Week 11

In todays tutorial the group spent a lot of time trying to come up with  more solid concept still relevant to our context and users. We focused heavily upon the swarming idea. This limited and restricted us quite a bit and we struggled to come up with anything promising. We spent a lot of time thinking about this and wasted a large amount of time. We were all feeling a bit down due to the so far unproductive lesson. We usually work very well when we come together and discuss ideas but today just wasn't working for us. So we decided to take a break. After our break we spoke to Marienella. She reminded us that we did get our concept approved the previous week and to continue with what we had  already come up with. This was a big relief for us so we could stop worrying that we didn't even have a concept yet. I think we just got a bit caught up with all the feedback and comments and ideas we got last week. 

Whilst in the workshop we played around with some of the scarp foam there. We experimented with different shapes and how they encouraged certain behaviours or interactions. From this playing around we realised that the most open ended form to encourage different interactions was by far a sphere. Or in other words a ball. The flexibility of the shape enable countless different types of behaviours and physical responses. We discovered that the more specific and intricate the form of an object is, the more it restricts and guides personal interactions with it. We want to encourage all sorts of behaviours, what ever feels natural to the user. We don't want them to get bored but be entrained by all of the different ways in which it can be handled and connected with. 

Then we spoke with Leonardo who suggested we make prototypes and test them out before we look at doing any final product design or details. That way we can see what works and what doesn't before it's too late and help us to alter the designs to make them more effective. We are still a little concerned that we have no products at present. So we have decided to make a line of products but only design 4 of them. That way it is one per member but also allows for a wider but realistic range of products to express our concept. 

We also got to speak to Caroline. She recommended to us that when designing the aesthetics of the products, to look at existing companies and see what they have done well and what we like. It is important that all 4 of our designs look different but still obviously a part of the same family.