type
short university project
field
kitchen appliances
tasks
Problem Identification Interaction Concept Prototyping (digital + analogue)
date
2022
This project was conducted as a 3 week / 15 hours design & prototype exercise in my Masters studies. I was partnering with another designer.
task
"Re-imagine how users interact with a stove.
Think about different modalities.
In a 2 week sprint.
Make the result tangible by prototyping."
"Re-imagine how users interact with a stove.
Think about different modalities.
In a 2 week sprint.
Make the result tangible by prototyping."
action
grasping the situtuation (quickly)
We performed a brief task analysis and general research on common usability problems with electric stoves, leading to our three main “How might we” questions:
How might we visualize the current temperature of fields so that users can pick the correct temperature for their dish?
How might we visualize the system status of the stove so users do not burn themselves?
How might we design an input method so that users can control the stove quickly and intuitively?
ideation
Through crazy 8s, quick sketches and brainstorming, we identified a promising modality to evaluate further: light.
milestone: concept pitch
Presenting the current state of the idea in a illustrated / descriptive way to gather feedback from an expert audience.
developing a prototype
By repurposing left over wood, an old projector and some unconventional thinking, a rapid prototype was created to display the light animations.
These in turn were created in figma.
Also, a 3D printed knob was created to allow for experimentation on the haptic input modality.
Result
By quick thinking and creative use of technology, we were able to achieve:
cohesive concept with potential positive impact on user experience by tackling the identified questions
tangible and believeable prototype
demonstrating ability to utilize 3D printing for rapid concept development
convincing presentation for a complex concept
