This section covers the idea generation phase of my project as well as early concept development and initial designs that i considered exploring further.
These are the boards which formed part of my project visualisation at the end of semester 1. The first board represents my project process thus far as well as detailing some reflection on the research and user testing. I was attempting to convey the different paths that I had been working on simultaneously during the semester and how they were now beginning to filter back in to each other to create more solid concepts and ideas.
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The second board contains 4 initial ideas all centred around the premise of allowing a user to change the colours they view the world in. I was trying to explore issues such as size, shape, control and aesthetics, as well as each sketch containing annotations of key features. These boards were some of the earliest attempts to visually interpret what I had discovered in my research phase. To compliment these boards I presented them with a selection of the work from the rest of semester 1, including notebooks and photographs from my user testing along with a complete colour pack for people to explore for themselves.
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Looking back now it is clear that I was lacking in a design language to hold my boards together. They could have been delivered in a more professional manner and possibly even have explored certain ideas further. However I was still unsure at the time of the direction I was going to take the project in. Furthermore I had foolishly let my time management slip while working on my dissertation. Overall I am happy that they served their purpose in expressing my early ideas and findings, even if they were lacking in polish, as I knew I still had a lot of concept generation and development to come.
Audio sensitive eyewear was a though I had when exploring the possibilities of how to control colour in my users experience. I proposed that the eyewear might form part of a collaboration with a users MP3 player, the colour adapting to the different noises being emitted. I had seen other forms of technology being used in conjunction with music players and felt that this was one area that had not been fully explored.
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Different aspects of the colour could be controlled by such features as tempo, volume, bass and treble. I felt this could provide the user with a chance to both experience their music in a different manner, but also create a dynamic and desirable piece of eyewear.
Bio sensitive eyewear was another concept that resulted from thinking about how colour might be controlled in this product. I proposed that rather than buttons or dials that user could manipulate, the eyewear could be controlled directly through biofeedback. This would be done by using sensors that could pick up a range of signals such as pulse, body temperature or even sweat. These sensors would be discretely positioned on the glasses behind the ears to create simple yet effective design.
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One aspect of this design which I especially liked was the reversal of control for the user. Rather than being in direct control through their actions, they are reliant on their bodies reactions to manipulate the colour. This turned the eyewear from a proactive experience to a reactive experience, and I thought it would be fascinating to see what it might reveal about a user with regard to mood or situation.
Scenario spectacles was a idea that I came across while thinking about more low tech solutions for my project. I proposed that rather than a user being able to electronically manipulate the colours they saw in front of them, it might be more straight forward to provide them with a selection of interchangeable lenses. These would simply slide or pop in and out of the frames, allowing the user to change how they viewed scenes before them.
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The thinking behind this idea was that it would not only open up the range of colours available to the user but it opened up the potential for further design. Lenses might not necessarily be one flat colour, they may have a gradient from clear to coloured, or colour to colour. I even explored the idea of creating different “scenes” such as bubbles, clouds or jungles to be printed on the lenses, perhaps making the eyewear more of a tool for children to exercise their imagination. I wondered however if this was not only getting away from my original concept too much, and if low tech eyewear could still be classified as dynamic?
The Glowing Frames idea resulted an exploration of a different kind. Rather than looking at how the colour might be controlled I looked at alternative ways the colour could be displayed in eyewear. Up until this point I had been investigating coloured lenses through different methods, but realised that this may not be as feasible as first though. Therefore I came up with the idea that it is maybe the body of the eyewear that changes colour rather than the lenses. This would have a radical change on the user experience of such an object. With coloured lenses, the emphasis is on a personal and introvert experience whereas coloured frames transformed this in to much more of an exhibitionist product. Users would wear it to be noticed by others rather than have a private and individual experience.
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I saw no problem with this dramatic change, as to me it was just another way of exploring the possibilities of dynamic eyewear. Looking at other styles of designer glasses and sunglasses it was clear that there is frequently an element of “look at me” when choosing to purchase eyewear. Therefore to me the idea of glowing frames was merely a further exploration of what could be done to explore the boundaries of this experience rather than a fall back idea if lens technology was beyond me.
Space exploration eyewear was the result of some creative thinking about the possible implementation of dynamic eyewear. The concept was that the colour being used in the lenses of these glasses would not just serve as an intriguing and new user experience but would provide a practical application as well. Designed to work with specially created plaques and posters, these glasses would actually reveal hidden features of a space or expanse to the user. This could be utilised by tourist industries in similar ways that audio tours are conducted. Alternatively it could also be used by shops or museums to encourage users to explore a space in more detail and not just take things on face value.
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Again I found that this idea was starting to move away from my original concept too much and I felt that it would have required a great deal more research in to areas such as current technologies for space exploration. However, it was interesting to think laterally for a while, possibly looking beyond my project and theorising what this technology would be capable of if fully developed outside of a university context.