Introduction
In our first Milestone exercise, we identified ‘quality of life’ as our thematic focus, and explored three different ideas within that space:
1) A water bottle that senses how much hydration a user has gotten throughout the day and communicates with them (e.g. by changing color, communicating with their phone or wearable device, etc.)
2) A wearable mood-tracking bracelet that could allow users to track changes in their mental state by using a physical interaction (e.g. twisting the bezel-like part of the wearable).
3) An ambient lighting installment that sits in a person’s room and receives input from the activity of others in their own rooms. The display would flicker and dim based on others’ activity, creating a slow ‘burn down’ effect that would subtly signal to the user when others were sleeping (and thus, when might be a natural time for them to sleep as well).
After presenting these ideas to the class and receiving feedback, we conducted a subsequent brainstorming session and emerged with a more defined population and a new idea. This was something designed to improve the quality of life of senior citizens who had difficulty using the latest technology for household entertainment and communication (e.g. using music streaming applications, complex remote controls, or videoconferencing software like Skype). To help this population, we conceived of a device that enabled users to play music, control some appliances and access videoconferencing technology by performing simple, physical interactions. For instance, by setting a plastic card on top of a small platform, they could play a song or call the person whose information was on the card.
We identified assisted living facilities as a potential setting for our product’s implementation, because it would allow opportunities for scaling (if an assisted living center adopted the technology for all of its residents, for instance), and because residents would fit the age profile we had identified. After contacting several of these facilities in Ann Arbor, however, it was apparent that the staff were not interested in allowing students to “use” their residents for research projects.
Because we needed to gather data from users quickly, we pivoted and identified a more readily available population that we could contact directly and consistently (keeping in mind future design activities like user enactments). We chose gardening hobbyists (or aspiring gardeners) as our user population, and home gardening as our primary context to explore. What follows is a description of the study that we conducted to better understand the gardening experience, its perceived benefits, its difficulties and frustration points.
1) A water bottle that senses how much hydration a user has gotten throughout the day and communicates with them (e.g. by changing color, communicating with their phone or wearable device, etc.)
2) A wearable mood-tracking bracelet that could allow users to track changes in their mental state by using a physical interaction (e.g. twisting the bezel-like part of the wearable).
3) An ambient lighting installment that sits in a person’s room and receives input from the activity of others in their own rooms. The display would flicker and dim based on others’ activity, creating a slow ‘burn down’ effect that would subtly signal to the user when others were sleeping (and thus, when might be a natural time for them to sleep as well).
After presenting these ideas to the class and receiving feedback, we conducted a subsequent brainstorming session and emerged with a more defined population and a new idea. This was something designed to improve the quality of life of senior citizens who had difficulty using the latest technology for household entertainment and communication (e.g. using music streaming applications, complex remote controls, or videoconferencing software like Skype). To help this population, we conceived of a device that enabled users to play music, control some appliances and access videoconferencing technology by performing simple, physical interactions. For instance, by setting a plastic card on top of a small platform, they could play a song or call the person whose information was on the card.
We identified assisted living facilities as a potential setting for our product’s implementation, because it would allow opportunities for scaling (if an assisted living center adopted the technology for all of its residents, for instance), and because residents would fit the age profile we had identified. After contacting several of these facilities in Ann Arbor, however, it was apparent that the staff were not interested in allowing students to “use” their residents for research projects.
Because we needed to gather data from users quickly, we pivoted and identified a more readily available population that we could contact directly and consistently (keeping in mind future design activities like user enactments). We chose gardening hobbyists (or aspiring gardeners) as our user population, and home gardening as our primary context to explore. What follows is a description of the study that we conducted to better understand the gardening experience, its perceived benefits, its difficulties and frustration points.
Study design
In summation we leveraged the following research methods:
- Qualitative 1:1 interviews
- 6 users total (5 amateur gardeners, 1 expert)
- Assess motivations for gardening
- Understand values and goals; that is, what aspects of gardening are important to the respondent and what they hope to accomplish
- Identify constraints and threats respondents face while gardening
- Unveil opportunities (what would make gardening easier?)
- Explore problems (e.g, what makes gardening difficult?)
