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Item Restricted Best practices guideline for implementing gesture-based interfaces in smart consumer product design(2021) Mahmud, Sheikh Salahuddin; Hillmann-Regett, Jan; Lehr, Jakob; Product DesignMACHINE-GENERATED SUMMARY NOTE : "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."- Arthur C. Clarke We are living in that future which about half a century ago Prolific Science fiction author Arthur C Clarke was professing in his attempt to define the boundaries of the possible future (Clarke 1962, 33). The technologies humankind has been using in their daily lives now are in many ways far more wondrous than the Entertaining Magics of old time with use of trickery and sleight of hand. We can comfortably say that our very common household remote controllers are even more capable than the magic wands of the wizards which they used to manipulate elements and objects (Fictional). We have reached an age where there is technological advancement to solve most of humanity's big problems if sufficient attention and effort is put into it. Although a bit slow, we see the sign of change with the focus shifting from fossil fuels to more sustainable forms of energy to address global warming issues. One area the technology integration has been excelling is the daily use products in common households. Our household devices which were clunky, cumbersome and somewhat difficult to operate have become slicker, smaller and so intelligent that they started to sense our needs and do what is needful for the moment. Heating systems are adjusting the temperature based on the user's preference of comfort, lights are turning on or off or even changing colors to match the mood of the user. More products are getting designed around the users and keeping their needs in the front and center. Technological advancements are being pushed to provide more understandability, convenience and ease of use of these kinds of products for many different demographics of users. These household devices are generally termed as smart consumer products because of their intelligence provided via sensors and connectivity with the internet. Consumers of these are slowly getting used to having household devices that can operate without conscious intervention. Interaction with these products are designed to be as optimal as possible, so that the users can receive the intended function without much effort of tinkering with the device itself. Also the interfaces are being brought down to context sensitive display screens on the device or just a smartphone that can connect to the device via bluetooth or wifi network. Two other other modes of interaction which are getting popular are voice and gesture. The benefit of these interface modes is that they use senses other than vision. That's why these interfaces are opening up new paradigms of interaction that can be more natural and intuitive to human cognition. These are also greatly advantageous to ensure accessibility for the users who face challenges to operate vision reliant interfaces due to vision impairment. However these other modes of interaction are still in their relative infancy. Upon investigating Gestural interfaces I have found that although the technology for sophisticated human gesture recognition and implementation for common household use has been in the market for more than a decade (e.g. Microsoft xbox Kinect device introduced in 2010, Samsung gesture control tv introduced in 2012), yet gesture control interfaces are very rarely implemented in mass for mainstream devices. Despite its obvious limitations in accessibility Visual only interface is still dominating the market, whilst until very recently voice control interfaces are getting popularized through smart home devices as Google home or Alexa by tech giants like Google and Amazon respectively. Part of the problem for gesture interfaces not having mass market appeal is that there is no established standard for implementing gesture-based interfaces that will create a consistent and predictable experience across multitude of available devices consumers use in their day to day life. References of Gesture-based Interfaces portrayed in popular media (e.g. Hollywood movies like Minority Report from 2002 or Ironman from 2008) are interesting to look at but don't really translate to real world implementability. So to ensure an acceptable, functional and enjoyable gesture-based interaction experience between the device and the users a tried and tested set of guidelines needs to be in place (Norman and Nielsen 2010, 46). These guidelines will be the stepping stone whenever an interface designer approaches to design gesture based interface for a device. In this paper I am going to propose some of the guidelines for implementing gesture-based interfaces for smart consumer products starting with assumptions derived from ethnographic observation, user observation, user interview and literature study. I am going to test these assumptions through user tests with different types of users with a simulated gesture-interface test rig followed by interviews. A Gesture set for a common household device will be designed to demonstrate how the guidelines come into play while designing gestures for smart household objects. I believe the set of guidelines from my research will be helpful to save time and effort for future gesture-based interface designers. These also will help to provide a better experience for the fully able users as well as users with disabilities to interact with gesture-based devices in their day to day lifeItem Metadata only Circular interference : a user-centered exploration of how both technical advances in interface-design and visual narrative can create a persistent