Table for One
Table for One
Stephanie Xi Cheng Ho RMIT Industrial Design Honours Project 2014 Special thanks to Malte Wagenfeld, my research project supervisor for his professional guidance and valuable support. Thanks also to the technicians in RMIT Gossard Workshop who have helped me though out the project.
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Emotionally Durable
Emotional Design Visual Reminder
Sensory Design
Cutlery
Crockery Single Dwellers
Focus
Food Awareness
Solo Dining Everyday Experience
Engaging
Motion
Playfulness
Atmosphere
A Break
Adventure
Abstract. Eating constructs a big part of our lives. We therefore should not take it as a task to be completed. We should learn to enjoy the time we spend on eating. But as the number of single dwellers grows, more and more people are dining alone. Many are starting to stuff their stomachs up with whatever food that is easy to grasp and fast to swallow. They have forgotten the joy of eating. They consume without authentically engaged in the art of eating. There is a need to design a better dinning experience for these solo dinners. “Table for One� is to produce a set of
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cutlery and crockery that is engaging and sensorial. It is a project to explore the rich and colourful sensorial possibilities of solo dining. It aims to reinvent and to recover solo dining of enriched experiences. Diners shall relax and redirect his and her focus onto the food, the act and the joy of eating. This engaging sensorial crockery and cutlery set will add adventurous and playful qualities to the soloist’s kaleidoscopic dining experiences. Sitting on the kitchen bench, it makes a visual reminder and motivates the soloist diners
to cook and eat at home oftener. “Table for One�originates with an interested concern about single dwellers. Meticulous observations on object materiality and emotional design are employed. Various design methods are used, including self-observation, online survey, ethnographic and laddered interviews, food diary, prototyping and experience prototyping.
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Contents. Abstract Chapter 1. Introduction to Solo Dining Experience Introduction The Problems, Project Aim and Motivations Design for One City Life, and the Forgotten Joy of Everyday Experience “Throw-Away Society” and Emotional Design Project Direction: Object Materiality, Sensory and Playfulness in Design Object Materiality Sensory Experience Playfulness in Design Memphis, and Contemporary Works in the Fields Modern Design, Post Modernism and Memphis Movement Hara Design Institute- Haptic 2004 Eyal Hirsh: Tail Stool Katerina Kamprani: The Uncomfortable Kenta Watashima- あ/Ah Ruan Hao (Lycs Architecture) - Catable 8
Mio I-zawa- The Grow Cable Jinhyun Jeon- Tableware As Sensorial Stimuli/ Sensorial Appetizer Hyungkoo Lee- The Objectuals~Sensory Allen Wexler- Coffee Seeks Its Own Level~Sensory/ Experience Thinkers In The Field Donald A. Norman *Jonathan Chapman Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi And Eugene Rochberg-Halton *Rolf Jensen Volkswagen- The Fun Theory Design Opportunities in Household Environment
Chapter 2. Design Exploration, Design Methods and Findings Design Methods Observation: Kitchens and Bedrooms Self-Observation: Motivation of Doing Housework Ethnographic Interview: Emotional Attachments to Everyday Objects 9
Laddered Interview: Emotionally Attached Objects Food Diary: Dining Alone and Dining with Others Survey: Solo Dining Experience Prototyping: Materiality of Everyday Objects Experience Prototyping: Playing while Using Discussion and Refined Project Position: Solo Dining and Sensory Experience
Chapter 3: The Design Approach The Concept: A Cutlery and Crockery Set for Solo Diners Concept Development and Prototyping Concept 1: Alice in the Wonderland Concept 2: Bench-top Sculpture Concept 3: One Delicate Set, for One
Chapter 4: The Final Design Outcome The Completed Design Conclusion and Reflection: What’s the next step?
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Ch 1. Introduction to Solo Dining Experience 12
The Problems, Project Aim and Motivations There are three social problems that motivates me in this design project.
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Design for One
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The number of single dwellers is increasing all over the world (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010; Euromonitor International, 2013). Between 1996 to 2011, the number of single dwellers around the globe has increased 80%, from153 million to 277 million (Euromonitor International, 2013). In Australia, the average household size is projected to decrease steeply, from 2.6 (in 2001) to 2.2/2.3 in 2026. On the other hand, the number of single dwellers in Australia is projected to rise to 3.2 million on 2031. Which will equals to 28% of the projected number of household ( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008).
The recent trend of declining household size has a complex cause. It is a result of the decreasing marriage rates and birth rates, and the increasing ageing population, where it is more likely to have one of the dwellers passing away. The smaller household size and the increasing number of single dwellers indicate that more people are experiencing a significant amount of time to spend alone daily. It also means more household tasks are required to be complete alone. Understanding and satisfying the needs of the single dwellers became important during the design of household objects. More focus on solo user’s needs and sensorial user experiences is required.
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City Life, and In modern society, we have such a busy and stressful lifestyle. People are all specialised in a position. Every day, people wake up early. They go to work, sit at a desk, do the same work nine hours a day, five days a week, take the same bus, walk the same way home… Life gets a bit repetitive, doesn’t it? Living in such a boring schedule is like living along a planned pathway. People are so used to what they see and senses, and their brain just started to ignore and exclude the repetitive common sensory stimuli received. Nothing is new and exciting. In other words, people’s senses get numb. They can’t fully sense what is displayed and show to them. They have lost their interest and curiosity in everyday life. That is not good. What is life? Life is constructed by all the very little things happened to us. The repetitive everyday routine is a large component of our experience of living. Shouldn’t we learn to relax, sit back and enjoy these everyday experiences? A new perspective for people to view their ordinary everyday live is needed.
