October 2010
29 posts
Oct 29th
“A prototype is like asking a question.”
– Lora, prototyping discussion section
Oct 29th
2 tags
Interview with 4th/5th-Grade Teacher
Highlights of Rahul’s interview with 4th/5th-Grade Teacher: The students know it’s the ‘right thing to do,’ but they don’t always comprehend the difference between recycling and reusing. I was reading about how nature reuses and recycles with a few students last week and when I was asking them comprehension questions about the book, they said things like,...
Oct 28th
2 tags
Oct 27th
2 tags
Oct 27th
2 notes
Oct 19th
1 tag
Oct 18th
2 tags
Oct 18th
2 tags
Oct 18th
4 tags
Perplexus marble game →
Perplexus is a game that where players maneuver a marble around paths and obstacles inside a ball. A 10-year-old we interviewed at LHS said was his favorite toy. He said he liked it because it was challenging.
Oct 18th
3 tags
Oct 15th
1 tag
User Needs Analysis
Top needs: 1. The product makes it clear what you can and cannot recycle. 2. The product is engaging, interactive, and eye-catching. 3. The product presents information in a way that is accessible to users, regardless of background or language. 4. The outreach coordinator is able to single-handedly and easily transport and use the product in varied environments. Adjectives that describe user...
Oct 13th
3 tags
Rahul's Two-by-Two
We want to focus on things that are currently desired but confused.
Oct 12th
3 tags
Oct 12th
3 tags
Jen's Customer Empathy Map
Say: What did the users say to you or to others they interact with?  Do: What did you see the users do? What actions and behaviors did you notice? Think: What might the user(s) have been thinking yet not saying? What does this tell you about his/her beliefs? Feel: How do you think the users may have felt? What emotions may they be feeling? Typical process of interacting with exhibit at museum: ...
Oct 12th
3 tags
Oct 12th
1 tag
Recycled materials?
Random thought: could we make the product out of recycled materials? Could that actually help comprehension of what recyclables can be used for, or would it just embody the principles of the project?
Oct 11th
2 tags
Oct 11th
1 note
2 tags
Oct 11th
2 tags
Oct 11th
2 tags
Rube Goldberg examples →
Rebecca from WM mentioned Rube Goldberg inventions as an inspiration for what she wants the product to be like.
Oct 11th
3 tags
“Rube Goldberg: accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done...”
– Merriam-Webster
Oct 11th
3 tags
Group notes from interviews at Lawrence Hall of...
  Notes from interviews Overall observations What happens after you put recycling in the trash is VERY abstract — no one knew what happened, especially concerning collection at facility and sorting — some knew that eventually plastic is melted and reused Very few kids had a clear distinction between recycling trash and landfill trash — they saw it as the same thing and didn’t...
Oct 10th
3 tags
Group notes from observations at Lawrence Hall of...
Observations at Kapla blocks (rectangular wooden blocks, see below)   NOTE: ages are estimates   2 parents + ~1/2 yo girl + 7/8 yo boy mom built her own simpler tower for girl to knock over girl keeps taking things apart, almost methodically — she keeps knocking things over girl took blocks and ran around boy keeps destroying things and rebuilding boy decided to build DNA (twisty)...
Oct 10th
1 tag
Oct 8th
1 tag
WatchWatch
The MRF in action
Oct 8th
2 tags
Oct 8th
2 tags
Toy Story 3 Lego Trash Compactor →
A really good example of a toy with moving parts.
Oct 6th
Cupcakes →
Cake analogy from Brandon Schauer from Adaptive Path. How to we make a cupcake (a small but desirable product) rather than a plain cake?
Oct 4th