Blinkie is a communication platform that was developed to help people cope with cold and dark northern winters. It brightens the day by helping people to start conversations trough shared interests.

5. Introduction
We set out to find and define public nuisances
we’ve experienced as part of the Development
Project course at Tallinn University of Technology.
The purpose of the project was to create aware-
ness about the issues around us, hone in our
design research skills to develop insights that
would lead to a design interventions. We also
look for possible business opportunities, consider
the technological and physical limitations to syn-
thesize a harmonious and holistic product solu-
tion that would address our needs and showcase
it as an experiential prototype.
Martin Pärn
Professor from
Estonian Academy of Arts
Ruth-Helene Melioranski
Researcher at
Tallinn University of Technology
Peter McGrory
Visiting Professor
Aalto University
Janno Nõu
Teaching Assistant/
D&E Veteran
Supervisors

6. Mohammad J. Almutawa
Architect/Designer
from Kuwait City
Anfisa Bogomolova
Designer/Cosmopolitian
with Ukrainian roots
Daniel Quast
Acoustics Engineer
from Cologne
Jibing Wu
Landscape Architect
from Beijing
Arda Şemsettinoğlu
Product Designer
from Ankara
Team

7. RESEARCH
06 Methodology
Tools and Avenues of Research
07 Social Detachment and the Dark
Scope of Research
08 Delving Deeper into the Issue
Winter, Social and Safety Matters
10 Insights
Analysis and Conclusion
11 Opportunity
Potential Possibilities
CONCEPT
12 Conceptual Development
Progression of Ideas
13 Evaluation and Focus
Decision and Direction
PRODUCT
14 Product Overview
What is Blinkie?
16 Visual Identity
Creating Recognition
18 Getting Started
Set-up Guide
20 The Blinkie Experience
Your Time to Shine
22 Design Details
Product Schematics
24 Technology and Back-End
Behind the Scenes
BUSINESS
26 Blinkie as a Business
Strategic Planning
28 Branding and Marketing
Selling Ourselves
EVALUATION
30 Prototyping and Testing
Making It Happen
31 Modification
Embracing Change
31 Future Prospects
The Next Step
RESOURCES
32 Appendix
Source Material and
bibliography
CONTENT

8. 6 •
METHOD-
OLOGYThe way in which we intend
to conduct our research
Data Scavenging
We intend to scavenge various resources
for information that is related to our
topic. Our primary resource would be
the Internet, starting off by looking for
articles, topics, definitions and images of keywords that make up
our research. Within this approach, we are focused on quantity
of information, amassing a large shared database for our collec-
tive work.
We will then go through the collected information and start
categorizing it and grouping related information together comb-
ing through the entire database until everything cataloged and
sorted.
All through out the sorting process, information that is relevant
to our research is kept and anything irrelevant is removed from
the collection.
Our intention with this approach is to search and discover as
much as possible, in as little time as possible to build a shared
knowledge repository and familiarize ourselves with our topic
and what currently is out there.
1.
Literature Review
Throughout the data scavenging process,
we would have collected a large array of
articles and other published work rel-
evant to our research. We will go through
the material, reading and understanding what the intention of
the work was, what others have found out and how that aligns
with what we set out to find.
From social studies to empirical research papers, the intention
of this method was to find out supported data, and evidence we
can use to substantiate our claims.
5.
Interviews
We set out to interview users to find
out more about their impressions and
thoughts on the topic. We were seeking
information about how users approached
and accept the topic, what it meant to them, whether they were
consciously or subconsciously receiving or sending messages
and also their ideas on what communication could be, what
communications of the future can be and what they wanted to
express from their own customizations that they create or wish
to have.
This is valuable data to understand the market, and to gener-
ate and develop new concepts that are accepted by users. The
interviews helped us confirm the basis of some ideas that we’ve
discovered as well as discover new ideas.
4.
Mood-boarding
One of the ways we sorted the images we
gathered from the scavenging phase was
to create mood boards of certain topics
and work together to place images that
convey and inspire the mood of certain key points.
The point of this method was to develop a feel for what the
topic is about, to see how others viewed a certain topic and set
a tone for the research. We set out to turn tacit knowledge into
shared knowledge.
2.
Shadowing
Shadowing was an important research
method where we got to follow around
users and observe how they interacted
with with each other and their environ-
ment. We got to see real world situations where people would
act and do things naturally where they wouldn’t have to con-
sciously think. They were unaware of filming which means they
didn’t perform out of the ordinary.
We set out to notice patterns and occurrences that happen with
people and document them and see if there are any issues that
arise that need attention or habits that integrate that have to
be preserved.
3.

9. • 7
Our focus was narrowed down to the specific effects
of darkness in winter and the ways how it shaped up the
social environment and the people in it. We wanted to delve
deeper into the issue to try to understand the way it’s cur-
rently being perceived, the threats it poses as well as try to
uncover the roots of the problem, through that we can find
ways to create a more positive social impact on the people
affected by it.
WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL
AFFECT THE SOCIAL
IMPLICATIONS OF WINTER?
HOW DOES DARKNESS
Winter is a season that brings about many nui-
sances, whether it’s the discomfort from the cold, the threat
to personal safety from the array of hazards posed by winter
or the negative social and psychological implication that the
season brings.
We decided to focus on the social implications of
winter since it was a phenomena that is highly prevalent
in Estonia and most Nordic countries, with winter bringing
about onset of many psychological ailments such as depres-
sion, seasonal affective disorder, reclusion, inactivity and
many more. The common misconception is that these ail-
ments are linked with the cold, where in fact it’s the darkness
that is the real threat.
ATMOSPHERE?
SOCIAL
DETACHMENT
AND THE DARK.

