Essential Toolboxes for young creatives.

Microsite
User Research
Branding
Client
HP
Date
Jan - Apr 2022
Roles
Branding Director, Interactive Designer
Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Illustration, Miro

01 Project Vision

Challenge

Define a user flow of building "Essential Toolboxes" based on the theme of “better together.”
Increase HP's ZBook product line visibility among young creators and procurement professionals through an interactive approach.
Recommendations on "Essential Toolboxes" with education-focused tools for creative disciplines.

02 Overview

03 Brand Research

Brand Mission

A HARMONIOUS BALANCE OF DYNAMIC ENERGY AND SERENITY
KARMA strives to create a premium experience of pure driving passion with emotional and elegant electric vehicles.

Brand Attribute

The first thing we want to tell our public. It's our link with innovation, our link with California spirit and lifestyle, our link with technology. This is also our spirit. We will continue to follow this DNA.

Design Language

Evolution of steering wheel

Steering wheels in KARMA basic models retained a pentagon shape in the center. However, new concepts of racing car steering wheels use the iconic “wrapped-around” form of KARMA’s front-head design of their cars.

Revero
2019
Revero GT
2020
Revero GTS
2020
GS-6
2021
GT Concept
2019
SC1 Vision Concept
2019
SC2 Vision Concept
2019

04 User Research

CONSUMER

Who is the current user of electric vehicles?

Most electric vehicle users are mostly millennials who are tech-oriented or retired boomers who prioritize spending on a better experience.

KARMA's Target User

Karma Automotive caters to customers who prioritize luxury, performance, and sustainability in their vehicles. Typically, these buyers are high-net-worth individuals, executives, and entrepreneurs seeking an exclusive driving experience, and distinctive aesthetics, while keeping the ambiance sedate, and understated.

PERSONAS

What are the results?

Jade is a tech-savvy, environmentally-conscious millennial who has always been interested in the latest tech trends. She recently bought an electric vehicle to reduce her carbon footprint and utilize technological advancements. Jade is detail-oriented and analytical, valuing efficiency and convenience. While enjoying the convenience of urban living in San Jose, Jade also likes to get away from the city and explore the surrounding areas as a solo driver to enjoy the quiet solitude and relaxation of driving.

Jade
30 years old software developer

Alex is a refined and discerning retired boomer who values quality crafts and comfortable driving. He is always willing to try out the latest technology and spend money on a better experience. He usually travels to nearby beaches and scenic areas when he has leisure time, so he switched to an electric vehicle years ago to enhance his retirement living.

Alex
65 years old retiree

05 Define

Basic Parts of Steering Wheel

01 Central
02 Spokes
03 Frame
Contains the airbag and the horn.
Connects to the steering column.
Contains buttons, shift levers, etc.
Combines the holding grip.

HAND HOLDING POSITION

Which shape works better?

Based on observing the steering wheel hand-holding position, the regular round steering wheel is the most appropriate form to pursue in many different aspects. While the round steering wheel is the most common design form, it is more intuitive and accessible to a diversity of users.

BUTTONS

Do the current buttons need to be redesigned?

Despite the trend toward graphical interfaces, physical buttons always perform better. It is important that the operational features on the steering wheel should not interfere with the driver's attention while driving. The features should be intuitive and responsive for drivers to operate without extra sight on them. With this in mind, the design will maintain the haptic button with floating dots of the original design for physical feedback for drivers to press without distraction.

BUTTONS

What else should be considered before redesigning?

Steering wheel size: 14” - 17” diameter. Grip size: 2 3⁄4 - 4 1⁄4 inches.
The central part of the steering wheel should be able to contain an airbag.
When an accident occurs, the central part of the steering wheel should have no sharp shape or abrasive materials to minimize harm to the driver.

06 Design

Concept Ideation

Inspiration
Detail Sketching
Development

Dimension & Measurement

Rendering

Prototype Testing

Prototype testing focuses on the ergonomics of hand holding and the overall size of the steering wheel to meet specifications.

07 Deliver

Final Render in Context

08 Takeaways

REFLECTION

Looking back at what I've learned

01

Research a brand's design language before designing for it.

02

Be open to new design directions, new programs, and new fields, then, learn it, understand it, and try it.

