An update from the shop floor. I’m heavily back into making the final prototype in preparation for testing over the weekend so this will just be a quick one. Note the action shot!
User testing v.2
A belated update indeed. Time to catch up!
I was lucky enough to take back another batch of rapid idea prototypes to some of the people around Copenhagen I’ve been researching & co-creating with over past few weeks.
This time my concepts focused a bit more in the, if it’s fair to say, “digital realm”. The decision to tailor my prototypes more towards this was based on two things. Firstly, and unashamedly, I’ve grown an interest in developing a solution for urban gardening exploring it’s relationship with current advances in technology, sensing and social networking. It’s a like a personal inquiry. Can technology and growing something integrate better than they currently do? Secondly, a lot of the feedback I was getting from people using some of the early prototypes were highlighting inconsistencies in the way the product (or service) was conveyed through the form of an idea prototype and the reality of the solution to their everyday lives. something became clear. ‘Smart’ stuff is everywhere now. Including that particular gem, the smartphone.
I decided to incorporate some of these realities in an attempt to suggest ways that ‘smart’ technology can not only be ‘smart’ itself but also let YOU be smart. In essence that is what my project is trying to do, using growing as a context.
Here’s some examples.
For now I won’t go into the exact details of how they work or what they are, suffice to say that to the right we have a service/product to help and inspire people to care for their herbs or plants by providing feedback in a specific tone of voice (I will release a video soon to explain more). To the left we have a ‘seed starter kit’. Simple and similar to many on the market except this one encourages you to keep in contact with your seedling through email. A strange combination I know. Strange enough for user testing? Yes!
“No that’s really odd I would prefer the other one where it shows me on the actual box. I feel attach then. Like it’s my box. And it’s helping me out”
An important point was bought up at this point. People, you and me and everyday folk, develop interest in something progressively and often because of incentive. It’s why it’s so common for people who eat healthy to often find themselves caring for herbs. Some even find themselves trying to sprout their own herbs at this point. But the important point raised is that it’s progressive. Pushing a seed box onto the market without a real grounding in something that encourages, excites and delights people to care for something like a plant in the first place has an obvious outcome.
A main thing I learned again from doing this testing was a dual stroke. People want help in understanding the potential and problems of THEIR environment when it comes to growing and caring for a plant. If they don’t they can’t care. If they can’t care, they lose interest and give up. I think I describe everyone’s experience of buying a potted herb from a supermarket only to find it dead 2 days later.
“And I give it sun, and water but nothing. It died. I actually kept [the bonsai tree]. Maybe because I still want to know why…”
Prototyping phase 2
The weekends’ efforts. I’m definitely focusing in on something more and more as I busy myself in the design phase. It’ s one of my favourite times of a project when working through a problem with your hands and sketching you can really start to tighten up was has been a lot of open ended questions up until now. Most are just experiments and a way for me to think. More coming soon!
Into the Making
Quick update with some images of how the first prototypes are progressing.
Next week: modularity & Arduino. Looking forward!
Co-creating in France
While in Paris I was lucky enough to hold a brief co-creation session with a few people in and around Paris. The activity was simple. Make your own seeding box for use indoors. (Winter is coming in!) My initial aim was to provide as little guidance as possible and let the others build it as they want. Everyone learnt a lot, including myself. Gave me many insights and opportunities. Keep tuned for the first design prototypes.
Above is a quick photo-essay of one that turned out quite nice!
Paris Research
I just got back from my trip to Paris for a bit of mix between celebrating my birthday and looking out for opportunities and inspiration for my thesis project. What a breath of fresh air! It was wonderful to see an existing cultural importance put on having small plants and ‘pockets of nature’ in the limited space of the Parisian urban environment. A lot of the classic Parisian balconies were adorned with mini-garden and upon further investigation it became clear that there were many different reasons for this. Some were focused on growing their garden’s more naturally while others were more for showing off their plants and balcony boxes as a way of showing homeliness and care. Of course it all fitted perfectly into the fabric of the city and is by now an endearing memory for many tourists and residents. Especially me!