- Parts of gardening respondents like and dislike
- Guerrilla interviews with experts at the Ann Arbor farmers market in Kerry Town
- Organic conversation with local vendors and customers
- In addition to talking with amateur, wanted to get an assessment from experts
- 10/22 Saturday
- http://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/farmers-market/Pages/default.aspx
- Conversation centered around challenges in farming, why they sell at the Farmer's Market, why they grow crops and
- Gardener photo gallery (1 expert, 2 amateur, 1 aspiring)
- Leveraged in order to get an assessment of the kind of spaces gardeners use, specifically scale of home gardens
- Provide context for qualitative 1:1 interviews
- Secondary research through online gardening communities
- While qualitative and guerrilla interviews went deep on specific issues, we also leveraged secondary research in order to get a broader understanding of gardening, problems, potential solutions, other ubiquitous computing solutions pertaining to gardening and more thoroughly understand our population.
- https://permies.com/t/33784/document-gardening-Farm-journal-garden
- http://www.toolsforafuture.net/myplants.html
- http://alexsciuto.com/cmu/portfolio/garden-ubicomp/
- http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2497617
- https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/
- http://farmprogress.com/
- http://www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/11-common-problems-in-a-failing-garden-and-how-to-solve-them/
- While qualitative and guerrilla interviews went deep on specific issues, we also leveraged secondary research in order to get a broader understanding of gardening, problems, potential solutions, other ubiquitous computing solutions pertaining to gardening and more thoroughly understand our population.
Study results
After talking to the variety of stakeholders as stated above, we decided to use the saturate-and-group method to synthesize our findings as it seemed a perfect fit for the needs of this project. We broke down our findings into 3 major groups as a team - Constraints, problems and values. These were written down on color coded post-it notes to make the data physical. These were then placed on the wall initially in no particular order which can be seen in the below images.
Constraints
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Problems
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Values
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Opportunities
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Once we had sorted the findings into groups, we had a set of groups which further had relationships/interdependency between them. To explain this further, we can consider the groups Post-Harvest, Social sharing/Connect and Self Sustainability. The findings in the post harvest groups were directly linked with the aspects of sharing the produce and knowledge with others and hence connecting with them. The post-harvest thoughts and activities also brought with it a sense of self-sustainability to the person who is gardening.
Key Insights:
Our Analysis Methods:
Key Insights:
- Constraints: Budget, Time, Available space, Commitment to using organic methods only, etc.
- Practical goals: Grow veggies to eat, grow flowers, Home Aesthetics
- Deeper motivations: Gardening as quality family time, Personal Reflection, Living up to the idea of self-sustainability, environmentalism.
- Direct threats to garden: Pests, Animals, weather, mold, etc.
- Repetitive / Time-consuming tasks: Watering everyday, removing insects, etc. which do not necessarily have a bad connotation
- Things they’ve asked / would ask others to do for them in their garden when they were busy or away - Amount of water, frequency of watering, use of manure/fertilizer, placement of plants corresponding to sunlight
- Things they wonder about their garden when they’re away
- Inventions they wish existed that would make gardening so much easier for them (e.g. if it were the future and anything were possible)
Our Analysis Methods:
- Saturate and Group - http://dschool.stanford.edu/wp-content/themes/dschool/method-cards/saturate-and-group.pdf
- Making the Data Physical from Saffer, D. (2010). Designing for interaction: Creating innovative applications and devices (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: New Riders.
Ideation and Selection
h analysis in mind, we focused on various clusters for inspiration and sketched out ideas corresponding to these clusters, attempting to come up with as many ideas as rapidly as possible (some of the results are included to the right). The focus throughout was on exploration of these clusters rather than on practicality or feasibility.
Once sketches and ideas were create, the group focused on some ideas that seemed more germane to the users interviewed, their values, problems and constraints. Whichever ideas were most relevant were brought to the surface for further discussion and assessment of feasibility, while those that did not seem as relevant or feasible were documented and stored.
Criteria used for selection:
Once sketches and ideas were create, the group focused on some ideas that seemed more germane to the users interviewed, their values, problems and constraints. Whichever ideas were most relevant were brought to the surface for further discussion and assessment of feasibility, while those that did not seem as relevant or feasible were documented and stored.