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the Forgotten Joy of
Everyday Experience
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“Throw-Away Society”
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As a result of industrialisation, mass manufacture has become the norm. Products are lower in cost and become more affordable. Numerous competitive products with similar function are overwhelming the market. In this keen competitive environment, products’ functionality became expected and taken for granted (Jensen, 1999).
has lead to the development of today’s “throw-away society”. Users get bored with products quickly, and products without special qualities often have bad sales. Even if they are purchased, they might fall into disuse very quickly. Once a nicer, more interesting or attractive substitute appears in the market, such designs may be replaced.
The critical factor for consumers to select a product from many then becomes more emotional than ever. Like Nigel Whiteley has mentioned in his book “Design for Society”, the above-mentioned situation
This view is in respond to my experiences and observations, where many “fully functional” designs that satisfy people’s need are not necessarily able to gain user’s love and appreciation. The products being replaced may be good tools that do the job, but they may not necessarily be loved nor cherished. Such consumer attitude has greatly shortened products’ life. Products being throwaway are not used to its full extend. It is a waste of resources.
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Emotional Design I want to design products that bring people a smile- not for a second or a season, but for years. To do so, tackling the root of throw-away habits is critical. Since the reason behind these wastes is the poor emotional relationship people have with the products, without a improving the user-product emotional relationship, this waste is hard to avoid. The solution to the ‘throwaway’ trends lies on the re-establishment of consumer’s emotional attachment to products (Whiteley, 1997). Emotional design is the key to improve user-product relationship. Donald Norman is an academic in the field of cognitive science and design. In his book “The Design of Everyday Things”, Donald explained the concept of emotional design. When users are happy, they are more relaxed, more creative and have a higher tolerance to problems. When users are anxious, they trapped into problems easily and find it harder to solve the problem they face. Norman has related this founding to the aesthetic of design. As pretty things make people happier, pretty things also works better. Human does not just receive and
react logically like a robot. Emotions have a crucial role on how people act and respond to products, and review their user experiences (Norman, 2005). Products need to acquire emotional durability. For a product to be emotionally durable, it needs to have a durable ‘meaning’ and ‘value’ (Chapman, 2005). If people emotionally value a product, the product will also be cherished and take care of. Hence, it will be able to function through its expected life span (if not longer). User will be more willing to spend their time, money and effort to get the product fixed and repaired if it is damaged. Unnecessary waste can be reduced, leading to a future with less waste. I believe if a user loves a product from their heart, and truly enjoy using it and interacting with it, the user will be happier when using the product. They will also have a better, more enjoyable experience to live.
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Project Direction:
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Object Materiality, Sensory and Playfulness in Design Seeing the three social problems, I wish to help the stressful city people to relax and enjoy life more. I want to define a new way to enjoy everyday live. It could be a way of enjoyment designed to enjoy alone, a delicate way of enjoyment that cannot be shared nor experience in groups. A little design, of course, will not flip the entire living experience of a person over. But if it shares a new perspective for people to enjoy life, it can be a key to improve everyday living. I looked into three components of design: object materiality of a product, sensory experience received by user, and playful element in designs.
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Object Materiality Materiality is a concept of physical consolidation of matter that informs us about our surroundings. The concept of materiality does not only applies to interior design and architecture. In industrial design, the use of material will also influence how one uses and experiences a product, or an object. Although a lot of us are not aware of this, the materiality of everyday objects is indeed influential. The appearance of a product, and the way it works provide us an emotional impression, and suggest us a way to use it- where, when, and for what reason. The materiality of the object then changes our daily routine and habits
accordingly. Our everyday experiences and our perspective to live are influenced. Materiality of object determines if one will enjoy a great user experience of using it or not. Will the user love it? Will the user hate it? Or will he simply use it because he needs to, and forgets about it afterwards? If object materiality is considered thoughtfully in a design, user experience could be improved or guided.
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Sensory Experience
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We are equipped with a number of sensory systems. Vision, auditory (hearing), somatic sensation (touch), gustatory (taste), olfaction (smell) are the five sensory system commonly recognised. They are not the only sensory systems we have. Apart from the five major sensory systems, we also sense temperature (thermoception), pain, balance, relative position (proprioception), pressure, posture, movement, tension, and many more. When we encounter with the world, we receive sensory stimulations from the surroundings. Our brain decode and make sense of those stimulations, and construct our understanding of the world and our everyday lives. Like art critic John Berger has stated, “It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world.� But we are selective on sensory stimuli and do not focus on every single stimulus we received. We make choices on what wee look at, and we only see what we look at (Berger, 2008). What we focus on then become critical and influential on how our perspective to the surrounding world and our living experience will be.
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Playfulness in Design
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Functional value is not the only value of products. Apart from functional value, products also have a status value, a style value, value as a topic of interest or talking point, and sometimes products are use for building self-image or self-esteem. In this day and age where function is taken for granted, all these other qualities of a design are indeed very important and are crucial for a design to be successful. These qualities allow a design to be different to its competitors, stand out among the crowd, and attract attention from its potential users.
Playful design satisfies all the above-mentioned qualities. They are slightly quirky, and usually defines usual objects in a somewhat different and new way. Those design redefines ordinary user experiences. They add enjoyment to the use, and allows users to engage with the product with joy. When those products are placed into a context, it changes the atmosphere and the style of the space. Playful designs encourage users to explore its function and meaning. They help to keep users curious, and enjoy life in a fresh perspective. They are the statements of personality. Playfulness adds value to an object, and helps us to live our lives happier.
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Memphis, and Contemporary Works in the Fields Below is a collection of works in the field of object materiality, sensory experience and playful design. They are sensorial, emotional, and they tell stories through its materiality qualities. Most works are warm and welcoming to users. They invite people to experience them, to touch them, and to use them though visual of haptic language.
