Weiwei Zhou Interaction Design Portfolio

PROJECT 1 BUSKIN APP DESIGN

Problem Statement This is a school project, the name of the project is “solve a problem in New York“. I’m a fan of street artist, and I always find that good some artists are having problems to survive here, I want to help good buskers because they bring me hope and happiness even I just walk quickly passing by them. Here’s one thing is always bothering me from helping them, I’m having problem finding them! It’s so hard to track the artist I like because they don’t really stay in he same spot everytime, and most of them don’t have a name tag. The worst part is when sometimes I want to donate them, but I don’t have any cash in my poor wallte.

I really want to solve this problem, and this app is what I can do for them. The app is a platform that helps buskers (street performances artists) do better in their career lives, and busking fans can subscribe the buskers they love, donate money easier and browse more information of the buskers, the app will bring happiness to both the buskers and the busking lovers.

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrXF_uCylUU

01

Background Reaserch

Multiple jobs

No cash to tip

Question 1: Some of them has their own career, so they can only perfomant in their spare time, because busking can’t make enough money for living. Caring instruments or art supllies to travel is not very convenient especially when there is a weather issue.

Map distribution: 01

There are a lot of good buskers and people can’t find them

02

It’s hard to track the buskers because of the random perfomance location

03

How do I find the busker that I meet on the street

04

02

People don’t bring cash so they can’t tip the buskers

Me when I do the research:

03

Lack of communications

Question 3: Some buskers are selling their music CDs/artwork and people can only buy it at their performance spot, but get it online.

They don’t have a solid marketing thinking and don’t know how to promote themselves.

Question 4: Some group buskers would interacting with the audience and it increases their chances of getting donation money, but some buskers are playing alone so they don’t have a chance to interact with the audience.

Different kinds of artists are busking HOTTEST

POPULAR+4

POPULAR+2

POPULAR+5

POPULAR+3

POPULAR+1

04

No money for marketing

05

BUSKERS & FANS DENSITY

Question 2: There are not many people donating money, many people will not be able to give cash or they want to but don’t have any cash in their wallet.

Question 5: There are many ways to perform, painter, instruments player, singer, dancer, poem writer, and more

Observition Street artist

Brain Storm

Interview 01

02

RYO TAMAKI 20 years old Violin player

JESSY JI 52 years old NYC Visiter

I’m a college student, trying to practice playing violin in front of public and make some money to pay the tuition debt. I always upload my performance videos online but only has very little followers and views. Some times feel upset about future because it’s also hard to get a job as a violin player. Don’t know how to interact with people and introduce myself.

I was born in a mucisian family, visiting New York is terrific for music lovers. If I have time I would stop and watch the mucisians performing for a while, I donate very often, but sometime I don’t have cash. I search for good perfomance video online, I have my own Youtube video collection for street artists. I would love to help good buskers if I got a chance.

01 03

Affinity Diagram

02 04

ZOEY D 25 years old Freelance Artist

MIKE DEEL 32 years old Guitar player

I’m a college student, trying to practice playing violin in front of public and make some money to pay the tuition debt. I always upload my performance videos online but only has very little followers and views. Some times feel upset about future because it’s also hard to get a job as a violin player. Don’t know how to interact with people and introduce myself.

I’ve been playing guitar for more than 10 years, it bring me tons of happiness and feeling of achivement. I play outside around Union Square every weekend, and I also have a another job every night at a Jazz bar, I don’t really earn much so tip and donate is really appreciated. Hope I can have my own Jazz bar in the future, this my life goal so far. I’ve been saving money for my dream and it makes me happy even though life is hard live in NYC.

Assumption & Concept I really want to solve this problem, and this app is what I can do for them. The app is a platform that helps buskers (street performances artists) do better in their career lives, and busking fans can subscribe the buskers they love, donate money easier and browse more information of the buskers, the app will bring happiness to both the buskers and the busking lovers.

The main function of the app For Fans 1. Follow your favorite buskers online 2. Watch live shows of good buskers no matter where you are.

