Split Flap
Last week we completed a 2 week individual ‘multi-layering’ graphic design course in conjunction with BeGreen Umeå and their Sustainable Ålidhem project. The brief asked us design multi-layered graphics that visualize the current sustainability status of Ålidhem (a residential neighborhood in Umeå). In addition, we were given a bus stop adjacent to the area as our site, in which the graphics were to be displayed with the goal of encouraging people to reflect and ask – How are we doing?, What can I do?, and Who can I talk to? – in regards to sustainability.
The purpose of the course was to ‘experiment with new and unorthodox ways of information graphics design in a specific context,’ which I used as an opportunity to take advantage of the ‘experiment’ aspect and instead proposed an analog installation that utilizes split-flap (or Solari boards) to facilitate sustainability awareness through an immediate feedback display of abstract information.
Long story short (as with the Sound Bowl post – more information later given when I update my portfolio), I spent the majority last week building a working prototype of a single split-flap, that would hypothetically be arrayed along the back side of the bus stop. The installation would display both practical (ex: the arrival of purple and yellow line buses) and conceptual (ex: board goes berserk when a non-sustainable ‘disturbance’ – a car – passes by) information through the graphical movement of colors. Not sure that makes sense without supporting graphics and animation. Anyhow, I’m pretty pumped about my prototype as I ran into lots of problems during the 4 day design and construction process, yet managed to complete it ‘at the eleventh hour.’
Skip to the last video to see the prototype fully working. As always, please ignore late night jargon.
Split Flap – Process 1 – Manual Gear Test from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Split Flap – Process 2 – Stepper motor Gear Test from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Split Flap – Process 3 from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Split Flap – Process 4 from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Split Flap – Process 5 – With Mirror from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Split Flap Construction Resources
Resources I found helpful while construction my own split-flap prototype:
Arduino based Split-Flap game
Unfortunately, I didn’t find his download files very helpful, but his project is an excellent starting point.
Interaction Design student blog on Split-Flaps
I found this guy’s blog EXTREMELY helpful. He has numerous posts with images, examples, and his process.
Wikipedia Schematic
Split-flap construction 101
Sound Design
Earlier this semester, Interaction Design first year masters students worked with the Advanced Product Design first year masters students on a two week sound design project. The basis of the brief was to pick an existing product that has either no or little sound design properties and redesign the product with a focus on sound while also evaluating and redesigning form and light aspects.
Within my group of four (3 IxD’ers and 1 APD), we designed an interactive mixing bowl that aims to create a playful and positive educational baking experience through de-emphasizing the focus of accuracy, and reinterpreting the measurement and relationship of ingredients via real-time sound and light feedback.
More details will be given later this spring once I update, both in content and design, my portfolio, but for now you can view process videos of our working prototype below.
Note: Please forgive our late night goofiness in below videos!
Sound Bowl – Process Video 1 from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Sound Bowl – Process Video 2 from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
Sound Bowl – Process Video 3 from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
OzCHI 24 Hour Student Design Competition Winners
Very behind on my blogging and forgot to post last fall that team Lagom won the OzCHI 24 hour design competition!
Check out the winner’s list here:
https://sites.google.com/site/ozchi24hour/finalists
Ozchi 24 Hour Student Design Challenge
usTiime by Lagom from Karey Helms on Vimeo.
This past weekend I did the Ozchi 24 hour student design challenge competition. Above is our submission. Information regarding our process and final solution available on our team blog.