03

Be courage to explore the technique of CAD modeling in different forms. Don't limit the design by technique.

01 Project Vision

In the SCAD Pro Sponsored Course project, student and faculty collaborators of the innovation studio, SCADpro, worked under HP's guidance, cooperating with NVIDIA, Adobe, and Intel. A total of two quarters were spent researching, conceptualizing, developing, marketing, and conducting interactive experiences between HP and the young creators.

Can we improve the current status of stray dogs effectively while coexisting?

Challenge

Define a user flow of building "Essential Toolboxes" based on the theme of “better together.”
Increase HP's ZBook product line visibility among young creators and procurement professionals through an interactive approach.
Recommendations on "Essential Toolboxes" with education-focused tools for creative disciplines.

02 Solution

This project is under NDA.
For more information and further details, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

RAISE AWARENESS

We tell the stories for the doggies.

The app will deliver a daily story to the users before they log into it. The objective is to educate them more about the dogs' current circumstances and raise people's awareness of the stray dog issue.

PROFILE

We ensure professionalism and safety.

Doggie's profiles are edited by the user and endorsed by employers. It provides details for employers to review just like a resume. It also updates the guardian on the doggies' real-time condition.

JOB FINDER

We provide a gateway and seamless flow for dogs to connect to the jobs.

The filters allow users and employers to search efficiently. With searching, they can easily view a doggie's profile, lookfor a job for their doggie, and find a shelter for adoption or donation in the app.

THE  DEVICE

A working badge connected with a companion APP

The device functions as a work identification badge, a portable thermometer for doggies, and a tracker with a camera. The device not only monitors the health condition and safety of working doggies by real-time transferring the data but also provides assistance while live programmed directly.

03 Problem Exploration

Statistics

Only 10% of dogs will find permanent home in their life.
Each year, 12.6% of the dogs sent to the shelter are euthanized (around 500 of dogs are euthanized daily).
90% of the stray companion animals received by shelters have NOT been spayed or neutered.
Up to 96% of the stray companion animals received by shelters have NOT been microchipped.
Over to 60% of dog guardians have concerned about the cost of dogs.
Adoption cannot solve underlying problems with stray dogs

Initial Findings

01

Technologies that might help with shelters are mostly hard to carry out based on fund demand. (3D printing fabrication, smart-monitored home, pets’ exercise products, self-health checker)

02

The market started to value companion animals more (separated pets’ house, pets-friendly stores and products,  pets psychic communicator) which creates a new cash flow; however, it is limited to companion animals with guardians.

03

Most shelters can only passively rely on donations or hope that the government will implement strict laws to help with this issue.

04

Hundred-thousands of dogs are working in the United States, and many different new jobs for dogs (influencer, artist, fashion model, therapist) occur according to the market's need in Gen Z.
Current approaches face funding issues

STAKEHOLDERS

Who is involved in this issue?

Doggie
Dog Guardian
Dog Shelter
Employer

04 Research

After the team had a basic understanding of the theme of this project, we then conducted qualitative research methods to gain a deeper understanding from different perspectives. These methods consisted of case studies, surveys, and stakeholder interviews.

Affinity Diagram

INSIGHTS

What did we find from the research?

For Dog Guardians, they prefer to help directly.
Most ways of helping stray dogs, like adoption, voluntary, and donation, require additional effort. Instead of keeping their dogs at home while working, sending them to some activities is a guilt-free, stress-free solution.
For Employers, helping stray dogs will enhance their corporate identity.
Companies find it difficult for dog guardians to collaborate. Also, it is challenging to find a suitable dog from thousands of dogs in shelters. The problem needs to be solved in an efficient manner.
For Dog Shelters, it is hard to cover the cost of doggies.
Although the priority is to raise people's awareness of respecting animals, the most considerable demand on the shelters’ side is sufficient funds to give them a better environment.
For Doggies, living in the shelter is a struggle.
Some of the shelters have already been training their shelter dogs for years for better behavior to improve the adoption rate and to make the management easier.
...but is there a possibility for them to fundraise on their own?

KEY FACTS

Where do we find the possibilities?

