d.mindsets:
Designing a better experience
What was our Goal? |
Empathizing |
With this project, our goal was really just to make people comfortable, happy, and safe. We wanted to find a simple way to let people express themselves without fearing what others might think. We also wanted to design for kids now as well as the kids we once were, because there is so much that could be done, and we wanted to explore those possibilities.
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For this project, we wanted to get really deep, personal stories that would allow us to gain a deeper understanding of those we interviewed. We also payed a lot of attention to small details like body language and the way the reflected on certain events or parts of their pasts in order to gain the most information possible from our interviews.
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Our Project
The most basic definition of our project is, "a room where people can express themselves," but really it's much more than that. We decided that the best way to accommodate the needs of our users would be a physical space. Based on the information we got from our interviews, we came to the conclusion that many people wish they had been able to express their creativity more when they were young. That's how we came up with the idea of a self-expression room. Here's a rundown on what it is:
- the walls are made for writing on - chalkboards, whiteboards, whatever you can get your hands on
- only one person is allowed in at a time - to provide privacy and a sense of freedom to the user
- there's a time limit - you can't use it all the time and never let anybody else in
- if you use it inappropriately, you can't use it anymore - the space is meant to be positive, not negative