Tag Archives: results

Reclaimed wood and glow testing

Some photos from prototyping today. I figured out how I can allow the light to travel through composite various materials to create a glowing grain effect. Tomorrow I will take the rhino 3d model and cut out the same effect using the cnc machine…

chipboard table for prototype
cut grain lines to allow the glow to shine through
daylight glow
chipboard before lighting
the glowing effect
anticipated result
wihout composite material the led’s cannot saturate…instead they appear as three individual spot lights
light travel through acrylic tubing
lighting effect using 2 led’s

work update…before prototyping week

I designed a quick version of a ‘coffee pole’ aimed at allowing strangers to feel comfortable with each other in a captive environment, in this case: the university cafe. The reason for the prototype was to find out where and how people would prefer to stand in relation to someone they did not know whilst using the same drink stand. I did not know what the results would be as I don’t know how each person thinks however the results brought back a correlation from the people who used the pole.

1. 90% of the people preferred if a stranger stood opposite them. This was to do with eye-contact and knowing what that person is doing. It is important for people to know what others around them are doing in order for them to feel at ease.

2. The other 10% would allow a stranger to stand by their side whilst using the design. These people said that being in a captive environment, it  is normal to be close to others in it. Because a captive environment is not always a small space however it may be a large space like a festival or shopping mall where the swarms of people then create a captive space due to the amount of people passing through and using the space.

One person also wrote a note on the pole on some lines I’d provided and they said:

‘”would individual coffee shelves not separate people rather than connect them?”

I took this thought on board along with the other results and I will post more photos up soon with further development for this project.

Conceptual thinking in a prototype.

I am working on a prototype at the moment. It is so simple. It is a basic pole.

I want to use it to test people in captive environments where it will stand. The first test I am going to do is simply use it as a table. Somewhere people will gather around the pole to drink hot/cold drinks. The pole will also act as a sketch pad to gather thoughts and answers to questions written on it. The reason for this is to firstly attract people to the pole and allow them to engage with it, because it is not a normal table…it is new and unexpected in this captive space. Secondly I will be observing how people interact with each other around this pole and compare the results to a normal captive environment with real tables and see how this pole has created a change in interaction.

After the first experiment (drawing on the pole and answering questions), I will test the users more and use different forms and materials and ask the users to do things ie. connect with a stranger through simple forms using the props provided but still using the pole as a base(for comfort?) I will use straws, cups etc to test the users to see how they interact with the opposing user at the pole. This will allow me to see first hand how people choose to interact with each other and from the experiment. I will look at the fun factor and the how comfort can be introduced to 2 strangers through such simple tasks and forms.

The result will be added to my initial design concepts which I will take further in my project. Watch! This space! For videos, photos and results of the experiment which will take place on Monday in the small University cafe.