The Ask
Usually we just take pictures with cameras during our travels to capture valuable memories. We would look at the photos later and all the memories and experience would be coming back.
However we feel the world with not only our eyes but also our ears. For a long time we just collect the image of a place. What about the sound of a place? Many places own certain kind of distinctive sounds. What did we hear when we were there?
However we feel the world with not only our eyes but also our ears. For a long time we just collect the image of a place. What about the sound of a place? Many places own certain kind of distinctive sounds. What did we hear when we were there?
Exploration
So I designed the Memory Wind Chime along with a mobile app to record those signature sound of a place so that we can play back later in a relaxing afternoon.
The mobile application can be used to record and manage audios. We can label the files with colors and/or put them into groups. When we are back home, we can synchronize the audios on the phone to the Memory Wind Chime.
I started thinking about what the app should feel like. "It should indicates that what we've recorded are joyful to listen, just like music." I wanted to capture the experience of us browsing around our own favorite music albums.
I did several mock-ups to test different ways to organize the interface.
I decided to go with the idea of using different sizes CDs to represent audio files. It takes full use of the screen. Users can navigate and click the files easily.
There are four channels in the App:
- Personal Mobile: record your own files
- Personal Wind Chime: play out the files on the windchime
- Family Wind Chime: share your own audio experience with your families
- Personal Wind Chime: play out the files on the windchime
- Family Wind Chime: share your own audio experience with your families
- Social Media: Share your files on your social media
The Final Look & Feel
The Design Process of the Wind Chime
The Final Look&Feel
How To Use
We can easily create a new file and record the sound we like during our trip. To customize it, we ca ngive it a title and color code it.
Here is a video demo showing how to use basic function of the app.
The mobile app is now used as a remote control to determine which file is to be played on the Memory Wind Chime.
With the accelerometer built into the bottom, the Memory Wind Chime can re-arrange all the sections of the audio to match the volume with the wind speed. So the sound played by the Memory Wind Chime is not merely bringing back previous experience. It also responds to the current environment. It ensures that users would have their memory back just in the right atmosphere.
Public sites on social media can encourage others to share their experience of the place, the people, the event, and so much more.