10. 8 •
DELVING DEEPER
INTO THE ISSUE
he issue of winter is a vast one,but we shall focus
on the human side of the issue and the problems
that directly pose a threat to the people who lead
their lives in winter.
One of the major threats is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),
also known as Winter Depression. SAD is a type of depression
that’s related to changes in seasons, it begins and ends at about
the same times every year. Symptoms start in the fall and contin-
ue into the winter months, sapping affected person’s energy and
making them feel moody and puts them in a depressive state.
Some factors that may cause SAD is a disruption in the user’s
circadian rhythm.The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter
may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may dis-
rupt the body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.
Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, a brain chemical
(neurotransmitter) that affects mood, plays a role and may trig-
ger depression. The change in season can disrupt the balance of
the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep pat-
terns and mood. SAD can be treated with light and phototherapy,
which is the most common treatment. Commercially available
sun lamp have made strides in tackling Seasonal Affective
Disorder.
Another issue with winter which is often linked SAD, is Winter
Reclusive Behavior. People tend to stay inside more and have
less energy in winter. It is believed that the lack of sunlight
hours throws off the body’s natural rhythm and makes winter
dwellers feel as if the day is over sooner than it actually is.
Coupled with the cold, darkness and the hardships of snow, rain
or wind, the affected will tend to stay indoors more often, sleep
more hours and stay inactive more than in other months.
T
THE WINTER MATTER THE SOCIAL MATTER
ased on the Social Trends report of 2013, in most
Nordic countries, specifically Estonia have the
lowest rating in respect with satisfaction with
social life, well below the EU average. Estonia
also has one of the lowest ratings social trust in the EU.
We conducted interviews to further probe this social issue. We
asked numerous Estonians from age of 18-28 questions regard-
ing their social habits, the way they interact with others around
them, testing their trust and reservedness in public settings and
trying to find out their motivations in connecting with others.
We found out that Estonians tend to be very reserved people
and dislike situations in which they have to confront strangers,
whether it is on their own initiative or the initiative of others.
This is very clear by the fact that most public services in Estonia
are migrated to the web where no social contact occurs.
Moreover, the interviewees expressed desire to be able to con-
nect with others but only under very specific circumstances, they
weren’t opposed to the idea of social interactions, just need
specific motivators and channels for them to be able to interact..
After probing for potential motivators, interviewees showed a
strong desire to self express themselves. They felt a passionate
need to share something about themselves non-overtly and
are currently doing so in numerous ways. Also interviewees
expressed that connects with strangers formed over mutual
passions or links seem more organic and are more accepting of
interactions formed on these basis than others.
Interestingly enough, respondents of non-Estonian nationalities
expressed more openness to strangers and a higher trust in oth-
ers.Also they showed more drive in socializing with others under
a variety of social situations.
B

11. • 9
n respect to safety, winter poses a lot of physical
threats to users. The cold and hypothermia are
major concerns in a northern climate but accord-
ing to official statistics, the number of deaths/
injuries resulting from the cold are relatively low in Estonia.
What seems to pose the most threat to people seems to be the
dark.
As mentioned earlier, the dark seem isn’t only the basis of many
mental health issues and social issues, but the basis of physical
safety hazards as well. Visibility being the main concern.
In Estonian Law, every citizen travelling by foot at night or in
conditions of inadequate lighting must wear a reflex reflec-
tor. These should be attached to a person’s outerwear or bag.
Persons not wearing them could be subject to a fine of up to
¤400. Law is in place to help minimize the number of fatal
automobile accidents involving pedestrians in areas of low vis-
ibility, primarily outside the city where streets and roads are not
officially lit.
According to official statistics, 86% of children and 65% of adults
wear reflectors, but the numbers are polarized in young children
below 13 and adults above 25. It is indicated that the prevalence
of reflectors amongst youth and teens is very low, putting their
physical safety at a much higher risk.
Another safety concern is ice, due to the sub freezing tempera-
ture and snow, there is a tendency for ice forming on pathways
especially at the boundaries of the winter month which is the
cause of many automobile accidents, pedestrian slippage and
leading to injuries and in extreme cases, even death. Currently
the only way to deal with issue is prompt shoveling of the snow
and ice, as well as the addition of salt and gravel to the walking
paths.
I
THE SAFETY MATTER

12. 10 •
INSIGHTS
fter analysing the data and research that we con-
ducted we came to the conclusion that there is a
strong link between the dark and social detach-
ment. There are so many issues the stem from
the lack of light that lead people in winter to be more socially
isolated and reclusive. Issues such as seasonal affective disorder,
depression and winter reclusive behavior. Estonian culture also
does not help the matter with Estonians having very low satis-
facation with their social life, low social trust and based on the
interviews we conducted had a reserved and distant nature to
interacting with others in public.
However, despite reservedness, a lot interviewed showed signs
of acceptance to interaction if there were specific motivators for
them to do so, primarily connections based on self-expression
based on mutual interests or backgrounds.
In regards to safety and visibility, teens and youth do not seem
to care whether reflectors are mandated by law, they actively
choose not to wear them as it does not appeal to them, whether
stylistically or as a minor term of rebellion.
A
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