Criteria used for selection:
- Do not interfere with user values
- Specifically addresses at least one problem cluster
- Has a clear main user, but scaleable to different skill levels
- Does not require gardening expertise
- Bonus if it is ecologically friendly
Refined scope and concepts
1. Plants That Talk
One of the most interesting things to come out of the photo studies was the lack of visibility into the conditioning of the garden among inexperienced gardeners. Water levels, pH balance, whether or not to fertilize and other important factors were something of a grey area. Moreover, one of the opportunities identified by multiple respondents was a desire to know specifically whether or not they needed to water. As one respondent commented, "I wish my plants could talk to me."
Taking this analysis and idea into consideration, we have explored the idea of a communication system that will "read" data from plants and soil, leverage NFC technology to pass into a centralizing receiver and then that receiver communicates with the user's smart phone, providing both a status report and recommendations based on collected information. Ultimately, this information will allow users to express values of ownership (taking care of something and having a sense of ownership over the garden).
Target audience: inexperienced gardeners with a small home garden that prioritize a desire to have home-grown food and practice sustainable living.
Environments: Small front or back yards with limited space for personal gardening.
Activities: Informing the user of various water, nutritional and pH levels for each specific plant.
Trade-offs: One of the values respondents mentioned is that people like feeling as though they are an expert and this design could potentially detract from that as it is engaging in "hand-holding." Perhaps a user could use this technology to begin their gardening hobby and then slowly ween off once they feel they are achieving expert level. Additionally, this design does not address a user's need for time savings as they would have to still do the watering themselves; however, because the user would still be watering and managing the garden they would be able to express the "connecting to nature" values unveiled through research.
Taking this analysis and idea into consideration, we have explored the idea of a communication system that will "read" data from plants and soil, leverage NFC technology to pass into a centralizing receiver and then that receiver communicates with the user's smart phone, providing both a status report and recommendations based on collected information. Ultimately, this information will allow users to express values of ownership (taking care of something and having a sense of ownership over the garden).
Target audience: inexperienced gardeners with a small home garden that prioritize a desire to have home-grown food and practice sustainable living.
Environments: Small front or back yards with limited space for personal gardening.
Activities: Informing the user of various water, nutritional and pH levels for each specific plant.
Trade-offs: One of the values respondents mentioned is that people like feeling as though they are an expert and this design could potentially detract from that as it is engaging in "hand-holding." Perhaps a user could use this technology to begin their gardening hobby and then slowly ween off once they feel they are achieving expert level. Additionally, this design does not address a user's need for time savings as they would have to still do the watering themselves; however, because the user would still be watering and managing the garden they would be able to express the "connecting to nature" values unveiled through research.
2. WatAR
Another problem that surfaced from our study was the issue of repetitive and time consuming tasks. Although the users loved the activity of gardening, there were times when they did not find time to perform the required activities or there were other limitations like physical fitness. One aged gardener expressed that she loved gardening but her joint pains and old age made it really difficult for her to water the plants.
As a part of designing a solution for this problem, we came up with a augmented reality based watering system which the user’s could use to water the plants. The moisture levels of the plants would be monitored in real time and stored on an online platform which the user could access through a website or a phone application. When she opens up this system, she will be able to see the plants in her garden and their corresponding moisture levels which will provide her the information to make the decision of watering her plants. She can then virtually drag a pail of water over the digital plants which will correspond to a physical action being carried out in the real world and the plants will be watered by an IoT system in the garden. This was designed as an AR experience because we did not want to take away the actual experience of watering the plants and make them still feel responsible for the garden.
Target audience: People that would like to garden, but do not feel they have enough time
Environments: Outdoor/Indoor flower and vegetable beds
Activities: Informing the user of moisture levels and watering the plants
Trade-offs: The only concern we had in this method was that it might take the actual physical experience of watering the plants and spending time in the garden away from the user. But when it is not possible to do it taking into considerations the constraints mentioned before, one might use this system to maintain his/her garden. Also, the alleviate the unintended effects of this interaction, we included the augmented reality aspect to make the use feel like he is actually watering the plants one at a time so that he/she still feels responsible for the garden.
As a part of designing a solution for this problem, we came up with a augmented reality based watering system which the user’s could use to water the plants. The moisture levels of the plants would be monitored in real time and stored on an online platform which the user could access through a website or a phone application. When she opens up this system, she will be able to see the plants in her garden and their corresponding moisture levels which will provide her the information to make the decision of watering her plants. She can then virtually drag a pail of water over the digital plants which will correspond to a physical action being carried out in the real world and the plants will be watered by an IoT system in the garden. This was designed as an AR experience because we did not want to take away the actual experience of watering the plants and make them still feel responsible for the garden.
