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ImpCam - what more can a camera be? Siddharth Muthyala
CIID / DKDS final project 2009
What is a camera when a child holds it, looks into it, and presses the button? For my Final project at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID) I sought to look at a camera as more than just a photographic device. I was eager to explore the medium and demonstrate the immense potential a camera can have.
With that as a starting point I was especially interested in using the medium to explore cameras that a child would use and enjoy. I based my interest on the fact that a childs experience with objects and technology around them has an extremely high impact on their overall development, including social skills, physical activity, mental prowess and emotional engagement. * (refer to paper)
Today's children are born into an age where technology is part of their daily experience. Creating, sharing and viewing are naturally within their vocabulary where buttons and gadgets are an endless source of fascination. I see cameras as being part of child's life today beginning at a very early stage, so I have been trying to understand how these pieces of technology can be adapted so as to have a valuable and more meaningful impact.
This presentation is my journey to discover interesting new potential for cameras and to actively engage children in the creation process using a range of design methods and tools.
CAMERAS & PROJECTS I FOUND INTERESTING market researchDuring the initial stage of my project I found several camera made for children, some interesting and some not so much. Below are just some of the ones that I found relevant to my project as cameras that are designed rather than just made for children.
The Fun Camera by designer Jian Guan. His inspiration for the design comes from a magnifying glass. It’s a great concept and would be a lot of fun to use.
Spy Rod is a camera on a long stick and a fishing line, Children can see and record the view through the camera
with a ‘viewing box’. Designed by Yumiko Tanaka.
Sony recently revealed a unique looking device that is powered by kinetic energy! The Twirl n’ Take camera is charged by giving its circular head a spin.
SketchCam allows children to shoot by tracing paths on a tactile screen, combining sketching and photography.
Tangi Cam allows imitation learning and free playing in a context of tangible and augmented reality. I found this as an interesting project due to its affordances to let many children
to play and experience it together at the same time.
The Crayola Kids Camera stores approx. 93 low resolution photos. I found the shape and design interesting
Inspired by my market and internet research my initial explorations were too focussed on the actual camera and capturing of the image.
I explored ways to share and store ones data. I tried using metaphors for a screen, a photo, and a camera.
Early on into the project I was certain that beyond taking pictures what was essential to a new camera would be time after the photo was taken!
1. Can I shoot pictures with hand gestures? Gestures have a code for different functions
2. Remote shooting - exploring hidden areas
3. Shooting through physical activities and exercises
4. Capturing images by just playing
5. Voice and sound activated?
INITIAL EXPLORATIONS
but first
heading to a local school
age group 7-9 years
FURTHER EXPLORATIONS
I always knew I had to work with children and learn from them, so at this point of the project I took the leap and decided to work with a whole classroom full of children! Working with both boys and girls and children with vastly different interests really helped me with my research and inspiration.
The first day of interactions began with me starting a discussion about art - sketching and painting, what they do, how they do it and why they do it. I hoped to then steer the conversation into photographs and photography and then to cameras.
some of designs from the Play Dough session
some of the responses in the worksheet
feel free to watch highlights of the session - “Play Dough” movie appendix (0:57 secs)
Draw one great adventure you will have with your new camera! Beas creative and imaginative as you can!
Who will you show your wonderful pictures to?
How will you show it to them? Try and think of a new way to do it! Remember you don't have to use a computer to show pictures!
At the end of our discussion, I told the class “I am trying to make a camera for children, and I don't know what to do, who would like to help me make a camera?” Every hand in the class room shot up - I used design methods and references from journals and an IDEO study on how to interact with children to make the most of a session.
The rest of the session was spent on making different cameras from Play Dough (clay). This was one of the most inspiring research sessions I have had and a lot of interesting ideas and ‘designs’ were created that day.
At the close of Day 1 the children were asked to take a worksheet each and fill them out. Again, I kept the exercise as open as possible to get the best results possible.
The results were, again, very inspiring and informative! As I was decoding the meaning and insights from each of the worksheets, there was a lot material and inspiration in them.
“ I want to see the picture when I hold the camera up to the sun ”
“I want to share and view my pictures inside a tree trunk because it's cosy and in nature ”
RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
I want to show my pictures to my family and friends (all 21 kids had the same answer)
I want my pictures and drawings framed
I camera that looks 'gadget-y'
I want to see the picture when I hold the camera up to the sun.