3. Help the buskers you like For Buskers 1. It’s social media platform only for street artist 2. More people can see you and tip you via this APP 3. Grow your fans, increased popularity and make the dream come true

Low-fidelity Prototype

User Testing

I invited 4 people to do the user testing on the prototype and we found out what is good and what is not functional of the APP. I redesigned some user interface after the user testing. It was such an interesting experience doing user testing and prototype, everyone thought the idea of the APP is good for buskers.

I built a prototype to test designs before creating real product, it’s a simple APP and very easy to use.

People can use it anywhere to enjoy the live show. You can sign in as a fan or a busker to start your Buskin life! The powerful map can guide to go find the best New York busking show EVER!

User Interface This is an App full of dream and energy. So I choose to use bright color to support the idea of the App design. Hope the good busker can shine like a diamond.

PROJECT 2 Museum of Sounds

The Story of Museum of Sounds My neighbor Weiwei Hoo was a quite girl, we became good friends because of the same first name. I grown up in a warm family with a lot of sounds of happiness but she is not as lucky as me, both of her parents were deaf-mute. Hoo grown up in a silent environment, the only way her parents communicate with every family member was “talk” by hand gestures. Hoo was too shy to talk to others so most of the time she’s alone.

There was one thing burning in my head, thousands of deefmute families in the world have the same problem, people should care more about them! I started to think about what I can do for them. Then I came up with the idea of Museum of Sounds. Why don’t I visualize all the sounds, and give everyone a new experience with sounds, it can be extremely interesting and meaningful

Use visual art to emphasize the

sounds that we ignored in the daily life, the sounds that we make, the sounds of the nature, the sounds of the society.

The best things in life are free, and sounds is one of them.

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy_cSSWQ2MM&feature=youtu.be

Idea & Inspiration What is sound

Sound is a vibration that typically propagates as an audible wave of pressure, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the reception of such waves and their perception by the brain. Humans can only hear sound waves as distinct pitches when the frequency lies between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Sound waves above 20 kHz are known as ultrasound and is not perceptible by humans. Sound waves below 20 Hz are known as infrasound.

Different animal species have varying hearing ranges.

Chladni plate experiment ( Resonance Experiment )

Logo Design

The idea of the branding design is using the visualized vibration of sounds to created an simple & clean design.

Interview Q1 01

We can see a really interesting result form the experiment. First add sand to the plate then begin playing a tone. Certain frequencies vibrate the metal plate in such a way that it creates areas where there is no vibration. The sand "falls" into those areas, creating beautiful geometric patterns. As the frequency increases in pitch the patterns become more complex.

Concept

Hearing is something that happens to us because we have earsit is our primary sense organ. Listening is something we develop and cultivate our whole life, and maybe all of our lifetimes. Listening is what creates culture. Listening is very diverse and takes many different forms as cultures take many different forms. Give everyone a new experience with sounds. Brows sounds, collect sounds, use sounds as an art form communicate and interacte with people. Use visual art to emphasize the sounds that we ignored in the daily life, the sounds that we make, the sounds of the nature and the society.

02

01 03

RECHEL 23 years old Graphic Designer

CORNELIA 36 years old Artist

RUIRUI 19 years old Student

I can hear coworkers talking in a meeting, the click sounds of the keyboard and people walking around. The same sounds repeat every single day so I don’t really pay attension to it. It only makes nervous. So most of the time I choose to put on my airpods, listen to some familiar music to relax.

My favorite kind of sounds is white noise, definately. I am obsessed with all the white noise, they make me feel peaceful from the bottom of my heart. I have some sleeping issues so I downloaded white noise App for me to have better sleep. White noise can help. Once I’m asleep, I will stay asleep.

I don’t really care about environmental sounds if it’s a busy noisy place, but I’m getting really sensitive to small sound when I’m asleep. I think sound is reaally importtant to one’s life, but everything is relative. For exsample, I enjoy music a lot, but certan noises at certain point will make me very upset.

Q2

Ticket Recorder Product infomation

Tech Specs

Recorder Dual beamforming microphones Speech-detecting accelerometer

Proximity Sensor Dual optical sensors Motion-detecting accelerometer

LOGO As the ticket of Museum of Sounds, There should be a identity of it.

