My Projects
Varied subjects and a source of inspiration
An overview of my university projects – made with teamwork and experimentation as a focus point.
Silkeborg Bibliotek
Silkeborg Bibliotek – The Box
A fundamental problem with the large touch-screen installation, was that it was used in the same way any of the available computers were used; for internet access and viewing YouTube videos.
ImagEnation – Verplank
Early conceptual model for the concept ImagEnation; an image-editing interface, using the space in the library to full effect.
ImagEnation – Concept Video
To illustrate the concept in a concise and understandable manner, a video was made to exemplify the imagined features of the ImagEnation concept.
Music Blox – Verplank
By making the installation into an interactive and musical space, it has a larger potential for initiating cooperative play and interest among the visitors.
Music Blox – Concept Video
To illustrate the very visual and sound-based concept, a video was made to show an interaction example of the finished concept.
Music Blox – Interface
The finished prototype for the Music Blox concept, featured a use of the graphical colour scheme and visual style found in the design tone of the Children’s Area itself.
Music Blox – Interaction
By placing colorful blocks on the floor, below a web-camera that connects to The BOX, the image is analyzed, and tones played according to placement and selected instruments.
To ensure that the large touch-screen installation, called The Box, in the children’s section of the library in Silkeborg would be more used, the concept Music Blox featured a way to interact physically with digital music, allowing the user to move colored blocks around on a designated area in front of the screen, and assigning instruments to certain colors.
This prototype featured tone and timing control of 4 colors and 8 possible instruments to assign to these colors, and ended in a fully functional form, although largely untested when the internship ended.
During the project, I was responsible for Project Planning, User Analysis, Concept Design & Prototype Development.
A Constant Companion
Designing a modern video-game is a multitude of considerations, even when focusing in on a single aspect of the design process. In this case study, I created a control scheme for a game, that was to be usable on both a PC, a Tablet and a Gaming Console.
A balanced optimum had to be found for both the physical interaction tools; Mouse, Keyboard, Touchscreen and Joypad Controller – as well as the intuitive and learned patterns of interactions, by the user themselves.
During the project, I was responsible for Project Planning, User Analysis, Concept Development, & Quality Analysis.
A Constant Companion – University Project
The project aimed at a unified interface for Console, Computer or Tablet use – with a generic Dungeons & Dragon video game as the framework.
A Constant Companion – Interaction Mockup
Using mockup techniques early and often shaped the interface step-by-step as it got more refined.
A Constant Companion – Controller Interaction Scheme
The Console control scheme attempted to be as intuitive as possible, while maintaining established conventions.
A Constant Companion – Conversation Interaction
One of three distinct modes, Roleplaying (or Conversations) required its own set of considerations.
A Constant Companion – Combat Interaction
In the Combat mode of the game, clearly indicating possible actions is the highest priority.
A Constant Companion – Exploration Interaction
When freely moving around the game world, the character has a wealth of options in terms of interactions and things to discover.
A Constant Companion – Exploration Interaction
A large series of different notifications have to be non-intrusive, and at the same time pervasively present, and this leads to a high premium on the available screen-space ‘real-estate’.
A Constant Companion – Exploration Interaction
With a high requirement for efficient use of screen space, many areas has to become responsive, and change when certain contexts occur.
A Constant Companion – Exploration Interaction
Many elements of the interface take on several roles, in order to keep the player informed, by shifting depending on the situation, or using small iconic representations instead of words and descriptors.
ColorMotion
ColorMotion – Hjørring Bibliotek
The Library in Hjørring has a vibrant and inviting children’s area, in a mostly sound-screened location, specifically designed for children to play and be active in.
ColorMotion – Verplank Model
The selected concept was defined and developed, as shown in this Verplank model of the ColorMotion idea.
ColorMotion – Setup Sketch
We developed a functional prototype, with very little user introduction needed – the only thing need was a person, and movement.
ColorMotion – Image Processing
Using software to subtract the background, and isolate the changing elements, we made each user into a silhouette in changing colors.