01

Some shelters have been training shelter dogs for years to improve adoption rates and make management more effortless.Although the priority is to raise people's awareness of respecting animals, the most considerable demand on the shelters’ side is sufficient funds to give them a better environment.

02

"Employment Guidance & Training Centers" exist for dogs. Thousands of stray dogs are helped each year by this organization. The number of working dogs in the United States has reached 500,000.

05 Define

Opportunity

How might we create an opportunity for doggies to have another role in society and raise funds to help stray dogs?

Competitor Audit

Although there is no direct competition in the current market, we looked at job finders and reliable adoption platforms for competing. To construct a solid foundation for Doggie, the audit analyzed the typical user flow for job finding and the specification of the platforms created for animals.
We selected Linkedin and Indeed as samples for job finders to analyze features and compress them into simple steps. We also looked at Petfinder as the platform for animals to gather essential information for stray dog identification.

Sitemap

Design Guideline

Perfect Round
Constructed Body
Bold Body
Concentric Shaped Body
Pill Shaped Button
Consistent Button
Precised Edge Button

06 Design

Design System

Wireframe

After the team had a basic understanding of the theme of this project, we then conducted qualitative research methods to gain a deeper understanding from different perspectives. These methods consisted of case studies, surveys, and stakeholder interviews.

Mockup, Prototype, and Test

Once the concept was defined, a low-fidelity application prototype was created and tested on different tasks. Following this iteration, the team moved on to a high-fidelity prototype.On the other hand, the device mockup began with sketch models to explore different forms and determine the concept's size. We 3D printed mockups with high feasibility and painted them in the chosen colors. The purpose of this was to see how the final product would look. The team tested the accessories to make sure they were easy to assemble, worked with each other, and were compatible with different dog sizes.

07 Deliver

APP

Device

Package

08 Takeaways

EXPECTATION

Is this really possible?

We set our goal to be a game-changer for stray dogs by connecting them to business needs in order to alter the current situation. Even though there are too many human factors involved in this issue, this is an attractive and feasible solution if you look at all the statistics and research findings. Make every "kill" a "chance," and every life deserves a better one.

REFLECTION

Looking back at what I've learned

01

The process will be smoother with a complete design guide and design system. Working under a design system helps ensure consistency of design.

02

Do not limit your ideation to an initial idea you have in mind. Every step in the design process is inspiring, and it gradually leads to the final result.

03

Consider how each asset will fit together before creating a CAD or physical model.

01 Project Vision

In the SCAD Pro Sponsored Course project, student and faculty collaborators of the innovation studio, SCADpro, worked under HP's guidance, cooperating with NVIDIA, Adobe, and Intel. A total of two quarters were spent researching, conceptualizing, developing, marketing, and conducting interactive experiences between HP and the young creators.

Challenge

Define a user flow of building "Essential Toolboxes" based on the theme of “better together.”
Increase HP's ZBook product line visibility among young creators and procurement professionals through an interactive approach.
Recommendations on "Essential Toolboxes" with education-focused tools for creative disciplines.

02 Solution

My Duty at HP x SCADpro

I was part of the project's initial phase with a team of 18 designers from 10 different majors. The first phase of this project focused on research, analysis, define, and finally result into interactive promotion strategies with further plans and recommendations for the second phase of the project to execute.

As a branding director and interaction designer in this project, my task was to deep dive into the research on different majors for software requirements and market size, and compared to a comprehensive specifications list of all HP hardware to for creating an interactive solution and conducted an engaging proposal to HP, including an engaging promotion video, a plan for a physical workshop and a microsite.

This is a part of the presentation to HP during the checkpoint of the project. I can only show this much due to the restrictions under the NDA. The presentation deck was conducted by the branding team of five teammates, where I worked as branding director with my partner,Aarushi Menon.

Microsite

Sitemap

User Flow Chart

Landing Page

About Page

Recommendation Page

This project is under NDA.
For more information and further details, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

03 Takeaways

REFLECTION

Looking back at what I've learned

01

The benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration far outweigh the benefits of specializing.

02

It is imperative to listen and speak in a team so that everyone works their magic.

03

Documenting everything immediately throughout the process allows the team to deliver comprehensive yet precise information to the other teams.