Overview

This silicone snap wristband is the ticket of Museum of Sounds and also a sounds recorder of your whole experience in the museum. While the user wearing the ticket, the built in sensor of the wristband (the ticket) will come in contact with users’ skin. The mode of the band will then be change to active automatically and indicator will light up to show it is on as well. The GPS will track your real time location at the same time. Your final interaction sounds art is created based on your own sounds and the environment sounds.

1. Wireless Bluetooth 2. Weight 25g 3. Dimensions cm : 21.2 by 2.2 by 0.15

GPS Motion Sensitive While Lightsthe user wearing

the ticket, the built in sensor of the wristband (the ticket) will come in contact with users’ skin.

The mode of the band will then be change to active automatically and indicator will light up to show it is on as well.

Coding

Interaction Sounds Art

What does your sounds “look” like

User Flow At the last gallery in Museum of Sounds, when you stand infront of a screen in a specific are, the Ticket Recorder will automatically stop recording then the screen will present your sounds art. The interaction art piece is made of your own sounds and all the environment sounds. It is a video art of your whole experience in the Museum of Sounds from the first second you put on the recorder.

Get A Ticket

Wear The Ticket Recorder

Go To The Last Gallery( Recorde Auto End)

Watch Your Sounds Art

start to record

Exploring The Museum

Return Your Ticket recorder

Sound Trip Ends

Museum Branding & Artwork

I designed

PROJECT 3 Trainer Glass

Problem Statement I gained 30 pounds and losing hair all the time since I came to New York. So I start to worry about my physical health and how to keep fit. I feel anxious but I have no self control on workout and eating. And the fitness APPs

Never works for me. So a

friend of mine reccomend me to go to the gym, and find a

Ready

personal trainer because they know more about fitness. However, that’s a lot of money for me as a student. I gave up on finding a personal trainer and try to do some exercise by myself, but the result is not as what I expected. That’s how I started to think about something or someone that can teach me and help me in real time.

In fact, it is still necessary to find a personal trainer for getting started at gym. Reasonable exercise plan, appropriate exercise intensity, how to eat healthy. These things can really help you improve your mobility. Quite simply, you start doing something from the basics of 0 and always need some “what” to teach you.

That’s how I come up with the idea of Trainer Glass, an AR personal trainer who can help you with your fitness journey.

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWgv0wLDw8c

Ready

Background Research Observation and Data: United States:

People increse health awareness Beside the rapid development of the country’s economic situation, the growing number of knowledge workers and the middle-class, Chinese people’s health consciousness has also been in growth. Diverse reasons support this fact :

High proportion of people who care about exercise and physical health. People like men who look muscular and strong. Keep a good bodyshape means self control, it's really important personality and it even effected on people's career.

China:

People who live in the city and rich area pays more attention to fitness and especially body shaping. There's a general trend that women love skinny & super thin body type in Eastern Asia area. Most women don't like men who look too muscular. Young and Cute type is more popular Higher disposable income : they earn more than before and living standards have also greatly improved, which has led people to chase after new activities.

Rapid pace of life :

A change of aesthetic :

Symbol of good quality of life :

The work environment can be very intense for low -

Beauty remains still an important thing in the Chinese

Fitness culture is a sociocultural phenomenon which

middle class people. For a lot of workers in China, we

society. However nowadays, the healthy look that

refers to the culture surrounding exercise and physical

speak about 9-9-6 which means working from 9 AM to

emanates from the inside-out is becoming more and

fitness. It is usually associated with gym culture, as

9 PM, 6 days per week. As the requirement for

more attractive. “Healthy mind in a healthy body” is

doing physical exercises in locations such as gyms,

physical activity at work fell, more modern and

perfect to sum up the situation. Furthermore, Chinese

wellness centres and health clubs is a popular

occupational diseases began to affect the health of

people, especially Chinese girls are known to be thin.

activity. It is a trend that doing exercis is the symbol

professionals. Doing sport is not only a question of

But nowadays, it not enough to just be skinny, the

of good quality of life.

appearance but also a kind of need.

focus is on muscle girls with nice shape.