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Modern Design, Post Modernism and Memphis Movement After WWI (1914-1918) and WWII (1920-1930), handicraft became an old technique of the past. Designers were no longer interested in making crafty products. Instead, they were amazed by the capability of machines. With the post-war spirit, designers are craving for a different design style. They no longer make complex and decorative designs. Instead, they pursue industrial, rational and geometrical design style. The form of product was purely determined by function and technical concerns on techniques for mass production. That was the mainstream “Modern Design” in 1950-1975. Meanwhile, a counter style is developed in Italy. Designers like Ettore Sottsass and Andrea Branzi are interested in alternative styles outside modernism. They break the “modern design rules” and design new, unexpected, whimsical furniture and objects with bright colors and unexpected materials. They went back to handicraft and are not restricted by mass pro-
duction concerns. They played with materiality, and the resulting style is impressive and inspiring. Even looking at those designs now in 2014, Memphis designs are still fresh and interesting. It stands out among every other design styles. The style is so strong that it just speaks to the users- even they know nothing about design. The design style of Memphis is a good play of materiality and showcases alternative ways to design objects.
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Hara Design InstituteHaptic 2004 Hara Design Institute from Japan has an exhibition named HAPTIC on 2004. Designers, artists and the electronics company Panasonic were invited to design objects by designing the sensory experience before considering the appearance of the object. Many inspiring sensorial objects were created. The objects have visualized sensorial and emotional attributes of user experience through manipulating the materiality of daily objects. They are experimental. They were not design for the point of sale, and may never get into in the market as a product. However, the concept of focusing a design on user’s sensory experience is new, eye-opening and inspirational.
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Eyal HirshTail Stool The Tail Stool is shaped like any ordinary round stool- if it does not have one of its legs converted into a big, long, cushioned tail. Just by converting a leg to a tail, the design changed the definition of stool. The design questioned the relationship between human and everyday furniture. What are the possibilities in the user experience? How to make a stool with more meanings and value than a simple stool? In introduction stop-motion video of the Tail Stool (Youtube: Eyal Hirsh Final Project at Shenkar College), Hirsh has shown endless possibilities for its users to engage with, and play with the piece of furniture. In the video, the Tail Stool looks more like a friendly creature than a stool. The design is functional, yet the focus is on the emotional humanity side.
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Katerina KampraniThe Uncomfortable Kamprani has designed a set of objects investigating the meaning of objects. She redesigns ordinary everyday objects by altering their materiality. Objects are modified in a way that they remain somewhat usable, but no longer functional in their original intended use. For example, she cut holes on a pair of rain boots. They are still wearable, but the function of keeping the feet dry on rainy days has been taken away. The project played with the materiality of objects to encourage focus and discussion on the meaning of objects and function: What makes an umbrella an umbrella? Kamprani’s project explains the close relationship between form and function. It also directs people to a new perspective to see the ordinary objects in our lives.
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Kenta あ/Ah Watashima あ(Ah) is an interactive object shaped in the basic Japanese character - あ. あ is the first alphabet in Japanese. It is one of the most frequently and commonly used characters in Japanese. As the designer stated, this character has various, contextdependent meanings. Different inflections of it can express various human emotions.
When people touch the object, poke it, squeeze it, flex it, pat it, shake it and play with it, the object provides feedback in sound. It will pronounce the character あ with different tunes, depending on what gesture was applied, where was it applied and how much pressure was applied. In the introduction video of this project (Vimeo: あ / Ah), the high and low pitched feedback sounds of あ are produced in various intervals. It sounds slightly erotic. Although the word あ is neutral, but when tunes are implied, the word sounds like it was spoken with emotional meaning. The meaning of the word became ambiguous. The meaning is not defined, but left for the viewers to imagine. The object was build to encourage people to realize the possibilities of the character あ and the relationship between a character and its meaning. The object is designed to eliminate all sensory stimulation but haptic and sound. It allows user to focus on haptic and sound stimulation they receive, guided them to relate the two, and directs them to question the emotional responses they have, and the meaning behind it.
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Ruan Hao
(Lycs Architecture)
- Catable CATable is designed for cats and their owners to work and play in the same environment. Cat owners can use the table surface as their desk while cats can use it as its playground. With built in tunnels for cats to burrow and felines to explore, cats can enjoy discovering and playing by themselves when their owners are focusing on their work, or enjoying their meals. It will be less likely for the cats to jump onto your computer to mess with your work or to steal your food from your plate as they will be busy playing in the desk. With the semi-opened tunnels and holes, cat owners can also share their cats’ adventurous explorations and interact to their pets in a new way. The CATable is an inspirational example of modifying materiality to embed designed body languages, way to use, and user interaction in objects.
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Mio I-zawa- The Grow Cable
I-zawa has transformed an i-phone cable into a “living” umbilical cord. When connected to the phone, Grow Cable sucks in part of the phone. It vibrates and moves while charging the phone as if it is alive and feeding the phone (Youtube: Grow Cable). According to I-zawa, this object was designed from her strong interest in the relationship between technology and human. She has related the action of charging the phone to the way mother feeds energy to her baby. “It moves as if it’s trying to introduce iPhone into, just like to express an irony to people’s dependence on iPhone,” says I-zawa. The object looks bizarre. Certainly, it catches
the attention from people who see this for the first time, and it provides a talking point. However, the object’s movement follows a simple and clear pre-programmed pattern. There are no interactive or engaging elements in this design. User might find it hard to relate the pattern to themselves. They might lose interest quickly. The product might not be able to arouse discussion as well as I-zawa intended. If that happens, the design might become nothing more than novelty toy. The importance of allowing user to engage with the product is reaffirmed.
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Jinhyun JeonTableware As Sensorial Stimuli
Jeon has an interest in joint perception. She explores the engineering of emotional experiences through sensorial perceptions and intuitive behaviours. According to Jeon, the sensorial series “Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli� was inspired by the synesthesia phenomenon. This project aims to stretch the limits of what tableware can do, and how tableware can make eating a richer experience. The series consists a selection of spoons with different textures. The textures alter the haptic feeling of eating from a spoon.
