Recently i had a discussion with one student on her project related to maps for travelers. We had thought of an idea of having panoramic view of the street instead of using conventional maps. If we see Indian scenario, then very few people use maps, instead they would prefer asking some one about the place. Perhaps a new way of navigation could encourage them to use that application. As an extension of that discussion, we came across Google Redefines GPS Navigation Landscape: Google Maps Navigation For Android 2.0 which i feel has some interesting features. The most interesting i found is, street navigation through street view only, instead of conventional maps view. I feel, looking at the actual street view will encourage users to use this application, because people can relate it very well. There are other features also, which can be viewed here in the video.

So, designer community relies very much on sketching their concept and developing it. Personally as a designer, i also agree with it. Sketching elaborates your thinking, helps you to visualize your concept and improve upon it. But if we talk specifically about interaction design, there is another term which is perhaps much more important than a normal sketching, is “sketching hardware/sketching electronics”. If we see projects/case studies, interaction design deals very much with the technology (or my opinion is, interaction design can not be imagined without technology). In recent years, prototyping/sketching hardware/sketching electronics has become a very important part of interaction design process. For interaction designers, i feel sketching hardware is essential to prototype concept and evaluate it. It is said that “thinking too much can be more damaging than building too much”. If we see companies like IDEO, Frog Design, Droog Design etc. they have specifically hired people for prototyping, which is very much essential to learn for interaction design students also. Recently i read an article on core77 about sketching hardware, which is worth sharing here.

image courtesy: mediamatic lab, amsterdam

Imagine yourself in a completely unknown place and you are looking for someone to meet. You take out your mobile phone, start GPS.. but GPS does not work because of not being into open place. Then you start your browser, wait for network to select, type in “google maps.com” but unfortunately network signal is weak, that option is also gone. Imagine the same situation becoming worst, when your phone does not even have GPS/internet facility to run google maps, what to do..where to go?

Here we are.. “2D barcode based information and navigation system”

Not only navigation but also information system using 2D barcode (like QR code, semacode, maxicode etc) designed and prototyped by Keyur Sorathia(Interaction Designer) & Dhairya Dand(Computer Science Expert). A research project exploring new possibilities on contextual navigation & information using almost any camera mobile phone and with just 50 paise print out.

Here, the scenario tries to explain every aspect of it, still we are mentioning some important points needs to be considered.

If we explain the process in simple steps:

start reader >> triggers your camera >> automatically fetches the data & shows on mobile screen

Some more points that are not mentioned in the scenario:

• Technology is designed in such a way that, unlimited data can be stored and displayed
• Detailed contextual information is displayed which never happens in GPS / google maps
• Information can be displayed using all media of videos, images and text.
• The system can be placed and used in any place
• It requires only step interaction to call, send SMS, view website & mail

Currently we have a low fidelity prototype using Nokia N95 and looking forward to make a working prototype using other mobile phones.

Waiting for the comments

Humans are intelligent animals (perhaps social also, but never thought about it). We see our surroundings, observe them and then modify them to complete our tasks. This post is about describing some of those intelligent modification only where we use our everyday life objects to complete some or the other tasks of us. Here are some of the example which might interest you and next time when we do, we for sure give a thought about it.

Yes, thats true. And that too from Sony. An alarm clock with a brochure saying “how to set alarm”. Though it is a CD player which has alarm clock inside, but seems like Sony has shortage of good designers.. no?

Another one, an interesting “exit” signage in a hotel of Las Vegas (Courtsey: good experience blog). Now after looking at this signage, i question myself, where do a person go to exit?

Recently i was called to review a module of interaction design students of Industrial Design Center (IDC), on developing iphone games on several themes using iphone’s gesture based features like accelerometer, touch, multi touch etc. One of the groups worked on a theme “sustainability – save world”, name given for the game was “ECO-TRASH” which focused on keywords;

• fun and rich media interaction
• awareness
• learning for children
• recycling

This image shows a neatly designed logo for “eco-trash”.

First image shows 4 trash representing metal, plastic, organic and glass. Tunnel shown on the top throws a trash, which is to be thrown in related trashbin using spring on the bottom.

Second image describes the condition when a player has thrown trash into wrong trashbin, which results in a new born worm, which slowly eats the spring.

Continuous mistakes leads to new born worm, resulting “game over”. If player does not do mistakes, he will end up growing a good looking tree and shown in second image.

At a concept level, it is a nice start and con be improved more. This concept was developed by Ishneet & Samiksha.

What is the future PC? How would it look like, interms of form, structure, interaction and many more. Though it is quite old, but interesting concept were presented at Futuristic PC by microsoft in 2008. Cnet has presented all the concept here. I am showing the winner entry which is Napkin PC. I found it interesting in a way where it is an open ended concept that can be taken further in any domain a designer could think of. If we look at other projects, then they were focused on one specific domain, which in a way is required.

“A multi-user, multi-interface, modular computer designed for creative professionals to collaborate and bring their greatest ideas to life”. The interface consists of any number of ‘Napkins’ and a ‘Pen’. When powered by the Pen, the Napkin is a multi-touch input display that responds to human touch as well as the Pen “

Just now i was reading core77, interesting article on understanding creative director. Article only showed an image on the page, which i guess was more than enough to explain what they wanted to show. It is a core toon developed by core77. Here it is,

It is fun to watch. Cheers!!

I don’t know whether i have articulated the heading properly, but the idea is “can we design metaphors which are interactive”. Here I am not trying to get into a core funda of interaction design of input-output, but trying to understand whether metaphors can be more communicative than interactive. Perhaps communication design is a proper word to describe it. But lets get to the point, recently i was watching a video of IXDA 2009 by Robert Fabricant from Frog Design, where i came across a really interesting example of sustainable speedometer. It is interesting to see how metaphor design can make a huge difference in communicating the concept.

I do not think i need to explain what is says.

Though earlier i had posted some images of future search in my other blog “design for day after tomorrow“, but i thought i will post some ideas here also. Interesting ideas have been presented and i am really looking for to see that in near future.

Hope you will like it. Cheers!!