Week Two: Lecture and Studio Revision.

Class Review:

The lecture content focused on the readings and again trying to understand the fundamental concept of input/output. Despite having already taken in the readings, Marianella's lecture provided a different point of view to my own. It helped open my eyes in regards to the interaction design, particularly the concept of design metaphors, something I struggled to conceptualise in the reading.

The key is understanding the concept of 'mapping'. The display or control must match and seem a logical metaphor to what the product is or how it would respond.

The studio session also helped me understand the key concept of input and output. The deconstruction of a simple product gave me an interesting perspective and understanding of the vast array of input and output methods. We started with a simple, "control" product just to get our bearings and we were blown away with its inner complexity. We discover new Input methods. These input methods that helped encapsulate all 5 major senses. 

The child's toy did engage four of the five major senses, however additionally, the product also engaged each of these senses in a different way. In particular, the product had several different tactile surfaces which immediately evoke different functions within the user's perception. All play surfaces were spongy and malleable, while the more clinical or hard buttons represented functions (i.e. On/Off or Reset). This simple observation gave me a better idea of a simple physical input. 


Deconstruction Process:

From this product, we were able to scavenge a few parts....

This process will be repeated over the following days with more products.

Audrino Exercises and Learning to fail quickly and often.....

Tutorial One: Digital Outputs
The most simple of the exercises, this tutorial showed a simple way to program and display digital outputs.

Tutorial Two: Digital Inputs
Again, another foundation exercise, the tutorial shows how to set up digital inputs. The di

Tutorial Three: Output and Input
Now, we starting to combine digital inputs and outputs. Combined from Tutorial 1 and 2, we were able to show a digital input and the translation of the data into a response (digital output)

Understanding Functions:
The tutorial showed how functions reduce coding times and neaten up the programming window.

Tutorial Four: Analogue Output. 
This proved a really cool challenge for the team, simply because a few of the parts we used were scavenged from the children's toy we deconstructed earlier (see above). Especially noticeable was the speaker which we were able to program to produce sound. (see below)

Tutorial 4 Failure:
We originally tried to do this tutorial in the workshop, without completing the foundation tutorials. Although we weren't successful, largely due to inexperience in programming an Arduino , we were able to get an understanding of how the circuit board actually works. This included how the electricity flows across the board and how components interact.