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in collaboration
with Kirsti Lehtimaki
Summery:
Domestic PC’s are common and the assistance that they provide has
expanded outside the area of ‘work’. This project explores
one leisurely function and the interface it might have.
Introduction:
As PC’s the role of PC’s in the home develops, music and films
can be enjoyed via the PC along side activities such as shopping, learning,
and keeping in contact with friends. However, as the PC’s role expands
its appearance and our interaction with it have not. This new interface
should be open and intuitive and afford the leisure activity that it accesses.
This may also address issues of mobility within the home. Textiles and
other elements already available in the front room are been explored.
We chose to focus our attention on Internet Radio. Stations provide live
streaming of programmes online that can be accessed from anywhere in the
world. Recorded programs are also available.
Process:
Internet Radio has not yet been associated with a strong mental model.
Our first step was to define our own model for Internet Radio and how
it might be used: We drew the analogy between the streaming sound and
a line that is continuously travelling. In order to listen, a user steps
in, intercepting the line as it passed through them.
With our working model in place we turned to representation. We asked
how best could you display stations and programmes? Using our line analogy
we imagined each line extending from the geographical location that it
is associated with, BBC coming out of London for example.
We then turned to the environment that the activity would be carried out.
Taking inspiration from the living room we designed different iterations
of soft interfaces based on the use of the Elektex sensor that is made
by Eleksen. We have conceived three concepts each investigating different
forms of representation.
Description:
Using the sensor as an input for locating touch, we designed a soft interface
for the front room that reflects the casual and imprecise nature of the
area and activity. It takes the form of a cushion. Using blue tooth technology
to connect the device to the PC, it is wireless. By installing the device
as a peripheral of your PC it can be used to access the Internet and subsequently
the Radio.
1.
The first form of representation we ‘mocked up’ was inspired
by the time of day one might listen to a particular station. For example
in the morning one might listen to Radio One and then to XFM in the evening.
These radio stations would be located on an abstract graphical representation
of the cycle of a day. By placing a station at a particular time of day,
it serves to remind the user where it exists and then is easily accessible.
2.
Then we chose to exploit the ability to back light the sensor. We designed
a cube that would sit in the living room as a light feature and as an
interface. We chose to explore a metaphor for the grouping of stations
and programmes. Animals corralled in pens were to represent the stations
and different programmes. Users could choose different metaphors as they
considered them relevant.
3.
The third concept further abstracted the idea and investigated how much
information a person needed in order to remember where they have put their
stations. Essentially this consisted of a grid consisting of different
textures and colours that people could assign stations to.
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