as

Monday, September 7, 2015

DS: Working on a Thing

Working on a thing here. Perhaps random spreads throughout the lookbook? Bringing in some elements from the original building and seeing what happens. ALSO, brought in this salmon color and I'm loving it.

MX: 15 scenarios

Here are 15 features that speak to our audience:

Problem 1: Lack of control over what you're listening to

Solution: Being able to "create" your own sounds by overlapping sounds from different locations
Example: Someone in New York is listening to the streets of Beijing, a forest in Colorado, etc. all at one time

Problem 2: The device may be intrusive/distracting from daily life

Solution: Making the device small, discreet
Example: A lawyer while working at his/her office wants to tune in on the device, but doesn't want to seem distracted

Problem 3: A lack of an outlet for stress/anxiety/fatigue/business

Solution: Being able to only hear certain types of sounds of their choice based on mood
Example: A teacher who is drawn towards natural sounds wants to relax and zone out, so listens to sounds of the beach during his/her lunch break

Problem 4: A long-distance relationship seeking for an authentic way to connect to share an experience

Solution: Being able to broadcast in real-time and share sounds they collected/recorded throughout their day
Example: One friend in Hawaii wants to connect with their friend in Kansas City, so they share their sound log for the day

Problem 5: Feeling disconnected from other listeners

Solution: Listener feedback - a tracker of the number of those tuning in
Example: Being able to compile sounds together and knowing somebody borrowed your sound (similar to Pinterest)

Problem 6: Not being able to listen to sounds in large spaces

Solution: A speaker which broadcasts the sound in the whole space
Example: A mom getting ready for work in a rural town and wants to listen to the sounds of a bustling city

Problem 7: Not knowing what you want to listen to

Solution: A selection of certain areas/locations that match the user's mood with a short questionnaire
Example: The user wants a way to pinpoint their emotional state, so fills out a short questionnaire about how they're feeling and the device prompts them to suggested sounds

Problem 8: Not being able to connect with people internationally

Solution: Qualities of the device change according to each person's needs/preferred look & feel in different countries
Example: In America, the device would be geared towards their aesthetic and would differ from that of Japan

Problem 9: Not being able to know for sure if the sound is real/authentic

Solution: Having the option to actually talk with another listener
Example: A user overhears a song they like in Hong Kong and wants to ask the other user what song it is through clicking a "Let's Chat" button

Problem 10: Not being made of sustainable materials - looking too high tech

Solution: Make the product out of something recycled, sustainable
Example: The device can be attached to pre-existing headphones/earphones/tech or be made out of recycled plastic/wood

Problem 11: Since the device will be small, it can be easily lost, dislocated

Solution: The device is trackable, and connects to other technology
Example: Someone loses their device, and tracks it down with their iPhone

Problem 12: The issue of privacy

Solution: The device can differentiate between voice and ambience
Example: Somebody's riding the bus and wants to capture the sounds the bus is making, not the conversations going on around them

Problem 13: People wanting to customize their device

Solution: The device comes in different colors/materials and the application has different default states for different moods/states (working, relaxing, sleeping)
Example: Someone is relaxing and they open the app and according to their state, the device plays relaxing sounds

Problem 14: The discrepancy between what sounds are played and the person's current state

Solution: The device can track a person's heartbeat in order to cater to their sound needs
Example: Someone is running late to work, and finally arrives at their destination, so needs to recuperate - so the device plays music to rest their heartbeat

Problem 15: The device cannot be used for different purposes (research)

Solution: The app gives the user facts about the location and culture through making its own infographs
Example: Someone is researching about New York, and wants to know who is listening in in New York

Thursday, September 3, 2015

DS: Michael's Intro

VA: More Research

3-5 Ideas: creating a local food system and communities well being

how local agriculture links to community unification

persuading people to start growing own foods

support local businesses

Objective: To find a way to repurpose vacant land as a place to grow and nurture fresh food.

Benefits: healthier eating culture

repurposing of vacant land

stimulates the economy

supports local farmers

community revitalization

profitable to the city

Issues: Design presence very weak

The already set organizations are only targeting a single audience - not expanding

Not a lot of information is readily available - needs to be more accessible

Community involvement is weak

Difficult to volunteer

Budget is a possible issue

The community is those who live by the vacant land and lots- potentially the whole city

http://maps.cultivatekc.org/

- List of all of the farms in Kansas City

http://kccg.org/

- Get Growing KC initiates community gardens, troubleshoots garden failures, and organizes group outings to farmers' markets.

http://www.seedsavers-kc.org/

- Seed Savers shares seeds and educational assets with interested growers in our region.

https://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/ten/pdf/winter2013/landbanking.pdf

- This reading talks about how what exactly happens to abandoned buildings before the city can do anything with them. This provided good information about where we could propose to fill with plants.

https://cultivatekc.org

- Cultivate KC grows food, farms, and community in support of a sustainable, healthy, and local food system in greater Kansas City.

https://www.wycokck.org/uploadedFiles/Departments/Development/NRA%20Application%20Revised%202012.pdf

https://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/ten/pdf/winter2013/landbanking.pdf

as

Friday, September 11, 2015

DS: Applications

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

MX: Wireframes

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

DS: Finalized Logo