Master | Group Project | Sep ’20 – Jan ’21
IPSUM
Achievement
Presented at
Dutch Design Week 2021
– Drives of Change
Team
Bart Bongers
Charlaine Janssen
Mathias Verheijden
Coaching
Mathias Funk
Joep Elderman
Holly Robbins
IN SHORT
For this design project, we focused on how we could design to acknowledge and support the different emphasis of welcoming and responsibility for the entry and exit experience. By collecting data regarding the status of the house, our aim was to give inhabitants more insight into the status of their home and actions required when transitioning between inside and outside.
To realize this, we designed ‘Ipsum’, a kinetic structure that, through an abstract, data-enabled range of movements, sounds and light animations, allows inhabitants to become more aware of the state of their house when entering or leaving. Ipsum serves as a personification of the house, enabling the house to come alive.
By using a first person perspective supported by research and coaching, we were able to develop Ipsum through multiple design iterations. Various scenarios were defined in which Ipsum could contribute to the exit or entry experience. Next to this, we aimed to blend and integrate our design with the existing interior, allowing it to shift through the Interaction Attention Continuum from a peripheral (art) piece to a focused and interactive artefact. A learning and exploration system was developed parallel to Ipsum, allowing the user to be reminded of the meaning of animations, and set up custom functionalities.
By communicating the status of the house, the user is reminded whether something requires the attention of the user. By having the user actively think about the state of their house, we promote for the user to still feel connected to their home and practices, instead of actions being carried out automatically. Due to this increased awareness and insight into required actions and responsibilities, inhabitants can leave and return to their home with peace of mind.
Looking at the final design, we can confidently say that Ipsum addresses the challenge of supporting and acknowledging both the exit and entry experience. The personification of the house’s data in combination with peripheral design shows potential in increasing the inhabitants awareness, and thus strengthening their connection to the home.
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Ideation
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Physical Prototype
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App control and personalization