Target audience: People that would like to garden, but do not feel they have enough time
Environments: Outdoor/Indoor flower and vegetable beds
Activities: Informing the user of moisture levels and watering the plants
Trade-offs: The only concern we had in this method was that it might take the actual physical experience of watering the plants and spending time in the garden away from the user. But when it is not possible to do it taking into considerations the constraints mentioned before, one might use this system to maintain his/her garden. Also, the alleviate the unintended effects of this interaction, we included the augmented reality aspect to make the use feel like he is actually watering the plants one at a time so that he/she still feels responsible for the garden.
3. Critter Shield
One of the topics that elicited the greatest frustration and emotion among our users was the problem of animals eating their crops. Some of our users felt a sense of being cheated or robbed when they worked so hard to grow their plants, and at the last minute a deer, groundhog, or rabbit came along and happily ate everything. One expert gardener exclaimed:
“Animals. Stealin’ my fuckin' shit, man. Always!”
To respond to this problem and frustration, we came up with an animal detection and deterrent system that consists of mounted flower-shaped devices along the edge of the garden. These devices use sensors (possibly infra-red) to detect signatures of animal profiles. When an animal is detected crossing the perimeter and getting into the garden bed, the device rotates to face it. A camera captures an image of the intruder, and then a nozzle sprays the animal with water to deter it. The system then sends a copy of the photograph to the gardener’s email account or mobile app (this might be done as a weekly critter digest as well). The system could also communicate with a mounted camera in a higher place so that photos of intruders can be less obscured by foliage.
During the daytime, this system’s battery is charged with energy from a solar panel.
Target audience: Outdoor gardeners
Environments: Outdoor flower and vegetable beds
Activities: Deterring and documenting intrusive animals; protecting crops
Trade-offs: This system requires moderate effort to install, but little work to maintain (e.g. making sure camera lenses aren’t covered in mud). It is a simple concept (detecting and spraying animals) that does not require gardening expertise. It does not disturb the human-nature relationship, and uses a humane and safe method of deterring animals. The fact that it is self-sustainable in terms of energy also fits with one of our users’ common values: environmental awareness and stewardship.
“Animals. Stealin’ my fuckin' shit, man. Always!”
To respond to this problem and frustration, we came up with an animal detection and deterrent system that consists of mounted flower-shaped devices along the edge of the garden. These devices use sensors (possibly infra-red) to detect signatures of animal profiles. When an animal is detected crossing the perimeter and getting into the garden bed, the device rotates to face it. A camera captures an image of the intruder, and then a nozzle sprays the animal with water to deter it. The system then sends a copy of the photograph to the gardener’s email account or mobile app (this might be done as a weekly critter digest as well). The system could also communicate with a mounted camera in a higher place so that photos of intruders can be less obscured by foliage.
During the daytime, this system’s battery is charged with energy from a solar panel.
Target audience: Outdoor gardeners
Environments: Outdoor flower and vegetable beds
Activities: Deterring and documenting intrusive animals; protecting crops
Trade-offs: This system requires moderate effort to install, but little work to maintain (e.g. making sure camera lenses aren’t covered in mud). It is a simple concept (detecting and spraying animals) that does not require gardening expertise. It does not disturb the human-nature relationship, and uses a humane and safe method of deterring animals. The fact that it is self-sustainable in terms of energy also fits with one of our users’ common values: environmental awareness and stewardship.
Conclusion
After conducting exhaustive research efforts, speaking with users, educating each other about principles, values and problems with gardening, we feel more comfortable with the updated scope of focusing on amateur, home-owning garners that would like to cultivate food for themselves.
With three ideas in mind, the next stage will be gathering feedback through class, faculty and users that we have already contacted and ultimately settle on one design to more thoroughly research, explore and ultimately prototype.
Things that are still uncertain:
With three ideas in mind, the next stage will be gathering feedback through class, faculty and users that we have already contacted and ultimately settle on one design to more thoroughly research, explore and ultimately prototype.
Things that are still uncertain:
- Feasibility of solutions
- What type of prototype to leverage (Wizard of Oz, etc.)
- What likely users think
- Focus on flower, vegetable, fruit or some combination of those flora