LOW JOO TAT
About I am a student enrolled in the industrial design programme in National University of Singapore. To me, design is not merely a profession, but a way of making sense and responding to the world around me. I am an advocate that design should always be about the human outcomes and that empathy is an indispensable tool in every form of design.
CONTENTS
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Contents
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K.01
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Polly
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Pixel
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Wings
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Tireless Grace
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Pulse
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CONTENTS
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01. K-01 PRODUCT DESIGN: ELECTRIC KETTLE
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PROJECT BRIEF
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To design an electric kettle with a fresh and unexpected aesthetic that will appeal to a significant segment of consumers.
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K - 01 An electric kettle with a boldly designed top cap that depresses completely as a “boil� button, giving a feeling of quick, pragmatic, efficient straightforwardness. The button pops back up to indicate the completion of the boiling.
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Depressing the cap completely begins the boiling
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Once the water boils, the cap springs back up and the kettle shuts off
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Remove cap by squeezing the buttons at the side
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2D + 3D Visualisations
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Model Prototyping
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POLLY
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0 2 . P O L LY D I G I TA L D E S I G N F O R T H E E L D E R L Y
Designed with Hillary Hoe and Junya Ueki
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PROJECT BRIEF
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To design physical and digital integrated applications that can enhance quality of life as people age, applying rigorous user studies and iterative prototyping using programming tools such as Processing and Arduino.
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P O L LY A home monitoring system with a social twist—aiming to kick-start conversations between the elderly by sharing glimpses of their close friends’ activities.
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Problem Statement It is increasingly common for the elderly to spend most of their time alone, leading to an increase in depression and loneliness. Especially vulnerable are those who are less physically mobile due to old age illnesses, injuries or simply because they are too old to exert themselves. This group of elderly often have no choice but to be hole-ed up at home most of the time, further reducing their opportunities for social interactions. How can we increase opportunities for social interaction for this group of elderly?
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Research We observed that when the elderly are alone at home, they are most happy and lively when chatting with their peers over the phone. However, these phone calls are often few and far between. Looking into how phone calls are initiated, we found most phone calls did not begin with the intention to chit-chat. A call is usually initiated not out of boredom but because of a specific matter to be addressed, be it a question, a request or a reminder. The chit-chat comes naturally as a by-product. While addressing the initial matter that triggered the call, related matters are spontaneously brought in. Like a chain reaction, the phone call evolves into a hearty chat that sometimes last for hours. This tends to happen especially between elderly who are both almost always alone at home with little else to do.
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reminder / question / request
reason to call
happy elderly
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will not call if it is just to chat even when bored for fear of bothering others
do not like to be nagged by children do not like to trouble children
may start chatting spontaneously when calling for other reasons common conversation topics include TV, soccer, common (old age) illnesses
energized by sense of community and ownership for one another sometimes unable to sleep at night passes most of their time by watching TV alone—can become boring
often forget to take their medication
behavioral insights frustrations
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needs a reason call, to kick-start a phone conversation
opportunity to be helped by a friend through a phone call
focus on connections between the elderly and their friends
Design Opportunity Old age inevitably comes with its frustrations. Many of the elderlys’ frustrations, however, can be resolved or alleviated with their friends’ help. What if we can turn the everyday frustrations of the elderly into triggers for phone calls (and hence social interaction)?
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a. b.
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Polly comprises of (a) 1 status board, (b) 4 ID chips, (c) 1 medicine box with sensor, (d) 1 TV sensor, and (e) 1 bedroom slipper sensor
Design Solution Polly is essentially to a home monitoring system with a social twist. Instead of simply facilitating self-evaluation by feeding the data to the user, Polly increases social connectedness by feeding glimpses of the user’s (selected) activities to his or her friends. The goal is to kick-start conversations between the elderly by letting them know when there is an opportunity to call to help their friend— to remind them to take their medication, to check if they are watching the same TV show, or to offer some company when they are unable to sleep at night. Polly hence offers 3 benefits— increasing the opportunities for social interactions, reducing burden on families by encouraging mutual help between elderly, and nurturing a sense of camaraderie among elderly communities.