I want to project my images into a frame and use my camera as a remote
I want to share and view my pictures inside a tree trunk because it's cosy and in nature
Put the camera into the oven then put it into a washing ma-chine and then put it into a computer to view the images
I want a shared device with my mother
A camera inside a dog bone. So I can see inside his mouth
Interesting that every kid chose only family and friends. It goes to show kids aren't as interested in 'social networking' like everybody else. Relationships and feedback is immediate.
Wants to be able to do things with the camera that one normally wouldn't be able to do. Technology can tend to be very delicate at times
want something that is a secret, something only you know how to do. It's a unique and personal viewing experience specific to you.
It feels good to have a physical and tangible out-come.
Very comfortable with technology and they can 'visualise' and imag-ine the transmission of data.
Interested in something that can do many things and has many func-tions – or atleast look like it can
viewing and sharing pictures is an event, its a time to gather and feel cosy – like around the family photo album
go through many processes to then view your image. It takes more than clicking to 'prepare' the photo
a device that updates the other device on the go.
At this stage I reviewed all the worksheets and made a map to find a thread between the responses. It was important for me at this point to make meaning and find inspiration to move onto the next step in the design process. The map was divided into “what I learnt” (Direct quotes from the children), “what it means” (my inferences and the underlying meaning of each statement) “how might we” (design questions, next page) . Listed below are a few of the interesting threads I chose to work with
HOW MIGHT WE’s and BRAINSTORMINGformulating a design brief
samples from concept generation (150+ ideas)
How might we turn viewing photographs in a social experience? what tools can we provide to achieve this?
How might we develop new ways to share and view images? If we could, how can we make it a tangible experience?
How might we create game using cameras?educational games exercise games plain old fun or anything you can think of!
How might we link more than one camera together? Is there a benefit to have buddy cameras?
How might we enable the act of photography to be more than just clicking a button?
At this stage I formulated a design brief and challenge, and posed them as concise points to have a brainstorm around. I facilitated a series of brainstorming sessions that were very successful as many new and exciting concepts and ideas were born from it.
The next step I took was to cluster and group the concepts so I could work with them better. From the various groupings several workable concepts were born, and from concepts working prototypes were born.
QUICK PROTOTYPES
I created a working prototype with which to test my ideas and concepts and more importantly to provide a means for experience testing with children.
Cameras designed for an earlier project were hacked and modified to work with my concepts Webcam with a button routed through an Arduino and Processing to run the code
Quick Concept test 1In this idea I tested out augmenting the screen with a shape and latter with alphabets. The object was to find the shape in the natural environment around you
Quick Concept test 2The second concept was a game one played with their surroundings. Augmented on the screen is a “ball” and a “hole”, and the object of the game is get the ball into the hole by making a path between the two. The only rule is that the path has to be a line in the real world joining the two!
EXPERIENCE TESTING AND PROTOTYPES
experience testing with children
I conducted several experience testing and prototypes. the best way to validate, test, check ideas and concepts is to re-create an as best as one can the experience the user gets from your ‘project’
3 rounds of experience testing with 4 different children to gauge their experience and reactions of the changing concept (made better)
Some of the things I wanted to learn about
Some of the things I learnt
How easy are the concepts to grasp?How easy is it to use?How much interest is generated?Limitations of the idea (physical, conceptual, etc)
Game like features are more engagingSticking to the age group is vital!Children are very comfortable with technologyNeeds for the physical productNon entertainment scenarios might work as well!
GOALS AND CONCEPTSjump forward
* PLEASE NOTE: All concepts have accompanying videos, and have to be watched to better understand the idea
Communication and Interpersonal skills among peers"Get Outside and Play"
See the world around them from a different perspectiveNew ways to view and share images
Tactile with a sense of awe and wonder
Concept 1 HANGMAN
Similar to the camera game prototype I created with augmented graphics on the screen. In this concept the user has to match alphabets on the screen to ‘alphabet shapes’ found in the real world around them. I re-created the classic Hangman game - Only, with a camera
Watch video : Concept Video
At this stage I set myself a set of goals for the project and came up with concepts to work on armed with inspiration from my research and experience testing.