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Sensorial Appetizer Jeon has designed another series called “Sensorial Appetizer” to explore the role of eating tools. She advocates that the tools use in eating should be more than a tool to put the food in the mouth. The cutlery should be a sensorial appetizer to tease users’ senses. “Tableware should be designed to suit our intuitive and mostly subconscious sensorial abilities rather than forcing the people to adapt to the tools,” said Jeon. Jeon’s approach to sensory experience is very interesting. Her works show a new and exciting way to experience daily lives. I also agree to her proposition; tools we use should not be a tool solely provide physical functions. They should also provide sensorial pleasure for users to enjoy during the use.
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Hyungkoo Lee
Lee has an interest in visual perception and motion. When he discovered the physical difference between Asian and Caucasian, he started to create a series of sensorial devices to explore the relationship between explore stature, self-esteem and identity. He optically distort and resize body parts using glass, water and magnifying glass.
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- The Objectuals
The series focuses on the sensory of sight. After distortion is applied, people in the devices look like aliens. Some have multiple eyes like a fly; some have extremely huge eyes and mouth. The images of those people are very visually impressive and unforgettable. They look so different from the normal people we see. The perception of the person’s identity or personality has changed as their appearances were modified. Again, the importance of packaging and prettiness is reaffirmed.
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Allen Wexler - Coffee Seeks Its Own Level
Wexler is an artist who rethinks and repurpose ordinary everyday experiences. In his work “Coffee Seeks Its Own Level�, an ordinary coffee break is transformed into a communal activity to be shared between four participants. The four coffee cups are interconnected with long tubes at the centre. When one participant moves his cup or drinks from his cup, coffee flows in and out from his cup to the other three cups, or the other way round. As such,
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nobody can drink before the others drink. Drinking coffee is no longer casual and unconscious. Participants are required to focus on the coffee drinking behaviour and be precise and careful while they drink. The activity becomes more than just drinking coffee. Instead, it is a memorable experience that is fun to participate. The coffee break have transformed into a game.
Thinkers In The Fields
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Donald A. Norman Donald A. Norman is one of the inspiring thinkers in the field of emotion and design. He wrote a book on the topic of emotional design. He argues user enjoyment is the key to the success of a product. In his book ‘Emotional Design- Why We Love or Hate Everyday Things’, he stated “True long-lasting emotional feelings take time to develop, they come from sustained interaction. What do people love and cherish, despise and detest? Surface appearance and behavioral utility play relatively minor roles. What matters is the history of interaction, the associations that people have with the objects, and the memories they evoke.” Norman draws a framework of emotional design. He advocates there are three design aspects should be considered when designing emotional objects. They are the visceral (appearance), behavioral
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(pleasure and effectiveness of use) and reflective (memories, personal satisfaction, self-image) levels of a design. He claims all three of the levels should be well balanced at all times while objects with a different purpose can have a different focus. His other argument is “attractive things work better”. Research has shown people are more patient and tolerant to attractive looking products. This echoes with my design concept of creating interesting looking objects while playing with materiality. However, it may be questionable if interesting looking objects are at the same time attractive looking too- the word attractive is quite ambiguous. Further research is required to find out the answer.
Jonathan Chapman Jonathan Chapman is the author of the book “Emotionally Durable Design: Objects, Experiences and Empathy”. Chapman found there should be more concern to the sustainability of the product’s “in use” period. In this “throwaway” era, unsustainability is often the result of customer behaviour as people throwaway products way before it comes to the end of its life. Chapman researches on the behavioural phenomena that shapes and changes consumption patterns and waste. According to Chapman, to make a product sustainable in reality, having the product produced with responsible material choice and energy consumption decisions during the design development and manufacture process is just the basic
requirements. Apart from that, it is equally important to have the product emotionally durable. A product needs to deliver a durable meaning and value for it to last long in reality, according to Chapman. As consumers prefer buying these emotionally durable products, and use them to their fullness, the pressure on world resources could then be relieved. This is also one of the goals I want to achieve though this design project.
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi And Eugene Rochberg-Halton Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Eugene Rochberg-Halton are the authors of the book ‘The Meaning of Things”. They have a similar view to Norman on history of interaction of objects. When analyzing a research, Csikszentmihalyi and RochbergHalton noticed that special objects of the interviewee has often turned out to be objects with special memories or associations. Those memories will often evoke a special feeling in their owners. In such thinking, utility is not a concern. It is not so relevant to a the reason for the product to be loved. In the book, The Meaning of Things, Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton explains household objects and their
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meaning and value to its owner as: “Household objects facilitate flow experiences in two different ways. On one hand, by providing a familiar symbolic context they reaffirm the identity of the owner. On the other hand, objects in the household might provide opportunities for flow directly, by engaging the attention of people”. Under this analyzation, specially designed household objects indeed have a high value as a styling object or a topic of interest. This demand should be well considered while designing everyday household items.
Rolf Jensen As technology developed, Jenson found the information society starts to allow people to live according to their dream and feelings. He calls that a dream society (where people lives to the driver of dream, adventure, spirituality and feeling, according to Jensen). He predicts the future in his book “The Dream Society”. In the near future, users will be “seeking for fulfillment at an altogether different level of appreciation”, Jensen stated. The reason behind this is because people will be used to advanced technologies, and start to take the functionality of objects for granted. What Jenson predicts is actually happening right now. Designers have the responsibility to design in response to this trend.
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VolkswagenThe Fun Theory Volkswagen believes that fun can change people’s behaviour to the better in the easiest way. They call it the Fun Theory. Started from 2009, Volkswagen has undertaken multiple experimentations to prove the Fun Theory. For example, on 2009, Volkswagen have observed an underuse of the stairs next to an escalator of a train station. In order to encourage people to use the stairs, Volkswagen transformed the staircase by added sensors to it. When the people step onto the stairs, the sensor will response by producing a corresponding note- like how a piano works. The stairs’ appearance was also transformed into a keyboard style. From the time lapse clip documented by Volkswagen (Youtube: Piano stairs - TheFunTheory.com - rolighetsteorin. se), it is clear that more people prefer to use the stairs over escalators than before. This theory can be applied to boost the incentive for people to work on things that are not very attractive or interesting to them.