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forgotten to take medicine?
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watching TV now?
cannot sleep at night?
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Suzy
Johnny 2
INFO SENT TO FRIENDS’ BOARD
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K E E P U P D AT E D O N Y O U R F R I E N D S
Johnny
Suzy
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S E N S O R S C O L L E C T D ATA
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Diagram of Information Flow Setting Up Polly 1. Write your name in your ID chips and exchange them with your close friends
2. Plug in your friends’ ID chips onto your board
3. Organize your medicine in the medicine box, place the TV sensor near your TV, and clip on the bedroom slipper sensor
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Friends’ ID chips Information in the column belongs to the friend whose ID chip is plugged in above Medicine icon if lit up, that friend has forgotten to take medicine TV icon if lit up, that friend is watching TV Night icon if lit up, that friend is awake after midnight
Interface Simple user interface to keep the learning curve small as the elderly are often technologically challenged. Once set up, there is no need for any active input from the user. The user simply has to glance at the status board for an overview of his friends’ information.
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Polly Network The user has 4 ID chips and can hence exchange his chips with 4 other friends, thus including up to 4 friends in his Polly social network.
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Medicine Reminder Taking numerous medication is part of most elderlys’ lives. It is important that they take their medication timely. However, it is easy to forget, especially for those who live alone as there is nobody to remind them. Those who live with their families also prefer not to depend on their children to remind them, partially because of the fear of burdening their children, and partially because the reversal of parental roles reminds the elderly of their helplessness. The medicine box that comes with Polly is embedded with a sensor that detects if the lid of the box has been opened. If the lid has not been opened past the user’s medicine taking time, implying that the user has forgotten to take his medication, a signal will be transmitted to his friends’ status boards. The medicine icon on his friends’ boards will light up and his friends can call him to remind him about his medication, generating an opportunity for a chat over the phone.
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It is time to take medicine, but the medicine box has not detected any motion
A signal is transmitted to the status boards of the user’s friends, lighting up the pill icon
His friend notices the icon
She can to call the user to remind him
The user is reminded by his friend to take his medication
When he takes his medication, the motion detected turns off the signal
An opportunity for a chat may be created
Medicine box with sensor
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TV Companion Many elderly pass their time when alone watching TV. However, watching TV alone does not substitute the need for social interaction. Polly aims to connect elderlys who are watching TV alone by capitalizing on the fact that many elderly enjoy discussing TV programmes. The TV sensor that comes with Polly has a sound sensor embedded. When the sensor detects sound from the TV, a signal will be transmitted to the status boards of the user’s friends, lighting up the TV icon on their boards and indicating that the user is currently watching TV. The friend can then decide if he/she wishes to call the user, perhaps to check if they are watching the same show and chat about it. Information about whether your friends are watching TV also provides other information like whether your friend is at home and how often he/she is at home. This allows friends to detect deviances from the routine which may be the starting point of conversations.
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Sensor detects sound coming from the TV
She can call the user if she is curious as to what the user is watching
A signal is transmitted to the status boards of the user’s friends, lighting up the TV icon
His friend notices the icon
An opportunity for a chat may be created
TV sensor
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Difficulties Sleeping Many elderlies experience difficulties sleeping at night. Without anything to do, the night can be long and arduous for them. Polly lets the user know when his friends have difficulty falling asleep too. The motion sensor clips onto the user’s bedroom slippers. If motion is detected after midnight, implying that the user is moving around and hence awake past midnight, a signal will be transmitted to the boards of his friends, lighting up the awake-at-night icon. Even if the user and his friends choose not to call each other because it is already late at night, Polly hopes to help the elderly feel each other’s presence. From out research, many elderly may not know their friends experience insomnia too. Knowing that they are not alone may bring them some comfort.
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The night can be long and arduous for elderly who have difficulties sleeping
Sensor detects movement from slippers, indicating that the user is awake
A signal is transmitted to the boards of the user’s friends, lighting up the appropriate icon
The indication informs users that they are not alone with sleeping difficulties
Bedroom slippers sensor (clipped on bedroom slippers)
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CLOUD
Technology Polly uses low energy bluetooth to communicate data from the sensors to the status board. The data is consolidated by the status boards and uploaded to a cloud server via WIFI, where the data is retrieved by the other status boards in the same network.
