In the context of open source hardware, the designer must embrace openness in a way unnatural to our training....give people a platform, and sit back and watch them play! What needs to happen in open source hardware is a democratization of design on every level. We need to rethink our process, point of view, and role in design to reflect a platform approach that pulls cues from open source software.
3. the challenge
A short two week exploration into the main UI for the BUGbase module.
The goal was to !nd ways to make the BUGbase more delightful, understandable
and immediately more usable right out of the box without increasing the cost of the
unit signi!cantly.
what is buglabs?
A new kind of hardware company that aims
to allow a new generation of engineers to
express their creativity and build any type of
device they want.
Make mashups as applicable to hardware as
it is to web services.
Monday, September 27, 2010
4. process vs product
in many ways the process of designing in the open, sharing everything, was as interesting as the
product design itself.
• extreme collaboration
• rapid feedback
• public missteps
see all the gory details: https://client.ideo.com/buglabs/
Monday, September 27, 2010
6. comments on the first blog entry
(first 2 days)
...
Monday, September 27, 2010
7. comments on the first blog entry
(first 2 days)
...some ideas...
Monday, September 27, 2010
8. Mid-Project Concepts
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4 Concept 5
Electronic Ink over Tactile Color LCD with Capacitive Monochrome Matrix LCD w/ Customizable Illuminated NTE Microdisplay with
Switches Touch Multicolor segmented backlight Buttons with Side panel Trackball
Monday, September 27, 2010
9. icon strip:
Concept 4 - LED Tactile Switches with side status display paper or printable “transparency”
material permits user-customized icon
sets.
button faces:
button fronts join with button tree to
form slot for icon strip.
tactile switches:
mounted to mainboard button tree:
tree provides mounting surface for
button faces, rear of icon strip slot,
and !ex members for tactile switches
Monday, September 27, 2010
10. Concept 4 - Interchangeable Printable Icon Sheets
included icons:
default icon set may include basic
functions or “numbered” buttons to
support out of box use.
drop-in loading:
full strip drops into button bar slot for
simple change-out
Monday, September 27, 2010
11. Concept 4 - Icon illumination
tinted button fronts:
optional tinted plastic can make
buttons “disappear” when not backlit
Monday, September 27, 2010
12. Concept 4 - Button illumination button illumination:
adjustable color/intensity illumination
can be used alone to indicate button
status or function.
Monday, September 27, 2010
13. Concept 4 - Icon illumination icon illumination:
icon backlighting can delineate
groupings of connected button
functions or highlight active buttons.
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14. Concept 4 - Interaction Design
Separation of functional areas: Status, User, Connectors
Pros
• simplicity
• in!nitely customizable labeling; high resolution graphics
• overt interface; visible buttons, tactile feedback
• glanceable
• does not compete with modules
• obvious boundaries of functionality
Cons
• multiple apps or multiuse scenarios ill suited
• minimal ability to display information
• single level of depth; no menu structures possible
Monday, September 27, 2010
15. Concept 1 - Fixed Segment Electrophoretic Display w/ Tactile Switches
!xed-segment electronic ink:
!exible "xed-segment electronic ink display for
tactile switches: high contrast. custom 23 segment per letter
mounted to main board eliminate font for readability and brand distinction
daughterboard PCB. provide tactile
feedback for button presses.
tactile bumps:
provide an affordance for locating the
tactile switch below
load distributing plate:
improve button feel and distribute
load from tactile switches over a
larger area.
Monday, September 27, 2010
16. Concept 1 - Interface
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17. Concept 1 - Interface
Monday, September 27, 2010
18. Concept 1 - Interface
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19. Concept 1 - Electronic Ink Segment De!nition
System Menu Map
comments about interaction design for Concept B
Interaction Flow
• !xed segment limitation; 4 characters per button
• !xed number of buttons (8)
• menu structure and navigation challenges
• information retained without power
• high contrast
• no illumination
Monday, September 27, 2010
21. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Monday, September 27, 2010
22. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Monday, September 27, 2010
23. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Monday, September 27, 2010
24. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
Monday, September 27, 2010
25. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Monday, September 27, 2010
26. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Community doesnʼt come easy or free
Monday, September 27, 2010
27. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Community doesnʼt come easy or free
Communication and contextualization takes care
Monday, September 27, 2010
28. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Community doesnʼt come easy or free
Communication and contextualization takes care
Profiting from a community is delicate
Monday, September 27, 2010
29. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Community doesnʼt come easy or free
Communication and contextualization takes care
Profiting from a community is delicate
Asynchronicity is a 24/7 team member
Monday, September 27, 2010
30. Reflections on an Open Design Project
Know your audience, communicate in their language.
Ideally, be your audience
Be prepared to dedicate 20% of your time to documentation and collecting feedback
Openness supports rapid communication
You don’t own your design, everyone does
Community doesnʼt come easy or free
Communication and contextualization takes care
Profiting from a community is delicate
Asynchronicity is a 24/7 team member
Brutally honest feedback improves quality
Monday, September 27, 2010
42. What does this mean for Designers?
Platform Design
Look to successful open source software projects, many times there is a
lead architect who creates a framework, or platform that enables others to
participate. This same person usually manages the project trunk to steer the
project
The trunk can exist to fulfill general needs or act as a higher volume, lower
cost object by leveraging economy of scale
The branches can fulfill certain “Long Tail” needs, as a configurable options
or modifications of the trunk. (Peter’s example of design for vision impaired)
Let go
We must challenge ourselves to let go of the reins, and put our talents into
enabling the community to work productively with us. Together we can
create objects that hold a new kind of relevance that can only emerge
from a collective process.
Monday, September 27, 2010