technology as the extension of vision


Preparation…
November 10, 2008, 11:32 pm
Filed under: Design

We’ve been busy preparing for our final presentation on Thursday 13 November. We have been working on a number of design outcomes which will help to form this presentation. Our aim is to focus on our product and the research we conducted, and how this helped us make informed design decisions, particularly in regards to target audience. Below is an example of our product board, which will be part of our exhibiting ’space’. We have also produced a range of memory games + tests to act as a ‘hook’ for people to be interested in our product and position them within the right context for understanding how our product works, in aiding the retention of information.

poster



Final Presentation…
November 10, 2008, 6:17 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

We have chosen the following design outcomes as part of our submission for the studio section of this unit:

Publication – this incorporates our text from the proposal document.

Product Design – a range of the re<mind information retention aids in different materials for different budgets.

Memory Games – we have developed flip books and a pairs memory game for the final presentation.

Postcards – these are for give aways at the presentation for audience members

Our final presentation will also involve a group excersise experience and an interactive website to accompany the memory games as well as a screen presentation and 3D animation.



Celebrations in order…
October 30, 2008, 6:33 am
Filed under: Design

We are very pleased to say that our proposal document has been completed a whole two weeks early from the submission date!

My main task over the last couple of weeks has been to design this publication document and collate all of our written information and design developments. Although very text-heavy, the document gives a great insight into our indepth research into new technologies, documenting this from initial research, idea development, and finally design development. We have also incorporated a number of visuals and specifications for our designs, including identity, product, and branding.

Both Amy and Danielle have been great with input and feedback with content and design.
A great team effort all round!

Our next tasks will involve preparing for our final presentation…



final logo and icon design…
October 29, 2008, 12:11 am
Filed under: Design

Below is our final logo. We have increased the space between the arrow and ‘mind’ so visually it appears of equal weight with the ‘re’ and the arrow. We have also slightly increased the thickness of the arrow so it has more dominance. This logo will always be featured in the negative format as shown. It will never be shown as a positive out of white. It is intended that the black boundary box be seen as part of the mark and not simply a coloured space for a negative version of the mark.

Also below is the icon which will appear when the re<mind product is plaugged (via USB cable) into a computer.



Adapting these materials to the design
October 23, 2008, 12:59 pm
Filed under: Design



Further research into Frame materials
October 23, 2008, 7:02 am
Filed under: Design

Titanium – A light weight durable, strong, corrosion resistant material with a greyish colour. Often used for: aerospace (jet engines, missiles and spacecrafts), military, industrial process (chemicals and petro-chemicals, desalination plants, pulp, and paper), automotive, agri-food, medical prostheses, orthopaedic implants, dental endodontic instruments and files, dental implants, sporting goods, jewelry, mobile phones. 

Aluminum – a top of the grange light weight material that gives a really individual look, and has a remarkable ability to resist corossion with an appearance ranging from silvery to a dull grey. Aluminum is vital to the aerospace industry and very important in other areas of transportation and building

Stainless Steel – Light wieght and strong, nickel-free. Common uses for stainless steel are cutlery and watch straps.

Polycarbonate – a low cost option, mid wieght yet durable a semi synthetic solid material suitable for industrial product can be produced it a range of colours.



Refining the glasses
October 23, 2008, 6:27 am
Filed under: Design

Prototyping the glass gave us great direction in the form that the product should take.

Requirements

The glasses require a few ertain elements to function including – lenses, frames (capable of fitting the computer system in), a battery, a battery connection point (Interface Cable 400PCU), a memory card slot (micro SD Size), a camera, a speaker/voice recorder, a power button and a record button.

The intial design

This design was intended to have black pastic frames, however we have decided to propose a product range that features various materials and styles. This material would be on the cheaper end of the market. This design was refined further with a reconsideration of the placment of buttons and plugs as well as a change to a titanium material.



Prototyping
October 17, 2008, 11:31 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

To determine whether the concieved shapes and dimensions that we imagine our glasses would take form, we created a few simple prototypes. Through this process we wanted to gauge how the user interacted with the product, what difficulties they had (comfort, balance, shape), how they put on the product. A few very simple wire structures were generated to mimic a range of shapes….

One lense
This design worked with the idea of only using one lens, because the light projection of the memory glasses goes subconsciously to the brain it would not matter if there where only one lens that functioned. We found that users were very hesitant when approaching this prototype, they were unsure exactly how it was supposed to work. The process of putting on the glasses is quite different to a normal pair of glasses were the arms of the glasses slide past the ears, these glasses require that the user wrap the product around the head and ensure that the frames are balanced on the ear and bridge of the nose. This model also proved to be quite unstable users, were very worried that they were not secure and the model often slipped down the noise. In some instances the user ended up tilting there neck to accommodate for the imbalance.

Two lenses with strap
This design is intended to feature four brain sensors; two of which would gauge body temp., heart rate and other bodily functions. This design tended to be put on head like a necklace, this meant that the model was often stretched out of place and needed to be re-modeled one in place. This design was much more comfortable and forgettable than the one lens style. This design would need great amounts of flexibility in order for it to correctly fit varying head sizes.

Two lenses no strap
This common style is very much like a traditional pair of glasses. The user was familiar with the shape so was much more comfortable with the shape. This style is not as immerssive as the other prototypes which may mean that the glasses will be mistaken for normal reading glasses.

From this research intial digital designs were mocked.



Re Words
October 15, 2008, 11:36 pm
Filed under: Ideas

Re.act
Re.action
Re.alism
Re.alization
Re.ality
Re.ason
Re.bate
Re.bel
Re.bound
Re.bel
Re.bound
Re.buff
Re.buke
Re.but
Re.call
Re.capitulate
Re.cede
Re.cipet
Re.ceive
Re.cent
Re.ception
Re.ceptive
Re.cess
Re.cipient
Re.ciprocal
Re.cital
Re.claim
Re.cline
Re.cognize
Re.coil
Re.collect
Re.commend
Re.concile
Re.cord
Re.count
Re.cover
Re.covery
Re.cre.ation
Re.cruit
Re.cycle
Re.dress
Re.duce
Re.fine
Re.fere.nce
Re.flection
Re.form
Re.frain
Re.fre.sh
Re.fuse
Re.gard
Re.gister
Re.gular
Re.gulate
Re.hearse
Re.imburse
Re.inforce
Re.ject
Re.late
Re.lax
Re.lease
Re.linquish
Re.main
Re.member
Re.mind
Re.miniscent
Re.mit
Re.mote
Re.move
Re.negade
Re.new
Re.pair
Re.pay
Re.peat
Re.peatedly
Re.petition
Re.petitive
Re.place
Re.plenish
Re.plete
Re.plica
Re.ply
Re.plicate
Re.port
Re.pre.sent
Re.pre.ss
Re.primand
Re.produce
Re.public
Re.pulse
Re.putation
Re.quest
Re.scue
Re.semble
Re.servation
Re.side
Re.silient
Re.sist
Re.solution
Re.spect
Re.spond
Re.store.
Re.strain
Re.straint
Re.striction
Re.sult
Re.tain
Re.tentive
Re.tina
Re.trace
Re.trieve
Re.tribution
Re.trospect
Re.turn
Re.value
Re.veal
Re.velation
Re.vert
Re.view
Re.vise
Re.vival
Re.voke
Re.volution
Re.volve
Re.ward



remind logo development
October 15, 2008, 3:52 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

remind

go here to see a pdf of work in progress for the remind logo…