In a cooperation with Hjørring Bibliotek, we developed an interactive installation, to produce a lively and active atmosphere in the area of the Childrens Corner of the library. The concept had a goal of producing something that would incite the children to play together in larger groups, and make it a social experience to go to the library.
The project culminated with a prototype of an interactive ‘Color Mirror’. A camera would observe elements entering into the field in front of it, and display these new elements as brightly colored silhouettes on a projected image in front of the installation. As the objects move in front of the camera, they draw a staggered ‘Shadow’ of colors after them, that slowly fades. The prototype makes for an interactive space full of activity and colors, and succeeded in bringing children, of all ages, in front of the canvas to experience their own colorful silhouette together with others.
During the project, I was responsible for Project Planning, User Analysis, Concept Development, Prototype Development & Quality Analysis.
RinRons Rumrejse
In a cooperation with two grade schools; Sofiendal Skole and Odder Skole, we created a prototype Edutainment Game, centered on the adventures of a lost alien name RinRon, trying to get back home to his own world.
The main educational focus of the game, was the subjects of Word Classes and Classification, as this is a subject where a lot of the students seem to lose interest and lack motivation – according to the educators we met at the two schools.
During the project, I was responsible for Concept Development, Graphic Design, Prototype Development & Quality Analysis.
RinRons Rumrejse – First Basic Idea
With a basis in educational theory and the concept of Flow, the game would teach by stimulating the player as they are exposed to the learning material.
RinRons Rumrejse – Style and Substance
The game allowed for an expanding storyline of smaller events and problems, that would ultimately help the small alien home to safety. This made the concept scalable to larger projects.
RinRons Rumrejse – The Word Sorting Machine
To help fuel RinRon’s Rocket, the player must sort words into their correct category, which the machine then converts to fuel.
RinRons Rumrejse – Space Travel
When the rocket is fueled, it must now attempt to reach the moon. While traveling through space, the player has to hit certain words of a requested category – thus backwards reinforcing the learned material.
RinRons Rumrejse – Rocket Upgrade
By traveling in space, RinRon learns that his rocket is not capable of reaching the moon, and he must then upgrade it, and so the game loop becomes; Sort Words, Upgrade Rocket, Attempt Flight, and repeat.
RinRons Rumrejse – Adaptive Focus
Element of an adaptive focus was prioritized, and a sliding scale of difficulty was implemented, that changed the level of challenge according to the students performance.
Bimmers VVS
Bimmers VVS – A Digital Comic Book
With a simple concept, to be expanded upon as time allowed, Bimmers VVS was a series of short adventures featuring the plumber Bimmer.
Bimmers VVS – An Introduction
Designed for the youngest, with simple interactions and stories, that are meant to entertain, and open up for questions to their parents or the staff at the gallery; to spark curiosity.
Bimmers VVS – Chapter Selection
By selecting one storyline out of a set, the user can visit a subject, and learn about that particular aspect of the Water Management Cycle.
Bimmers VVS – At each Location
The locations contain a small self-contained story, with small interactive elements – each explaining their subject, by introducing a problem into the process.
Bimmers VVS – More Information
Sometimes a subject becomes more expansive – and so many segments have the option of pulling down a ‘More Information’ tab, to explain more in depth, as needed.
Bimmers VVS – In the Old Days
To awaken a further level of curiosity, the subjects always included a philosophical musing by the main character, in which he reminds himself, how much the system has changed in the last 100 years.
In Aalborg, there is a yearly event, where certain subjects are presented in a small gallery, in the form of interactive or educational displays and installations. This year, the subject was simply ‘Water’, and we made our bid to educate, using a digital ‘Comic Book’, with interactive and explanatory elements built into the story.
The story is split into subjects, that take place within small narrative pieces, where the brave plumber fixed the problems that his evil nemesis caused. Each story drew parallels between the modern system of water-management, and the methods used before, showing how much knowledge we have gained on subjects such as sanitation and distribution over the last couple of hundred years.
During the project, I was responsible for Project Planning, Concept Development & Prototype Development.