13. • 11
OPPORTUNITY
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
ur aim is to create a channel for people to open
themselves to social interactions through self-
expression, and shared connections using light
and a wearable platform. We see an opportunity
for us to tackle issues of social connectivity, changing the per-
ception of darkness and winter to be a more fun and positive
experience for people.
Though there is merit for working with each and every demo-
graphic, we decided to focus on teens and youth specifically
as our primary targets. The reason being that teens and youth
are the demographic most affected by winter, they’re the most
susceptible to depression and seasonal affective disorder, they’re
the least likely target to engage in visibility safety practices.
Teens and youth are known for their strong creative and self-
expressive nature as well as their placed importance on social
networking and relation building.
O

14. 12 •
n this approach, we focused on the development
of a wearable game to incentivize users with
points and merits to inadvertently interact with
one another, triggering happenings to occur in
the real world. One major benefit of the game approach was
to have a side effect of increased visibility for users for better
winter safety practices.
However the game posed a challenge in terms of operational
independence, thus needing a large device adoption to make
it worthwhile for users to wear. It also created a shallow user
interaction that does not leave a lasting connection.
THE GAME APPROACH
I
he icebreaker focused on stronger, deeper and
more meaningful interactions between users, but
having a wearable device that would create an
icebreaker for the wearer, by either displaying an
item of interest to the wearer hooking other people interested in
the vicinity or one that finds other mutual interests for multiple
wearers.
Such device would rely on some amount of public adoption
but not nearly as high as a game. The device however becomes
an augmented addition to a user that only display items and
involves little interaction with the actual product.
THE ICEBREAKER APPROACH
T
digital key product would be a device that a user
could utilize to control their surroundings with.
It is a device much like a computer mouse but
augmented for real life.The benefit of this device
is that it’s the ultimate utility, giving control to the user for all
aspects of their lives.
However with this approach, it does not tackle any of the issues
we initially set out to overcome. It has little to no relationship
with winter or darkness, and it is a device that does not create
any form of interaction or connections between users, even
though its a strong and focused concept.
THE DIGITAL KEY APPROACH
A
ith an all-inclusive approach, you would have a
device that combines all the features of a game,
an icebreaker and a digital key in one. It would be
a device that imparts all their values simultane-
ously to the user.
But with such a device that has an abundance of features, the
main focus of the device becomes muddled an lost, especially
that it would be in a product category that doesn’t necessarily
exist yet. The other major issue is the cost, with a device that
does so much, the technology that is imparted into it would
bump up the cost significantly , making it an even tougher sell.
THE ALL-INCLUSIVE APPROACH
W
PROGRESSION OF IDEAS
CONCEPTUAL
DEVELOPMENT

15. • 13
t first we set ourselves some criteria on which
that we wanted to evaluate our concepts cover-
ing the values we wanted to reach with a final
product and compared them to our concepts.
We looked at how each concept tackled the issues we were
probing, specifically the social side and darkness. We rated each
concept based on how focused it in term of purpose, how unique
of an approach it was, how interactive it was by forging inter-
personal connections as well as mechanical involvement with
the product. We also looked into how customizable the product
would be, how visible it is in terms of recognizing it for social-
izing and for safety. We considered concept and the possibility
of final product simplicity in terms of mechanical components,
assembly and manufacturability and value of the product in
degree of economical cost/price.
A
DECISION AND DIRECTION
What we found is that every concept had certain categories it
performed really well in and had a value that it embodied very
well, but taking into account all the values that we wanted to
achieve, the approach that did best was the “Icebreaker”.
It did best in terms of interpersonal interaction and connectivity
with other users which was one of our main goals that we set off
to achieve. It is a very focused concept, in that it does one thing
hindered by other features. The concept didn’t focus so much on
user interacting with the product but having the product trigger
social interactions with other users.
Based on interviews in our research, we determined that our
user group was looking for something customizable, simple and
most importantly inexpensive, three values we believe that we
can achieve with this concept.
RELATION TO
ISSUE
FOCUS ORIGINALITY
MECHANICAL
INTERACTION
PERSONAL
INTERACTION
INDEPENDENCE
CUSTOMIZ-
ABILITY
VISIBILITY SIMPLICITY VALUE TOTAL
LIGHT GAME 8 9 6 10 4 0 0 7 7 8 59
ICEBREAKER 7 8 7 2 9 5 9 7 6 7 67
DIGITAL KEY 2 7 4 10 0 10 10 0 5 3 51
ALL-INCLUSIVE 9 2 8 8 7 5 10 7 3 1 60
Criteria:
Relationship to
darkness,
winter, social
problems,
inactivity, safety.
Conciseness
of the product
brief in terms
of use,
functionality
and product
category.
Uniqueness of
product based
on other
existing
products
available.
Intensity of user
interaction with
product
triggering.
Intensity of
personal
exchange with
other people.
Degree of
independence
from reliance on a
high adoption
rate.
Extent of
personal
customization
options
Extent of
visibility for
recognition
and for
safety.
Modesty of
mechanical
components,
assembly and
availability.
Degree of
economical
product cost.
Total overall
performance.
RELATION TO
ISSUE
FOCUS ORIGINALITY
MECHANICAL
INTERACTION
PERSONAL
INTERACTION
INDEPENDENCE
CUSTOMIZ-
ABILITY
VISIBILITY SIMPLICITY VALUE TOTAL
LIGHT GAME 8 9 6 10 4 0 0 7 7 8 59
ICEBREAKER 7 8 7 2 9 5 9 7 6 7 67
DIGITAL KEY 2 7 4 10 0 10 10 0 5 3 51
ALL-INCLUSIVE 9 2 8 8 7 5 10 7 3 1 60
Criteria:
Relationship to
darkness,
winter, social
problems,
inactivity, safety.
Conciseness
of the product
brief in terms
of use,
functionality
and product
category.
Uniqueness of
product based
on other
existing
products
available.
Intensity of user
interaction with
product
triggering.
Intensity of
personal
exchange with
other people.
Degree of
independence
from reliance on a
high adoption
rate.
Extent of
personal
customization
options
Extent of
visibility for
recognition
and for
safety.
Modesty of
mechanical
components,
assembly and
availability.
Degree of
economical
product cost.
Total overall
performance.
EVALUATION
AND FOCUS