Stormy
After a heavy beginning of the week in involving a lot of sense making and meetings with advisors and fellow students we all managed to organise ourselves for 2 days of intense group brainstorming. It was a fun few days with some great ideas coming out. Leading up to a break we are having in the process to do another industry project, I will be clustering and developing a rough ‘roadmap’ for how to proceed with prototyping. Looking forward to making stuff!
Out into the Country
After yesterday’s visit to the allotments I was jumped at the opportunity to visit the Main Farm/Offices of food-box delivery service, Aarstriderne. The company has made a name for itself in Denmark through it’s effective delivery of fresh, organic, locally grown produce to the citizens of Copenhagen. From this, and two much larger farms outside of city, the business delivers to approx. 40,000 households throughout Denmark.
The numbers are impressive and business is obviously doing very well, but I was more interested in specifically what the business was doing in fostering knowledge and interest in organic, homegrown produce. To my surprise I had arrived on a day where the Head Farm had turned into a giant activity area for three local schools who had come down to learn about growing, cooking and tending to the daily duties of the farm. A fine coincidence! The aim was to encourage social learning and appreciation for nature beyond the walls of classroom. Kids were encouraged to plant, tend and take care of their own bit of farm over the course of a season and at the end the produce was cooked into a multitude of delicious smelling dishes.
Among many things I learned from this visit, I want to just touch on this one key insight. The business promotes this initiative and organises it separately from it’s core business of delivery boxes; but maybe there is an opportunity here to provide the same knowledge and inspiration (as seen with the children on the farm) through the channel of communication they already have with many people in the city of Copenhagen itself.
There are many more insights but time is short and I need to get working on my design proposal! Check in for the weeknotes tomorrow for more on my thinking so far!
Trip to the Allotments
Today I took a trip to the coast or Copenhagen (Amager Strand) to have a look around the allotments there. I had been tipped off about it by some friends at CIID and thought it a good opportunity to kick off some immersion and see if I could make some contacts for any future co-design/user validation.
Approaching the allotments early in the morning the place was fairly quite with not too many people around. Plots had land on which people were growing an assortment of vegetables and ornamentals as well as a small shed in which they, presumably kept tools and materials for the growing season. It was visibly obvious that it was the end of the season. Some plots were withering away while others had a bit more care put in to keep them going well into the winter season (greenhouses and such).
Yet in general there was a wilderness about the place. It’s something I notice more and more in Denmark especially that gardeners appreciate the natural order by which their gardens/plots grow. Only exerting minimal control in ordering what grows next to what and where. As well, of course, making sure they don’t invade neighbour gardens! There was also a plethora of homemade constructions for greenhouses, trellises, potting etc. It seems there is a joy in both growing but also facilitating that growth but constructing their own rigs and beddings rather than buying “flat pack” as it were.
A solitary woman managed to jump out at me from her shed and say a hello upon which I started to ask her about her garden and the more formal procedures of obtaining a space in the collective. It’s been a very busy season it seams with a long waiting list for next year. And I can understand why. Almost immediately she tells me this she was showing me her rhubarb and boasting at it’s size this year. The people here are obviously proud and I’m left with the feeling, as I bid her farewell, that maybe there isn’t much that should be done here to change any of that.
Some interesting questions which I will take into my visit tomorrow with Aarstiderne.
Industry Projects start!
The Industry Projects have started here at CIID. First up are CIID sponsors Velux and Novo Nordisk in which the class is split to work on either one they wish.
I’m well underway with Velux right now and therefore it may be a bit quieter around here the coming weeks before our thesis project kicks off with the research phase. For now I’ll show what I can until word is given on how much I can actually put on the Internet. Confidentiality and all that jazz.
Back down to workshop for some more light studies!