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Estimote stickers—wireless, sensor modules that are extremely discreet
Further Developments The final product would be much more slim and compact than those in the photos so far as we have yet to optimize the hardware in our Arduino prototypes. We foresee our sensors to take the form of low profile stickers in our final product, much like some of the products already in the market now such as the Estimote stickers. Polly was designed with an analog-like interface instead of a digital app interface because our research shows that the current elderly within our target age of 55-65 are generally not very savvy with digital interfaces. However, we foresee that the upcoming generation of elderly are likely to be more receptive to digital interfaces and hence a digital system would be more appropriate in the future.
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03. PIXEL POP-UP STORE CONCEPT DESIGN
D e s i g n e d w i t h G l e n d a Ye o a n d I l i a n a I s h a k
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PROJECT BRIEF
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To design a concept for a pop-up design mueum store located in NUS that aims to celebrate good and fresh design concepts, spreading the appreciation of good design
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Research Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular and widespread. Physical shops cannot compete in terms of price competitiveness and selection range. However, physical shops can create a tangible shopping experience that Online shopping cannot. Designing that tangible experience is hence the focus of the project. As the shop was to be located in NUS, we interviewed the relevant demographics representative of the NUS population to get a sense of their behaviors and impulses related to shopping. We also visited and observed several pop up stores around Singapore as case studies to learn from their successes and failures. From our research, we distilled 3 important considerations for a successful pop-up store experience that will become or guiding principles in generating a concept.
Customer journey map for a pop-up store
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STRONG AND
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INTERACTIVE
CONSISTENT STORY
EXPERIENCE
ELEMENTS
The store’s facade triggers the customers’ curiosity and sets their expectations. A facade that is fresh and consistent with its story and product offerings provides a holistic store experience.
Hands on activities leave lasting impressions and evoke deeper thoughts about the product and its story. Such an experience is not possible in digital stores.
People buy what the products represent. A store demonstrating clear purpose and story consistent with its products sold enhances the product’s value. In this case, the store’s purpose is to celebrate design.
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Ideation Sketches 57
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A Store that Vanishes PIXEL is a store that intends to evoke people’s innate curiousity— the attraction to mystery. When people visit the store, the understanding of design concepts is physicalized by their keeping of the stickers describing the products’ concepts. These stickers covers the store’s glass wall, making up the visual facade of the store. As more people visit and learn from the store, the store begins to “disappear” and reveal more of the acitivity inside. This state of semi-concealment not only heightens the curiousity of passer-bys but also visually represents the fulfilment of the store’s purpose of spreading good concepts. When all the stickers from the walls are removed, the facade vanishes, symbolising that the pop up store has accomplished its purpose and can now be taken down and moved to another area if desired. PIXEL
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Entrance
Products Stickers
Interior Layout The layout references museums where only one piece of each product is displayed. By dedicating a generous amount of space to each product and keeping the number of products displayed low, the layuout imparts preciousness to the products, enhancing their perceived value. To purchase a product, users buy the concepts by redeeming the products with the stickers off the wall.
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Counter Exhibit Stand Entrance
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Location The location at UTown Green wooden platform was chosen for its synergy with our concept. The glass facade of the store juxtaposes the greenery, making it stand out like a gem. The location is in sight of numerous heavy traffic flows and areas but not in the busy traffic itself, ensuring visibility without being an obstruction that is overlooked in haste.
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Brand Recognition Stickers are trending across the target customer profile and will help cultivate strong brand image of pop up store. This can help garner recognition for the store such that design concept promotion is facilitated.
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04. WINGS PRODUCT DESIGN: MAGAZINE RACK
Designed with Cecilia Lim and Magdalene Huang
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PROJECT BRIEF
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To design a functional magazine rack constructed from cardboard sheets only, without using any fasteners or glue.