User Research Fitness Trends for 2019

Interview

User Journey Map

01

02 01

03 02

User A

YIJIA LI 18 years old Student

MASON M 31 years old Personal Trainer

VINCENT Z 52 years old Business Man

I’m a college student, I think it’s really hard to start to work out at the begeining. Because I have to say I’m pretty lazy and cardio makes me exhausted every time. I want to love doing excercise but I just can’t.

I would rather eat thealither than burning my calories.

I have some students who’s working on training really hard but still don’t get what they want. Most of them have self control issues, they eat more food after training because they are getting hungry.

I always recommend eat healthy food and workout everyday

It looks like the gym in my community is always full of young people and make me feel awkward in the gym. I don’t know how to use the equipment. So I prefer to do outside workout like jogging in the park. My goal is just keep fit and maybe lose some belly fat.

User B

User C

User D

Symbol of good quality of life :

Conclusion

01.

Brain Storm

Everybody has their own workout routine and schedules, mostly they workout at the gym and their homes. The outside workout schedule is depending on weather that why most people chose to stay with inside exercise.

02.

People want to have a personal trainer to push, teach, remind them to do exercise. And people want to eat healthy but sometimes this is the hardest part for them, a accurate calorie & protein calculator is needed.

03.

Recording body changing can be a excited workout motivation. People need someone who can remind them to record the body changing, like weight and body shaping. Most people have the same goal: body shaping. But people often forget about it.

Someone who can push you when you feel lazy

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

User Storyboard

No self control Diet Eating No self control

A calorie control plan

Keep Exercising A right workout plan just for you

calorie

Without Trainer Glass 12 AM Get up late with a hungry stomach

A mental leader who can support you

Mental & physical reason

You Are Too shy to go to the gym

You Don't Know How to Set Up a Balanced Workout Routine

Not enough time for fitness

You Are Lack of proper fitness knowledge

You are lake of motivations and don’t know how to start You feel good of your body, don’t want to workout.

Questions & Problems

Getting up too late to have a regular & healthy day

You need a right personal trainer & explore more kinds of workout

Need to know more about the importance of keeping fit. It’s not just for looking good

12 : 40 PM Lunch ( Skipped Breakfast, Leftover food )

17: 30 PM Bento Box Dinner ( Delivery food )

Eating unhealthy leftover food which does harm to your body.

Unhealthy eating habbit. Keep having leftover food.

18: 30 PM Go downstairs ready for workout, warming up body

18: 40 PM Runing & Jogging outside

19: 11 PM Keep exercising about 30 min get tired

19:20 PM Meeting a friend start to chat about video games, stop runing.

Wrong workout knowledge.

Body-stretching should be done after exercising

None.

Not enough time for cardio training, need to keep doing it more than 30min.

Get distracted easily. Need to be more self-control

19:25 PM Decide to go home and play video games with friend.

19:30-23:50 PM Play games for several hours.

The workouts you

Spend too much

did is shorter than

on games, go to

the planned training

bed really late.

tasks.

With Trainer Glass 9 AM

Someone who can encourage and teach you

A Weekend Day of User B

The AI alarm goes off, get up on time put on the Trainer Glass. Review daily nutrition & training suggestions

9 : 20 AM Healthy breakfast suggested by the Trainer Glass.

10: 10 AM Get ready for the orning training, review today’s class

10: 15 AM Weight training class. Watch AI do examples and do it at the same time.

10: 45 AM Follow the class tasks Cardio training after weight training

11: 45 AM

11:55 AM

12:10 PM

12:15 PM

Keep exercising about 60 min The smart Insoles work with the AI report your accurate steps and weight distribution while working out.

Extra workouts. Start to do some elective classes.

Burning extra calories.

Whole planned Training tasks finished, the Trainer Glass take a photo of your body for bady changing report.

Get too hungry, eating unhealthy food with a friend. Ai calculate calorie of the meal. You got worries so you ate less.

Card Sorting Test

People’s Choice Some People need someone to push them to be self-control and remember things

People don’t really need a eating plan

Assumption, Concept & Sketch AI trainer : From the research we can see that how hard it is at the begining. People feel lazy, busy, and mostly no self control. And I’m the same! That’s why I think it is a good idea to design a digital AI personal trainer to help more gym beginners who wants to do exercise and keep fit.

