Modeling
Vibe Pals (2020)
Used Maya to model a design to demonstrate a tangible interactive object that combines digital media affordances with physical ones
Including the following:
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tangible user interface
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materiality
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design process(es)
Using tools such as:
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Photoshop
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Illustrator
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Unity
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Maya
The project was to create a speculative design mock-up in as much detail as possible. We were tasked to ideate, design, and re-iterate the mock-up for a tangible interaction object that combines digital media affordances with physical ones that reflect the themes discussed in the class. Doing this to express: How does the physical object relate to the digital expression? Is there a hybrid action that emerges from the design?
Mock-Up Presentation:
The initial concept was a mood-colored night light. Its purpose was to help users engage with their friends and family, since being separated due to the COVID quarantine. Its design was to connect its physical components to its digital ones, creating a tangible interface. To be more specific, its role was to have the ability to change colors based on mood and morph into specific creatures depending on the user's assignment. All this to be better translated and expressed across an app.
Then, changing the design to be a smart home device, basically in some way making the house fully integrated into the device. Except, this idea was too broad; so we went back to the original idea and made it more specific to a certain group of users. This certain group consisted of individuals with a type of physical impairment and the elderly.
My Contribution:
My role for the prototype was the overall design and discussion of the device as a unique, tangible interface.
I took the sketches and first modeled its primal state before morph. Then, selected one of the potential creatures that could result from the morph.
After that, I created an animation in Unity to provide an example as to how the object would translate information delivered to the user.
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So, the main goal of the mock-up was to demonstrate the interaction of physical and digital components. Then, how the integration of the two allows information and experience to be prompted to the user as a tangible interaction.