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Design Opportunities in Household Environment Through looking into different design projects, I found it meaningful to design objects that are playful, easy to engage with and emotion and thought provocative. These objects encourage thoughts and self-reflection, and they can guide the users to experience everyday lives in a new and joyful way. I see design opportunities in designing functional yet fun-to-use everyday objects for one to use at home. Our home is the place where we belong to. It is where we spend the most time in every day. Therefore, having a quality and enjoyable everyday experience at home is important. If one cannot relax in his house, where can he relax? Where can he release all the accumulating stress and where can he release the tension he received?
design to make a difference to experiences which every individual share, so the design could bring joyfulness to each of their everyday lives without having anyone excluded. Among the research, some projects appeared to be more of an artwork, artistic statement or installation then a usable, functional and marketable everyday object. I want to design functional products that are playful, enjoyable and engaging. They should not be artworks just for display. To add on, they should also provide a pleasant user experience that last. What is needed is not an experience to be enjoy only for once, but a consistently pleasant experience that renews, so the user can enjoy using the object over and over again.
On the other hand, we solve many of our basic needs at home, and that is a big, common part of living experience which every single individual share. I want my
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Ch 2. Design Exploration, Design Methods and Findings This chapter will cover all the design exploration on topics of design for one, materiality, and everyday objects. Design methods occupied in my exploration phase include observation, ethnographic interview, laddered interview, prototyping, experience prototyping and survey. I have also documented my dinning experiences in a food diary format.
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Design
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Methods
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Observation: Kitchens and Bedrooms
B/ Single dweller
A/ Single dweller I started by observing people and their houses. I visited two single dweller’s apartment (A and B), one apartment shared by two sisters (C), and a share house (D) shared by four (including a pair of couple). The aim of the activity is to discover the potential needs for design in a household environment through observation. “What is missing? What is needed? What can be better?” are the three questions I have in mind when I observe those spaces. I look at every part of the houses and rooms to learn how people live. I want to understand different lifestyles, what objects do people use in each, and how do people use and how do they organize those objects. During the observation, I visit the houses and rooms, and imagine myself living there.
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C/ Shared by two sisters
D/ Shared house of four
Foundings: The personality and working status of the apartment owner seem to be related to the tidiness of their home. For both the household with dwellers working fulltime, their kitchen is the messiest, with dishes piling up in the sink, or bottles of sauce and seasoning lying around the bench top. The scene suggests that washing dishes is not a preferable job to do, and people are trying to escape from this duty. It has been confirmed by the owners. The way to organize kitchen tools also seems to be challenging to some. However, in the case where there are non-family members sharing the apartment, the house’s common area is found to be clean and tidy. The relationship between the laziness of single dwellers and the psychological burden of unfavourable housework may worth further researching.
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Self-Observation: Motivation of Doing Housework I moved out from a very small studio apartment and moved into a share house with a bigger room earlier this year. I want to understand the formation of emotional attachment to the space. The observation focus on how I adopt to a new environment, how I could transform a room to “my room”, and create my “dream room” in reality. The activity also observes the different use of the space during different times of the semester. When I moved in I have over 50 boxes of stuff. It took me two weeks to settle down. I bought a new desk, a new swivel chair and a new bookshelf. For the first two weeks, I have been moving the furniture around to look for the best room setting. In the end I decided to arrange a study desk and work desk next to each other, with a cabinet sitting in between to separate the two spaces. I enjoyed moving the furniture around, and I felt very proud of my room after, when I show my room to my friends.
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During the busy time of the semester, I have been using different sessions of the floor for painting, clay work, silicon pouring and molding. I often leave a mess there for two weeks before I eventually feel like I am living in a landfill, then I will start to clean it up. Although the actual time
required for the cleaning is short (usually one hour, or maximum one and a half), it felt like it will take a day when I think of the cleaning task. I feel pressure, so usually I will ignore the task, and tell myself to do it tomorrow instead. I usually end up cleaning the day before I have any visitors.
Foundings: Although I feel it is important to keep my room clean, and the feeling of “needing to do the cleaning job” have given me pressure emotionally, and pulls me away from the cleaning task. I found my estimation of time and effort required for cleaning is often way higher than what it is. The inaccurate estimation may be a result of the “cleaning is not enjoyable” perspective I have. The misestimated amount of effort required leads to a less pleasant living experience for weeks until I finally cannot stand it and start to clean things up. I lost the chance to live in a pleasant environment as a result of the wrong estimation.
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Ethnographic Interview: Emotional Attachments to Everyday Objects I interviewed four persons at their mid-twenties about objects they use daily and their emotional attachments to objects. I tried to learn what qualities could make a product “important and irreplaceable to its owner” and what qualities gives an enjoyable experience to users. The three questions I want to answer through this exercise are: -Why do people seek for emotion from objects? -What kind of emotional relationship do they have? -How can the emotional attachment affect one’s way of treating an object?
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The interviews were done at interviewee’s home as the household setting could help them to remember more of their everyday experiences, and lead to a better interview result.
Questions to understand people’s emotional attachment to objects: • What is the object you use the most? How frequently? Why? Where do you keep it? • What is the object you enjoy using the most? Why? (In terms of structure, ways of operating, texture...) • What is the object you value the most? Why? • What is the object you love the most? Why? • What is the object you cherish the most? Why? • If the answers differs, why is it so? • What is the object you are the proudest of owning? • Do you have an interesting story related to that object that you would like to share? • Do you have an object that you are emotionally attached to? • Do you have an object that is pet-like / creature-like to you?