Concept 2 Puzzle
What does one do with all the images they shoot? In this concept, the user chooses an old image(or new) and physically shakes the camera, to create a jig saw puzzle from the image!
Watch video : Concept Video
Concept 3 Scavenger
Going by my deep desire to enable social interaction and at the same time to get children and play outside more, I designed this concept where one plays the traditional ‘scavenger hunt’ game using a camera, and playing with friends
Watch video : Concept Video
your ImpCam
SCREEN PROTOTYPES working on GUI elements
CONCEPTS concepts I worked with
your friends ImpCam
your friends ImpCam
ImpCam 1ImpCam 2
send
later
Concept 4 MAGIC
With this concept I try to answer my question in the beginning - can I create a new way to share and view images.
Watch video : Concept Video
Concept 5 LINE GAME
In this game the player has to guide the character to safety (door) avoiding enemies - the only catch is, one has to find the path using lines in the real world. Please watch the video to understand more
Watch video : Line Game
after receiving your image the only way your friend can see the image(s) is by physically coming in contact with you. Once both the ImpCams are in range the images show up on the screen.
The touch screen enables control over the slideshow.
there’s no reason, your friend should be able to ‘keep’ your photos. In my research I found ‘permanence’ a very interesting research area. Permanence vs. Interest.
MODEL PROTOTYPE ANDVIDEO SCENARIO
basic version of evolution of formstills from video prototyping
I relied largely on existing toys and designs to work out the ergonomics to create my prototype due to time constraints. I modelled a lot of my prototypes on handheld video game devices, and used the IPhone as a prototyping platform.
It was extremely easy and quick to make mock ups and software prototypes that could be quickly tested. I learned a lot about using existing products in the market to get work done rapidly and efficiently.
I used the models in the video scenarios (which were mini experience tests themselves) And made a final working prototype out of acrylic plastic which is my own creation.
ImpCam final design (my design)
ABOUT ME
I recently graduated from the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, Denmark with a Masters in Interaction Design as part of the Pilot year. I have a background in Furniture and Product design and I really enjoy working in the fields of Interaction Design, User Experience, Service Design and Product Design and have a keen interest in a process driven approach to Product Development and Design. Originally from India, I now live in Denmark working on interesting and engaging projects in the field of User experience and Interaction design.
My interest in Interaction design began when I began paying the electricity bill for my house every month at the automatic billing machine around the corner. The kiosk is built into the wall and takes almost as much space as a doorway, in-fact it is a doorway, a peek into technology and an example of the rapid development of my country (India). There are two ways to use the machine but only one way to pay my bill at this 24 hr kiosk, one of them is to arrive at the kiosk at anytime between 10 am and 5 PM, in order to catch the attendant, who is present to collect my bill, scan the bar-code, punch in the appropriate numbers, feed my money into the machine, tear off the printed receipt and hand it over to me. The second way to pay my bill is, to walk up to the kiosk at anytime ie: when the attendant is unavailable - maybe on a lunch break, or after 5pm. The only problem with this approach is that the ‘user friendly’ machine is frustratingly un-cooperative to my needs. So we’re back at option one, a ‘convenient’ automated machine with a clerk to handle it and a long queue. What’s the difference between paying your bill at a manned window and the automated machine? Well none, unless like me, one enjoys the sound the machine makes when it ‘sucks’ my money in.
Initi
al desig
n brief
Desk a
nd mark
et researc
h
Initi
al concept g
eneratio
n
User
researc
h (School s
ession)
Formula
ting d
esign c
hallenges
Bra
insto
rmin
g
Concept g
eneratio
n
Quic
k pro
toty
ping
Testin
g
Refin
ed tests
with
Child
ren
Refin
ed tests
with
Child
ren (2
)
Re-w
ork c
oncepts
Work
out n
ew c
oncepts
Experience te
sting
Scenario b
uildin
g
Experience te
sting a
nd Vid
eo
Concepts
for fo
rm
Work
ing p
roto
type
12 weeks
APPENDIX (videos)
Play DoughConcept VideoLine game test and final
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Gwkc4Cdfkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThFAEDcchC8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQG2JIXBvQ
what more can a camera be?
Siddhart
h Muth
yala
CIID
/ DKDS fi
nal pro
ject 2
009
ImpCam
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