01 Project Vision

In the SCAD Pro Sponsored Course project, student and faculty collaborators of the innovation studio, SCADpro, worked under HP's guidance, cooperating with NVIDIA, Adobe, and Intel. A total of two quarters were spent researching, conceptualizing, developing, marketing, and conducting interactive experiences between HP and the young creators.

While certain older adults may have already established strong social connections, others may have a smaller circle of friends, putting them at greater risk of social isolation.
Can we improve the current status of stray dogs effectively while coexisting?

Challenge

Define a user flow of building "Essential Toolboxes" based on the theme of “better together.”
Increase HP's ZBook product line visibility among young creators and procurement professionals through an interactive approach.
Recommendations on "Essential Toolboxes" with education-focused tools for creative disciplines.

02 Solution

This project is under NDA.
For more information and further details, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

HOW TO START?

Personalized Profiles

Users will start by creating personalized profiles highlighting their interests and hobbies. This would enable them to pair users with other users who share common interests or hobbies.

WHAT DO WE USE TO CONNECT?

Smart Ring

The ring is connected to the application via Bluetooth. After signing up, the user may register their ring with the account.

WHERE WILL THE FRIENDS BE?

Distance Limitation

Distance limitation of Bluetooth benefits when users would like to find potential friends nearby. Within a limited distance, users can find each other easily and quickly.

WHO TO CONNECT?

Matching Algorithm

The application will push a daily question to users each day. The matching algorithm will be more accurate as usersanswer more questions. Each question can be answered multiple times with different options to generate from the least to the most precise result.

HOW DO USERS FIND EACH OTHER?

Vibration & Light
Notification

Once the ring is connected, it will function as a notificafier that offers a hand-free experience to users. The recurrence rate for vibration notification will be directly proportional to the distance between the matched users.

HOW TO START CONNECT?

Exchange Profile

The ring would also function as a medium to transfer users' profiles by incorporating a shake-hand sensing feature that lets two users exchange their contact information in the application by simply shaking their hands.

HOW TO STAY CONNECT?

Voice-Communication Features

The application has voice-communication features that allow users to communicate with each other through pressing simple buttons to record instead of typing text messages.

HOW TO STRONGER CONNECTION?

Social Activities Recommendations

The application would suggest social activities that users could participate in based on their shared interests or hobbies.

03 Problem Exploration

INITIAL QUESTION

What is age?

"Age is just a scale for time."

Although aging is mandatory, it is not a disease.
Age is a beautiful number to count time, memories, and wisdom.

DEFINITION

What is socio-connection?

Strong social network ties with people around.

Family
Old Friends
New Friends

DEFINE PROBLEM

Why is socio-connection so important to older adults?

Socio-Isolation happens from the age of 45 to 70.

CAUSE

Life events and physical changes in aging result in lower connectivity to society, particularly during later adulthood.

EFFECTS

The maintenance of physical & mental health deals a lot with a higher quality of life and a higher frequency of interaction with society, whether family, friends or other peripheral relationships.

Independence
Mobility
Well-being
Sense of Belonging

STAKEHOLDERS

What age group is the priority?

04 Research

With the human factors and social connection opportunities for older adults being researched and analyzed,communication is the preferred form of social interaction.

Affinity Diagram

INSIGHTS

What did I learn from the research?

01

Most participants are willing to build socio-connections even when facing difficulties.

02

Many participants struggle with using technology to connect with others, though
a majority have experience using it.

03

Most participants refuse to spend money on caring items, and they think those items represent vulnerability.

THE PILLARS

What do I find important?

Sharing
Preserving Memories
Communication
HOW MIGHT WE
apply technology and reduce tasks in the friend-matching process for older adults to regain socio-connection?

05 Define

TARGET USERS

Who should the users interact with?

New Friends

Even though socio-connection can be a bond between family, old friends, and new friends, it is more effective to remain socially active among people in the same situation.

PERSONAS

What sort of people are the target users?

ACCESSIBILITY

What should be considered?

01

Simplified interface, user flow, and functionality to reduce usage difficulties.

02

Facilitating in-person connection reduces the risk of socio-disconnection caused by virtual interaction and increases the accessibility of the solution.

03

Avoid navigating relying on a touch screen and button to be more accessible for the degenerated body, which even tech-savvy will face this issue in the end.