A/
Most valued and most important - a sketchbook from friend who admires her drawing, and encourage her to draw. She thinks this is the most meaningful.
“I don’t have any emotional attachment. Can we skip this question?” “Object that can’t be replace? What do you mean? You can always buy a new “...the first brand name present (wallet) from my girlfriend may be irreplaceable.. maybe? I lost it.”
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C/
Most valued the DSLR my dad gave her as a surprise gift. Proudest of her bike- she picked did the colour composition, and picked the accessories.
D/
“The most valued object will be the first brand name bag I bought with my money” Later (after giving her some examples of emotional attachement)... “Oh!!! yes! I have an emotional attachment to my long pillow. I have been sleeping with it since very young (couldn’t remember when exactly was it). If it is damaged, I will be very sad. I will try to ask my dad to fix it.” “If I can choose again, I would say the pillow is the most valued or cherished... everything! Not the handbag anymore!”
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Foundings: Most objects that the owner is proud of owning and cherished are objects with strong emotional meaning to them- usually are given by others as a gift. This founding has taken me to the research of objects and their stories later on. 1. I was expecting to learn how people may like or dislike some ways of operating/ using objects from the study. However, it seems most people are not very aware of how they use objects around them, and do not remember much of the corresponding user experiences. When I was asking questions related to the operation of objects, I end up with answers telling me how people like and enjoy social networking on smartphones or computers. I was not able to receive any response on the “off-line� aspect. 2. Many interviewees reckon there is some contradiction between emotional objects, practical objects and functional objects, and is hard to see all three qualities in one object. 3. In the case of participant A, it is clear that her emotional attachment towards her bolster has lead bought the object a longer life span. She has been using it since she has memory, and she is more than willing to fix the bolster if it is damaged. But in the case of the first handbag she bought with her money, the level of emotional attachment she has is very different. A month after purchase, she stopped to take extra care of the bag. She stills values it, but she doesn’t care if the bag is in risk of getting dirty or not anymore. The two contradicting cases shows the level of emotional attachment may be related to factors like the length of ownership, the experience one has with an object, and the first impression towards an object may relatively be less important.(She loves the bag at first glance, but do not remember what she feels when she receive the bolster) 4. I have also realised that interviewees are required to have some level of creativity or imagination to feel the product as pet-like/ creature-like object. It may be challenging to discover this area by interviews. Cultural props may be a better way to continue this research.
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Laddered Interview: Emotionally Attached Objects
I interviewed people around me about an object they have the most emotional attachment to. The aim of the study is to understand different types of emotional attachments and the formation of each. I also want to identify the type of emotional attachment that can be apply in the design of everyday objects.
Interviewee A: A toy car that I lost. It became valuables and memorable from the second I dropped it. It was the first time I feel I have lost something forever. Interviewee B: “I have many bears and soft toys as momento. A teddy bear was bought by her dad when I was born.” Interviewee C: A toy rabbit she has since young. She likes the size of it, and the way she holds it (hold the face of the bunny, leaving the ears out) Interviewee D: Torn shorts. It was very comfortable. Even if it is sew back together it is too small for me already. However, I keep it in my closet and do not want to throw it away. Interviewee E: A guitar dad used when he was young. He had a new one, so he gave me his old guitar. I 60 didn’t know how to play the guitar, but I learn it because I like having dad’s guitar.
B/
C/
D/
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Foundings: I found interviews might not be the best way to gain first-hand information of object-user emotional attachments. The word “emotional attachment” has given too much hint of what research I am undertaking. I found people are trying to answer my question according to what they think I would like to hear. On the other hand, the word emotional attachment is still quite ambiguous to most of the interviewees. A lot of them required me to give them some examples before they can remember and share their experiences. End up most of the emotional attachment examples the interviewees supplied are similar versions of the example I gave them- childhood memories. I feel the interviewees may have more emotional experiences than what they claim. However, they are not aware of that. I have also realized many of the interviewees feel ashamed when they talk about emotional attachment. They have related “having emotional attachment to objects” as being childish and naive (because one is too young and cannot understand objects are dead, and have no spirit). This perspective resulted to responds like “I am a very logical person, and I don’t have any emotional attachment”. A better way to learn about emotional design may be through an interview without reference to the keyword “emotional attachment”, so people can honestly share their experiences without feeling silly or being immature.
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Food Diary: Dining Alone and Dining with Others I recorded my solo dining experiences at home for a week to see what exactly I have been eating, why, and what do I do when I enjoy the food.
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Eating Alone:
Eating With Others:
Foundings: I usually eat in front of the laptop. I read or watch clips for leisure when I eat alone at home. It has more or less became a routine for me. It happens every day, every meal when I am at home. I could not eat when I am working on assignments or projects as I found food is less enjoyable if I am not fully relaxed. I usually infuse tea or have a glass of juice aside on the table. I always prepare them, and leave them there for a couple hours before I remember it exists and drink it. I found myself not focusing on the food that I am eating, but is always distracted by videos, books, and everything on the Internet. I think mindful eating could be a solution to recall people’s attention to the food. A culture probes in the future should be conducted to understand different individuals’ dining habits. I did not have enough time to conduct it this semester, but I am looking to do so during the semester break.
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Survey: Solo Dining 21 responses Experience
Number of daily responses
10/13/2014
Eating Alone - Google Forms
s3376384@student.rmit.edu.au
Edit this form
View all responses Publish analytics https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxU
Summary
10/13/2014
Eating Alone - Google Forms
How old are you?
s3376384@student.rmit.edu.au
Edit this form
I conducted a survey about one-person dining experience on Google Doc. The purpose of this activity is to learn how people feel about dining alone and to discover the potential of the dining alone experience.