16. 14 •
linkie is a social wearable icebreaker, which
helps willing users express themselves out-
wardly through the projection of their interests,
desires, and passions. Blinkie also as gets users
to connect with other users around them with similar mutual
interests and qualities.
The device attaches to a person’s outer wear and houses a
customizable screen which a user can set to display whatever
they like to the world around them. There is a colored lightband
around the screen which glows and blinks to signify that it is in
the presence of another blinkie device with a mutual interest.
Blinkies are linked to a user’s social media accounts and knows
what they’re interested in, what organizations they’re part of and
other unique tidbits, so when multiple devices are in proximity,
a background operation runs through to compare mutual items
of interest of the users, places the matched data in a hierarchy
based on what is important to the users and then displays on
screen the most key information.
B

17. • 15
The aim is to forge deep connections between wearers in a
public setting by revealing intrinsic mutual links between them
that they would have otherwise missed. We hope to create a
starting point for conversations and get users to interact with
others around them. We do not hinder their interaction with the
product only augment it.
In itself, Blinkie is not a smart device. It is only a small screen
and a lightband. The heavy processing and operating is out-
sourced to an application on the user’s phone. This helps
drive the cost of the product down by minimizing the
components required. This also increase the
operational lon-
gevity of our
product.

18. 16 •
n order for the product to
stand out and send the cor-
rect message to customers,
users and people around it,
it has to be iconic and unique, yet simple.
It has to say a lot but not get in the way of
being used or the user. The product is merely
a vessel for a user’s message, thus has to be
subtle in expressing itself as to not impede
the message being delivered.
Blinkie’s derives its form from a multitude
of other symbology, it is shaped like a circle
with a squared of corner on the bottom left.
Using a combination of basic shapes and pri-
mary colors we believe that it is more likely
to become more recognizable yet still be
subtle in itself.
In terms of product, what we’re trying to
reach is communicating the experience to
the end user through the visual identity. We
do not want to fixate on a complex form fac-
tor. We aim for the product’s form to serve as
a minimalistic iconic visual symbol.
I
VISUAL
IDENTITY
CREATING RECOGNITION

19. • 17
It is a statement of presence,
the placemarker serves to send
across the message that some-
one or something occupies a
location. It works as a locator for
finding objects and it functions
as an identifier to label them.
PLACEMARKER
It is the signification of a dia-
logue, a form of self-expression.
It is a container in which a char-
acter conveys their message.
Speech bubbles are a projection
of one’s inner self and thoughts
to others in their environment.
SPEECH BUBBLE
It is the aura surrounding an
object that signifies it’s willing
to be operated in a certain way.
It’s a statement of a happen-
ing and a call for utilization.
The object is spreading itself in
acceptance to it’s surroundings.
BEACON
It is the relationship between
two or more points. It is the
associated link that unites them.
It is the creation of an invisible
network of parts that work syn-
ergistically together as a greater
whole.
CONNECTION

20. 18 •
Blinkie works in conjunction with your smart
phone, so start off by pairing your device
through bluetooth.Once linked,use the Blinkie
app on your phone to create an account.
Connect your account to your other social
media profiles to help Blinkie learn more
about what you like and get the full-range of
it’s capabilities.
1. 2.
PAIR
DEVICES
SET
PROFILE

21. • 19
SETTING UP YOUR DEVICE
GETTING
STARTED
You can use Blinkie to express more about
yourself, customize what you’re able to display
on your main screen, select what’s important
to you and remove what’s not or you can just
let Blinkie do that for you!
3.
4.
CUSTOMIZE
INTERESTS
Using the clip on the back of Blinkie, you can
attach the device firmly and securely to your
outerwear. The way you decide to wear it is
dictated by you, you can secure it to your coat,
bag, belt or even your sleeve
READY
TO WEAR

22. 20 •
THE BLINKIE
EXPERIENCE
YOUR TIME TO SHINE

23. • 21
Have your Blinkie display your causes, pas-
sions and interests proudly and begin shar-
ing yourself with the world. By setting your
main screen in the app, it’ll end that on to
Blinkie.You can also let Blinkie share for you
actively cycling through your interests for a
more dynamic performance!
SHARE
PASSION
Blinkies can sense each other, and when
two or more Blinkies are in proximity they
will sound and start to glow, their displays
will change to reveal the common connec-
tions shared between the other users near
by. Discover like-minded people and break
the ice.
DISCOVER
CONNECTIONS
PER
SONAL DATA CLO
UD

24. 22 •
5MM
50MM
5MM
57M
M
60MM
37MM
4MM
CHERRY
RED
GOLDEN
YELLOW
HORIZON
BLUE
SNOW
WHITE
DESIGN
SCHEMATICS PRODUCT DETAILS
*AVAILABLE IN
FOUR COLORS

