day-to-day appointments and responsibilities can become difficult for people with busy lifestyles. Whether it is a class schedule, business meeting, or even simply to get out of bed in the morning, it seems impossible to remember it all these days without a blackberry or some type of device to remind or alert us of different tasks and events. It seems that sometimes people’s lives revolve around these handheld devices because all of their scheduling information, as well as other things, are stored in them. The new product will propose a way to incorporate them more into a person’s daily routine, in a way that is interactive, customizeable, and convenient.
Context analysis:
Existing versions of this product include any handheld PDA, such as blackberries or cell phones. They also include computer applications such as iGoogle, Outlook Express, and iCalendar. Utilization of these devices is not the most time-efficient because it is a process to get into and create schedules. Whether it is a computer or handheld device, they can also be heavy addition to your briefcase or purse. Furthermore, these devices seem impersonal, and do not have a way of reminding people of other priorities such as taking medication on time or even personal hygiene. When accessing schedules through these different devices, there are also interruptions such as incoming messages or calls, and customization options are low.
User profile:
-New Yorkers
-Employed
-People who need a way to manage and remember their daily schedules
-People who multi-task and have tight-schedules
-People who need time-management
-All ages
Proposed solution:
All of the existing devices work well for scheduling, but the mirror interface proposes to improve on these products by incorporating it into the user’s daily routine. It will do this by taking on a presence in the user’s bathroom, the place where most people start and end their day and where most personal hygiene takes place. The mirror interface will allow the person to manage their daily schedules, serve as a reminder of upcoming tasks or events (i.e. taking medicine, meetings, appointments, birthdays, holidays, etc.) in a way that is interactive, customizable, and convenient. The mirror interface is a digital interactive touch-screen in your bathroom mirror that provides a way to view schedules, while also including elements from other digital devices. It is also time efficient because it allows the user to multi-task while reflecting on the current or upcoming schedules. Features include the ability to listen to the news or play music while taking a shower.
Basic requirements:
-Bathroom
-space in bathroom for the mirror interface
-Mirror will be a digital interactive touch-screen
-Reflective touch-screen surface
-Computer or digital interface that will allow you to input, manage, and customize your schedule (computer, blackberry, etc.)
-Off and on switch near light switch in bathroom
-Customization tool/program
-Digital database of widgets for customization
-Wireless connection
In a large, fast-paced city such as New York, remembering day-to-day appointments and responsibilities can become difficult for people with busy lifestyles. Whether it is a class schedule, business meeting, or even simply to get out of bed in the morning, it seems impossible to remember it all these days without a blackberry or some type of device to remind or alert us of different tasks and events. It seems that sometimes people’s lives revolve around these handheld devices because all of their scheduling information, as well as other things, are stored in them. The new product will propose a way to incorporate them more into a person’s daily routine, in a way that is interactive, customizeable, and convenient.
Context analysis:
Existing versions of this product include any handheld PDA, such as blackberries or cell phones. They also include computer applications such as iGoogle, Outlook Express, and iCalendar. Utilization of these devices is not the most time-efficient because it is a process to get into and create schedules. Whether it is a computer or handheld device, they can also be heavy addition to your briefcase or purse. Furthermore, these devices seem impersonal, and do not have a way of reminding people of other priorities such as taking medication on time or even personal hygiene. When accessing schedules through these different devices, there are also interruptions such as incoming messages or calls, and customization options are low.
User profile:
-New Yorkers
-Employed
-People who need a way to manage and remember their daily schedules
-People who multi-task and have tight-schedules
-People who need time-management
-All ages
Proposed solution:
All of the existing devices work well for scheduling, but the mirror interface proposes to improve on these products by incorporating it into the user’s daily routine. It will do this by taking on a presence in the user’s bathroom, the place where most people start and end their day and where most personal hygiene takes place. The mirror interface will allow the person to manage their daily schedules, serve as a reminder of upcoming tasks or events (i.e. taking medicine, meetings, appointments, birthdays, holidays, etc.) in a way that is interactive, customizable, and convenient. The mirror interface is a digital interactive touch-screen in your bathroom mirror that provides a way to view schedules, while also including elements from other digital devices. It is also time efficient because it allows the user to multi-task while reflecting on the current or upcoming schedules. Features include the ability to listen to the news or play music while taking a shower.
Basic requirements:
-Bathroom
-space in bathroom for the mirror interface
-Mirror will be a digital interactive touch-screen
-Reflective touch-screen surface
-Computer or digital interface that will allow you to input, manage, and customize your schedule (computer, blackberry, etc.)
-Off and on switch near light switch in bathroom
-Customization tool/program
-Digital database of widgets for customization
-Wireless connection
Major Studio Interface: Product Redesign
For the product-redesign assignment I chose to study the modern day high-heel. A major issue that I considered for the high-heels was that people tend to sacrifice comfort for fashion. They may be aesthetically appealing but for the most part high-heels cause serious foot problems and the pain can spread to the rest of the body and can even affect a person's posture. At the beginning of the study I researched the function and purpose of high-heels throughout history dating all the way back to ancient China. These are some images and notes that I put together in my sketchbooks for the product redesign analysis.
Design questions I asked included :
Why are women continuing to purchase and wear high-heels despite health warnings?
How can the high-heel be redesign to be more comfortable and better for your feet, but still retain the aesthetic appeal that attracts people to them in the first place?
Design questions I asked included :
Why are women continuing to purchase and wear high-heels despite health warnings?
How can the high-heel be redesign to be more comfortable and better for your feet, but still retain the aesthetic appeal that attracts people to them in the first place?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)