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Hanging Magazines “Wings� is a magazine rack that explores the idea of hanging up your magazines like you would hang up your coat on a coats hanger. This concept allows users to bookmark their magazines when returning them to the rack. Designed to be placed adjacent to chairs and at the corner of sofas, the rack flares outwards such that the magazines are easily within the user's reach when sitting. Made purely from corrugated cardboard and assembled without adhesives or fasteners, this project explores the structural, foldable and aesthetic characteristics of cardboard as a material for the construction of a functional structure. "Wings" takes advantage of the strong rigidity achieved by interlocking the cardboard pieces at multiple angles to form its stable structure.
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WINGS The Hanging Magazine Rack
Assembly Procedure
BASE LAYER
MIDDLE LAYER
TOP LAYER
Required Pieces:
Required Pieces:
Required Pieces:
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Cecilia Lim A0114591J Low Joo Tat A0113493J Magdalene Huang A0114355M 78
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TIRELESS GRACE
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05. TIRELESS GRACE EMOTIONAL DESIGN
D e s i g n e d w i t h I l i a n a I s h a k a n d G l e n d a Ye o
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PROJECT BRIEF
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To investigate the expresion of a chosen emotion in a common object.
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Patience Enduring and dignified
Loyal
Elegance tied to strength and stability
Tireless Grace
Trustworthy and reliable
Earnest Sincerely zealous and faithful
TIRELESS GRACE
Poise
Fortitude
Inner strength coupled with quiet confidence
Humble
A support: Resilient and sincere
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Tireless Grace: A chopsticks and spoon holder A chopsticks and spoon holder is a timeless piece deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, and we hope to pay homage to that by bringing out the elegance that this cultural object encompasses. The role of a chopsticks and spoon holder is that of a companion—quiet, supportive and humble yet confident and resilient at the same time.
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poise
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fortitude
humble
earnest
loyalty
patience
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Continuity. Continuity, conveying enduring strength amid ceaseless movement through confident control of curves.
Embrace. Embrace, an exploration of the gentle curves and folds in a membrane-like structure
Harmony. The harmony between minimalism and practicality.
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06. PULSE INTERACTIVE MEDIA DESIGN
D e s i g n e d w i t h E d d i e Ta n a n d K e l l y Ya p
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PROJECT BRIEF
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What if our world was soft? By combining soft/elastic materials and electronics, this project aims to explore new possibilites of softness, elasticity and sticky interactions. The goal here is not to try to save the world in the way that human centered design seeks to accomplish, but to attempt to uncover new product typologies and interactions through open-ended explorations and hands-on prototyping.
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PULSE A project inspired by soft robotics, “Pulse� is an interactive installation of synthetic creatures. Undisturbed, these creatures lay dormant on the floor of the tank. When one taps on the glass, the creatures come alive, pulsing upwards with each tap.
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The creatures are cast out of silicone in a precise manner such that when air is pumped into the creature, the difference in thickness of the silicone skin causes the creature to curl. At the same time, the air thrusts the creature upwards. Together with the curling motion, an impression of an upwards, swimming stroke is created. When the air supply is cut, the silicone bounces back to its original shape. The creature sinks back down, until air is pumped in again. The resultant movements by these synthetic creatures as they swim up and down in response to a person’s tapping are uncannily organic. The uncanniness is further accentuated by the resemblance in ecosystem these creatures share with real domesticated marine animals (both “live� in water tanks with an air pump serving as their lifeline). The result is a surreal yet aesthetically fascinating experience.
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Upon awakening, the creature lights up and begins to inflate
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Close up of an inflating limb
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Curling and swimming up
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V I B R AT I O N + M O T I O N S E N S O R S
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“ P U L S E ” I N S TA L L AT I O N
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ARDUINO
A I R S U P P LY
NOID
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D E F L AT I O N
COMPRESSOR
The air supply is provided by a compressor connected to the creatures via tubes. Regulation of the air supply to control the “swimming” of the creatures is achieved using solenoid valves hooked up to an Arduino board. Using vibration and motion sensors, the creature being prodded at can be determined. The appropriate valve can then be activaed, “waking up” the corresponding creature.
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