25. • 23
LIGHT-DEFUSING
COLORED COVER
REFLECTIVE
SCREEN
PROTECTOR
LOGIC
BOARD
CLIP
LED
DIODE
OLED
DISPLAY
RECHARGABLE
LITHIUM-ION
BATTERY
DEVICE
HOUSING
CLIP-FASTNER
& CHARGING
CONTACT

26. 24 •
TECHNOLOGY AND
BACK-END BEHIND THE SCENES
ith the focus on the icebreaker concept the
essential functions were narrowed down to iden-
tification of potential contacts close by, wearer
notification and display.
Potential contacts are a matter of common connections or inter-
est as well as users being in the same location. The product
concept inherits a link established to the users smartphone,
utilizing its transmission capabilities in terms of localization and
database information transfer through a respective cell phone
application.
The functional units within the developed device therefore
consist of connection to the smartphone, notification and dis-
play. These are extended by basic features which are integrated
power supply/charging logic and user interface options like
buttons/switches.
Connecting to the smartphone
The data transmission to the smartphone backend is established
through a Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE) standard is the first pick, as it offers wireless connec-
tion capabilities at remarkably efficient power consumption.
Transmission range is up to 10 meters and scalable for use as a
near field communication network with body worn devices.
The standard basing on Bluetooth 4.0 is supported since OS
versions Android 4.3, iOS 5 and Windows Phone 8 operating
systems. Further, BLE offers downward compatibility to devices
operating on Bluetooth 2.1 with an appropriate driver update.
Component size and cost comply with the presented concept,
as they are standard components in state-of-the-art mobile
devices.
W
COMPONENTS
Notification
User and public notification are carried out visually. An integrat-
ed number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) illuminates the device
in a characteristic pattern, indicating presence of potential
contact matches and signaling the wearer to check the device’s
display for details. Embedding light sources in a translucent
polymer allows for a distributed diffused lighting. Depending
on the final housing material properties, a total of 3-7 LEDs will
be installed. Alternative concepts could incorporate notification
functionality with the display.
Display
Specifications for the display unit demand a low profile compo-
nent operated at modest power consumption. However, it is the
most price sensitive component which might compromise the
parameter of resolution. It is estimated that a suitable specified
OLED display can be purchased around 6 – 9 €.
ince the device is worn externally by the user,
physical ruggedness and visual appeal are major
criteria. At the same time, cost per unit and also
total weight are critical. Aim is to utilize only
standard polymers with the product housing and
alter appearance through surface properties and optional use of
additives accordingly.
Housing
Front- and backside of the housing are molded from coloured
ABS polymerics. The outer surface features a roughness yet to
specify, resulting in a matt appeal. The central area on the back-
cover embeds a sticker containing the necessary product data.
Second option is a clear and coloured PMMA material with a
glitter additive and no roughness.
S
MATERIALS
PAIRING WITH SMARTPHONE
NOTIFICATIONS
DISPLAY
HOUSING

27. • 25
Translucent inlay
The indicator ring embedding the light sources is molded of
Polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA), with the grade of opaqueness
being a matter of the exact material properties.
Display cover.
Like the translucent inlay, the display window is made from
PMMA acrylic, here with clear characteristics. Optionally, a layer
of protective foil can be applied to the outer side, further pre-
venting from scratches. This part is not necessarily molded, but
can be cut from raw material and attached to the front housing
mechanically and usage of adhesive layers.
he communication between the device and the
online database is managed by an application
on the backend device, which is the individual
user’s smartphone. Beyond hardware driving
functionality, software tasks can be divided into
local, and send and receive operations connecting to the online
database. The following visualization gives examples of accord-
ing functionalities, e.g. the set up of a default visual display as a
local activity between smartphone app and the device.
LOCAL
Pair / unpair
Default display visuals
Device mute
SEND to db
Identification, Authorization
Settings (social networks/media account access, preferences)
Location
RECEIVE from db
Potential contact cues
Device display visuals
The application handles not only personal id and authorization
towards the online database, it is also access tool to the con-
nected social network and media services utilized to generate
possible contact cues. In the event of an afirmated match, the
online service indicates to the user’s smartphone and provides
the actual visual data to be displayed on the device for the
specific connection. One example is the display of the TUT logo,
when two students who point out this university on their net-
works eventually meet in a remote place, where such occasion
is a rare event.
T
SOFTWARE
he logic of signalling potential contacts is meant
to be following certain characteristics:
Meaningful – Neither obvious, nor hardly related
connections.
Focussed – No inflation of cues, no spamming.
Adaptive – Altering signalling according to user
behavior.
To fulfil these aims, the central logic processes the informa-
tion made available through personal social network/media
accounts gathered in the central database. A likelihood of suit-
ability for contact is calculated from the data, triggering action
if a certain threshold is met. Each data point may be weighted
in relative importance within the database, e.g. for a person with
15 contacts on facebook each contact will be of bigger general
relevance than for a person having 1500 connections. Further,
among multiple potential contacts a ranking method may utilize
additional filters to indicate the best fit for potential contacts.
Input data:
Personal Contacts – Matching contacts in common
without being 1st grade contacts.
Group Memberships – Considering group activity and
the group’s geographical epicentre.
Education/Employment – Shared history with respect
to the time frame.
Common Interest (private) – Considerable amount or
highly specific shared likes, hash-tags, etc.
Common Interest (professional) – Shared professional
attributes, job offering, interests, etc.
Suitability for contact can be subject to further filtering beyond
personal location,deriving from intelligence on general assump-
tions or rated user experiences.
Filters:
Position & Movement Characteristics - Being on the
same train or residing in the same country?
Age Group – Relevance of age differences may vary
between casual and professional usage.
Social Network/Media Activity – Possible additional
parameter for matches among multiple candidates.
The exact parameters and algorithms however have to be sub-
ject to further testing and acceptance among the user group.
T
LOGICTRANSLUCENT INLAY
DISPLAY COVER
INPUT DATA:
FILTERS:

28. 26 •
BLINKIE AS A
BUSINESSSTRATEGIC PLANNING
S
Targeting young adults can be a bit tricky, our strategy would
be to have a cost-driven product that is positioned as so for
reaching a broader market and showing consumers the values
of improving social satisfaction. We then intend to come up with
second-generation products that are value-based, with more
built-in functionalities and additional customizability.
Values
Although Blinkie is designed for connected intimacy, creating a
channel for people to open themselves up to interactions, and
having fun whilst expanding their social circles, our underlin-
ing values are also to make people visible and for safety, where
Blinkie can create recognition for users in areas of low light.
Another value we would like to instill is that motivation for a
more active life style. Since Blinkie only really functions out-
doors in the prescence of others, we hope to encourage more
outgoing behavior, we view it as the Nike Fuelband for social-
izing.
Strengths;
Blinkie has an easy-to-use interface, simple preset functions,
automated information filtering, integrated customization via
social networks, as well as giving people the opportunity to
obtain information from surrounding communities. Easy integra-
tion and use of applications results in competitive advantage
over other products that struggle to provide the same level of
service.
Most product introduction are long and app registeration ser-
vices would require users to fill out a whole bunch of surveys
and personal questions to fill out a profile. We noticed that a
lot of people wouldn’t even get past this initial stage to use
the service. To fix this we simply require you to hit a “Link with
Facebook” button and you can already start using Blinkie exactly
ANALYSING THE BUSINESS
how it was meant to be used. A lot of consumers are not willing
to take 15 minutes to analyze themselves and answer questions
to make a new account on a website. However, most people are
willing to try out an app that takes 30 seconds to download and
immediately begin using.This made it extremely easy for people
to share with their friends and made it a very small investment
for new potential users.
Blinkie is linked to resources from other networks such as
Facebook, Tinder etc. By having access to so many wells of data
of what users like, dislike, needs and how the users behaves
online, we knows what exactly to offer to users(additional fea-
tures, advertisements, etc.) and how to develop our product into
a platform to further improve their experience.
The new paradigm of social wearables will never arrive if
nobody consents to wear them, where even the least fashion-
conscious consumers demand a great degree of uniqueness and
variety. Blinkie has to be a product that people would be willing
to show to others, so it has to be a simple, physically elegant and
customizable product that is able to be worn in a variety of ways.
According to Estonian government regulation, every citizen
traveling by foot at night or in conditions of inadequate vis-
ibility must wear a reflex reflector. These should be attached to
one’s outwear or a handbag, or else a 400 Euro fine would be
incurred. Official Statistic shows 86% children and 65% adults
wear reflector. Our product as a replacement of normal reflector,
integrated with more fun and interactive experience, will have
a market opportunity with support and adoption by government
agencies.
Weaknesses;
For a social network to grow, it must have users. The more users
that Blinkie has, the more socially connecting it is. Through
interviews we found the acceptable price range people would be
willing to pay for a new category product is very low, compared
to the technology and manufacturing expense.
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
VALUES
STRATEGY