21 responses View all responses
Publish analytics
Summary 10/13/2014
Eating Alone - Google Forms
How old are you? 15 or below
66
15 or below
0
0%
1620
0
0%
2125
14
67%
2630
5
24%
3140
0
0%
above 40
2
10%
What is your gender?
0
0%
1620
0
0%
2125
14
67%
2630
5
24%
3140
0
0%
above 40
2
10%
What is your gender? Male Parents
6
29%
Siblings
5
24%
Friends
4
19%
Boyfriend/Girlfriend
6
29%
Husband/Wife
2
10%
My kids
1
5%
Alone
3
14%
Other
1
5%
Female
7
33%
14
67%
It is OK.
Often, 4 times a week Anxiety.
it.
Almost all the time
I like cooking for myself, it feels more indulgent than cooking for
awesome and free Content, due to the fact that I've always eaten alone majority of the time.
at least once a day
reason.
EXITED!!
Nothing, content I suppose. I like and prefer to be by myself mo Which meal do you usually eat alone? primarily as an Introvert I tend to avoid going to places with peo
normal Do you cook if you have to eat alone? nothing in particular
13
Yes
62%
Happy and satisfied actually. Very relaxed.
mean I enjoy being alone all the time. No 8 38%
Calm and peaceful.
Not preferred but I will spend more time thinking what I gonna e flexibility to choose what I like to eat
Fine so far so good
It is OK.
nothing special
Content, due to the fact that I've always eaten alone majority of
I'm fine with eating alone
Do you cook if you have to eat alone? Content. Used to the feeling of being independent. Breakfast 8 38%
Cooking for one nothing
Brunch
0
0%
Lunch
6
29%
Afternoon Tea
2
10%
Other
3
14%
What are the reasons for you to cook? Do you eat more or less healthy food when you are eating alone? Dinner 2 10% Less
8
38%
More
12
57%
What do you feel when you know you have to eat alone for the ne Not very interested normal I'm ok with it, it doesn't bother me
Do you prefer to eat alone or to eat with others? Why?
Cooking for one
Normal. Used to it :)
Depending on how I feel. Usually I like to eat with others though. Alone time to be not distracted and to have time to be with myself
2014
Eating Alone I like cooking (please specify why) 4 - Google 19% Forms
Save money
alone, fast, no need wait 3
14%
1
5%
Both are okay, coz have different things
Too lazy to leave the house
Very Exited. I love making food. Unless I have no food in my house, then I am
What are the reasons for you to cook? depressed. Then I will try and find a friend to go out for food with. It really sucks w no one responds.
A bit of both, I don't have a preference but I like a balance between the two. https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics I feel that I can eat anything I want.
5/11
neither here nor there, living alone it's not unusual to eat alone at home, but i fee
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics
9/11
encourages me to go out to eat more with freinds
sometimes I feel lazy to organise everything just for myself, so i might just have s quick and easy snack. other times if i feel like cooking i go to the shops, buy I cannot cook
2
Too busy and have no time to cook
4
I don't want to wash the dishes
2
10%
Feeling lazy
6
29%
I have no ingredients at home
2
10%
Too hungry and cannot wait for the food to be cooked
3
14%
Other
2
10%
everything, make a big meal that lasts a few days but it ends up taking about 2 h
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics
19%
10%
I like cooking (please specify why)
4
19%
Save money
3
14%
Too lazy to leave the house
1
5%
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCx
67
Where do you eat when you are eating alone? What will you do while
When not cooking 10/13/2014
10/13/2014
Eating Alone - Google Forms
If you are not cooking, what will you eat when you are alone?
Eating Alone - Google Forms
11
52%
Fast food
1
5%
I eat in restaurant
3
14%
Microwave meals
Too busy and have no time to cook Canned/instant food
0
0%
0
I don't want to wash the dishes I skip meals I snack instead (please specify the snack) Feeling lazy
Take away
Minimize the number of dishes to wash
1
5%
Cook more than one portion (for later meals)
2
10%
2
10%
Quick and easy food
5
24%
0%
4
19%
New receipe/ food experiments
3
14%
0
0%
2
10%
Minimize time and effort spent on cooking
0
0%
0
0%
My family or other people in the house will cook for me
3
14%
6
29%
Healthy or not
1
5%
Other
3
14%
2
10%
I cook my favourite dish
1
5%
3
14%
I cannot cook
I have no ingredients at home
Too hungry and cannot wait for the food to be cooked
Other 2 10% What are the reasons for not cooking (when no other person is cooking for you)?
When not cooking
Where do you eat when you are eating alone? What will you do while 7/11 eating? If you are not cooking, what will you eat when you are alone?
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics
At home. Eating while watching tv shows sitting in front of the table, play with the mobile phone Table In front of TV Sitting in the living room watching the news or what ever shows are on. Majority of the time when the television is taken, I would take my food back into my room while on the laptop where I would either be on social networking sites or doing my homework. working place watching newspaper or tv
11
Take away
Sofa listen to music and sit in lounge room
52%
Fast food
1
5%
I eat in restaurant
3
14%
Use my phone
Microwave meals
0
0%
watching TV, magazines etc.
Canned/instant food
0
0%
Every space in the restaurant, playing my phone. snacks, smoothies, dinner, watch tv or study at the same time couch, watch tv
I skip meals
0
0%
I snack instead (please specify the snack)
0
0%
My family or other people in the house will cook for me
3
14%
Other
3
14%
normally at my desk or outside in the garden In front of laptop. People watch, play with my phone, listen to music
What are the reasons for not cooking (when no other person for you)?
Eat in front of the television watching movies In bed or at my desk and I'll watch a movie or a tv show
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanaly
In the kitchen table, looking at twitter on my cellphone, or reading the newspaper.