Trainer Glass is a wearable device that helps people improve the quality of daily life, and help them to exercise smarter and safer. It provides people who wants to do exercise with glanceable, voice-activated assistance that is designed to be worn all day with its comfortable, lightweight profile.

Tech Specs Memory & Storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooh, Camera, Display, Audio out, Microphones (voice input), Touch, Charging & Data, LED, Battery, Power-saving features, Ruggedization Weight ~46g (pod)

Smart Insole+ work with the Smart Glass: - Recording your daily weight automatically.

- Work with your health report.

- Weight distribution while doing exercise for protecting your body.

- Accurate steps counting supports AI analysis.

- Reinforced arch support, comfy wearing.

- Help to relieve tired, achy feet and muscle fatigue.

Like this idea

People care about the chaging of their body most

Dislike this idea

Feels average

Technology brings people new way to achive their goal

Sketch idea 1

Modeling

The main function of the Trainer Glass & Insole+ - Food calories calculator - She’s like a real personal trainer who can push you on keep doing exercise.

- Easy to carry and use - Personal training & nutrition plan - Tutorials video in front of your eyes - The Trainer glasses will show you what you need to know and how to use the fitness equipment properly - Work with a smart insole that can weight you daily and do

Modeling

idea 2

User Flow

Trainer Glass

Past photos of your body changing Voice Input

Body Shape Recording Mode

Optical Head-Mounted Display (OHMD) :

Take a photo of your body

Camera scan your body Switch ON/OFF:

Camera On

Camera

Put on the Trainer Glass Push ON button

Diet Mode

Calories Calculator

Use Touch Bar to select

Use Touch Bar to select

Workouts history

Body Changing (Album)

Health Report

Physical Data : BMI, Body Fat Rate, Height, Weight, Chest, Waist, Hip, Calf, Thigh ( Curve chart )

Use Touch Bar to select

Home Page

Data Record

Put on your Insole+

Exercise Mode

Personal Training Class for the day

Electives Training Plan

Insoles+ : Steps Counting, weight distribution

Cardio Exercises

Weight Exercises

Time Zone Notification & Clock Alarm Language WIFI Bluetooth

Supports AI Analysis

Use Touch Bar to select

Body Stretching

Setting

Camera scan everything you eat, AI calculate calories of the whole meal

AI doing workout examples AI Tutorial

Long press to turn on/off the Trainer Glass, the light will turn on/off at the same time

It has the capability of reflecting projected images as well as allowing the user to see through it, displayed information in a smartphone-like, hands-free format.

Camera: Taking photos & videos from “your point of view”

Ear Stay It is designed to be worn all day with its comfortable, lightweight profile and engineered to stay in place

Multi-touch Gesture Touchpad Using voice commands or scrolling the touch bar to use full function - Tap to click - Double tap to go back - Swipe left or right to select

Silicon Nose Pad: Silicon nose pad, you can adjust a perfect spot for your nose

Outcomes

Homepage

Camera

Camera

The Trainer Glass has a clean design that you can see through the glasses while use the product

Exercise Mode

Workout History

PROJECT 4 Hug Machine

Story I have been in New York for six years. I deeply love the city even want to spend my whole life here but I can’t stop missing my home.

It’s bound to happen. One minute, I’m loving New York to death and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. The next, a wechat friend post of a faraway friend’s birthday dinner or a Spring Festival song on a party playlist sends you into a spiral—suddenly all you want is Pekin duck, the Forbidden City and my whole childhood life. As an expat, a bout of homesickness now and then is to be expected.

That’s why I came up with an idea to help people who’s feeling the same way like me! The Hug Machine is an art therapy design for people who comes from other places and have homesick.

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94P8DSY5Obw&feature=youtu.be

What does homesickness feel like

Background Research Observation and Data:

Stories of famous immigrants:

Homesickness in adults is often associated with students moving out of home for the first time - research suggests that up to 70% experience it at some point - but as people increasingly migrate to bigger cities or even further afield, it's a feeling shared by many older people.

