PersonaBench Extended Abstract

Description: We explore the design of socially dynamic furniture, which adapts its form to maximize interaction in public spaces. Often, individuals in today’s public spaces are increasingly isolated by their technological devices. MP3 players, smartphones and tablets, erect social barriers that inhibit interpersonal interactions. By rewarding and promoting emergent cooperative behavior, our furniture is architected to foster and catalyze connections between people.

Final presentation: PersonaBench

Stop-motion video: http://youtu.be/1NtT74SaQh8

Team:
Shawn Conrad
Research, Presentation, Happy/sad bench storyboard, Abstract
Lauren Kim
Research, Presentation, Stop motion video [photoshop], Bench fabrication, Abstract
Jacqueline Kory:
Research, Presentation, Stop motion video [compilation, music], View bench storyboard, Abstract
Adina Roth
Research, Presentation, Stop motion video [photoshop], Bench fabrication, Abstract
Jonathan Speiser
Research, Presentation, Bench fabrication, Abstract

Problem Description
Ideas can come at any moment, and when working in groups sometimes those ideas occur when not in physical proximity. How can individuals effectively record ideas that occur to them during the day, and how can teams work together and evaluate ideas effectively, when not all together?

Proposed solution
The BrightIdea is a system to help users record ideas that occur to them at the spur of a moment and share with teammates. Each system consists of a base, that contains several idea “bulbs”, each bulb consists of multiple LEDs of varying color that identify which user made a given contribution. When a user has an idea they record it on the bulb. When they are ready to share their idea they recorded, they replace it in the base of the unit. Depending how good of an idea the creator thinks he or she has come up with, the creator make push the bulb deeper or shallower into the base to adjust the actual brightness of the bulb. Other users that see a lit bulb, may then place lit bulbs in the ‘play’ socket of the base, which replays the idea. Afterwards other users replace the bulb into the socket as well and similarly can indicate how good of an idea they think it is by how deeply they replace the bulb into the base.