Obvio
Public furniture that constructs an offline reading community
CONTEXT
Academic Work, Graduation Project 2014.02 ~ 2014.06
The booming of online communities As a matter of fact, SNS has become the main part of our social activities. People today tend to share things on all kinds of social websites instead of face-to-face communication. Photos, moods, books, movies, music, etc., all these fragments are simply being the medium, what stands behind is the urge to share as well as to participate, to connect as well as to communicate with others. How to enhance people’s offline connection through design comes to my concern.
Obvio
Public furniture that constructs an offline reading community Obvio is a set of furniture, whose center is a book-exchanging case. It aims to construct an offline reading community where people can share with strangers their books and ideas. This is a practice of participatary design, people’s involvement just add up more possibilities to it.
RESEARCH
Comparative research
How does products strengthen people’s offline interaction?
Passive Through the restraint of form.
Two principals: 1. Constructing a community that based on certain interest.
Face-to-face seat
Circular
Bench/Steps
DESIGN BRIEF
2. Not only to design a product, but also an activity or behavior.
Initiative Design an activity or behavior that based on product, to guide people to get involved.
User and scenario research
Physical interaction
Multi-interaction
Multifunctional cultural space
What, who and where? User Profile
Book Clubs
- A frequent user of amazon,
Offices
Compound Book Stores
Cafe
goodreads, douban, etc. - Write comments for books, movies,etc.
Curtural Acitivities
and share with others
Social & Recreational Activities
- Visit bookstores sometimes User Scenario - Recreational area of book stores, libraries, reading rooms, etc. - Cafe(multifunctional cultural space)
Sourcing books
Communicating
Reading
Relaxing
where interaction among people happens
How to make engage people into interaction and communication better?
- Relaxing area of offices, studio,etc.
DESIGN INSIGHT
BOOKS
Function Identification
Before reading
By sharing books with others.
By emphasizing and simplifying functions to achieve design goal. The main target is to combine both reading and sharing offline, so as to
SHARE
LIGHT Reading
By reading together.
More communication and interaction
reinforce people’s face-to-face communication and interaction.
COMMUNITY
IDEAS After reading
By sharing ideas on a message board or through communication.
CONCEPUALIZTION
READING
SHARING
OFFLINE COMMUNITY
Book Exit Books will drop on the grids below.
CONCEPTUALIZATION
Rotating wheel Seperated in 16 sectionsďźŒwhich means it can hold 15 books normally.
Handle
Book entrance
Button Press and the book channel comes out. Book channel Use the weight of book to unlock the lock. Lock The handle cannot be spinned without inserting a book.
One important principal: one book for another. The lock ensures the structure only works when a book is inserted.
Book Exchanging Case Share your books and get an unexpected book in return. Through this intriguing process, more people will be involved in the book-exchanging activity. More sharing, more unexpectations and more friends.
DESIGN OUTPUT Seat With grids on one side, people can hang books and magazines on the seat. More convenient to put on and off something to read.
Message Screen Pull down the replaceable paper and write ideas on this ‘message board’. When the paper is used up, it can be a screen for viewing and decorating.
Design Thinking “Design not only the product itself, but human’s behavior based on that as well.”