04

All navigation that requires a screen will remain on the smartphone with a larger screen. There will be no screen on the device, but it will be connected to a smartphone app.

NARROWING DOWN THE CONCEPT

Why is it a Ring?

COMPETITORS AUDIT

How is Meet-Up Ring better than existing product?

How is physical interaction better for older adults?

STORYBOARDS

How does Meet-Up Ring works?

User Flow

06 Design

APP

DESIGN SYSTEM

APPLIED ACCESSIBILITY

Larger Clickable Area / Button
Icon with Alternative Text
Sticky Push Notification
Adjustable Text Size & Mode
Text Reader For Reading Contents

WIREFRAME

ITERATIONS

01

Instead of clickable icons, a readable button will be easier to understand for all users.

02

Instead of updating, tags with keywords will be easier to view, have broader space for users to share about, and have higher personal privacy.

03

Instead of a vertical card, a horizontal card is better for question layout and easier to read.

04

Instead of images, a button for text reading is placed in the sidebar of each question card.

Device

FORM EXPLORATION

To ensure all components can be inserted into the design, all components are built into a 3D model in accurate size.

SIZING & DESIGN COMPONENTS

To ensure all components can be inserted into the design, all components are built into a 3D model in accurate size.

Accelerometer
Rechargeable Battery
Vibration Motor
LED
Bluetooth
Wireless Charging IC

ITERATIONS

01

To optimize the inner space, the surface of the transparent parting for the LED light to pass through is pulled out to gain space for the components.

02

The charger was refined to contain a deeper yet wider indentation for users to plug in easily.

07 Deliver

APP

ONBOARDING

01

START CONNECTING

02

VOICE COMMUNICATING

03

MORE INPUT FOR FRIEND MATCH

04

MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND MEET-UP !

05

Device

08 Takeaways

EXPECTATION

Design For All

Although this design focuses on older adults, this project follows the core value of inclusive design, which focuses on the target group yet is designed for all. This is proposed as a easy and effective way to encourage the older generation to facilitate socio-connection, while this is also a relatively more engaging way for the younger generation to build social connections, especially in business. The project allows for more seamless and intuitive communication between all users wearing smart rings.

REFLECTION

Looking back at what I've learned

01

Each design decision should be logical, rational, and well-reasoned.

02

While proposing a solution, consider the core values.

03

Targeting business opportunities for real-world implementation.

01 Project Vision

In the SCAD Pro Sponsored Course project, student and faculty collaborators of the innovation studio, SCADpro, worked under HP's guidance, cooperating with NVIDIA, Adobe, and Intel. A total of two quarters were spent researching, conceptualizing, developing, marketing, and conducting interactive experiences between HP and the young creators.

Can we improve the current status of stray dogs effectively while coexisting?

The team worked together through defining target users, people in creative programs that need mobile computing and GPU acceleration, and in-depth research. After narrowing down to the focused disciplines, the team then proposed the promotion strategies of both online and physical workshops for the audience to experience the product together with professionals from different fields, a microsite for users to build Essential Toolboxes by occupation/major and the software requirements, and a promotion video as the outcome.

02 Overview

This project is under NDA.
For more information and further details, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

03 Brand Research

ABOUT THE BRAND

Philosophy of Design

A sincere interest in intelligent and sustainable design extends to every aspect of Aesop’s workings
_ Aesop

REFERENCES

Past Campaigns

The central idea is to present the rough and cold materials of the Wabi-sabi style in Japanese ethos with a sense of softness and warmth.

Wabi-sabi
Modern
Natural Scene
Fruits and Plants
Light Beam and Shade

04 Selected Product

Citrus
Woods
Herbs

05 Hands-on

MOCKUPS

Plan For the Composition

PHOTOGRAPHY

Contact Sheets

The photo-taking process took over several rounds to test for the ideal lighting, color, and iterate on the composition.

06 Deliver

BOOKLET

SCENARIO

07 Takeaways

REFLECTION

Looking back at what I've learned

01

A campaign could be revised multiple times based on testing results in reality.

02

Consider both portrait and landscape campaigns for different uses.

03

Deliver a message on every subject in the campaign.

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