Travel Green
Timeline: January 2022 - May 2022
Course: DEA 2730 Human Centered Design Methods
Team: Individual
Programs: Photoshop, Illustrator, iMovie, Arduino
Objective: To iteratively design, prototype, and test an interactive device that (a) makes people aware of climate's impact on one or more aspects of life on our planet; and (b) helps remedy these impacts. The device must be wearable on the body. The market for this device is expected to be especially but not exclusively university students who, by wearing such a device, would make visible far-off or otherwise invisible manifestations of global warming.
Brainstorm
Cultural Probe
I designed a portable cultural probe that was interactive and fun. Almost as if you were filling out a children’s activity book. They were given a pencil pouch, markers, stickers, and an activity packet to fill out. Participants were asked to fill out the 6 page booklet about their awareness of transportation. After about a week, they were asked to return their activity packet. A sample of one participant’s response is below.
It was found that many participants were unaware of the impact of their method of transportation. A measurement of this was determined with activity 5 when asked how many pounds of CO2 are emitted per passenger per mile and asked to draw a bar based on their guess. All of their estimations did not match the real numbers. However since college students responded to my cultural probe, many of them relied on public transportation or ride share apps.
Interviews
In what ways do you actively try to reduce your climate footprint?
I interviewed five adults asking about their opinions on climate change to narrow down which aspect of climate change to talk about. A theme of transportation and generating waste were frequent themes.
Mood Board
I created a mood-board to symbolize the form, materials, and emotions I wanted to emanate from my product.
Low Fidelity Prototypes
I then created a series of 10 prototypes quickly assembled with aluminum foil. After playing around with each design I chose the one shown largest as the form to move forward with.
Morphological Chart
I created a morphological chart to ideate the best combinations of solutions and functions that would work for my prototype. I then chose some of the best solutions listed below the chart.
Storyboarding/GIF
Drawing out a storyboard gave me the opportunity to see the decision paths for the product and how that would effect the outcome of the app that would coincide with it.
Scenario
The following scenario gives more details about a user case study concept:
Anya, 19, is a college student. At school, Anya is introduced to a new device called “Travel Green” that tracks her transportation usage throughout the day. At the start of the day, Aanya puts the device on her forearm then goes about her daily routine. Once she leaves her house, the device starts tracking the method of transportation she is using throughout the day. This could include car, walking, bike, bus, train, etc. Once she reaches a certain distance with that mode of transportation, the device flutters and glows to notify Aanya. Intrigued, she will check the app on her phone that is connected to the device. The app will give her a report on her environmental footprint and compare it to the app’s average user as well as her friends who also use the device. If she has a low impact environmental footprint, the device will create a positive reinforcement.
Roleplay
A roleplay session was held to see how a user might interact with the product and how other people might perceive and interact with the product as well.
High Fidelity Prototyping
Using cardstock, EVA foam, glue, and an Arduino kit, I constructed a prototype that would react to the user as if it was tracing your carbon footprint. As the user started moving around, the wings on the armband would not react. Once the user reached a threshold that they previously chose, the armband would react to get your attention. The wings would flap and the band would light up. This prompts the user to check their progress on their phone.