relationship between conscious millennial consumers and sustainable brands(2018) Sindern, Joy; Hillmann-Regett, Jan; Tibus, Alexander; Faculty of Architecture and Design; Berlin International University of Applied Sciences"In this thesis, it is important to work out relevant characteristics of millennials (i.e. Gen Y) and to translate these into an interface of an online platform. The aim is to use visual design and narrative to convey the ethical mission (corporate philosophy) of small sustainable businesses to users in an engaging, inspiring and educational way, thereby promoting the consumption of sustainable goods. [...] The work consists of two parts, one theoretical and one practical. The theory-based section introduces the topic by first exploring what 'sustainability' actually means, its relevance and challenges. In this sense small, sustainable companies are investigated, their role in the economy and a suitable fashion company examined. In order to reach the target audience their behavior and values in terms of consumption, as well as user interface and experience, needs and expectations have been well researched and analyzed. The data was collected through a literature and study search and supported by business journals and articles. The collaborative, sustainable company has provided more insight through a semi-structured interview. In order to examine the target group millennials, on whose characteristics the design of the platform is based, studies and secondary literature were used. Many authors have dedicated their work to exploring this target group, and the literature on millennials is growing steadily. A visual analysis of examples from art, pop culture and digital design helped to create a contemporary interface design. A sketch book was used to sketch and document ideas and layouts of the interface. To form a good basis for the practical section, existing concepts in the market were analyzed. Furthermore, the results of the research were analyzed and a persona was created based on this. In addition, the current user flow was created and general requirements for the platform derived. In the practical section, the results then were visually translated into a holistic, exemplary platform. To test the interface, three user tests were performed at different times of the prototype progress. In this test subjects of the target group were exposed to a scenario in which they had to execute instructions on the clickable prototype. This was observed and evaluated. Following the feedback, prototype changes were made."Item Restricted Product design as facilitator to connect people in the digital age : the dining table as medium to connect people(2019) Pham Thi, Tuyet Chinh; Hillmann-Regett, Jan; Lehr, Jakob; Faculty of Architecture and Design; Berlin International University of Applied Sciences"The main research question is: How can we connect people in the digital age? This is the digital age, where everything and everyone is connected and linked with each other. Communication is easier than ever, and information is available at anytime and everywhere. People like to share their adventures and thoughts online, and generally enjoy presenting themselves on social media in a positive way. It seems like people are living in a perfect world, where everyone is having a good time and living a good life. But reality shows, that people have their smartphone, tablet, computer or other electronic devices constantly in front of their face. Everyone is doing their own thing and is more interested in their online presence or connecting with others online, than what is happening right around them. People are connected in the digital world, but somehow disconnected in the real world. In this thesis, I will focus on the dining table, because the dining table is my medium to connect people in the digital age. Dining is a very intimate ritual, which is usually shared by family and friends or acquaintances. People eat, talk, laugh and share. Dining is more or less the only time of the day, where we feel relieved. We enjoy good food, good company and celebrate a successful ending of the day together. I will design a special dining table and a special event. The purpose is to connect people. I will create an environment and design, where people feel comfortable and enjoy the 'here and now'. I want people to have a good time, enjoy good food, good company and have fun together."Item Restricted Save the Hive : Identifying and bridging information gaps in order to encourage environmental design initiatives, such as bee survival in Berlin(2021) Hillmann-Regett, Jan; Schroeder, Süheyla; Product DesignMACHINE-GENERATED SUMMARY NOTE : Bees, due to their vital role as pollinator agents, are one of the most important living beings found in nature. Life as we know if depends on them, yet they are in grave danger. Human beings have a major role to play in their current predicament, and it is up to us to save them. Big cities like Berlin have proven to be safe havens for bees, and will play an important role for their long-term conserva- tion. Berlin in particular is apt for this task; but even though the potential and resources exist, city dweller's lack of knowl- edge on the topic is impeding large-scale action. This can be attributed to information and communication gaps present between conservation initiatives and the wider pop- ulation. This thesis explores, identifies and effectively bridg- es said gaps, in order to encourage widespread bee con- servation efforts from a grassroots approach. By conducting extensive research and identifying the problem, a design solution is proposed: a digital tool that will give ordinary city dwellers a friendly, straightforward way to learn about bees and help them as a community