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Cafe or restaurants are my favourite places to have a meal, reading a book or
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics
8/11
Do you prefer to eat alone or to eat with others? Why? Depending on how I feel. Usually I like to eat with others though. alone, fast, no need wait Both are okay, coz have different things 10/13/2014
A bit of both, I don't have a preference but I like a balance between the two. Eating Alone - Google Forms not very interested to eating the meal alone.
https://docs.google.com/a/student.rmit.edu.au/forms/d/12ZlMsEgoT26yfdrbb9NIQ-TR9OJGvw42kLZiYMCxUEQ/viewanalytics
Excited! Because I can watch whatever I want while eating! And eat whatever I want with no judgements! when i just need to be alone and spend time by myself Its ok i get used to it nothing special Anxiety. I like cooking for myself, it feels more indulgent than cooking for others for some reason. Nothing, content I suppose. I like and prefer to be by myself most of the time, primarily as an Introvert I tend to avoid going to places with people but that does not mean I enjoy being alone all the time. Not preferred but I will spend more time thinking what I gonna eat as I have more flexibility to choose what I like to eat It is OK. Content, due to the fact that I've always eaten alone majority of the time.
Foundings: Do you cook if you have to eat alone? Yes
13
62%
No respondents 8 38% are stuMost respondents usually eat alone, (probably because most
dents) only one respondent eat alone once a week. 40% respondents do not cook when they eat alone. 33% respondents cook quick and easy food if they are eating alone. 17% respondents will cook more than one portion when they are only cooking for themselves. Cooking for one 50% respondents buy take away food when they do not cook.
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Prototyping: Materiality of Everyday Objects Inspired by Katerina Kamprani’s The Uncomfortable series, I started to make modifications on household objects around me, and experimented the use of form and material through making. I explored different materials and shapes, and tried to do the modifications with different concepts. For example, the “Furry Comb” is made to give a story that contrasts with the object’s basic properties. Combs are use for brushing hair, so I played with the concept of “holding hair to brush hair”, and attached a handle made with wool felt to the comb. On the manikin peeler, the concept was to add functionality to a sculpture. And for the “Mirror Chair”, the concept was to extend a near but untouchable universe from reality. In contrast to the usual world we see when we look up, this world is on the bottom that you only see when you look down. Among all, I like the rough chopsticks and the twisted angle seashell teaspoon the most. One experimented with the overall haptic texture and one on the user behavior implied by the object’s shape.
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Foundings: I need a single coincide direction to produce the modified objects as a series. I had fun playing with the materials and objects with different concepts without thinking too much on the usability and functionality side. However, usability and functionality are still required for my project. I will need to discover more new ways of doing things, and overcome any difficulties resulted by the modified materiality.
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Experience Prototyping: Playing while Using I tried to use some of the prototypes I made to replace the normal tools or object I use. By comparing the new user experience with the usual experience, I discovered the pros and cons of the modified version.
Foundings: Usability is the focus. Some prototypes provide a special way to experience usual live routine (like brushing hair). They require a lot of care during and after the use. For example, if I comb my wet hair on the felted comb, the felt will get wet, and it will take more than a day to dry. A way to make drying fun or a way to avoid the wool gets wet is required for the comb to be usable.
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Discussion and Refined Project Position: Solo Dining and Sensory Experience After conducting all the explorations, I decided to narrow down the project focus on one basic element of living which we all share- eating. Dining is an experience which every human will have, every day. It has a long history. In metaphysics, food is not just a source of nutrition. It is our connection to nature, the ground of social culture, the way to bound people in societies, the central to religious traditions, the object of desire and hunger and an object of aesthetics (Kaplan, 2012). This project will explore on one person dining experience at home. It will include everyone- not only the single dwellers,
74
but also the rest of the population. As people living with their family and friend will experience times to dine alone once in a while, too! The project will redesign solo dining experience through manipulating sensory experience of dining. A better understand on the food culture, food ethics, mindful eating and the social meanings of dining is needed. The expected outcome of this project is to have a new way for people to concentrate on dining, and enjoy it better to be developed.
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Ch 3. The Design Approach 76
The Concept: A Cutlery and Crockery Set for Solo Diners The project is to design a set of eating and cooking tools to transform the dull one-person dining experience to a playful adventure on the dining table through the manipulation of object materiality. The aim of the project is to redirect single diners’ focus onto the food they are eating. Diners should relax, take their time to appreciate the food, and enjoy the eating experience as a playful adventure. A series of eating and cooking tools that sit together to construct an adventurous, playful dining experience will be made. The experience will be best to enjoy while being alone and away from distraction of other dinners. The objects will be reusable, durable and functional. Keeping the set of tools interesting and fun overtime might be a challenge, but this issue can be overcome with an engaging design that provides enriched sensorial experience.
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Concept Development
Concept 1: Alice in the Wonderland Mix medium, wood metal ceramics Many mystery tools, Dazzlingly Each of them look different Hidden function, ambiguous, trigger curiosity >>cons: Too much “show off “element, not exactly suitable for people for use alone Secret tricks will not be secret forever, Interesting for the first time, second time… but later on user will get Bored of the trick and won’t focus on it anymore
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Concept 2: Bench-top Sculpture Tools should work together as a set, also look like a set A set, as sculptural landscape on the kitchen bench, on display, as a visual reminder may be used in part of the cooking and washing tasks: herb, air dry dishes, sponge and dishwashing liquid storage
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Concept 3: One Delicate Set, for One A set of cutlery and crockery for one, one set, one of each Mixed material, but Material should be consistent: common material: resin and ceramics minimal visual stimulation,/white focus on sensory that we often forget feel the motion, awareness consider using the tools in combination consider the atmosphere and environment, poetic, quiet (zen garden, wabi-sabi) same but different experience every time games/ challenge to play alone->require concentration on the food, and high sensitivity on receiving stimuli from surrounding environment
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81
Prototyping
82
83
84
85
Ch 4. The Final Design Outcome 86
The Completed Design
(Undergoing)
87
Conclusion and Reflection: What’s the next step?
(Undergoing)
88