Project 2 · Year 2 · New Futures
Prospect
A tangible interface that helps a household plan and ration energy in a 2035 smart home, where renewable energy is abundant but intermittent.
Summary
Designing for an uncertain energy future, we used scenario planning to settle on adaptivity as the carrying theme, then designed a tangible planning interface that lets a family schedule energy-using activities around fluctuating renewable supply and reflect on past behaviour. The concept deliberately treats the device as a meaningful household object, not just a meter, so it earns a lasting place in the home.
This is where my Creativity & Aesthetics work took a real step by proposing variable icons made with veneer and LEDs, so a label reads as plain wood when off and lights up clearly when active. It is also where I honestly recognised that my sketching was not yet at the level I wanted.
Main learning points
- Combining aesthetics and technology. The veneer/LED variable icon is where I improve my Creativity & Aesthetics. A combination of form and function designed together.
- Digital prototyping for testing. Building a digital prototype to run user tests sharpened both my coding and my interface-design skills.
- Designing for the abstract. Scenario planning gave me a way to make decisions under deep uncertainty rather than freezing.