29. • 27
Research shows different target group expect different functions
from the product. Children and teenagers age between 13-18
would likely to show their beliefs and are more interested in
self-expression. Youth and young adults sage between 18-25
are more likely to buy a product for self-statement and self-
assistance. Adults, 30+, are less motivated to get into social
interactions. It is difficult to engage as many audiences as pos-
sible to achieve a mass user base at the beginning of launching
the product.
Winter is accompanied with cold, moisture and darkness. Even
though the technological components are designed to be mini-
mal and work well against dust, moisture, low temperature, the
weather is still poses a physical threat.
Although Blinkie has a fundamental feature that is original in a
newly established product category. The features are easy to be
copied by competitors once it reached to its target group and
have a positive feedback. Compared with online social network
and casual social games, Blinkie is still in lack of many features
and creative attraction.
Opportunities;
A platform for the casual gamers to develop more games,
upgrading features and earn advertising income. High-tech
companies are able to connect it with more high-tech products
and integrated with more functionalities such as emotion al
reflector, safety tracker. Fashion manufacturers can develop it
into a leading trendy accessory, integrated with more apparel
design and expand their market through technology. It could be
a replacement of personal authorization by commercial partners,
a key for participatory event or even a daily business tool.
A crucial threshold of human behavior is that “If you can’t get to
a tool within two seconds, your use of it goes down exponential-
ly.” Wearables reduce that friction. Since Apple-watch launched,
the market of wearable product is growing dramatically with an
estimated market value of 12.6 billion dollars in 2018. Within
several years varies types of technological features would avail-
able and cheap to integrate into our product.
With out research background on winter weather problem,
Blinkie could be brought into places with similar condition,
such as other Nordic countries. The common value we offered
is without cultural boundaries, and they are tested and appreci-
ated among most international users, indicating the product can
further expand its market to other countries.
Blinkie heavily relies on product sale and advertising on its
social network as a source of income, but after accumulated a
large active customer base, Blinkie as a connector could exploit
other opportunities to attract the money.
Threats;
Blinkies have access to a collection of users’ information. It is
a target for attacks that could involve the theft of personal
information, such attacks occur every day. Weak protection of
users information may become a threat for future development.
People’s attitudes towards privacy protection levels are different.
Research shows some people may not like to use our product
to show anything about themselves due to the privacy concern.
One source of revenue is from advertising, which, traditionally,
includes click-through-rate from the app interface, cooperat-
ing with commercial stores for the exchange of icons onto the
product’s screen, or developing partner-branded products. Slow
growth rate of online advertising threatening growth of adver-
tising income. Blinky has to develop new ways of advertisements
without interfering with users’ experience.
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
KEY PARTNERS KEY ACTIVITIES CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
Government Brand Management Community Young Adults (18-25)
Tele-Communication Companies Product and App Design Product Customization Teens (13-17)
Media Provider Manufacturing Customer Rewards Adults (26-35)
Social Networks Promotion and Sales Software Updates
Manufacturing Partners Platform Development
Advertisers and Marketers Public Relations
KEY RESOURCES CHANNELS
Facebook Platform Advertising and Endorsements
Materials Convienence and Accessibility
Technological Infrastracture Reviews and Ratings
Large Customer Base Commentary and Word-of-mouth
Product R&D Advertising Revenue
Branding and Marketing Sponsorship
Infrastructure Data-Mining
Manufacturing and Packaging Cost-Driven Product Sales (1st Gen)
Partnership Deals
App Servers
Value-Driven Product Sales (Future Gen)
In-App Charges from Content-Providers
COST STRUCTURE REVENUE STREAMS
VALUE PROPOSITION
Social Connectivity
Safety
Personalized Social Experience
Self-Expression

30. 28 •
ur vision as a brand is to transform negative
perceptions associated with winter and inspire
a positive attitude change. We would like to
do that be creating a new winter experience to
improve the quality of Estonian winter life through participatory
design.
In regards to brand values, we believe that when design, commu-
nity, environment and economy are combined in harmony with
the guidance of the place and needs of society; positive social
impact, significant value and enduring quality can be achieved.
So we want to involve people in their surrounding environment,
contributing to society and demonstrating a greater Social
Responsibility. We would also like to expanding the ‘Art of the
Possible’ and achieve it through a long term economic mecha-
nism to deliver fiscal benefits and project viability.
Social impact we are aiming to achieve is to make the com-
munity active and build open and honest relationships through
communication.
As a brand culture, we have a passion for giving a positive
influence to society. Create a collaboration with users and their
environment. We’re a proactive brand, where creativity is the
lifeblood of our organization. We believe integrity leads to a
consistent set of values, ethical standards and principles.
Brand attributes are that we make a product for happiness, we
create innovative experiences and we work in harmony with
nature.
O
OUR INDENTITY
or a generation that is deeply involved in social
networks such as Facebook and Twitter and
expanding to different and more diverse net-
works to communicate and connect, thinking
differently has to become the norm to be able to market in a dif-
ferent way to reach our respective audiences. It gives us a clever
way to deliver content in a more intimate and practical way.
Buzz marketing amplifies emotions, energy, excitement, and
anticipation, it serves to enhance the user’s experience and build
suspense around a launch or event in the target market of young
adults with smart phones who are willing to try new things. Our
research shows many people would like to try a new product if
they see all the others are using it. Blinkie’s hype would help
create awareness and popularity would breeds more popularity.
There is a huge difference between someone who purchases a
product because they discovered it in an ad versus someone who
buys it because their friends had a great experience with it and
shared their experience. This would help Blinkie get the “right”
people interested, additionally focusing on organic growth. This
would also help us stay focused on our core users and refine our
product so that it would be on people that would like it enough
to share with their friends. By picking up it up on college cam-
puses, holding parties and events for Blinkie holders, that would
help Blinkie achieve a viral growth.
Instead of simply mass marketing Blinkie to everyone, we
instead want to focus on targeting smaller, tight knit communi-
ties and launch with the goal of reaching a critical mass within
that community. In order to do that, we would like to target key
REACHING OUR MARKET
F

31. • 29
BRANDING&
MARKETINGSELLING OURSELVES
influencers – or people that have a lot of connections and influ-
ence in their respective communities. In our case we initially
would like to target colleges and, in particular, young students.
These students hold a lot of influence in their social scenes and
student bodies of their respective schools, so once these kids
started using a lot more would follow soon after.
Once Blinkie shows traction in certain markets, we would then
go on to start targeting more popular people and celebrities
in order to mimic the growth at college campuses except on a
larger scale. This strategy of targeting key influencers will help
us grow quickly and allow us to create self-sustaining networks
before it gradually introduced naturally to other demographics.
We can also work on a public welfare sponsorship, through part-
nerships with non-profit organizations and charities. Setting a
product with their logo and preset images, or use of the app to
remind people the power to choose how they live their life. Each
image directed to the interactive website with more information.
It is a mutually benefit for both Blinkie as a company and the
public welfare organization.
Another key aspect of our marketing would be a government
endorsement. As an alternative to a normal reflector, Blinkie
directly engage with the audience wherever they are and ensure
winter safety of residents. We can look for marketing support
from the government. Such as implementing and exemption to
the reflector fine regulation for Blinkie wearers.