New York City Place of Birth Olympic gold medal-winning rower Kate Copeland, from Teesside, admitted that she almost quit the sport due to homesickness while training in the south.

British actor Robert Lindsay recently discussed breaking down in tears on the side of a Hollywood freeway when Elgar came on the car stereo.

difficult to adapt

Pursuing dreams

British model Keisha Lall, 25, moved to New York in October last year. Despite normally loving to travel and explore, she's found it difficult to adapt. "Because I feel lonely I like to sleep, stay home and stream programmes," she says, "[I'm] not very active compared to how I would be at home."

Society pressure

Missing family & friends

Missing home food

Sense of anticlimax

Feel lonely

Work overload as foreigners

Culture gap

The contrast in lifestyle

User Research

Observation: 3.1 million immigrants New York City is home to 3.1 million immigrants, the largest number in the city's history. The majority of immigrant New Yorkers are naturalized U.S. citizens.

Most people miss their hometown but still hang in their for their American dreams and life goals.

New York City is home to 3.1 million immigrants, the largest number in the city's history. The majority of immigrant New Yorkers are naturalized U.S. citizens.

Combating homesickness Make a phone call to family

Look at old pictures

Talk to someone who comes from the same place with you

Go to sleep

Stay on the cozy bed and watch shows from homeland

Prototype

The Hug Machine Sketch

1. Make a small version of my design, figure out the ratio between human and the Hug Machine.

Concept The Hug Machine is an art therapy design for people who comes from other places and have homesick

2. Make a larger one with a carving foam, this one is going to be more detailed of the design and function.

3. Final shaping of the cute hug machine. I want people feel warm and “AWW” when they see this on the street.

4. Use the warm wool kind of fabric to make a warm coat. Hiding the light and pulse sensor under the fabric

5. Done! The prototype of the Hug Machine looks cute! :)

KEY WORDS: Warm, Sweet, Cheering up, Soft.

Why a hug?

1. Hugging therapy is definitely a powerful

way of healing. Research shows that hugging is extremely effective at healing sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress. Hugs can instantly boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.

2. Hugs can make you happier.

Oxytocin, also known as the “love drug”, calms your nervous system and boosts positive emotions. Here's how a good hug resulting in oxytocin flow affects you: It lowers your blood pressure, especially helpful if you're feeling anxious.

3. Nothing says it quite like a hug!

It is a universal symbol of shared energy.

1. It

detect and speak all the language in the world.

2. Give people from other places a warm hug to cure the homesick. ( heating pad on the front)

3. Interacte with people. Talk, warm hugs, and feel your heart beats. ( work with pulse sensor )

User Flow Enter the Hug Machine interactable area

The Hug Machine will say: ” Hi, where do you come from

Material Testing Finally chose a wool fabric that is soft, warm for the Hug Machine. Ideally matching what I want for the design.

Set-up the Hardware and Software for the Hug Machine, and see your heartbeat & pulse !

”

You answer the question

The Hug Machien will say something in your mother language, like

” “

“Hey, let

You hug the warm hug machine, and feel your warm heart beats from the chest of the Hug Machine

- Blink Pin 13 LED with your heartbeat!

- Live visualization of Pulse Signal on Arduino Serial Plotter - Coding

Concept Drawing Cute Fluffy Surface

Pulse Sensor It can easily incorporate live heart-rate of the Hug Machine player.

Arms

Built-in Speaker The Hug Machine player will hear their live heart-beating that the pulse sensor caught.

Heating Pad Give people warm hugs physically and mentally

PROJECT 5 Pause Magazine

Story I have been in New York for six years. I deeply love the city even want to spend my whole life here but I can’t stop missing my home.

It’s bound to happen. One minute, I’m loving New York to death and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. The next, a wechat friend post of a faraway friend’s birthday dinner or a Spring Festival song on a party playlist sends you into a spiral—suddenly all you want is Pekin duck, the Forbidden City and my whole childhood life. As an expat, a bout of homesickness now and then is to be expected.

That’s why I came up with an idea to help people who’s feeling the same way like me! The Hug Machine is an art therapy design for people who comes from other places and have homesick.

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OsPJ14ClB0