32. 30 •
PROTOTYPING
& TESTINGMAKING IT HAPPEN
or recreating this experience the core value lays
not soley on the device which is only a tool, but
on real life physical interactions.
In order to find out what users need and whether the concept
and solution will work with our audience, we’ve conducted a
series of interviews. We talked to different people within our
focused target group from diverse backgrounds and varied
interests. Through these interviews we gained an insight of the
things which are most valuable and needed in Estonia.
We brought real life situation and put ourselves and user group
into action with the most frequent situations defined and cat-
egorized by location and amount of persons involved.
Location Based:
Street - Everyday Routine.
Public Spaces - Cafe, bars, shopping malls, cinemas etc.
Transportation - Between various transportation hubs.
Abroad - Driven by the interest to meet new people.
Devices Involved:
One - Self-Expression
Two - Personal connection
Three - Lateral connection
Four - Group relation
Five+ - Collective community
Execution:
To recreate collected data information we decided to reveal
meaning of “Blinkie” through a video, which recreates these
cases. Script of a possible scenarios was written based on the
interviews and developed interactions.
F
EXPERIENCE TESTING
he prototyping process is divided into three
stages, progressing towards the final product in
detail and sophistication.
Prototype I - Physical Shape
Clay model of the physical appearance.
Components: Clay body
Functionality: N/A
Application: Prototype I is used to verify the outer
appearance with the target group and to experience product
value utilizing it as an artifact in user scenarios.
Prototype II - Functional Mock-up
Partly functional prototype from standard components, rapid
prototyping.
Components: Arduino board, bluetooth bridge, 3D
printed body, LCD screen, LED, attached or external power source.
Functionality: Visual display, light signalling, basic
phone uplink
Application: Early functional testing, software proto-
typing.
Prototype III - Beta device
Device incorporating full functionality with potential or pre-
series parts.
Components: Custom board, bluetooth chip, injection
mold housing, OLED display, internal power source, micro-USB
charged.
Functionality: Receiving/display of visuals from app,
cueing through phone app, full phone uplink.
Application: Comprehensive user, software-/hardware
testing.
T
PRODUCT PROTOTYPING
LOCATION BASED
DEVICES INVOLVED
EXECUTION
PROTOTYPE I - PHYSICAL SHAPE
PROTOTYPE II - FUNCTIONAL MOCK-UP
PROTOTYPE III - BETA DEVICE

33. • 31
THE NEXT
STEP OUR VISION
n terms of product development, several key
aspects should have been considered more thor-
oughly in hindsight to be able to streamline the
process and create a more overall wholesome
product in all aspects.
Firstly, we focused a more on the design and experience of the
product and were limited in our technical capabilities, we made
some design choices that would potentially make the device
hard to manufacture.
We decided to use an odd screen shape which poses a challenge
as no such screen exists and would require a large research and
development effort on that specific topic. Alternatively we could
change our screen shape but at the expense of losing our visual
identity.
Since it’s an outdoor device, battery life could be greatly affected
by the harsh cold and since it’s a small device,the capacity would
be limited.Another option is to have it tethered to a smartphone
or external battery source to increase capacity and protect it
from the weather.
Weather also plays a role with respect to moisture. Moisture can
affects electronics in devices and create a problem, the housing
should be designed in a way to hinder the access of moisture
and dust as well be able to absorb shocks, bumps and impact
forces, from scuffs and accidental drops.
In terms of experience, privacy is one major concern which we’d
like to address, since it links with your social media accounts, we
want to extend the feeling to users that their data and informa-
tion would be safe with us and gave them full reign on it.
I
MODIFICATIONS
hen envisioning the future prospects of Blinkie,
we could see a few routes in which to venture
down better enhance Blinkie as a business, a
product and an experience.
One of the main objectives we would like to develop further is
opening up Blinkie to developers to create other apps and appli-
cations for it. With a more diverse back end, the possibilities are
limitless. Blinkie can function as a digital key, a bus pass, or even
a personal assistant. We see value in this approach as it will
cater to other user needs and allows for further customizability.
In terms of business, we can look into partnering up with social
media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter to better integrate
user profiles, interests and information as well as become an
extension of these networks. This could create a shift in busi-
ness model from a sales driven technology company into a big
data company where Blinkie could be used for data aggregation
and data mining, which could lead to targeted advertising, and
marketing.
Blinkie could also be used by researchers as a research tool to
recieve statistics about user habits, movements, clustering and
to help better understand and map the socialscape. This would
provide valuable data sets which can be the basis in anthropo-
logical, psychological and social research.
We hope to transform Blinkie into a quality driven device in later
iterations after establishing a solid user base. We would like to
use higher grade materials, integrate more functionality into the
device and make it a device that is inseparable from the users.
W
FUTURE PROSPECTS

34. 32 •
Sotsiaaltrendid. 6. Social Trends
ISBN 978-9985-74-531-1
http://www.stat.ee/65393
Reflector Statistics
http://www.mnt.ee/index.php?id=21615
Seasonal Affective Disorder
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-
affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047
Depression
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depres-
sion/basics/definition/con-20032977
Winter Health Risks
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/winterhealth/Pages/
Winterhealthrisks.aspx
Business Canvas Resource
https://canvanizer.com/
Color Palette Resource
http://www.materialpalette.com/
APPENDIXRESOURCES